Smoking systems, device kits, consumables, combination products, and methods for obtaining a sense of end-point arrival and anticipation of end-point arrival

Abstract

Obtained is a smoking system that, upon insertion of a flavor generating article into a chamber, facilitates the sensing of the article having reached the terminal end of the chamber, and also facilitates the prediction of the article about to reach the terminal end of the chamber. The smoking system satisfies A ≤ 4.00N and B > 1.0, where A is an insertion force comprising a resistance value when a flavor generating article is inserted into an accommodating portion and the tip of the flavor generating article has reached the terminal end of the accommodating portion, and B is a first resistance force ratio which is the ratio of a rear-half average resistance force to a front-half average resistance force when the flavor generating article is inserted into the accommodating portion, wherein the front-half average resistance force is an average of resistance values between a predetermined position on an insertion end of the accommodating portion and an intermediate point between the predetermined position and the terminal end of the accommodating portion, and the rear-half average resistance force is an average of resistance values between the intermediate point between the predetermined position and the terminal end of the accommodating portion and the terminal end of the accommodating portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to smoking systems, device kits, consumables, combination products, and methods for achieving a feeling of end arrival and anticipation of end arrival. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a flavor inhaler for inhaling flavors and the like without burning a material. For example, as such a flavor inhaler, there is known one that has a gripping part that grips an inserted flavor generating article corresponding to an opening of a chamber (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6737902 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Cited Document 1 discloses a structure for gripping a flavor-generating article inserted into a chamber. However, there is no device that allows one to easily feel and predict that a flavor-generating article has reached the end of the chamber when the flavor-generating article is inserted into the chamber. In other words, since it is difficult to feel and predict that the flavor-generating article has reached the end of the chamber, the flavor-generating article may be pushed too hard, resulting in deformation of the flavor-generating article.

[0005] Furthermore, if the flavor generating article is not placed in an appropriate position relative to the heating section of the flavor inhaler, the flavor generating article (particularly the filling section filled with smokable articles) may not be heated sufficiently, which may have an undesirable effect on the smoking taste. Therefore, it is important to be able to easily sense and predict when the end of the chamber has been reached so that the flavor generating article can be placed in the appropriate position within the chamber.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the problems described above, and aims to provide a smoking system in which, when a flavor-generating article is inserted into a chamber, it is easy to sense that the end of the chamber has been reached, and it is easy to predict that the end of the chamber has been reached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In a first embodiment of the present invention, a smoking system is provided, comprising a flavor inhaler and a flavor generating article, the flavor inhaler including a storage section having an opening formed at one end and storing at least a part of the flavor generating article through the opening, the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section, and the resistance value when the front end of the flavor generating article reaches the end of the storage section is defined as an insertion force A, and the ratio of the rear half average resistance force, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from a predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section when the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section, to the front half average resistance force, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from the predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, when the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section, is defined as a first resistance ratio B, which satisfies the following formulas (1) and (2). A≦4.00N…(1) B>1.0…(2)

[0008] According to the first form of the present invention, by satisfying formula (1), when the flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, it can be felt that it has reached the end of the storage section, and by satisfying formula (2), the feeling of increased insertion resistance on the side approaching the end of the storage section allows the user to sense the approach of the end, making it easier to predict that the end of the storage section will be reached.

[0009] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined position on the insertion end side of the housing portion may be a position 10 mm from the end of the housing portion. Also, the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the housing portion may be a position 5 mm from the end of the housing portion. In this case, the front half average resistance may be an average of resistance values ​​in a range of 10 mm to 5 mm from the end of the housing portion, and the rear half average resistance may be an average of resistance values ​​in a range of 5 mm to 0 mm from the end of the housing portion.

[0010] In a second embodiment of the present invention, the first embodiment is provided with at least one local variation region in which the resistance value varies by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined range when the flavor generating article is inserted into the container.

[0011] According to the second aspect of the present invention, by providing a local variation in resistance value, it becomes easier for the user to sense the approach of the end of the container, and it becomes easier to predict when the end of the container will be reached.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, when the ratio between the resistance value in the local fluctuation region and the insertion force in the second aspect is defined as a second resistance force ratio C, the following formula (3) is satisfied. C≧0.8…(3)

[0013] According to the third aspect of the present invention, by satisfying formula (3), it is possible to prevent the resistance value in the local fluctuation region from being significantly smaller than the insertion force, and therefore to prevent the resistance value from being unable to contribute to predicting the arrival of the end of the accommodating portion.

[0014] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the distance from the end position of the accommodation portion to the local fluctuation region in the second or third aspect is distance D, the following formula (4) is satisfied. D≦5.0mm…(4)

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by satisfying formula (4), the user can maintain the sensation of having passed through the local fluctuation area until reaching the end of the storage section, making it easier to predict reaching the end of the storage section.

[0016] In a fifth form of the present invention, in any of the first to fourth forms, the smoking system further includes a heating section for heating the flavor generating article contained in the container, and the heating section is provided in the flavor inhaler and does not have a heating element inserted into the flavor generating article.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, for example, in a flavor inhaler in which a heating unit is arranged on the outer periphery of a storage unit, it is easy to feel that the end of the storage unit has been reached, and it is easy to predict that the end of the storage unit has been reached. In addition, when a heating unit provided in a flavor inhaler is inserted into a flavor generating article, the flavor generating article or agglomerates of aerosol smoke generated from the flavor generating article may adhere to the heating unit during use, which may affect the insertion feeling of the flavor generating article. In contrast, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, for example, in a flavor inhaler in which a heating unit is arranged on the outer periphery of a storage unit, the adhesion of agglomerates to the heating unit does not occur, so that it is possible to suppress the change in the insertion feeling of the flavor generating article during use.

[0018] In a sixth form of the present invention, in any of the first to fifth forms, the flavor generating article includes a filling section filled with smokable material, a hollow tubular section provided continuous with the filling section, and a filter section provided continuous with the tubular section, and the accommodating section includes a gripping section for gripping the flavor generating article accommodated in the accommodating section, and the gripping section is provided in a position capable of contacting at least two portions of the flavor generating article when the flavor generating article is inserted into the accommodating section.

[0019] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, contact with at least two parts of the flavor-generating article allows the flavor-generating article to be stably grasped at a position close to the insertion end of the storage section.

[0020] In a seventh form of the present invention, in any of the first to sixth forms, the storage section includes a contact portion that presses a portion of the stored flavor-generating article along the axial direction of the storage section, and a separation portion that is separated from the stored flavor-generating article.

[0021] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a portion of the flavor-generating article contained in the storage section can be pressed along the axial direction of the storage section by the contact portion, thereby compressing and holding the inserted flavor-generating article.

[0022] In an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device kit, which comprises the flavor inhaler according to any one of the first to seventh aspects and an indication indicating that the device kit is used in the flavor generating article according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0023] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when a flavor generating article used in a flavor inhaler included in a device kit is applied to this flavor inhaler, it becomes easier to sense that the end of the storage section has been reached, and it becomes easier to predict that the end of the storage section will be reached.

[0024] In a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a consumable product, the consumable product having the flavor generating article according to any one of the first to seventh aspects and an indication indicating that the consumable product is used in the flavor inhaler according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0025] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when a flavor inhaler used in a flavor generating article included in a consumable product is applied to this flavor generating article, it becomes easier to sense when the end of the storage section has been reached, and it also becomes easier to predict when the end of the storage section has been reached.

[0026] In a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination of a consumable and a device kit, the combination comprising a consumable including a flavor generating article according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and a device kit including a flavor inhaler according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein at least one of the consumable and the device kit has an indication indicating that it is used with the other of the consumable and the device kit.

[0027] According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in a combination product of a device kit and a consumable item that is exclusive to the device kit, it becomes easier to sense when the end of the storage section has been reached, and also easier to predict that the end of the storage section will be reached.

[0028] In an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for obtaining a feeling of reaching the end and a feeling of anticipation of reaching the end in a smoking system including a flavor inhaler and a flavor generating article. In this method, the flavor inhaler includes a storage section having an opening formed at one end and storing at least a part of the flavor generating article through the opening, and when the resistance value when the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section and the tip of the flavor generating article reaches the end of the storage section is defined as an insertion force A, and when the ratio of the rear half average resistance force, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from a predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section when the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section, to the front half average resistance force, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from a predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, when the flavor generating article is inserted into the storage section, is defined as a first resistance ratio B, the following formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied. A≦4.00N…(1) B>1.0…(2)

[0029] According to the eleventh form of the present invention, by satisfying formula (1), when the flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, it can be felt that it has reached the end of the storage section, and by satisfying formula (2), the feeling of increased insertion resistance on the side approaching the end of the storage section allows the user to sense the approach of the end, making it easier to predict that the end of the storage section will be reached.

[0030] In an eleventh embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined position on the insertion end side of the housing portion may be a position 10 mm from the end of the housing portion. Also, the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the housing portion may be a position 5 mm from the end of the housing portion. In this case, the front half average resistance may be an average of resistance values ​​in a range of 10 mm to 5 mm from the end of the housing portion, and the rear half average resistance may be an average of resistance values ​​in a range of 5 mm to 0 mm from the end of the housing portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a flavor inhaler according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a flavor generating article. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler taken along the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1B. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chamber according to the embodiment. [Figure 4B] 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5A-5A of FIG. 4B. [Figure 5B] 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5B-5B of FIG. 4B. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chamber and a heating unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 5B shows the cross-sectional view of the flavor generating article in a desired position within the chamber according to this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber according to Example 1 of the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber according to Example 1 of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber according to Example 1 of the present embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber shown in FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of a chamber and the resistance value in Sample 1. [Figure 15]13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of the chamber and the resistance value in Sample 2. [Figure 16] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of the chamber and the resistance value in Sample 3. [Figure 17] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of the chamber and the resistance value in Sample 4. [Figure 18] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of the chamber and the resistance value in Sample 5. [Figure 19] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from an end position of the chamber and the resistance value in Sample 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0033] [Basic configuration] First, the basic configuration of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1A is a schematic front view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. In the drawings described in this specification, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system may be attached for convenience of explanation. In this coordinate system, the Z axis faces vertically upward, the XY plane is arranged to cut the flavor inhaler 100 horizontally, and the Y axis is arranged to extend from the front to the back of the flavor inhaler 100. The Z axis can also be said to be the insertion direction of the flavor generating article contained in the chamber 50 of the atomization unit 30 described later, or the axial direction of the chamber 50. The X axis is a direction perpendicular to the Y axis and the Z axis.

[0034] The flavor inhaler 100 according to this embodiment is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor by, for example, heating a stick-shaped flavor generating article having a flavor source containing an aerosol source.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C, the flavor inhaler 100 has an outer housing 101, a slide cover 102, a switch unit 103, and a terminal 104. The outer housing 101 constitutes the outermost housing of the flavor inhaler 100 and has a size that fits in the user's hand. When using the flavor inhaler 100, the user can hold the flavor inhaler 100 in his / her hand and inhale the aerosol. The outer housing 101 may be constructed by assembling a plurality of members. The outer housing 101 may be formed of a metal such as aluminum. The outer housing 101 may have a member made of resin, such as polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), or a polymer alloy containing a plurality of types of polymers.

[0036] The outer housing 101 has an opening (not shown) for receiving a flavor-generating article, and the slide cover 102 is slidably attached to the outer housing 101 so as to close the opening. Specifically, the slide cover 102 is configured to be movable along the outer surface of the outer housing 101 between a closed position (position shown in Figs. 1A and 1B) in which the opening of the outer housing 101 is closed, and an open position in which the opening is opened. For example, a user can manually operate the slide cover 102 to move the slide cover 102 between the closed position and the open position. This allows or restricts the access of the flavor-generating article to the inside of the slide cover 102 and the flavor inhaler 100.

[0037] The switch unit 103 is used to switch the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 on and off. For example, when a user operates the switch unit 103 with a flavor-generating article inserted in the flavor inhaler 100, power is supplied from a power source (not shown) to a heating unit (not shown), and the flavor-generating article can be heated without being burned. The switch unit 103 may be a switch provided outside the outer housing 101, or may be a switch located inside the outer housing 101. When the switch is located inside the outer housing 101, the switch is indirectly pressed by pressing the switch unit 103 on the surface of the outer housing 101. In this embodiment, an example in which the switch of the switch unit 103 is located inside the outer housing 101 will be described.

[0038] The terminal 104 is an interface such as a USB that connects the flavor inhaler 100 to an external power source. If the power source of the flavor inhaler 100 is a rechargeable battery, the external power source can be connected to the terminal 104 to cause the external power source to pass a current through the power source and charge the power source. In addition, the flavor inhaler 100 can be configured to transmit data related to the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 to an external device by connecting a data transmission cable to the terminal 104.

[0039] Next, a flavor generating article used in the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the flavor generating article 110. In the present embodiment, the flavor inhaler 100 and the flavor generating article 110 may constitute a smoking system. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the flavor generating article 110 may have a filling section 111 filled with a smokable article, and a filter segment including a filter section 115 and a hollow filter section 116. The hollow filter section 116 may be located closer to the smokable article than the filter section 115. Specifically, the flavor generating article 110 may be a rod-shaped non-combustion heat-not-burn tobacco including a smokable article, a mouthpiece section, and a second cigarette paper 113 such as tipping paper wrapped around the smokable article and the mouthpiece section. The mouthpiece section has a cylindrical member 114 and a filter segment. The filter segment has a hollow filter section 116 and a filter section 115. A tubular member 114, which is a cooling segment, may be sandwiched adjacent to the smokable article and the filter segment in the axial direction (also referred to as the "longitudinal direction") of the flavor generating article 110. The tubular member 114 may also be provided with an opening V concentrically in the circumferential direction of the tubular member 114. The opening V provided in the tubular member 114 of the flavor generating article 110 is usually a hole for promoting the inflow of air from the outside due to inhalation by the user, and this inflow of air can lower the temperature of the components and air flowing in from the smokable article.

[0040] The rod-shaped flavor generating article 110 preferably has a columnar shape that satisfies an aspect ratio of 1 or more, as defined below. Aspect ratio=h / w w is the width of the base of the cylinder (in this specification, the width of the base on the smokable article side), h is the height, and it is preferable that h≧w. In this specification, the long axis direction is defined as the direction indicated by h. Therefore, even if w≧h, the direction indicated by h will be referred to as the long axis direction for convenience. The shape of the base is not limited and may be a polygon, a rounded polygon, a circle, an ellipse, etc., and the width w is the diameter if the base is circular, the major axis if it is an ellipse, or the diameter of the circumscribing circle or the major axis of the circumscribing ellipse if the base is a polygon or a rounded polygon.

[0041] The flavor generating article 110 may have a first wrapping paper 112 for wrapping the smokable article. The length of the flavor generating article 110 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 mm to 90 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 mm to 60 mm. More specifically, the length h of the flavor generating article 110 in the major axis direction is not particularly limited, and is, for example, usually 40 mm or more, preferably 45 mm or more, and more preferably 50 mm or more. The length h of the flavor generating article 110 in the major axis direction is usually 100 mm or less, preferably 90 mm or less, and more preferably 80 mm or less. The circumference of the flavor generating article 110 is preferably 15 mm to 25 mm, more preferably 17 mm to 24 mm, and even more preferably 20 mm to 23 mm. More specifically, the width w of the bottom surface of the columnar body of flavor generating article 110 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, usually 5 mm or more, and preferably 5.5 mm or more. Furthermore, the width w of the bottom surface of the columnar body of flavor generating article 110 is usually 10 mm or less, preferably 9 mm or less, and more preferably 8 mm or less. Furthermore, the length of the smokable article in flavor generating article 110 may be 18 mm to 22 mm, the length of the first cigarette paper 112 may be 18 mm to 22 mm, the length of the hollow filter portion 116 may be 7 mm to 9 mm, and the length of the filter portion 115 may be 6 mm to 8 mm.

[0042] The ratio of the length of the cylindrical member 114 and the filter segment (cylindrical member 114:filter segment) in the length of the flavor generating article 110 in the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the delivery amount of the flavor and an appropriate aerosol temperature, it is usually 0.60-1.40:0.60-1.40, preferably 0.80-1.20:0.80-1.20, more preferably 0.85-1.15:0.85-1.15, even more preferably 0.90-1.10:0.90-1.10, and particularly preferably 0.95-1.05:0.95-1.05. By setting the ratio of the length of the cylindrical member 114 and the filter segment within the above range, a good balance is achieved between the cooling effect, the effect of suppressing losses due to the adhesion of the generated steam and aerosol to the inner wall of the cylindrical member 114, and the function of adjusting the air volume and flavor of the filter, thereby achieving a good flavor and flavor intensity. In particular, if the cylindrical member 114 is made longer, the particulation of the aerosol or the like is promoted, and a good flavor can be achieved, but if it is too long, the substances passing through will adhere to the inner wall.

[0043] The configuration of the mouthpiece portion is not particularly limited as long as the tubular member 114 is configured to be sandwiched adjacent to the smokable article and the filter segment in the axial direction of the flavor generating article 110. In other words, the flavor generating article 110 may have the tubular member 114 between the smokable article and the filter segment. The filter segment and the tubular member 114 will be described in detail below.

[0044] (Filter segment disclosure) The filter segment is not particularly limited as long as it includes the filter portion 115 and has a general filter function. Examples of general filter functions include adjusting the amount of air mixed in when inhaling aerosols, reducing flavor, and reducing nicotine and tar, but it is not necessary for the filter to have all of these functions. In addition, in electrically heated tobacco products, which tend to produce fewer components and have a lower tobacco filler filling rate compared to cigarette products, one of the important functions is to suppress the filtering function while preventing the tobacco filler from falling out.

[0045] (Dimensional disclosure) The cross-sectional shape of the filter segment in the circumferential direction is substantially circular, and the diameter of the circle can be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 4.0 mm or more and 9.0 mm or less, preferably 4.5 mm or more and 8.5 mm or less, and more preferably 5.0 mm or more and 8.0 mm or less. If the cross section is not circular, the above diameter is applied to a circle assumed to have the same area as the area of ​​the cross section. The circumferential length of the cross-sectional shape of the filter segment in the circumferential direction can be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 14.0 mm or more and 27.0 mm or less, preferably 15.0 mm or more and 26.0 mm or less, and more preferably 16.0 mm or more and 25.0 mm or less. The axial length of the filter segment can be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, preferably 17.5 mm or more and 32.5 mm or less, and more preferably 20.0 mm or more and 30.0 mm or less. The shape and dimensions of the filter portion 115 can be appropriately adjusted so that the shape and dimensions of the filter segment fall within the above ranges.

[0046] (Disclosure regarding filter unit 115) The filter portion 115 constituting the filter segment may be, for example, one manufactured by the manufacturing method described below, or a commercially available product. The form of the filter segment is not particularly limited, and may be a plain filter including a single filter segment, a multi-segment filter including a plurality of filter segments such as a dual filter or a triple filter. The filter segment may be manufactured by a known method. For example, when synthetic fibers such as cellulose acetate tow are used as the material of the filter portion 115, the filter portion 115 may be manufactured by a method of spinning a polymer solution containing a polymer and a solvent and crimping the polymer solution. As the method, for example, the method described in International Publication No. 2013 / 067511 may be used. In manufacturing the filter segment, the adjustment of the air flow resistance and the addition of additives (known adsorbents and flavors (e.g., menthol), granular activated carbon, flavor retention material, etc.) to the filter portion 115 may be appropriately designed. The form of the filter portion 115 constituting the filter segment is not particularly limited, and a known form may be adopted. For example, cellulose acetate tow processed into a cylindrical shape may be used. The single yarn fineness and total fineness of the cellulose acetate tow are not particularly limited, but in the case of a mouthpiece part with a circumference of 22 mm, the single yarn fineness is preferably 5 g / 9000 m or more and 12 g / 9000 m or less, and the total fineness is preferably 12000 g / 9000 m or more and 35000 g / 9000 m or less. Examples of the cross-sectional shape of the fiber of the cellulose acetate tow include a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a Y-shape, an I-shape, and an R-shape. In the case of the filter part 115 filled with cellulose acetate tow, triacetin (plasticizer) may be added in an amount of 5% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less based on the weight of the cellulose acetate tow in order to improve the filter hardness. In addition, instead of the acetate filter, a paper filter filled with sheet-shaped pulp paper may be used.

[0047] (Disclosure regarding hollow filter portion 116) The filter segment may include a hollow filter portion 116 having one or more hollow portions. The hollow filter portion 116 is usually disposed closer to the tubular member 114 than the filter portion 115, and is preferably disposed adjacent to the tubular member 114.

[0048] The hollow filter section 116 is composed of a filling layer having one or more hollow parts, and an inner plug wrapper (inner wrapping paper) that covers the filling layer. The hollow parts can be provided at any position of the hollow filter section 116. The hollow filter section 116 has a function of increasing the strength of the mouthpiece section. The filling layer can be, for example, a rod in which cellulose acetate fibers are densely packed and a plasticizer containing triacetin is added at 6% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less relative to the mass of cellulose acetate, and hardened. The inner diameter of the hollow filter section 116 can be φ1.0 mm or more and φ5.0 mm or less. Since the filling layer has a high fiber packing density, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow parts during inhalation, and hardly flow inside the filling layer. Since the filling layer inside the hollow filter section 116 is a fiber packed layer, the feel from the outside during use is less likely to cause discomfort to the user. It is to be noted that the hollow filter section 116 may not have an inner plug wrapper, and its shape may be maintained by thermoforming. The hardness of hollow filter portion 116 is preferably greater than the hardness of filter portion 115. Specifically, the mass percentage of the plasticizer contained in hollow filter portion 116 is preferably greater than the mass percentage of the plasticizer contained in filter portion 115. In flavor-generating article 110, when it is desired to reduce the loss of aerosol components due to filtration in filter portion 115, shortening the length of filter portion 115 and replacing it with hollow filter portion 116 is effective in increasing the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0049] (Filter Density Disclosure) The density of the filter portion 115 is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.10 g / cm 3 More than 0.25g / cm 3 Less than or equal to 0.11 g / cm 3 More than 0.24g / cm 3It is preferable that the concentration is 0.12 g / cm or less. 3 More than 0.23g / cm 3 It is more preferable that:

[0050] (Filter wrapper (inner and outer roll) disclosure) From the viewpoint of improving the strength and structural rigidity, the filter segment may include a wrapping paper (filter plug wrapping paper) for wrapping the above-mentioned filter portion 115 and the like. The form of the wrapping paper is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of seams containing an adhesive. The adhesive may include a hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive may further include polyvinyl alcohol. In addition, when the filter segment is composed of two or more segments, it is preferable that the wrapping paper wraps these two or more segments together. The material of the wrapping paper is not particularly limited, and a known material can be used, and may include a filler such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the wrapping paper is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm or more and 140 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or more and 130 μm or less, and more preferably 30 μm or more and 120 μm or less. The basis weight of the roll is not particularly limited, and is usually from 20 gsm to 100 gsm, preferably from 22 gsm to 95 gsm, and more preferably from 23 gsm to 90 gsm. The roll may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the viewpoint of imparting functions other than strength and structural rigidity.

[0051] The hollow filter portion 116 and the filter portion 115 may be connected, for example, by an outer plug wrapper (outer wrapping paper). The outer plug wrapper may be, for example, a cylindrical paper. The smokable article, the tubular member 114, and the connected hollow filter portion 116 and filter portion 115 may be connected, for example, by a mouthpiece lining paper (second wrapping paper 113). These connections can be made by, for example, applying a glue such as a vinyl acetate glue to the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper, and then inserting and rolling up the smokable article, the tubular member 114, and the connected hollow filter portion 116 and filter portion 115. These may be connected in multiple separate rounds using multiple lining papers.

[0052] (Disclosure regarding the addition of activated carbon) Activated carbon may be added to at least a portion of the filter section 115. The amount of activated carbon added is, for one flavor generating article 110, 15.0 m2, calculated as the specific surface area of ​​activated carbon×weight of activated carbon / cross-sectional area of ​​the filter section 115 in the direction perpendicular to the air passage direction. 2 / cm 2 Above 80.0m 2 / cm 2The above "specific surface area of ​​activated carbon x weight of activated carbon / cross-sectional area perpendicular to the airflow direction of the filter portion 115" may be expressed as "surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area" for convenience. This surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be calculated based on the specific surface area of ​​activated carbon added to the filter portion 115 of one flavor-generating article 110, the weight of the added activated carbon, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter portion 115. Note that activated carbon may not be uniformly dispersed in the filter portion 115 to which it is added, and it is not required that the above range is satisfied in all cross-sections (cross-sections perpendicular to the airflow direction) of the filter portion 115. By having the surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area within the above range, it is possible to deliver the desired amount of components generated by heating to the user and to give the user the desired flavor sensation. If the surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is smaller than the lower limit of the above range, the effect of adding activated carbon cannot be fully obtained. On the other hand, if the surface area of ​​the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is greater than the upper limit of the above range, the components generated by heating will be reduced more than necessary.

[0053] The surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is 17.0 m 2 / cm 2 More preferably, 35.0m or more. 2 / cm 2 More preferably, it is 77.0m or more. 2 / cm 2 More preferably, it is 73.0m or less. 2 / cm 2 It is more preferable that the surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is equal to or less than 100 mm. The surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the specific surface area of ​​activated carbon and the amount of activated carbon added, and the cross-sectional area of ​​filter portion 115 in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction. The calculation of the surface area of ​​activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is based on the filter portion 115 to which activated carbon is added. When a filter segment is composed of multiple filter portions 115, the cross-sectional area and length of only the filter portion 115 to which activated carbon is added are used as the basis.

[0054] Examples of activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment include those made from raw materials such as wood, bamboo, coconut shells, walnut shells, and coal. Activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment has a BET specific surface area of ​​1100 m or more. 2 / g or more, 1600m 2 / g or less, and preferably 1200m 2 / g or more, 1500m 2 / g or less, and more preferably 1250m 2 / g or more, 1380m 2 / g or less can be used. The BET specific surface area can be determined by nitrogen gas adsorption (BET multipoint method). In addition, as the activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment, one having a pore volume of 400 μL / g or more and 800 μL / g or less can be used, more preferably one having a pore volume of 500 μL / g or more and 750 μL / g or less can be used, and even more preferably one having a pore volume of 600 μL / g or more and 700 μL / g or less can be used. The pore volume can be calculated from the maximum adsorption amount obtained by the nitrogen gas adsorption method.

[0055] In this embodiment, the amount of activated carbon added per unit length in the air passage direction of the filter portion 115 to which activated carbon is added is preferably 5 mg / cm or more and 50 mg / cm or less, more preferably 8 mg / cm or more and 40 mg / cm or less, and even more preferably 10 mg / cm or more and 35 mg / cm or less. In this embodiment, the specific surface area of ​​the activated carbon and the amount of activated carbon added are in the above ranges, so that the surface area of ​​the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted to a desired value. In addition, the activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment is preferably one in which the cumulative 10% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D10) of the activated carbon particles is 250 μm or more and 1200 μm or less. In addition, the cumulative 50% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D50) of the activated carbon particles is preferably 350 μm or more and 1500 μm or less. Note that D10 and D50 are measured by a laser diffraction scattering method. An example of an apparatus suitable for this measurement is the laser diffraction / scattering type particle size distribution measuring apparatus "LA-950" manufactured by Horiba, Ltd. Powder is poured into the cell of this device together with pure water, and the particle size is detected based on the light scattering information of the particles. The measurement conditions using this device are as follows. Measurement mode: Manual flow mode cell measurement Dispersion medium: Ion-exchanged water Dispersion method: Measured after 1 minute of ultrasonic irradiation Refractive index: 1.92-0.00i (sample refractive index) / 1.33-0.00i (dispersion medium refractive index) Number of measurements: Measure twice with different samples

[0056] In this embodiment, the method of adding activated carbon to the filter portion 115 is not particularly limited, and the activated carbon may be added so as to be dispersed approximately uniformly in the filter portion 115 to which the activated carbon is to be added. The filter segment may be, for example, one manufactured by a known manufacturing method, or a commercially available product. The form of the filter segment is not particularly limited, and may be a filter including a single filter segment, or a multi-segment filter including multiple filter segments such as a dual filter or a triple filter. When the filter portion 115 is made of a single filter segment, the filter portion 115 to which the activated carbon is added is itself a filter segment. On the other hand, when the filter portion 115 is made of multiple filter segments, it is preferable that the filter portion 115 to which the activated carbon is added is disposed upstream of the filter portion 115 constituting the mouth end. On the other hand, the activated carbon may be added to the filter portion 115 constituting the mouth end. When the filter segment is a multi-segment filter, the length of the filter segment that is the basis for the amount of activated carbon to be added is the length of the filter portion 115 to which the activated carbon is added. The amount of activated carbon added, in terms of weight relative to the entire filter segment, can be, for example, 4.0 mg or more and 24.0 mg or less, preferably 4.5 mg or more and 23.0 mg or less, and more preferably 10.5 mg or more and 22.0 mg or less.

[0057] (Disclosure regarding the tubular member 114) The tubular member 114 can be sandwiched adjacent to the smokable article and the filter segment. The tubular member 114 typically includes a rod-like or tubular member having a cavity such as a cylinder that has a hollow (hollow) cross section in the circumferential direction.

[0058] (Disclosure regarding dimensions of tubular member 114) The length of the cylindrical member 114 in the longitudinal direction can be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 15 mm or more, preferably 20 mm or more, more preferably 25 mm or more, and is usually 40 mm or less, preferably 35 mm or less, and more preferably 30 mm or less. By setting the length of the cylindrical member 114 in the longitudinal direction to the above lower limit or more, a sufficient cooling effect can be ensured to obtain a good flavor, and by setting it to the above upper limit or less, loss due to the generated steam and aerosol adhering to the inner wall of the cylindrical member 114 can be suppressed.

[0059] A sheet for cooling or the like may be filled into the cylindrical member 114. The total surface area of ​​the cylindrical member 114 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 300 mm 2 / mm or more, 1000mm 2 This surface area is the surface area per length (mm) of the tubular member 114 in the air passage direction. The total surface area of ​​the tubular member 114 is 400 mm 2 / mm or more is preferable, and 450mm 2 / mm or more is more preferable, while 600 mm 2 / mm or less is preferable, and 550mm 2 More preferably, the thickness of the tubular member 114 is less than 1 / mm. It is desirable for the tubular member 114 to have a large total surface area due to its internal structure. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the tubular member 114 may comprise a thin sheet of material that is wrinkled to form channels, and then pleated, gathered, and folded. The more folds or pleats within a given volume of the element, the greater the total surface area of ​​the tubular member 114. The thickness of the material from which the tubular member 114 is made is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, or 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[0060] (Smokable items disclosure) The form of the smokable article is not particularly limited as long as it is a known form, but is usually a form in which a tobacco filler is wrapped in cigarette paper (first cigarette paper 112). The tobacco filler is not particularly limited, and a first tobacco filler or a second tobacco filler described below can be used. In this specification, molded products of dried tobacco such as tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, tobacco granules, etc. described below may be simply referred to as "dried tobacco leaves". The smokable article may also have a fitting portion with a heater member or the like for heating the tobacco product.

[0061] (Disclosure of smokable item dimensions) A smokable article formed by wrapping a tobacco filler in cigarette paper preferably has a columnar shape, and in this case, the aspect ratio, which is expressed as the height of the smokable article in the long axis direction relative to the width of the base of the smokable article, is preferably at least 1. The shape of the base is not limited and may be polygonal, rounded polygonal, circular, elliptical, etc., and the width is the diameter when the base is circular, the major axis when the base is elliptical, and the diameter of the circumscribed circle or the major axis of the circumscribed ellipse when the base is polygonal or rounded polygonal. The height of the tobacco filler constituting the smokable article is preferably about 10 mm to 70 mm, and the width is preferably about 4 mm to 9 mm.

[0062] The length of the smokable article in the major axis direction may be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 10 mm or more, preferably 12 mm or more, more preferably 15 mm or more, and even more preferably 18 mm or more, and is usually 70 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, and even more preferably 25 mm or less. The ratio of the length of the smokable article to the overall length h of the flavor generating article 110 in the major axis direction is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the balance between the delivery amount and the aerosol temperature, it is usually 10% or more, preferably 20% or more, more preferably 25% or more, and even more preferably 30% or more, and is usually 80% or less, preferably 70% or less, more preferably 60% or less, even more preferably 50% or less, particularly preferably 45% or less, and most preferably 40% or less.

[0063] (Filling volume disclosure) The content of dried tobacco leaves in a smokable article is not particularly limited, but may be 200 mg or more and 800 mg or less per smokable article, and preferably 250 mg or more and 600 mg or less per smokable article. This range is particularly suitable for a smokable article having a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm.

[0064] (Disclosure regarding filling material (first tobacco filling material: cut filling material)) First, the first tobacco filler (also simply referred to as the "first filler") will be described. The material of the tobacco shreds (flavor source) contained in the first filler is not particularly limited, and tobacco such as lamina or ribs, or other known plants can be used. The flavor source such as tobacco may be in the form of shreds, sheets, strings, powder, granules, pellets, slurry, or porous. Specifically, for example, dried tobacco leaves may be pulverized to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to obtain tobacco shreds, which are homogenized and processed into a sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet) and then shredded. Furthermore, the homogenized sheet may be a so-called strand type, in which the homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the smokable article is shredded approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the smokable article and filled into the smokable article. Furthermore, the above-mentioned sheet processed product may be gathered without being shredded and used as the smokable article. Furthermore, the width of the tobacco shreds is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less in terms of filling a smokable article. The content of the smokable article such as tobacco in flavor generating article 110 ranges from 200 mg to 400 mg, for example, and preferably from 250 mg to 320 mg, when the size of the smokable article is 20 mm to 23 mm in circumference and 18 mm to 22 mm in length.

[0065] Regarding the tobacco leaves used for the preparation of the tobacco shreds and homogenized sheet, various types of tobacco can be used. For example, flue-cured tobacco, Burley, Orient, native tobacco, other Nicotiana tabacum varieties, Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures thereof can be mentioned. As for the mixture, the above varieties can be appropriately blended to obtain the desired flavor. Details of the tobacco varieties are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009". There are several conventional methods for producing the homogenized sheet, that is, the method for grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into a homogenized sheet. The first method is to produce a paper-making sheet using a papermaking process. The second method is to mix an appropriate solvent such as water with the ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and then cast the homogenized material thinly on a metal plate or metal plate belt and dry it to produce a cast sheet. The third method is to mix an appropriate solvent such as water with the ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and extrude them into a sheet to produce a rolled sheet. Details of the types of homogenizing sheets mentioned above are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009."

[0066] The moisture content of the tobacco filler may be 8% by weight or more and 18% by weight or less, preferably 10% by weight to 16% by weight, more preferably 10% by weight to 15% by weight or less, and even more preferably 11% by weight to 13% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco filler. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of rolling stains and improves the suitability for rolling during the manufacture of smokable articles. In addition, the flavor generating article 110 is easily deformed appropriately to match the cross-sectional shape of the holding part. There are no particular limitations on the size of the tobacco shreds contained in the first tobacco filler or the preparation method thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm may be used, and preferably shredded to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm may be used. In addition, when using ground material for a homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be ground and homogenized to an average particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm, processed into a sheet, and then chopped into a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, preferably 0.8 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less.

[0067] The first tobacco filling may contain an aerosol base material that generates aerosol smoke. The type of the aerosol base material is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their constituents can be selected depending on the application. Examples of the aerosol base material include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol base material in the first tobacco filling material (% by weight relative to the weight of the first tobacco filling material) is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, relative to the total amount of the tobacco filling material.

[0068] The first tobacco filling may contain a flavoring. The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, and may be the same as the above-mentioned flavoring added to the filter portion 115 from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor.

[0069] The content of the flavoring in the first tobacco filling is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is usually 10,000 ppm or more, preferably 20,000 ppm or more, more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, and is usually 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.

[0070] The packing density of the first tobacco packing is not particularly limited, but is usually 250 mg / cm from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the flavor generating article 110 and imparting a good flavor. 3 or more, preferably 300 mg / cm 3 More than 400 mg / cm 3 or less, preferably 350 mg / cm 3 The first tobacco filler is wrapped in a wrapping paper so that the first tobacco filler is on the inside to form a smokable article.

[0071] (Disclosure regarding filling (second tobacco filling: sheet filling)) The second tobacco filling is composed of a tobacco sheet filled in the filling. The number of tobacco sheets may be one or more. When the second tobacco filling is composed of one tobacco sheet, for example, a tobacco sheet having one side with a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling is folded multiple times horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the filling (so-called gathered sheet) is included. Another example is a tobacco sheet having one side with a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling, rolled up in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filling.

[0072] In the case where the second tobacco filler is composed of two or more tobacco sheets, for example, a plurality of tobacco sheets, each having a side length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling, are packed in a state of being wound in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filling so as to be arranged concentrically. "Arranged concentrically" means that all the tobacco sheets are arranged so that their centers are at approximately the same position. The number of tobacco sheets is not particularly limited, and examples of the number of tobacco sheets include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. The two or more tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. The thickness of each tobacco sheet may be the same or different.

[0073] The second tobacco filler can be manufactured by preparing a plurality of tobacco sheets of different widths, stacking them so that the width decreases from the bottom to the top, and rolling and forming the stack through a rolling tube. According to this manufacturing method, the plurality of tobacco sheets extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis. A fitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction may be formed between the longitudinal axis and the innermost tobacco sheet.

[0074] In this manufacturing method, the laminate is preferably prepared so that a non-contact portion is formed between the adjacent tobacco sheets after rolling. If there is a non-contact portion (gap) between the tobacco sheets where the tobacco sheets do not contact each other, a flavor flow path can be secured to improve the delivery efficiency of the flavor components. On the other hand, heat from the heater can be transferred to the outer tobacco sheet through the contact portion of the tobacco sheets, so that high heat transfer efficiency can be secured. In order to provide a non-contact portion between the tobacco sheets where the tobacco sheets do not contact each other, for example, an embossed tobacco sheet can be used, adjacent tobacco sheets are laminated without bonding the entire surfaces of the sheets, adjacent tobacco sheets are laminated by bonding a part of the sheets, or adjacent tobacco sheets are laminated by bonding the entire surfaces or a part of the sheets lightly so that they can be peeled off after rolling. When preparing a smokable product including a cigarette paper, the cigarette paper may be placed at the bottom of the laminate. Also, a fitting portion can be formed by placing a cylindrical dummy such as a mandrel on the top of the laminate to form a second tobacco filler, and then removing the dummy.

[0075] The filling density of the second tobacco filling material is not particularly limited, but is usually 250 mg / cm from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the tobacco product and imparting a good flavor. 3 or more, preferably 300 mg / cm 3 More than 400 mg / cm 3 or less, preferably 350 mg / cm 3 The following is the result.

[0076] The tobacco sheet may contain an aerosol base material that generates aerosol smoke when heated. An aerosol source such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or a polyol such as 1,3-butanediol is added as the aerosol base material. The amount of the aerosol base material added is preferably 5% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less, more preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.

[0077] The tobacco sheet can be appropriately manufactured by known methods such as papermaking, slurry, rolling, etc. The homogenized sheet described in the first tobacco filler can also be used. In the case of papermaking, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps: 1) Dried tobacco leaves are roughly crushed, extracted with water, and separated into a water extract and a residue. 2) The water extract is dried under reduced pressure and concentrated. 3) Pulp is added to the residue, which is then fiberized in a refiner and made into paper. 4) A concentrated liquid of the water extract is added to the paper-made sheet and dried to obtain a tobacco sheet. In this case, a step of removing some components such as nitrosamines may be added (see JP2004-510422A). In the case of the slurry method, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps: 1) Water, pulp, and a binder are mixed with crushed tobacco leaves. 2) The mixture is thinly spread (cast) and dried. In this case, a step of removing some of the components such as nitrosamines by irradiating a slurry of water, pulp, binder, and crushed tobacco leaves with ultraviolet light or X-rays may be added.

[0078] In addition, as described in International Publication No. 2014 / 104078, a nonwoven tobacco sheet manufactured by a method including the following steps can also be used. 1) Mixing powdered tobacco leaves with a binder. 2) Sandwiching the mixture between nonwoven fabrics. 3) Molding the laminate into a certain shape by thermal welding to obtain a nonwoven tobacco sheet. The types of raw tobacco leaves used in each of the above methods can be the same as those described for the first filling material. The composition of the tobacco sheet is not particularly limited, but for example, the content of the tobacco raw material (tobacco leaves) is preferably 50% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less with respect to the total weight of the tobacco sheet. In addition, the tobacco sheet may contain a binder, and examples of such binders include guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), and CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose). The amount of the binder is preferably 1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less with respect to the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may further contain other additives. Examples of additives include fillers such as pulp. In this embodiment, a plurality of tobacco sheets are used, and the tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties.

[0079] The second tobacco filler can be manufactured by preparing a laminate of a plurality of tobacco sheets with different widths, stacking them so that the width decreases from the bottom to the top, and passing the laminate through a winding tube to roll and shape it. According to this manufacturing method, the plurality of tobacco sheets extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged concentrically about the longitudinal axis. A fitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction may be formed between the longitudinal axis and the innermost tobacco sheet. In this manufacturing method, it is preferable that the laminate is prepared so that a non-contact portion is formed between the adjacent tobacco sheets after rolling and shape. If there is a non-contact portion (gap) between the plurality of tobacco sheets where the tobacco sheets do not contact each other, a flavor flow path can be secured and the delivery efficiency of the flavor component can be improved. On the other hand, when the tobacco product is used in an electrically heated tobacco product, heat from a heater can be transferred to the outer tobacco sheet through the contact portion of the plurality of tobacco sheets, so that high heat transfer efficiency can be secured.

[0080] In order to provide a non-contact portion between a plurality of tobacco sheets, for example, an embossed tobacco sheet may be used, adjacent tobacco sheets may be laminated without bonding the entire surfaces of the sheets, adjacent tobacco sheets may be laminated by bonding a portion of the sheets, or adjacent tobacco sheets may be laminated by bonding the entire surfaces or a portion of the sheets lightly so that the sheets can be peeled off after rolling. When preparing a smokable product including cigarette paper, the cigarette paper may be placed at the bottom of the laminate. Also, a cylindrical dummy such as a mandrel may be placed at the top of the laminate to form a second tobacco filler, and then the dummy may be removed to form a fitting portion. The thickness of each tobacco sheet is not limited, but is preferably 150 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, and more preferably 200 μm or more and 600 μm or less, in terms of the balance between heat transfer efficiency and strength. The thicknesses of the tobacco sheets may be the same or different. The number of tobacco sheets constituting the second tobacco filler is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 sheets.

[0081] (Disclosure regarding rolling papers) The flavor generating article 110 may have a second cigarette paper 113 different from the first cigarette paper 112, which wraps at least one of the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115. The second cigarette paper 113 may wrap a part of the first cigarette paper 112 which wraps the smokable article. The configuration of the cigarette paper (hereinafter, including the first cigarette paper 112 or the second cigarette paper 113) is not particularly limited and may be a general form, for example, one whose main component is pulp. The pulp may be made from wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, or may be made by mixing and manufacturing non-wood pulp that is generally used for cigarette papers for tobacco products, such as flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto. As for the types of pulp, chemical pulp produced by the kraft cooking method, acidic / neutral / alkaline sulfite cooking method, soda salt cooking method, etc., ground pulp, chemi-ground pulp, thermomechanical pulp, etc. can be used.

[0082] The pulp is used to produce cigarette paper by adjusting and homogenizing the texture during the papermaking process using a Fourdrinier papermaking machine, a cylinder papermaking machine, a combined cylinder and roll papermaking machine, etc. If necessary, a wet strength agent may be added to impart water resistance to the cigarette paper, or a sizing agent may be added to adjust the printing condition of the cigarette paper. In addition, aluminum sulfate, various anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric retention aids, drainage aids, and paper strength aids, and other papermaking additives, as well as dyes, pH adjusters, antifoaming agents, pitch control agents, and slime control agents, may be added.

[0083] The basis weight of the cigarette paper base paper is, for example, usually 20 gsm or more, preferably 25 gsm or more. On the other hand, the basis weight is usually 65 gsm or less, preferably 50 gsm or less, and more preferably 45 gsm or less. The thickness of the cigarette paper having the above characteristics is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking, it is usually 10 μm or more, preferably 20 μm or more, more preferably 30 μm or more, and also usually 100 μm or less, preferably 75 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or less. The cigarette paper of the flavor generating article 110 may have a square or rectangular shape. When used as a cigarette paper for wrapping a tobacco filler (for producing a smokable article), the length of one side may be about 12 mm to 70 mm, the length of the other side may be 15 mm to 28 mm, the preferred length of the other side may be 22 mm to 24 mm, and the more preferred length may be about 23 mm. When wrapping a tobacco filler in a cylindrical shape with cigarette paper, for example, an end of the cigarette paper in the width direction and an end on the opposite side are overlapped by about 2 mm and glued together to form a cylindrical paper tube shape in which the tobacco filler is filled. The size of the rectangular cigarette paper can be determined depending on the size of the finished smokable article. In the case of a cigarette paper that connects and wraps a smokable article and another member adjacent to the smokable article, such as tipping paper, the length of one side can be 20 mm to 60 mm, and the length of the other side can be 15 mm to 28 mm.

[0084] In addition to the pulp, the cigarette paper may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the cigarette paper. In the cigarette paper, the filler is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less in a preferred basis weight range (25 gsm or more and 45 gsm or less). Furthermore, when the basis weight is 25 gsm or more and 35 gsm or less, the filler is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less, and when the basis weight is more than 35 gsm and 45 gsm or less, the filler is preferably 25% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. As the filler, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc. can be used, but calcium carbonate is preferably used from the viewpoint of enhancing flavor and whiteness. Paper containing such a filler exhibits a bright white color that is preferable from the viewpoint of appearance when used as a cigarette paper for the flavor-generating article 110, and can permanently maintain its whiteness. By incorporating a large amount of such filler, for example, the ISO whiteness of the cigarette paper can be increased to 83% or more. From the practical viewpoint of use as cigarette paper for the flavor-generating article 110, the first cigarette paper 112 and the second cigarette paper 113 preferably have a tensile strength of 8 N / 15 mm or more. This makes the cigarette paper less likely to be damaged when the flavor-generating article 110 held in the holding section is pulled out. This tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content. Specifically, the tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content below the upper limit of the filler content shown in each of the basis weight ranges exemplified above.

[0085] Various auxiliary agents other than the base paper and the filler may be added to the cigarette paper. For example, a water resistance improver may be added to improve water resistance. The water resistance improver includes a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. Examples of the wet strength agent include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Examples of the sizing agent include rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more, etc. As an auxiliary agent, a paper strength agent may be added, for example, polyacrylamide, cationic starch, oxidized starch, CMC, polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, polyvinyl alcohol, etc. In particular, it is known that the use of a very small amount of oxidized starch improves the air permeability (JP Patent Publication 2017-218699). The wrapping paper may also be appropriately coated.

[0086] A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the wrapper paper, the front and back surfaces. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent capable of forming a film on the surface of the paper and reducing the permeability of liquids is preferred. Examples of the coating agent include alginic acid and its salts (e.g., sodium salts), polysaccharides such as pectin, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and nitrocellulose, starch and its derivatives (e.g., ether derivatives such as carboxymethyl starch, hydroxyalkyl starch, and cationic starch, and ester derivatives such as starch acetate, starch phosphate, and starch octenyl succinate).

[0087] (Disclosure regarding tipping paper (second wrapping paper 113)) The configuration of the chip paper is not particularly limited and may be a general embodiment, for example, one in which pulp is the main component. The pulp may be made of wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, or may be made by mixing non-wood pulp such as flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto, which are generally used for cigarette paper for tobacco products. These pulps may be used alone or in combination of multiple types in any ratio. The chip paper may be made of one sheet or multiple sheets or more. The pulp may be made of chemical pulp, ground pulp, chemi-ground pulp, thermomechanical pulp, etc., produced by the kraft cooking method, acidic / neutral / alkali sulfite cooking method, soda salt cooking method, etc. The chip paper may be produced by the manufacturing method described below, or may be a commercially available product. The shape of the chip paper is not particularly limited and may be, for example, square or rectangular.

[0088] The basis weight of the tipping paper is not particularly limited, but is usually 32 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less, preferably 33 gsm or more and 39 gsm or less, and more preferably 34 gsm or more and 38 gsm or less. The air permeability of the tipping paper is not particularly limited, but is usually 0 Coresta units or more and 30,000 Coresta units or less, and preferably more than 0 Coresta units and 10,000 Coresta units or less. Air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is the value of the air permeability of an area of ​​1 cm per minute when the differential pressure between both sides of the paper is 1 kPa. 2 Flow rate of gas passing through (cm 3 ) 1 Coresta Unit (1 Coresta Unit, 1 C.U.) is cm at 1 kPa. 3 / (min cm 2 ).

[0089] In addition to the above pulp, the chip paper may contain a filler, for example, metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, gypsum, etc., and it is particularly preferable that the chip paper contains calcium carbonate from the viewpoints of improving whiteness and opacity and increasing the heating rate. Moreover, these fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0090] In addition to the above pulp and fillers, various auxiliaries may be added to the chip paper, for example, it may have a water resistance improver to improve the strength. The water resistance improver includes a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. Examples of the wet strength agent include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Examples of the sizing agent include rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more, etc.

[0091] A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the tipping paper, the front and back surfaces. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce the permeability of liquids is preferred.

[0092] The configuration of the flavor generating article 110 according to this embodiment can be used for an electrically heated tobacco product, but can also be applied to a cigarette (paper cigarette) that involves combustion. A part of the outer surface of the tipping paper may be covered with a lip release material 117. The lip release material 117 means a material configured to assist in the contact between the lips and the tipping paper being easily separated without substantial adhesion when the user holds the mouthpiece portion of the flavor generating article 110 in the mouth. The lip release material 117 may contain, for example, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, etc. For example, the outer surface of the tipping paper may be coated with the lip release material 117 by applying an ethyl cellulose-based or methyl cellulose-based ink to the outer surface of the tipping paper.

[0093] In this embodiment, the lip release material 117 of the tipping paper is disposed at least in a predetermined mouthpiece region that contacts the lips of a user when the user holds the mouthpiece in his / her mouth. More specifically, the lip release material-disposed region of the outer surface of the tipping paper that is covered by the lip release material 117 is defined as the region located between the mouthpiece end of the mouthpiece and the air hole.

[0094] Next, the internal structure of the flavor inhaler 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler 100 taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1B. As shown in FIG. 3, a mounting section 10 is provided inside an outer housing 101 of the flavor inhaler 100, on which objects to be contained, such as a power supply section 20 and an atomizing section 30, are mounted. The mounting section 10 is made of resin, for example, and may be formed of polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), or a polymer alloy containing a plurality of types of polymers. The mounting section 10 may include a portion formed of a metal such as aluminum. Here, from the viewpoints of heat resistance, processability, and strength, the mounting section 10 is preferably made of polycarbonate. The power supply section 20 and the atomizing section 30 are provided in the internal space of the mounting section 10. The power supply unit 20 and the atomizing unit 30 cannot be replaced after the flavor inhaler 100 is assembled. The outer housing 101 and the placement unit 10 may be collectively referred to as a housing.

[0095] The power supply unit 20 includes a power supply 21. The power supply 21 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The power supply 21 is electrically connected to the atomizing unit 30. This allows the power supply 21 to supply power to the atomizing unit 30 so as to appropriately heat the flavor-generating article 110.

[0096] As shown in the figure, the atomization section 30 has a chamber 50 (corresponding to an example of a storage section) extending in the insertion direction (Z-axis direction) of the flavor generating article 110, a heating section 40 arranged along the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50 and covering a part of the chamber 50, a heat insulating section 32, and a substantially cylindrical insertion guide member 34. The chamber 50 is configured to store the flavor generating article 110. On the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50, a boss (corresponding to an example of a gripping section or protrusion) (not shown) for gripping the stored flavor generating article 110 is provided. Details of the boss will be described later.

[0097] The heating unit 40 is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the chamber 50 and heat the flavor generating article 110 housed in the chamber 50. Here, the heating unit 40 does not have a heating element inserted into the flavor generating article 110. As shown in the figure, a bottom member 36 may be provided at the bottom of the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may function as a stopper for positioning the flavor generating article 110 inserted into the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 has an uneven surface with which the flavor generating article 110 abuts, and may define a space capable of supplying air to the surface with which the flavor generating article 110 abuts. The bottom member 36 is made of, for example, a resin, and in particular, may be formed of polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers, or a metal such as aluminum. In addition, the bottom member 36 is preferably made of a material with low thermal conductivity in order to suppress the transfer of heat to the heat insulating portion 32 and the like.

[0098] The heat insulating part 32 is generally cylindrical and is disposed so as to cover the chamber 50. The heat insulating part 32 may include, for example, an aerogel sheet. The insertion guide member 34 is provided between the outer housing 101 and the chamber 50. When the insertion guide member 34 is inserted into the housing through the opening of the outer housing 101, the claws engage with the housing and are configured so as not to be able to escape outside the housing. The insertion guide member 34 is made of, for example, resin, and may be formed of, in particular, polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers. The insertion guide member 34 may be formed of metal, glass, ceramic, or the like. In addition, from the viewpoint of heat resistance, the insertion guide member 34 is preferably PEEK. When the slide cover 102 is in the open position, the insertion guide member 34 communicates with the outside of the flavor inhaler 100 and guides the insertion of the flavor generating article 110 into the chamber 50 by inserting the flavor generating article 110 into the through hole 34a of the insertion guide member 34. When in the open position, the slide cover 102 is configured to cover at least a part of the insertion guide member 34 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50 while exposing the through hole 34a of the insertion guide member 34 to the outside. In FIG. 3, the state in which the slide cover 102 is closed to cover the entire through hole 34a of the insertion guide member 34 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0099] The flavor inhaler 100 further has a first holding part 37 and a second holding part 38 which hold both ends of the chamber 50 and the heat insulating part 32. The first holding part 37 is arranged so as to hold the ends of the chamber 50 and the heat insulating part 32 on the negative Z-axis direction side. The second holding part 38 is arranged so as to hold the ends of the chamber 50 and the heat insulating part 32 on the slide cover 102 side (the positive Z-axis direction side).

[0100] Next, the structure of the chamber 50 will be described. Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the chamber 50 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along line 4B-4B in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along line 5A-5A in Fig. 4B. Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along line 5B-5B in Fig. 4B. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the chamber 50 and the heating unit 40 according to this embodiment.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the chamber 50 may have a cylindrical shape including an opening 52 into which the flavor generating article 110 is inserted and a cylindrical side wall portion 60 that accommodates the flavor generating article 110. A flange portion 52a is formed at an end portion that defines the opening 52 of the chamber 50. The chamber 50 is arranged so that the flange portion 52a provided on the opposite side of the bottom portion 56 faces the opening of the outer housing 101. The chamber 50 is preferably formed of a material that has heat resistance and a small thermal expansion coefficient, and may be formed of, for example, stainless steel or the like. The chamber 50 may be formed of a resin such as PEEK, glass, ceramic, or the like in addition to metal. This allows effective heating from the chamber 50 to the flavor generating article 110. The chamber 50 is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may have a cup shape.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5B, the side wall portion 60 includes a contact portion 62 and a separation portion 66. When the flavor generating article 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50, the contact portion 62 contacts or presses a part of the flavor generating article 110 along the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50, and the separation portion 66 separates from the flavor generating article 110. That is, the chamber 50 compresses and holds the inserted flavor generating article 110. In this specification, the "desired position in the chamber 50" refers to a position where the flavor generating article 110 is appropriately heated, or a position of the flavor generating article 110 when the user smokes. The contact portion 62 has an inner surface 62a and an outer surface 62b. The separation portion 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b. As shown in FIG. 6, the heating portion 40 is placed on the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62. The heating unit 40 is preferably arranged without gaps on the outer surface 62b of the contact unit 62. The heating unit 40 may include an adhesive layer. In this case, the heating unit 40 including the adhesive layer is preferably arranged without gaps on the outer surface 62b of the contact unit 62.

[0103] As shown in Figures 4A and 5B, the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 is flat. As the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 is flat, as shown in Figure 6, when the strip-shaped electrode 48 is connected to the heating unit 40 arranged on the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62, bending of the strip-shaped electrode 48 can be suppressed. As shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62 is flat. Also, as shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the thickness of the contact portion 62 is uniform.

[0104] 4A, 4B, and 5B, the chamber 50 has two contact portions 62 in the circumferential direction of the chamber 50, and the two contact portions 62 face each other so as to be parallel to each other. It is preferable that at least a part of the distance between the inner surfaces 62a of the two contact portions 62 is smaller than the width of the portion of the flavor generating article 110 inserted into the chamber 50 that is disposed between the contact portions 62.

[0105] 5B, an inner surface 66a of the spaced portion 66 may have an overall arc-shaped cross section in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50. The spaced portion 66 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the contact portion 62 in the circumferential direction. That is, the contact portion 62 and the spaced portion 66 form a non-circular inner circumferential surface in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 4B, the chamber 50 may have a hole 56a in its bottom 56 so that the bottom member 36 shown in FIG. 3 may penetrate and be disposed inside the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may be fixed to the inside of the bottom 56 of the chamber 50 by an adhesive or the like. The adhesive interposed between the bottom member 36 and the bottom 56 may be made of a resin material such as an epoxy resin. Alternatively, an inorganic adhesive such as cement or welding may be used. The bottom member 36 provided on the bottom 56 may support a part of the flavor generating article 110 inserted into the chamber 50 so that at least a part of the end surface of the flavor generating article 110 is exposed. The bottom 56 may support a part of the flavor generating article 110 so that the exposed end surface of the flavor generating article 110 communicates with a void 67 (see FIG. 7) described later.

[0107] As shown in Figures 4A, 4B and 5A, the chamber 50 preferably has a cylindrical non-holding portion 54 between the opening 52 and the side wall portion 60. When the flavor-generating article 110 is positioned at a desired position in the chamber 50, a gap may be formed between the non-holding portion 54 and the flavor-generating article 110. Also, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 preferably has a first guide portion 58 having a tapered surface 58a that connects the inner surface of the non-holding portion 54 and the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit 40 has a heating element 42. The heating element 42 may be, for example, a heating resistor. The heating element 42 is preferably arranged so as to heat the contact portion 62 without contacting the separated portion 66 of the chamber 50. In other words, the heating element 42 is preferably arranged only on the outer surface of the contact portion 62. The heating element 42 may have a difference in heating capacity between a portion that heats the separated portion 66 of the chamber 50 and a portion that heats the contact portion 62. Specifically, the heating element 42 may be configured to heat the contact portion 62 to a higher temperature than the separated portion 66. For example, the arrangement density of the heating resistors of the heating element 42 in the contact portion 62 and the separated portion 66 may be adjusted. In addition, the heating element 42 may have substantially the same heating capacity around the entire circumference of the chamber 50 and be wound around the outer circumference of the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit 40 preferably has, in addition to the heating element 42, an electrical insulating member 44 made of resin or the like that covers at least one surface of the heating element 42. In this embodiment, an electrical insulator 44 is disposed over both sides of the heating element 42 .

[0109] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor generating article 110 shown in FIG. 5B in a state in which the flavor generating article 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the flavor generating article 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50, the flavor generating article 110 can be pressed against the contact portion 62 of the chamber 50. On the other hand, a gap 67 is formed between the flavor generating article 110 and the spaced portion 66. The gap 67 can communicate with the opening 52 of the chamber 50 and the end face of the flavor generating article 110 positioned in the chamber 50. This allows air flowing in from the opening 52 of the chamber 50 to pass through the gap 67 and flow into the inside of the flavor generating article 110. In other words, an air flow path (gap 67) is formed between the flavor generating article 110 and the spaced portion 66.

[0110] Next, the specific structure of the boss corresponding to each example of the chamber 50 according to this embodiment will be described. [Example 1: Vertical boss] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber 50 according to Example 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 shown in Fig. 8. Here, Fig. 8 shows a cross section of the chamber 50 cut along the axis of the chamber 50, and perpendicular to the cross section shown in Fig. 4B. Fig. 9 also shows a cross section corresponding to Fig. 5A.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, a boss 51A is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50, configured to press and grip the outer peripheral surface of the flavor generating article 110 housed in the chamber 50 inward in the radial direction of the chamber 50. The boss 51A is provided on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62 on the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51A is provided on each of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a. The boss 51A is a protrusion that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50 and presses the flavor generating article 110, and extends along the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50. The boss 51A may be formed by embossing, or may be formed by a convex member attached to the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51A may be provided on only one of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a, or a plurality of bosses 51A may be provided on one inner surface 62a.

[0112] In this manner, by providing the boss 51A on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62, the flavor generating article 110 can be compressed and held in the chamber 50, while the flavor generating article 110 can be gripped by the boss 51A within the chamber 50. Therefore, even if stress acts on the flavor generating article 110, it is possible to prevent the flavor generating article 110 from falling out of the chamber 50. Furthermore, by configuring the boss 51A with a protrusion extending along the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50, the flavor generating article 110 can be stably gripped within the chamber 50.

[0113] The boss 51A is provided at a position where it can come into contact with at least two of the filling portion 111, the cylindrical member 114, and the filter portion 115 of the flavor generating article 110 when the flavor generating article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50. For example, when the flavor generating article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, the boss 51A first comes into contact with the filling portion 111, and then comes into contact with the cylindrical member 114 and the filter portion 115. Therefore, the flavor generating article 110 can be stably held at a position close to the insertion end of the chamber 50.

[0114] [Example 2: Horizontal boss] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber 50 according to Example 2 of this embodiment. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 shown in Fig. 10. Here, Fig. 10 shows a cross section of the chamber 50 cut along the axis of the chamber 50, and perpendicular to the cross section shown in Fig. 4B. Fig. 11 also shows a cross section corresponding to Fig. 5A.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50 is formed with a boss 51B configured to press the outer peripheral surface of the flavor-generating article 110 accommodated in the chamber 50 inward in the radial direction of the chamber 50 to hold the outer peripheral surface. The boss 51B is provided on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62 on the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51B is provided on each of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a. The boss 51B is a protrusion that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50 and presses the flavor-generating article 110, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50, specifically, in the lateral direction (Y-axis direction). As in the first embodiment, the boss 51B may be formed by embossing, or may be formed by a convex member attached to the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51B may be provided on only one of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a, or a plurality of bosses 51B may be provided on one inner surface 62a.

[0116] In this manner, by providing the boss 51B on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62, the flavor generating article 110 can be compressed and held in the chamber 50, while the boss 51B can grip the flavor generating article 110 within the chamber 50. Therefore, even if stress acts on the flavor generating article 110, the flavor generating article 110 can be prevented from falling out of the chamber 50. Furthermore, by forming the boss 51B with a protrusion extending along the lateral direction (Y-axis direction) of the chamber 50, rotation of the flavor generating article 110 around the Y-axis is restricted, so that swinging of the flavor generating article 110 towards the separating portion 66 can be suppressed.

[0117] Furthermore, similar to Example 1, by providing boss 51B at a position where it can come into contact with at least two portions of flavor generating article 110, flavor generating article 110 can be stably grasped at a position close to the insertion end of chamber 50.

[0118] [Example 3: Point-shaped boss] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a chamber 50 according to Example 3 of this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 shown in Fig. 12. Here, Fig. 12 shows a cross section of the chamber 50 cut along the axis of the chamber 50, and perpendicular to the cross section shown in Fig. 4B. Fig. 13 also shows a cross section corresponding to Fig. 5A.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, a boss 51C is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50, configured to press and grip the outer peripheral surface of the flavor-generating article 110 housed in the chamber 50 inward in the radial direction of the chamber 50. The boss 51C is provided on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62 on the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51C is provided on each of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a. The boss 51C is a dot-like protrusion that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50 and presses the flavor-generating article 110. As in the first embodiment, the boss 51C may be formed by embossing, or may be formed by a convex member attached to the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 50. The boss 51C may be provided on only one of the mutually opposing inner surfaces 62a, or a plurality of bosses 51C may be provided on one inner surface 62a.

[0120] In this manner, by providing the boss 51C on the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62, the flavor generating article 110 can be compressed and held in the chamber 50, while the flavor generating article 110 can be gripped by the boss 51C within the chamber 50. Therefore, even if stress acts on the flavor generating article 110, it is possible to prevent the flavor generating article 110 from falling out of the chamber 50. Furthermore, by configuring the boss 51C with a point-like protrusion, the flavor generating article 110 can be pressed and gripped within the chamber 50 with a simple configuration.

[0121] Also, similar to Example 1, by providing the boss 51C at a position where it can come into contact with at least two portions of the flavor generating article 110, the flavor generating article 110 can be stably grasped at a position close to the insertion end of the chamber 50.

[0122] [Experimental Results] Various experiments were carried out using the flavor inhalers using the chambers 50 according to Examples 1 to 3 of the present embodiment described above, and the flavor inhalers according to Comparative Examples 1 to 3. The experimental results will be described below.

[0123] [Sample preparation] First, a smoking system was prepared consisting of a combination of a flavor generating article and a flavor inhaler shown in Table 1. Here, the test inhaler 1 of Sample 1 has the chamber 50 according to the above-mentioned Example 1 (see Figs. 8 and 9). The test inhaler 2 of Sample 2 is the same flavor inhaler as Sample 1 except that it has the chamber 50 according to the above-mentioned Example 2 (see Figs. 10 and 11). The test inhaler 3 of Sample 3 is the same flavor inhaler as Sample 1 except that it has the chamber 50 according to the above-mentioned Example 3 (see Figs. 12 and 13).

[0124] The flavor inhalers of Samples 4 to 6 are commercially available products, PloomS2.0, Ploom, and glo hyper (glo is a registered trademark), respectively. The flavor generating articles of Samples 1 to 5 were manufactured for exclusive use with the test inhalers 1 to 3, PloomS2.0, and Ploom (sold in Russia and the UK). The flavor generating article of Sample 6 is a commercially available product exclusively for glo hyper.

[0125] Here, the relationship between the flavor generating article and the test inhalators 1 to 3 in Samples 1 to 3 corresponds to, for example, a combination of a consumable and a device kit. This combination includes a consumable including a flavor generating article in Samples 1 to 3 and a device kit including any one of the test inhalators 1 to 3 in Samples 1 to 3, and at least one of the consumable and the device kit has a mark indicating that it is used for the other of the consumable and the device kit. In other words, the consumable is a dedicated product for the device kit. Note that the marking includes, for example, "for X", "for X", "designed for X" (X is a brand, product name, etc.). In addition, the consumable includes a package for the consumable, and the device kit includes, for example, a package and an instruction manual.

[0126] [Table 1]

[0127] [How to measure resistance value] For each sample, the resistance value (insertion resistance) when the flavor generating article was inserted into the flavor inhaler was measured using Shimadzu Corporation's EZ-S500N (hereinafter also referred to as the device). In detail, first, the flavor inhaler was attached to a flavor inhaler jig attached to the device. Next, one end of the flavor generating article (the end not on the mouthpiece side) was inserted into the flavor inhaler to such an extent that the flavor generating article did not wobble. Then, the pushing jig was brought into contact with the other end of the flavor generating article (the end on the mouthpiece side). Next, the zero point correction of the resistance value of the device was performed.

[0128] Next, it was confirmed that the flavor inhaler and the flavor generating article were not tilted, and the pushing jig was lowered. The stroke speed of the pushing jig at this time was 60 mm / min. The test conditions were a temperature of 25° C. and a humidity of 20%. In this device, the sampling length was set to 50 msec, and in this case, the length of one section of the acquired data was 0.05 mm. Next, when the pushing jig was lowered a predetermined length and the operation of the pushing jig stopped, the test was terminated. The above-mentioned measurement was performed twice for each sample.

[0129] [Get resistance value] The resistance value was determined as the average value of two measurements performed on each sample. In this case, the position when the tip of the flavor generating article reached the end position of the chamber was first determined for each measurement, and the two measurement results were aligned based on the determined position to obtain the average value. Then, each value was obtained within a range of 10 mm from the end position of the chamber. That is, the insertion force, average resistance force, local resistance force, local resistance position, and minimum resistance force described later were obtained within a range of 10 mm from the end position of the chamber.

[0130] 14 to 19 are graphs showing the relationship between the distance (mm) from the end position of the chamber and the measured resistance value (N) for each of Samples 1 to 6. In Figs. 14 to 19, the position of the pushing jig corresponding to the end position of the chamber is displayed as 0, the position before reaching the end position is displayed as a positive value, and the position after reaching the end position is displayed as a negative value. For example, a position of +10 mm in Figs. 14 to 19 refers to a position 10 mm before the end position in the insertion direction of the flavor generating article.

[0131] Here, the "position when the end position of the chamber is reached" (hereinafter also referred to as the end position) refers to the position in the section immediately preceding the area in which the difference in resistance between a certain section and the section immediately preceding it (i.e., the difference in resistance over 0.05 mm) is 0.1 N or more in the resistance values ​​measured by the above-mentioned method, and the section continues over 0.5 mm.

[0132] [Insertion force] The insertion force of each sample was obtained from the resistance data obtained by the above method, where the insertion force refers to the resistance value when the tip of the flavor generating article reached the end position of the chamber.

[0133] [Average resistance] The average resistance of each sample was obtained from the resistance value data obtained by the above-mentioned method. Here, the average resistance of the front half and the average resistance of the rear half were evaluated. The average resistance of the front half refers to the average resistance value in the range of 10 mm to 5 mm from the end, and the average resistance of the rear half refers to the average resistance value in the range of 5 mm to 0 mm from the end. The ratio of the average resistance of the rear half to the average resistance of the front half (rear half / front half) is also referred to as the first resistance ratio.

[0134] [Local resistance and local resistance location] The local resistance and local resistance position of each sample were obtained from the resistance value data obtained by the above method. Here, the local resistance refers to a local fluctuation region in which the resistance value fluctuates by a predetermined amount or more in a predetermined range, specifically, the maximum resistance value in the region between the first local rise and the last local fall when a local rise and a local fall exist in this order in a continuous range of 1.0 mm. Note that the local rise refers to a rise in the resistance value of 0.1 N or more in two consecutive sections. Also, the local fall refers to a fall in the resistance value of 0.05 N or more in two consecutive sections. Also, the ratio of the local resistance to the insertion force is called the second resistance ratio. Also, the local resistance position refers to the position from the end position of the chamber when the local resistance occurs, that is, the distance from the end position of the chamber to the position where the local resistance occurs.

[0135] [Minimum resistance] From the resistance data obtained by the above method, the minimum resistance of each sample was obtained, where the minimum resistance is the smallest resistance value between the local resistance position and the end position of the chamber.

[0136] The insertion force, average resistance force, local resistance force, local resistance position and minimum resistance force obtained for each of Samples 1 to 6 are shown in Table 2.

[0137] [Table 2]

[0138] [Sensory evaluation] For each of Samples 1 to 6, five trained panelists with discriminatory ability conducted a sensory evaluation on whether it was easy to sense that the flavor-generating article had reached the end of the chamber when inserted into the chamber, and whether it was easy to predict that the flavor-generating article would reach the end of the chamber. Note that the ease of sensing that the flavor-generating article has reached the end of the chamber is also referred to as having a sense of end arrival, and the ease of predicting that the flavor-generating article will reach the end of the chamber is also referred to as having a sense of end arrival.

[0139] [Sensory evaluation of sample 6] First, regarding the feeling of reaching the end, a panel of five members evaluated the degree to which the panel could sense that the tip of the flavor generating article had reached the end of the chamber using Sample 6. The evaluation criteria were as follows: -It is difficult to feel the end reaching the target. You can feel the end reaching its limits.

[0140] Next, regarding the sense of foreseeability of reaching the end, a panel of five members evaluated the degree to which it was possible to foresee the tip of the flavor generating article reaching the end of the chamber by consensus using Sample 6. The evaluation criteria were as follows: -It is difficult to predict when the end will arrive. -The end point can be predicted.

[0141] The panel's consensus evaluation of Sample 6 revealed that while it was easy to sense that the tip of the flavor-generating article had reached the end of the chamber, it was difficult to predict that the tip of the flavor-generating article would reach the end of the chamber.

[0142] [Sensory evaluation of samples 1 to 5] Next, regarding the feeling of reaching the end, the same five panelists independently scored the degree to which they felt that the tip of the flavor generating product had reached the end of the chamber using samples 1 to 5, with sample 6 being given 3 points, on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and calculated the average value. The evaluation criteria were as follows: 5 points: The extremities are easily felt. 4 points: The extremities are somewhat easy to reach. 3 points: No change. 2 points: It is somewhat difficult to feel the end reaching the tip. 1 point: It is difficult to feel the end reaching the tip.

[0143] Next, regarding the sense of foreseeability of reaching the end, the same five panelists independently scored the degree to which it was possible to foresee the tip of the flavor generating article reaching the end of the chamber using samples 1 to 5, with sample 6 being given a score of 3, on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and calculated the average value. The evaluation criteria were as follows: 5 points: It is easy to predict when the end will arrive. 4 points: The end point is somewhat predictable. 3 points: No change. 2 points: It is somewhat difficult to predict when the end will arrive. 1 point: It is difficult to predict when the end will arrive.

[0144] The results of evaluation of the feeling of reaching the end and the feeling of anticipation of reaching the end for each of Samples 1 to 6 are shown in Table 3.

[0145] [Table 3]

[0146] [Consideration of the results] As shown in Table 2, in Samples 1 to 3, the insertion force is 4.00 N or less, so that when the flavor-generating article is inserted into the chamber, the user can feel that the end of the chamber has been reached. In addition, in Samples 1 to 3, the first resistance ratio is greater than 1.0, so that the user can feel the increasing insertion resistance on the side approaching the end of the chamber and can sense the approach of the end, making it easier to predict the end of the chamber being reached. In addition, in Samples 1 to 3, a local fluctuation region is provided, so that the user can easily sense the approach of the end of the chamber and can further predict the end of the chamber being reached.

[0147] In fact, as shown in Table 3, the evaluations of the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end for both samples 1 to 3 exceed 3 points. Therefore, it was confirmed that samples 1 to 3 provide both the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end, that is, both the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end are achieved. This is considered to be because the resistance felt when inserting the flavor-generating article is small in samples 1 to 3, so that the sense of reaching the end is easily obtained. In addition, in sample 2, as shown in FIG. 15, after the resistance value rises in the local fluctuation region, a drop in the resistance value is felt, so that the sense of reaching the end is more easily obtained. In addition, in samples 1 to 3, the flavor-generating article is caught once when inserted, and it feels as if it reaches the end of the chamber by pushing it in again, so that the sense of foreseeing reaching the end is easily obtained.

[0148] The lower limit of the insertion force is preferably 0.50 N or more, more preferably 0.70 N or more, and even more preferably 1.00 N or more, from the viewpoint of preventing the flavor-generating article from falling off. The upper limit of the insertion force is preferably 3.00 N or less, and more preferably 2.00 N or less, from the viewpoint of ease of insertion. The lower limit of the first resistance force ratio is preferably 1.0 or more, and more preferably 1.05 or more, from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain a sense of terminal arrival. The upper limit of the first resistance force ratio is preferably 2.0 or less, and more preferably 1.8 or less.

[0149] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, samples 2 and 3 have a second resistance ratio, which is the ratio between the resistance value in the local fluctuation region and the insertion force, of 0.8 or more, which prevents the resistance value in the local fluctuation region from being significantly smaller than the insertion force and from being unable to contribute to predicting the end of the chamber.

[0150] In fact, as shown in Table 3, Samples 2 and 3 were both rated above 4 points for the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foresight of reaching the end. Therefore, it was confirmed that Samples 2 and 3 provided both the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foresight of reaching the end, and in particular, provided a high sense of foresight of reaching the end. This is because, with reference to Figures 14 to 16, Samples 2 and 3 have a smaller resistance than Sample 1 after the flavor-generating article is caught once during insertion, and therefore it is believed that the sense of foresight of reaching the end is more easily obtained.

[0151] The upper limit of the second resistance ratio is preferably 1.0 or less. If a resistance value greater than the insertion force exists in the local variation region, the user may feel uncomfortable, and the user may mistake the local variation region for the end position of the chamber. If an excessively large local resistance value exists, the flavor-generating article may buckle in the local variation region. From the viewpoint of allowing the user to foresee the arrival of the end by the local resistance, the lower limit of the second resistance ratio is preferably 0.8 or more, and more preferably 0.9 or more.

[0152] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, in sample 3, the distance from the end position of the chamber to the local fluctuation region is 5.0 mm or less, so the user can maintain the feeling of having passed through the local fluctuation region until reaching the end of the chamber, making it even easier to predict when the end of the chamber will be reached.

[0153] In fact, as shown in Table 3, sample 3 received the highest evaluations for the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end among samples 1 to 3. Therefore, it was confirmed that sample 3 provided both the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end, and that both the sense of reaching the end and the sense of foreseeing reaching the end were achieved, and in particular, a very high sense of foreseeing reaching the end was obtained.

[0154] The upper limit of the distance from the end position of the chamber to the local variation region is preferably 6.5 mm or less, and more preferably 6.0 mm or less. In order to prevent the end position of the chamber and the local variation region from being close to each other and for the user to reach the end of the chamber before feeling that he or she has passed through the local variation region, the lower limit of the distance from the end position of the chamber to the local variation region is preferably 2.0 mm or more, more preferably 3.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 3.5 mm or more.

[0155] On the other hand, in Samples 4 and 5, due to the large insertion force, it was difficult to sense and predict that the tip of the flavor generating article had reached the end of the chamber. Also, as mentioned above, in Sample 6, it was possible to sense that the tip of the flavor generating article had reached the end of the chamber, but it was difficult to predict that the tip of the flavor generating article would reach the end of the chamber.

[0156] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Note that any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical ideas of the present invention as long as it has the functions and effects of the present invention.

[0157] For example, the flavor inhaler 100 of the present embodiment has a so-called counter-flow type air flow passage in which air flowing in from the opening 52 of the chamber 50 is supplied to the end face of the flavor generating article 110, but is not limited thereto, and may have a so-called bottom-flow type air flow passage in which air is supplied into the chamber 50 from the bottom 56 of the chamber 50. The heating element 42 is not limited to a resistance heating type, and may be an induction heating type. In that case, the heating element 42 can heat the chamber 50 by induction heating. The flavor generating article 110 may have a susceptor that is a heating element. In this case, the flavor inhaler 100 does not have a heating element inserted into the flavor generating article, and the susceptor that is a heating element is present inside the flavor generating article 110. Although a structure has been described in which heating elements 42 are disposed around the chamber 50 to raise the temperature of the flavor generating article 110 within the chamber 50, other methods of raising the temperature of the flavor generating article 110 within the chamber 50 include directly applying the heating elements 42 to the flavor generating article 110 or generating frictional heat by vibration between materials within the flavor generating article 110. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 40...Heating part 50…Chamber 51A~51C...Boss 62…Contact part 66…Separation part 100...Flavor aspirator 110...Flavor-generating items 111…Filling section 114...Cylindrical member 115...Filter section

Claims

1. 1. A smoking system comprising: A flavor inhaler and a flavor generating article are provided, the flavor inhaler includes a storage section having an opening at one end and configured to store at least a portion of the flavor generating article through the opening; The flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, and a resistance value when a tip of the flavor-generating article reaches an end of the storage section is defined as an insertion force A, When the flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, the ratio of the average resistance force of the rear half portion, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section to the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, to the average resistance force of the front half portion, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from the predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, is defined as a first resistance ratio B, Satisfying the following formula (1) and the following formula (2), A≦4.00N…(1) B>1.0…(2) The smoking system further includes a heating unit that heats the flavor-generating article contained in the container, The heating unit is provided in the flavor inhaler and does not have a heating element inserted into the flavor generating article. Smoking system.

2. 2. A smoking system according to claim 1, at least one local variation region is provided in which the resistance value varies by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined range when the flavor generating article is inserted into the housing portion; Smoking system.

3. 3. A smoking system according to claim 2, When the ratio of the resistance value in the local fluctuation region to the insertion force is defined as a second resistance force ratio C, The following formula (3) is satisfied: C≧0.8…(3) Smoking system.

4. A smoking system according to claim 2 or 3, When the distance from the end position of the storage portion to the local fluctuation region is a distance D, The following formula (4) is satisfied: D≦5.0mm…(4) Smoking system.

5. A smoking system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The flavor generating article comprises: a filling section filled with smokable material; A hollow cylindrical portion provided continuously with the filling portion; A filter portion provided continuously with the cylindrical portion, The storage unit includes a gripping unit that grips the flavor generating article stored in the storage unit, The gripping portion is provided at a position where it can come into contact with at least two portions of the flavor-generating article when the flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage portion. Smoking system.

6. A smoking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The storage section includes: a contact portion that presses a portion of the flavor-generating article contained in the container in an axial direction of the container; and a separation portion separated from the flavor generating article contained therein. Smoking system.

7. 1. A device kit, comprising: A flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and an indication indicating that the flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used. Device kit.

8. A consumable item, A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a display indicating that the flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used. consumables.

9. A combination of a consumable and a device kit, A consumable product comprising the flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 6; A device kit including the flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6, At least one of the consumable and the device kit has an indication that it is used with the other of the consumable and the device kit. Combination product.

10. A method for obtaining a feeling of end arrival and a feeling of anticipation of end arrival in a smoking system including a flavor inhaler and a flavor generating article, comprising: the flavor inhaler includes a storage section having an opening at one end and configured to store at least a portion of the flavor generating article through the opening; The flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, and a resistance value when a tip of the flavor-generating article reaches an end of the storage section is defined as an insertion force A, When the flavor-generating article is inserted into the storage section, the ratio of the average resistance force of the rear half portion, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from a midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section to the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, to the average resistance force of the front half portion, which is the average of the resistance values ​​from the predetermined position on the insertion end side of the storage section to the midpoint between the predetermined position and the end of the storage section, is defined as a first resistance ratio B, Satisfying the following formula (1) and the following formula (2), A≦4.00N…(1) B>1.0…(2) The smoking system further includes a heating unit that heats the flavor-generating article contained in the container, The heating unit is provided in the flavor inhaler and does not have a heating element inserted into the flavor generating article. method.

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