Combustible heat source for smoking articles and smoking articles containing the same

Abstract

The present invention is a combustible heat source composition for smoking articles that does not contain a binder or a combustion inhibitor, and is characterized in that it contains 1 to 5 parts by weight of a polyhydric alcohol per 100 parts by weight of the solid content. A smoking article using a combustible heat source made of the composition is characterized in that it has excellent ignition properties and combustibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combustible heat source for a smoking article and a smoking article including the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, many smoking articles that are heated rather than burned have been proposed. Such non-combustible smoking articles are used by sucking an aerosol generated by heating a medium of the smoking article, unlike conventional smoking articles that do not burn the medium of the smoking article. As one type of such heated smoking articles, there is a smoking article product to which a carbon heat source is applied.

[0003] In the smoking article to which the carbon heat source is applied, an aerosol is generated by heat transfer from the carbon heat source to a medium of the smoking article located downstream of the carbon heat source.

[0004] The smoking article product to which the carbon heat source is applied has a smoking form similar to that of a traditional smoking article, unlike a general heated electronic smoking article that uses a dedicated device, and it is possible to expect an improvement in the convenience and satisfaction of smoking for consumers. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 2020-0030364

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a combustible heat source excellent in ignitability and combustion sustainability, and a smoking article including the heat source.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides a combustible heat source composition for a smoking article that does not contain a binder, and is characterized in that it contains 1 to 5 parts by weight of a polyhydric alcohol with respect to 100 parts by weight of the solid content.

[0007] As an embodiment of the present invention, the binder may be at least one selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose, ammonium alginate, pectin, carrageenan, and guar gum.

[0008] As another embodiment of the present invention, the combustion inhibitor may be calcium carbonate.

[0009] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the polyhydric alcohol can be contained in an amount of 1 to 3 parts by weight.

[0010] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the polyhydric alcohol may be glycerin or propylene glycol.

[0011] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the polyhydric alcohol may be propylene glycol.

[0012] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the heat source can be ignited within 30 seconds, and the combustion can continue for 140 seconds or more.

[0013] In addition, the present invention provides a smoking article including a combustible heat source composed of the composition.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] Conventional combustible heat sources have limitations in that it is not easy to ignite and sustain stable combustion with charcoal as the main component. Here, the present invention uses a polyhydric alcohol to facilitate the ignition of the combustible heat source and improve the formability of the heat source to enhance the combustion sustainability. Therefore, the heat source composed of the composition of the present invention is characterized in that its ignitability and combustibility are improved compared to conventional heat sources.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] A person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains will be described in detail so that it can be easily implemented. However, the present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the content described herein.

[0017] Throughout the specification, the "longitudinal direction of a smoking article including a combustible heat source" means the direction in which the length of the smoking article including the combustible heat source is extended, or the direction in which combustion occurs when the smoking article including the combustible heat source burns.

[0018] Throughout the specification, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" mean that when a user inhales outside air using a smoking article including a combustible heat source, the portion where air enters from the outside to the inside of the smoking article including the combustible heat source is "upstream", and the portion where air exits from the inside to the outside of the smoking article including the combustible heat source is "downstream". The terms "upstream" and "downstream" can be used to indicate the relative position or direction between the parts constituting the smoking article including the combustible heat source.

[0019] The demand for heated electronic smoking articles is increasing. Many heated electronic smoking articles are equipped with a device having a structure of [device + dedicated stick], and as a new form of smoking article, a product having a carbon-based heat source applied to the tip of the smoking article and having a smoking form similar to that of a general smoking article has been developed. Here, the present invention attempts to develop a combustible heat source having a smoking form (ignition, the starting point of smoking) similar to that of a general smoking article.

[0020] Conventional combustible heat sources mainly contain charcoal, are not easily ignited, and after catching fire, there is a limit where the combustion rate increases excessively and the form of the heat source collapses. In order to stably burn simultaneously with the ignitability of the combustible heat source, conventional heat sources used calcium carbonate as a combustion inhibitor, and binder components and the like were used to maintain the form of the heat source, but there was also a problem that the amount of smoke generated was large and the ignitability was insufficient.

[0021] Here, the present invention presents a combustible heat source composition excellent in ignitability and combustion sustainability, and a smoking article applying the combustible heat source containing the same.

[0022] Here, the present invention provides a combustible heat source composition for smoking articles, which does not contain a binder and a combustion inhibitor, and contains 1 to 5 parts by weight of polyhydric alcohol with respect to 100 parts by weight of the solid content.

[0023] Further, the present invention can provide a smoking article applying a combustible heat source composed of the above composition.

[0024] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0025] The combustible heat source composition of the present invention does not contain a binder and a combustion inhibitor, and instead of the binder and the combustion inhibitor, polyhydric alcohol is added and used. The heat source composition of the present invention contains polyhydric alcohol and is characterized by enabling easy ignition and stable combustion sustainability.

[0026] The present invention uses the composition by adding polyhydric alcohol. By adding the polyhydric alcohol, vaporization of combustibility becomes possible after the heat source is ignited, and thereby the ignitability and combustion sustainability can be improved. The polyhydric alcohol may be glycerin or propylene glycol as an auxiliary for combustion.

[0027] The glycerin, as a material used in the manufacture of smoking articles, has a high flash point and can ensure safety during use. When burning while using glycerin, it shows the effect of promoting initial combustion by providing flammable vapor to the heat source, but it was also confirmed that abnormal odors and smoke may be generated during combustion. Here, in the present invention, it was possible to confirm the improvement by applying propylene glycol, which has a low boiling point and is similar to glycerin (※ boiling point of glycerol: 290 °C / boiling point of propylene glycol: 188.2 °C).

[0028] 1 to 5 parts by weight of the polyhydric alcohol is used with respect to 100 parts by weight of the solid content. It is excellent in ignitability and combustion sustainability within the above range, and more preferably, rapid ignition and stable combustion can be achieved when 1 to 3 parts by weight are used.

[0029] The heat source of the present invention is characterized by not containing a binder component and a combustion inhibitor. The binder may be carboxymethyl cellulose, ammonium alginate, pectin, carrageenan, guar gum, etc. The binder is used to maintain the form of the heat source, but since smoke may be generated during combustion, in the present invention, the heat source does not contain the above components, and by utilizing polyhydric alcohol, not only the combustion sustainability of the heat source but also the maintenance of the form of the heat source is made possible.

[0030] Further, the combustion inhibitor may be calcium carbonate. The combustion inhibitor affects the combustion sustainability of the combustible body and must be used in a relatively excessive amount. Therefore, in the present invention, a heat source excellent in ignitability and combustion sustainability at the same time is manufactured by utilizing an ignition promoter. Potassium nitrate, sugar, etc. may be used as the ignition promoter.

[0031] More specifically, the composition may contain 1 to 10% by weight of graphite, 5 to 12% by weight of potassium nitrate, 1 to 9% by weight of sugar, 5 to 10% by weight of aluminum powder, and the balance of charcoal.

[0032] The charcoal is used as the main material of the heat source and as a fuel to be ignited and maintain combustion. The charcoal preferably contains 50% by weight or more based on 100% by weight of the solid content, and by containing 50% by weight or more, it can maintain the temperature required for smoking for 3 minutes or more.

[0033] The graphite increases the density of the heat source and assists in maintaining combustion. The graphite is contained in an amount of 1 to 10% by weight. When the content is less than 1% by weight, the density of the heat source is insufficient and the combustion sustainability decreases. When the content exceeds 10% by weight, the density becomes too high and it affects the ignitability.

[0034] The potassium nitrate is utilized as a smoking aid, and the sugar is utilized as an ignition aid. The potassium nitrate is used in an amount of 5 to 12% by weight, and the sugar is used in an amount of 1 to 9% by weight. The contents of the potassium nitrate and the sugar are preferably 20% by weight or less based on the total weight in terms of ignitability and smoke generation.

[0035] As the sugar alcohol, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, erythritol, reduced palatinose, or reduced maltose may be used. Preferably, mannitol with low hygroscopicity is used, which is suitable for use in the heat source.

[0036] The aluminum affects the temperature of the combustible body, and 5 to 15% by weight is used to give an appropriate temperature during smoking of the smoking article to which the heat source is applied. When less than 5% by weight is used, the temperature holding capacity of the heat source decreases. When it exceeds 15%, it affects the ignitability.

[0037] The heat source may be ignited within 30 seconds and the combustion may continue for 140 seconds or more. The heat source having the ignition time and the combustion time may have a diameter of 5 to 10 mm and a length of 8 to 15 nm, but is not limited thereto.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the combustible heat source mixes the composition, and the mixture is pre-formed into a desired shape. For example, it may be pre-formed into a desired shape using any suitable well-known ceramic forming method such as slip casting, extrusion, injection molding, and mold compression or pressing.

[0039] Preferably, the combustible heat source is formed by a pressing process or an extrusion process. Most preferably, the combustible heat source is formed by a pressing process.

[0040] Preferably, the combustible heat source may have an apparent density between about 0.8 g / cm 3 ~ about 3.0 g / cm 3 and preferably, the combustible heat source may have a mass between about 300 mg and about 500 mg, more preferably between about 400 mg and about 450 mg.

[0041] The combustible heat source may be cylindrical or tapered with a circular cross-section, or cylindrical or tapered with a substantially elliptical cross-section, but is not limited thereto.

[0042] Here, the present invention can provide a smoking article to which the heat source is applied.

[0043] The "smoking article" means any product that can be smoked or any product that can provide a smoking experience, regardless of whether it is based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. For example, the smoking article means a smokable article that can generate an aerosol such as a cigarette, a cigar, or a cigarillo.

[0044] The smoking article may include a combustible heat source, a medium part, a heat-conductive wrapper, a rolling tobacco paper, a cooling part, a filter part, etc., which are composed of the above composition. The combustible heat source, the medium part, the cooling part, and the filter part may be aligned in order with respect to the longitudinal direction, but the order may be freely changed except that the combustible heat source is located on the upstream side. In addition, it may further include additional configurations or one or more of the above-described configurations may be omitted. The diameter of the smoking article may be, for example, 4 mm to 10 mm, and the periphery may be 14 mm to 29 mm. Also, the length may be 45 mm to 100 mm.

[0045] The medium part may include, for example, at least one of cut shredded tobacco, sheet shredded tobacco, smoking article leaves, expanded smoking articles, and nicotine extracts. The medium part may contain nicotine components. In addition to the medium part, an aerosol-generating substance may be further included. The aerosol-generating substance may be a polyhydric alcohol, an ester of a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate, and an aliphatic ester of a mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acid such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. More specifically, for example, it may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. For example, the medium part may include sheet shredded tobacco immersed in glycerin. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0046] The medium part may have a length between 5 mm and about 20 mm, more preferably between about 8 mm and about 12 mm. The medium part may be in the form of a plug or a part wrapped by paper or other wrappers and containing a substance that can release volatile compounds in response to heating. As described above, when the medium part is in the form of a plug or a part, the entire plug or part including any wrapper is considered to be the medium part.

[0047] The cooling part can contain a cooling substance. The cooling part includes a tubular hollow body with an open end, and can cool the air flow passing through the heat source and the medium part. The cooling part is made of a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material and has a cooling function. For example, the cooling part may be paper, cardboard, plastic, such as cellulose acetate, ceramic, and combinations thereof. Further, the cooling part may include a wrinkled sheet of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal foil, a polymer material, and substantially non-porous paper or cardboard. In a predetermined embodiment, the aerosol cooling element may include a wrinkled sheet of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and aluminum foil. The cooling part has a length between 5 mm and about 30 mm, more preferably between about 8 mm and about 25 mm, but the length can be freely adjusted considering factors such as the temperature of the heat generated by the heating heat source.

[0048] The filter part includes a filter substance, and there is no limitation on the shape of the filter part. For example, the filter part may be a cylindrical type rod, or a tube type rod including a hollow part inside. Or it may be a recess type rod. If the filter part is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape. For example, the filter part includes at least one of a polymer, paper, cellulose acetate, activated carbon, and carbon-containing fibers, filaments, or a filter tow containing these two, but is not limited thereto. The filter part may have a length of 5 to 20 mm by way of example.

[0049] In addition to this, tipping paper that contacts the mouth wrapping the filter substance may be further included. The tipping paper may have one or more perforations formed therein.

[0050] The filter part can be manufactured so as to generate a fragrance. As an example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter material, or separate fibers coated with the flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter part.

[0051] The cooling part and the filter part may contain an aerosol modifier. For example, one or more of the cooling part, the filter part, and the tipping paper of the smoking article according to the present invention may contain one or more aerosol modifiers. Suitable aerosol modifiers are not limited to this, but include flavoring agents; chemesthetic agents. The flavoring agent is used to describe any substance that imparts one or both of taste or aroma to the aerosol generated by the tobacco substance and the aerosol-generating substance of the smoking article when in use.

[0052] Further, the rolled tobacco paper is composed of cellulose fibers obtained from wood, flax or other substances, and wraps the medium part, wraps the entire smoking article including the medium part, or wraps the part excluding the filter part. The thickness of the base paper of the rolled tobacco paper may be about 30 μm to about 100 μm, and the basis weight of the base paper may be about 15 g / m 2 ~about 80 g / m 2 and may be.

[0053] The smoking article according to the present invention may contain one or more aerosol modifiers that are flavoring agents while being chemesthetic agents downstream. For example, one or more of the cooling part and the filter part of the smoking article according to the present invention may contain menthol or a further flavoring agent that provides the effect of cooling the physical sensation.

[0054] In addition, a smoking article containing a combustible heat source can include a heat-conductive wrapper that wraps the combustible heat source and the medium part. The heat-conductive wrapper may completely wrap the heat source and the medium part, or may wrap a part of the heat source and a part of the medium part, or wrap a part of the heat source and all of the medium part. The heat-conductive wrapper transmits the heat generated from the combustible heat source to the tobacco substance. The wrapper may be a metal foil wrapper such as an aluminum foil wrapper, a steel wrapper, an iron wheel wrapper, and a copper wheel wrapper, and a metal alloy wheel wrapper, and is not limited to the above materials as long as it is a material that can efficiently transmit heat.

[0055] A metal barrier may be formed between the heating heat source and the medium part. Here, the metal barrier can prevent the combustible heat source part from directly contacting the medium part and can prevent a part of the components generated in the combustible heat source part from moving to the medium part.

[0056] The thickness of the barrier can be appropriately adjusted to obtain good smoking performance. In a specific embodiment, the barrier may have a thickness between about 10 microns and about 500 microns. The barrier may include one or more metallic materials that are substantially thermally stable and non-combustible at the temperature obtained by the combustible heat source during ignition and combustion. Suitable materials are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

[0057] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various changes may be made to the embodiments, and the scope of the patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. It should be understood that all changes, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments are included in the scope of the rights.

[0058] In the embodiments, the terms used are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as having an intention to limit. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "including" or "having" indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and are to be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this embodiment belongs. Commonly used predefined terms are to be construed as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and are not to be construed as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined herein.

[0060] Also, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, the same components are given the same reference numerals regardless of the reference signs in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0061] [Embodiments] 1. Production of Combustible Heat Sources A combustible heat source composition containing charcoal, graphite, aluminum, potassium nitrate, and sugar was prepared according to the composition shown in Table 1 below. The heat source was manufactured in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 7 mm and a height of about 11 mm. The materials for manufacturing the heat source were prepared to suit the mixing ratio and then mixed using an atmospheric pressure mixer (ARE-310 of THINKY). Each time a material was added during mixing, it was mixed at 1500 RPM for 1 minute.

[0062] The mixed powder was added with an appropriate amount of moisture or oil in the parts by weight shown in Table 1 and mixed at 1500 RPM for 5 minutes. The mixed sample was divided into about 0.6 g and pressed through a press to form a cylinder shape.

[0063] The pressed sample was dried at 80 °C for 30 minutes through TGA (TGA791 from LECO).

Table 1

[0064] 2. Confirmation of the combustion results of the flammable heat source After igniting the manufactured heat source and burning it, the observation results are shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2

[0065] As confirmed from the results in Table 2 above, when having compositions such as those in Embodiments 1 to 10, good ignitability and combustibility were confirmed. In particular, as shown in Figure 1, when containing 2% of glycerin and propylene glycol, good combustion results were shown. Although all of Embodiments 1 to 10 showed good combustion results, in the case of heat sources utilizing glycerin (Embodiments 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), a smell of burning carbon and smoke were generated.

[0066] In comparison, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 containing moisture, a phenomenon occurred where the ignitability decreased and the combustion was interrupted.

[0067] Also, in the cases of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 containing CMC as a binder, the combustion started slowly and a large amount of smoke was generated. Comparative Examples 5 and 6 containing calcium carbonate showed the problems of slow combustion and a large amount of smoke / flame generation. Also, for Comparative Example 7 containing both the CMC and calcium carbonate, the combustion also started slowly and the generation of smoke was severely shown.

[0068] Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 8 and 9 containing 7% and 8% of PG, as shown in FIG. 2, combustion started early, but the phenomenon of excessive generation of smoke / flame and expansion of the heat source was confirmed.

[0069] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field can apply various technical modifications and deformations based on the above. For example, the described technology may be executed in an order different from the described method, and / or the components such as the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. may be combined or assembled in a form different from the described method, or replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents, and appropriate results can be achieved.

[0070] Therefore, other realizations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the scope of the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described later.

Claims

A combustible heat source composition for a smoking article that does not contain a combustion inhibitor, containing 1 to 5 parts by weight of a polyhydric alcohol based on 100 parts by weight of the solid content, containing 5 to 12% by weight of potassium nitrate and 5 to 15% by weight of aluminum based on the total weight of the solid content, wherein the combustible heat source composition does not contain all of carboxymethyl cellulose, ammonium alginate, pectin, carrageenan, and guar gum, and the combustion inhibitor is calcium carbonate, a combustible heat source composition for a smoking article.

2. The combustible heat source composition for a smoking article according to claim 1, containing 1 to 3 parts by weight of the polyhydric alcohol.

3. The combustible heat source composition for a smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is glycerin or propylene glycol.

4. The combustible heat source composition for a smoking article according to claim 3, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is propylene glycol.

5. The combustible heat source composition for a smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the combustible heat source is ignited within 30 seconds and the combustion lasts for 140 seconds or more.

6. A smoking article comprising a combustible heat source composed of the combustible heat source composition for a smoking article according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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