Fragrance generation segment, as well as a fragrance generating article and a fragrance attracting system including the same

Abstract

To provide a flavor generation segment giving a good smoking flavor, and a flavor generation product including the flavor generation segment and a flavor inhalation system.SOLUTION: A flavor generation segment 1 includes a first flavor generation member 1a and a second flavor generation member 1b, where at least one flavor generation member of the first and second flavor generation members includes a plurality of laminated flavor generation sheets 10, and a non-contact part where the flavor generation sheets do not come into contact with each other, provided between at least a pair of adjacent flavor generation sheets, the flavor generation segment in which a main surface of a sheet faces the other flavor generation member. A flavor generation product including the flavor generation segment, and a flavor inhalation system are also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flavor generating segment, a flavor generating article including the same, and a flavor attracting system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the development of a non-combustible flavor attracting system as an alternative to tobacco has been underway. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tobacco cartridge including a housing having a recess for accommodating a flat heater and a laminate of smokable materials disposed within the housing such that the laminate is disposed on the inner surface of the housing so as to be proximate to the heater via the wall of the recess of the housing (FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a non-combustible flavor attracting system, it is required to obtain a better flavor, but there is still room for improvement in the technology described in Patent Document 1. In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a flavor generating segment that gives a good flavor, a flavor generating article including the same, and a flavor attracting system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The inventors have found that a flavor generating segment having a specific structure solves the above problems and completed the present invention. That is, the above problems are solved by the following present invention. [1] A flavor generating segment including a first flavor generating member and a second flavor generating member, At least one of the first and second fragrance generating members includes a plurality of laminated fragrance generating sheets, and has a non-contact portion where the fragrance generating sheets do not contact each other between at least one pair of adjacent fragrance generating sheets. The main surface of the fragrance generating sheet faces the other fragrance generating member. Fragrance generating segment. [2] The fragrance generating segment according to [1], further having a contact portion where the fragrance generating sheets contact each other between at least one pair of adjacent fragrance generating sheets. [3] The fragrance generating segment according to [2], having two or more of the contact portions, and the non-contact portion being formed between the contact portions. [4] The fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [3], having a space between the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member. [5] The first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member include a heat transfer sheet. The heat transfer sheet is exposed to the space in the fragrance generating segment according to [4]. [6] At least one of the plurality of fragrance generating sheets is surface-treated on at least a part or all of one surface in the fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [5]. [7] The fragrance generating segment according to [6], wherein the surface treatment is a crimping process. [8] The fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [7], provided with a wrapper outside the fragrance generating member. [9] The fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [8] and a filter are provided. A fragrance product that can be sucked from the filter side.

[10] A fragrance suction system including the fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [8] and a heater for heating the fragrance generating segment.

[11] In the fragrance generating segment, the fragrance generating segment has a space between the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member, and the heater has a shape such that at least a part of the heater can be positioned within the space. The fragrance suction system according to

[10] .

[12] The fragrance attracting system according to

[11] , wherein the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member include a heat transfer sheet exposed to the space, and the heat transfer sheet faces the heater.

[13] The fragrance attracting system according to any one of

[10] to

[12] , wherein the heater is a flat heater.

[14] Step A of placing the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member separately on a substrate, Step B of folding the substrate so that the upper surfaces of the two fragrance generating members face each other to form a rod-shaped segment, the manufacturing method of the fragrance generating segment according to any one of [1] to [8].

[15] The manufacturing method according to

[14] , wherein Step B further includes a step of forming a space between the two opposing fragrance generating members.

[16] The manufacturing method according to

[14] or

[15] , wherein Step A further includes a step of providing an opening between the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member on the substrate.

[17] A precursor of the fragrance generating segment according to [1] to [8], a substrate, and provided with a first fragrance generating member and a second fragrance generating member disposed separately on the substrate, at least one fragrance generating member includes a plurality of fragrance generating sheets laminated in parallel to the substrate, and has a non-contact portion where the fragrance generating sheets do not contact each other between at least one pair of adjacent fragrance generating sheets, the precursor.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a fragrance generating segment that gives a good fragrance taste, a fragrance generating article and a fragrance attracting system including the same can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 2D

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] In the present invention, the fragrance generating segment is a base material for generating fragrance. The fragrance generating article is an article that includes at least a fragrance generating segment and is capable of generating fragrance or a rod-shaped article capable of attracting fragrance. The fragrance generating article includes a fragrance generating segment, but the fragrance generating segment itself may be a fragrance generating article. The fragrance attracting system refers to a combination of a fragrance generating article and a heating unit provided with a heater.

[0009] 1. Fragrance generating segment One embodiment of the fragrance generating segment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2A. In Fig. 2A, 1a is the first fragrance generating member, 1b is the second fragrance generating member, 10 is the fragrance generating sheet, 10 out is the outermost fragrance generating sheet, 10in 2 is the innermost flavor generating sheet, 14 is the space, and 16 is the heat transfer sheet. The first flavor generating member 1a and the second flavor generating member 1b are arranged to face each other. At this time, it is preferable that the main surfaces of both flavor generating members face each other, and it is more preferable that the main surfaces are arranged in parallel. In FIG. 2A, the two flavor generating members are composed of a plurality of flavor generating sheets, but one flavor generating member may be composed of a single flavor generating sheet or a flavor generating block. In the present invention, the sheet refers to a shape having a pair of substantially parallel main surfaces and side surfaces. The sheet is preferably manufactured by papermaking. The flavor generating block is preferably manufactured by a method other than papermaking, such as injection molding or extrusion molding. The shape of the flavor generating block is not limited, but it can take the shape of a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, etc., and is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In such an aspect, the two flavor generating members are arranged so that the main surface of the flavor generating sheet faces the flavor generating block. Considering the flavor delivery efficiency, it is preferable that the two flavor generating members are composed of a plurality of flavor generating sheets. Therefore, the present invention will be described below taking this aspect as an example.

[0010] The shape of the flavor generating segment 1 of the present invention is not limited, but is preferably columnar. The flavor generating segment 1 of the present invention preferably has a columnar shape that satisfies a shape in which the aspect ratio defined as follows is 1 or more.

[0011] Aspect ratio = h / w w is the width of the bottom surface of the columnar body, h is the height, and it is preferable that h ≥ w. The shape of the bottom surface is not limited and may be polygonal, rounded polygonal, circular, elliptical, etc. When the bottom surface is circular, the width w is the diameter; when it is elliptical, the width w is the major axis; when it is polygonal or rounded polygonal, the width w is the diameter of the circumscribed circle or the major axis of the circumscribed ellipse. For example, when the fragrance generating sheet in the aspect shown in Fig. 2A(i) is rolled up with the wrapper described later to obtain a fragrance generating segment with the bottom surface shape shown in Fig. 2A(ii), since the bottom surface is elliptical, it can be determined that the width w of the bottom surface described above is the major axis of the circumscribed ellipse. When comparing the major axis with the length orthogonal to it, the former is the width w and the latter is the height h. Considering ease of manufacture, etc., the bottom surface is preferably polygonal, and more preferably quadrilateral. The height h of the fragrance generating segment 1 is preferably about 5 to 20 mm, and the width w is preferably about 2 to 5 mm. Also, although not shown, the fragrance generating segment 1 may be provided with a wrapper on the outermost side. The wrapper may be a roll paper, may be composed of the fragrance generating sheet 10, or may be composed of the base material 6 as described later.

[0012] The fragrance generating sheet is a sheet that generates fragrance, and examples include a sheet in which a component capable of generating fragrance is supported on a sheet base material or a sheet composed of a material that generates fragrance. A plurality of fragrance generating sheets are laminated to form a fragrance generating member. Laminating means that the main surfaces of the fragrance generating sheets are arranged so as to overlap. However, since at least one pair of adjacent fragrance generating sheets has a non-contact portion, in the present invention, laminating does not include a mode in which the entire surfaces of all pairs of adjacent fragrance generating sheets are in contact. That is, when the fragrance generating member includes three or more fragrance generating sheets, if one pair of sheets has a non-contact portion, the other pair of sheets may be in contact with each other over the entire surface. However, considering fragrance delivery efficiency, etc., in the present invention, it is preferable to have non-contact portions between all the sheets.

[0013] Examples of the components capable of generating a fragrance include, for example, the flavor components contained in tobacco raw materials and fragrance components such as menthol. Examples of the sheet base material include tobacco materials such as compressed tobacco pellets and tobacco powder. In the present invention, a tobacco material is preferred as the sheet base material. That is, as the fragrance generating sheet, a tobacco sheet in which components capable of generating a fragrance are supported on a base sheet of a tobacco material as needed is preferred. The fragrance generating sheet may generate an aerosol upon heating. In order to promote the generation of the aerosol, an aerosol source such as a polyol such as glycerin, propylene glycol, and 1,3 - butanediol may be further added. The addition amount of such an aerosol source is preferably 5 to 50% by weight, more preferably 10 to 30% by weight, based on the dry weight of the fragrance generating sheet. Incidentally, polyols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, and 1,3 - butanediol may be added as flavor components. When the aerosol source is included or the fragrance component generates an aerosol, the fragrance generating sheet is also an aerosol generating sheet.

[0014] First, the fragrance generating sheet as a material before being laminated will be described.

[0015] 1) Preparation When the fragrance - generating sheet is an aerosol - generating sheet, preferably a tobacco sheet, the tobacco sheet can be appropriately manufactured by known methods such as papermaking, slurry, rolling, etc. Specifically, in the case of papermaking, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. 1) Coarsely crush the dried leaf tobacco raw material, extract it with water, and separate it into an aqueous extract and a residue. 2) Concentrate the aqueous extract by drying under reduced pressure. 3) Add pulp to the residue, fibrillate it with a refiner, and then make paper. 4) Add the concentrated solution of the aqueous extract to the paper - made sheet and dry it to obtain a tobacco sheet. In this case, a step of removing some components such as nitrosoamines may be added (see Japanese Patent Application Laid - Open No. 2004 - 510422). In the case of the slurry method, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. 1) Mix the aqueous pulp binder and the crushed tobacco. 2) Spread the mixture thinly (cast it) and dry it. In addition, as described in International Publication No. 2014 / 104078, a non - woven fabric - like tobacco sheet manufactured by a method including the following steps can also be used. 1) Mix the powdery or granular tobacco raw material and a binder. 2) Sandwich the mixture with a non - woven fabric. 3) Mold the laminate into a certain shape by heat - welding to obtain a non - woven fabric - like tobacco sheet. The composition of the tobacco sheet is not particularly limited. For example, the content of the tobacco raw material is preferably 50 to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may also contain a binder. Examples of such binders include guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), CMC - Na (sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose), etc. The amount of the binder is preferably 2 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may further contain other additives. Examples of the additives include fillers such as pulp. As described above, the tobacco sheet contains components capable of generating fragrance. In the present invention, a plurality of tobacco sheets are used. Such tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of each tobacco sheet may have different compositions or physical properties. When the fragrance - generating sheet is other than a tobacco sheet, for example, a sheet using a plant pulp other than the tobacco raw material as a sheet base material can be used.

[0016] 2) Dimensions, etc. The shape of the fragrance generating sheet is not limited, but the shape of the main surface of the sheet is preferably rectangular. The thickness is not limited, but considering high-efficiency heat exchange, the strength of the fragrance generating segment, etc., 200 μm to 2 mm is preferable, and 200 to 600 μm is more preferable. The thickness of each fragrance generating sheet may be the same or different. When the fragrance generating segment 1 is used, the length parallel to the height h direction is called the fragrance generating sheet length L, and the length orthogonal to this is called the width W. The height h and the fragrance generating sheet length L may be the same or different. For example, when the fragrance generating segment includes a trumpet with a length h, the height of the fragrance generating segment is h. The length L of the fragrance generating sheet wrapped by the trumpet may be shorter than h. It is preferable that L is the same for all fragrance generating sheets. When the fragrance generating sheets are stacked as shown in Fig. 2A, it is preferable that W is the same for all fragrance generating sheets. When both long sides of the fragrance generating sheet are bent and stacked as shown in Fig. 2C or when the fragrance generating sheet is curved and stacked, it is preferable that the W of the fragrance generating sheet constituting the outermost layer is larger than the W of the fragrance generating sheet constituting the innermost layer. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2C, the ends of the opposing fragrance generating sheets may be in contact with each other.

[0017] 3) Surface treatment At least one of the plurality of fragrance generating sheets is preferably subjected to surface treatment on part or all of at least one surface. In the present invention, the surface treatment refers to a treatment for forming a plurality of irregularities on at least one main surface of the fragrance generating sheet, that is, the front surface or the back surface. The method of surface treatment is not particularly limited, and known treatments such as crimping, embossing, debossing, and half-cutting can be used. In the present invention, the crimping treatment is a treatment for providing wrinkles on the sheet. For example, by passing the fragrance generating sheet between a pair of rollers having a plurality of convex portions on the surface, wrinkles extending perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction can be provided on both the front and back surfaces of the fragrance generating sheet to perform the crimping treatment. The convex portions provided on the rollers extend perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The pitch between the apexes of the convex portions provided on the roller is preferably 0.5 to 2.0 mm. Therefore, the pitch of the fragrance generating sheet is preferably 0.5 to 2.0 mm. Further, the pitch of the fragrance generating sheet is preferably 1.5 to 20% with respect to the width of the fragrance generating segment. The height H of the irregularities formed by crimping is the average thickness T of the sheet av When taken, 1.05T av ~1.59T av It is preferably. The height H is defined as the distance from the bottom of the sheet to the apex of the sheet when the crimped sheet is placed on a horizontal surface. Embossing and debossing are processes in which a convex tool is pressed against the sheet to form recesses on one or both sides of the sheet, and half-cutting is a process in which incisions with a depth that does not cut the sheet, preferably a depth of half or less of the sheet thickness, are provided on one or both sides of the sheet. A knife or a laser can be used for the half-cutting process. As will be described later, by performing surface treatment on the fragrance generating sheet, when it is used as a fragrance generating member, a non-contact portion, preferably a gap described later, can be efficiently formed. The pitch between the apexes of the convex portions of the fragrance generating sheet may be the same throughout the same sheet or may be different. Also, the pitch between the apexes of the convex portions of each fragrance generating sheet may be different for each sheet or may be the same.

[0018] Next, the laminated fragrance generating sheets will be described.

[0019] 1) A plurality of stacked fragrance - generating sheets At least one fragrance - generating member is composed of a plurality of stacked fragrance - generating sheets 10. The number of stacked fragrance - generating sheets 10 is preferably 2 to 15. By setting the number of fragrance - generating sheets to such a number, a sufficient amount of fragrance components can be generated, a sufficient space can be secured as the gap described later, and the delivery efficiency of the generated fragrance can be enhanced. The total weight of the fragrance - generating members 1a and 1b included in the fragrance - generating segment is preferably 130 mg to 685 mg, and more preferably 200 mg to 350 mg. The weight of each fragrance - generating sheet 10 is appropriately selected so as to achieve this total weight.

[0020] As described above, the fragrance - generating sheet contains an aerosol source such as glycerin. It is preferable to adjust the weight of the aerosol source contained in each fragrance - generating sheet so that the delivery of the aerosol is uniform throughout the inhalation. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), positions A to C are specified from the center of the fragrance - generating segment toward the outside, and consider the case where sheets of the same thickness exist in the regions including these positions. In this case, if the weight of the aerosol source of each sheet is the same, the weight of the aerosol source per sheet thickness is the same. Therefore, the amounts of aerosol source that can be generated at positions A, B, and C can be made substantially the same. On the other hand, when sheets of different thicknesses exist in the regions including these positions (FIG. 10(b)), even if the weights of the aerosol sources of each sheet are the same, the weights of the aerosol sources per sheet thickness are different, so the amounts of aerosol source that can be generated at positions A, B, and C are also different. In this case, if the sheets are designed to satisfy the following relationship, the amounts of aerosol source that can be generated at positions A, B, and C can be made substantially the same.

[0021] X / a = Y / b = Z / c where a: The thickness of sheet A covering the position of A X: The weight of the aerosol source contained in sheet A covering the position of A b: Thickness of sheet B covering the position of B, Y: Weight of the aerosol source contained in sheet B covering the position of B c: Thickness of sheet C covering the position of C, Z: Weight of the aerosol source contained in sheet C covering the position of C

[0022] For example, such a design is also possible by providing a difference in surface treatment on the inner and outer surfaces of the sheet. Specifically, modes such as providing many half-cuts on the inner surface and fewer half-cuts on the surface can be considered.

[0023] Furthermore, by changing the weights of the flavor components and fragrance components contained in the sheet arranged inside and the sheet arranged outside, the flavor can also be changed at a desired timing during suction.

[0024] Since each flavor generating sheet is laminated so as to have a non-contact portion between adjacent sheets, there is a non-contact portion where the flavor generating sheets do not contact each other between at least one pair of adjacent flavor generating sheets.

[0025] 2) Non-contact portion Between a pair of adjacent flavor generating sheets, it is preferable to have two or more contact portions where the sheets contact each other. The non-contact portion formed between the contact portions is called a "gap". It is preferable that some or all of the gaps extend from the tip to the rear end of the flavor generating segment. Thereby, a flavor flow path can be secured to improve the flavor delivery efficiency, and furthermore, the heat from the heater can be transmitted to the outer flavor generating sheet through the contact portion, so that the heat transfer efficiency can be increased.

[0026] The method of providing the gap between an adjacent pair of aroma generating sheets is not particularly limited, and for example, it can be carried out by performing the above-described surface treatment on at least one aroma generating sheet. Specifically, it can be carried out by a combination of an aroma generating sheet provided with irregularities by surface treatment and a flat aroma generating sheet (Fig. 2D(i)), or by not allowing the positions of the convex portions of aroma generating sheets provided with irregularities by surface treatment to be at the same position, that is, by shifting the phase of the irregularities (Fig. 2D(ii)), etc. In Fig. 2D, C is the contact portion and V is the gap. The method of shifting the phase is not limited, and examples thereof include a method of changing the pitch of the surface treatment for each aroma generating sheet. The contact portion may or may not be adhered. When the aroma generating sheet has a plurality of convex portions provided by surface treatment, it is sufficient that at least one of such convex portions is in contact with an adjacent aroma generating sheet. The longitudinal direction of the convex portion formed on the curled sheet is preferably parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aroma generating segment. The longitudinal direction of the convex portion is the direction in which the ridge line extends, and is a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction during processing by the curling roller - and is the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction during processing by the curling roller.

[0027] The maximum value Gmax of the interlayer distance between two adjacent aroma generating sheets is preferably larger than the maximum value Tmax of the thickness of at least one of the two adjacent aroma generating sheets. This can be confirmed by the following method. As shown in Fig. 2B, in a certain cross-section of the aroma generating segment 1, the interlayer distance n formed between the n-th sheet and the (n + 1)-th sheet is measured to determine the maximum value G (n) max. Next, the thicknesses of the n-th sheet and the (n + 1 )-th sheet are measured to determine the maximum values T (n) max and T (n+1) max and they are compared. This measurement is carried out for all the interlayers. For example, when the number of sheets is 4, the measurement is carried out for 3 interlayers. Then, it is confirmed that the following is satisfied in the cross-section. G (1) max>T (1) max or G (1) max>T(2) max G (2) max>T (2) max or G (2) max>T (3) max G (3) max>T (3) max or G (3) max>T (4) max

[0028] When this relationship is satisfied at any cross-section, the maximum value Gmax of the interlayer distance between two adjacent fragrance-generating sheets is greater than the maximum value Tmax of the thickness of at least one of the two adjacent fragrance-generating sheets. When it is difficult to measure because the fragrance-generating sheet 10 is not fixed, it is preferable to measure as follows. First, the fragrance-generating segment 1 is impregnated with a low-viscosity curable resin (for example, an epoxy resin), the non-contact portion is filled with the resin, and then the resin is cured to prepare a measurement sample. Next, the measurement is performed while cutting the sample.

[0029] The ratio of the total amount of the non-contact portion in the fragrance-generating segment (hereinafter also referred to as "porosity") is preferably 0.10 to 0.40, more preferably 0.15 to 0.36, and particularly preferably 0.25 to 0.33. By setting the porosity within a preferable range, fragrance can be efficiently supplied. Further, by setting the porosity within a more preferable range, it is possible to maintain the efficient release of the flavor components contained in the sheet in the fragrance-generating segment from the initial stage to the final stage of suction.

[0030] 3) Heat transfer sheet The fragrance-generating members 1a and 1b may have a heat transfer sheet 16. The position of the heat transfer sheet 16 is not limited, but in one aspect, as shown in FIG. 2A, it is preferably exposed in the space 14. As the heat transfer sheet, a metal sheet such as aluminum can be used.

[0031] 4) Space As shown in Fig. 2A, the fragrance generating segment 1 may have a space 14 between the fragrance generating members 1a and 1b. The fragrance generating segment 1 is preferably arranged such that the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fragrance generating article 2, that is, the height h is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fragrance generating article 2. Therefore, the space 14 also preferably extends along the longitudinal direction of the fragrance generating article 2. The cross-sectional area of the space is preferably 5-46% of the cross-sectional area of the fragrance generating segment 1, and more preferably 15-46%. The center of the space 14 may be on the axis passing through the center of the cross-section of the fragrance generating segment 1, that is, the central axis, or may not be on the central axis. For example, when the thickness of the fragrance generating segment 1 in the stacking direction is 2R, the center O' of the space 14 may be displaced by about 0.1R to 0.7R in the stacking direction from the center O of the fragrance generating segment 1. The position of the center O' of the space 14 can also be shifted from the center O of the fragrance generating segment 1 by adjusting the thicknesses of the fragrance generating members 1a and 1b.

[0032] In the above, the case where two fragrance generating members are composed of a plurality of fragrance generating sheets is described. Therefore, as described above, one fragrance generating member may not be composed of a plurality of fragrance generating sheets. In this case, the fragrance generating member may be composed of a single fragrance generating sheet 10, or may be composed of a fragrance generating block that is thicker than the fragrance generating sheet. The thickness of the fragrance generating block is not limited, but may be about 2 to 10 times the thickness of the fragrance generating sheet. The fragrance generating block can be prepared, for example, by molding a composition containing a tobacco material and a binder into a desired shape. Examples of its shape include a cylinder and an elliptical cylinder as described above. Examples of the molding method include methods other than papermaking, such as extrusion molding, injection molding, slurry foam molding, and molding by a 3D printer. The fragrance generating block may have an open cell structure that is breathable in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] 2. Fragrance Generating Article Figure 3 shows an aspect of the flavor-generating article. In Figure 3, 2 is the flavor-generating article, 1 is the flavor-generating segment, 20 is the mouthpiece, 22 is the filter, 24 is the cavity, and 26 is the support member. As described above, the support member and the cavity may be optionally provided in the flavor-generating article. The mouthpiece 20 is a member having a suction port and may include a filter 22. The dimensions of the mouthpiece 20 are not limited, but it preferably has the same width as the flavor-generating segment 1, and preferably has a length of 26 to 50 mm. In the present invention, the direction toward the suction port may be referred to as the downstream direction.

[0034] The filter 22 is preferably composed of a material commonly used in the art, such as a cellulose acetate filter. The length of the filter 22 is preferably 12 to 60% of the total length of the mouthpiece 20.

[0035] The cavity 24 is a space, and ventilation may be provided on the side surface of the wrapper forming the cavity 24. The cavity 24 functions to cool the heated flavor, appropriately mix the flavor and air to prepare the flavor taste, etc. The length of the cavity 24 is preferably 8 to 77% of the total length of the mouthpiece 20. Also, the cavity 24 may be replaced with a cooling element. Examples of the cooling element include a polylactic acid sheet, etc., and a structure obtained by curling a plurality of polylactic acid sheets can be used as the cooling element.

[0036] The support member 26 increases the strength of the flavor-generating article and maintains its shape. The support member 26 is preferably composed of a material commonly used in the art, such as heat-resistant plastics such as cellulose acetate and polyetheretherketone (PEEK), silicon, ceramic, etc. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the main surfaces of the two support members can be arranged to face each other. The length of the support member 26 is preferably 14 to 77% of the total length of the mouthpiece 20.

[0037] 3. Flavor suction system The flavor attracting system of the present invention includes a heater. The heater preferably non-combustibly, more preferably electrically heats the flavor generating segment. The heater preferably includes a heating unit having a power source or the like. Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of the flavor attracting system of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the flavor generating segment, 20 is the mouthpiece, 22 is the filter, 30 is the heater, and 32 is the heating unit.

[0038] The shape of the heater 30 is not limited, and it is preferable that a part of the heater 30 has a shape that can be arranged in the space 14 in the flavor generating segment. For example, it may be a sheet heater, a flat plate heater, or a cylindrical heater. A sheet heater is a flexible sheet-shaped heater, and examples include a heater including a film (about 20 to 225 μm thick) of a heat-resistant polymer such as polyimide. A flat plate heater is a rigid flat plate-shaped heater (about 200 to 500 μm thick), and examples include a heater having a resistance circuit on a flat plate substrate and having the portion as a heat generating part. A cylindrical heater is a hollow or solid cylindrical heater , and examples include a heater having a resistance circuit on the outer peripheral surface and having the portion as a heat generating part. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical heater may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a rounded polygon, or the like.

[0039] The heater may be in any arrangement, and hereinafter, a preferred embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section viewed from the longitudinal end of the flavor attracting system of the present invention. In Fig. 4, 30 is the heater and 10 is the flavor generating sheet.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 4(A, C), the heater 30 can be arranged in the space 14. Fig. 4A shows an embodiment in which the flat plate heater 30 is arranged in the space. Although not shown, the flavor generating segment 1 preferably has a heat transfer sheet laminated together with the flavor generating sheet 10, and it is more preferable that the heat transfer sheet faces the heater 30. Thus, the flat plate heater is suitable when heating the flavor generating sheet 10 from the inside.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4(B, D), the heater 30 can be disposed outside the outermost fragrance generating sheet 10. out outside side. When the fragrance generating segment 1 includes a wrapper, the heater 30 may be disposed outside the wrapper. Thus, the sheet heater is suitable for heating the fragrance generating sheet 10 from the outside or from the middle. Also in this embodiment, the fragrance generating segment 1 preferably has a heat transfer sheet laminated together with the fragrance generating sheet 10, and it is more preferable that the heat transfer sheet is adjacent to the heater 30.

[0042] 4. Manufacturing method As described at the beginning, the fragrance generating segment 1 may be a fragrance generating article 2, but here, an article including the fragrance generating segment 1 and a filter or the like will be described as the fragrance generating article 2.

[0043] (1) Manufacturing method of the fragrance generating segment The manufacturing method of the fragrance generating segment 1 of the present invention is not limited, but it is preferably manufactured through the following steps. Step A: A step of placing the first fragrance generating member and the second fragrance generating member separately on a base material. Step B: A step of folding the base material so that the upper surfaces of the two fragrance generating members face each other to form the fragrance generating segment 1.

[0044] This method will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, 100 is a fragrance generation segment precursor, 1a is a first fragrance generation member, 1b is a second fragrance generation member, and 6 is a substrate. In FIG. 5(i), both the first fragrance generation member 1a and the second fragrance generation member 1b include a plurality of fragrance generation sheets 10 laminated in parallel to the substrate and having a gap between adjacent fragrance generation sheets 10. However, it is sufficient that at least one of the fragrance generation members includes a plurality of laminated fragrance generation sheets 10 and has a gap between adjacent fragrance generation sheets 10. The first fragrance generation member 1a and the second fragrance generation member 1b are placed separately. Placing separately means placing the upper surfaces of the fragrance generation members so that they can face each other in step B. The plurality of laminated fragrance generation sheets 10 may be partially in contact with each other to such an extent that a gap can be formed between the sheets.

[0045] Next, the laminate 100 is bent along the dotted line so that the upper surfaces of the two fragrance generation members face each other to form a rod-shaped fragrance generation segment 1. It is preferable that there is a space 14 between the first fragrance generation member 1a and the second fragrance generation member 1b facing each other in the fragrance generation segment 1. The size of the space 14 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the fragrance generation member, etc. An opening may be provided at the bottom surface of the thus obtained fragrance generation segment 1, or the fragrance generation segment 1 may be formed using the laminate 100 having an opening 60 provided in the separated portion in advance as shown in FIG. 6. The manufacturing method may further include a step of wrapping the fragrance generation segment 1 with a wrapper. It may also be like this.

[0046] When laminating the fragrance generation sheets 10 by bending them as shown in FIG. 2C, each fragrance generation sheet 10 may be laminated after being bent in advance, or may be bent after laminating the flat fragrance generation sheets 10.

[0047] The number of folding times in Process B can be appropriately set according to the arrangement modes of the first flavor generating member 1a and the second flavor generating member 1b. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(ii), the first flavor generating member 1a and the second flavor generating member 1b may be arranged on the base material 6 such that their respective center lines are not on the same line. FIG. 5(ii) is a top view of the flavor generating segment precursor 100. In this case, the flavor generating segment 1 can be manufactured by folding the four dotted line portions.

[0048] Also, as shown in FIG. 5(iii), a plurality of the first flavor generating members 1a and the second flavor generating members 1b can be arranged on the base material 6. In this case, arranging them separately in Process A means arranging the first flavor generating member 1a and the second flavor generating member 1b separately in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the base material 6 (indicated by the arrow in the figure). In this mode, after cutting along the dashed-dotted line, the flavor generating segment 1 can be manufactured as shown in FIG. 5(i).

[0049] The base material 6 can be made of any material, but it is preferably flexible enough to be bent and has a barrier property such that the components capable of generating flavors do not seep out through the outer surface. As a preferred material, cigarette rolling paper or tip paper for cigarette filters that satisfy such characteristics can be used.

[0050] (2) Method for manufacturing a flavor generating article By inserting a filter or the like at the bottom of the flavor generating segment 1 manufactured as described above, the flavor generating article 2 can be manufactured. Alternatively, the flavor generating article 2 may be manufactured as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a side view of the laminate. Specifically, a laminate 100 with a filter member 22 and a cooling member 26 placed on the separated portions is prepared, and the base material is folded so that the upper surfaces of the two flavor generating members face each other.

[0051] Furthermore, it may further include a step of wrapping the fragrance-generating article 2 with a wrapper. Alternatively, if a sufficient margin 62 is provided in the width direction of the base material 6 and, after folding the base material, the margin 62 is folded to form side walls, a wrapper can also be formed with the base material 6 (FIG. 8A(a)). In this embodiment, the base material 6 can be recognized as a wrapper, but a wrapper (the outermost member) may be separately provided outside such a wrapper. Also, a fragrance-generating segment wrapped with a wrapper and a filter wrapped with a wrapper may be separately prepared and joined by a known method (FIG. 8A(b)). For example, by using cigarette tip paper or the like and wrapping the joint portion so that no leakage occurs, the two can be joined.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8B(i), an opening may be provided in the margin 62 to form a heater insertion port 64. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8B(ii), a bent portion 66 may be provided in the margin 62. As shown in FIG. 8B(iii), by adhering the bent portion 66 to the side wall of the fragrance-generating article 2, the strength of the fragrance-generating article 2 can be increased.

[0053] (3) Manufacturing method of the fragrance suction system 3 The fragrance suction system 3 can be manufactured by installing a heater 30 on the fragrance-generating segment 1 or the fragrance-generating article 2 manufactured as described above. The method of installing the heater 30 is not limited, but as shown in FIG. 9, it is preferable to insert the heater 30 into the space 14 of the fragrance-generating segment 1.

Example

[0054] [Example 1] Prepare eight tobacco sheets 10 with a thickness of 300 μm, a width of 7 mm, and a length of 12 mm. As the base material 6, prepare a wrapper paper with a width of 14 mm and a length of 95 mm, and stack the tobacco sheets 10 on the wrapper paper in parallel to the base material to form a first tobacco member 1a. Similarly, prepare three tobacco sheets 10 and form a second tobacco member 1b on the wrapper paper. However, the adjacent end faces of the first tobacco member 1a and the second tobacco member 1b are separated by 71 mm. Hereinafter, in each member, the length parallel to the width direction of the base material 6 is referred to as "width", and the length parallel to the length direction of the base material 6 is referred to as "length".

[0055] Next, provide an opening with a width of 4 mm and a length of 2 mm at the center of the separated portion, and further place a support member, a cooling element, and a filter member between the opening and the second tobacco member 1b. Here, the dimensions of the support member are a width of 7 mm, a length of 8 mm, and a thickness of 5 mm, the dimensions of the cooling element are a width of 7 mm, a length of 18 mm, and a thickness of 5 mm, and the dimensions of the filter member are a width of 7 mm, a length of 7 mm, and a thickness of 5 mm. Then, fold the base material so that the upper surfaces of the first tobacco member 1a and the second tobacco member 1b face each other to manufacture a flavor generating article 2 including a rod-shaped tobacco segment 1.

[0056] Prepare a flat heater 30 with a thickness of 320 μm, a width of 4.9 mm, and a length of 13 mm, and insert it into the space 14 formed between the first tobacco member 1a and the second tobacco member 1b of the tobacco segment 1. Connect the heater 30 to a heating unit 32 equipped with a power source to electrically heat the tobacco segment 1.

Explanation of Signs

[0057] 1 Flavor generating segment 1a First flavor generating member 1b Second flavor generating member 10 Flavor generating sheet 14 Space 16 Heat transfer sheet 18 Separation portion 100 Laminate G Distance between flavor generating sheets T Thickness of flavor generating sheet V gap C contact part 2 fragrance-generating articles 20 mouthpiece 22 filter 24 cavity 26 support member 3 fragrance attracting system 30 heater 32 heating unit 6 base material 60 opening 62 margin 64 heater insertion port 66 bending part

Claims

1. An aroma generating segment comprising a first aroma generating member and a second aroma generating member, wherein at least one of the first and second aroma generating members includes a plurality of laminated aroma generating sheets, and has a non-contact portion where the aroma generating sheets do not contact each other between at least one pair of adjacent aroma generating sheets, the first and second aroma generating members extend in the longitudinal direction of the aroma generating segment, an aroma generating segment in which the main surface of the aroma generating sheet faces the other aroma generating member, an aroma generating article disposed downstream of the aroma generating segment and provided with a cavity or a cooling element provided with ventilation.

2. The aroma generating article according to claim 1, having a space for inserting a heater between the first aroma generating member and the second aroma generating member.

3. The aroma generating article according to claim 1 or 2, having a contact portion where the aroma generating sheets contact each other.

4. The aroma generating article according to claim 2, having two or more contact portions where the aroma generating sheets contact each other.

5. The aroma generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the sheets is subjected to a curling process.

6. The aroma generating article according to any one of claims 2 to 5, a heater inserted between the first aroma generating member and the second aroma generating member, comprising, a surface of the first aroma generating member facing the heater and a surface of the second aroma generating member facing the heater are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aroma generating segment, an aroma suction system.

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