Atomization unit, manufacturing method thereof, and suction tool

Abstract

An atomization unit of an inhalation device, said atomization unit being equipped with: a liquid housing part housing an aerosol-producing solution containing a tobacco extract ingredient therein; an electrical load into which the aerosol-producing liquid in the liquid housing part is introduced, and by which the introduced aerosol-producing liquid is atomized to generate an aerosol; and a flavoring molded body which is placed in the liquid housing part and contains a non-tobacco base material, a flavoring material and a binder.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an atomization unit, a manufacturing method thereof, and a suction tool. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an atomization unit used in an inhaler, there has been known an atomization unit having a liquid storage section that stores a predetermined liquid, and an electrical load into which the liquid in the liquid storage section is introduced and which atomizes the introduced liquid to generate an aerosol, and which contains powder of tobacco material such as tobacco leaves inside the liquid in the liquid storage section, and the powder of the tobacco material is dispersed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Other prior art documents include Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Non-Patent Document 1. Patent Document 2 discloses the configuration of an atomization unit provided in an inhaler having a basic configuration. Patent Document 3 discloses information related to tobacco leaf extract. Non-Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to nicotine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 211332 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-141705 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2015 / 129679 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Florence F. Wagner and Daniel L. Comins, “Tetrahedron report number 807 Recent advances in the synthesis of nicotine and its derivatives”, Science Direct, Tetrahedron 63 (2007) p.8065-8082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of the atomization unit of a conventional inhaler as exemplified by the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the powdered tobacco material dispersed in the liquid in the liquid storage portion may adhere to the electrical load of the atomization unit. In this case, the load of the atomization unit may deteriorate. In this respect, the conventional technology has room for improvement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and one of its objects is to provide a technique that can suppress deterioration of the load on an atomization unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by using a liquid storage section in which a specific molded body is placed, and have arrived at the present invention.

[0009] (Aspect 1) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an atomization unit of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a liquid storage section that stores an aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components, an electrical load into which the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage section is introduced and which atomizes the introduced aerosol-generating liquid to generate an aerosol, and a flavor molded body that is disposed inside the liquid storage section and includes a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder.

[0010] According to this aspect, a flavor shaped body molded into a predetermined shape is disposed inside the liquid storage portion, and the flavor shaped body and the electrical load of the atomization unit are physically separated, thereby preventing substances such as tobacco material that could become deposits from adhering to the load of the atomization unit. This prevents deterioration of the load of the atomization unit. Furthermore, the flavor shaped body contains a binder for adhering materials contained in the flavor shaped body, further preventing the generation of substances that could become deposits from the flavor shaped body.

[0011] (Aspect 2) In the above-mentioned aspect 1, the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the aerosol-generating liquid when the flavor molding is placed inside the liquid storage section is 6 mg or less, and the carbonized components may be components that become carbonized when heated to 250°C.

[0012] According to this embodiment, it is possible to enjoy the flavor of the flavor material while minimizing the amount of carbonized components adhering to the electrical load.

[0013] (Aspect 3) In the above-mentioned embodiment 1 or 2, the binder may be one or more substances selected from the group consisting of starch, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, and vinyl acetate resin.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the binder is insoluble or hardly soluble in the aerosol-generating liquid, so the binder component itself does not become a factor in causing scorching, and the shape of the molded body can be maintained.

[0015] (Aspect 4) A suction tool according to one aspect of the present invention includes a power supply unit and the atomization unit according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0016] According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a suction tool that can suppress deterioration of the load on the atomization unit.

[0017] (Aspect 5) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an atomization unit of an inhalation device having a liquid storage section, and includes a liquid preparation process for preparing an aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components, a molding process for molding a flavor molded body containing a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder, and an assembly process for storing the aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components and the flavor molded body in the liquid storage section.

[0018] According to this aspect, it is possible to manufacture an atomization unit that can suppress deterioration of the load on the atomization unit.

[0019] (Aspect 6) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an atomization unit for an inhalation device having a liquid storage section, and includes a tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation process for preparing a liquid containing tobacco extract components; a molding process for molding a flavor molded body containing a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; an addition process for adding the liquid containing tobacco extract components to the flavor molded body; and an assembly process for housing the flavor molded body to which the liquid containing tobacco extract components has been added and an aerosol base material in the liquid storage section.

[0020] According to this aspect, it is possible to manufacture an atomization unit that can suppress deterioration of the load on the atomization unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the aspects of the present invention, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the load on the atomization unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main parts of an atomization unit of a suction tool according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line A1-A1 in FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a flavor molded product according to embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flavor molded product according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of measuring the TPM reduction rate relative to the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of an aerosol-generating liquid containing a tobacco extract component. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow chart for explaining a manufacturing method of the atomization unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of the atomization unit according to the first modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the appearance of a suction tool according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but these descriptions are examples (typical examples) of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the invention. In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values ​​written before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits, and "A to B" means A or more and B or less. Furthermore, although a number of embodiments are described in this specification, various conditions in each embodiment may be applied to each other to the extent that they are applicable. Furthermore, in this specification, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings as necessary. Note that the drawings are schematic illustrations to facilitate understanding of the features of the embodiments, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as those in reality. Furthermore, the drawings show XYZ Cartesian coordinates as necessary. Furthermore, the dimensions, materials, shapes, correspondences and relative positions of the components described in this embodiment are merely examples. Furthermore, although a number of embodiments are described in this specification, various conditions in each embodiment may be applied to each other to the extent that they are applicable.

[0024] <Embodiment 1> The atomization unit of the inhaler according to the first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "atomization unit") comprises a liquid storage section that stores an aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components; an electrical load into which the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage section is introduced and which atomizes the introduced aerosol-generating liquid to generate an aerosol; a flavor molded body disposed inside the liquid storage portion and including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; Equipped with This is the atomization unit of the inhaler. Specific embodiments of the present embodiment 1 will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. The effects of the present invention can be obtained as long as the source of tobacco components such as nicotine is not a solid such as a powder that can become a deposit as disclosed in Patent Document 1, and various conditions can be combined as desired within the range in which this effect can be obtained.

[0025] In this embodiment, an aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components is used as a source of tobacco components such as nicotine instead of powdered tobacco material that can become deposits as disclosed in Patent Document 1, thereby preventing the source of tobacco components such as nicotine from adhering to the load of the atomization unit and thereby preventing deterioration of the load. Furthermore, the flavor molded body contains a binder for adhering materials contained in the flavor molded body, and this embodiment further prevents the generation of substances that can become deposits from the flavor molded body.

[0026] An example of the atomization unit according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. The atomization unit will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main part of the atomization unit 12. Specifically, Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of the main part of the atomization unit 12 cut along a plane including the central axis CL. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic cross-section taken along line A1-A1 in Fig. 2 (i.e., a cross-section cut along a cutting plane normal to the central axis CL). The atomization unit 12 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0027] The atomization unit 12 according to this embodiment extends in the direction of the central axis CL of the atomization unit 12, for example. Specifically, the atomization unit 12 has an external shape that has a "longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis CL)," a "width direction" perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a "thickness direction" perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction, for example. The dimensions of the atomization unit 12 in the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction decrease in this order. Note that in this embodiment, in the Cartesian coordinate system of XYZ, the direction of the Z axis (Z direction or -Z direction) corresponds to the longitudinal direction, the direction of the X axis (X direction or -X direction) corresponds to the width direction, and the direction of the Y axis (Y direction or -Y direction) corresponds to the thickness direction.

[0028] The atomization unit 12 includes a plurality of walls (walls 70a to 70g) extending in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis CL) and a plurality of walls (walls 71a to 71c) extending in the width direction. The atomization unit 12 also includes an air passage 20, a wick 30, an electrical load 40, a liquid storage portion 50, and a flavor molded body 60.

[0029] The air passage 20 is a passage through which air passes when the user inhales air (i.e., when inhaling an aerosol). The air passage 20 according to this embodiment includes an upstream passage section, a load passage section 22, and a downstream passage section 23. As an example, the upstream passage section according to this embodiment includes a plurality of upstream passage sections, specifically, an upstream passage section 21a ("first upstream passage section") and an upstream passage section 21b ("second upstream passage section").

[0030] The upstream passage sections 21a and 21b are arranged upstream of the load passage section 22 (upstream in the air flow direction). The downstream ends of the upstream passage sections 21a and 21b are connected to the load passage section 22. The load passage section 22 is a passage section in which the load 40 is arranged. The downstream passage section 23 is a passage section arranged downstream of the load passage section 22 (downstream in the air flow direction). The upstream end of the downstream passage section 23 is connected to the load passage section 22. In addition, the downstream end of the downstream passage section 23 is connected to the discharge port 13 described above. The air that has passed through the downstream passage section 23 is discharged from the discharge port 13.

[0031] Specifically, the upstream passage section 21a according to this embodiment is provided in an area surrounded by wall section 70a, wall section 70b, wall section 70e, wall section 70f, wall section 71a, and wall section 71b. The upstream passage section 21b is provided in an area surrounded by wall section 70c, wall section 70d, wall section 70e, wall section 70f, wall section 71a, and wall section 71b. The load passage section 22 is provided in an area surrounded by wall section 70a, wall section 70d, wall section 70e, wall section 70f, wall section 71b, and wall section 71c. The downstream passage section 23 is provided in an area surrounded by a cylindrical wall section 70g.

[0032] The wall portion 71a is provided with holes 72a and 72b. Air flows into the upstream passage portion 21a through the hole 72a and into the upstream passage portion 21b through the hole 72b. The wall portion 71b is provided with holes 72c and 72d. Air that has passed through the upstream passage portion 21a flows into the load passage portion 22 through the hole 72c, and air that has passed through the upstream passage portion 21b flows into the load passage portion 22 through the hole 72d.

[0033] In this embodiment, the air flows in the upstream passage portions 21a and 21b in the opposite direction to the air flows in the downstream passage portion 23. Specifically, in this embodiment, the air flows in the upstream passage portions 21a and 21b in the -Z direction, and the air flows in the downstream passage portion 23 in the Z direction.

[0034] Also, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the upstream passage section 21a and the upstream passage section 21b in this embodiment are arranged adjacent to the liquid storage section 50 so that the liquid storage section 50 is sandwiched between the upstream passage section 21a and the upstream passage section 21b.

[0035] 2, the upstream passage portion 21a according to this embodiment is disposed on one side (the −X direction side) of the liquid storage portion 50 in a cross-sectional view taken along a cutting plane normal to the central axis CL. Meanwhile, the upstream passage portion 21b is disposed on the other side (the X direction side) of the liquid storage portion 50 in this cross-sectional view. In other words, the upstream passage portion 21a is disposed on one side of the liquid storage portion 50 in the width direction of the suction tool 10, and the upstream passage portion 21b is disposed on the other side of the liquid storage portion 50 in the width direction of the suction tool 10.

[0036] The wick 30 is a component for introducing the aerosol-generating liquid containing tobacco extract components in the liquid storage portion 50 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "aerosol-generating liquid") into the load 40 of the load passage portion 22. The specific configuration of the wick 30 is not particularly limited as long as it has this function, but as an example, the wick 30 according to this embodiment utilizes capillary action to introduce the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage portion 50 into the load 40. In the aspect according to this embodiment, from the viewpoint of being able to use the surrounding liquid without waste, it is preferable that the capillary force of the wick 30 is greater than the capillary force of the flavor molded body 60.

[0037] The load 40 is an electrical load into which the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage portion 50 is introduced and which atomizes the introduced aerosol-generating liquid to generate an aerosol. The specific configuration of the load 40 is not particularly limited, and for example, a heat-generating element such as a heater or an element such as an ultrasonic generator can be used. In the present embodiment, a heater is used as an example of the load 40. As this heater, a heating resistor (i.e., a heating wire), a ceramic heater, a dielectric heating heater, or the like can be used. In the present embodiment, a heating resistor is used as an example of this heater. In addition, in the present embodiment, the heater serving as the load 40 may have a coil shape. That is, the load 40 according to the present embodiment may be a so-called coil heater. This coil heater may be wound around the wick 30.

[0038] Moreover, the load 40 according to this embodiment is, as an example, disposed inside the load passage portion 22 at the wick 30 portion. The load 40 is electrically connected to the power supply and control device of the power supply unit 11 described above, and generates heat when electricity from the power supply is supplied to the load 40 (i.e., generates heat when energized). The operation of the load 40 is controlled by the control device. The load 40 atomizes the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage portion 50 that has been introduced into the load 40 via the wick 30 by heating it, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0039] The configurations of the wick 30 and the load 40 are similar to those of the wicks and loads used in known suction tools such as those exemplified in Patent Document 2, and therefore further detailed description will be omitted.

[0040] The liquid storage portion 50 is a portion for storing the aerosol-generating liquid (Le). The liquid storage portion 50 according to this embodiment is provided in an area surrounded by wall portion 70b, wall portion 70c, wall portion 70e, wall portion 70f, wall portion 71a, and wall portion 71b. In this embodiment, the aforementioned downstream passage portion 23 is provided so as to penetrate the liquid storage portion 50 in the direction of the central axis CL. The liquid storage portion 50 may be provided to a user with liquid stored in it, or may be provided to a user without liquid stored in it, and the user may introduce liquid into it for use.

[0041] [Aerosol generating liquid] There are no particular limitations on the aerosol-generating liquid Le contained in the liquid storage portion 50, as long as it contains a tobacco extract component. There are no particular limitations on the method for obtaining the tobacco extract component contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le, and the component can be obtained by dissolving tobacco material such as tobacco leaves in a solvent and extracting it.

[0042] Tobacco extract components are substances such as nicotine contained in tobacco plants. Examples of substances other than nicotine include neophytadiene, solanone, and solanesol. These components other than nicotine may or may not be present, but if present, they may function as flavorings. The aerosol-generating liquid Le preferably contains at least nicotine as a tobacco extract. In this embodiment, "containing tobacco extract components" may be rephrased as "containing natural nicotine." Nicotine exists as (S)-nicotine and (R)-nicotine. Typically, most naturally occurring nicotine is the S-isomer, with the R-isomer accounting for less than 1 mol%. On the other hand, synthetic nicotine typically has a ratio of S- to R-isomers approaching 1:1, depending on the synthesis and purification methods. Therefore, if the amount of the R-isomer relative to the total amount of nicotine in the oral composition is 5 mol% or more (alternatively, 1 mol% or more, 10 mol% or more, or even 40-60 mol%), it can be assumed that the nicotine in the oral composition is synthetic nicotine. The subject of extraction may be, for example, tobacco plant tissue itself, such as leaves, stems, flowers, roots, reproductive organs, or embryos, or a processed product using these tobacco plant tissues (e.g., tobacco powder, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, or tobacco granules used in known tobacco products). However, from the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficient amount used and avoiding the inclusion of unnecessary components, it is preferable to use tobacco leaves. Aspects that use tobacco extract components obtained by extracting tobacco materials can reduce the raw material costs and production costs of the aerosol-generating liquid Le compared to aspects that use nicotine obtained by synthesis, etc. The nicotine contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le, whether natural nicotine or the synthetic nicotine described below, may exist as a nicotine compound, such as a nicotine salt. The method for incorporating a tobacco extract component into the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which a tobacco extract component obtained by extracting a tobacco material is dissolved in an aerosol base material, or a method in which the tobacco extract component is dissolved in a solvent and then mixed with the aerosol-generating liquid Le. Furthermore, when a substance that can also be used as an aerosol base material is used as the solvent used to extract the tobacco material, the tobacco extract liquid can be used directly as the aerosol-generating liquid Le, and examples of such substances include one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water. In this embodiment, by using a liquid aerosol generating liquid Le containing the above-mentioned tobacco extract components as a source of tobacco extract components, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the load 40 of the atomization unit 12 that occurs when powdered tobacco material that can become a deposit, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, is used as a nicotine source.

[0043] When the tobacco extract component contains natural nicotine, specifically, natural nicotine extracted from tobacco leaves and purified can be used. Since publicly known techniques such as those exemplified in Non-Patent Document 1 can be applied to the method for producing such natural nicotine, detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0044] Furthermore, when the tobacco extract component contains natural nicotine, the purity of the natural nicotine may be increased by purifying an extract of tobacco material such as tobacco leaves and removing as many components as possible other than natural nicotine from the extract of the tobacco material, and this increased purity natural nicotine may then be used. To give a specific numerical example, the purity of the natural nicotine contained in the predetermined solvent of the aerosol-generating liquid Le may be 99.9% by weight or more (i.e., in this case, the amount of impurities (components other than natural nicotine) contained in the natural nicotine is less than 0.1% by weight).

[0045] The content of nicotine (particularly natural nicotine) in the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of enabling a sufficient supply of nicotine, it may be, for example, 0.1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or more and 7.5% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or more and 5% by weight or less. The content of tobacco extract components in the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of enabling a sufficient supply of nicotine, it may be, for example, 0.1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or more and 7.5% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or more and 5% by weight or less. In an embodiment using an aerosol-generating liquid Le containing tobacco extract components, tobacco extract can be used as a source of nicotine. In this case, the content of tobacco extract in the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of enabling a sufficient supply of nicotine, it may be, for example, 0.1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or more and 7.5% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or more and 5% by weight or less.

[0046] The predetermined solvent that can be contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, and for example, an aerosol base material (a base material for generating an aerosol) can be used. The type of the aerosol base material is not particularly limited, and for example, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water can be used. The content of the aerosol base material in the aerosol-generating liquid Le is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of achieving the generation of the desired aerosol, it may be, for example, 40% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less, 50% by weight or more and 90% by weight or less, or 60% by weight or more and 80% by weight or less.

[0047] The type of solvent used in the extraction to obtain the tobacco extract components is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, or a liquid containing such substances. In this embodiment, glycerin and / or propylene glycol are used as an example of the predetermined solvent. Note that if the solvent also functions as an aerosol base, the tobacco extract can be used as is as the aerosol-generating liquid Le. However, because the tobacco extract contains components that can cause scorching when heated (e.g., lipids, metal ions, sugars, proteins, etc.), it is preferable to remove the substances that cause scorching using a method such as vacuum distillation. The tobacco extract may contain flavor components in the tobacco material other than nicotine, and a specific example of such a component is neophytadiene.

[0048] The aerosol-generating liquid Le contains a tobacco extract component as a component capable of imparting nicotine, and may further contain synthetic nicotine obtained by synthesis, etc., to increase the nicotine content. The synthetic nicotine may exist as nicotine or as a nicotine-containing compound such as a nicotine salt. In this specification, synthetically obtained nicotine is also referred to as "synthetic nicotine," which is nicotine produced by chemical synthesis. In other words, synthetic nicotine is not nicotine obtained by extracting tobacco materials (natural nicotine), but nicotine obtained by chemical synthesis using chemical substances. The method for producing synthetic nicotine is not particularly limited, and can be carried out by chemical synthesis using chemical substances, and known production methods can be used. The purity of this synthetic nicotine may be 99.9% by weight or more, similar to that of natural nicotine.

[0049] The type of nicotine-containing compound is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include nicotine salts such as nicotine pyruvate, nicotine citrate, nicotine lactate, nicotine salicylate, nicotine fumarate, nicotine levulinate, nicotine benzoate, and nicotine tartrate. When a nicotine-containing compound such as a nicotine salt is obtained by synthesis, the production method thereof is not particularly limited, and known production methods can be used.

[0050] The aerosol-generating liquid Le may contain components (other components) other than the tobacco extract components and the aerosol base material, such as flavor components other than the tobacco extract components.

[0051] Flavoring components other than tobacco extract components include, for example, menthol, natural plant flavors (e.g., cognac oil, orange oil, jasmine oil, spearmint oil, peppermint oil, anise oil, coriander oil, lemon oil, chamomile oil, labdanum, vetiver oil, rose oil, and lovage oil), esters (e.g., menthyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, butyl butyrate, and methyl salicylate), ketones (e.g., menthone, ionone, and ethyl maltol), alcohols (e.g., phenylethyl alcohol, anethole, cis-6-nonen-1-ol, and eucalyptol), aldehydes (e.g., benzaldehyde), lactones (e.g., ω-pentadecalactone), neophytadiene, solanone, and solanesol. Note that neophytadiene, solanone, solanesol, and the like, which can be tobacco extract components, may be contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le not as tobacco extract components but as synthetically obtained substances.

[0052] [Flavor molded body] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a flavor molded body 60. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the flavor molded body 60 is formed by solidifying materials such as a non-tobacco base material and a flavor material into a predetermined shape. Two flavor molded bodies 60 according to this embodiment are disposed inside the aerosol-generating liquid Le in each liquid storage unit 50. However, the number of flavor molded bodies 60 is not limited thereto and may be one, three, or more. Furthermore, the flavor molded body 60 contains a binder for adhering the materials contained in the flavor molded body 60. This configuration further suppresses the generation of substances that may become deposits from the flavor molded body 60. The flavor molded body 60 contains a flavor material, and by dissolving flavor components from this substance into the aerosol-generating liquid Le, further flavor impartation can be achieved. Furthermore, since the flavor material is contained in the flavor molding 60, there is no problem of adhesion to the load of the atomization unit 12, which occurs when using powdery solids that can become deposits as disclosed in Patent Document 1, and deterioration of the load can be suppressed. Furthermore, when capillary action occurs due to the flavor formed body 60 in the atomization unit 12, the aerosol-generating liquid Le is held by this capillary action, thereby providing the effect of preventing liquid leakage.

[0053] The type of material for the non-tobacco base material is not particularly limited as long as it is not derived from a tobacco material (specifically, a tobacco plant), and may be, for example, ceramic, synthetic polymer, or pulp derived from a plant other than a tobacco plant. Examples of ceramic include alumina, zirconia, aluminum nitride, and silicon carbide. Examples of synthetic polymers include polyolefin resins, polyester, polycarbonate, PAN, and EVOH. Examples of plants other than tobacco plants include softwood pulp, hardwood pulp, cotton, fruit pulp, and tea leaves. The non-tobacco base material may be the main material for the flavor molded body 60, particularly the main material that ensures the formation of the flavor molded body 60. The content of the non-tobacco base material in the flavor molded body is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 10% by weight or more and 100% by weight or less, 30% by weight or more and 90% by weight or less, or 50% by weight or more and 80% by weight or less.

[0054] The shape of the flavor molded body 60 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, and an example thereof is a rod shape (a shape in which the length is longer than the width). Specifically, the rod-shaped flavor molded body 60 according to this embodiment has, as an example, a rod-shaped polyhedron shape, and as an example thereof, a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section. The cross-sectional shape of the flavor molded body 60 is not limited to a circle, and may be, for example, a polygon (triangle, square, pentagon, or a polygon with six or more corners). Furthermore, it may be a rod shape having a hollow portion, or a shape in which multiple rods are bundled together (the multiple rods may or may not be integrated with each other as long as they are gathered into a bundle), and the cross-sectional shape may be any shape other than a circle or a polygon. Examples of the rod shape having a hollow portion include a cylindrical shape having a through-hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction, and a concave shape having a non-through-hole (recess) formed extending in the longitudinal direction. Before the flavor molded body 60 is placed in the liquid storage portion 50, a liquid containing a flavor component such as nicotine is held in the through-hole or recess in advance, thereby imparting an additional flavor component to the aerosol-generating liquid Le. The cross-sectional shape may be any shape other than a circle or a polygon, and may be a complex shape as shown in Fig. 4(c) described later, or may be a concave shape. When the cross-section is a concave shape, the flavor molded body 60 has a rod shape with grooves formed on the side surface.

[0055] Furthermore, when a sheet-shaped product is used as the flavor molded body 60, specifically, a paper-formed sheet of a mixture of a non-tobacco base material and a flavor material, a cast sheet of a mixture of a non-tobacco base material and a flavor material, a rolled sheet of a mixture of a non-tobacco base material and a flavor material, or a sheet in which a flavor material has been applied to the surface of a non-tobacco base material sheet by coating or spraying, etc. can be used as the flavor molded body 60. Furthermore, the sheet shape may be a shape in which multiple sheets are stacked (the multiple sheets may or may not be integrated with each other as long as they are stacked together), a bellows shape in which the sheet has a repeated mountain fold and valley fold structure, or a spiral shape in which the sheet has a spiral structure.

[0056] The shape of the flavor molded body 60 may be a shape other than the above-mentioned rod shape and sheet shape, for example, a cubic shape (a shape having sides of the same length), a porous shape, or any other shape.

[0057] Figures 4(a) to (e) show examples of schematic cross-sectional shapes of the flavor molding 60 when the shape of the flavor molding 60 is a cylindrical shape, a shape of a bundle of multiple sticks, a stick shape in which the cross section of the stick has an arbitrary shape (a shape in which multiple circular holes (spaces) are provided in a circular shape), a bellows shape, and a spiral shape.

[0058] The capillary force generated by the flavor molding 60 itself (for example, the capillary force generated by the hollow portion of a hollow rod-shaped body, or the capillary force generated between sheets in a bellows-shaped body) is preferably smaller than the capillary force of the wick 30 while maintaining a capillary force of a desired magnitude or greater, from the viewpoint of efficiently using the surrounding liquid. From the viewpoint of this capillary force relationship, the flavor molding 60 is preferably shaped to have a space extending from the end region (including the end and end face) on the side where the wick 30 is present to the side opposite the side where the wick 30 is present. The shape of this space is not particularly limited, and preferred shapes of the flavor molding 60 are, for example, one or more shapes selected from a cylindrical shape, a concave shape, a shape of a bundle of multiple rods, a bellows shape, a spiral shape, or a porous shape (particularly a porous body with continuous pores).

[0059] Furthermore, the specific values ​​of the width (W) (i.e., outer diameter) of the flavor molded body 60, which is the length in the short direction, and the total length (L) of the flavor molded body 60, which is the length in the longitudinal direction, are not particularly limited, but examples of numerical values ​​are as follows. That is, the width (W) of the flavor molded body 60 can be a value selected from the range of, for example, 2 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The total length (L) of the flavor molded body 60 can be a value selected from the range of, for example, 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less. However, these values ​​are merely examples of the width (W) and total length (L) of the flavor molded body 60, and the width (W) and total length (L) of the flavor molded body 60 may be set to appropriate values ​​depending on the size of the inhaler 10. When multiple flavor molded bodies 60 are present, these parameters are the average values ​​of the values ​​calculated for each flavor molded body 60.

[0060] The flavor molded body 60 contains a binder to adhere materials contained in the flavor molded body 60, such as the non-tobacco base material, and can suppress the generation of substances that could become deposits from the flavor molded body 60. The method for incorporating the binder into the flavor molded body 60 is not particularly limited, and examples include a method of mixing a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder and molding the resulting mixture into a predetermined shape, or a method of mixing a non-tobacco base material and a binder and molding the resulting mixture into a predetermined shape, and then applying the flavor material to the surface of the molded body. However, from the perspective of suppressing the generation of substances that could become deposits from the flavor molded body 60, the method of mixing a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder and molding the resulting mixture into a predetermined shape is preferred. The type of binder is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of starch, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, vinyl acetate resin, jelutong, chicle, etc. In particular, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of starch, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, and vinyl acetate resin are preferred, from the viewpoint that the binder is insoluble or poorly soluble in the aerosol-generating liquid Le, the binder component itself does not cause scorching, and the shape of the molded body can be maintained. Examples of vinyl acetate resins include polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate. The content of the binder in the flavor molded product may be 1% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less, preferably 3% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient adhesiveness.

[0061] The form of the flavor material contained in the flavor molded body 60 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the flavor component itself, or a material that imparts the flavor component ("flavor component-imparting material"). An example of a flavor component-imparting material is a tobacco material that imparts nicotine. For example, when a tobacco material is used as the flavor component, a flavor of the tobacco component can be imparted as a spice. In this specification, when the flavor molded body 60 contains a flavor component-imparting material, the flavor component-imparting material is treated as the flavor component, not the flavor component contained in the flavor component-imparting material. For example, when the flavor molded body 60 contains a tobacco material, the flavor component is the tobacco material, not the nicotine contained in the tobacco material. The flavor material may contain tobacco material, but the form of the tobacco material is not particularly limited. For example, it may contain tobacco plant tissue itself, such as leaves, stems, flowers, roots, reproductive organs, or embryos, or it may contain processed products using these tobacco plant tissues (e.g., tobacco powder, tobacco shreds, or tobacco sheets used in known tobacco products). However, from the perspective of ensuring sufficient usage and ease of processing, tobacco leaves or processed products using tobacco leaves are preferred. Furthermore, the tobacco material may be tobacco residue obtained after extracting these materials, or a combination of unextracted tobacco material and tobacco residue may be used, or a mixture of the two may be used. The tobacco material contained in the flavor molded product 60 plays the role of spice in terms of aroma and flavor. In this specification, "the flavor material includes tobacco material" does not mean that tobacco material is contained within the flavor material, but that tobacco material is included as one type of flavor material, and the expression "the flavor material includes tobacco material, and the content of tobacco material in the flavor molded body 60 is 10% by weight or less" can be rephrased as "the flavor material includes at least tobacco material, and the content of said tobacco material in said flavor molded body 60 is 10% by weight or less." The flavoring component serving as the flavoring material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include nicotine, menthol, natural plant flavors (e.g., cognac oil, orange oil, jasmine oil, spearmint oil, peppermint oil, anise oil, coriander oil, lemon oil, chamomile oil, labdanum, vetiver oil, rose oil, and lovage oil), esters (e.g., menthyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, butyl butyrate, and methyl salicylate), ketones (e.g., menthone, ionone, and ethyl maltol), alcohols (e.g., phenylethyl alcohol, anethole, cis-6-nonen-1-ol, and eucalyptol), aldehydes (e.g., benzaldehyde), lactones (e.g., ω-pentadecalactone), neophytadiene, solanone, and solanesol. Neophytadiene, solanone, solanesol, and the like, which can be tobacco extract components, may be contained in the flavor material not as tobacco extract components but as synthetically obtained substances.

[0062] The flavor components in the flavor material (the flavor components themselves may be flavor materials) dissolve into the aerosol generating liquid Le contained in the liquid storage section 50, and are ultimately delivered to the user as an aerosol generated by use of the atomization unit 12.

[0063] Furthermore, it is preferable that the flavor molded body 60 be covered with a covering material in order to suppress expansion due to liquid absorption and because suppressing expansion allows the liquid in the liquid storage section 50 to be used without waste. Specifically, it is preferable that the flavor molded body 60 be covered with a nonwoven fabric, a covering material (coating material) such as resin, or a nicotine-containing covering material.

[0064] A nonwoven fabric refers to a fabric made from fibers processed into a cloth-like material without weaving them. A nonwoven fabric is, for example, a fabric formed by bonding or entangling fibers through thermal, mechanical, or chemical action. The fibers constituting the "nonwoven fabric" are not particularly limited and can be plant fibers, animal fibers, synthetic fibers, or a mixture of two or more of these. It is particularly preferred that the nonwoven fabric contain plant fibers, and more preferably paper. It is preferable that the nonwoven fabric cover the entire flavor molded body 60 to enhance the effect of preventing swelling of the flavor molded body 60. The nonwoven fabric is preferably paper that wraps the entire flavor molded body 60. However, the shape of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it can cover at least a portion of the flavor molded body 60. For example, the nonwoven fabric may be cylindrical and arranged to cover the center of the flavor molded body 60. Alternatively, the nonwoven fabric may be cylindrical with one opening closed and arranged at the end of the flavor molded body 60.

[0065] When using a nonwoven fabric, a manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to the second embodiment described below can include a covering step of covering the flavor molded body 60 with the nonwoven fabric after the molding step of molding the flavor molded body 60. The method of covering the flavor molded body 60 with the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, and for example, the flavor molded body 60 can be wrapped in the nonwoven fabric by machine or by hand, and the sides of the nonwoven fabric can be glued as necessary.

[0066] When resin is used for coating, examples of the coating material include polyethylene, polyethylene wax, microcrystalline wax, beeswax, and zein. The coating material, such as a resin, suppresses swelling of the flavor molded body 60. It is preferable for the coating to cover 50% or more of the surface of the flavor molded body 60, and more preferably 90% or more, in order to enhance the effect of preventing swelling of materials such as non-tobacco base materials contained in the flavor molded body 60. However, the shape of the coating is not particularly limited as long as it can cover at least a portion of the flavor molded body 60.

[0067] The nicotine-containing coating material is not particularly limited as long as it is a coating material containing nicotine, and may be, for example, a resin material as described above containing nicotine.

[0068] When a coating material is used, a manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to the second embodiment described below may include a coating step of coating the flavor molded body 60 with the coating material after a molding step of molding the flavor molded body 60. In the coating step, the surface of the flavor molded body 60 is coated with a coating agent containing sodium silicate such as water glass or a resin to form a coating. This allows the production of a flavor molded body 60 having a structure in which the surface of tobacco residue solidified into a predetermined shape is covered with the coating material. The method for forming the coating material is not particularly limited. For example, a film of a liquid coating agent containing sodium silicate or a resin may be formed on the surface of the flavor molded body 60, and then a solidification or gelation treatment may be performed by heating or adding an acid or salt. Alternatively, the coating step may be omitted, and the flavor molded body 60 may be coated in the molding step by solidifying a material such as a non-tobacco base material to which an appropriate flavor component has been added using a solution containing sodium silicate such as water glass or a resin.

[0069] The method for applying the flavor material to the non-tobacco base material is not particularly limited. For example, the flavor material may be applied by mixing the flavor material into the raw materials of the non-tobacco base material during the production of the non-tobacco base material, or the flavor material may be applied to the surface of the non-tobacco base material by coating or spraying, or a combination of these methods may be used. In an embodiment in which the flavor molding 60 has a flavor material on its surface, sufficient contact between the aerosol generating liquid Le in the liquid storage section 50 and the flavor material can be ensured, thereby allowing the flavor components to be sufficiently dissolved into the liquid, ensuring an excellent flavor.

[0070] The content of the flavor material in the flavor molded body 60 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 0.1% by weight or more and 70% by weight or less, 1% by weight or more and 60% by weight or less, or 3% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less. In particular, when the flavor molding 60 contains tobacco material, the content of the tobacco material in the flavor molding 60 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of exerting its role as a flavor spice, it is preferably 1% by weight or more, more preferably 3% by weight or more, and even more preferably 7% by weight or more.Furthermore, from the viewpoint that if the amount of tobacco material is too large, the tobacco material may separate from the flavor molding and become a deposit, and from the viewpoint of suppressing the amount of components contained in the tobacco material that may cause the load 40 to burn when heated, it is usually 10% by weight or less, preferably 7% by weight or less, and more preferably 3% by weight or less.

[0071] The flavor molded body 60 may contain components other than the above-mentioned various components, such as a gelling agent such as calcium lactate, or a moisturizing agent such as glycerin or propylene glycol. By using a gelling agent, the binder strength can be improved.

[0072] In this embodiment, the density (mass per unit volume) of the flavor molded body 60 is, for example, 1000 mg / cm 3 More than 1450mg / cm 3 or less, and may be 1100 mg / cm 3 More than 1450mg / cm 3 However, the density of the flavor molded body 60 is not limited to this, and may be 1000 mg / cm or less. 3 or less than 1450 mg / cm 3 It may be larger than 1100 mg / cm 3 or less than 1450 mg / cm 3 When a plurality of flavor molded bodies 60 are present, the density is calculated as the total mass of the flavor molded bodies 60 relative to the total volume of the flavor molded bodies 60.

[0073] In this embodiment, the wet tensile strength of the flavor molded product 60 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 N or more per 15 mm, and more preferably 10 N or more per 15 mm, to suppress collapse in a humid environment. This wet tensile strength can be measured in accordance with the method described in JP 2019-187451 A. In this measurement, the specimen to be measured is conditioned at 22±2°C and a relative humidity of 60±5% for at least 24 hours, and then the test sample is prepared by cutting the specimen to a length of 250±0.1 mm and a width of 15±0.1 mm.

[0074] The atomization unit 12 also includes a wick 30 that holds the load 40 and receives the aerosol-generating liquid Le from the liquid storage portion 50, and a liquid holding member (such as cotton) that is disposed within the liquid storage portion 50 so as to contact both the flavor molded body 60 and the wick 30, and it is preferable that at least the capillary force of the liquid holding member is greater than the capillary force of the flavor molded body 60. According to this embodiment, the aerosol-generating liquid Le in the liquid storage portion 50 can be used without waste.

[0075] Inhalation using the atomization unit 12 is performed as follows. First, when a user starts inhaling air, the air passes through the upstream passage sections 21a and 21b of the air passage 20 and flows into the load passage section 22. Aerosol generated in the load 40 is added to the air that has flowed into the load passage section 22. This aerosol contains tobacco extract components contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le in the liquid storage section 50 and flavor components that can be eluted from the flavor molded body 60. The air to which this aerosol has been added passes through the downstream passage section 23 and is discharged from the outlet 13 and is inhaled by the user.

[0076] According to the atomization unit 12 of this embodiment as described above, in addition to the nicotine contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le in the liquid storage portion 50, flavor components derived from the flavor material that may be contained in the flavor molded body 60 can be added to the aerosol generated by the load 40. This allows the flavor to be fully enjoyed.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the atomization unit 12 of this embodiment, the flavor shaped body 60 is disposed inside the aerosol-generating liquid Le in the liquid storage section 50, and the flavor shaped body 60 and the electrical load 40 are physically separated, so that it is possible to prevent the tobacco material from adhering to the load 40 of the atomization unit 12. This makes it possible to prevent the load 40 of the atomization unit 12 from deteriorating.

[0078] Furthermore, the amount (mg) of carbonized components contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le1g when the flavor molded body 60 is placed inside the liquid storage section 50 is preferably 6 mg or less, and more preferably 3 mg or less.

[0079] According to this configuration, it is possible to enjoy the flavor of nicotine, etc. while minimizing the amount of carbonized components adhering to the electrical load 40. This allows the flavor of nicotine, etc. to be enjoyed while minimizing the occurrence of burnt parts on the load 40.

[0080] In addition, "carbonized components contained in the aerosol generating liquid Le when the flavor molding body 60 is placed inside the liquid storage section 50" specifically corresponds to the sum of the amount of carbonized components contained in the aerosol generating liquid Le before the flavor molding body 60 is placed and the amount of carbonized components dissolved from the flavor molding body 60 into the aerosol generating liquid.

[0081] In this embodiment, the term "carbonized component" refers to a component that becomes a carbonized product when heated to 250° C. Specifically, the term "carbonized component" refers to a component that does not become a carbonized product at temperatures below 250° C., but becomes a carbonized product when maintained at a temperature of 250° C. for a predetermined period of time.

[0082] The "amount (mg) of carbonized components contained in 1g of aerosol-generating liquid Le in a state in which the flavor molded body 60 is disposed inside the liquid storage unit 50" can be measured, for example, by the following method. First, a predetermined amount (g) of aerosol-generating liquid Le in a state in which the flavor molded body 60 is disposed inside the liquid storage unit 50 is prepared. Next, this aerosol-generating liquid Le is heated to 180°C to volatilize the solvent (liquid component) contained in the aerosol-generating liquid Le, thereby obtaining a "residue consisting of non-volatile components." Next, this residue is carbonized by heating it to 250°C, thereby obtaining a carbonized product. Next, the amount (mg) of this carbonized product is measured. Using the above method, the amount (mg) of carbonized components contained in 1g of aerosol-generating liquid Le can be measured, and the amount of carbonized components (i.e., the amount (mg) of carbonized components) contained in 1g of aerosol-generating liquid Le can be calculated based on this measurement value.

[0083] Next, the relationship between the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of aerosol-generating liquid Le containing tobacco extract components and the TPM reduction rate will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the results of measuring the TPM reduction rate relative to the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of extract when tobacco extract liquid Le (hereinafter also simply referred to as "extract") is used as the aerosol-generating liquid Le. The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 shows the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of extract, and the vertical axis shows the TPM reduction rate (R TPM ) (%).

[0084] Figure 5 shows the TPM reduction rate (R TPM :%) was measured by the following method. First, a plurality of samples of the atomization unit 12, each containing different amounts of carbonized components per gram of extract, were prepared. Specifically, five samples (sample SA1 to sample SA5) were prepared as samples of the plurality of atomization units 12. These five samples were prepared by the following process.

[0085] (Process 1) Tobacco material consisting of tobacco leaves was added 20 wt% of potassium carbonate on a dry weight basis, followed by a heat distillation treatment. The residue after this heat distillation treatment was immersed for 10 minutes in water in an amount 15 times the weight of the tobacco raw material before the heat distillation treatment, then dehydrated in a dehydrator, and then dried in a dryer to obtain a tobacco residue.

[0086] (Process 2) Next, a portion of the tobacco residue obtained in step 1 was washed with water to prepare a tobacco residue containing a low amount of carbonized material.

[0087] (Step 3) Next, 25 g of a steeping liquid (propylene glycol 47.5 wt%, glycerin 47.5 wt%, water 5 wt%) serving as an extraction liquid was added to 5 g of the tobacco residue obtained in step 2, and the temperature of the steeping liquid was raised to 60°C and the mixture was left to stand. By varying the standing time (i.e., the steeping time in the steeping liquid), the amount of carbonized components eluted into the steeping liquid (extract) was varied.

[0088] Using the above steps, multiple samples were prepared, each containing different amounts of carbonized components per gram of immersion liquid (extract).

[0089] Next, the samples prepared in the above steps were subjected to automatic smoking using an automatic smoking machine (Borgwaldt's "Analytical Vaping Machine") under the "CRM (Coresta Recommended Method) 81 smoking conditions." The CRM 81 smoking conditions involve inhaling 55 cc of aerosol over 3 seconds, multiple times every 30 seconds.

[0090] Next, the amount of total particulate matter trapped in the Cambridge filter of the automatic smoking machine was measured. Based on this measured amount of total particulate matter, the TPM reduction rate (R TPM ) was calculated. Using the above method, the TPM reduction rate (R TPM ) was measured.

[0091] R TPM (%)=(1-TPM(201puff~250puff) / TPM(1puff~50puff))×100...(1)

[0092] Here, TPM (Total Particle Molecule) refers to the total particulate matter captured by the Cambridge filter of an automatic smoking machine. "TPM (1 puff to 50 puffs)" in formula (1) refers to the amount of total particulate matter captured by the Cambridge filter from the first puff to the 50th puff of the automatic smoking machine. "TPM (201 puff to 250 puffs)" in formula (1) refers to the amount of total particulate matter captured by the Cambridge filter from the 201st puff to the 250th puff of the automatic smoking machine.

[0093] That is, the TPM reduction rate (R TPM ) is calculated by subtracting the amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter between the 201st and 250th puffs of an automatic smoking machine divided by the amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter between the 1st and 50th puffs of an automatic smoking machine from 1 minus 1, and multiplying the result by 100.

[0094] As can be seen from Figure 5, the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of extract is proportional to the TPM reduction rate. As can be seen from Figure 5, particularly from samples SA1 to SA4, when the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of extract is 6 mg or less, the TPM reduction rate can be kept to 20% or less.

[0095] <Embodiment 2> A method for manufacturing an atomization unit of a suction tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as a "method for manufacturing an atomization unit") will be described. This embodiment is an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an atomization unit 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment is a method for manufacturing the atomization unit 12 of the suction tool 10 having the liquid storage portion 50, a liquid preparation step of preparing an aerosol-generating liquid Le containing a tobacco extract component; a molding step of molding a flavor molded body 60 including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; an assembly step of accommodating the aerosol-generating liquid Le containing the tobacco extract component and the flavor molded body 60 in the liquid storage portion 50; having This is a method for manufacturing the atomization unit 12 of the inhaler 10. The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may include steps other than the liquid preparation step, molding step, and assembly step.

[0096] In the flavor molding 60 obtained by the manufacturing method of this embodiment, an aerosol generating liquid Le containing tobacco extract components is used as a source of tobacco components such as nicotine instead of powdered tobacco material that can become a deposit as disclosed in Patent Document 1, so that the source of tobacco components is prevented from adhering to the load of the atomization unit 12, and thus deterioration of the load can be prevented.

[0097] [Liquid preparation process] In the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12, in the liquid preparation step of step S10, an aerosol liquid containing tobacco extract components is prepared. The specific method for preparing the aerosol-generating liquid (hereinafter also simply referred to as "liquid") Le containing tobacco extract components is not particularly limited, and known methods can be adopted. For example, there is a method of dissolving components obtained by extracting tobacco material (which may be only natural nicotine) in the aerosol-generating liquid Le. The aerosol-generating liquid Le for containing the tobacco extract component may be a liquid containing an aerosol base, or may be the aerosol base itself.

[0098] As an example of a method for obtaining a liquid, a method for obtaining a liquid by dissolving tobacco leaves in a solvent and mixing the obtained extract with an aerosol base material will be specifically described. First, an alkaline substance is applied to tobacco leaves (this is called alkaline treatment). The alkaline substance used here can be, for example, a basic substance such as an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate.

[0099] Next, the alkali-treated tobacco leaves are heated at a predetermined temperature (e.g., a temperature of 80°C or higher and lower than 150°C) (referred to as heat treatment). During this heat treatment, the tobacco leaves are brought into contact with one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water.

[0100] This heat treatment causes the components released from the tobacco leaves into the gas phase (including flavor components such as nicotine) to be collected in a predetermined collection solvent. The collection solvent can be, for example, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water. This allows the collection solvent to be obtained, containing flavor components such as nicotine (hereinafter simply referred to as "flavor components"). This means that the flavor components can be extracted from the tobacco leaves.

[0101] Alternatively, step S10 may be configured not to use the above-mentioned collection solvent. Specifically, in this case, after the alkali-treated tobacco leaves are subjected to the above-mentioned heat treatment, they may be cooled using a condenser or the like to condense the released components released from the tobacco leaves into the gas phase, thereby extracting flavor components.

[0102] Alternatively, step S10 may be configured not to involve the alkali treatment described above. Specifically, in this case, in step S10, one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water are added to tobacco leaves (tobacco leaves that have not been subjected to alkali treatment). Next, the tobacco leaves to which these substances have been added are heated, and the components released during this heating are collected in a collection solvent or condensed using a condenser or the like. Flavor components can also be extracted using this process.

[0103] Alternatively, in step S10, an aerosol of one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, or an aerosol of two or more substances selected from this group, is passed through tobacco leaves (tobacco leaves that have not been treated with alkali), and the aerosol that has passed through the tobacco leaves is collected in a collection solvent. This process also allows flavor components to be extracted.

[0104] Furthermore, step S10 (liquid preparation process) according to this embodiment may further include a process (hereinafter simply referred to as a "reduction process") for reducing the "amount of carbonized components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C," which may be contained in the flavor components extracted by the method described above. By reducing the "amount of carbonized components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C," it is possible to effectively prevent carbonized components from adhering to the load 40. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the load 40 from burning. The carbonized components that become carbonized when heated to 250°C are mainly derived from tobacco materials such as tobacco leaves, so in methods that use tobacco extracts, the effect of carrying out a reduction treatment is particularly significant.

[0105] The specific method for reducing the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor components, etc., is not particularly limited, but for example, the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor components may be reduced by cooling the extracted flavor components and filtering the precipitated components with filter paper, etc. Alternatively, the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor components may be reduced by centrifuging the extracted flavor components in a centrifuge. Alternatively, the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor components may be reduced by using a reverse osmosis membrane (RO filter).

[0106] Because tobacco extract contains components that can cause scorching when heated (e.g., lipids, metal ions, sugars, proteins, etc.), it is preferable to subject the tobacco extract components to distillation or reduced-pressure distillation to remove substances that cause scorching. Even when tobacco extract is not used, if the tobacco extract contains substances that cause scorching, it is preferable to subject the tobacco extract to distillation or reduced-pressure distillation.

[0107] [Molding process] In the molding process of step S20, the flavor molded body 60 containing a material such as a non-tobacco base material is molded into a predetermined shape, specifically, by solidifying and molding into a predetermined shape (in this embodiment, as an example, a rod shape) to manufacture the flavor molded body 60. A specific example of step S20 is as follows.

[0108] Methods for molding materials such as non-tobacco substrates include, but are not limited to, methods of mixing non-tobacco substrates (which may be molten non-tobacco substrates) such as ceramics, synthetic polymers, or pulp derived from plants other than tobacco plants to obtain a mixture, and then molding the mixture into a desired shape by methods such as press molding, extrusion molding, injection molding, transfer molding, compression molding, or slip casting. When the non-tobacco substrate is a polymer, methods can also be used in which the polymer is dissolved in a solvent and the resulting solution is heated to volatilize the solvent, or a monomer is polymerized to obtain a flavor molded body 60 of a desired shape. Another method includes obtaining a composite material in any solid form containing a non-tobacco substrate, and then processing the composite material into a desired shape by cutting, grinding, or the like.

[0109] The method for applying a binder to a non-tobacco base material is not particularly limited, and examples include a method of using a mixture of a non-tobacco base material (which may be a melted non-tobacco base material) and a binder as raw materials in the production of the above-mentioned non-tobacco base material flavor molding 60, or, if the non-tobacco base material is a polymer, a method of dissolving the polymer and binder in a solvent and volatilizing the solvent from the resulting solution by heating or the like.

[0110] The method for imparting flavor materials to non-tobacco base materials is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which a mixture of a non-tobacco base material (which may be a melted non-tobacco base material) such as ceramic, synthetic polymer, or pulp derived from a plant other than a tobacco plant and a flavor material is used as a raw material in producing the non-tobacco base material flavor molded body 60 described above, and a method in which a flavor material is imparted to the surface of the non-tobacco base material flavor molded body 60 obtained by the above method by coating or spraying, etc.

[0111] Furthermore, as described above in the description of the atomization unit 12, the surface of the flavor molded body 60 may be coated with a coating material. In this case, step 20 may be a mode in which the surface of the flavor molded body 60 is coated with the coating material, and in this case, the coating process may be included. This makes it possible to manufacture the flavor molded body 60 having a structure in which the surface of a non-tobacco base material solidified into a predetermined shape is covered with a coating material.

[0112] The coating material may be, for example, wax, such as Microcristan Wax (model number: Hi-Mic-1080 or model number: Hi-Mic-1090) manufactured by Nippon Seiro Co., Ltd., water-dispersed ionomer (model number: Chemipearl S120) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., or Hiwax (model number: 110P) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

[0113] Alternatively, corn protein can be used as the coating material, a specific example of which is Zein (product number: Kobayashi Zein DP-N) manufactured by Kobayashi Perfume Co., Ltd.

[0114] Alternatively, polyvinyl acetate can be used as the coating material.

[0115] The coating material covering the surface of the flavor molded body 60 preferably has a plurality of holes (fine holes) that allow the flavor components in the non-tobacco base material to pass through while preventing the non-tobacco base material from passing through. That is, the holes in the coating material need only be larger than the flavor components and smaller than the non-tobacco base material. This configuration prevents the non-tobacco base material from dissolving into the aerosol-generating liquid Le while allowing the flavor components in the non-tobacco base material to dissolve into the aerosol-generating liquid Le.

[0116] The specific size (diameter) of the holes provided in this coating material is not particularly limited, but as a specific example, a value selected from the range of 10 μm or more and 3 mm or less can be used.

[0117] Note that a net-like mesh member can also be used as the coating material. In this case, the flavor components in the non-tobacco base material can be eluted into the aerosol-generating liquid Le while preventing the non-tobacco base material from eluting into the aerosol-generating liquid Le.

[0118] Furthermore, in the molding process of step S20, tobacco residue may be included in the non-tobacco base material. Even in this case, flavor components remaining in the tobacco residue can be dissolved into the aerosol-generating liquid Le while preventing the tobacco residue from dissolving into the extract. Furthermore, when obtaining a tobacco extract in the production of an aerosol liquid containing tobacco extract components, it is preferable to use the tobacco residue obtained by extraction when obtaining the tobacco extract. This tobacco residue is treated as the tobacco material in the above-described first embodiment.

[0119] Alternatively, in the molding process of step S20, the tobacco residue, etc. may be washed with a washing solution, and the washed tobacco residue, etc. may be incorporated into a non-tobacco base material to produce the flavor molded body 60. According to this configuration, the amount of carbonized components contained in the tobacco residue, etc. may be reduced as much as possible by washing, and the flavor molded body 60 may be produced using the tobacco residue, etc. with a reduced amount of carbonized components. This effectively prevents the carbonized components from adhering to the load 40. As a result, the occurrence of scorching on the load 40 may be effectively prevented.

[0120] [Assembly process] After step S20, an assembly process according to step S30 is performed. Specifically, in step S30, the atomization unit 12 is prepared without the flavor molded body 60 accommodated therein, and the flavor molded body 60 after step S20 is accommodated in the liquid storage section 50 of this atomization unit 12, along with the aerosol-generating liquid Le containing the tobacco extract component obtained in step 10. Note that in this case, a flavor component may be further added to the aerosol-generating liquid Le accommodated in the liquid storage section 50, separate from the flavor component added to the flavor molded body 60 in step S20 described above. Through the above processes, the atomization unit 12 of the inhaler 10 according to this embodiment is manufactured. Furthermore, a modified example of this embodiment is a manufacturing method that does not include the step of storing the aerosol-generating liquid Le containing tobacco extract components in step 30. In this case, the user of the atomization unit 12 can refill the liquid in the liquid storage portion 50 by themselves.

[0121] According to the manufacturing method of this embodiment as described above, the atomization unit 12 in which deterioration of the load 40 is suppressed can be manufactured.

[0122] [Modification 1 of Embodiment 2] 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2. The manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 shown in FIG. 7 is a manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 of a suction tool having a liquid storage portion 50, a tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation step of preparing a liquid containing a tobacco extract component; a molding step of molding a flavor molded body 60 including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; an adding step of adding a liquid containing the tobacco extract component to the flavor molded body; an assembly step of housing the flavor molded body (60) to which the liquid containing the tobacco extract component has been added and an aerosol base material in the liquid housing (50); having This is a method for manufacturing the atomization unit 12 of the inhaler 10. The manufacturing method according to this modification may include steps other than the tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation step, molding step, adding step, and assembling step.

[0123] [Tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation process] In the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to the first modification, a liquid containing a tobacco extract component is prepared in a tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation step according to step S10A. Step S10A according to this modification is an embodiment in which an arbitrary liquid is used instead of the aerosol-generating liquid Le in step S10 described in Fig. 6. Specifically, examples of methods for obtaining the tobacco extract component-containing liquid include a method in which a tobacco extract component obtained by extracting a tobacco material is dissolved in an arbitrary solvent. The solvent is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve the target substance, and may be an aerosol base, such as one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water.

[0124] [Molding process] In the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to the first modification, the flavor molded body 60 is manufactured in the molding process according to step S20. Step S20 according to this modification is the same as step S20 described in FIG. 6, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0125] [Addition process] In the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 of variant example 1, in the adding process of step S25, the tobacco component-containing liquid obtained in the tobacco component-containing liquid preparation process is added to the flavor molded body 60 obtained in the molding process. The method of addition is not particularly limited, and the desired amount of tobacco component-containing liquid may be added all at once to the flavor molded body 60, the tobacco component-containing liquid may be added by coating or spraying onto the surface of the flavor molded body 60, or the tobacco component-containing liquid may be added by immersing the flavor molded body 60 in the tobacco component-containing liquid.

[0126] [Assembly process] In the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to the first modification, in the assembly process according to step S30A, the flavor molded body 60 to which the tobacco component-containing liquid obtained in the above-mentioned adding process has been added and the aerosol base material are accommodated in the liquid storage section 50. In step S30A according to this modification, the aerosol-generating liquid Le containing the tobacco extract component in step S30 described in FIG. 6 is replaced with the aerosol base material. The aerosol base material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include one or more substances selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water. During the assembly process, tobacco components are dissolved from the flavor molded body 60 contained in the liquid storage section 50 into the aerosol base material, and ultimately the liquid storage section 50 contains the flavor molded body 60 and an aerosol generating liquid Le containing tobacco extract components.

[0127] A further variant 1A of variant 1 is an embodiment in which, instead of the above-mentioned addition process, an adhesion process is provided in which the tobacco component-containing liquid obtained in the tobacco component-containing liquid preparation process is adhered to the inner surface of the wall defining the liquid storage section 50. By adopting this variant 1A, during the assembly process, tobacco components are dissolved from the tobacco component-containing liquid attached to the wall of the liquid storage section into the aerosol base material, and ultimately, the liquid storage section 50 contains an aerosol-generating liquid Le containing a flavor molded body 60 and tobacco extract components.

[0128] <Embodiment 3> An inhaler 10 according to a third embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as "inhaler") will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of inhaler 10 according to this embodiment. Inhaler 10 according to this embodiment is a non-combustion heating type inhaler, and more specifically, a non-combustion heating type electronic cigarette.

[0129] As an example, the suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment extends in the direction of the central axis CL of the suction tool 10. Specifically, as an example, the suction tool 10 has an external shape having a "longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis CL)," a "width direction" perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a "thickness direction" perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction. The dimensions of the suction tool 10 in the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction decrease in this order. Note that in the present embodiment, in the Cartesian coordinate system of XYZ, the direction of the Z axis (Z direction or −Z direction) corresponds to the longitudinal direction, the direction of the X axis (X direction or −X direction) corresponds to the width direction, and the direction of the Y axis (Y direction or −Y direction) corresponds to the thickness direction.

[0130] The inhaler 10 has a power supply unit 11 and the above-described atomization unit 12. The power supply unit 11 is detachably connected to the atomization unit 12. A battery serving as a power source, a control device, and the like are disposed inside the power supply unit 11. When the atomization unit 12 is connected to the power supply unit 11, the power supply of the power supply unit 11 and a load 40 of the atomization unit 12, which will be described later, are electrically connected.

[0131] The atomization unit 12 is provided with an outlet 13 for discharging air (i.e., air). The air containing the aerosol is discharged from this outlet 13. When using the inhaler 10, the user of the inhaler 10 can inhale the air discharged from this outlet 13.

[0132] A sensor is disposed in power supply unit 11, which outputs the value of the pressure change inside suction device 10 caused by the user inhaling through outlet 13. When the user starts inhaling air, the sensor detects this and notifies the control device, which then starts supplying electricity to load 40 of atomization unit 12, which will be described later. When the user stops inhaling air, the sensor detects this and notifies the control device, which then stops supplying electricity to load 40.

[0133] The power supply unit 11 may be provided with an operation switch for transmitting a request to start suctioning air and a request to stop suctioning air to the control device by a user's operation. In this case, the user can transmit a request to start suctioning air or a request to stop suctioning air to the control device by operating the operation switch. Then, the control device, upon receiving the request to start suctioning air or a request to stop suctioning air, starts or stops supplying electricity to the load 40.

[0134] The configuration of the power supply unit 11 as described above is similar to that of a power supply unit of a known suction tool, such as that exemplified in Patent Document 2, and therefore will not be described in further detail.

[0135] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments and modifications, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 10 Suction device 12 Atomization unit 20 Air passage 40 Load 50 Liquid storage section 60 Flavor molded body CL center axis L Total length of flavor molded body Le aerosol generating liquid W: Outer diameter of flavor molded body

Claims

1. a liquid storage section that stores an aerosol-generating liquid containing a tobacco extract component; an electrical load into which the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid storage section is introduced and which atomizes the introduced aerosol-generating liquid to generate an aerosol; a flavor molded body disposed inside the liquid storage portion and including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; Equipped with An atomization unit of a suction tool, the flavor shaped body is disposed inside the aerosol-generating liquid, and the flavor shaped body and the electrical load are physically separated from each other; the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the aerosol-generating liquid in a state in which the flavor molded body is disposed inside the liquid storage portion is 6 mg or less; The carbonized component is a component that becomes a carbonized product when heated to 250°C. Suction device atomization unit.

2. The atomization unit of an inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the binder is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of starch, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, and vinyl acetate resin.

3. A suction tool comprising a power supply unit and the atomization unit of the suction tool according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A method for manufacturing an atomization unit of a suction tool having a liquid storage portion, comprising: a liquid preparation step of preparing an aerosol-generating liquid containing a tobacco extract component; a molding step of molding a flavor molded body including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; an assembly step of housing the aerosol-generating liquid containing the tobacco extract component and the flavor molded body in the liquid housing portion; having A method for manufacturing an atomization unit of a suction tool, comprising: the atomization unit of the inhaler has an electrical load that atomizes the aerosol-generating liquid to generate an aerosol, The flavor shaped body is disposed inside the aerosol-generating liquid, and the flavor shaped body and the electric The electrical load is physically separated from the The liquid preparation step includes a process for reducing the amount of carbonizable components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C, the amount of carbonized components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C and are contained in 1 g of the aerosol-generating liquid in a state where the flavor molded body is disposed inside the liquid storage portion is 6 mg or less; A method for manufacturing an atomization unit for a suction tool.

5. A method for manufacturing an atomization unit of a suction tool having a liquid storage portion, comprising: a tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation step of preparing a liquid containing a tobacco extract component; a molding step of molding a flavor molded body including a non-tobacco base material, a flavor material, and a binder; an adding step of adding a liquid containing the tobacco extract component to the flavor molded body; an assembling step of housing the flavor molded product to which the liquid containing the tobacco extract component has been added and the liquid aerosol base in the liquid housing portion; having A method for manufacturing an atomization unit of a suction tool, comprising: the atomization unit of the inhaler has an electrical load that atomizes the liquid aerosol base to generate an aerosol; the flavor shaped body is disposed within the liquid aerosol base, and the flavor shaped body and the electrical load are physically separated from each other; the tobacco extract component-containing liquid preparation step includes a treatment for reducing the amount of carbonized components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C; The amount of carbonized components that turn into carbonized products when heated to 250°C and are contained in 1 g of the liquid aerosol base material in a state where the flavor molded body is placed inside the liquid storage section is 6 mg or less. A method for manufacturing an atomization unit for a suction tool.

Images