Stick-type smoking articles and electrically heated smoking systems containing them

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrically heated smoking system including a stick-type smoking article and an automatic ignition device, the carbon heat source containing a metal heat source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stick-type smoking article and an electric heating smoking system including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, tobacco refers to a perennial plant of the Solanaceae family in the dicotyledonous order. Recently, it refers to a product manufactured for the purpose of smoking, in which tobacco leaves are wrapped with rolling tobacco paper and a filter part is formed on one side. There are thousands of such tobaccos in the world and they are sold in various shapes or forms.

[0003] Among them, as an alternative to complement the disadvantages of combustion-type tobaccos such as rolled tobacco, cigars, and pipe tobacco that are smoked by lighting a fire, research on electric heating smoking articles has been actively conducted. Specifically, by heating the aerosol product substance in the heating smoking article through methods such as a heater or ultrasonic vibration to generate mainstream smoke containing aerosol, while fulfilling the function of satisfying the smoker's smoking desire, it has the advantage of minimizing the emission of components in tobacco, thus forming a new market to replace ordinary combustion-type rolled tobacco.

[0004] However, the electric heating smoking articles in the prior art require high power because the heater heats the tobacco. Specifically, when preheating the electric heating smoking article, a battery crate of 1C or more is used, and a large current of 1A or more is consumed during the smoking operation. This damages the battery life. In addition, the electric heating smoking articles of the prior art adjusted the taste of tobacco with a temperature profile, but there was a major problem that physical changes occurred due to internal medium heating.

[0005] Here, there is an actual situation where it is necessary to develop an electric heating smoking system that has lower power consumption compared to conventional electric heating smoking articles and can adjust the taste of tobacco while reducing physical changes in the smoking article.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, in order to overcome the problems and / or limitations of the existing technology described above, the present invention aims to provide a stick-type smoking article containing a carbon heat source containing a metal heat source, and an electrically heated smoking system that adjusts the taste of tobacco only in the airflow path control unit once the carbon heat source is ignited.

[0007] However, the problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those with ordinary skill in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a stick-type smoking article including a carbon heat source, The carbon heat source includes a metal heat source, and the invention provides a stick-type smoking article.

[0009] According to one aspect, in an electrically heated smoking system including a stick-type smoking article and an automatic ignition device, The aforementioned stick-type smoking article includes a carbon heat source. The carbon heat source includes a metal heat source. The automatic ignition device provides an electrically heated smoking system that includes a stick insertion section into which the stick-type smoking article is inserted and which can ignite a carbon heat source.

[0010] According to another embodiment, in an airflow path control method for an electrically heated smoking system including a stick-type smoking article and an automatic ignition device, Step C1 involves applying current to a metal heat source when the terminals of the stick-type smoking item come into contact with the terminals of the automatic ignition device. Step C2 controls the current flowing to the metal heat source based on the temperature of the carbon heat source, The present invention provides an airflow path control method that includes step C3 of interrupting the current and operating the airflow path control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This invention reduces power consumption compared to conventional electrically heated smoking devices by interrupting the current flowing to the metal heat source after the carbon heat source is ignited. Therefore, it allows for a higher maximum number of cigarettes smoked per charge and enables the manufacture of smaller batteries. This reduction in battery size has the advantage of enabling miniaturization of the device and also simplifies the electrical circuit structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention adjusts the taste of tobacco by compensating for the reduced pressure drop in the airflow path control unit after the smoker takes the action of inhaling the tobacco (puffing), which reduces the suction resistance after the action of inhaling the tobacco product. This provides smokers with a satisfying smoking experience.

[0013] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the configuration of the invention as described in the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an electrically heated smoking system 100 which includes a stick-type smoking article 101 containing a carbon heat source and an automatic ignition device 102. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the side of a stick-type smoking article 101 containing a carbon heat source and the stick insertion portion 103 in an automatic ignition device that comes into contact with the end of the stick-type smoking article. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a stick-type smoking item 101 containing a carbon heat source. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, various modifications may be made to the embodiments, and the scope of the patent application will not be limited or restricted by such embodiments. All modifications, equivalents, or substitutes to the embodiments should be understood to be included within the scope of the patent.

[0016] The terms used in the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “includes” or “having” indicate the presence of features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood as preemptively excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0017] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs. Commonly used, predefined terms should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as ideal or overly formal unless expressly defined herein.

[0018] Furthermore, when explaining with reference to the attached drawings, the same components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals used in the drawings, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the description of embodiments, if a specific explanation of related prior art is deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, such detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0019] In addition, when describing the components of the embodiments, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. can be used. These terms are for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by these terms.

[0020] Components that include functions common to the components included in any of the embodiments will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions given in any of the embodiments are also applicable to other embodiments, and specific descriptions within the overlapping scope will be omitted.

[0021] Throughout the specification, "smoking article" means an article that can generate an aerosol, such as tobacco (rolled tobacco), cigars, etc. The smoking article may contain an aerosol-generating substance or an aerosol-forming substrate. Further, the smoking article may contain a solid substance based on tobacco raw materials such as sheet tobacco, cut tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, etc. The smoking substance may contain a volatile compound.

[0022] Also, throughout the specification, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means the direction away from the mouth of the user who smokes the smoking article, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means the direction approaching the mouth of the user who smokes the smoking article. For example, in the stick-type smoking article shown in FIG. 3, the tobacco medium part 202 is located upstream or in the upstream direction of the filter part 203.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 shows an electrically heated smoking system 100 including a stick-type smoking article 101 containing a carbon heat source and an automatic ignition device 102. Referring to Figure 1, the automatic ignition device 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a stick insertion section 103, a control section 104, a battery 105, and an airflow path control section 106. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the stick-type smoking article 101 containing a carbon heat source includes a carbon heat source 201, a tobacco medium section 202, a filter section 203, and a metal heat source 204. However, various modifications and additions to the configuration are possible without limitation.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a stick-type smoking article 101 is provided, the stick-type smoking article 101 includes a carbon heat source 201.

[0026] In this invention, the temperature of the carbon heat source 201 must not be so high as to cause combustion or thermal degradation of the tobacco medium 202 during use of the stick-type smoking article 101. However, the combustion temperature of the carbon heat source 201 must generate sufficient heat to release a sufficient amount of volatile compounds from the tobacco medium 202. In particular, it must be high enough to produce an acceptable aerosol in the initial smoking puff. To avoid a delay between the ignition of the carbon heat source 201 and the generation of aerosol, the carbon heat source 201 must reach an appropriate combustion temperature quickly after ignition.

[0027] The carbon heat source 201 has a carbon content of at least 35% by dry weight, more preferably at least about 40% by dry weight, and most preferably at least about 45% by dry weight.

[0028] The carbon heat source is formed from one or more suitable carbon-containing materials and includes additives to improve the properties of the carbon heat source 201. For example, additives that promote ignition of the carbon heat source may include perchlorates, chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, zirconium, or combinations thereof, and additives that promote combustion of the carbon heat source may include potassium or potassium salts such as potassium citrate. The types of additives listed above are merely examples and are not limited to those listed above.

[0029] Furthermore, the carbon heat source 201 may also include at least one ignition aid.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the carbon heat source 201 includes a metal heat source 204. The metal heat source 204 may include a metal with low resistance. For example, the resistance value may be greater than 0Ω and less than 0.7Ω. The resistance value of the metal heat source 204 can be set in various ways depending on the constituent material, length, width, thickness, etc., of the metal heat source, and examples of metals with such low resistance characteristics include gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., but are not limited to these.

[0031] On the other hand, in the present invention, the metal heat source 204 includes a (+) terminal in the center and a (-) terminal (round; GND) located around the (+) terminal.

[0032] On the other hand, a stick-type smoking article 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a tobacco medium section 202, a filter section 203, and a flaps.

[0033] The tobacco medium portion 202 usually refers to tobacco substances containing nicotine along with tobacco leaves, and may additionally contain excipients. The excipients include, but are not limited to, pH adjusters, binders, aerosol-forming agents, and other additives, excluding tobacco substances, as substances included in the tobacco medium portion 202.

[0034] The tobacco material may be tobacco leaf fragments, tobacco stems, tobacco dust generated during tobacco processing, and / or tobacco leaf strips. The tobacco leaf may be, but is not limited to, at least one selected from native varieties such as yellow, burley, fire-dried, sun-dried, and air-dried varieties.

[0035] When using a pH adjuster, the type of pH adjuster used is not significantly limited as long as it is a substance publicly disclosed in the art; for example, it may include basic inorganic salts.

[0036] Furthermore, as an example of the binder, it may be a substance that increases hardness by allowing crushed tobacco material to bind well, and any substance publicly disclosed in the art may be used without limitation, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of alginates; cellulose such as methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose; dextran; gum; gum derivatives such as hydroxyethyl guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar gum, hydroxyethyl locust bean gum, and hydroxypropyl locust bean gum; pectin such as fruit pectin, citrus pectin, and tobacco pectin; starch such as modified or derivatized starch; flulan; and konjac powder.

[0037] Furthermore, as an example, the aerosol-forming agent may be one or more selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols such as menthol; polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, erythritol, propylene glycol, and glycerol; esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate; aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids such as diethylsverate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, ethyl laurate, lauryl acetate, and triethylcelate; benzyl benzoate; benzyl phenylacetate; ethyl vanillate; lauric acid; myristic acid; propylene carbonate; and triptyline.

[0038] Furthermore, the other additives may include, but are not limited to, one or more selected from the group consisting of flavoring agents, wetting agents, plasticizers, tobacco, and non-tobacco fibers, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents, and combinations thereof.

[0039] Furthermore, the flavoring agent may be a preparation that imparts taste and / or aroma to the aerosol generated from tobacco substances. It may also include, but is not limited to, licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, salvia, spearmint, ginger, coriander, or coffee. Therefore, it can not only supplement the lacking aroma and flavor of tobacco leaves and mask undesirable smells and tastes, but also impart a distinctive aroma.

[0040] The filter section 203 may be an acetylcellulose filter, a paper filter, or a filter made of a polymer substance, but is not limited to these.

[0041] Furthermore, the filter section 203 may be treated with the aforementioned flavoring agent.

[0042] The tipping horn is manufactured from standard filter paper, and the tipping horn, which connects the tobacco medium section 202 and the filter, has one or more perforations selectively formed along its periphery to allow external air to flow in and internal gas to flow out, thereby achieving an air dilution ratio for the cigarette and regulating the amount of mainstream smoke components transferred.

[0043] An electric heating smoking system 100 can be provided according to one embodiment of the present invention, which includes a stick-type smoking article 101 containing a carbon heat source 201 and an automatic ignition device 102. The carbon heat source 201 includes a metal heat source 204. The automatic ignition device 102 includes a stick insertion section 103 into which the stick-type smoking article 10 can be inserted to ignite the carbon heat source 201.

[0044] In one embodiment, the automatic ignition device 102 includes an airflow path control unit 106.

[0045] The airflow path control unit 106 can adjust the amount of airflow flowing through the airflow path based on the suction resistance during smoking. Specifically, repeated puffs by the user can reduce the suction resistance (pressure drop) within the stick-type smoking article 101. The airflow path control unit 106 can detect this decrease in suction resistance and increase the suction resistance of the automatic ignition device 102 itself. In other words, the present invention can provide uniform suction resistance and tobacco flavor solely to the airflow path control unit.

[0046] As an example, the electric heating smoking system 100 may include a sensor for detecting suction resistance within the stick-type smoking item 101. The suction resistance detection sensor detects the suction resistance of the stick-type smoking item 101 after the user's puffing action and generates a pressure drop signal. The detection signal from the suction resistance detection sensor can be transmitted to the airflow path control unit 106. The airflow path control unit 106 can perform airflow control to increase the pressure drop of the device 102 itself. However, the system is not limited to the above example.

[0047] In an electrically heated smoking system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the stick insertion section 103 may include terminals for an automatic ignition device. The automatic ignition device terminals include a (+) terminal in the center and a (-) terminal located on the outer casing of the (+) terminal. The metal heat source 204 of the stick-type smoking article 101 includes a (+) terminal in the center and a (-) terminal located on the outer casing of the (+) terminal. When the stick-type smoking article 101 is placed in the stick insertion section 103, the (+) and (-) terminals of the stick-type smoking article 101 come into contact with the (+) and (-) terminals of the automatic ignition device 102, respectively, and current flows to the metal heat source 204. That is, the carbon heat source 201 can be heated by power supplied from the battery 105. The heated carbon heat source 201 can generate an aerosol from the tobacco medium section 202.

[0048] The automatic ignition device 102 can be manufactured with various structures that have airflow paths allowing external air to flow in and internal gas to flow out even when the stick-type smoking article 101 is contained within it, and is not limited to the drawings.

[0049] In one embodiment, the automatic ignition device 102 includes a control unit 104. The control unit 104 provides overall control over the operation of the electric heating smoking system 100.

[0050] First, the power supplied to the stick insertion section 103 can be controlled. Specifically, it can recognize when the terminals of the stick-type smoking item and the terminals of the automatic ignition device are in contact and control the supply of current accordingly. The metal heat source 204 inside the stick-type smoking item 101 heats the carbon heat source 201. On the other hand, once the temperature of the carbon heat source 201 rises and preheating is complete and ignition is performed, the control unit 104 cuts off the current flowing to the metal heat source 204. This reduces power consumption and battery size, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the device and simplifies the structure of the electrical circuit. When the current reaches a first value, the control unit 104 can control the airflow path control unit 106 to activate.

[0051] The control unit 104 can control the operation of other components included in the automatic ignition device 102, not only the stick insertion section 103 and the airflow path control unit 106. The control unit 104 may also check the state of each component of the automatic ignition device 102 to determine whether the device is operational or not. However, it is not limited to this.

[0052] The battery 105 of the present invention can supply the power required for the electric heated smoking system 100 to operate. For example, the battery 105 can supply power so that the stick insertion section 103 can be heated and supply the power required for the control unit 104 to operate. The battery 105 can also supply the power necessary for the operation of displays, sensors, motors, etc., installed in the electric heated smoking system 100. However, it is not limited to these functions.

[0053] A further embodiment of the present invention provides an airflow path control method for an electrically heated smoking system 100. Specifically, the method includes: step C1 of applying current to a metal heat source 204 when the terminals of the stick-type smoking article and the terminals of the automatic ignition device come into contact; step C2 of controlling the current flowing to the metal heat source 204 based on the temperature of the carbon heat source 201; and step C3 of interrupting the current to operate the airflow path control unit 106.

[0054] In step C2, if the carbon heat source 21 is ignited, the current flowing to the metal heat source 204 is interrupted.

[0055] In step C3, the airflow path control unit 106 controls the airflow rate flowing through the airflow path based on the suction resistance within the stick-type smoking article 101.

[0056] However, the device 102 is not limited to those shown in Figure 1, and other general-purpose components may be included in the device 102. For example, the automatic ignition device 102 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and / or a motor for outputting tactile information, and may also include at least one sensor such as a pressure drop detection sensor and a stick-type smoking item insertion recognition sensor. Although not shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automatic ignition device 102 may be configured with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 105 of the automatic ignition device 102.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and a person with ordinary skill in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in a different order than described, and / or the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, and other components may be combined or assembled in a different manner than described, or substituted or replaced by other components or equivalents, and still achieve appropriate results.

[0058] Therefore, other realizations, other embodiments, and those equivalent to the claims described below also fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A stick-type smoking article containing a carbon heat source, The carbon heat source includes a metal heat source. The metal heat source is an electrical wiring including a (+) terminal located in the center and a (-) terminal located around the (+) terminal, in a stick-type smoking article.

2. The stick-type smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal heat source is a metal with a resistance greater than 0 Ω and less than 0.7 Ω.

3. The stick-type smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the metal heat source includes one or more selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, and iron.

4. An electrically heated smoking system including a stick-type smoking article and an automatic ignition device, The aforementioned stick-type smoking article includes a carbon heat source. The carbon heat source includes a metal heat source. The automatic ignition device includes a stick insertion section into which the stick-type smoking article is inserted and which can ignite a carbon heat source. An electrically heated smoking system in which the metal heat source of the stick-type smoking article is an electrical wiring including a (+) terminal located in the center and a (-) terminal located on the outer casing of the (+) terminal.

5. The electric heating smoking system according to claim 4, wherein the automatic ignition device includes an airflow path control unit that adjusts the amount of airflow flowing through the airflow path based on the suction resistance.

6. The electric heating smoking system according to claim 4, wherein the stick insertion portion includes an automatic ignition device terminal that contacts the (+) terminal and the (-) terminal.

7. The automatic ignition device includes a control unit, The electric heating smoking system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit supplies current only during preheating of the stick-type smoking article to ignite the carbon heat source, and cuts off the current after ignition to operate the airflow path control unit.

8. The electric heating smoking system according to claim 4, characterized in that the automatic ignition device includes a battery.

9. A method for controlling the airflow path of an electrically heated smoking system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, Step C1 involves applying an electric current to a metal heat source when the terminals of the stick-type smoking item come into contact with the terminals of the automatic ignition device. Step C2 involves controlling the current flowing to the metal heat source based on the temperature of the carbon heat source, Step C3 involves interrupting the current flowing to the aforementioned metal heat source and operating the airflow path control unit, An airflow path control method, including the following.

10. The airflow path control method according to claim 9, wherein in step C2, if the carbon heat source is ignited, the current flowing to the metal heat source is interrupted.

11. The airflow path control method according to claim 9, wherein in step C3, the airflow path control unit controls the airflow rate flowing through the airflow path based on the suction resistance in the stick-type smoking article.

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