Aerosol products and aerosol generating apparatus containing them

Abstract

An aerosol product according to one aspect of the present invention may include a tobacco medium section, a filter section spaced apart from the tobacco medium section, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium section and the filter section, and a cooling section surrounded by the tobacco medium section, the filter section, and the wrapper to form a space therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, tobacco refers to a perennial herb of the Solanaceae family in the order Dicotyledoneae. Recently, products made by wrapping tobacco leaves with rolling paper and having a filter part on one side for the purpose of smoking are sometimes generically called. Such tobacco comes in thousands of varieties around the world and is sold in various patterns and shapes.

[0003] Among these, in the case of combustion-type tobacco such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco that are smoked by lighting a fire, in addition to the aerosol containing nicotine in the smoke, many components such as tar, nitroamine, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide are contained.

[0004] As an alternative to compensate for the drawbacks of such combustion-type tobacco, instead of a method of burning cigarettes to generate an aerosol, a method of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substance in a cigarette is widely used, and the demand for this is increasing. As a result, research on heated cigarettes or heated aerosol-generating devices is being actively conducted.

[0005] Specifically, the aerosol-generating device has a form similar to that of conventional combustion-type tobacco, and by heating the aerosol-generating substance in the heated cigarette through methods such as a heater or ultrasonic vibration, a mainstream smoke containing an aerosol is generated. While fulfilling the function of satisfying the smoking desire of smokers, it has the advantage of minimizing the emission of components such as tar, and is forming a new market to replace ordinary combustion-type cigarettes.

[0006] Unlike conventional combustible cigarettes, heated tobacco products used in such aerosol generators, i.e., aerosol products, are composed of various segments internally, which increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, during the manufacturing process of the aerosol products, the rapid and continuous supply of various segments can frequently lead to interruptions in production due to improper segment supply. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol product that can reduce production costs.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol product that can increase production efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An aerosol product according to one aspect of the present invention may include a tobacco medium, a filter portion disposed separately from the tobacco medium, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium and the filter portion, and a cooling portion enclosed by the tobacco medium, the filter, and the wrapper, with a space formed inside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the aerosol product according to one aspect of the present invention can reduce production costs.

[0011] Furthermore, it is possible to prevent interruptions in production during the manufacturing process of aerosol products, thereby increasing production efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the interior of area A in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a modified example of the aerosol product of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a modified example of the aerosol product of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a modified example of the aerosol product of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol product according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus into which an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been inserted. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the process for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram showing the process for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a diagram showing the process for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a diagram showing the process for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] According to general convention, the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for clarity. Additionally, some of the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given system, method, or apparatus. Finally, similar reference numerals may be used throughout the specification and drawings to indicate similar features.

[0014] An aerosol-generating article according to one aspect of the present invention may include a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed remotely from the tobacco medium portion, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and a cooling portion surrounded by the tobacco medium portion, the filter portion, and the wrapper and having a space formed therein.

[0015] According to this embodiment, in the cooling portion, the respective ends of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion can face each other.

[0016] According to this embodiment, the space in the cooling portion can be formed by the respective ends of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion and the wrapper.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the cooling portion can be located between the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

[0018] According to this embodiment, the wrapper can surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surfaces of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the wrapper can surround the entire outer peripheral surfaces of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

[0020] According to this embodiment, the wrapper can be further extended outside the filter portion.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the thickness of the wrapper can be 100 μm to 350 μm.

[0022] According to this embodiment, the basis weight of the wrapper is 80 g / m². 2 ~150g / m 2 It is possible.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the tobacco medium portion may include a plurality of segments.

[0024] According to this embodiment, at least one of the plurality of segments can contain a tobacco medium.

[0025] An aerosol generating apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention may include a heating unit for heating at least a portion of the aerosol product, a power supply unit for supplying power to the heating unit, and a control unit for controlling the power supplied to the power supply unit.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the system further includes an aerosol generating unit that heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit can flow into the interior of the aerosol product.

[0027] The present invention can be subjected to various transformations and has various embodiments; therefore, specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the summary of the invention. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, or substitutes that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0028] The terms used herein are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this invention, terms such as “includes” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, 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.

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that, as far as possible, the same components in the attached drawings are indicated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted. For similar reasons, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or shown schematically.

[0030] The aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the interior of area A in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the aerosol product (100) according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a tobacco medium (110), a cooling unit (130), a filter unit (150), and a wrapper (170). Hereinafter, it will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment that, in addition to the components illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol product (100).

[0033] The aerosol product (100) according to this embodiment can be inserted into an aerosol generating device (300, see Figure 9) described later and heated. When the aerosol product (100) is heated, mainstream smoke can be transmitted to the user. The mainstream smoke may be an airflow flowing from upstream to downstream inside the aerosol product (100). Here, upstream can mean the tobacco medium part (110) side, and downstream can mean the filter part (150) side. The user of the aerosol product (100) can inhale the mainstream smoke through the downstream end of the aerosol product (100).

[0034] The aerosol product (100) may be cylindrical in shape. In this case, the diameter of the aerosol product (100) may be between 4.7 mm and 9.9 mm. The tobacco medium (110), cooling section (130), and filter section (150) may also be cylindrical in shape with a diameter of between 4.7 mm and 9.9 mm.

[0035] Furthermore, the aerosol product (100) may have a length of 31 mm to 60 mm. The length of the tobacco medium (110) may be 17 mm to 30 mm. The length of the cooling section (130) may be 4 mm to 10 mm, and the length of the filter section (150) may be 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0036] Numerical values ​​for the shape, diameter, and length of the aerosol product (100) and its components are provided as examples, but are not necessarily limited to these. The formation and numerical values ​​of the aerosol product (100) can be partially modified to the extent that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

[0037] The tobacco medium section (110) is located upstream of the aerosol product (100), but may contain a tobacco medium that generates an aerosol. Since the tobacco medium in the tobacco medium section (110) contains nicotine, users who smoke mainstream smoke can experience the taste and aroma characteristic of rolled cigarettes.

[0038] When the aerosol product (100) according to this embodiment is heated by an aerosol generating device (300) described later, and the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device (300) flows into the interior of the aerosol product (100), nicotine can be adsorbed onto the aerosol surface and transmitted to the user as the incoming aerosol passes through the tobacco medium (110).

[0039] In this case, the nicotine contained in the tobacco medium may be one or more of free base nicotine and nicotine salt, and the nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine.

[0040] Nicotine salts can be formed by adding a suitable acid, including organic or inorganic acids, to nicotine. The acid used to form the nicotine salt can be appropriately selected considering factors such as the rate of nicotine absorption in the blood, the heating temperature of the heater, the flavor or aroma, and solubility. For example, the acid used to form the nicotine salt may be a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid, or malic acid, or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group.

[0041] On the other hand, the tobacco medium in the tobacco medium section (110) can be manufactured in various forms. For example, the tobacco medium can be manufactured in the form of a sheet or a strand. The tobacco medium can also be manufactured in the form of shredded tobacco, which is obtained by finely cutting tobacco sheets. Furthermore, the tobacco medium can also be manufactured in the form of granules containing tobacco.

[0042] The tobacco medium portion (110) may be cylindrical in shape. However, the shape of the tobacco medium portion (110) is not necessarily limited to this, and may be bar-shaped with various cross-sectional shapes.

[0043] In this case, the tobacco medium portion (110) can be made by folding a tobacco sheet in a way that creates wrinkles to form a cylindrical shape, or by molding tobacco strands, shredded tobacco, or tobacco granules into a cylindrical shape.

[0044] When the tobacco medium (110) consists of multiple tobacco strands obtained by cutting a tobacco sheet into fine strips, the tobacco medium (110) may be formed by aligning the multiple tobacco strands in the same direction (parallel) or randomly. Specifically, the tobacco medium (110) may be formed by aligning multiple tobacco strands in parallel, forming multiple longitudinal channels through which aerosols can pass. In this case, the longitudinal channels may be uniform or non-uniform depending on the size and arrangement of the tobacco strands.

[0045] The tobacco medium (110) may further contain an aerosol-generating substance to increase the amount of atomization. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

[0046] The tobacco medium (110) may further contain flavoring substances to add flavor to the aerosol. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants and / or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the tobacco medium (110) by spraying it onto the tobacco medium (110).

[0047] In this case, the flavoring agents may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweeteners, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, or coffee. In addition, the humectants may include glycerin or propylene glycol.

[0048] The tobacco medium (110) may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. The heat-conducting material can uniformly distribute the heat transferred to the tobacco medium (110), thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the tobacco medium (110) and improving the taste of the tobacco. The heat-conducting material may be a metal foil, for example, aluminum. However, the heat-conducting material is not necessarily limited to this, and various materials used as heat-conducting materials can be applied.

[0049] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the tobacco medium (110) may consist of at least one segment. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may consist of one segment, two segments, or three segments. Specifically, the tobacco medium (110) according to this embodiment shown in Figure 4 may consist of one segment. Also, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tobacco medium (110) may consist of two segments. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the tobacco medium (110) may consist of three segments.

[0050] Referring to Figure 4, the tobacco medium portion (110) in this embodiment may consist of a single segment. The segment of the tobacco medium portion (110) may be filled with tobacco medium. That is, in this embodiment, the tobacco medium portion (110) may consist of a single segment filled with tobacco medium.

[0051] In this case, the segment can be made by folding a tobacco sheet into a cylindrical shape as described above, or by molding tobacco strands, shredded tobacco, or tobacco granules into a cylindrical shape. The segment may also further contain an aerosol-generating substance and / or a flavoring substance that can increase the amount of atomization.

[0052] Furthermore, a heating unit (370, see Figure 9) of an aerosol generating device (300) for heating the aerosol product (100) can be inserted into the segment of the tobacco medium (110). In Figure 9, the heating unit (370) is shown to be arranged around the aerosol product (100), but the arrangement is not limited to this, and the heating unit (370) can also be inserted inside the tobacco medium (110) to heat the tobacco medium (110).

[0053] The tobacco medium (110) may further include a configuration for identifying aerosol products (100). The aerosol products (100) may exhibit various tastes and aromas, and the medium may include a configuration (not shown) for identifying various types of such aerosol products (100) from one another. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may include a metal foil that changes the inductance of an aerosol product recognition coil included in the aerosol generating device (300). In this case, the metal foil may be placed on the outer surface of the tobacco medium (110).

[0054] On the other hand, in the modified examples shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tobacco medium portion (110) may consist of two segments. One of the two segments may contain the tobacco medium, while the other segment may not.

[0055] Referring to Figure 5, the tobacco medium portion (110) may include a first segment (111) and a second segment (119). The first segment (111) is a segment filled with the tobacco medium and may be the same as the segment of the tobacco medium portion (110) in Figure 4 described above.

[0056] The second segment (119) is located at the upstream end of the aerosol product (100) and can prevent the first segment (111), which contains the tobacco medium, from detaching from the aerosol product (100). That is, in this modified example, the tobacco medium portion (110) may be arranged in the order of the second segment (119) and the first segment (111) from the upstream side.

[0057] The second segment (119) prevents impurities from flowing into the first segment (111) from the outside, and prevents liquefied aerosols during smoking from flowing into the aerosol generator (300, see Figure 9).

[0058] Furthermore, when the aerosol product (100) is inserted into the aerosol generator (300), the second segment (119) can support the aerosol product (100) so that it is fixed in the aerosol generator (300).

[0059] The second segment (119) may be a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the second segment (119) may be prepared by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to cellulose acetate tow. Furthermore, the cellulose acetate tow may contain an aerosol-generating substance.

[0060] Nicotine may be excluded from the aerosol-generating substances included in the second segment (119). For example, the second segment (119) may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, the aerosol-generating substances included in the second segment (119) are not necessarily limited to these. For example, the second segment (119) may include a substance in which glycerin and propylene glycol are mixed in a ratio of approximately 8:2. However, it is not limited to the aforementioned mixing ratio.

[0061] Furthermore, the second segment (119) may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. However, the material and type of the second segment (119) are not necessarily limited and can be modified within the limits that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

[0062] The second segment (119) may have through-holes that allow aerosols to flow in from the outside in order to form a mainstream smoke inside the aerosol product (100). The through-holes formed in the second segment (119) may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through-holes is not necessarily limited to these and may have various cross-sectional shapes.

[0063] On the other hand, if the second segment (119) includes a crimped sheet impregnated with an aerosol-generating substance, through-pores may not be formed in the second segment (119).

[0064] In this case, if a portion of the aerosol product (100) is inserted into the aerosol generator (300), the aerosol generated in the aerosol generator (300) flows into the aerosol product (100) via the second segment (119), and the aerosol can form a mainstream smoke inside the aerosol product (100) and be transmitted to the user. Furthermore, the aerosol generated inside the second segment (119) containing the aerosol generating substance can form a mainstream smoke and be transmitted to the user.

[0065] The second segment (119) may further include a configuration for identifying aerosol products (100). The aerosol products (100) may exhibit various tastes and aromas, and the second segment (119) may include a configuration for identifying different types of such aerosol products (100) from one another. For example, the second segment (119) may include a metal foil that changes the inductance of an aerosol product recognition coil included in the aerosol generator (300). However, it is not limited to this, and configurations for identifying aerosol products (100) may be included in the first segment (111) in addition to the second segment (119).

[0066] Referring to Figure 6, the tobacco medium portion (110) may include a first segment (111) and a second segment (117).

[0067] The first segment (111) is located at the upstream end and is a segment filled with tobacco medium, and may be made of the same material as the first segment (111) in Figure 5 mentioned above.

[0068] The second segment (117) can prevent the tobacco medium in the first segment (111) from detaching to the cooling section (130), which will be described later. For example, if a heating section for heating the aerosol product (100) is inserted into the first segment (111), the tobacco medium in the first segment (111) may detach and move towards the cooling section (130). By positioning the second segment (117) between the first segment (111) and the cooling section (130), it is possible to prevent the tobacco medium in the first segment (111) from detaching towards the cooling section (130).

[0069] The second segment (117) may be made of the same material as the second segment (119) in Figure 5 mentioned above.

[0070] Furthermore, the second segment (117) may have through-holes that allow aerosols formed in the first segment (111) or that penetrate the first segment (111) to flow in. The through-holes formed in the second segment (117) may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through-holes is not necessarily limited to these and can have various cross-sectional shapes.

[0071] Thus, the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) of the tobacco medium (110) can be made of the same material as the first segment (111) and the second segment (119) of the tobacco medium (110) in Figure 5 described above. However, the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) of the tobacco medium (110) can be arranged in a different order than the first segment (111) and the second segment (119) in Figure 5. That is, in this modified example, the tobacco medium (110) can be arranged in the order of the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) from the upstream side.

[0072] On the other hand, in the modified example shown in Figure 7, the tobacco medium portion (110) may consist of three segments. At least one of the three segments may contain the tobacco medium.

[0073] Referring to Figure 7, the tobacco medium section (110) may include a first segment (111), a second segment (113), and a third segment (115). In this modified example, the first segment (111) containing the tobacco medium may be centrally located, with the second segment (113), the first segment (111), and the third segment (115) arranged in that order from upstream.

[0074] The first segment (111) is located in the center of the three segments of the tobacco medium section (110), and the first segment (111) is a segment filled with the tobacco medium, and may be made of the same material as the first segment (111) in Figure 5 described above.

[0075] The second segment (113) and the third segment (115) are arranged on both sides of the first segment (111), and the second segment (113) and the third segment (115) may be made of the same material as the second segment (119) in Figure 5 described above.

[0076] The second segment (113) prevents impurities from flowing into the first segment (111) from the outside and prevents liquefied aerosols during smoking from flowing into the aerosol generator (300). In addition, the second segment (113) may have the same structure, function, and material as the second segment (119) in Figure 5 described above.

[0077] The third segment (115) can prevent the tobacco medium of the first segment (111) from detaching to the cooling section (130). In addition, the third segment (115) may have the same structure, function, and material as the second segment (117) in Figure 6 described above.

[0078] Thus, in this modified example, the tobacco medium portion (110) can be formed by arranging the second segment (113) and the third segment (115) on both sides of the first segment (111) containing the tobacco medium.

[0079] Referring again to Figures 1 to 4, in this embodiment, the filter section (150) may be located at the downstream end, separated from the tobacco medium section (110). The filter section (150) can filter out at least one of the substances contained in the mainstream smoke.

[0080] The filter portion (150) may be a cellulose acetate filter, which can be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to cellulose acetate tofu. However, the material and type of the filter portion (150) are not necessarily limited to these and can be changed within a range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

[0081] The filter portion (150) may be in the shape of a cylindrical rod. However, the shape of the filter portion (150) is not necessarily limited to this, and may have various shapes corresponding to the shape of the tobacco medium portion (110).

[0082] The filter section (150) may be manufactured to generate flavor. For example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter section (150), and separate fibers coated with the flavoring liquid may be included inside the filter section (150).

[0083] Alternatively, the filter section (150) may include at least one capsule (not shown). The capsule may generate flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is enclosed in a film. In this case, the capsule may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not necessarily limited to these.

[0084] On the other hand, the aerosol product (100) according to this embodiment can be packaged with a wrapper (170). The wrapper (170) can surround the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150), which are spaced apart from each other. When the wrapper (170) surrounds the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150) in this way, the cylindrical rod shape, which is the unique shape of the aerosol product (100), can be maintained.

[0085] The wrapper (170) can surround at least a portion of the outer surfaces of the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150), which are spaced apart from each other. The wrapper (170) can surround at least a portion of the outer surfaces of the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150) while enclosing the space between them.

[0086] Preferably, the wrapper (170) can surround the entire outer surface of the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150). As a result, the wrapper (170) surrounds the space between the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150), which are spaced apart from each other, and this space can be formed as a cooling portion (130) which will be described later.

[0087] The wrapper (170) may have at least one opening (not shown) to allow outside air to flow into the aerosol product (100) and internal air to flow out. The opening may be formed at a corresponding position in the tobacco medium section (110), at a position corresponding to the cooling section (130), or at a position corresponding to the filter section (150).

[0088] On the other hand, the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150) constituting the aerosol product (100) according to this embodiment can each be individually packaged by a separate wrapper (not shown). If the tobacco medium portion (110) includes multiple segments, each of the multiple segments can be packaged by a separate wrapper, or multiple segments can be packaged by a single wrapper. In this way, when the tobacco medium portion (110) and the filter portion (150) are individually packaged, the individually packaged tobacco medium portion (110) and filter portion (150) can be repackaged by a wrapper (170).

[0089] The wrapper (170) may include paper having sufficient strength to maintain the shape of the cooling section (130) which has a circular cross-section.

[0090] The wrapper (170) may consist of a laminate composed of multiple sheets of paper. For example, the wrapper (170) may be a laminate composed of an outer sheet, an intermediate sheet, and an inner sheet, but is not necessarily limited to this, and may be a single sheet of paper. On the other hand, if the wrapper (170) consists of multiple sheets of paper, the inner surface of the inner sheet may be coated with a predetermined substance, such as polylactic acid.

[0091] If the wrapper (170) is made of paper, the overall thickness of the wrapper (170) may be in the range of 100 μm to 350 μm. Preferably, the overall thickness of the wrapper (170) may be approximately 110 μm to 180 μm, but is not limited thereto.

[0092] Furthermore, if the wrapper (170) is made of paper, the total basis weight of the wrapper (170) is 80 g / m². 2 ~150g / m 2 It may fall within this range. Preferably, the total basis weight of the wrapper (170) is about 240 g / m². 2 It is possible, but not limited to this.

[0093] The wrapper (170) may contain a predetermined substance. An example of such a predetermined substance is silicon, which may possess properties such as heat resistance with little change due to temperature, oxidation resistance, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency, and electrical insulation. However, it is not limited to this, and any substance possessing the aforementioned properties may be applied to or coated onto the wrapper (170) without limitation.

[0094] Since the wrapper (170) forms the outermost surface of the aerosol product (100), the shape of the aerosol product (100) can be changed according to the shape of the wrapper (170). For example, letters, patterns, symbols, and images can be printed on the wrapper (170), and the letters, patterns, symbols, and images printed on the wrapper (170) can be changed, so that the aerosol products (100) can provide different visual information from one another.

[0095] According to this embodiment, the cooling unit (130) is positioned between the tobacco medium unit (110) and the filter unit (150) to cool the high-temperature aerosol formed in the tobacco medium unit (110) or passing through the tobacco medium unit (110). The aerosol is cooled as it moves inside the cooling unit (130), and the cooled aerosol can be transmitted to the user by passing through the filter unit (150). This prevents the high-temperature aerosol from being directly transmitted to the user.

[0096] The cooling section (130) may be formed by the wrapper (170) enclosing the space between the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150). That is, the cooling section (130) can be defined as the space enclosed by the wrapper (170) and the ends of the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150) that face each other. Therefore, as the aerosol that has passed through the tobacco medium section (110) moves along the space, the aerosol can flow towards the filter section (150).

[0097] In this embodiment, the wrapper (170) constituting the cooling section (130) is not only positioned between the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150), but can also be positioned to surround both the outer surfaces of the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150). In this case, the wrapper (170) can surround the entire outer surfaces of the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150) together with the space of the cooling section (130). However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the wrapper (170) can also surround only a portion of the outer surfaces of the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150). For example, the wrapper (170) can surround only a portion of the outer surface of the tobacco medium section (110) and a portion of the outer surface of the filter section (150) together with the space of the cooling section (130).

[0098] According to this embodiment, the cooling unit (130) can be manufactured by arranging the tobacco medium unit (110) and the filter unit (150) at a distance from each other, and then wrapping the tobacco medium unit (110) and the filter unit (150) with a wrapper (170).

[0099] Conventional aerosol products are manufactured by tightly assembling a tobacco medium, a separate tubular cooling unit, and a filter unit, and then wrapping the entire assembly in a wrapper. In other words, although this embodiment does not include a separate cooling unit, conventional methods include a separate tubular cooling unit. In this case, the use of a separate tubular cooling unit may increase manufacturing costs. Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the aerosol product, the tobacco medium, tubular cooling unit, and filter unit are sequentially placed on a spread-out wrapper at high speed, and then the wrapper encloses the tobacco medium, cooling unit, and filter unit. However, if at least one of the tobacco medium, cooling unit, and filter unit placed on the wrapper is not in the correct position, the manufacturing process of the aerosol product will be interrupted.

[0100] According to this embodiment, by forming the cooling section (130) in the wrapper (170) that packages the aerosol product (100) without introducing a separate tubular cooling section, the separate tubular cooling section can be omitted, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, since a separate tubular cooling section is not introduced into the manufacturing process of the aerosol product, factors that interrupt production during the manufacturing process, such as the introduced cooling section not being placed in a fixed position, are reduced, which can increase the production efficiency of the aerosol product.

[0101] The following describes an aerosol product according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol product according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] Referring to Figure 8, the aerosol product according to this second embodiment has the same structure as the aerosol product (100) according to the first embodiment, except for the recess (190), so redundant explanations of the same components will be omitted.

[0104] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, a recess (190) can be formed downstream of the filter section (150). The recess (190) has a structure in which the wrapper (170) surrounding the filter section (150) extends further downstream than the filter section (150). In other words, in this embodiment, the wrapper (170) extends further outside the filter section (150) than in the aerosol product (100) of the first embodiment described above.

[0105] Given the shape of the wrapper (170), the filter section (150) may have a recess-type rod shape.

[0106] The recess (190) prevents nicotine residue from easily being exposed to the outside at the end of the downstream filter section (150). Therefore, since nicotine residue from the filter section (150) of the aerosol product (100) is not exposed to the outside during or after smoking, it may not impair the aesthetic appearance.

[0107] The following describes an aerosol generating apparatus into which an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inserted.

[0108] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus into which an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been inserted.

[0109] Referring to Figure 9, the aerosol generating apparatus (300) according to this embodiment may include a heating unit (370), a power supply unit (330), a control unit (310), and an aerosol generating unit (350). Here, it will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment that, in addition to the components shown in Figure 9, other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating apparatus (300).

[0110] On the other hand, although Figure 9 shows the power supply unit (330), control unit (310), and aerosol generation unit (350) arranged in a line, the arrangement of the power supply unit (330), control unit (310), and aerosol generation unit (350) can be changed as needed. Also, although Figure 9 shows the inclusion of the aerosol generation unit (350), the aerosol generation unit (350) can be omitted, and the system can operate simply by heating the aerosol product (100) with the heating unit (370).

[0111] An aerosol product (100) can be inserted into the aerosol generating device (300). The aerosol product (100) can be inserted and fixed into the aerosol generating device (300) by fixing means. In this embodiment, the tobacco medium portion (110) of the aerosol product (100) may be the fixing means. However, other fixing means may be added in addition to the tobacco medium portion (110).

[0112] The heating unit (370) can heat the aerosol product (100). The heating unit (370) is heated by power supplied from the power supply unit (330), thereby allowing the heating unit (370) to transfer heat to the aerosol product (100).

[0113] The heating element (370) may be an electrical resistance heater. The heating element (370) may include an electrical conductive track, and the heating element (370) can heat the aerosol product (100) by passing an electric current through the electrical conductive track using a power supply from the power supply unit (330).

[0114] As another example, the heating unit (370) may be an induction heater. The heating unit (370) may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol product (100) by induction heating, and the aerosol product (100) may include a susceptor that can be heated by the induction heater.

[0115] The heating section (370) in Figure 9 is shown to be located outside the aerosol product (100), but is not necessarily limited to this. The heating section (370) may include at least one of tubular heating elements, plate heating elements, needle heating elements, or rod heating elements, and may heat the inside or outside of the aerosol product (100) depending on the shape of at least one heating element included in the heating section (370), or it may heat both the inside and outside.

[0116] The power supply unit (330) supplies power to the aerosol generator (300). For example, the power supply unit (330) can supply power to heat the heating unit (370) and can supply the power necessary for the control unit (310) to operate. The power supply unit (330) can also supply the power necessary for the display, sensors, motors, etc. of the aerosol generator (300) to operate.

[0117] The control unit (310) provides overall control over the operation of the aerosol generator (300). Specifically, the control unit (310) controls the operation of the power supply unit (330) and other components included in the aerosol generator (350). The control unit (310) can also check the status of each component of the aerosol generator (300) and determine whether the aerosol generator (300) is operational or not.

[0118] The aerosol generating unit (350) can generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol can be transmitted to the user by passing through the aerosol product (100). In other words, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating unit (350) can flow into the tobacco medium (110) of the aerosol product (100).

[0119] The aerosol generating unit (350) may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage unit, a liquid transfer means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid transfer means, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device (300) as independent modules.

[0120] The liquid storage unit can store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance that includes volatile tobacco flavor components, or it may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance. The liquid storage unit may be made to be detachable and may be made as an integral part of the aerosol generating device (300).

[0121] If the aerosol generating unit (350) according to one embodiment of the present invention contains a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance, the liquid composition stored in the liquid storage unit contained in the aerosol generating unit (350) may not contain nicotine, and the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit (350) may flow into the tobacco medium unit (110) without containing nicotine. In this case, the nicotine-free aerosol passes through the tobacco medium unit (110) and begins to adsorb nicotine, so the aerosol that has passed through the tobacco medium unit (110) comes to contain nicotine.

[0122] The liquid composition contained in the aerosol generating section (350) may include water, solvent, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavoring agents, or vitamin mixtures. The fragrances may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit fragrance components. The flavoring agents may include components that can provide the user with a variety of flavors or aromas. The vitamin mixture may be, but is not limited to, a mixture of at least one of vitamins A, B, C, and E. The liquid composition may also include aerosol-forming agents such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0123] The following describes a method for producing an aerosol product (100) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] Figures 10 to 13 are diagrams illustrating the process for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0125] Referring to Figures 10 to 13, the method for producing the aerosol product according to this embodiment may include the steps of continuously feeding in components (see Figure 10), wrapping with a wrapper (see Figure 11), cutting (see Figure 12), and separating into unit aerosol products (see Figure 13).

[0126] In the method for producing aerosol products according to this embodiment, a tobacco medium rod (110 L) and a filter rod (150 L) are continuously supplied onto a spread-out continuous wrapper (170 L), and a unit aerosol product (100) can be produced by cutting it into a certain size.

[0127] Referring to Figure 10, tobacco medium rods (110L) and filter rods (150L) are continuously supplied alternately onto a continuously feeding wrapper (170L). At this time, the tobacco medium rods (110L) and filter rods (150L) are supplied at a predetermined distance from each other. Here, the predetermined distance may be the same as the distance between the tobacco medium section (110) and the filter section (150) where the cooling section (130) is formed by the aerosol product (100) described above.

[0128] In this case, the tobacco medium rod (110L) may have a length equivalent to twice the length of the tobacco medium section (110) described above. Similarly, the filter rod (150L) may also have a length equivalent to twice the length of the filter section (150) described above.

[0129] During the cutting process, if the tobacco medium rod (110L) is cut in half, it can be separated into two tobacco medium sections (110). Similarly, if the filter section (150) is cut in half during the cutting process, it can be separated into two filter sections (150). In Figure 10, the dotted lines shown on the tobacco medium rod (110L) and the filter rod (150L) indicate the cutting lines, respectively.

[0130] Referring to Figure 11, a tobacco medium rod (110L) and a filter rod (150L) separated by a predetermined interval can be enclosed in a continuous wrapper (170L). Adhesive can be applied to the inside of the continuous wrapper (170L) or to the outer surfaces of the tobacco medium rod (110L) and filter rod (150L), and the tobacco medium rod (110L) and filter rod (150L) can be packaged in the continuous wrapper (170L). As mentioned above, the tobacco medium rod (110L) located inside the continuous wrapper (170L) may have twice the length of the tobacco medium portion (110), and the filter rod (150L) may have twice the length of the filter portion (150).

[0131] Referring to Figure 12, the tobacco medium rod (110L) and filter rod (150L) wrapped in a continuous wrapper (170L) can be cut. The tobacco medium rod (110L) and filter rod (150L) continuously supplied to the continuous wrapper (170L) can each be cut in half.

[0132] More specifically, as shown in Figure 12, each tobacco medium rod (110L) can be cut in half, and each filter rod (150L) can be cut in half. As a result, one tobacco medium rod (110L) can be separated into two tobacco medium sections (110), and one filter rod (150L) can be separated into two filter sections (150).

[0133] Referring to Figure 13, the tobacco medium rod (110L) and the filter rod (150L) can be cut to separate them into unit aerosol products (100A, 100B, 100C, 100D). Here, the unit aerosol products (100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) may correspond to the aerosol product (100) according to the previously described embodiment. Thus, in this embodiment, the tobacco medium rod (110L) and the filter rod (150L) supplied on the continuous wrapper (170L) can be cut in half to produce multiple unit aerosol products (100A, 100B, 100C, 100D).

[0134] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, a person with ordinary skill in the art can modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components, as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims, and this can also be said to be within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. Tobacco medium part, A filter section is positioned separately from the tobacco medium section, A wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and It includes a cooling section surrounded by the tobacco medium section, the filter section, and the wrapper, with a space formed inside, The aforementioned wrapper is inlaid with silicon. The tobacco medium portion is heated by a heating element inserted inside it, and the aerosol product is a product of this aerosol.

2. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein in the cooling section, the ends of the tobacco medium section and the filter section face each other.

3. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein the space in the cooling section is formed by the respective ends of the tobacco medium section and the filter section and the wrapper.

4. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the cooling section is located between the tobacco medium section and the filter section.

5. The aerosol product according to claim 4, wherein the wrapper surrounds at least a portion of the outer surface of the tobacco medium portion and at least a portion of the outer surface of the filter portion.

6. The aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the wrapper surrounds the entire outer surface of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, respectively.

7. The wrapper is further extended outside the filter portion, as described in claim 5.

8. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the wrapper is 100 μm to 350 μm.

9. The basis weight of the aforementioned wrapper is 80 g / m². ２ ~150g / m ２ The aerosol product according to claim 1.

10. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco medium portion includes a plurality of segments.

11. The aerosol product according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of segments contains a tobacco medium.

12. The heating unit heats at least a portion of the aerosol product described in claim 1, A power supply unit that supplies power to the heating unit, and an aerosol generating apparatus comprising a control unit that controls the power supplied to the power supply unit.

13. The device further includes an aerosol generating unit that heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit flows into the interior of the aerosol product.

Images