Flavoring inhalant articles, and filter segments for flavoring inhalant articles

Abstract

A flavor inhalation article according to one aspect of the present invention has a flavor generation segment and a filter segment provided on the downstream side of the flavor generation segment. The filter segment includes a filter material and a wrapper that is wound around the exterior of the filter material to form the filter segment as a rod. The filter material is formed of a sheet material that includes a perforated region that is partially perforated, and a hole-less region that is not perforated.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flavor-absorbing article and a filter segment for a flavor-absorbing article. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a filter segment for a flavor-inhaling article is formed to adjust the filter performance, such as the amount of fluid filtered, of the fluid flowing from the flavor-generating segment through the filter segment to the user. In this case, the filter segment is arranged by connecting multiple filter materials with different performance characteristics in the direction of fluid flow, thereby adjusting the amount of fluid filtered. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 106625 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 246310 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a flavor-absorbing article and a filter segment for a flavor-absorbing article that can form regions with different performance characteristics in a single component, thereby allowing adjustment of the amount of fluid filtered. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A flavor-inhaling article according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a flavor-generating segment and a filter segment provided downstream of the flavor-generating segment. The filter segment includes a filter material and a wrapper that wraps around the outside of the filter material, forming the filter segment as a rod. The filter material is formed from a sheet material that includes partially punched-out areas and unpunched, holeless areas. The direction in which the punched-out region and the holeless region of the sheet material are arranged adjacent to each other is defined as the longitudinal direction of the sheet material. The punched-out region and the holeless region each extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. The punched-out region has a plurality of openings, each unconnected to the sheet material, formed by pieces punched out from the sheet material, and solid portions of the sheet material between the openings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a flavor-inhaling article according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the sheet material used to form the filter assembly (rod assembly) that will become the filter segment (rod segment) of the flavor inhalation article shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] The left side of Figure 3 shows the holeless region side of the filter material, for example, as the mouthpiece end (rear end face) of the flavor inhalation article shown in Figure 1, while the right side of Figure 3 shows the punched region side of the filter material, for example, as the front end face of the filter segment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus for producing a filter assembly that forms the basis of the filter segment of the flavor inhalation article according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram showing the sheet material placed between the crepe rollers in the crepe section (crimping section) of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 4. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the distance between the rotation axes of the crepe rollers in the crepe section is narrowed compared to the state shown in Figure 5A. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a schematic perspective view showing the upper and lower rollers of the punching section of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing the flexible sheet magnetically attached to the upper roller of the punching section shown in Figure 6A. [Figure 6C] Figure 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 6C-6C shown in Figure 6B. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a different example from Figure 6A of the upper and lower rollers of the punching section of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of the optical inspection apparatus of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 4. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the state of the filter assembly when the light transmissivity is inspected with the optical inspection device shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing one segment of a sheet material for manufacturing a fragrance attracting article according to the first modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing one segment of a sheet material for manufacturing a fragrance attracting article according to the second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a fragrance attracting article according to the third modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is a schematic view showing a fragrance attracting article according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a schematic view showing a fragrance attracting article according to a further modification of the fourth modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a part of a sheet material for forming a filter assembly having a different performance from the sheet material shown in FIG. 2, which is the source of the filter segment of the fragrance attracting article shown in FIG. 1 according to the fifth modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a schematic view showing a fragrance attracting article according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a schematic view showing a state in which a first additive (liquid) is added (applied) to a predetermined region of a sheet material that is the source of the filter segment of the fragrance attracting article according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing a state in which a first additive (liquid) and / or a second additive (liquid) is added (applied) to a predetermined region of a sheet material that is the source of the filter segment of the fragrance attracting article according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing a fragrance attracting article according to the third embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0007] The following describes embodiments for carrying out this invention with reference to the drawings.

[0008] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the flavor inhalation article 10 includes a flavor generating segment (rod segment) 12, a mouthpiece segment (rod segment) 14 provided downstream of the flavor generating segment 12, and a tip paper 16 connecting the flavor generating segment 12 and the mouthpiece segment 14.

[0010] The flavor-generating segment 12 and the mouthpiece segment 14 are preferably formed as rods with a roughly cylindrical shape (a roughly circular cross-section). In other words, the flavor-generating segment 12 and the mouthpiece segment 14 are each one of a rod or a rod segment. The filter segment 20, tip plug 42, flavor-generating section 44, etc., which will be described later, are also one of a rod or a rod segment.

[0011] The flavor-absorbing article 10 may be a non-combustion heating type product that heats the flavor-generating segment 12 without burning it, or a combustion type product that burns the flavor-generating segment 12. Alternatively, the flavor-absorbing article 10 may be a non-combustion non-heating type product.

[0012] The flavor-generating segment 12 is formed as a cylindrical rod by wrapping an appropriate filler material in wrapping paper. Various types of fillers can be used.

[0013] As a filler for the non-combustion heating type flavor generating segment 12, for example, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheet material, etc., can be used. Specifically, tobacco shreds, obtained by shredding dried tobacco leaves to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, may be filled into the rolling paper. Alternatively, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm and homogenized, processed into a sheet material, and then shredded to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm and filled into the rolling paper. The sheet material may also be gathered, folded, or spiral-shaped and filled into the rolling paper without being shredded. The sheet material may also be cut into strips and filled into the rolling paper concentrically or so that the longitudinal direction of the strips is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod of the flavor generating segment 12. The flavor generating segment 12 may be designed to generate an aerosol when heated. To promote aerosol generation, it is preferable to add an aerosol source such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or polyols such as 1,3-butanediol as part of the filler. The amount of aerosol source added is preferably 5% to 50% by weight, and more preferably 10% to 30% by weight, relative to the dry weight of the filler. In addition, the flavor-generating segment 12 may contain fragrances such as menthol.

[0014] As a filler for the combustion-type flavor-generating segment 12, similar to the filler for the non-combustion-heating type flavor-generating segment 12, for example, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheet material, etc., can be used. Specifically, tobacco shreds, obtained by shredding dried tobacco leaves to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, may be filled into the rolling paper. Alternatively, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of approximately 20 μm to 200 μm and processed into a sheet material, which may then be shredded to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm and filled into the rolling paper. The sheet material may also be gathered, folded, or spiral-shaped and filled into the rolling paper without being shredded. The sheet material may also be cut into strips and filled into the rolling paper concentrically or so that the longitudinal direction of the strips is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod.

[0015] The length of the rod of the flavor-generating segment 12 can be set as appropriate. The length of the rod of the flavor-generating segment 12 is preferably, for example, 15 mm to 70 mm. The diameter of the rod of the flavor-generating segment 12 is approximately constant from the tip surface (the end surface of the flavor-generating segment 12 opposite to the mouthpiece end 14b) 12a to the rear end surface 12b, and can be set as appropriate. The diameter of the rod of the flavor-generating segment 12 is preferably, for example, 4 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 6 mm to 8 mm.

[0016] In this embodiment, the mouthpiece segment 14 has a filter segment (rod segment) 20. In this embodiment, the sheet material 30 of the filter segment 20 can be made from a material such as paper, nonwoven fabric, or resin, which has been processed into a cylindrical shape. The filter segment 20 performs functions such as adjusting the amount of air mixed when the user inhales aerosols, reducing the taste, and reducing nicotine and tar. The filter segment 20 does not need to have all of these functions. Furthermore, in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 10, which tends to produce fewer flavor components and have a lower filling rate of tobacco filler compared to the combustion type flavor inhalation article 10, the filter segment can perform a function to prevent the tobacco filler from falling out while suppressing the filtration function.

[0017] Furthermore, if the mouthpiece segment 14 is formed as part of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 10, it may have a cooling segment 46. This will be described later in the second modification of the second embodiment (see Figure 17). In other words, in this embodiment, the mouthpiece segment 14 and the filter segment 20 are described as being the same.

[0018] The length of the rod of the mouthpiece segment 14 is preferably, for example, 10 mm to 50 mm, and more preferably 25 mm to 30 mm. The diameter of the rod of the mouthpiece segment 14 is approximately constant from the tip surface 14a to the rear end surface (mouthpiece end) 14b, and is preferably, for example, 4 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 6 mm to 8 mm.

[0019] The diameters of the flavor generating segment 12 and the mouthpiece segment 14 are the same or approximately the same, and the tip paper 16 is wound around the outer circumference including the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generating segment 12 and the front end surface 14a of the mouthpiece segment 14, with the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generating segment 12 and the front end surface 14a of the mouthpiece segment 14 abutting together. As a result, a flavor-inhaling article 10 is formed in which the rods of the flavor generating segment 12 and the rods of the mouthpiece segment 14 are aligned in the axial direction.

[0020] The filter segment 20 includes a filter material 22 and a wrapper (winding paper) 24 that is wound around the outside of the filter material 22 to form the filter segment 20 as a rod. The filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 is formed by processing a sheet material 30 shown in Figure 2, which has a partially punched-out area (first segment) 32 and an unpunched, holeless area (second segment) 34. The punched-out area 32 and the holeless area 34 are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the sheet material 30. As will be described later, the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 is formed by processing one segment S of the sheet material 30, which has the punched-out area 32 and the holeless area 34.

[0021] The filter segment 20 is formed by a rod manufacturing apparatus 50, described later, from a filter assembly (rod assembly) 18 that is, for example, four or six times the length of the filter segment 20 actually to be used. The filter segment 20 is then formed by cutting the filter assembly 18 to a predetermined length at a predetermined position. That is, the filter segment 20 is formed by, for example, two-stage cutting. The first stage is the process of cutting the filter assembly 18, which is made by crimping a continuous sheet material 30 and winding it with a wrapper 24, to a length, for example, four or six times the length of the filter segment 20 that will actually be used as part of the flavor inhalation article 10. The second stage is the process of cutting the filter segment 20, which is four or six times the desired length, to the length of the filter segment 20 that will actually be used as part of the flavor inhalation article 10. As a result of cutting the filter assembly 18 in the second stage, four or six filter segments 20 are formed from the filter assembly 18. The cutting of the filter assembly 18 in the second stage may be performed by multiple cuts.

[0022] Figure 2 defines an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. The direction along the X axis is the axial direction of the sheet material 30 (the longitudinal direction before cutting) and the transport direction. The direction along the Y axis is the width direction of the sheet material 30. The direction along the Z axis is the thickness direction of the sheet material 30.

[0023] As described above, the filter material 22 is formed by processing the sheet material 30 shown in Figure 2. The filter material 22 is formed by processing, for example, a sheet material made of paper, a sheet material made of nonwoven fabric, or a sheet material made of resin. In this embodiment, an example in which the filter material 22 is formed from a sheet material 30 made of paper, that is, an example as a paper filter, will be described. The sheet material 30 made of paper is, for example, paper obtained by papermaking from wood pulp. The paper filter is made by using a sheet material 30 made of paper as the filter material 22, and winding the outside of the filter material 22 with a roll of paper 24 to form a rod shape, and is a biodegradable filter with excellent biodegradability. The width of the sheet material 30 in the width direction is formed to an appropriate size, for example, between 150 mm and 250 mm. This is adjusted by the thickness of the sheet material 30, the diameter of the filter segment 20 to be manufactured, etc. Furthermore, when using tobacco sheet material or cooling sheet material as the sheet material 30, as will be described later, the material, width in the width direction, and thickness of the sheet material 30 are adjusted according to the function.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, punched-out regions 32 and holeless regions 34 are formed alternately, i.e., repeatedly, along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30. The sheet material 30 is formed by repeatedly creating segments S, each consisting of one punched-out region 32 and a holeless region 34 adjacent to that punched-out region 32. The longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30 is the direction in which the punched-out regions 32 and holeless regions 34 are arranged adjacent to each other. The width direction of the sheet material 30 is the direction that intersects the direction in which the punched-out regions 32 and holeless regions 34 are arranged adjacent to each other, preferably an orthogonal direction. The length of the rod of the filter segment 20 is formed, for example, as the length of one segment S of the sheet material 30, which is the sum of one punched-out region 32 and one holeless region 34.

[0025] The holeless region 34 of the sheet material 30 is formed as a closed region (section) in which there are no holes penetrating in the Z-axis direction at any position in the region defined by the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the sheet material 30.

[0026] The punched-out area 32 forms multiple openings (opening edges) 33 that penetrate the sheet material 30 in the Z-axis direction. In each punched-out area 32, for example, multiple openings 33 of the same shape are formed at intervals in the width direction. In this embodiment, the multiple openings 33 are formed at equal intervals in the width direction as substantially rectangular holes of the same shape and size. The shape of the openings 33 can be formed as appropriate, such as substantially rectangular, substantially polygonal, substantially circular, substantially elliptical, etc. It is preferable that the edges of the multiple openings 33 do not have corners.

[0027] In addition, while a portion of the opening 33 may be formed at both ends of the sheet material 30 in the width direction, it is preferable that the opening 33 is not formed at both ends of the sheet material 30 in the width direction in order to prevent it from getting caught on, for example, the focusing guide 74 (see Figure 4) of the rod manufacturing apparatus 50 when forming the sheet material 30 as a rod.

[0028] The punching range (the area inside the opening 33) of the punching area 32 on the sheet material 30 is arbitrary. However, if punching is excessive, the amount of filter material (actual portion) will be reduced when the sheet material 30 is used as a rod for the filter segment 20, and the hardness of the filter segment 20 as a rod will decrease. Also, if there is too little filter material (actual portion), the strength of the filter segment 20 as a rod will decrease, which may reduce its suitability for manufacturing. The punching range of the punched area 32 of the sheet material 30 is preferably about 5% to 70%, more preferably about 10% to 50%, of the area defined by the longitudinal and width directions of the sheet material 30 when the sheet material 30 is spread out. The lower limit of the punched area 32 (whether the punched area 32 leaves a large area of ​​the actual sheet material 30) may vary depending on how low the filter segment 20 manufacturer requires. The upper limit of the punched area 32 (whether the opening 33 of the punched area 32 reduces the area of ​​the actual sheet material 30) may vary depending on how hard the filter segment 20 manufacturer requires, as well as its suitability for manufacturing.

[0029] In the longitudinal direction of the rod of the filter segment 20, the length ratio of the holeless area 34 to the punched area 32 can be adjusted as appropriate, such as in the range of 1:5 to 5:1 or 2:3 to 3:2. The length ratio of the holeless area 34 to the punched area 32 may be 1:1, i.e., they may be the same length. The length ratio of the holeless area 34 to the punched area 32 can be set as appropriate by the manufacturer of the flavor inhalation article 10.

[0030] An example of a manufacturing apparatus 50 for the filter segment 20 and a manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 50 will be described later.

[0031] One segment S of the sheet material 30 forms the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20. One segment S of the sheet material 30 is crepe-forming (crimping) such as gathering and folding in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the sheet material so that the longitudinal direction of the rod of the filter segment 20 is aligned in the direction in which the punched area 32 and the holeless area 34 are arranged adjacent to each other, thereby forming a cylindrical rod of filter material 22. That is, numerous lines are formed along the X-axis direction, and these lines are folded in mountain and valley folds, which reduces the width of one segment S of the sheet material 30 in the width direction, while maintaining the longitudinal length of one segment S, thereby forming a cylindrical rod of filter material 22. Then, the outer circumference of the cylindrical filter material 22 is wrapped with a wrapper 24 to form the filter segment 20 as a cylindrical rod or rod segment.

[0032] The left side of Figure 3 shows the end face of the filter segment 20, specifically the side with the holeless region 34 of the filter material 22. The right side of Figure 3 shows the end face of the filter segment 20, specifically the side with the punched region 32 of the filter material 22. The end face of the filter material 22 on the holeless region 34 side, shown in the left side of Figure 3, has fewer "porosity," or holes, compared to the end face of the filter material 22 on the punched region 32 side, shown in the right side of Figure 3. As a result, along the axial direction, the punched region 32 of the filter segment 20 has a lower density of the filter material 22 compared to the holeless region 34, forming a region with low airflow resistance. In other words, along the axial direction, the holeless region 34 of the filter segment 20 has a higher density of the filter material 22 compared to the punched region 32, forming a region with high airflow resistance. Therefore, by arranging the punched-out area 32 and the holeless area 34 adjacent to each other along the axial direction of the rod of the filter segment 20, a region with relatively low air permeability resistance and a region with relatively high air permeability resistance are formed in the filter material 22 of one segment S of one sheet material 30. Thus, with one filter material 22, multiple regions with different filtration performance, etc., can be formed along the axial direction of the rod of the filter segment 20, while the outer circumference of the sheet material 30 can be wrapped with a single wrapper 24 to maintain the shape of the rod of the filter segment 20. Therefore, when forming the rod of the filter segment 20, it is possible to omit connecting multiple filter segments, each wrapped in roll paper, to form regions with different filtration performance, and furthermore, the manufacturing work of wrapping the outer circumference of multiple filter segments with a wrapper (roll paper) can be omitted.

[0033] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the mouthpiece end 14b of the flavor inhalation article 10 is formed in the holeless region 34 (left side of Figure 3) of the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20. That is, along the axial direction of the filter segment (rod) 20, the punched region 32 is located upstream of the holeless region 34 (towards the flavor generating segment 12). For example, the holeless region 34, i.e., the high-filtration region, is positioned in a location that includes the mouthpiece end 14b of the filter segment 20, and the punched region 32 is positioned away from the mouthpiece end 14b relative to the flavor generating segment 12. Therefore, the filter segment 20 can reduce the formation of "porosity," i.e., holes, on the mouthpiece end 14b side, and the appearance when the user looks at the mouthpiece end 14b of the mouthpiece segment 14 of the flavor inhalation article 10 can be improved. Furthermore, the filter segment 20 can adjust the airflow resistance along the longitudinal direction with a single component (the filter material 22 of one segment S of the sheet material 30), and the presence of the punched-out area 32 can form a region with low airflow resistance.According to this embodiment, a flavor-absorbing article 10 equipped with such a filter segment 20 can be provided.

[0034] The airflow resistance of the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 depends not only on the selection of the sheet material 30, but is also adjusted by setting the crepe depth (see Figures 5A and 5B) using a pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b of the crepe section (crimp section) 64 of the manufacturing apparatus 50 (see Figure 4), which will be described later. The difference in airflow resistance per 1 mm of rod between the first segment (punched area) 32 and the second segment (holeless area) 34 of the filter segment 20 is preferably 0.5 mmH2O / mm to 10 mmH2O / mm, and more preferably 1 mmH2O / mm to 5 mmH2O / mm.

[0035] Any roll of paper can be used for the wrapper 24. To maintain the appropriate stiffness of the filter segment 20, a roll of paper with a higher basis weight (thicker paper) may be used. The basis weight of the wrapper 24 is preferably 30 gsm or more, more preferably 50 gsm, and more preferably 100 gsm or less. To maintain the stiffness of the filter segment 20 of the flavor absorption article 10, the tip paper 16 may be made thicker.

[0036] The following describes the manufacturing apparatus 50 for such filter segments 20 using Figures 4 to 8.

[0037] Figure 4 defines an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system, similar to the sheet material 30 shown in Figure 2. The X-axis direction is the direction in which the sheet material 30 is transported from the feed section 62 toward the cutting section 58, which will be described later.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the manufacturing apparatus 50 for rods for flavor inhalation articles 10 includes a sheet material 30 supply unit 52, a sheet material 30 processing unit 54, a rod forming unit (upper part of the rod winding) 56, a rod cutting unit 58, and a rod optical inspection device (inspection unit) 60. The supply unit 52, processing unit 54, rod forming unit 56, rod cutting unit 58, and optical inspection device 60 are controlled by a control device (not shown). It is preferable that the control device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 appropriately controls the supply unit 52, processing unit 54, rod forming unit 56, and rod cutting unit 58, for example, by performing feedback control, based on information from the control unit 60c of the optical inspection device 60, which will be described later. Furthermore, the control device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 may also control, for example, the supply of sheet material 30 by the supply unit 52, the crimping of sheet material 30 by the crepe unit (crimping unit) 64 of the processing unit 54 (described later), the punching of sheet material 30 by the punching unit 66 (described later), the formation of rods by the rod forming unit 56, and the cutting of rods by the rod cutting unit 58, based on information from the control unit 60c of the optical inspection apparatus 60 (described later).

[0039] The supply unit 52 supplies holeless sheet material 30, or sheet material 30 in which punched areas 32 and holeless areas 34 have been formed in advance, to transport in a predetermined direction. The supply unit 52 has a bobbin 52a, a dancer unit 52b, and an auxiliary roller 52c.

[0040] In this embodiment, a holeless sheet material 30, in which no punched-out areas 32 (openings 33) are formed, is wound around the axis of a shaft 52a1, for example, which is parallel to the Y-axis direction, on the bobbin 52a. The original length of the sheet material 30 (the length of the sheet material 30 wound on the bobbin 52a) is formed to an appropriate length, such as 50m to 100m or more. The sheet material 30 is fed out in a predetermined direction (dancer unit 52b) from the bobbin (raw paper roll) 52a, which rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft 52a1. The sheet material 30 is fed out in the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30 while its movement in the longitudinal direction is controlled, for example, by constant speed or constant tension.

[0041] The dancer unit 52b is located downstream of the bobbin 52a of the supply unit 52 and upstream of the feed unit 62 of the processing unit 54, which will be described later. The dancer unit 52b adjusts the sheet material 30 to minimize changes in the tension of the sheet material 30 due to changes in the diameter of the bobbin 52a, changes in the feed speed of the sheet material 30, etc. The dancer unit 52b has a plurality of upper rollers 52b1 and a plurality of lower rollers 52b2. The sheet material 30 is passed in a zigzag pattern between the upper and lower rollers 52b1 and 52b2 of the dancer unit 52b.

[0042] An auxiliary roller 52c is provided downstream of the dancer unit 52b. The auxiliary roller 52c changes the orientation of the sheet material 30 that has passed through the dancer unit 52b toward the feed section 62, which will be described later.

[0043] The processing unit 54 performs preliminary work to form the sheet material 30 into a rod and also forms regions in one segment S to change the air permeability resistance. The processing unit 54 has a feed section 62, a crepe section 64, a punching section 66, an auxiliary roller 54a, and an additive section 68 along the flow of the sheet material 30, which is made of, for example, paper.

[0044] The feed section 62 moves the sheet material 30 downstream while maintaining appropriate tension in the X-axis direction. The feed section 62 has, for example, a pair of feed rollers 62a and 62b. The upper roller 62a of the feed section 62 is formed by two rubber rollers arranged side by side in the depth direction of the paper in Figure 4. The lower roller 62b is formed by a metal roller with a flat surface. A spiral is formed on the surfaces of the two rubber rollers of the upper roller 62a, and when the feed rollers 62a and 62b rotate, the sheet material 30 is spread out laterally (in the Y-axis direction) so that both ends in the width direction of the sheet material 30 separate, preventing the formation of unintended wrinkles at this point.

[0045] Downstream of the feed section 62, a crepe section (crimping section) 64 is provided for creping the sheet material 30. The crepe section 64 crimps the sheet material 30 conveyed from the supply section 52. The crepe section 64 has a pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b. The crepe rollers 64a and 64b are used to form longitudinal wrinkles along the X-axis on the sheet material 30, which facilitates the formation of the filter segments 20 as rods. In other words, the crepe section 64 creates longitudinal creases in the sheet material 30 to make it easier to fold the sheet material 30 when forming it into a rod.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, a pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b have rotating shafts 6411 and 6421 parallel to each other in the Y-axis direction, and a plurality of protrusions (disc-shaped members) 6412 and 6422. The upper rotating shaft 6411 is designated as the first rotating shaft, and the lower rotating shaft 6421 is designated as the second rotating shaft. The first rotating shaft 6411 is provided with a plurality of first protrusions 6412, and the second rotating shaft 6421 is provided with a plurality of second protrusions 6422. Preferably, the plurality of protrusions 6412 and 6422 are each formed as disc-shaped members of the same diameter. Adjacent protrusions 6412 and 6422 are spaced apart, for example, at a predetermined interval in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the sheet material 30.

[0047] The first rotation axis 6411 and the second rotation axis 6421 can move closer to and further apart from each other while maintaining a state parallel to each other in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the sheet material 30. The amount of protrusion of the multiple first protrusions 6412 relative to the first rotation axis 6411 is approximately the same. The multiple first protrusions 6412 are spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the width direction. The amount of protrusion of the multiple second protrusions 6422 relative to the second rotation axis 6421 is approximately the same. The multiple second protrusions 6422 are spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the width direction. When the first rotation axis 6411 and the second rotation axis 6421 are brought close together, the first protrusions 6412 and the second protrusions 6422 are at separated positions. The engagement amount is defined as the distance between the top 6412a of the first protrusion 6412 and the top 6422a of the second protrusion 6422 (indicated by D1 in Figure 5A and D2 in Figure 5B) along the directions of proximity and separation of the first rotation axis 6411 and the second rotation axis 6421. The distances D1 and D2 are preferably about 1 mm or less. By adjusting the engagement amount (distances D1 and D2) of the crepe portion 64, the crepe depth of the paper sheet material 30 when forming the rod of the filter segment 20 in the rod forming portion 56, which will be described later, can be adjusted. The crepe depth can be replaced by the distance in the Z-axis direction between the tops 6412a and 6422a of the protrusions 6412 and 6422 of the pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b. Comparing the distance D1 in Figure 5A with the distance D2 in Figure 5B, the distance D2 is larger. In this case, the crepe depth of the sheet material 30 is greater in the example shown in Figure 5B than in the example shown in Figure 5A. During the crepe processing of the sheet material 30, the positional relationship between the first rotation axis 6411 and the second rotation axis 6421 of the crepe section 64 is fixed.

[0048] Therefore, by adjusting the positional relationship of the rotating axes 6411 and 6421 shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the engagement depth (distance D1 and D2) between the protrusions 6412 and 6422 is adjusted, which changes the depth of the longitudinal wrinkles formed along the X-axis direction in the sheet material 30, or the degree of stretching of the sheet material 30. By adjusting the engagement depth between the protrusions 6412 and 6422, the airflow resistance in one segment S of the filter material 22 can be adjusted.

[0049] Furthermore, the pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b do not need to be rotated around the axes 6411 and 6421, as long as the sheet material 30 slides downstream between the top 6412a of the first protrusion 6412 and the top 6422a of the second protrusion 6422. For this reason, the pair of crepe rollers 64a and 64b of the crepe section 64 only need to be formed as crepe tools.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, a punching section 66 is provided downstream of the crepe section 64. The punching section 66 punches out a portion of the sheet material 30 that is conveyed (supplied) from the supply section 52. The punching section 66 punches out a portion of the sheet material 30, forming a plurality of openings 33, thereby forming a punched area 32 and a holeless area 34. In this embodiment, the punching section 66 is described as being provided downstream of the crepe section 64 along the conveying direction of the sheet material 30. It is also preferable for the punching section 66 to be provided upstream of the crepe section 64. The positional relationship between the punching section 66 and the crepe section 64 can be either upstream or downstream, but it is preferable for the crepe section 64 to be upstream and the punching section 66 to be downstream. When the sheet material 30 passes through the crepe section 64, the sheet material 30 stretches. Therefore, by punching out the sheet material 30 with the punching section 66 after the sheet material 30 has stretched, it is easier to control the punching position. On the other hand, when the punching section 66 is located upstream of the crepe section 64, sufficient tension is applied to the sheet material 30 during transport, making it easier to punch out the opening 33.

[0051] The punching section 66 includes, for example, an upper roller (first roller) 66a and a lower roller (second roller) 66b. When the sheet material 30 passes between the upper and lower rollers 66a and 66b, the punching section 66 forms a plurality of openings 33 of a predetermined size and shape in the sheet material 30. That is, by forming a plurality of openings 33 of a predetermined size and shape in the holeless sheet material 30, a sheet material 30 having a punched area 32 and a holeless area 34 is formed (see Figure 2).

[0052] The upper roller 66a has a blade (see Figure 6C) for appropriately cutting the sheet material 30. The lower roller 66b is formed, for example, as a smooth metal roll. For example, while controlling the conveying speed of the sheet material 30 with the feed section 62, the sheet material 30 is conveyed between these upper rollers 66a and lower rollers 66b, and as it is held, the blade punches out the sheet material 30 to sequentially form predetermined openings 33. That is, sets of punched-out areas 32 and holeless areas 34 (segments S) are repeatedly formed in the sheet material 30.

[0053] The blade is formed to punch out the paper pieces in a way that eliminates corners. In other words, the blade is formed to punch out the opening 33 in an annular shape with no corners. Therefore, the blade of the punching section 66 prevents the punched paper pieces from remaining attached to the sheet material 30.

[0054] Here, two examples of the punching section 66 are described. Figure 6A shows the first example (a method using a flexible die 66c). Figure 7 shows the second example (a method using a rotary die).

[0055] The punching section 66 shown in Figure 6A has an upper roller (punching roller) 66a made of, for example, metal, to which a flexible die 66c (see Figure 6B) is magnetically attached, and a lower roller (anvil roller) 66b. As shown in Figure 6C, the flexible die 66c is provided with a cutting blade 66d formed in the shape of an opening 33 in order to etch or machine a thin metal sheet, for example, about 0.45 mm thick, and punch out the opening 33 on the surface of the metal sheet. When punching out the opening 33 in the sheet material 30, the flexible die 66c is magnetically attached to the magnetic upper roller 66a. Typically, two flexible dies 66c are attached to the upper roller 66a. For example, two flexible dies 66c are used adjacent to each other in the circumferential or axial direction of the upper roller 66a. The entire upper roller 66a is then covered with the flexible die 66c. Here, the flexible die 66c should be set on the upper roller 66a so that the punched-out area 32 and the holeless area 34 are repeatedly formed in the same shape along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6A, it is preferable that the lower roller (anvil roll) 66b has a number of holes 66e that communicate with a suction unit (suction source) 67, which serve as a punched-out piece removal unit for removing punched-out pieces of the sheet material 30 that have been partially punched out by the punching unit 66. In other words, the number of holes (punched-out piece removal unit) 66e are provided within the punching unit 66. It is preferable that these holes 66e be arranged to match the shape of the opening 33 to be punched out. That is, when the vicinity of the lowest surface of the upper roller 66a and the vicinity of the highest surface of the lower roller 66b face each other, the cutting blade of the flexible die 66c, which is formed in the shape of the opening 33, and the area around the holes 66e of the lower roller 66b sandwich the sheet material 30, forming the opening 33 in the sheet material 30, and the paper pieces in the shape of the punched-out opening 33 are attracted to the area around the holes 66e. Then, when the paper fragments shaped like the opening 33, which are adsorbed around the hole 66e, are moved below the lower roller (anvil roll) 66b, the adsorption to the paper fragments is released, causing them to fall off the lower roller 66b at a predetermined location and be collected in a tray (not shown) or the like, which serves as a die-cutting removal unit.

[0057] When using the upper roller 66a and flexible die 66c shown in Figure 6A, the process can be completed more cheaply than when using the upper roller 66a as a rotary die as shown in Figure 7. When using the flexible die 66c shown in Figure 6A, it is said to be difficult to punch out relatively thick materials. Depending on the material, for example, sheet material 30 with a thickness of 0.5 mm or more may not be punched out properly, and there is a possibility that the punched paper piece will not detach from the cutting blade of the flexible die 66c.

[0058] In the example shown in Figure 7, the upper roller 66a is formed as a rotary die. The upper roller (rotary die) 66a is formed by cutting a predetermined cutting blade 66f for creating an opening 33 in the sheet material 30, for example, by machining a metal roll. Generally, the upper roller 66a can be used for relatively thick sheet material 30. When the cutting blade 66f becomes dull, the upper roller (rotary die) 66a can be reused by regrinding the cutting blade 66f.

[0059] In the example shown in Figure 7, a hole 66g is formed inside the cutting blade 66f of the upper roller (rotary die) 66a, serving as a punched-out piece removal section. This hole 66g is approximately the same size as or slightly smaller than the punched-out paper piece. These holes 66g communicate with a suction section (suction source) 67. That is, when the vicinity of the lowest surface of the upper roller 66a and the vicinity of the highest surface of the lower roller 66b face each other, the cutting blade 66f, which is formed in the shape of an opening 33, and the lower roller 66b sandwich the sheet material 30, forming an opening 33 in the sheet material 30, and the punched-out paper piece in the shape of the opening 33 is collected in the upper roller (rotary die) 66a through the hole 66g. The collected paper piece is removed after the rotation of the upper roller 66a and the lower roller 66b stops, for example, along the rotation axis of the upper roller 66a. Alternatively, instead of collecting the punched-out paper fragments within the upper roller (rotary die) 66a, a separation section may be provided between the hole 66g and the suction section (suction source) 67 to separate the paper fragments from the airflow caused by suction. Alternatively, similar to the hole 66e formed in the lower roller (anvil roll) 66b shown in Figure 6A, the lower roller (anvil roll) 66b shown in Figure 7 may also be provided with a hole 66e (punched-out fragment removal section) communicating with the suction section 67. In this case, the paper fragments in the shape of the opening 33 that are adsorbed around the hole 66e are released from adsorption when the lower roller (anvil roll) 66b is moved downward, causing them to fall off the lower roller 66b at a predetermined location and be collected in a tray (not shown) or the like, which serves as a punched-out fragment removal section.

[0060] Furthermore, a suction unit (suction source) 67 may be installed downstream of the punching unit 66 as a punched-out piece removal unit to collect the paper fragments. This would ensure that the punched-out paper fragments adhering to the sheet material 30 are removed more reliably. In this case, for example, compressed air can be sprayed from the top of the sheet material 30 and suction can be performed at the bottom of the sheet material 30 to collect the paper fragments.

[0061] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, an additive section 68 is provided downstream of the punching section 66. In this embodiment, the additive section 68 has a liquid additive section 68a and a granular additive section 68b. The additive section 68 may add an additive to the filter material 22 of the sheet material 30 when the filter material 22 is creped, for example, to form a cylindrical rod. The additive may be a liquid, a granule (solid), or both. In this embodiment, the additive section 68 is not used. Therefore, the sheet material 30 passes directly through the liquid additive section 68a and the granular additive section 68b of the additive section 68. The additive section 68 will be described in the second embodiment (see Figures 15A-16B).

[0062] A rod forming section 56 is provided downstream of the additive section 68. That is, the rod forming section 56 is provided downstream of the punching section 66 and the crepe section 64. The rod forming section 56 forms the sheet material 30 into a rod with a substantially circular cross-section, i.e., a substantially cylindrical appearance, in which punched-out sections 32 and holeless sections 34 are alternately arranged along the axial direction. The rod forming section 56 includes a paper winding mechanism 72, a bundling guide 74, a wrap glue gun 76, and tongs 78.

[0063] The paper winding mechanism 72 supplies the sheet-like member 24a, which is wound on a bobbin 72a, to the bundling guide 74 together with the sheet material 30. The sheet-like member 24a serves as a wrapper 24 on which the filter material 22 is wound when forming the filter segment 20.

[0064] The focusing guide 74 is formed such that the passage diameter narrows as it moves from upstream to downstream. As the sheet material 30 passes through the focusing guide 74, it approaches the shape of a cylindrical rod. The focusing guide 74 narrows the width through which the sheet material 30 passes as it moves from upstream to downstream, and deforms the sheet material 30 into a roughly bellows shape according to the vertical wrinkles (striated creases) formed by the crepe section 64. As a result, the sheet material 30 is regularly compressed, and the shape of the sheet material 30 approaches that of a cylindrical rod. As it moves from upstream to downstream, the focusing guide 74 wraps the outer circumference of the sheet material 30 that has approached the shape of a rod with the sheet-like member 24a. That is, the focusing guide 74 surrounds the outer circumference of the compressed sheet material 30 (filter material 22) with the sheet-like member 24a, which acts as a wrapper 24, and brings it closer to the shape of a cylindrical rod.

[0065] Then, glue is applied from the wrap glue gun 76 to the end face in the width direction of the sheet-like member 24a that has passed through the focusing guide 74.

[0066] A pair of tongs 78 is provided downstream of the wrap glue gun 76. The tongs 78 join the end faces of the sheet-like members 24a that will become the wrapper 24. In this way, the shape of the filter assembly 18 that can be formed as a filter segment 20 is maintained by the tongs 78. In other words, the rod forming section 56 of the manufacturing apparatus 50 can wind up the sheet material 30 with the sheet-like members 24a that will become the wrapper 24 to form a filter assembly (rod assembly).

[0067] The cutting unit 58 then sequentially cuts the continuous rod wound up by the tongs 78 to predetermined lengths. At this time, the cutting unit 58 cuts the rod so that it has at least one punched area 32 and at least one holeless area 34. As a result, the manufacturing apparatus 50 can manufacture a filter assembly 18 of a predetermined length. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the cutting unit 58 manufactures a filter assembly 18 of a predetermined length, such as four or six times the length of the filter segment 20. However, the filter segment 20 may be manufactured directly from the continuous rod-shaped member wound up by the tongs 78 without manufacturing the filter assembly 18.

[0068] Downstream of the cutting section 58, an optical inspection device 60 for the rods of the filter assembly 18 is provided.

[0069] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the optical inspection apparatus 60 includes a light-emitting unit 60a, a light-receiving unit 60b that receives light irradiated from the light-emitting unit 60a and passing through the filter assembly (rod) 18, and a control unit 60c that controls the light-emitting unit 60a and the light-receiving unit 60b.

[0070] The light-emitting unit 60a is a light source, such as an LED light source. The light-receiving unit 60b is an image sensor of a camera or a light-detecting detector such as a photodiode.

[0071] The control unit 60c is a computer, and physically comprises memory such as RAM and ROM, a processor (arithmetic circuit) such as a CPU, a communication interface, and an information storage unit such as a hard disk. Examples of the control unit 60c include a personal computer, a cloud server, and a tablet terminal. The control unit 60c functions by executing a program stored in memory using the processor.

[0072] When a camera is used as the light receiving unit 60b, the control unit 60c outputs, for example, a pixel value (light intensity) for each pixel based on the light information (received light information) received by the light receiving unit 60b. As shown in Figure 9, in the filter assembly 18, the amount of sheet material 30 differs between the punched-out areas 32 and the unpunched-out areas 34 along the longitudinal direction, resulting in a difference in transmitted light intensity. That is, each filter assembly 18 consists of a first light-transmitting section 18a and a second light-transmitting section 18b with lower light transmittance than the first light-transmitting section 18a, repeated therein. The first light-transmitting section 18a corresponds to the punched-out areas 32, and the second light-transmitting section 18b corresponds to the holeless areas 34. Therefore, the control unit 60c can recognize the boundary between the punched-out areas 32 and the holeless areas 34 of the filter material 22 in the filter assembly 18 based on the intensity of the light (received light information) received by the light receiving unit 60b through the light emitting unit 60a to the filter assembly 18. The filter assembly 18 can be inspected using an optical inspection device 60 that inspects such transmitted light intensity. Accordingly, the control unit 60c can output the position and length of the first light-transmitting area 18a (punched-out area 32) and the position and length of the second light-transmitting area 18b (holeless area 34) between one end and the other end of the filter assembly 18. The control unit 60c outputs whether the multiple punched-out areas 32 and the multiple holeless areas 34 are set to a predetermined desired length. If the control unit 60c detects that the multiple punching regions 32 and the multiple holeless regions 34 are each of a predetermined desired length, then, for example, the control device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 controls (feedback control) the control state of each device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 (supply unit 52, processing unit 54, rod forming unit 56, rod cutting unit 58, etc.) to maintain that state. On the other hand, if the control unit 60c detects that the multiple punching regions 32 and the multiple holeless regions 34 are each outside of the predetermined desired length, then the control device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 controls (feedback control) the control state of each device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 so that the multiple punching regions 32 and the multiple holeless regions 34 are each of a predetermined desired length.Therefore, the control unit 60c controls the supply of sheet material 30 by the sheet material supply unit 52 and the punching of sheet material 30 by the punching unit 66 based on the signal sent from the light receiving unit 60b to the control unit 60c.

[0073] Light emitted from the light-emitting section 60a and received by the light-receiving section 60b through the sheet-like member 24a, the rod-shaped filter material 22, and the sheet-like member 24a in the punched-out region 32, which is wound into a rod shape with the sheet-like member 24a that forms the wrapper 24, has a higher light transmittance in the first light-transmitting section 18a (punched-out region 32) than in the second light-transmitting section 18b (holeless region 34). By comparing the light transmittance of multiple first light-transmitting sections 18a and second light-transmitting sections 18b, the control unit 60c can control not only the positions and lengths of multiple punched-out regions 32 and multiple holeless regions 34 of the filter assembly 18, but also the quality of the cylindrically formed filter material 22 (sheet material 30). The control unit 60c outputs that if the variation in light transmittance in the multiple first light-transmitting sections 18a (punched areas 32) is kept within a predetermined threshold range, the substantially cylindrical filter material 22 of the filter assembly 18 is held within the sheet-like member 24a that becomes the wrapper 24 to a substantially constant quality. Similarly, the control unit 60c outputs that if the variation in light transmittance in the multiple second light-transmitting sections 18b (holeless areas 34) is kept within a predetermined threshold range, the filter material 22 of the filter assembly 18 is held within the sheet-like member 24a that becomes the wrapper 24 to a substantially constant quality. Conversely, if the variation in light transmittance in the multiple first light-transmitting sections 18a and / or the multiple second light-transmitting sections 18b exceeds a predetermined threshold range, there is a possibility that variations will occur in the filtration performance when the filter segments 20 are formed. For this reason, the control unit 60c outputs that the quality of the filter material 22 of the filter assembly 18 is poor and it is held within the sheet-like member 24a that becomes the wrapper 24.

[0074] Furthermore, based on the information received by the light receiving unit 60b from the light emitting unit 60a (the light transmittance of the first light transmitting unit 18a and / or the second light transmitting unit 18b), the control unit 60c may compare the changes in light intensity of the multiple filter assemblies 18. In this case, the control unit 60c can perform a quality comparison of the multiple filter assemblies 18.

[0075] Furthermore, the measurement of light emission from the light-emitting unit 60a and light reception by the light-receiving unit 60b may be performed by periodically capturing images at appropriate time intervals using, for example, the image sensor of a camera, and processing the images, or by continuously measuring the change in light intensity.

[0076] Thus, the control unit 60c can output whether or not the filter assembly 18 is formed in a desired state based on the signal sent from the light receiving unit 60b. In other words, the optical inspection apparatus 60 can output whether or not the filter assembly 18 is formed in a desired state.

[0077] Based on such output from the control unit 60c, the quality can be stabilized by feedback control of each device of the manufacturing apparatus 50 (supply unit 52, processing unit 54, rod forming unit 56, rod cutting unit 58, etc.). Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 50 according to this embodiment can produce filter assemblies 18 of stable quality.

[0078] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the optical inspection device 60 is placed downstream of the rod cutting section 58, and a filter assembly 18 cut to a predetermined length, such as four or six times the length of the filter segment 20, is inspected. The optical inspection device 60 may also be placed upstream of the rod cutting section 58. In this case, the above-described optical inspection may be performed with the filter material 22 formed by the tongs 78 wrapped in a sheet-like member 24a that serves as a wrapper 24.

[0079] Each filter assembly 18 is further cut when it is formed as a filter segment 20 for the flavor inhalation article 10. Therefore, the filter assembly 18 is cut before it is connected to the flavor generating segment 12 via the tip paper 16 to form the filter segment 20. Based on the inspection results performed by the optical inspection device 60, for example, the optical inspection device 60 may mark the cutting position at the boundary between the punched area 32 and the holeless area 34 on the outer circumferential surface of the sheet-like member 24a of the filter assembly 18. In this case, the device that cuts the filter assembly 18 can easily determine the cutting position of the filter assembly 18, that is, the position where the filter assembly 18 is cut to obtain multiple filter segments 20. Therefore, by using the inspection results from the optical inspection device 60, the work required to detect the cutting position of the filter assembly 18 in the device that cuts the filter assembly 18 can be reduced.

[0080] Thus, a filter segment 20 having at least one punched region 32 and a holeless region 34 is obtained by appropriately cutting the filter assembly 18. At this time, multiple regions with different performance characteristics can be formed in a single member (sheet material 30), and a filter segment 20 for a flavor-absorbing article 10 is formed that can adjust, for example, the amount of fluid filtered.

[0081] One end of the filter segment 20 is formed in a holeless region 34 as the mouthpiece end 14b of the flavor-absorbing article 10. The front end surface 14a of the filter segment 20 abuts against the rear end surface 12b of the flavor-generating segment 12 of the flavor-absorbing article 10, and the flavor-absorbing article 10 is manufactured by winding the region including the front end surface 14a of the filter segment 20 and the rear end surface 12b of the flavor-generating segment 12 with tip paper 16.

[0082] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance characteristics (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single component (filter material 22).

[0083] In this embodiment, an example was described in which a bobbin 52a is formed by winding a holeless sheet material 30, and a punched-out area 32 is formed by a manufacturing apparatus 50. Alternatively, a bobbin 52a may be formed by winding a sheet material 30 that already has the punched-out area 32 and holeless area 34 formed on it. A filter segment 20 can also be formed using such a sheet material 30 that already has the punched-out area 32 and holeless area 34 formed on it. In this case, the punching section 66 in the manufacturing apparatus 50 may be omitted, or the upper and lower rollers 66a and 66b may be removed.

[0084] In this embodiment, an example of manufacturing a filter assembly 18 including a filter segment 20 using a manufacturing apparatus 50 has been described. The manufacturing apparatus 50 can also manufacture rod assemblies or rod segments for flavor inhalation articles 10 other than the filter segment 20. For example, if tobacco sheet material is used as the sheet material 30, a tobacco rod having a punched area 32 with an opening 33 and a holeless area 34 is manufactured. The tobacco sheet material is creped in the same way as the sheet material 30 described above and rolled with rolling paper instead of a wrapper 24 to form a rod of flavor generating segment 12. When using tobacco sheet material creped in the same way as the sheet material 30 described above as the filler for the rod of flavor generating segment 12, instead of using processed sheet material 30 as the filter material 22 for the filter segment 20, for example, an acetate tow filter may be used. Furthermore, the tobacco sheet material 30 may be given appropriate additives, similar to the additives added to the filter material 22 by the additive section 68 (see Figure 4), which will be described later.

[0085] As will be described later in the third embodiment, it is also possible to manufacture the cooling segment 46 by using a cooling sheet material 30.

[0086] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of producing a rod (rod assembly 18 and rod segment 20 obtained by cutting the rod assembly 18) for a flavor-absorbing article 10 that can form regions with different performance characteristics in a single component and adjust the state of a fluid flowing, for example, from upstream to downstream, and a method for producing a rod (rod assembly 18 and rod segment 20 obtained by cutting the rod assembly 18) for a flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0087] An example has been described in which the openings 33 of the punched-out area 32 are formed at equal intervals in the width direction. The openings 33 of the punched-out area 32 may also be formed randomly in the width direction. The arrangement of the openings 33 of the punched-out area 32 should be such that the openings 33 are appropriately and uniformly arranged, and not too unevenly distributed, when the filter segment 20 is formed as a cylindrical rod segment.

[0088] (First variation) Next, using Figure 10, we will describe a first modified example in which, for example, one segment S of the sheet material 30 of the filter segment 20 has a punched-out area 32 and two holeless areas 34.

[0089] In this modified example, as shown in Figure 10, the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 has one punched region 32 and two holeless regions 34 which make up one segment S of the sheet material 30. In this case, both the front end surface 14a and the suction end 14b of the filter segment 20 can be formed as holeless regions 34.

[0090] Although not shown in the figures, one segment S of the sheet material 30 of the filter segment 20 may have two punched-out regions 32 and one holeless region 34.

[0091] In the first embodiment described above, the length of the rod of the filter segment 20 is formed as the length of one segment S of the sheet material 30, which is the sum of one punched area 32 and one holeless area 34. The length of the rod of the filter segment 20 may be formed as the sum of one punched area 32 and two holeless areas 34, as shown in Figure 10, or, although not shown, as the sum of two punched areas 32 and two holeless areas 34, and can be set as appropriate. In other words, the range defined as one segment S of the sheet material 30 can be set as appropriate.

[0092] Therefore, the filter material 22 as the rod of the filter segment 20 can have various arrangements, such as "holeless region 34 - punched region 32 - holeless region 34" (see Figure 10) or "punched region 32 - holeless region 34 - punched region 32" (not shown).

[0093] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of producing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0094] The cutting position of a filter assembly (rod assembly) 18, which is formed by repeating a single segment S in the axial direction, can be adjusted to obtain filter segments 20 of different lengths and properties from a single filter assembly 18. That is, filter segments (rod segments) 20 can be formed with one punched region 32 and one holeless region 34 as a set, one punched region 32 and two holeless regions 34 as a set, one punched region 32 and one holeless region 34 as a set, and so on.

[0095] By cutting each holeless region 34 of the filter assembly (rod assembly) 18 in the middle of its longitudinal direction, the filter segments (rod segments) 20 can be formed with holeless regions 34 at both longitudinal ends. Therefore, by adjusting the cutting position of a filter assembly (rod assembly) 18 formed by repeating a single segment S in the axial direction, filter segments 20 of different lengths and properties can be obtained from a single filter assembly 18.

[0096] (Second variation) Next, using Figure 11, a second modified example will be described in which, for example, one segment S of the sheet material 30 of the filter segment 20 has two punched areas 32, 36 with different punched areas, and a holeless area 34.

[0097] In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which holeless regions 34 are formed adjacent to the punched-out regions 32 on both the upstream and downstream sides in the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30.

[0098] As shown in Figure 11, a region (another punched region) 36 with a different punching amount (%) than the punched region 32 may be formed along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30, for example on the upstream side. That is, it is also preferable that one segment S of the sheet material 30 has one punched region 32, one holeless region 34, and yet another punched region 36.

[0099] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of producing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0100] In this modified example, an example was described in which one region of one segment S is formed as a holeless region 34. When one segment S is formed from two or more regions, a punched region 36 with a relatively smaller punching amount compared to the punched region 32 may be placed instead of the holeless region 34. In this case, a filter segment 20 with lower airflow resistance can be obtained while maintaining the appearance of the intake end 14b.

[0101] (Third variation) Next, a third modified example of the configuration of the filter segment 20 will be described using Figure 12.

[0102] As described in the third modified example above, the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 shown in Figure 12 is arranged in the order of another punched region 36, another punched region 32, and a holeless region 34 from the upstream side to the downstream side (inlet end 14b side) of the filter segment 20 (see Figure 11). Along the axial direction of the filter segment 20, another punched region 36 and another punched region 32 are adjacent to each other, and the punched region 32 and the holeless region 34 are adjacent to each other.

[0103] In this modified example, a capsule (seamless capsule) 38 is embedded in the punching area 32, which can be broken at the user's preferred timing with their fingers or teeth. For example, the punching amount (area ratio as an opening 33) of the punching area 36 may be 30%, and the punching amount (area ratio as an opening 33) of the punching area 32 may be 70%, and these areas 36 and 32 are continuous along the longitudinal direction of the rod of the filter segment 20. Here, for example, one capsule 38 may be placed in the punching area 32, which has the largest punching amount among the three areas 36, 32, and 34.

[0104] The capsule 38 is formed, for example, by a dropper method. The diameter of the capsule 38 is preferably, for example, 3 mm to 6 mm. The capsule 38 can be embedded during the manufacture of the filter segment 20.

[0105] Capsule 38 has a structure in which a film encloses a liquid contents containing a fragrance, which is an example of the contents. Capsule 38 is formed, for example, as a roughly spherical shape. The film-forming material includes, for example, starch and a gelling agent. Examples of gelling agents include gellan gum and gelatin. The film-forming material may further contain a gelling aid. Examples of gelling aids include calcium chloride. The film-forming material may further contain a plasticizer. Examples of plasticizers include glycerin and / or sorbitol. The film-forming material may further contain a coloring agent. Capsule 38 may also contain solid contents, such as granules, along with the liquid, or instead of the liquid.

[0106] The fragrance contained in the liquid of capsule 38 may include, for example, menthol or plant essential oils. The solvent for the fragrance contained in the liquid may include, for example, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). The liquid may also contain other additives such as colorants, emulsifiers, and thickeners.

[0107] When embedding the capsule 38 in the filter material 22 using the manufacturing apparatus 50, for example, the capsule is placed in the punched-out area 32 of the filter material 22 at a timing that is controlled between the end of the focusing guide 74 shown in Figure 4 and the position where the glue from the wrap glue gun 76 is applied to the sheet-like member 24a which will become the wrapper 24. For example, an optical inspection device 60 may be used to check whether the capsule 38 is in the desired position, i.e., in the punched-out area 32 of the filter material 22. If the capsule 38 is not in the punched-out area 32 of the filter material 22, the timing of placing the capsule 38 in the punched-out area 32 of the filter material 22 may be adjusted. Alternatively, the timing of placing the capsule 38 in the punched-out area 32 of the filter material 22 may be adjusted by feedback control each time the filter assembly 18 is inspected using the optical inspection device 60.

[0108] Thus, the filter segment 20 of the flavor inhalation article 10 may include a capsule 38.

[0109] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a rod segment (filter segment) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched regions 32, 36 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of manufacturing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0110] In this modified example, an example in which the filter material 22 has a punched-out area 36 was described, but in a structure in which the capsule 38 is embedded in the filter material 22, the punched-out area 36 is not necessarily required.

[0111] (Fourth variation) Next, a fourth modification relating to the configuration of the filter segment 20 will be described using Figures 13A and 13B. This modification is a further modification of the third modification.

[0112] As shown in Figure 13A, the capsule 38 is not embedded in the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20, but is also preferably disposed within a segment 26, which is separate from the filter segment 20 formed of the filter material 22, and is made of a paper tube or acetate tow wrapped with a wrapper 27. That is, the segment 26 includes, in order from the inside to the outside, the capsule 38, an intermediate member 26a such as a paper tube or acetate tow, and a wrapper 26b. In this case, it is preferable that the segment 26 be positioned on the flavor-generating segment 12 side opposite the mouthpiece end 14b. Therefore, for example, the front end surface of the segment 26 becomes the front end surface 14a of the mouthpiece segment 14, which abuts against the rear end surface 12b of the flavor-generating segment 12. The rear end surface of the segment 26 abuts against the front end surface of the filter segment 20. The rear end surface of the filter segment 20 becomes the mouthpiece end 14b of the mouthpiece segment 14.

[0113] Segment 26 and filter segment 20 are further wrapped with a wrapper 28 to form mouthpiece segment 14.

[0114] Then, with the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generating segment 12 and the front end surface 14a of the mouthpiece segment 14 abutting against each other, the outer circumferences of the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generating segment 12 and the front end surface 14a of the mouthpiece segment 14 are wrapped with tip paper 16. In this way, the flavor inhalation article 10 is formed.

[0115] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a rod segment (filter segment) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of manufacturing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0116] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13B, it is also preferable that the segment 26 containing the capsule 38 be located closer to the mouthpiece end 14b than the filter segment 20. In this case, the filter material 22 of the filter segment 20 is not visible to the user. For this reason, the positional relationship between the punched area 32 and the holeless area 34 of the filter segment 20 can be such that either side faces the flavor generating segment 12. The filter segment 26 shown in Figure 13B can be used as a measure to prevent the placement of "porosity" on the mouthpiece end 14b side. In this way, another segment 26 can be placed on the rear end side (mouthpiece end 14b side) of the filter segment 20, and each segment 20, 26 can be wrapped with a wrapper (molded paper) 28 to form a mouthpiece segment 14 as a multi-segment filter.

[0117] Even in the example shown in Figure 13B, the segment 20 forms regions with different properties along its longitudinal direction, so it is common to wrap each segment with a wrapper according to its specific properties. In contrast, the segment 20 according to this modified example can form regions with different properties along its longitudinal direction using only one wrapper 24. Therefore, the number of wrapper turns can be reduced compared to the usual method. As a result, even when another segment 26 is connected to the filter segment 20, the wrapper 28 can prevent the outer circumference of the mouthpiece segment 14 from becoming thicker.

[0118] Therefore, according to this modified example, the mouthpiece segment 14 can be formed as a multi-segment filter by arranging another segment 26 upstream or downstream of the filter segment 20 manufactured using a sheet material 30 having a punched-out area 32.

[0119] (Fifth variation) Next, using Figure 14, a fifth modified example relating to the punched-out region 32 and the holeless region 34 of the sheet material 30 of the filter segment 20 will be described.

[0120] Each punched-out area 32 of the sheet material 30 shown in Figure 14 is formed as multiple circular hole openings 33 formed in two stages along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the sheet material 30. Here, an example is described in which the multiple circular hole openings 33 are formed in two stages along the longitudinal direction, but it is preferable that they be formed in multiple stages, such as three or more stages, along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30.

[0121] In this modified example, within one punched-out area 32, the number and shape of the openings 33 on the upstream side (-X-axis side) and the openings 33 on the downstream side (+X-axis side) are identical in the width direction (Y-axis direction). Furthermore, the multiple openings 33 on the upstream side (-X-axis side) and the multiple openings 33 on the downstream side (+X-axis side) are offset in the width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0122] The sheet material 30 may be formed in the punching section 66 (see Figure 4) of the manufacturing apparatus 50 described above to form a plurality of circular openings 33. Alternatively, a sheet material 30 with the circular openings 33 shown in Figure 14 already formed may be wound onto a bobbin 52a.

[0123] Thus, the position, size, shape, etc., of the punched-out area 32 in the sheet material 30 are appropriately set according to the filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 to be manufactured.

[0124] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a rod segment (filter segment) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of manufacturing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0125] The punched shape of the punched area 32, i.e., the shape of the opening 33, can be any shape. The opening 33 may have chamfered edges, a rounded shape, or even a circle or ellipse, as long as it does not have corners. In this case, the sheet material 30 is easier to punch out and easier to remove by suction. If the opening 33 has corners, when the sheet material 30 is punched out, there is a possibility that the corners of the sheet material 30 and the punched paper pieces will remain connected. However, by having chamfered edges or a rounded shape in the opening 33 instead of corners, the possibility of the punched paper pieces remaining connected to the sheet material is suppressed.

[0126] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15A and 15B. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for members that are the same as or have the same function as those described in the first embodiment, including each modification, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0127] Figure 15A shows a schematic diagram of the flavor-absorbing article 10 according to this embodiment. The structure of the filter segment 20 of the flavor-absorbing article 10 is reversed on the upstream and downstream sides compared to the structure of the filter segment 20 of the flavor-absorbing article 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0128] Figure 15B shows the liquid addition section 68a and the sheet material 30 in the manufacturing apparatus 50 according to this embodiment, viewed from above the liquid addition section 68a and the sheet material 30.

[0129] As shown in Figure 15B, the liquid addition section 68a has, for example, a first nozzle 681.

[0130] Multiple discharge sections of the first nozzle 681 continuously discharge a first additive (e.g., a first liquid) L1 having an appropriate viscosity along a region R1 along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30, including the opening 33 punched out by the punching section 66 (see Figure 4).

[0131] Preferably, the first additive L1 becomes liquid at a temperature higher than normal ambient temperature, such as 60°C or above, and when the temperature drops to normal ambient temperature, it has the property of becoming more viscous or solidifying when discharged from the first nozzle 681.

[0132] As the sheet material 30 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction, the first additive L1 is continuously discharged from the first nozzle 681. Since the opening 33 in region R1 is inserted in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction), the first additive L1 does not adhere to the opening 33. Therefore, at least a portion of the first additive L1 passes through the opening 33 of the punched region 32. In other words, the first additive L1 does not adhere to the opening 33 of the punched region 32 according to this embodiment. However, the first additive L1 adheres to the opening edge of the opening 33 of the punched region 32, which is the boundary between the punched region 32 and the holeless region 34. On the other hand, the holeless region 34 between adjacent openings 33 in region R1 along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30 is closed in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Therefore, the first additive L1 adheres to the holeless region 34. Thus, the first additive L1 is added to the holeless region 34. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first additive L1 adheres to the holeless region 34 along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30, but not to the punched-out region 32. Thus, in one segment S (filter material 22) of the sheet material 30 shown in Figure 2, it is possible to form a region to which the first additive L1 adheres (holeless region 34) and a region to which it does not adhere (punched-out region 34).

[0133] In this embodiment, the method for adding the first additive L1 to the sheet material 30, which is part of the manufacturing method for the filter segment (rod segment) 20, includes alternately supplying the first additive L1 to the punched-out region 32 and the holeless region 34 of the sheet material 30 being transported along the transport direction, while fixing the injection position of the first additive L1. By passing the first additive L1 through the opening 33 of the punched-out region 32, the position of the nozzle 681 is fixed, and by simply continuing to discharge the first additive L1 from the nozzle 681, for example downwards, the first additive L1 can be prevented from adhering to the opening 33 of the punched-out region 32, while the first additive L1 can be adhered to the holeless region 34. Then, when the manufacturing apparatus 50 winds up the sheet material 30 to which the first additive L1 has been added using a wrapper 24 (sheet-like member 24a) as a filter segment (rod segment) 20, regions with different properties in the longitudinal direction can be formed as the filter segment (rod segment) 20.

[0134] Therefore, when the filter material 22 is formed as a filter segment 20, in the filter segment 20 shown in Figure 15A, for example, the tip surface 14a side of the mouthpiece segment 14 can be formed as a holeless region 34 to which the first additive L1 adheres, and the rear end surface (mouthpiece end) 14b side of the mouthpiece segment 14 can be formed as a punched region 32 to which the first additive L1 does not adhere. Thus, when the user puts the mouthpiece end 14b of the flavor inhalation article 10 in their mouth and inhales, they can appropriately feel the flavor of the first additive L1. Furthermore, a portion of the first additive L1 may be added to the closed region between the openings 33, which includes the opening edges of the openings 33 formed at intervals in the width direction of the sheet material 30, within the punched-out region 32.

[0135] As described in this embodiment, when using a sheet material 30 containing liquid added from the liquid addition section 68a as a paper filter, it is preferable to place a segment with less liquid downstream in order to suppress leakage of the first additive (liquid) L1. For this reason, it is preferable to place a punched area 32 on the suction end 14b side of the filter segment 20 downstream of the holeless area 34 to which the first additive L1 adheres, where the first additive L1 does not adhere.

[0136] Furthermore, when a liquid is used as the first additive L1, it is preferable to use a liquid-resistant wrapper (roll paper) 24.

[0137] The first additive L1 should be one that selectively exhibits filtration performance for a specific component. If the filter material 22 (sheet material 30) is made of paper, a liquid with phenol adsorption capacity is preferred. For paper filter material 22, for example, polyols, polypropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol glyceryl ether, polybutylene glycol, diglycerin, sorbitan fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, polyethylene glycol, etc. can be used.

[0138] The liquid used as the first additive L1 preferably has a relatively high viscosity. The viscosity of the liquid is preferably, for example, 1 cP to 20,000 cP, and more preferably 1,000 cP to 10,000 cP. In general, if the viscosity of the liquid is high, a time lag occurs in the response of the first additive L1 to the on / off (opening) / off (closing) of the discharge part of the nozzle 681. That is, even if the nozzle 681 is turned on (open), it takes time for the first additive L1 to flow onto the sheet material 30, and even if the nozzle 681 is turned off (closed), the liquid may flow onto the sheet material 30 for a certain period of time. For this reason, even if the sheet material 30 is transported at a constant speed, for example, it is difficult to create areas where the first additive L1 is to be added and areas where it is not to be added.

[0139] In contrast, by using the sheet material 30 according to this embodiment, for example, when moving the sheet material 30 along the longitudinal direction and continuously discharging liquid directly downward from the nozzle 681, the first additive L1 can be attached to the holeless region 34 by passing it through the opening 33, while preventing the first additive L1 from being attached to the punched region 32. Therefore, the punched region 32 can be formed as a region without the first additive L1, and the holeless region 34 can be formed as a region with the first additive L1 added. In this way, the manufacturer of the filter assembly 18 can adjust whether or not the first additive L1 is added to the punched region 32 and the holeless region 34.

[0140] The amount of the first additive (liquid) L1 added is preferably, for example, 1 mg to 100 mg per filter segment 20, and more preferably 5 mg to 50 mg.

[0141] Furthermore, the liquid that passes through the opening 33 can be collected by the tray 683 (see Figure 4) directly below the nozzle 681 and reused, such as by being supplied back to the nozzle 681.

[0142] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of producing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a rod segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can form regions with different amounts of additive L1 (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30), and a method for manufacturing the rod segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0143] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the first additive L1 is applied to the sheet material 30 while the nozzle 681 is fixed. The nozzle 681 does not necessarily have to be fixed, as long as it is moving in a predetermined direction relative to the sheet material 30.

[0144] In this embodiment, an example of adding the first additive L1 to a paper sheet material 30 has been described, but the first additive L1 can also be similarly added to a nonwoven fabric sheet material, a resin sheet material, or a tobacco sheet material, each having a punched-out area 32 and a holeless area 34, respectively. That is, the sheet material 30 applied to the first additive section 68a of the manufacturing apparatus 50 can be appropriately selected from paper, nonwoven fabric, resin, tobacco sheet material, etc.

[0145] The granule addition section 68b shown in Figure 4 is used to add, for example, fragrance granules, activated carbon, microcapsules, or other granules to the sheet material 30.

[0146] The granule addition section 68b includes a travel guide 691 and a granule supply section 692 located directly above the travel guide 691. The travel guide 691 transports the sheet material 30 at a predetermined speed, for example. The granule supply section 692 selectively adds granules to, for example, the punched-out area 32 and the holeless area 34. The activated carbon described above is added as the granules.

[0147] The density of the activated carbon is set as appropriate. Some of the activated carbon falls through, for example, the opening 33 of the sheet material 30. The fallen activated carbon is collected in a tray or the like.

[0148] Activated carbon is used to absorb moisture and tar, similar to a so-called charcoal filter. Preferably, the density of the activated carbon is greater in the hole-less region 34 than in the punched-out region 32.

[0149] The microcapsules are formed with a smaller particle size than the capsule 38 (see Figure 12) that is crushed by the user. A particle size of approximately 0.3 mm to 4 mm is preferred. The microcapsules contain a fragrance, and the fragrance can be released as the microcapsules gradually melt from the outside in due to heat conduction, for example.

[0150] When using the sheet material 30 shown in Figure 14 to form the filter segment 20, the first additive L1 may adhere to the punched-out area 32, but the amount of adhesion can be suppressed compared to the holeless area 34. Therefore, it is preferable to arrange the punched-out area 32, where the adhesion of the first additive L1 is minimal, on the inlet end 14b side of the filter segment 20.

[0151] Here, an example of adding granules to a paper sheet material 30 has been described, but similarly, granules can be added to nonwoven fabric sheet materials, resin sheet materials, and tobacco sheet materials, which each have a punched-out area 32 and a holeless area 34, respectively. In other words, the sheet material 30 applied to the second additive section 68b of the manufacturing apparatus 50 can be appropriately selected from paper materials, nonwoven fabric materials, resin materials, tobacco sheet materials, etc.

[0152] In this embodiment, the process was described as forming openings 33 in the sheet material 30 along the flow of the manufacturing apparatus 50, and then adding the first additive L1. In order to intermittently add the first additive L1 in the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30, the first additive L1 may be added in the longitudinal direction of the holeless sheet material 30, and then the openings 33 may be formed using the punching section 66 described above. Even with such a manufacturing method, the first additive L1 can be intermittently added (adhered) to the sheet material 30 in the longitudinal direction.

[0153] (First variation) A first modified example of the second embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 16.

[0154] Figure 16 shows a top view of the sheet material 30. As shown in Figure 16, the liquid addition section 68a has, for example, a second nozzle 682 in addition to the first nozzle 681 described above.

[0155] The second nozzle 682 continues to discharge a second additive (e.g., a second liquid) L2 having an appropriate viscosity along a longitudinal region R2 that includes the spaces between the openings 33 punched out by the punching section 66. As a result, the second additive L2 is added to the sheet material 30.

[0156] The second additive L2 preferably becomes liquid at a temperature higher than normal ambient temperature, such as 60°C or above, and has the property of becoming more viscous or solidifying when the temperature drops to normal ambient temperature. It is preferable that the first additive (liquid) L1 has a higher viscosity than the second additive (liquid) L2. In this case, the first additive L1 adhering to the edge of the opening 33 (the boundary between the punched area 32 and the holeless area 34) is less likely to fall off the opening 33. Therefore, even when the sheet material 30 is transported downstream, it is possible to suppress the first additive L1 from falling off and adhering to the manufacturing equipment 50 after the additive section 68. Even if the viscosity of the second additive L2 is relatively low, it often adheres only to the closed area of ​​the sheet material 30. Therefore, it is prevented that the second additive L2 will fall off from the sheet material 30 and adhere to the manufacturing equipment 50 after the additive section 68.

[0157] As the sheet material 30 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction, the second additive L2 is continuously discharged from the second nozzle 682, and the second additive L2 adheres to region R2 continuously along the longitudinal direction of region R2. In other words, the second additive L2 adheres continuously along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30.

[0158] The method for adding the second additive L2 to the sheet material 30, which is part of the manufacturing method for the filter segment (rod segment) 20 in this modified example, includes alternately supplying the second additive L2 to the punched-out region 32 and the holeless region 34 of the sheet material 30 being transported along the transport direction, while fixing the supply position of the second additive L2 relative to the supply position of the first additive L1. That is, adding the second additive L2 to the sheet material 30 includes adhering the second additive L2 to both the region outside the opening 33 of the punched-out region 32 and the holeless region 34 of the sheet material 30 being transported along the transport direction, while fixing the supply position of the second additive L2 relative to the supply position of the first additive L1. Therefore, by fixing the position of the nozzle 682 and continuously discharging the second additive L2 from the nozzle 682, for example downward, the second additive L2 can be adhered between the openings 33 of the punched-out region 32 and to the holeless region 34. Then, when the manufacturing apparatus 50 winds up the sheet material 30 to which the second additive L2 has been added as a filter segment (rod segment) 20 using a wrapper 24 (sheet-like member 24a), it is possible to form a region containing the same additive L2 in the longitudinal direction of the filter segment (rod segment) 20.

[0159] Therefore, when the sheet material 30 is crepe-formed in the width direction and the filter material 22 is formed as a filter segment 20, the filter segment 20 can be formed as a region to which the second additive L2 is attached, for example, from the front end surface 14a side of the mouthpiece segment 14 to the rear end surface (mouthpiece end) 14b side. Thus, when the user puts the mouthpiece end 14b of the flavor inhalation article 10 in their mouth and inhales, they can appropriately feel the flavor of the second additive L2. At this time, the opportunity for the flavor generated in the flavor generation segment 12 to come into contact with the flavor components from the second additive L2 can be extended.

[0160] The liquid additive unit 68a may selectively discharge the first additive L1 and the second additive L2 to the sheet material 30 from the first nozzle 681 and the second nozzle 682. That is, the liquid additive unit 68a can discharge the first additive L1 to the sheet material 30 only from the first nozzle 681, or it can not discharge the first additive L1 from the first nozzle 681 and discharge the second additive L2 to the sheet material 30 only from the second nozzle 682.

[0161] In this modified example, an example in which the first additive L1 and / or the second additive L2 are added to a paper sheet material 30 has been described. However, the first additive L1 and / or the second additive L2 can similarly be added to a nonwoven fabric sheet material, a resin sheet material, or a tobacco sheet material, each having a punched-out area 32 and a holeless area 34, respectively. That is, the sheet material 30 applied to the first additive section 68a of the manufacturing apparatus 50 can be appropriately selected from paper, nonwoven fabric, resin, tobacco sheet material, etc.

[0162] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide a rod segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can form regions with different amounts of additive L1 (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30), and a method for manufacturing the rod segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0163] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 17. In this embodiment, an example of a non-combustion heating type suction article 10 will be mainly described. Then, an example will be described in which a tip plug 42 is formed as a rod segment using the sheet material 30 described in the first embodiment.

[0164] As shown in Figure 17, the flavor generating segment 12 according to this embodiment has a tip plug 42 and a flavor generating section 44.

[0165] The flavor generating unit 44 of this embodiment is formed in the same manner as the flavor generating segment 12 described in the first embodiment.

[0166] The tip plug 42 is provided upstream of the flavor generating unit 44. The tip plug 42 is used, for example, to prevent tobacco material from falling out.

[0167] The tip plug 42 of this embodiment is formed in the same way as the filter segment 20 described in the first embodiment. That is, the tip plug 42 has a cylindrical filter material 22 and a wrapper 24 that covers the outer circumference of the filter material 22. In the tip plug 42, a punched area 32 and a holeless area 34 are arranged adjacent to each other. The area including the tip surface 12a is formed by the punched area 32. The punched area of ​​the sheet material 30 forming the filter material 22 in this embodiment may be larger or smaller than the area of ​​the opening 33 of the punched area 32 when used as a filter segment 20. In addition, liquid additives (first additive L1, second additive L2) or granular additives may or may not be present.

[0168] The region including the tip surface 12a of the tip plug 42 is formed by the punched-out region 32. In this embodiment, the holeless region 34 and the flavor generating section 44 are connected.

[0169] In some cases, an aerosol source such as propylene glycol or glycerin may be added to the tip plug 42 using nozzles 681 and 682, as shown in Figures 15A to 16.

[0170] Furthermore, a mouthpiece segment 14 is provided at the rear end of the flavor generating unit 44. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece segment 14 has a cooling segment 46 and a filter segment 48.

[0171] The filter segment 48 in this embodiment may be the filter segment 20 described in the first embodiment, or it may be a filter segment made by shaping an acetate tow or the like into a rod and wrapping its outer circumference with a wrapper 24.

[0172] When using a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 10, it is preferable that the mouthpiece segment 14 has a cooling segment 46 between the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generating segment 12 and the front end surface of the filter segment 20. That is, it is preferable that the cooling segment 46 be located downstream of the flavor generating segment 12.

[0173] When the vapors of the heated and vaporized aerosol substrate and flavor source are introduced into the cooling segment 46, they are cooled and condensed (aerosolized). It is preferable that the cooling segment 46 cools the temperature without removing a large amount of the vapors of the aerosol substrate and flavor source generated in the flavor generation segment 12. For example, during suction, the difference between the internal segment temperature at the inlet of the cooling segment 46 (near the rear end surface 12b of the flavor generation segment 12) and the internal segment temperature at the outlet of the cooling segment 46 (near the front end surface of the filter segment 20) may be 20°C or more.

[0174] One embodiment of the cooling segment 46 is a hollow member formed by creating an air intake hole in a cylindrically processed paper tube. In another embodiment, it is preferable to fill the inside of a cylindrically processed paper tube with a cooling sheet material. The cooling sheet material used in the cooling segment 46 is preferably a sheet material that can be manufactured in substantially the same manner as the filter segment 20 manufactured from the sheet material 30 described in the first embodiment. When the cooling segment 46 is manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus 50, the above-mentioned additive part 68 may not be necessary.

[0175] At this time, by providing one or more air circulation channels in the flow direction of the cooling segment 46, while cooling with a cooling sheet material, a low level of component filtration can be achieved. It is desirable that the ventilation resistance of the cooling segment 46 when filled with this cooling sheet material is 0 mmH2O / mm to 30 mmH2O / mm.

[0176] The total surface area of the cooling sheet material is 300 mm 2 / mm or more and 1000 mm 2 / mm or less. This surface area is the surface area per unit length (mm) in the ventilation direction of the cooling sheet material. The total surface area of the cooling sheet material is preferably 400 mm 2 / mm or more, more preferably 450 mm 2 / mm or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 600 mm 2 / mm or less, more preferably 550 mm 2 / mm or less.

[0177] Since the cooling segment 46 is in contact with the aerosol, it is desirable to have a surface area of an appropriate size. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the cooling sheet material may be wrinkled to form channels in the flow direction, and then formed by pleating, gathering, and folding a thin sheet material. A large number of folds or pleats within a given volume of the element increases the total surface area of the cooling sheet material.

[0178] In one embodiment, the thickness of the cooling sheet material can be 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, for example, 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[0179] The cooling sheet material is preferably formed from a material having a specific surface area of 10 mm 2 / mg or more and 100 mm 2 / mg or less. In one embodiment, the specific surface area of the constituent material can be about 35 mm 2 / mg. The specific surface area can be determined by considering the material of the cooling sheet material having a known width and thickness. For example, the material of the cooling sheet material can be polylactic acid with an average thickness of 50 μm and a variation of ±2 μm. If the material of the cooling sheet material also has a known width, for example, between 200 mm and 250 mm, the specific surface area and density can be calculated.

[0180] Furthermore, using paper as the material for the cooling sheet is desirable from the standpoint of reducing environmental impact. For example, paper with a basis weight of 30 g / m² is desirable for use as a cooling sheet material. 2 ~100g / m 2 The thickness is preferably 20 μm to 100 μm. From the viewpoint of minimizing the removal of flavor source components and aerosol base material components in the cooling segment 46, it is desirable that the air permeability of the paper used as the cooling sheet material be low, and an air permeability of 10 cholesterol units or less is preferred. The cooling effect can also be increased by applying a polymer porting such as polyvinyl alcohol or a coating of polysaccharides such as pectin to the paper material used as the cooling sheet material, utilizing the endothermic effect of the coating and the heat of dissolution associated with the phase change.

[0181] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 10 and a filter segment 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10 that can adjust the amount of fluid filtered by forming regions with different performance (punched region 32 and holeless region 34) in a single member (sheet material 30). Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus 50 capable of manufacturing such a rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10, and a method for manufacturing the rod segment (rod) 20 for the flavor-absorbing article 10.

[0182] Using the manufacturing apparatus 50 described in the first embodiment, the cooling sheet material can be creped to form a cylindrical rod, thereby forming the cooling segment (cooling rod segment) 46 of the mouthpiece segment 14.

[0183] Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 50 described in the first embodiment can wind up various sheet materials, such as those for the filter segment 20, the cooling segment 46, and the flavor generating segment (tobacco sheet material) 12 described in this embodiment, together with a sheet-like member 24a that serves as a wrapper 24, to form cylindrical rod segments.

[0184] Based on the embodiments described above, the following can be said. [Note 1] Flavoring inhalation article, Flavor-generating segment, A filter segment provided downstream of the flavor generating segment and It has, The aforementioned filter segment is Filter material and A wrapper is wound around the outside of the filter material, forming the filter segments as rods. Includes, The filter material is formed from a sheet material that includes partially punched-out areas and unpunched, holeless areas. Flavor suction article. [Note 2] Along the axial direction of the rod, the punched-out region of the filter material of the filter segment is located upstream of the holeless region. Flavoring inhalation articles as described in Appendix 1. [Note 3] The filter segment has an intake end formed in the holeless region of the filter material. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. [Note 4] In the sheet material of the filter material, 5 to 70% of the width direction intersecting the direction defined by the upstream and downstream sides of the flavor-absorbing article when the sheet material is spread out is punched out in the punched-out area. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in any one of the items in Appendix 1 to Appendix 3. [Note 5] The punched-out area forms a plurality of openings in the sheet material. The edges of the aforementioned multiple openings are each without corners. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in any one of the items in Appendix 1 to Appendix 4. [Note 6] A capsule is placed in the punched-out area. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in any one of the items in Appendix 1 to Appendix 5. [Note 7] The basis weight of the aforementioned wrapper is 30 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in any one of the items in Appendix 1 to Appendix 6. [Note 8] The aforementioned sheet material is formed from paper, nonwoven fabric, or resin. Flavoring inhalant articles as described in any one of the items in Appendix 1 to Appendix 7. [Note 9] A filter segment for a flavor inhalation article, Filter material and A wrapper is wound around the outside of the filter material, forming the filter segments as rods. Includes, The aforementioned filter material is Partially punched-out areas and Unpunched hole-less area and It is made of a sheet material having the following characteristics: Filter segment. [Note 10] Along the axial direction of the filter segment, the punched-out region and the holeless region are arranged adjacent to each other. The filter segment described in Appendix 9 or Appendix 10. [Note 11] The filter segment has an intake end formed in the holeless region of the filter material. The filter segment described in Appendix 9. [Note 12] In the sheet material of the filter material, 5 to 70% of the width direction intersecting the punched-out area and the holeless area in the direction in which they are adjacent to each other is punched out. A filter segment as described in any one of the items in Appendix 9 to Appendix 11.

[0185] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. Flavoring inhalation article, Flavor-generating segment, A filter segment provided downstream of the flavor generating segment and It has, The aforementioned filter segment is Filter material and A wrapper is wound around the outside of the filter material, forming the filter segments as rods. Includes, The filter material is formed from a sheet material that includes partially punched-out areas and unpunched, holeless areas. The direction in which the punched-out area and the holeless area of ​​the sheet material are arranged adjacent to each other is defined as the longitudinal direction of the sheet material. The punched-out area and the holeless area each extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, The punched-out region has a plurality of openings, each of which is not connected to the sheet material, and the solid portion of the sheet material between the openings. Flavor suction article.

2. Along the axial direction of the rod, the punched-out region of the filter material of the filter segment is located upstream of the flavor-absorbing article in the holeless region. The flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1.

3. The filter segment has an intake end formed in the holeless region of the filter material. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. In the sheet material of the filter material, 5 to 70% of the width direction intersecting the direction defined by the upstream and downstream sides of the flavor-absorbing article is punched out in the punched-out area when the sheet material is spread out. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. A capsule is placed in the punched-out area. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The basis weight of the aforementioned wrapper is 30 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. The aforementioned sheet material is formed from paper, nonwoven fabric, or resin. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. The edges of the plurality of openings are each without corners. A flavor-inhaling article according to claim 1 or claim 2.

9. A filter segment for a flavor inhalation article, Filter material and A wrapper is wound around the outside of the filter material, forming the filter segments as rods. Includes, The aforementioned filter material is Partially punched-out areas and Unpunched hole-less area and Formed from a sheet material having, The direction in which the punched-out area and the holeless area of ​​the sheet material are arranged adjacent to each other is defined as the longitudinal direction. The punched-out area and the holeless area each extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, The punched-out region has a plurality of openings, each of which is not connected to the sheet material, and the solid portion of the sheet material between the openings. Filter segment.

10. The filter segment has an intake end formed in the holeless region of the filter material. The filter segment according to claim 9.

11. In the sheet material of the filter material, 5 to 70% of the width direction intersecting the direction in which the punched-out area and the holeless area are adjacent to each other is punched out. The filter segment according to claim 9 or claim 10.

12. The edges of the plurality of openings are each without corners. The filter segment according to claim 9 or claim 10.

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