Method for producing a flavor generator and flavor generator

Abstract

Provided is a flavor generator production method. This production method includes a supplying step for supplying a flavor sheet, a slitting step for slitting at least a portion of the flavor sheet, a step for disposing the slitted flavor sheet on the outer surface of a support, and a step for covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet disposed on the outer surface of the support with a cover sheet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flavor generator and a flavor generator. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, flavor inhalers for inhaling flavor and the like without burning materials are known. A flavor inhaler includes, for example, a chamber that accommodates a flavor-generating article and a heater that heats the flavor-generating article accommodated in the chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO 2020 / 084775 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a new method for manufacturing a flavor generator. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect, there is provided a smoking system including a smoking article and a flavor inhaler that heats the smoking article. The smoking article includes a flavor source that generates flavor, and a void portion disposed adjacent to the flavor source in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The flavor inhaler includes a chamber that accommodates the smoking article, and a support portion that supports a tip end of the smoking article when the smoking article is accommodated in the chamber. The support portion is configured to introduce air from the tip end of the smoking article into the flavor source, and inhibit the air from flowing into the void portion.

[0006] According to the first embodiment, by preventing air from flowing into the gaps in a flavor source partially provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction using a support part, air from the tip of the smoking article can be preferentially introduced to the flavor source. This makes it possible to efficiently deliver the flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source to the user. In this specification, "longitudinal direction" may refer to the direction of airflow, the longitudinal direction of the smoking article, the direction in which the smoking article is inserted into the flavor inhaler, or the longitudinal direction of the chamber.

[0007] The second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, when the smoking article is housed in the chamber, the support portion overlaps with at least a portion of the void when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article.

[0008] According to the second embodiment, the support portion overlaps with at least a portion of the void in the longitudinal direction, thereby preventing air from flowing straight into the void from the tip of the smoking article.

[0009] The third embodiment is characterized in that, in the first or second embodiment, the flavor source is cylindrical, and the void is located inside the flavor source.

[0010] According to the third embodiment, the flavor source is located on the outside of the smoking article, and the void is located inside it. Therefore, when the smoking article is heated from the outside in the flavor inhaler, the flavor source can be heated efficiently. Furthermore, when using a flavor inhaler that heats the smoking article from the outside, the flavor source is not placed inside the smoking article, where heat is not easily transferred and which does not contribute to the generation of vapor or aerosol. Therefore, the amount of flavor source can be saved while suppressing a decrease in the amount of vapor or aerosol.

[0011] The fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, T is the radial thickness of the flavor source, and R is the size of the gap between the outer edge of the support portion and the outer circumference of the smoking article when the smoking article is housed in the chamber, as viewed from the longitudinal direction, and T > R.

[0012] According to the fourth embodiment, the air flowing in from near the outer periphery of the smoking article can be suppressed from spreading inward, and air can be supplied to the aerosol source more efficiently. Furthermore, if a tip plug is provided upstream of the flavor source, even if air diffuses at the tip plug, air can be supplied to the flavor source more reliably.

[0013] The fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, when the radial thickness of the flavor source is T, and the size of the gap between the outer edge of the support portion and the outer circumference of the smoking article when the smoking article is housed in the chamber, as viewed from the longitudinal direction, R > T.

[0014] According to the fifth embodiment, the proportion of air flowing into the void within the total air flow from the tip of the smoking article can be increased, thereby suppressing the temperature drop of the flavor source. Furthermore, since the amount of air flowing from the tip of the smoking article can be increased, more aerosol generated by the flavor source can be supplied. When a tip plug is provided upstream of the flavor source, it is preferable to use a coarse paper filter as the tip plug. In this case, air diffusion at the tip plug is suppressed, and air can be reliably supplied by the flavor source located near the outer circumference of the smoking article.

[0015] The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the third to fifth aspects, the radial thickness of the flavor source is 1.0 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less.

[0016] If the above thickness is less than 1.0 mm, there is a risk that the aerosol source will be depleted too quickly when the flavor source is heated. If the above thickness is greater than 2.5 mm, there is a risk that heat will not be sufficiently transferred when the flavor source is heated. According to the sixth embodiment, the aerosol source can be sufficiently supported on the flavor source, and the aerosol source contained in the flavor source is sufficiently heated, enabling good aerosol supply. In this case, the diameter of the smoking article is preferably, for example, an outer diameter of 7 mm and an inner diameter (diameter of the void) of the flavor source of 3.5 mm. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the flavor source may be about 2.0 mm. If the inner diameter of the flavor source is too small, the thickness of the flavor source will increase, the distance between the heat source located on the outer circumference of the flavor source and the innermost surface of the flavor source will increase, making it difficult to heat efficiently. If the flavor source is composed of a single sheet material, the radial thickness of the flavor source will be the thickness of the sheet material. On the other hand, when the flavor source has a three-dimensional thickness due to crimping or the like, the radial thickness of the flavor source is the height in the radial direction of the flavor source (if the flavor source is cylindrical, it is the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter). The thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or more. Similarly, the thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 2.0 mm or less, and more preferably 1.5 mm or less.

[0017] The seventh aspect is characterized in that, in any of the first to sixth aspects, the ratio of the amount of air passing through the flavor source in a predetermined time to the amount of air passing through the void in a predetermined time is between 1:0 and 1:3.

[0018] According to the seventh embodiment, air can be reliably supplied to the flavor source. Furthermore, since air can be allowed to pass through the void, the air passing through the void can function to cool or dilute the vapor or aerosol. When the proportion of air passing through the flavor source is 100% of the total (i.e., the above ratio is 1:0), it is preferable to provide a separate air inlet (vf) in the smoking article for the purpose of adding a cooling function for the vapor or aerosol.

[0019] According to an eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the gist is that when the smoking article is accommodated in the chamber, an area of the support portion as viewed from the longitudinal direction is larger than an area of the void portion as viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0020] According to the eighth aspect, since the area of the support portion is larger than the area of the void portion, by making the support portion sufficiently overlap the void portion when viewed from the longitudinal direction, it is possible to suppress (inhibit) air that has flowed in from the tip end of the smoking article from flowing into the void portion. The area of the support portion herein may be the area of a portion that contacts the smoking article.

[0021] According to a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the gist is that the smoking article has a tip plug located upstream of the flavor source, and the support portion is configured to contact the tip plug and support the smoking article.

[0022] According to the ninth aspect, since an end portion of the flavor source is covered by the tip plug, the flavor source can be prevented from falling out of the smoking article. In addition, since the support portion can be prevented from contacting the relatively brittle flavor source, the flavor source can be prevented from being broken.

[0023] According to a tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the gist is that a length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 10 mm or less.

[0024] According to the tenth aspect, by reducing the length of the tip plug, it is possible to suppress diffusion of air that has flowed in from the tip end of the smoking article in the tip plug. Therefore, air whose inflow into the void portion is inhibited by the support portion can be suppressed from diffusing in the tip plug and flowing into the void portion. The length of the tip plug is more preferably 8 mm or less, and still more preferably 5 mm or less.

[0025] According to an eleventh aspect, in the ninth aspect or the tenth aspect, the gist is that a length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 1 mm or more.

[0026] The tip plug can be manufactured to a predetermined length and then cut to any desired length. If the tip plug is less than 1 mm in length, it may not maintain its shape during cutting, and deformation such as crushing may occur. According to the 11th embodiment, the tip plug can be manufactured relatively easily. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, a tip plug length of 3 mm or more is more preferable.

[0027] The twelfth aspect is characterized in that, in the tenth or eleventh aspect, the tip plug includes a paper filter.

[0028] According to the twelfth embodiment, the environmental burden can be reduced compared to using, for example, an acetate filter as the tip plug. In particular, when using a paper filter with a lower density than an acetate filter, the diffusion of air flowing into the tip plug can be suppressed compared to when using an acetate filter as the tip plug. For example, in the case of a paper filter with an outer diameter of 7 mm, the basis weight of the paper sheet is 35 g / m². 2 More than 40g / m 2 The following is preferable, and the width of the paper sheet is preferably 140 mm or more and 240 mm or less. When crimping the paper sheet, the crimping depth should be limited to a maximum of about 0.3 mm to efficiently prevent air diffusion.

[0029] The thirteenth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the first to twelfth aspects, the smoking article has a support located between the flavor source and the void.

[0030] The 14th aspect is that, in any of the 1st to 13th aspects, the flavor inhaler has a tubular member that extends to the void when the smoking article is placed in the chamber, The gist of this invention is that the tubular member is configured to introduce air into the gap.

[0031] According to the 14th embodiment, since air can be introduced into the void through the tubular member, the cooling of the vapor or aerosol generated from the flavor source can be promoted. The tubular member may be configured to communicate with the outside of the chamber to introduce air from outside the chamber into the void, or it may be configured to communicate with the space inside the chamber to introduce air from inside the chamber into the void.

[0032] The 15th aspect is characterized in that, in the first to 14th aspects, the support portion has a projection that extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the projection overlaps with a part of the outer circumference of the smoking article when viewed from the longitudinal direction when the smoking article is housed in the chamber.

[0033] If the support part supports only the flavor source (or tip plug), localized pressure is applied, which may cause the flavor source (or tip plug) to deform. According to the 15th embodiment, since the protruding part is in contact with the outer circumference of the smoking article (e.g., the wrapper), the support part can stably support the smoking article and prevent deformation of the flavor source (or tip plug) compared to the case where the support part supports only the flavor source (or tip plug).

[0034] According to the 16th embodiment, a smoking article is provided. The smoking article includes a flavor source that generates flavor, a void portion arranged adjacent to the flavor source in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and an obstructing portion located upstream of the flavor source that allows air to be introduced from the tip of the smoking article to the flavor source while obstructing the flow of the air into the void portion.

[0035] According to the 16th embodiment, by preventing air from flowing into the gaps in a flavor source partially provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction using an obstruction part, air from the tip of the smoking article can be preferentially introduced to the flavor source. This makes it possible to efficiently deliver the flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source to the user. In this specification, "longitudinal direction" may refer to the direction of airflow, the longitudinal direction of the smoking article, or the direction in which the smoking article is inserted into the flavor inhaler.

[0036] The 17th aspect is characterized in that, in the 16th aspect, the obstructing portion overlaps with at least a portion of the void when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article.

[0037] According to the 17th embodiment, the obstructing portion overlaps with at least a part of the void in the longitudinal direction, thereby preventing air from flowing straight into the void from the tip of the smoking article.

[0038] The 18th aspect is characterized in that, in the 16th or 17th aspect, the flavor source is cylindrical and the void is located inside the flavor source.

[0039] According to the 18th embodiment, the flavor source is located on the outside of the smoking article, and the void is located inside it. Therefore, when the smoking article is heated from the outside in the flavor inhaler, the flavor source can be heated efficiently. Furthermore, when using a flavor inhaler that heats the smoking article from the outside, the flavor source is not placed inside the smoking article, where heat is not easily transferred and which does not contribute to the generation of vapor or aerosol. Therefore, the amount of flavor source can be saved while suppressing a decrease in the amount of vapor or aerosol.

[0040] The 19th aspect is characterized in that, in the 18th aspect, when the radial thickness of the flavor source is T and the size of the gap between the obstructing portion and the outer circumference of the smoking article as viewed from the longitudinal direction is R, then T > R.

[0041] According to the 19th embodiment, the air flowing in from near the outer periphery of the smoking article can be suppressed from spreading inward, and air can be supplied to the aerosol source more efficiently. Furthermore, if a tip plug is provided upstream of the flavor source, even if air diffuses at the tip plug, air can be supplied to the flavor source more reliably.

[0042] The 20th aspect is characterized in that, in the 18th aspect, when the radial thickness of the flavor source is T and the size of the gap between the obstructing portion and the outer circumference of the smoking article as viewed from the longitudinal direction is R, then R > T.

[0043] According to the 20th embodiment, the proportion of air flowing into the void within the total air flow from the tip of the smoking article can be increased, thereby suppressing the temperature drop of the flavor source. Furthermore, since the amount of air flowing from the tip of the smoking article can be increased, more aerosol generated by the flavor source can be supplied. When a tip plug is provided upstream of the flavor source, it is preferable to use a coarse paper filter as the tip plug. In this case, air diffusion at the tip plug is suppressed, and air can be reliably supplied by the flavor source located near the outer circumference of the smoking article.

[0044] The 21st aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 18th to 20th aspects, the radial thickness of the flavor source is 1.0 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less.

[0045] If the above thickness is less than 1.0 mm, there is a risk that the aerosol source will be depleted too quickly when the flavor source is heated. If the above thickness is greater than 2.5 mm, there is a risk that heat will not be sufficiently transferred when the flavor source is heated. According to the 21st embodiment, the aerosol source can be sufficiently supported on the flavor source, and the aerosol source contained in the flavor source is sufficiently heated, enabling good aerosol supply. In this case, the diameter of the smoking article is preferably, for example, an outer diameter of 7 mm and an inner diameter (diameter of the void) of the flavor source of 3.5 mm. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the flavor source may be about 2.0 mm. If the inner diameter of the flavor source is too small, the thickness of the flavor source will increase, the distance from the heat source located on the outer circumference of the flavor source will increase, and it will become difficult to heat it efficiently. If the flavor source is composed of a single sheet material, the radial thickness of the flavor source will be the thickness of the sheet material. On the other hand, when the flavor source has a three-dimensional thickness due to crimping or the like, the radial thickness of the flavor source is the height in the radial direction of the flavor source (if the flavor source is cylindrical, it is the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter). The thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or more. Similarly, the thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 2.0 mm or less, and more preferably 1.5 mm or less.

[0046] The 22nd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 21st aspects, the ratio of the amount of air passing through the flavor source in a predetermined time to the amount of air passing through the void in a predetermined time is between 1:0 and 1:3.

[0047] According to the 22nd embodiment, air can be reliably supplied to the flavor source. Furthermore, since air can be allowed to pass through the void, the air passing through the void can function to cool or dilute the vapor or aerosol. When the proportion of air passing through the flavor source is 100% of the total (i.e., the above ratio is 1:0), it is preferable to provide a separate air inlet (vf) in the smoking article for the purpose of adding a cooling function for the vapor or aerosol.

[0048] The 23rd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 22nd aspects, the area of ​​the obstruction portion viewed from the longitudinal direction is larger than the area of ​​the void portion viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0049] According to the 23rd embodiment, the area of ​​the obstructing portion is larger than the area of ​​the void portion in the direction of airflow. Therefore, by ensuring that the obstructing portion sufficiently overlaps the void portion when viewed from the longitudinal direction, it is possible to suppress (inhibit) the air flowing into the void portion from the tip of the smoking item. Here, the area of ​​the obstructing portion or void portion refers to the area of ​​the largest cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0050] The 24th embodiment is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 23rd embodiments, it has a tip plug located upstream of the flavor source, and the inhibiting portion is provided on the tip plug.

[0051] According to the 24th embodiment, the end of the flavor source is covered by the tip plug, so that the flavor source does not fall out of the smoking article. In the absence of a tip plug, the obstructing part may be arranged to be embedded, for example, in a gap in the smoking article, but by having a tip plug in the smoking article, the obstructing part can be easily provided.

[0052] The 25th aspect is characterized in that, in the 24th aspect, the length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 10 mm or less.

[0053] According to the 25th embodiment, shortening the length of the tip plug can suppress the diffusion of air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article at the tip plug. Therefore, the air that is prevented from flowing into the void by the obstructing part can be prevented from diffusing at the tip plug and flowing into the void. The length of the tip plug is more preferably 8 mm or less, and even more preferably 5 mm or less.

[0054] The 26th aspect is characterized in that, in the 24th or 25th aspect, the length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 1 mm or more.

[0055] The tip plug can be manufactured to a predetermined length and then cut to any desired length. If the tip plug is less than 1 mm in length, it may not maintain its shape during cutting, and deformation such as crushing may occur. According to the 26th embodiment, the tip plug can be manufactured relatively easily. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, a tip plug length of 3 mm or more is more preferable.

[0056] The 27th aspect is characterized in that, in the 24th to 26th aspects, the tip plug includes a paper filter.

[0057] According to the 27th embodiment, the diffusion of air flowing into the tip plug can be suppressed compared to using, for example, an acetate filter as the tip plug.

[0058] The 28th aspect is characterized in that, in the 24th to 27th aspects, the tip plug has a recess, and the obstructing portion is filled into the recess.

[0059] According to the 28th embodiment, since the obstructing portion is prevented from protruding from the tip plug, the obstructing portion can be provided without substantially causing any difference in appearance from conventional smoking articles.

[0060] The 29th aspect is characterized in that, in the 24th to 28th aspects, the tip plug has a high-density portion and a low-density portion, and the high-density portion constitutes the obstructing portion.

[0061] According to the 29th embodiment, since the inflow of air from the low-density portion to the high-density portion is suppressed, the obstruction portion can be formed by the tip plug alone without attaching any other members to the tip plug. The obstruction portion may be provided on the surface of the tip plug. Furthermore, the airflow resistance of the high-density portion is preferably at least equal to the airflow resistance of the flavor source, and more preferably equal to the airflow resistance of both the low-density portion and the flavor source.

[0062] The 30th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 28th aspects, the inhibitory portion is formed from at least one of the group consisting of carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, and modified starch.

[0063] According to the 30th embodiment, a flame-retardant material is used as the inhibitor. Therefore, especially when a highly flammable material such as a paper filter is used for the tip plug, it is possible to suppress the burning of smoking items even if the user uses it unintentionally.

[0064] The 31st aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 30th aspects, the smoking article has a support located between the flavor source and the void.

[0065] A method for manufacturing a smoking article is provided according to the 32nd aspect. This method for manufacturing a smoking article includes preparing a flavor source that generates flavor, forming a void adjacent to the flavor source in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and forming an obstruction portion that prevents the air from flowing into the void while introducing air from the tip of the smoking article to the flavor source.

[0066] According to the 32nd aspect, by preventing air from flowing into the gaps in a flavor source partially provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction using an obstruction part, air from the tip of the smoking article can be preferentially introduced to the flavor source. This makes it possible to efficiently deliver the flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source to the user.

[0067] According to the 33rd embodiment, a smoking article is provided. This smoking article comprises a cylindrical flavor source that generates flavor, a tip plug located upstream of the flavor source, and a wrapper wrapped around the tip plug, wherein the wrapper is provided with an opening that penetrates between the front and back surfaces of the wrapper.

[0068] According to the 33rd embodiment, since air is introduced through an opening in the wrapper, it is possible to easily supply air to a cylindrical flavor source located around the smoking article. This makes it possible to efficiently deliver the flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source to the user. An inner wrapper may be provided between the tip plug and the wrapper. In this case, it is preferable that the inner wrapper also has an opening that penetrates between the front and back surfaces of the inner wrapper.

[0069] The 34th aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd aspect, the opening is provided closer to the flavor source than to the longitudinal center of the tip plug.

[0070] The greater the distance between the opening and the flavor source, the more the air introduced from the opening can diffuse before reaching the flavor source. In this case, the amount of air passing through the void inside the cylindrical flavor source can increase. According to the 34th embodiment, the air introduced from the opening can reach the flavor source before it diffuses, making it easier to supply air to the flavor source. This allows for the efficient delivery of flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated at the flavor source to the user.

[0071] The 35th aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd or 34th aspect, a sealing member is provided to seal the upstream end face of the tip plug.

[0072] Much of the air introduced from the upstream end face of the tip plug can pass through the void inside the cylindrical flavor source. According to the 35th embodiment, since air is prevented from flowing in from the upstream end face of the tip plug, air can be efficiently supplied to the flavor source through the opening provided in the wrapper.

[0073] The 36th aspect is characterized in that, in the 35th aspect, the sealing member is formed from at least one of the group consisting of carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, and modified starch.

[0074] According to the 36th embodiment, since the sealing member is made of a relatively flame-retardant material, even if a user accidentally tries to ignite the tip plug of a smoking item, the end face of the tip plug may not burn.

[0075] The 37th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 33rd to 36th aspects, the radial thickness of the flavor source is 1.0 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less.

[0076] If the above thickness is less than 1.0 mm, there is a risk that the aerosol source will be depleted too quickly when the flavor source is heated. If the above thickness is greater than 2.5 mm, there is a risk that heat will not be sufficiently transferred when the flavor source is heated. According to the 37th embodiment, the aerosol source can be sufficiently supported on the flavor source, and the aerosol source contained in the flavor source is sufficiently heated, enabling good aerosol supply. In this case, the diameter of the smoking article is preferably, for example, an outer diameter of 7 mm and an inner diameter (diameter of the void) of the flavor source of 3.5 mm. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the flavor source may be about 2.0 mm. If the inner diameter of the flavor source is too small, the thickness of the flavor source will increase, the distance from the heat source located on the outer circumference of the flavor source will increase, and it will become difficult to heat it efficiently. If the flavor source is composed of a single sheet material, the radial thickness of the flavor source will be the thickness of the sheet material. On the other hand, when the flavor source has a three-dimensional thickness due to crimping or the like, the radial thickness of the flavor source is the height in the radial direction of the flavor source (if the flavor source is cylindrical, it is the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter). The thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or more. Similarly, the thickness of the flavor source when it is not crimped or the like is preferably 2.0 mm or less, and more preferably 1.5 mm or less.

[0077] The 38th aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd to 37th aspects, the length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 10 mm or less.

[0078] According to the 38th embodiment, shortening the length of the tip plug can suppress the diffusion of air that flows into the tip plug. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of air introduced into the tip plug from the opening of the wrapper into the void. The length of the tip plug is more preferably 8 mm or less, and even more preferably 5 mm or less.

[0079] The 39th aspect is characterized in that, in aspects 33 to 38, the length of the tip plug in the longitudinal direction is 1 mm or more.

[0080] The tip plug can be manufactured to a predetermined length and then cut to any desired length. If the tip plug is less than 1 mm in length, it may not maintain its shape during cutting, and deformation such as crushing may occur. According to the 39th embodiment, the tip plug can be manufactured relatively easily. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, a tip plug length of 3 mm or more is more preferable.

[0081] The 40th aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd to 39th aspects, the tip plug includes a paper filter.

[0082] According to the 40th aspect, the diffusion of air flowing into the tip plug can be suppressed compared to using, for example, an acetate filter as the tip plug.

[0083] The 41st aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd to 40th aspects, the tip plug has a high-density portion and a low-density portion located around the high-density portion.

[0084] According to the 41st embodiment, since the inflow of air from the low-density area to the high-density area is suppressed, the flow of air through the radially central part of the tip plug is suppressed. As a result, the air that flows in from the tip plug can easily pass around the tip plug, making it easier to supply air to the cylindrical flavor source located around the smoking item.

[0085] The 42nd aspect is characterized in that, in the 33rd to 41st aspects, the void is located inside the flavor source.

[0086] According to the 42nd embodiment, the flavor source is located on the outside of the smoking article, and the void is located inside it. Therefore, when the smoking article is heated from the outside in the flavor inhaler, the flavor source can be heated efficiently. Furthermore, when using a flavor inhaler that heats the smoking article from the outside, the flavor source is not placed inside the smoking article, where heat is not easily transferred and which does not contribute to the generation of vapor or aerosol. Therefore, the amount of flavor source can be saved while suppressing a decrease in the amount of vapor or aerosol.

[0087] According to the 43rd aspect, a smoking system is provided comprising a smoking article according to any of the 34th to 42nd aspects, and a flavor inhaler for heating the smoking article. The flavor inhaler has a chamber for housing the smoking article, the chamber having a pressing portion for pressing a part of the smoking article when the smoking article is placed in a desired position, and a non-pressing portion circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion. The opening is provided so as to face the non-pressing portion when the smoking article is placed in a desired position in the chamber.

[0088] According to the 43rd embodiment, even if a portion of the smoking article is pressed by the chamber, air can be introduced through the opening from the gap between the non-pressed portion and the smoking article, making it easier to supply air to the cylindrical flavor source located around the smoking article.

[0089] The 44th aspect is characterized in that, in the 43rd aspect, a plurality of the openings are provided in the wrapper at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0090] According to the 44th embodiment, since the multiple openings are spaced equally apart in the circumferential direction, even if the user places the smoking article in the chamber in any circumferential orientation, it is possible to prevent all of the multiple openings from facing the pressing part. That is, since it is possible to prevent all of the multiple openings from being blocked by the pressing part, even if the user places the smoking article in the chamber in any orientation, it is possible to introduce air through the openings and easily supply air to the cylindrical flavor source located around the smoking article.

[0091] The 45th aspect is characterized in that, in the 44th aspect, a portion of the plurality of openings is provided to face the pressing portion when the smoking article is placed in a desired position in the chamber.

[0092] According to the 45th embodiment, some of the multiple openings face the non-pressing portion, and other parts of the multiple openings face the pressing portion. Therefore, even if the user places the smoking article in the chamber in any circumferential orientation, at least some of the multiple openings face the non-pressing portion, allowing air to be introduced.

[0093] According to the 46th aspect, a method for manufacturing a flavor generator is provided. This manufacturing method includes a supply step of supplying a flavor sheet, a step of placing the flavor sheet on the outer surface of a support, and a step of covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support with a cover sheet.

[0094] According to the 46th embodiment, a flavor generating body can be manufactured in which a flavor sheet is supported by a support and covered with a cover sheet. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, a cylindrical flavor generating body can be manufactured, and when a plate-shaped support is used, a plate-shaped flavor generating body can be manufactured. Furthermore, since the flavor sheet is placed on the outer surface of the support, the flavor sheet can be reliably positioned between the support and the cover sheet. In other words, unintended mixing of the flavor sheet into the inside of the support can be suppressed.

[0095] The 47th aspect is characterized in that, in the 46th aspect, it includes a crepe step of applying a crepe treatment to at least a portion of the flavor sheet, and a step of placing the crepe-treated flavor sheet on the outer surface of the support.

[0096] According to the 47th embodiment, the crepe process can be used to crumple the flavor sheet and create wrinkles, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet, and thus increasing the flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator.

[0097] The 48th aspect is characterized in that, in the 47th aspect, a width suppression step is included to suppress the increase in the width of the flavor sheet due to the crepe processing.

[0098] According to the 48th embodiment, the increase in the width of the flavor sheet due to the crepe processing can be suppressed. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, the overlapping of the flavor sheets when they are wrapped around the support can be suppressed. Also, for example, when a plate-shaped support is used, the increase in the size of the flavor sheet and the size of the flavor generator can be suppressed.

[0099] The 49th aspect is characterized in that, in the 47th aspect, the width reduction step is performed after the crepe processing.

[0100] According to the 49th embodiment, the width reduction process can be prevented from affecting the crepe processing, so that the desired crepe processing can be applied to the flavor sheet in the crepe processing.

[0101] The 50th aspect is characterized in that, in the 47th aspect, the width reduction step is performed simultaneously with the crepe processing.

[0102] According to the 50th aspect, the time required to perform the width reduction process can be shortened.

[0103] The 51st aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 46th to 50th aspects, a molding step is included in which the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet are formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0104] According to the 51st embodiment, a cylindrical flavor generator can be manufactured. A cylindrical flavor generator may be manufactured by wrapping a flavor sheet and a cover sheet around a cylindrical support, or by layering a flavor sheet and a cover sheet on a flat support and forming them into a cylindrical shape.

[0105] The 52nd aspect is characterized in that, in the 51st aspect, the molded body, which includes the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet molded in the molding process, is cut to a predetermined length.

[0106] According to the 52nd embodiment, a flavor generator of a length used in smoking articles can be manufactured.

[0107] The 53rd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 46th to 52nd aspects, the invention includes the steps of applying an adhesive to the cover sheet and drying the adhesive after the outer surface of the flavor sheet is covered with the cover sheet.

[0108] According to the 53rd embodiment, the cover sheet can be fixed to the flavor sheet. For example, when manufacturing a cylindrical flavor generator, the cover sheet can be wrapped around the flavor sheet and the cover sheets can be bonded together with an adhesive. Also, for example, when manufacturing a plate-shaped flavor generator, the cover sheet can be bonded to the flavor sheet with an adhesive.

[0109] The 54th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 46th to 53rd aspects, the supply step includes supplying a plurality of the flavor sheets.

[0110] According to the 54th embodiment, by providing multiple flavor sheets to the flavor generator, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator, or the time (number of puffs) for which the aerosol can be supplied, can be increased.

[0111] The 55th aspect is characterized in that, in the 54th aspect, the plurality of flavor sheets each contain different flavor components.

[0112] According to the 55th embodiment, a flavor generator can be manufactured that provides the user with multiple flavor components. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a flavor source can be designed according to the purpose by combining multiple flavor sheets.

[0113] The 56th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 46th to 55th aspects, the support is cylindrical, and the supply step includes supplying the flavor sheet having a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support.

[0114] When the ends of the flavor sheet wrapped around the support overlap, it becomes difficult for flavor or aerosol to be generated from the overlapping portion. According to the 56th embodiment, since the flavor sheet has a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support, overlapping of the ends of the flavor sheet wrapped around the cylindrical support can be suppressed.

[0115] According to the 57th embodiment, a flavor generating body is provided. This flavor generating body includes a support, a flavor sheet disposed on the outer surface of the support, and a cover sheet covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet.

[0116] According to the 57th embodiment, a flavor generator can be provided in which a flavor sheet is supported by a support and covered with a cover sheet. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, a cylindrical flavor generator can be provided.

[0117] The 58th aspect is characterized in that, in the 57th aspect, the flavor sheet is crimped.

[0118] According to the 58th embodiment, the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet can be increased by crimping it, thereby increasing the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator. Furthermore, since voids are formed when the flavor sheet is crimped, these voids function as air passages, allowing for efficient delivery of the flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator.

[0119] The 59th aspect is characterized in that, in the 57th or 58th aspect, the flavor sheet is arranged on the outer surface of the support and formed in a cylindrical shape, and the circumferential length of the overlapping region on the outer surface of the support is 30% or less of the circumferential length of the flavor sheet.

[0120] When the edges of flavor sheets placed on the outer surface of the support overlap, flavor or aerosol generation from the overlapping portion becomes less likely. In particular, if the flavor sheets are crimped, overlapping of the flavor sheets may occur due to crimping. According to the 59th embodiment, the circumferential length of the overlapping region of the flavor sheets is suppressed, so the reduction in the amount of flavor or aerosol generation due to the overlapping of flavor sheets can be reduced. It is more preferable that the circumferential length of the overlapping region on the outer surface of the support is 20% or less of the circumference of the flavor sheet, even more preferable that it is 10% or less, and most preferable that such a region does not exist.

[0121] The 60th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 59th aspects, a plurality of the flavor sheets are arranged in a laminated manner on the outer surface of the support.

[0122] According to the 60th embodiment, by providing multiple flavor sheets to the flavor generator, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator can be increased.

[0123] The 61st aspect is characterized in that, in the 60th aspect, the plurality of flavor sheets each contain different flavor components.

[0124] According to the 61st embodiment, multiple flavor components can be provided to the user.

[0125] The 62nd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 61st aspects, the flavor sheet is a sheet containing tobacco.

[0126] According to the 62nd embodiment, flavor components contained in tobacco can be provided to the user.

[0127] The 63rd aspect is characterized in that, in the 62nd aspect, the sheet containing tobacco is a paper-formed sheet, a cast sheet, or a laminated sheet.

[0128] According to the 63rd embodiment, paper-formed sheets, cast sheets, or laminated sheets may be used as flavoring sheets. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the designer can select the type of sheet according to the purpose.

[0129] The 64th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 61st aspects, the flavor sheet is a non-tobacco sheet containing an aerosol source.

[0130] According to the 64th embodiment, the flavor contained in the aerosol source can be provided from the flavor sheet. This makes it possible to design flavors freely, without relying on the flavor of tobacco.

[0131] The 65th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 64th aspects, the amount of flavoring sheet filled is 50 mg or more and 300 mg or less.

[0132] If the amount of flavor sheet filled is less than 50 mg, there is a risk that the amount of filling will be too small to generate sufficient flavor. On the other hand, if the amount of flavor sheet filled is more than 300 mg, there is a risk that the size of the flavor generating element will become too large, or that there will not be enough air passages to efficiently release the flavor. According to the 65th embodiment, sufficient flavor can be generated while suppressing the size of the flavor generating element.

[0133] The 66th aspect is characterized in that, in aspects 57 to 65, the support is formed of an air-impermeable material.

[0134] According to the 66th embodiment, since the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor sheet does not pass through the support, the vapor or aerosol can be delivered in the desired direction. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support can be prevented from entering the inside of the support. Furthermore, unintended air inflow through the support can be suppressed.

[0135] The 67th aspect is characterized in that, in the 66th aspect, the permeability of the material forming the support is 0 c.u.

[0136] According to the 67th embodiment, since the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet does not pass through the support, the vapor or aerosol can be delivered in a desired direction. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support can be prevented from entering the inside of the support.

[0137] The 68th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 67th aspects, the support includes a hollow tube.

[0138] According to the 68th embodiment, compared to the case where the support is solid, the absorption of heat from the flavor sheet into the support can be suppressed.

[0139] The 69th aspect is characterized in that, in the 68th aspect, the support includes a paper tube.

[0140] According to the 69th aspect, since the support is made of paper, the support can be easily processed or formed, and the smoking article can be easily disposed of after use.

[0141] The 70th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 57th to 69th aspects, the breathability of the cover sheet is 0 c.u. or more and 60 c.u. or less.

[0142] According to the 70th embodiment, since vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet can be prevented from passing through the cover sheet, the vapor or aerosol can be efficiently delivered to the user. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, leakage of vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet to the outside of the cover sheet can be prevented.

[0143] The 71st aspect is characterized in that, in aspects 57 to 70, the basis weight of the cover sheet is 10 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less.

[0144] If the basis weight of the cover sheet is less than 10 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the basis weight of the cover sheet exceeds 100 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, according to the 71st embodiment, both aerosol leakage and the difficulty of processing the cover sheet can be suppressed.

[0145] The 72nd aspect is summarized as follows: in aspects 57 to 71, the density of the cover sheet is 0.5 gsm or more and 1.5 gsm or less.

[0146] If the density of the cover sheet is less than 0.5 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the density of the cover sheet is greater than 1.5 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, according to the 72nd embodiment, both aerosol leakage and the difficulty of processing the cover sheet can be suppressed.

[0147] The 73rd aspect is characterized in that, in aspects 57 to 72, the void ratio in the space between the support and the cover sheet is 20% or more and 50% or less.

[0148] If the void ratio is less than 20%, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet will have difficulty passing through the space, and there is a risk that the vapor or aerosol will not be efficiently delivered to the user. On the other hand, if the void ratio is greater than 50%, the volume of the flavor sheet in the space will be too small, and there is a risk that sufficient vapor or aerosol will not be generated. According to the 70th embodiment, sufficient vapor or aerosol can be generated, and the generated vapor or aerosol can be efficiently delivered to the user.

[0149] The 74th aspect is characterized in that, in aspects 57 to 73, the ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support is greater than 2 and less than or equal to 16.

[0150] If the above ratio is 2 or less, there is a risk that sufficient vapor or aerosol cannot be generated in the flavor sheet. On the other hand, if the above ratio is greater than 16, the filling of the flavor sheet may become too dense, and the amount of aerosol delivered may be reduced. Therefore, according to the 74th embodiment, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the amount of aerosol delivered while generating sufficient vapor or aerosol. The above ratio may be the ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support when the flavor sheet is not crimped or before crimping. When the flavor sheet is crimped, the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet can be obtained by multiplying the line area when viewing the sheet cross-section from the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the crimping direction) by the length of the flavor source. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of the surface area of ​​the crimped flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support is greater than 2 and 30 or less.

[0151] According to the 75th aspect, a method for manufacturing a flavor generator is provided. This manufacturing method includes a supply step of supplying a flavor sheet; a slitting step of slitting at least a portion of the flavor sheet; a step of placing the slitted flavor sheet on the outer surface of a support; and a step of covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support with a cover sheet.

[0152] According to the 75th embodiment, a flavor generator can be manufactured in which a flavor sheet is supported by a support and covered with a cover sheet. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, a cylindrical flavor generator can be manufactured, and when a plate-shaped support is used, a plate-shaped flavor generator can be manufactured. In addition, since slits can be formed in the flavor sheet by slitting, the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet can be increased, thereby increasing the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator. When a portion of the flavor sheet is slit, a state in which a portion of the flavor sheets are connected to each other can be maintained, so that the flavor sheets do not separate excessively when the flavor generator is manufactured.

[0153] The 76th aspect is characterized in that, in the 75th aspect, a width suppression step is included to suppress the increase in the width of the flavor sheet due to the slitting process.

[0154] According to the 76th embodiment, the increase in the width of the flavor sheet due to slitting can be suppressed. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, the overlapping of the flavor sheets when they are wrapped around the support can be suppressed. Also, for example, when a plate-shaped support is used, the increase in the size of the flavor sheet and the size of the flavor generator can be suppressed.

[0155] The 77th aspect is characterized in that, in the 76th aspect, the width reduction step is performed after the slitting process.

[0156] According to the 77th aspect, the width reduction process can be prevented from affecting the slitting process, so that the desired slitting process can be performed on the flavor sheet during the slitting process.

[0157] The 78th aspect is characterized in that, in the 77th aspect, the width reduction step is performed simultaneously with the slitting process.

[0158] According to the 78th aspect, the time required to perform the width reduction process can be shortened.

[0159] The 79th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 75th to 78th aspects, a molding step is included in which the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet are formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0160] According to the 79th embodiment, a cylindrical flavor generator can be manufactured. Alternatively, a cylindrical flavor generator may be manufactured by wrapping a flavor sheet and a cover sheet wrapper around a cylindrical support, or by layering a flavor sheet and a cover sheet on a flat support and forming them into a cylindrical shape.

[0161] The 80th aspect is characterized in that, in the 79th aspect, the molded body, which includes the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet molded in the molding process, is cut to a predetermined length.

[0162] According to the 80th embodiment, a flavor generator of a length used in smoking articles can be manufactured.

[0163] The 81st aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 75th to 80th aspects, there is a step of conveying the flavor sheet, and the slitting step includes forming a slit along the conveying direction of the flavor sheet.

[0164] According to the 81st embodiment, since the slits are formed along the conveying direction of the flavor sheet, the slits can be formed while the flavor sheet is being conveyed, and the slitting process can be performed continuously on the flavor sheet.

[0165] The 82nd aspect is characterized in that, in the 81st aspect, the slitting step includes forming a slit that extends along the entire length of the flavor sheet in the conveying direction.

[0166] According to the 82nd embodiment, in the slitting process, the flavor sheet is divided in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, so the flavor sheet is divided into multiple sheets extending in the conveying direction.

[0167] The 83rd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 75th to 82nd aspects, the present invention includes the steps of applying an adhesive to the cover sheet and drying the adhesive after the outer surface of the flavor sheet has been covered with the cover sheet.

[0168] According to the 83rd embodiment, the cover sheet can be fixed to the flavor sheet. For example, when manufacturing a cylindrical flavor generator, the cover sheet can be wrapped around the flavor sheet and the cover sheets can be bonded together with an adhesive. Also, for example, when manufacturing a plate-shaped flavor generator, the cover sheet can be bonded to the flavor sheet with an adhesive.

[0169] The 84th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 75th to 83rd aspects, the supply step includes supplying a plurality of flavor sheets.

[0170] According to the 84th embodiment, by providing multiple flavor sheets to the flavor generator, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator, or the time (number of puffs) for which the aerosol can be supplied, can be increased.

[0171] The 85th aspect is characterized in that, in the 84th aspect, the plurality of flavor sheets each contain different flavor components.

[0172] According to the 85th embodiment, a flavor generator can be manufactured that provides the user with multiple flavor components. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a flavor source can be designed according to the purpose by combining multiple flavor sheets.

[0173] The 86th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 75th to 83rd aspects, the support is cylindrical, and the supply step includes supplying the flavor sheet having a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support.

[0174] When the ends of the flavor sheet wrapped around the support overlap, it becomes difficult for flavor or aerosol to be generated from the overlapping portion. According to the 86th embodiment, since the flavor sheet has a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support, overlapping of the ends of the flavor sheet wrapped around the cylindrical support can be suppressed.

[0175] According to the 87th embodiment, a flavor generator is provided. This flavor generator includes a support, a slitted flavor sheet disposed on the outer periphery of the support, and a cover sheet disposed on the outer periphery of the flavor sheet.

[0176] According to the 87th embodiment, a flavor generator can be provided in which a flavor sheet is supported by a support and covered with a cover sheet. For example, when a cylindrical support is used, a cylindrical flavor generator can be provided, and when a plate-shaped support is used, a plate-shaped flavor generator can be provided. In addition, since the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet can be increased by slitting the flavor sheet, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator can be increased. Furthermore, since voids are formed by slitting the flavor sheet, these voids function as air passages, allowing for efficient delivery of the flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator.

[0177] The 88th aspect is characterized in that, in the 87th aspect, a plurality of the flavor sheets are arranged in a stack on the outer periphery of the support.

[0178] According to the 88th embodiment, by providing multiple flavor sheets to the flavor generator, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator can be increased.

[0179] The 89th aspect is characterized in that, in the 88th aspect, the plurality of flavor sheets each contain different flavor components.

[0180] According to the 89th aspect, multiple flavor components can be provided to the user.

[0181] The 90th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 89th aspects, the flavor sheet is a sheet containing tobacco.

[0182] According to the 90th embodiment, flavor components contained in tobacco can be provided to the user.

[0183] The 91st aspect is characterized in that, in the 90th aspect, the sheet containing tobacco is a paper-formed sheet, a cast sheet, or a laminated sheet.

[0184] According to the 91st embodiment, a paper-formed sheet, a cast sheet, or a laminated sheet may be used as a flavoring sheet. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the designer can select the type of sheet according to the purpose.

[0185] The 92nd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 89th aspects, the flavor sheet is a non-tobacco sheet containing an aerosol source.

[0186] According to the 92nd embodiment, the flavor sheet can provide the flavor contained in the aerosol source. This makes it possible to design flavors freely, without relying on the flavor of tobacco.

[0187] The 93rd aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 92nd aspects, the amount of flavoring sheet filled is 50 mg or more and 300 mg or less.

[0188] If the amount of flavor sheet filled is less than 50 mg, there is a risk that the amount of filling will be too small to generate sufficient flavor. On the other hand, if the amount of flavor sheet filled is more than 300 mg, there is a risk that the size of the flavor generating element will become too large, or that there will not be enough air passages to efficiently release the flavor. According to the 93rd embodiment, sufficient flavor can be generated while suppressing the size of the flavor generating element.

[0189] The 94th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 92nd aspects, the support is formed of an air-impermeable material.

[0190] According to the 94th embodiment, since the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor sheet does not pass through the support, the vapor or aerosol can be delivered in the desired direction. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support can be prevented from entering the inside of the support. Furthermore, unintended air inflow through the support can be suppressed.

[0191] The 95th aspect is characterized in that, in the 94th aspect, the permeability of the material forming the support is 0 c.u.

[0192] According to the 95th embodiment, since the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet does not pass through the support, the vapor or aerosol can be delivered in a desired direction. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet placed on the outer surface of the support can be prevented from entering the inside of the support.

[0193] The 96th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 95th aspects, the support includes a hollow tube.

[0194] According to the 96th embodiment, compared to the case where the support is solid, the absorption of heat from the flavor sheet into the support can be suppressed.

[0195] The 97th aspect is characterized in that, in the 96th aspect, the support includes a paper tube.

[0196] According to the 97th aspect, since the support is made of paper, the support can be easily processed or formed, and the smoking article can be easily disposed of after use.

[0197] The gist of the 98th aspect is that, in any of the 87th to 95th aspects, the breathability of the cover sheet is 0 c.u. or more and 60 c.u. or less.

[0198] According to the 98th aspect, since vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet can be prevented from passing through the cover sheet, the vapor or aerosol can be efficiently delivered to the user. Specifically, when the support is cylindrical, leakage of vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet to the outside of the cover sheet can be prevented.

[0199] The 99th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 98th aspects, the basis weight of the cover sheet is 10 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less.

[0200] If the basis weight of the cover sheet is less than 10 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the basis weight of the cover sheet exceeds 100 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, according to the 99th embodiment, it is possible to suppress both aerosol leakage and the difficulty of processing the cover sheet.

[0201] The 100th embodiment is characterized in that, in any of embodiments 87 to 99, the density of the cover sheet is 0.5 gsm or more and 1.5 gsm or less.

[0202] If the density of the cover sheet is less than 0.5 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the density of the cover sheet is greater than 1.5 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, according to the 100th embodiment, it is possible to suppress both aerosol leakage and the difficulty of processing the cover sheet.

[0203] The 101st aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 87th to 100th aspects, the void ratio in the space between the support and the cover sheet is 20% or more and 50% or less.

[0204] If the void ratio is less than 20%, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet will have difficulty passing through the space, and there is a risk that the vapor or aerosol will not be efficiently delivered to the user. On the other hand, if the void ratio is greater than 50%, the volume of the flavor sheet in the space will become too small, and there is a risk that sufficient vapor or aerosol will not be generated. According to the 101st embodiment, sufficient vapor or aerosol can be generated, and the generated vapor or aerosol can be efficiently delivered to the user.

[0205] The gist of the 102nd aspect is that, in any of the 87th to 101st aspects, the ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support is greater than 2 and less than or equal to 16.

[0206] If the above ratio is 2 or less, there is a risk that sufficient vapor or aerosol cannot be generated in the flavor sheet. On the other hand, if the above ratio is greater than 16, the filling of the flavor sheet may become too dense, and the amount of aerosol delivered may be reduced. Therefore, according to the 102nd embodiment, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the amount of aerosol delivered while generating sufficient vapor or aerosol. The above ratio may be the ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support when the flavor sheet is not crimped or before crimping. When the flavor sheet is crimped, the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet can be obtained by multiplying the line area when viewing the sheet cross-section from the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the crimping direction) by the length of the flavor source. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of the surface area of ​​the crimped flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support is greater than 2 and 30 or less. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0207] [Figure 1] This figure shows a smoking system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a smoking item. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the heater assembly. [Figure 4] A perspective view of the chamber is shown. [Figure 5] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber at the line 5-5 indicated by the arrow. [Figure 6A] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber at the line 6A-6A. [Figure 6B] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber at the line 6B-6B indicated by the arrow. [Figure 6C] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber at the point indicated by the arrow 6C-6C. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the chamber, including the non-pressure portion, with the smoking article positioned in the desired location within the chamber. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the chamber at the line 8-8 shown by arrow 8 in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the chamber of a flavor inhaler according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a smoking article according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a smoking article according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing the process for manufacturing flavor generators. [Figure 13A] This is a schematic diagram showing the width reduction process. [Figure 13B] This is a schematic diagram showing the width reduction process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0208] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Figure 1 shows a smoking system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the smoking system 100 includes a smoking article 110 having a smokeable material and a flavor inhaler 120 that heats the smoking article 110. The air inhaled by the user is guided into the user's oral cavity in the order of, for example, airflow 100A, airflow 100C, and airflow 100B. That is, the smoking system 100 shown in Figure 1 has a so-called counterflow type airflow path.

[0209] The smoking article 110 is a base material containing a flavor source such as tobacco that can produce a smoky flavor, and for example, has a columnar shape extending along its longitudinal direction. The smoking article 110 may be, for example, a tobacco stick. However, it is not limited to this, and the smoking article 110 may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape with a polygonal cross-section, or a flattened shape.

[0210] The flavor inhaler 120 includes a battery 10, a control circuit 20, and a heater assembly 30. The battery 10 stores the power used by the flavor inhaler 120. For example, the battery 10 is a lithium-ion battery. The battery 10 may be rechargeable by an external power source.

[0211] The control circuit 20 consists of a CPU and memory, and controls the operation of the flavor inhaler 120. For example, the control circuit 20 starts heating the smoking item 110 in response to user operation on an input device such as a push button or a slide switch (not shown), and stops heating the smoking item 110 after a certain period of time has elapsed. The control circuit 20 may also stop heating the smoking item 110 before a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of heating if the number of puffs performed by the user exceeds a certain value. For example, the puffing action is detected by a sensor (not shown).

[0212] Alternatively, the control circuit 20 may start heating the smoking item 110 in response to the start of the puffing operation and stop heating the smoking item 110 in response to the end of the puffing operation. The control circuit 20 may also stop heating the smoking item 110 even before the end of the puffing operation if a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of the puffing operation. In this embodiment, the control circuit 20 is positioned between the battery 10 and the heater assembly 30 to suppress heat transfer from the heater assembly 30 to the battery 10.

[0213] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the smoking article 110. Specifically, Figure 2(a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the smoking article 110. Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow bb in Figure 2(a). Figure 2(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow cc in Figure 2(a). As shown in Figure 2, the smoking article 110 includes a flavor source 81 that generates flavor and a void portion 114 that is positioned adjacent to the flavor source 81 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the flavor source 81 is cylindrical and the void portion 114 is located inside the flavor source 81. In this case, the flavor source 81 is located on the outside of the smoking article 110 and the void portion 114 is located inside the flavor source 81, so that when the smoking article 110 is heated from the outside by the flavor inhaler 120, the flavor source 81 can be heated efficiently. Furthermore, when using a flavor inhaler 120 that heats the smoking article 110 from the outside, the flavor source 81 is not placed inside the smoking article 110, where heat is not easily transferred and it does not contribute to the generation of vapor or aerosol. Therefore, the amount of flavor source 81 can be saved while suppressing a decrease in the amount of vapor or aerosol. In the example shown in Figure 2, the flavor source 81 is cylindrical. The cylindrical flavor source 81 may be formed by rolling up a sheet-shaped flavor source 81 into a cylindrical shape, for example. In this case, both ends of the sheet-shaped flavor source 81 may overlap each other, or they may be separated from each other. If both ends of the sheet-shaped flavor source 81 are separated from each other, a slit is formed along the longitudinal direction in a substantially cylindrical part of the flavor source 81. The void portion 114 may not be located inside the flavor source 81 but may be adjacent to the flavor source 81. For example, the void portion 114 may be located adjacent to a block-shaped or plate-shaped flavor source 81.

[0214] As shown in Figure 2(b), the thickness T of the flavor source 81 in the radial direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less. If the thickness T is less than 1.0 mm, there is a risk that the aerosol source will be depleted too quickly when the flavor source 81 is heated. If the thickness T is greater than 2.5 mm, there is a risk that heat will not be sufficiently transferred when the flavor source 81 is heated. When the thickness T is within the above range, the aerosol source can be sufficiently supported on the flavor source 81, and the aerosol source contained in the flavor source 81 is sufficiently heated, enabling good aerosol supply. In this case, the diameter of the smoking article 110 is preferably, for example, an outer diameter of about 7 mm, and the inner diameter of the flavor source 81 (the diameter of the void 114) is preferably about 3.5 mm. However, it is not limited to this, and the inner diameter of the flavor source 81 may be about 2.0 mm. If the inner diameter of the flavor source 81 becomes too small, the thickness T of the flavor source 81 will increase, the distance between the heat source located on the outer circumference of the flavor source 81 and the innermost surface of the flavor source 81 will increase, and it will become difficult to heat efficiently. If the flavor source 81 is made of a single sheet material, the radial thickness of the flavor source 81 will be the thickness of the sheet material. On the other hand, if the flavor source 81 has a three-dimensional thickness due to crimping or the like, the radial thickness of the flavor source 81 will be the radial height of the flavor source 81 (if the flavor source 81 is cylindrical, the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter).

[0215] The flavor source 81 will be described in detail. The smoking article 110 has a flavor generator 80 containing a flavor source 81. The flavor generator 80 may have a support 82, a flavor source 81 disposed on the outer surface of the support 82, and a cover sheet 83 covering the outer surface of the flavor source 81. In other words, the smoking article 110 has a support 82 located between the flavor source 81 and the void 114. In this embodiment, a sheet-shaped flavor sheet 81 may be used as the flavor source 81. Thus, in this embodiment, a flavor generator 80 may be provided in which the flavor sheet 81 is supported by the support 82 and covered by the cover sheet 83. When a cylindrical support 82 is used as in this embodiment, a cylindrical flavor generator 80 is provided, and when a plate-shaped support 82 is used, for example, a plate-shaped flavor generator 80 may be provided. The apparent density of the flavor sheet 81 molded as the flavor generator 80 is, for example, 250 mg / cm³. 3 More than 1100mg / cm 3 The following, preferably 500 mg / cm³ 3 More than 1100mg / cm 3 That is the case.

[0216] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the flavor sheet 81 is crimped. Alternatively, it is preferable that the flavor sheet 81 is slit. In this case, since the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet 81 can be increased by crimping or slitting the flavor sheet 81, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator 80 can be increased. Also, since voids are formed when the flavor sheet 81 is crimped or slit, these voids function as air passages, allowing for efficient delivery of the flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator 80. When the flavor sheet 81 is slit, it is preferable that the slits extend in the longitudinal direction in order to easily form the flavor sheet 81 into a cylindrical shape. The flavor sheet 81 may also be slit after being crimped. In this case, the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet 81 can be made even larger.

[0217] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, when the flavor sheet 81 is arranged on the outer surface of the support 82 to form a cylindrical shape, it is preferable that the circumferential length of the overlapping region of the flavor sheet 81 on the outer surface of the support 82 is 30% or less of the circumference of the flavor sheet 81. When the ends of the flavor sheet 81 arranged on the outer surface of the support 82 overlap, it becomes difficult for flavor or aerosol to be generated from this overlapping portion. In particular, if the flavor sheet 81 is crimped, overlapping of the flavor sheet 81 may occur due to crimping. For this reason, if the circumferential length of the overlapping region of the flavor sheet 81 is within the above range, the reduction in the amount of flavor or aerosol generated due to the overlapping of the flavor sheet 81 can be reduced. It is more preferable that the circumferential length of the overlapping region of the flavor sheet 81 on the outer surface of the support 82 is 20% or less of the circumference of the flavor sheet 81, even more preferable that it is 10% or less, and most preferable that such a region does not exist.

[0218] Furthermore, in the flavor generator 80, multiple flavor sheets 81 may be arranged in a laminated manner on the outer surface of the support 82. In this case, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator 80 can be increased. Moreover, in this case, it is preferable that each of the multiple flavor sheets 81 contains a different flavor component. This allows the user to be provided with multiple flavor components. When multiple flavor sheets 81 are used, it is preferable that gaps are provided between the multiple flavor sheets 81 so that air channels are formed between them, rather than each of them being laminated in close contact.

[0219] The flavor sheet 81 may, for example, be a sheet containing tobacco. In this case, the flavor components contained in tobacco can be provided to the user. Specific examples of tobacco that may be included in the flavor sheet 81 include shredded dried tobacco leaves, crushed tobacco leaves, or tobacco extract (extract from water, organic solvents, or mixed solutions thereof). Crushed tobacco leaves are particles obtained by crushing tobacco leaves. The crushed tobacco leaves can, for example, have an average particle size of 30 to 120 μm. Crushing can be performed using a known crusher, and may be dry or wet crushing. Therefore, crushed tobacco leaves are also referred to as tobacco particles. In this embodiment, the average particle size is determined by laser diffraction / scattering, specifically measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (e.g., Horiba LA-950). Furthermore, the type of tobacco is not limited, and yellow varieties, Burley varieties, Oriental varieties, native varieties, and other Nicotiana tabacum varieties and Nicotiana rustica varieties can be used. The amount of tobacco (dry weight) contained in the flavor sheet 81 is not particularly limited, but is 1% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, 90% by weight or less, and preferably 80% by weight or less. Alternatively, the flavor sheet 81 may be formed using an extract obtained from tobacco powder or the like.

[0220] If the flavor sheet 81 contains tobacco, for example, the tobacco may be supported on a non-tobacco sheet made of non-tobacco fibers such as pulp fibers or nonwoven fabric. Alternatively, the flavor sheet 81 may be formed from a tobacco sheet. The flavor sheet 81 may be a paper-formed sheet, cast sheet, or laminated sheet (rolled sheet) of tobacco leaves. In this case, the designer can select the type of sheet according to the purpose. The flavor sheet 81 may further contain an aerosol source. In this case, the amount of aerosol delivered to the user can be increased. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their components can be selected according to the application. The aerosol source is preferably a polyhydric alcohol, and can be, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, or mixtures thereof.

[0221] The flavor sheet 81 may be a non-tobacco sheet containing an aerosol source. That is, the flavor sheet 81 may be a non-tobacco sheet composed of non-tobacco fibers, such as pulp fibers or nonwoven fabric, that contain an aerosol source. In this case, the flavor contained in the aerosol source can be provided from the flavor sheet 81. This makes it possible to design flavors freely, without relying on tobacco flavors.

[0222] The amount of flavor sheet 81 filled in the flavor generator 80 is preferably 50 mg or more and 300 mg or less. If the amount of flavor sheet 81 filled is less than 50 mg, there is a risk that the amount will be too small to generate sufficient flavor. On the other hand, if the amount of flavor sheet 81 filled is more than 300 mg, there is a risk that the size of the flavor generator 80 will become too large, or that there will not be enough air passages to efficiently release the flavor. Therefore, if the amount of flavor sheet 81 filled is within the above range, sufficient flavor can be generated while suppressing the size of the flavor generator 80.

[0223] The ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet 81 to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support 82 is preferably greater than 2 and less than or equal to 16. If the ratio is less than or equal to 2, there is a risk that the flavor sheet 81 will not be able to generate sufficient vapor or aerosol. On the other hand, if the ratio is greater than 16, the flavor sheet 81 may become too densely packed, which may reduce the amount of aerosol delivered. Therefore, when the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet 81 is within the above range, it is possible to generate sufficient vapor or aerosol while suppressing a reduction in the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0224] The support 82 is preferably formed from an air-impermeable material. In this case, since vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet 81 does not pass through the support 82, the vapor or aerosol can be delivered in the desired direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, if the support 82 is cylindrical, vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet 81 placed on the outer surface of the support 82 can be prevented from entering the inside of the support 82. In this case, unintended air inflow through the support 82 can also be prevented. Specifically, the permeability of the material forming the support 82 is preferably 0 c.u.

[0225] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the support 82 includes a hollow tube. In this case, compared to when the support 82 is solid, the absorption of heat from the flavor sheet 81 into the support 82 can be suppressed. More specifically, it is preferable that the support 82 includes a paper tube. In this case, since the support 82 is made of paper, the support 82 can be easily processed or formed, and can be easily disposed of after use of the smoking article 110. However, the support 82 is not limited to this and may be solid, or may have any other shape that can support the flavor sheet 81.

[0226] The permeability of the cover sheet 83 is preferably 0 c.u. to 60 c.u. In this case, it is possible to suppress the passage of vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet 81 through the cover sheet 83, thereby efficiently delivering the vapor or aerosol to the user. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, when the support 82 is cylindrical, leakage of vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet 81 to the outside of the cover sheet 83 can be suppressed.

[0227] The basis weight of the cover sheet 83 is preferably 10 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less. If the basis weight of the cover sheet 83 is less than 10 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the basis weight of the cover sheet 83 is greater than 100 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, if the basis weight of the cover sheet 83 is within the above range, aerosol leakage and difficulty in processing the cover sheet can be suppressed. Furthermore, the density of the cover sheet 83 is preferably 0.5 gsm or more and 1.5 gsm or less. If the density of the cover sheet 83 is less than 0.5 gsm, the cover sheet will be permeable, and there is a risk of aerosol leakage. On the other hand, if the density of the cover sheet 83 is greater than 1.5 gsm, there is a risk that the cover sheet will be difficult to process. Therefore, if the density of the cover sheet 83 is within the above range, aerosol leakage and difficulty in processing the cover sheet can be suppressed.

[0228] The porosity in the space S1 between the support 82 and the cover sheet 83 (see Figure 2(b)) is preferably 20% to 50%. That is, when only the flavor sheet 81 is placed between the support 82 and the cover sheet 83 as shown in Figure 2, the porosity of the flavor sheet 81 is preferably 20% to 50%. If the porosity is less than 20%, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor sheet 81 will have difficulty passing through the space S1, and there is a risk that the vapor or aerosol will not be efficiently delivered to the user. On the other hand, if the porosity is greater than 50%, the volume of the flavor sheet 81 in the space S1 will be too small, and there is a risk that it will not be able to generate enough vapor or aerosol. Therefore, when the porosity is within the above range, it is possible to generate enough vapor or aerosol and efficiently deliver the generated vapor or aerosol to the user.

[0229] As shown in Figure 2, the smoking article 110 preferably has a cooling section 116 downstream of the flavor generator 80 and a filter 130 downstream of the cooling section 116. The cooling section 116 is configured to allow vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor generator 80 to pass through. This allows the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor generator 80 to be cooled in the cooling section 116. The cooling section 116 may be a hollow member. The cooling section 116 may also have an opening for taking in air from the outside. When the smoking article 110 is inserted into the flavor inhaler 120, a part of the cooling section 116 may be exposed from the flavor inhaler 120. If the cooling section 116 has an opening for taking in air from the outside as described above, this opening may be provided in the part exposed from the flavor inhaler 120. The cooling section 116 may have a filler material that promotes cooling (for example, a polylactic acid sheet filled in a gathered shape). In this case, the cooling section 116 does not need to have an opening for taking in outside air.

[0230] As shown in Figure 2(c), the cooling section 116 preferably has a stopper 116a located inside the wrapper 118. The stopper 116a can prevent the flavor generator 80 from moving toward the cooling section 116. Specifically, in this embodiment, when viewed from the longitudinal direction, at least a portion of the stopper 116a of the cooling section 116 is located on the same radius as the flavor generator 80. In other words, at least a portion of the stopper 116a is positioned to be in contact with the flavor generator 80 in the longitudinal direction. This can prevent the flavor generator 80 from moving. In this embodiment, the stopper 116a is a piece of paper whose ends are connected to different positions on the inner surface of the cylindrical wrapper 118, and whose length between its ends is longer than the diameter of the wrapper 118, and which may have an S-shaped cross-section when viewed from the longitudinal direction. However, the stopper 22 can take any form that can prevent the flavor generator 80 from moving toward the cooling section 116. Specifically, for example, a center-hole filter may be used as the stopper 22. In this case, the radial thickness of the filled portion of the center-hole filter is preferably smaller than the radial thickness of the flavor source 81 in order to suppress the occurrence of undesirable filtration. Furthermore, the filled portion of the center-hole filter used as the stopper 22 may be filled with cellulose acetate or pulp paper.

[0231] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the smoking article 110 has a tip plug 140 located upstream of the flavor generator 80 (flavor source 81). In this case, the end of the flavor source 81 is covered by the tip plug 140, so that the flavor source 81 does not fall off the smoking article 110. The longitudinal length of the tip plug 140 is preferably 1 mm or more. The tip plug 140 can be manufactured by being manufactured to a predetermined length and then cut to any length. If the length of the tip plug 140 is less than 1 mm, the shape cannot be maintained when cut, and deformation such as crushing may occur. If the longitudinal length of the tip plug 140 is 1 mm or more, the manufacturing of the tip plug 140 can be carried out relatively easily. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, the length of the tip plug 140 is more preferably 3 mm or more. The tip plug 140 may contain an aerosol source. Also, the tip plug 140 does not have to contain tobacco.

[0232] As shown in Figure 2(a), a wrapper 118 is wrapped around the tip plug 140. In the illustrated example, the wrapper 118 is wrapped not only around the tip plug 140 but also around the flavor generator 80, the cooling unit 116, and the filter 130. However, it is not limited to this, and the tip plug 140, flavor generator 80, cooling unit 116, and filter 130 may be wrapped in other wrapping sheets, and each may be wrapped together with chipping paper. Also, as shown in Figure 2(a), it is preferable that the wrapper 118 wrapped around the tip plug 140 is provided with an air intake opening 119 that penetrates between the front and back surfaces of the wrapper 118. In other words, it is preferable that the opening 119 is provided upstream of the flavor source 81 in the wrapper 118. In this case, since air is introduced from the opening 119 provided in the wrapper 118, it is possible to easily supply air to the cylindrical flavor source 81 located around the smoking article 110. This allows for the efficient delivery of flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 81 to the user. Multiple openings 119 may be formed in the wrapper 118 along the circumferential direction. In this case, multiple openings 119 in a single row may be formed in the wrapper 118 along the circumferential direction, or multiple openings 119 in multiple rows may be formed in the wrapper 118 along the circumferential direction. Furthermore, an inner wrapper may be provided between the tip plug 140 and the wrapper 118. In this case, it is preferable that the inner wrapper also has openings that penetrate between the front and back surfaces of the inner wrapper.

[0233] The greater the distance between the opening 119 and the flavor source 81, the more the air introduced from the opening 119 can diffuse before reaching the flavor source 81. In this case, the amount of air passing through the void 114 inside the cylindrical flavor source 81 can increase. For this reason, as shown in Figure 2(a), it is preferable that the opening 119 be located closer to the flavor source 81 than to the longitudinal center of the tip plug 140. In this case, the air introduced from the opening 119 can reach the flavor source 81 before it diffuses within the tip plug 140, making it easier to supply air to the flavor source 81. This allows for the efficient delivery of flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 81 to the user.

[0234] Next, the heater assembly 30 will be described in detail. The heater assembly 30 is an assembly for heating the smoking article 110. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the heater assembly 30 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the heater assembly 30 has a top cap 32, a heating unit 40, and a chamber 50. The chamber 50 is configured to house the smoking article 110. The heating unit 40 is configured to heat the smoking article 110 housed in the chamber 50. The top cap 32 serves as a guide when inserting the smoking article 110 into the chamber 50. The top cap 32 may be configured to fix the chamber 50 to the flavor inhaler 120.

[0235] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the chamber 50. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 along the line 5-5 shown in Figure 4. Figure 6A shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 along the line 6A-6A shown in Figure 5. Figure 6B shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 along the line 6B-6B shown in Figure 5. Figure 6C shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 along the line 6C-6C shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the chamber 50 may be a bottomed cylindrical member including an opening 52 into which the smoking article 110 is inserted and a holding part 60 for holding the smoking article 110. The chamber 50 may also be a bottomless cylindrical body. The chamber 50 is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, for example, stainless steel. This allows for effective heating of the smoking article 110 from the chamber 50.

[0236] As shown in Figures 5 and 6C, the holding portion 60 includes a pressing portion 62 that presses a part of the smoking article 110, and a non-pressing portion 66. The non-pressing portion 66 is positioned adjacent to the pressing portion 62 in the circumferential direction. The pressing portion 62 has an inner surface 62a and an outer surface 62b. The non-pressing portion 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b. As shown in Figure 3, the heating portion 40 is positioned on the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62.

[0237] The opening 52 of the chamber 50 is preferably capable of receiving the smoking article 110 without pressing it. The shape of the opening 52 of the chamber 50 on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50, in other words, on a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the smoking article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, may be polygonal or elliptical, but is preferably circular.

[0238] As shown in Figures 4 and 6C, the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 is flat. Because the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 is flat, when a strip-shaped electrode 48 is connected to the heating portion 40 positioned on the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62, as shown in Figure 3, bending of the strip-shaped electrode 48 can be suppressed. As a result, the routing of the electrode 48 within the flavor inhaler 120 becomes easier. Furthermore, compared to cases where the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 is curved or uneven, the heating portion 40 can be positioned with greater precision, and the heating portion 40 can be easily and seamlessly positioned on the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62. As shown in Figures 5 and 6C, the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62 is flat. Also, as shown in Figures 5 and 6C, the thickness of the pressing portion 62 is uniform.

[0239] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6C, in this embodiment, the chamber 50 has two or more pressing portions 62 in the circumferential direction of the chamber 50. As shown in Figures 5 and 6C, the two pressing portions 62 face each other. Preferably, the distance between at least a portion of the inner surfaces 62a of the two pressing portions 62 is smaller than the width of the portion of the smoking article 110 inserted into the chamber 50 that is positioned between the pressing portions 62.

[0240] As shown in Figure 6C, the non-pressing portion 66 may have an overall arc-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. As shown in Figure 6C, the holding portion 60 is composed of a metal cylindrical body having a uniform thickness.

[0241] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6B, it is preferable that the chamber 50 has a first guide portion 58 with a tapered surface 58a that connects the inner surface of the chamber 50 forming the opening 52 with the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62.

[0242] As shown in Figure 3, the heating unit 40 has a heating element 42. The heating element 42 may be, for example, a heating track. As shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the heating unit 40 has, in addition to the heating element 42, an electrical insulating member 44 that covers at least one surface of the heating element 42. In this embodiment, the electrical insulating member 44 is arranged to cover both sides of the heating element. The flavor inhaler 120 of this embodiment may have an induction coil for induction heating of the chamber 50 instead of the heating unit 40.

[0243] As shown in Figure 3, the flavor inhaler 120 has a strip-shaped electrode 48 extending from the heating section 40. When the heating section 40 is positioned on the outer surface 62b of the pressing section 62, the strip-shaped electrode 48 preferably extends from the flat outer surface 62b of the pressing section 62 to the outside of the outer surface 62b of the pressing section 62. As shown in Figure 3, the strip-shaped electrode 48 extends from the outer surface 62b of each of the two pressing sections 62. However, it is not limited to this, and the strip-shaped electrode 48 may extend from only one of the outer surfaces 62b of the two pressing sections 62. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the strip-shaped electrode 48 extends on the side opposite to the opening 52 of the chamber 50. The strip-shaped electrode 48 may have a structure in which a layer of conductive track is placed between two layers of electrical insulating material.

[0244] In the embodiments described above, the chamber 50 has a pair of opposing pressing portions 62, but the shape of the chamber is not limited to this.

[0245] Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the chamber 50, including the non-pressing portion 66, with the smoking article 110 positioned in the desired location within the chamber 50. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 along the line 8-8 shown by the arrow in Figure 7. In Figure 8, the support portion 56, which will be described later, is shown with a dashed line for convenience of explanation. The gap 67 between the inner surface 66a of the non-pressing portion 66 and the smoking article 110, as shown in Figure 8, is substantially maintained even when the smoking article 110 is positioned in the desired location within the chamber 50 and is deformed by being pressed by the pressing portion 62. This gap 67 can communicate with the opening 52 of the chamber 50 and the end face of the smoking article 110 positioned within the chamber 50 (the lower end face in Figure 7). This eliminates the need to provide a separate airflow path in the smoking system 100 for introducing air supplied to the smoking article 110, thus simplifying the structure of the smoking system 100.

[0246] As shown in Figure 7, when the smoking article 110 is positioned in the desired location in the chamber 50, it is preferable that the opening 119 is positioned to face the non-pressed portion 66. In this case, even if a part of the smoking article 110 is pressed by the chamber 50, air can be introduced through the opening 119 from the gap 67 (see Figure 8) between the non-pressed portion 66 and the smoking article 110, making it easier to supply air to the cylindrical flavor source 81 located around the smoking article 110.

[0247] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, it is preferable that a plurality of openings 119 be provided in the wrapper 118. In particular, it is preferable that the plurality of openings 119 be provided in the wrapper 118 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this case, since the plurality of openings 119 are spaced equally apart in the circumferential direction, even if the user places the smoking article 110 in the chamber 50 in any circumferential orientation, it is possible to prevent all of the plurality of openings 119 from facing the pressing portion 62. That is, since it is possible to prevent all of the plurality of openings 119 from being blocked by the pressing portion 62, even if the user places the smoking article 110 in the chamber 50 in any orientation, it is possible to introduce air through the openings 119 and easily supply air to the cylindrical flavor source 81 located around the smoking article 110. Note that when the smoking article 110 is positioned at a desired position in the chamber 50, some of the plurality of openings 119 may be provided to face the pressing portion 62. Even in this case, some of the multiple openings 119 face the non-pressing portion 66, and other parts of the multiple openings 119 face the pressing portion 62. Therefore, even if the user places the smoking article 110 in the chamber 50 in any circumferential orientation, at least some of the multiple openings 119 face the non-pressing portion 66, allowing air to be introduced. The multiple openings 119 may be formed along the circumferential direction on the wrapper 118. In this case, a single row of multiple openings 119 may be formed along the circumferential direction on the wrapper 118, or multiple rows of multiple openings 119 may be formed along the circumferential direction on the wrapper 118. Furthermore, an inner wrapper may be provided between the tip plug 140 and the wrapper 118. In this case, it is preferable that the inner wrapper also has openings that penetrate between the front and back surfaces of the inner wrapper.

[0248] As shown in Figure 7, a portion of the cooling section 116 may be exposed from the chamber 50. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the longitudinal length of the heating section 40 may be shorter than the longitudinal length of the flavor generator 80. Specifically, the longitudinal length of the heating section 40 may be 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, or 80% or more of the longitudinal length of the flavor generator 80. Alternatively, the longitudinal length of the heating section 40 may be 90% or less of the longitudinal length of the flavor generator 80. Not limited to these, the longitudinal length of the heating section 40 may be the same as the longitudinal length of the flavor generator 80, or it may be longer than the longitudinal length of the flavor generator 80.

[0249] In the longitudinal direction, the heating section 40 may be positioned so as to overlap part or all of the flavor generator 80 and part of the cooling section. Alternatively, in the longitudinal direction, the heating section 40 may be positioned so as to overlap part or all of the flavor generator 80 and part or all of the tip plug 140. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the downstream end of the heating section 40 and the downstream end of the flavor generator 80 may be substantially aligned. Specifically, the distance between the downstream end of the heating section 40 and the downstream end of the flavor generator 80 in the longitudinal direction may be 2 mm or less.

[0250] If the longitudinal length of the heating section 40 is longer than the longitudinal length of the flavor generating element 80, for example, the heating section 40 may overlap the entire length of the flavor generating element 80 and also overlap a portion of the cooling section 116. Alternatively, the heating section 40 may overlap the entire length of the flavor generating element 80 and also overlap a portion of the tip plug 140. Furthermore, the heating section 40 may overlap the entire length of the flavor generating element 80 and also overlap a portion of the cooling section 116 and a portion of the tip plug 140. If the heating section 40 overlaps a portion of the cooling section 116, the distance between the downstream end of the heating section 40 and the upstream end of the cooling section 116 in the longitudinal direction may be 2 mm or less. Also, if the heating section 40 overlaps a portion of the tip plug 140, the distance between the upstream end of the heating section 40 and the downstream end of the tip plug 140 in the longitudinal direction may be 2 mm or less.

[0251] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the flavor inhaler 120 preferably has a support portion 56 that supports the tip of the smoking article 110 when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50. In this embodiment, the support portion 56 is provided as the bottom of the chamber 50, but it is not limited to this and may be provided as a separate component from the chamber 50. As shown in Figure 7, the support portion 56 supports a portion of the smoking article 110 inserted into the chamber 50 such that at least a portion of the end face of the smoking article 110 is exposed. The support portion 56 may also support a portion of the smoking article 110 such that the exposed end face of the smoking article 110 is in communication with the gap 67.

[0252] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the support portion 56 is configured to allow air to be introduced from the tip of the smoking article 110 to the flavor source 81 while preventing air from flowing into the void portion 114. In other words, by supporting the tip of the smoking article 110, the support portion 56 can prevent air introduced from the tip of the smoking article 110 from flowing into the void portion 114. In this case, for a flavor source 81 that is partially provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the support portion 56 can prevent air from flowing into the void portion 114 while preferentially introducing air from the tip of the smoking article 110 to the flavor source 81. This makes it possible to efficiently deliver the flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 81 to the user.

[0253] As shown in Figure 8, when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50, it is preferable that the support portion 56 overlaps with at least a portion of the void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110. In this case, the support portion 56 overlapping with at least a portion of the void portion 114 in the longitudinal direction can prevent air from flowing straight into the void portion 114 from the front of the smoking article 110. As shown in the example in Figure 8, it is more preferable that the support portion 56 overlaps with the entire void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110.

[0254] As shown in Figure 8, when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50, if R is the size of the gap between the outer edge of the support portion 56 and the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 as viewed from the longitudinal direction, then R > T may be the case with respect to the radial thickness T of the flavor source 81 shown in Figure 2. In this case, the proportion of the amount of air flowing into the void portion 114 out of the amount of air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 can be increased, thereby suppressing the temperature drop of the flavor source 81. Also, since the amount of air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 can be increased, more aerosol generated by the flavor source 81 can be supplied. Note that the relationship R > T may also hold when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50 (flavor inhaler 120). If R is not substantially constant when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50 (flavor inhaler 120), R may be the maximum value of the gap between the outer edge of the support portion 56 and the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 as viewed from the longitudinal direction. When the smoking article 110 is inserted into the chamber 50 (flavor inhaler 120), if T is not substantially constant, T may be the maximum value of the radial thickness T of the flavor source 81.

[0255] Alternatively, when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50, if R is the size of the gap between the outer edge of the support portion 56 and the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 as viewed from the longitudinal direction, then T > R may be the same as the radial thickness T of the flavor source 81 shown in Figure 2. In this case, the air flowing in from near the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 can be suppressed from spreading inward, and air can be supplied to the aerosol source more efficiently. Note that the size of the gap R here refers to the size of the gap in the radial direction including the center O of the chamber 50 or the smoking article 110 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0256] As in this embodiment, when the smoking article 110 has a tip plug 140, the support portion 56 is configured to support the smoking article 110 by contacting the tip plug 140, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, the support portion 56 can be prevented from contacting the relatively fragile flavor source 81, thus preventing damage to the flavor source 81.

[0257] Here, it is preferable that the length of the tip plug 140 in the longitudinal direction is 10 mm or less. In this case, by shortening the length of the tip plug 140, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 or air introduced from the opening 119 within the tip plug 140. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of air that is prevented from flowing into the gap 114 by the support portion 56, or air introduced from the opening 119, within the tip plug 140 and into the gap 114. The length of the tip plug 140 is more preferably 8 mm or less, and even more preferably 5 mm or less.

[0258] Furthermore, it is preferable that the tip plug 140 includes a paper filter. In this case, compared to using, for example, an acetate filter as the tip plug 140, the diffusion of air flowing into the tip plug 140 can be suppressed. As a result, air that is prevented from flowing into the void 114 by the support portion 56, or air introduced from the opening 119, is prevented from diffusing in the tip plug 140 and flowing into the void 114, and air can be reliably supplied by the flavor source 81 located near the outer circumference of the smoking article 110.

[0259] As described above, when the flavor inhaler 120 has a support portion 56, it is preferable that the ratio of the amount of air passing through the flavor source 81 in a predetermined time to the amount of air passing through the gap portion 114 in a predetermined time when the user inhales the smoking item 110 is 1:0 to 1:3. In this case, air can be reliably supplied to the flavor source 81. Also, since it is permissible for air to pass through the gap portion 114, the air passing through the gap portion 114 can function to cool or dilute the vapor or aerosol. If the proportion of air passing through the flavor source 81 is 100% of the total (i.e., the above ratio is 1:0), it is preferable to provide a separate air inlet (vf) on the smoking item 110 for the purpose of adding a cooling function for the vapor or aerosol.

[0260] Furthermore, when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50, it is preferable that the area of ​​the support portion 56 viewed from the longitudinal direction (i.e., the area of ​​the support portion 56 shown in Figure 8) is larger than the area of ​​the void portion 114 viewed from the longitudinal direction (i.e., the area of ​​114 shown in Figure 8). In this case, by ensuring that the support portion 56 sufficiently overlaps the void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction, it is possible to suppress (inhibit) air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 into the void portion 114.

[0261] If the support portion 56 supports only the flavor source 81 (or tip plug 140), localized pressure will be applied, which may cause the flavor source 81 (or tip plug 140) to deform. For this reason, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the support portion 56 has a projection 56a extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 8, when the smoking article 110 is housed in the chamber 50, this projection 56a may overlap with a part of the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 (e.g., the wrapper 118) when viewed from the longitudinal direction. In this case, the projection 56a can support the wrapper 118 of the smoking article 110. As a result, the projection 56a is in contact with the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 (e.g., the wrapper 118), so the support portion 56 can stably support the smoking article 110 and prevent deformation of the flavor source 81 (or tip plug 140) compared to the case where the support portion 56 supports only the flavor source 81 (or tip plug 140). In the example shown in Figure 8, the protrusion 56a extends toward the gap 67 (air passage), but it is not limited to this and may extend toward the pressing portion 62. In this case, obstruction of the airflow in the air passage by the protrusion 56a can be suppressed.

[0262] Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 of the flavor inhaler 120 according to another embodiment. As shown, the flavor inhaler 120 according to the other embodiment has a tubular member 59 that extends to the void 114 when the smoking article 110 is placed in the chamber 50. This tubular member 59 is configured to introduce air into the void 114. This allows air to be introduced into the void 114 through the tubular member 59, thereby promoting the cooling of vapor or aerosol generated from the flavor source 81. In the illustrated example, one end of the tubular member 59 extends into the void 114, and the other end communicates with the outside of the chamber 50 to introduce air from outside the chamber into the void 114. However, it is not limited to this, and may be configured to communicate with the space inside the chamber 50 to introduce air from inside the chamber 50 into the void 114. The tip plug 140 may be formed so that the tubular member 59 can be inserted. Alternatively, the tip plug 140 may have an opening into which the tubular member 59 is inserted. Even if the tip plug 140 has this opening, the flavor source 81 of the flavor generator 80 will not be exposed from the opening, so spillage of the flavor source 81 from the opening can be suppressed.

[0263] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the smoking article 110 according to another embodiment. Specifically, Figure 10(a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the smoking article 110 according to another embodiment. Figure 10(b) is a plan view of the direction bb in Figure 10(a). The smoking article 110 shown in Figure 10 differs from the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 2 only in that it is equipped with an obstruction part 142. For other configurations and functions, refer to the explanation of the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 2 and will be omitted. The obstruction part 142 is located upstream of the flavor source 81 and is configured to allow air to be introduced from the tip of the smoking article 110 to the flavor source 81 while obstructing the flow of air into the void part 114. By obstructing the flow of air into the void part 114 with respect to the flavor source 81 which is partially provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, air from the tip of the smoking article 110 can be preferentially introduced to the flavor source 81. This allows for the efficient delivery of flavor-containing vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 81 to the user.

[0264] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, it is preferable that the obstructing portion 142 overlaps with at least a portion of the void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110. In this case, it is possible to prevent air from flowing straight into the void portion 114 from the tip of the smoking article 110. It is more preferable that the obstructing portion 142 overlaps with the entire void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110. In the example shown in Figure 10, the obstructing portion 142 overlaps with the void portion 114 so as to substantially coincide when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110.

[0265] As shown in Figure 10(b), when R is the size of the gap between the obstruction portion 142 and the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 as viewed from the longitudinal direction, R > T is possible with respect to the radial thickness T of the flavor source 81 shown in Figure 2. In this case, the amount of air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 can be increased, so that more aerosol generated by the flavor source 81 can be supplied.

[0266] Alternatively, if R is the size of the gap between the support portion 56 and the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 as viewed from the longitudinal direction, then T > R may be the case for the radial thickness T of the flavor source 81 shown in Figure 2. In this case, the air flowing in from near the outer circumference of the smoking article 110 can be suppressed from spreading inward, and air can be supplied to the aerosol source more efficiently. Note that the size of the gap R here refers to the size of the gap on the radius containing the center O of the smoking article 110 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0267] Furthermore, it is preferable that the area of ​​the obstruction portion 142 viewed from the longitudinal direction is larger than the area of ​​the void portion 114 viewed from the longitudinal direction. In this case, the area of ​​the obstruction portion 142 is larger than the area of ​​the void portion 114 in the direction of airflow. Therefore, by ensuring that the obstruction portion 142 sufficiently overlaps the void portion 114 when viewed from the longitudinal direction, it is possible to suppress (inhibit) the air flowing in from the tip of the smoking article 110 into the void portion 114. Note that the area of ​​the obstruction portion 142 or the void portion 114 viewed from the longitudinal direction here refers to the area of ​​the largest cross-section among the cross-sections perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0268] As shown in Figure 10, it is preferable that the inhibitory portion 142 is provided with a tip plug 140 located upstream of the flavor source 81. If there is no tip plug 140, the inhibitory portion 142 may be positioned, for example, embedded in a void 114 of the smoking article 110, but the inhibitory portion 142 can be easily provided if the smoking article 110 has a tip plug 140.

[0269] As shown in Figure 10, the tip plug 140 may have a recess 143. In this case, it is preferable that the obstructing portion 142 is filled into the recess 143. This prevents the obstructing portion 142 from protruding from the tip plug 140, so that the obstructing portion 142 can be provided without substantially changing its appearance from a conventional smoking article 110. Even when the obstructing portion 142 is filled into the recess 143, the obstructing portion 142 may be provided so as to protrude (or overhang) from the recess 143. In the example shown in Figure 10, the obstructing portion 142 is filled into the recess 143 so as to substantially coincide with the recess 143. Alternatively, the obstructing portion 142 may be provided on the surface of the tip plug 140.

[0270] The material constituting the inhibitor 142 provided on the tip plug 140 is preferably a flame-retardant material. Specifically, for example, the inhibitor 142 is preferably made of heat-curing or naturally curing adhesives, and more specifically, it is preferably made from at least one of the group consisting of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer resin, and modified starch. In this case, in particular, when a highly flammable material such as a paper filter is used for the tip plug 140, it is possible to suppress the burning of smoking items even if the user uses it unintentionally. However, the inhibitor 142 is not limited to this, and when it is provided on the tip plug 140, it may be made of a material with lower permeability than the tip plug 140.

[0271] On the other hand, in yet another embodiment, the tip plug 140 shown in Figure 10 may be provided with a high-density portion 142a and a low-density portion 144. In this case, the high-density portion 142a can constitute an obstruction portion 142. This suppresses the inflow of air from the low-density portion 144 to the high-density portion 142a, so the obstruction portion 142 can be formed by the tip plug 140 alone without attaching any other members to the tip plug 140.

[0272] As described above, when the smoking article 110 has an obstruction part 142, it is preferable that the ratio of the amount of air passing through the flavor source 81 in a predetermined time to the amount of air passing through the void part 114 in a predetermined time when the user inhales the smoking article 110 is 1:0 to 1:3. In this case, air can be reliably supplied to the flavor source 81. Also, since it is permissible for air to pass through the void part 114, the air passing through the void part 114 can function to cool or dilute the vapor or aerosol. If the proportion of air passing through the flavor source 81 is 100% of the total (i.e., the above ratio is 1:0), it is preferable to provide a separate air inlet (vf) on the smoking article 110 for the purpose of adding a cooling function for the vapor or aerosol.

[0273] A method for manufacturing the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 10 will now be described. First, a flavor source 81 that generates flavor is prepared. At this time, a void 114 is formed adjacent to the flavor source 81 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Next, an obstruction portion 142 is formed in the smoking article 110. At this time, the obstruction portion 142 may be formed as a tip plug 140 as shown in Figure 10. If the smoking article 110 does not have a tip plug 140, the obstruction portion 142 may be provided in the void 114.

[0274] Figure 11 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a smoking article 110 according to yet another embodiment. In Figure 11, the smoking article 110 is shown positioned at a desired location in the chamber 50. The smoking article 110 shown in Figure 11 differs from the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 2 only in that it includes a sealing member 146. Other configurations and functions are described in reference to those described for the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 2, and are therefore omitted from this explanation.

[0275] As shown in Figure 11, the smoking article 110 has a sealing member 146 that seals the upstream end face of the tip plug 140. Much of the air introduced from the upstream end face of the tip plug 140 can pass through the void 114 inside the cylindrical flavor source 81. With the smoking article 110 shown in Figure 11, air is prevented from flowing in from the upstream end face of the tip plug 140, so that air can be efficiently supplied to the flavor source 81 from the opening 119 provided in the wrapper 118.

[0276] The sealing member 146 is preferably made of heat-curing or naturally curing adhesives, and more specifically, it is preferably made of at least one of the group consisting of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer resin, and modified starch. In this case, since the sealing member 146 is made of a relatively flame-retardant material, even if a user accidentally tries to ignite the tip plug 140 of the smoking article 110, the end face of the tip plug 140 may be prevented from burning. The sealing member 146 is not limited to this, and paper or aluminum sheet having a coating that suppresses ignition may also be used. Furthermore, the sealing member 146 may cover the entire upstream end face of the tip plug 140, or it may cover only a part of it.

[0277] Furthermore, if the smoking article 110 has a sealing member 146, air is not introduced from the tip of the smoking article 110, so the chamber 50 does not need to have a support portion 56, as shown in Figure 11. In addition, the illustrated smoking article 110 may further have an obstructing portion 142, or a tip plug 140 having a high-density portion 142a and a low-density portion 144, as shown in Figure 10.

[0278] Next, a method for manufacturing the flavor generator 80 shown in Figure 2, etc., will be described. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the process for manufacturing the flavor generator 80. The method for manufacturing the flavor generator 80 according to this embodiment includes a supply step of supplying a flavor sheet 81, a step of placing the flavor sheet 81 on the outer surface of a support 82, and a step of covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet 81 placed on the outer surface of the support 82 with a cover sheet 83. This makes it possible to manufacture a flavor generator 80 in which the flavor sheet 81 is supported by the support 82 and covered with a cover sheet 83. For this reason, for example, when using a cylindrical support 82, a cylindrical flavor generator 80 as shown in Figure 2, etc., can be manufactured, and when using a plate-shaped support 82, a plate-shaped flavor generator 80 can be manufactured. In addition, since the flavor sheet 81 is placed on the outer surface of the support 82, the flavor sheet 81 can be reliably placed between the support 82 and the cover sheet 83. That is, it is possible to suppress the unintended mixing of the flavor sheet 81 inside the support 82. A more detailed explanation follows below.

[0279] First, a flavor sheet 81 is prepared. As shown in the figure, the flavor sheet 81 is preferably prepared in a state wound into a roll. This makes it possible to reduce the installation space for the flavor sheet 81 and continuously manufacture the flavor generating body 80. As shown in the figure, the flavor sheet 81 is fed out in a first direction C1 and disposed on the outer surface of a support 82. At this time, it is preferable that at least a portion of the flavor sheet 81 is subjected to crepe processing, and the crepe-processed flavor sheet 81 is disposed on the outer surface of the support 82. In this case, crepe processing crimps the flavor sheet 81 to form wrinkles, which can increase the surface area of the flavor sheet 81, thereby increasing the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generating body 80. Alternatively, it is preferable that at least a portion of the flavor sheet 81 is subjected to slitting processing, and the slit-processed flavor sheet 81 is disposed on the outer surface of the support 82. In this case, slitting processing forms slits in the flavor sheet 81, which can increase the surface area of the flavor sheet 81, thereby increasing the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generating body 80. The flavor sheet 81 may be slit after being crimped. In this case, the surface area of the flavor sheet 81 can be further increased. When only a portion of the flavor sheet 81 is slit, the state where portions of adjacent flavor sheets 81 are connected to each other is maintained, so that excessive separation of the flavor sheets 81 from each other can be suppressed when the flavor generating body 80 is manufactured.

[0280] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 12, a pair of crepe or slit rollers 76 is provided on the downstream side of the rolled flavor sheet 81. The flavor sheet 81 is conveyed so as to pass between the pair of crepe or slit rollers 76, and can be subjected to crepe processing or slitting processing.

[0281] In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, when creping or slitting is performed on the flavor sheet 81, it is preferable that the method includes a width suppression step of suppressing an increase in the width of the flavor sheet 81 caused by these treatments. FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams showing the width suppression step. When creping or slitting is performed on the flavor sheet 81, the width of the flavor sheet 81 tends to increase. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, for example, the increase in the width of the flavor sheet 81 can be suppressed by passing the flavor sheet 81 between a pair of guides 75 that extend in the conveyance direction of the flavor sheet 81 and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction. For this reason, for example, when a cylindrical support 82 is used, overlapping of the flavor sheet 81 can be suppressed when the flavor sheet 81 is wound around the support 82. Further, for example, when a plate-shaped support 82 is used, an increase in the size of the flavor sheet 81 and thus an increase in the size of the flavor generator 80 can be suppressed.

[0282] In the example shown in FIG. 13A, the width suppression step is performed after creping or slitting. In this case, since the width suppression step can be prevented from affecting creping or slitting, desired creping or slitting can be performed on the flavor sheet 81 in the creping step or slitting step. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 13A, a pair of tapered portions 75a that receive the flavor sheet 81 whose width has been increased by creping or slitting are provided on the upstream side of the pair of guides 75. The width between the pair of tapered portions 75a gradually decreases toward the pair of guides 75.

[0283] In the example shown in FIG. 13B, the width suppression step is performed simultaneously with creping or slitting. In this case, the time required for performing the width suppression step can be shortened. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13B, the guides 75 extend to between a pair of creping rollers or slitting rollers 76, and sandwich the flavor sheet 81 before creping or slitting in the width direction. Note that the width suppression step shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B may be performed by means other than the guides 75.

[0284] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, multiple flavor sheets 81 may be supplied. In this case, since multiple flavor sheets 81 are provided on the flavor generator 80, the amount of flavor or aerosol generated from the flavor generator 80, or the time (number of puffs) for which aerosol can be supplied, can be increased. In addition, each of the multiple flavor sheets 81 may contain different flavor components. In this case, a flavor generator 80 that provides multiple flavor components to the user can be manufactured. In this case, a flavor source can be designed according to the purpose by combining multiple flavor sheets 81. When at least one of crimping and slitting is performed on the multiple flavor sheets 81, these processes may be performed on each flavor sheet 81, or on a stack of multiple flavor sheets 81. Each of the multiple flavor sheets 81 may have a different width.

[0285] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, a cover sheet 83 is prepared. As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the cover sheet 83 be prepared in a rolled state. This reduces the space required for the cover sheet 83 and allows for the continuous production of flavor generators 80. The cover sheet 83 is supplied so as to cover the outer surface of the flavor sheet 81 which is placed on the outer surface of the support 82. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the manufacturing method includes a molding step of forming the flavor sheet 81, support 82, and cover sheet 83 into a cylindrical shape. In this case, a cylindrical flavor generator 80 can be produced. In the example shown in Figure 12, the cylindrical support 82 is conveyed in the first direction C1, and the flavor sheet 81 and cover sheet 83 are wrapped around the cylindrical support 82 to produce a cylindrical flavor generator 80. However, the method is not limited to this, and the flavor sheet 81 and cover sheet 83 may be stacked on a flat support 82 and these may be wrapped around a core such as a mandrel to produce a cylindrical flavor generator 80. Alternatively, the flat support 82, flavor sheet 81, and cover sheet 83 may not be formed into a cylindrical shape, and a flat flavor generator 80 may be manufactured. Also, the support 82 may be supplied as a continuous body as shown in Figure 12, or support 82 of a predetermined length may be supplied at regular intervals.

[0286] As shown in Figure 12, the adhesive application device 77 may be placed downstream of the rolled cover sheet 83 to apply the adhesive to the cover sheet 83. In this case, it is preferable to dry the adhesive after the outer surface of the flavor sheet 81 is covered with the cover sheet 83. This allows the cover sheet 83 to be fixed to the flavor sheet 81. For example, when manufacturing a cylindrical flavor generator 80, the cover sheet 83 can be wrapped around the flavor sheet 81 and the cover sheets 83 can be bonded together with adhesive. Also, for example, when manufacturing a plate-shaped flavor generator 80, the cover sheet 83 can be bonded to the flavor sheet 81 with adhesive. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 12, a dryer 78 is provided so that the adhesive is dried after the cover sheet 83 is wrapped around the outer surface of the flavor sheet 81.

[0287] When the ends of the flavor sheet 81 wrapped around the support 82 overlap, it becomes difficult for flavor or aerosol to be generated from the overlapping portion. For this reason, as shown in Figure 12, when the support 82 is cylindrical, it is preferable to supply a flavor sheet 81 having a width shorter than the outer circumference of the support 82. In this case, since the flavor sheet 81 has a width shorter than the outer circumference of the support 82, overlapping of the ends of the flavor sheet 81 wrapped around the cylindrical support 82 can be suppressed.

[0288] Furthermore, the manufacturing method preferably includes a step of cutting a molded body, which includes a tubular flavor sheet 81, a support 82, and a cover sheet 83, to a predetermined length. In this case, a flavor generator 80 of a length used in a smoking article 110 can be manufactured. In the example shown in Figure 12, a cutter 79 is provided downstream of the dryer 78. In this embodiment, a continuous, long tubular support 82 is supplied, but it is not limited to this, and a support 82 that has been pre-cut to a predetermined length may also be supplied. In this case, the support 82 may be tubular or flat.

[0289] In the manufacturing method shown in Figure 12, when the flavor sheet 81 is slit, it is preferable that the flavor sheet 81 is conveyed in the first direction C1 and that the slits are formed along the conveying direction (first direction C1) of the flavor sheet 81. In this case, since the slits are formed along the conveying direction of the flavor sheet 81, the slits can be formed while the flavor sheet 81 is being conveyed, and the slitting process can be performed continuously on the flavor sheet 81. Alternatively, the flavor sheet 81 may have slits that extend along its entire length in the conveying direction (first direction C1). In this case, the flavor sheet 81 is divided into multiple sheets that extend in the conveying direction.

[0290] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, specification, and drawings. Furthermore, any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention as long as it achieves the function and effect of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the flavor inhaler 120 employs a configuration that flows air in a so-called counter-flow manner, but it is not limited to this, and a configuration that flows air in a so-called bottom-flow manner may also be adopted. Also, the present invention may be applied to a so-called center-heating type (internal heating type) flavor inhaler 120. In this case, the pin-type or blade-type heating part of the flavor inhaler 120 can be inserted into the gap 114 of the smoking article 110. The heating method of the flavor inhaler 120 employed in the present invention is not limited to the resistance heating method, but may also be an induction heating method, a microwave heating method, or the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0291] 80: Flavor Generator 81: Flavoring Sheet 82:Support 83: Cover Sheet S1: Space

Claims

1. A method for producing a flavor generator, The supply process for supplying flavor sheets, A slitting process in which a portion of the aforementioned flavor sheet is slit, A step of placing the flavor sheet that has undergone the aforementioned slitting process on the outer surface of the support, The process includes covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet, which is placed on the outer surface of the support, with a cover sheet. A manufacturing method wherein the support is formed of paper.

2. In the manufacturing method described in claim 1, A manufacturing method including a width suppression step to suppress the increase in the width of the flavor sheet due to the slitting process.

3. In the manufacturing method described in claim 2, The width reduction step is performed after the slitting process, in a manufacturing method.

4. In the manufacturing method described in claim 2, The width reduction step is performed simultaneously with the slitting process in this manufacturing method.

5. In the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, A manufacturing method comprising a molding step of forming the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet into a cylindrical shape.

6. In the manufacturing method described in claim 5, A manufacturing method comprising the step of cutting a molded body, which includes the flavor sheet, the support, and the cover sheet molded in the molding step, to a predetermined length.

7. In the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, The process includes transporting the aforementioned flavor sheet, The manufacturing method comprising the slitting step of forming slits along the conveying direction of the flavor sheet.

8. In the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, The steps include applying adhesive to the cover sheet, A manufacturing method comprising the steps of: covering the outer surface of the flavor sheet with the cover sheet, and then drying the adhesive.

9. In the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, The manufacturing method includes supplying a plurality of flavor sheets as part of the supply step.

10. In the manufacturing method described in claim 9, A method for manufacturing multiple flavor sheets, each containing a different flavor component.

11. In the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, The support is cylindrical, A manufacturing method comprising supplying the flavor sheet having a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support, wherein the supply step includes supplying the flavor sheet having a width shorter than the outer circumference length of the support.

12. Support and A flavor sheet, partially slit, is arranged on the outer circumference of the support, The flavor sheet includes a cover sheet disposed on the outer periphery of the flavor sheet, A flavor generator in which the aforementioned support is made of paper.

13. In the flavor generator described in claim 12, A flavor generator in which multiple flavor sheets are arranged in a laminated manner on the outer circumference of the support.

14. In the flavor generator described in claim 13, Multiple flavor sheets each contain different flavor components, forming a flavor generator.

15. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The aforementioned flavor sheet is a flavor generator, which is a sheet containing tobacco.

16. In the flavor generator described in claim 15, The aforementioned tobacco-containing sheet is a paper-formed sheet, a cast sheet, or a laminated sheet, and is a flavor generator.

17. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The aforementioned flavor sheet is a non-tobacco sheet containing an aerosol source, and is a flavor generator.

18. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, A flavor generator wherein the amount of flavor sheet filled is 50 mg or more and 300 mg or less.

19. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The support is a flavor generator formed from an air-impermeable material.

20. In the flavor generator described in claim 19, A flavor generator in which the permeability of the material forming the support is 0 c. u.

21. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The aforementioned support is a flavor generator containing a hollow tube.

22. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The flavor generator has a cover sheet with an air permeability of 0 c.u. to 60 c.u.

23. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The flavor generator has a base weight of 10 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less for the cover sheet.

24. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, A flavor generator in which the void ratio in the space between the support and the cover sheet is 20% or more and 50% or less.

25. In a flavor generator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, A flavor generator in which the ratio of the surface area of ​​the flavor sheet to the surface area of ​​the outer surface of the support is greater than 2 and less than or equal to 16.

Images