Non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system

Abstract

Provided is a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system capable of reducing a generated amount of a component secondarily generated during use. This non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system comprises: a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler including an aerosol source containing segment and a tobacco component containing segment disposed downstream of the aerosol source containing segment; and a heating device which includes a heater for heating the aerosol source containing segment and avoiding heating of the tobacco component containing segment.

Description

Non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system.

[0002] In combustion-type flavor inhalers (cigarettes), a tobacco rod containing a tobacco filler is burned to enjoy the flavor. As an alternative to combustion-type flavor inhalers, non-combustion-heating flavor inhalers have been proposed, which heat the tobacco rod instead of burning it to enjoy the flavor. In non-combustion-heating flavor inhalers, the tobacco rod is electrically heated, for example, at 200 to 400°C, volatilizing the tobacco components, which the user then inhales. A tobacco rod can be formed by wrapping a tobacco filler in a cylindrical shape with a paper wrapper or the like. For example, a tobacco rod can be formed by crushing dried tobacco plants (mainly dried tobacco leaves), mixing them, forming them into a sheet, cutting them, and wrapping them in a paper wrapper. Alternatively, a formed product can be formed by crimping and gathering the sheet without cutting it, and then wrapping it in a paper wrapper. In addition to tobacco plants, the tobacco filler can also contain various volatile flavors. Furthermore, the tobacco filler can also contain an aerosol source such as glycerin or propylene glycol. The aerosol source evaporates when the tobacco rod is heated, and is cooled and liquefied into an aerosol in the cooling segment located downstream of the tobacco rod while the user is inhaling. The aerosol is supplied to the user together with the tobacco components, allowing the user to enjoy a full flavor.

[0003] Examples of heating methods for non-combustion heating type flavor inhalers that electrically heat a tobacco rod include a method of heating the outer periphery of the tobacco rod (e.g., Patent Document 1), a method of heating the inside of the tobacco rod (e.g., Patent Document 2), etc. Meanwhile, Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose a tobacco rod having two segments as a tobacco rod for a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler.

[0004] Patent Publication No. 2019-523639 Patent Publication No. 6000451 International Publication No. 2019 / 105750 International Publication No. 2019 / 110747

[0005] However, when a tobacco rod portion filled with a tobacco filler containing an aerosol source is heated, nitroso compounds are generated through a nitrosation reaction between amines contained in small amounts in the tobacco filler and nitrous acid, and carbonyl compounds and volatile components are generated through chemical reactions originating from the tobacco filler. Therefore, these secondarily generated components may be contained in the aerosol. There is a need for the development of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler and a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler system that suppresses the generation of such secondarily generated components.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system that can reduce the amount of secondarily generated components during use.

[0007] The present invention includes the following embodiments.

[0008] [1] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system comprising: a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler including an aerosol source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment arranged downstream of the aerosol source-containing segment; and a heating device having a heater that heats the aerosol source-containing segment but does not heat the tobacco component-containing segment.

[0009] [2] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [1], wherein the aerosol source contained in the aerosol source-containing segment is at least one selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, triacetin, and 1,3-butanediol.

[0010] [3] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [1] or [2], wherein the aerosol source-containing segment includes an aerosol source carrier in which an aerosol source is supported on a carrier.

[0011] [4] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the content of the aerosol source contained in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler is 10 to 5000 mg.

[0012] [5] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in any one of [1] to [4], wherein the aerosol source-containing segment does not contain tobacco components.

[0013] [6] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the tobacco component-containing segment contains at least one tobacco material selected from the group consisting of tobacco granules, tobacco powder, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, and tobacco extracts.

[0014] [7] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler further contains a flavor component.

[0015] [8] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [7], wherein the flavor component is contained in a segment other than the aerosol source-containing segment.

[0016] [9] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [7] or [8], wherein the flavor component is contained in the tobacco component-containing segment.

[0017]

[10] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [6], wherein the tobacco-containing segment includes a flavor carrier and the tobacco material.

[0018]

[11] The non-combustion and heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the non-combustion and heating type flavor inhaler further includes at least one segment selected from the group consisting of a cooling segment formed of a first cylindrical member having perforations, a center hole segment formed of a second cylindrical member, and a filter segment.

[0019]

[12] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the heating temperature of the aerosol source-containing segment by the heater is 150 to 400°C.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system that can reduce the amount of secondarily generated components during use.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of a heater in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to the present embodiment.

[0022] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system of this embodiment comprises a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler including an aerosol source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment arranged downstream of the aerosol source-containing segment, and a heating device having a heater that heats the aerosol source-containing segment but does not heat the tobacco component-containing segment.

[0023] In the non-combustion heating flavor inhalation system according to this embodiment, the aerosol source and the tobacco components are contained in different segments of the non-combustion heating flavor inhaler. That is, the aerosol source is contained in the aerosol-source-containing segment, and the tobacco components are contained in the tobacco component-containing segment. The heater of the heating device heats the aerosol-source-containing segment but not the tobacco component-containing segment. That is, only the aerosol-source-containing segment is heated by the heater. This is thought to prevent the tobacco components from being heated more than necessary, thereby reducing the amount of secondary components produced. When the aerosol-source-containing segment is heated by the heater, the aerosol source is vaporized and then cooled, generating an aerosol. The aerosol absorbs the tobacco components as it passes through the tobacco component-containing segment, and is supplied to the user together with the tobacco components.

[0024] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler according to this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it includes an aerosol source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment, but may further include, in addition to the aerosol source-containing segment and the tobacco component-containing segment, at least one segment selected from the group consisting of a cooling segment formed of a first cylindrical member having perforations, a center hole segment formed of a second cylindrical member, and a filter segment.

[0025] An example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler according to this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1( a). The non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 shown in FIG. 1( a) comprises an aerosol-generating rod 2 and a mouthpiece segment 3. The aerosol-generating rod 2 comprises an aerosol-source-containing segment 4 containing an aerosol source, and a tobacco component-containing segment 5 containing tobacco components, which is located downstream of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4. The mouthpiece segment 3 comprises, in this order from the upstream side, a cooling segment 6 formed of a first tubular member having perforations, a center hole segment 7 formed of a second tubular member, and a filter segment 8. Here, the end of the filter segment 8 is the mouthpiece portion, and "upstream" refers to the side opposite the mouthpiece portion, and "downstream" refers to the mouthpiece portion side. That is, in FIG. 1( a), the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 is located upstream, and the filter segment 8 is located downstream. Note that in this embodiment, the mouthpiece segment 3 does not necessarily have to comprise a center hole segment 7. During use, only the aerosol source-containing segment 4 is heated by the heater of the heating device, the aerosol source in the aerosol source-containing segment 4 is vaporized, and then cooled to generate an aerosol. The aerosol absorbs tobacco components as it passes through the tobacco component-containing segment 5. The aerosol then moves to the mouthpiece segment 3 and is inhaled by the user from the end of the filter segment 8.

[0026] An example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system shown in Fig. 2 includes the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 described above and a heating device 27 that heats only the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 from the outside. Fig. 2(a) shows the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 in a state before it is inserted into the heating device 27, and Fig. 2(b) shows the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 in a state where it is inserted into the heating device 27 and heated. The heating device 27 shown in Fig. 2 includes a body 28, a heater 29, a metal tube 30, a battery unit 31, and a control unit 32. The body 28 has a cylindrical recess 33, and the heater 29 and the metal tube 30 are disposed on the inner side surface of the recess 33, at a position facing the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 that is inserted into the recess 33. The heater 29 can be a heater using electrical resistance, and is heated by being supplied with power from a battery unit 31 in response to an instruction from a control unit 32 that controls temperature. The heat generated by the heater 29 is transmitted to the aerosol source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 through a metal tube 30 having high thermal conductivity.

[0027] 2(b) is a schematic illustration, and therefore there is a gap between the outer periphery of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 and the inner periphery of the metal tube 30. However, in reality, for the purpose of efficient heat transfer, it is preferable that there be no gap between the outer periphery of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 and the inner periphery of the metal tube 30. Furthermore, although the heater 29 in FIG. 2 heats only the side surface of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1, it is also possible to heat the side surface and bottom surface of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4. For example, the side surface and bottom surface of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 can be heated, as with the heater 29 shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0028] Furthermore, the heater 29 in FIG. 2 heats the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion heating flavor inhaler 1 from the outside (external heating), but it may also heat from the inside (internal heating), or it may heat from both the outside and the inside. When the heater heats from the inside, it is preferable to use a rigid plate-shaped, blade-shaped, or columnar heater without using the metal tube 30. Examples of such heaters include ceramic heaters in which molybdenum, tungsten, or the like is applied to a ceramic substrate. For example, as with the heater 29 shown in FIG. 3( b), the interior of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 may be heated throughout the entire axial direction. Alternatively, as with the heater 29 shown in FIG. 3( c), a combination of an external heater that heats the side surface of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 and an internal heater that heats the interior of the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 throughout the entire axial direction may be used. Alternatively, a susceptor material may be disposed within the aerosol-source-containing segment 4, and the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 may be heated by induction heating. Microwave heating may be performed instead of induction heating.

[0029] In this embodiment, a "heater that heats the aerosol-source-containing segment but not the tobacco component-containing segment" refers to a heater that directly heats the aerosol-source-containing segment but not the tobacco component-containing segment. For example, if the heater is an external heater, heater 29 is provided at a position facing the aerosol-source-containing segment 4, and no heater is provided at a position facing the tobacco component-containing segment 5. If the heater is an internal heater, the heater is located within the aerosol-source-containing segment, but not within the tobacco component-containing segment. Note that the tobacco component-containing segment is indirectly heated by heat transfer from the aerosol-source-containing segment heated by the heater, but such indirect heating does not fall under the category of heating by a heater in this embodiment.

[0030] The heating temperature of the aerosol source-containing segment by the heater is preferably 150 to 400°C, and more preferably 180 to 320°C. A heating temperature of 150°C or higher ensures sufficient vaporization of the aerosol source. Furthermore, a heating temperature of 400°C or lower ensures sufficient prevention of combustion. The heating temperature refers to the temperature of the heater.

[0031] (Aerosol Source-Containing Segment) The aerosol source-containing segment according to this embodiment contains an aerosol source. Examples of aerosol sources include glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, triacetin, and 1,3-butanediol. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. On the other hand, it is preferable that the aerosol source-containing segment according to this embodiment does not contain tobacco components, from the viewpoint of further reducing the amount of secondarily generated components. Furthermore, when the non-combustion heating-type flavor inhaler contains a flavor component described below, it is preferable that the flavor component is not contained in the aerosol source-containing segment, i.e., is contained in a segment other than the aerosol source-containing segment.

[0032] The aerosol source-containing segment preferably includes an aerosol source support in which the aerosol source is supported on a carrier. The carrier is preferably a porous material from the viewpoint of being able to sufficiently support the aerosol source. Examples of porous materials include nonwoven fabrics, dietary fiber sheets, and paper. The aerosol source support preferably contains an amount of aerosol source such that the content of the aerosol source contained in the non-combustion heating-type flavor inhaler is preferably 10 to 5000 mg, more preferably 10 to 200 mg, and even more preferably 20 to 120 mg. In addition to porous materials, the aerosol source may also be supported on other carriers such as metal foil, wood, carbon, cellulose powder, alumina powder, silicon dioxide, and fiber.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1( a), the aerosol source-containing segment 4 may include, for example, a cylindrical wrapper 10 and an aerosol source support 9 packed inside the wrapper 10. When the carrier of the aerosol source support is a nonwoven fabric, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 to 2.0 mm. When the carrier of the aerosol source support is paper, the thickness of the paper is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 50 to 200 μm. As a packing mode, for example, a plurality of sheet-like aerosol source support sheets may be stacked and packed inside the wrapper in an S-shaped folded state. Alternatively, for example, the sheet-like aerosol source support may be packed inside the wrapper in a gathered state.

[0034] From the viewpoint of suppressing seepage of the aerosol source, the wrapper is preferably a wrapper with low liquid permeability. Examples of wrappers with low liquid permeability include metal foil, a laminated sheet of metal foil and paper, a polymer film, a laminated sheet of polymer film and paper, and paper coated with a coating agent that prevents liquid permeation, such as modified cellulose, modified starch, polyvinyl alcohol, and vinyl acetate. From the viewpoint of preventing liquid permeation and achieving a uniform temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol source-containing segment, a wrapper containing metal foil with excellent thermal conductivity is preferred. Furthermore, by using a laminated sheet of metal foil and paper as the wrapper, with the metal foil on the inside and the paper on the outside, the appearance can be made similar to that of a conventional combustion-type flavor inhaler (cigarette).

[0035] The aerosol source-containing segment preferably further contains a thickener from the viewpoint of improving the retention of the aerosol source. For example, aerosol sources such as glycerin and propylene glycol are liquid at room temperature, and when incorporated in large quantities into a nonwoven fabric or the like, there is a risk of them leaking out of the nonwoven fabric. However, by further incorporating a thickener into the nonwoven fabric or the like, the leakage of the aerosol source to the outside can be suppressed, improving handleability. Examples of thickeners include thickening polysaccharides such as gellan gum, tamarind gum, agar, carrageenan, pectin, and alginate; proteins such as collagen and gelatin; modified celluloses such as HPC, CMC, and HPMC; shellac, paraffin wax, beeswax, starch, processed starch products, and oils and fats. These thickeners may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the aerosol source-containing segment contains a thickener, the content of the thickener is preferably 0.1 to 5.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the aerosol source, although this varies depending on the type of thickener used.

[0036] The axial length of the aerosol-source-containing segment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 5 to 15 mm. The circumferential length of the aerosol-source-containing segment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 15 to 24 mm.

[0037] (Tobacco Component-Containing Segment) The tobacco component-containing segment according to this embodiment contains a tobacco component. The tobacco component-containing segment according to this embodiment may contain a tobacco material containing a tobacco component, and preferably contains tobacco materials such as tobacco granules, tobacco powder, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, and tobacco extracts.

[0038] The tobacco raw material, which is the source of tobacco material, can be the entire tobacco or any part of the tobacco, including leaves, veins, stems, roots, flowers, and mixtures thereof. The variety of tobacco raw material is not particularly limited, and examples include flue-cured tobacco, burley, native tobacco, and Oriental tobacco. These may be used alone or in combination. The state of the tobacco raw material used may be fresh leaves immediately after harvest that have not been dried, or may be leaves that have been dried or aged after harvest, or a combination of these. Furthermore, rib-shaped tobacco, expanded tobacco, and the like obtained by processing these tobacco raw materials may also be used. These may be used alone, or multiple varieties and parts may be used in combination. Furthermore, tobacco extracts obtained by extracting the tobacco raw material using a protic solvent, an aprotic solvent, or the like can also be suitably used as a desired flavor source for the tobacco raw material.

[0039] <Tobacco Granules> Tobacco granules can be obtained by, for example, molding a composition containing aged tobacco leaves or a tobacco extract into a granular shape. The method for molding tobacco granules is not particularly limited, but can be obtained, for example, by mixing tobacco powder, a binder, etc., adding water to the mixture and kneading it, granulating the resulting kneaded mixture (in a long columnar shape) using a wet extrusion granulator, and then sizing the granules into short columnar or spherical shapes.

[0040] During extrusion granulation, the kneaded material is preferably extruded at ambient temperature under a pressure of 2 kN or more. This high-pressure extrusion causes the temperature of the kneaded material at the outlet of the extrusion granulator to rise instantaneously from ambient temperature to, for example, 90-100°C, resulting in the evaporation of 2-4% by mass of moisture and volatile components. Therefore, the amount of water blended to produce the kneaded material can be greater than the desired moisture content in the tobacco granules by the amount of evaporation. The tobacco granules obtained by extrusion granulation may be further dried, as needed, to adjust the moisture content.

[0041] The average particle size (D50) of the molded tobacco granules can be 0.2 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less, preferably 0.2 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less.

[0042] <Tobacco Powder> Powdered tobacco raw materials can be used as tobacco powder. Tobacco powder can be prepared by any method, but it is preferable to subject the tobacco raw materials to a conventional drying process, coarsely pulverize them in a conventional coarse pulverizer, and then finely pulverize them. The drying process and coarse pulverization can be performed as known, and the average particle size of the coarsely pulverized tobacco powder is preferably in the range of several hundred μm to several mm. The pulverization method is not limited, and either wet or dry pulverization can be used. Wet pulverization can be performed by adding a liquid dispersion medium to coarsely pulverized tobacco powder and mixing it, and then processing the mixture in a wet pulverizer (e.g., MIC-2: manufactured by Nara Machinery Works, Ltd.). The rotation speed of the pulverizer is usually 1100 to 1300 rpm, and the pulverization time is preferably approximately 5 to 100 minutes. Dry pulverization can be performed by processing the coarsely pulverized tobacco powder in a dry pulverizer such as a jet mill.

[0043] The average particle size of the tobacco powder can be approximately 30 μm. The average particle size of the tobacco powder can be adjusted by the milling conditions; for example, the average particle size can be increased by shortening the milling time or by using a dispersion medium with a low viscosity. In this embodiment, the average particle size of the tobacco powder is determined by a laser diffraction scattering method. Specifically, the average particle size is measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (for example, Shimadzu SALD-2100 (product name) nanoparticle size distribution analyzer) with a refractive index of 1.60 to 0.101.

[0044] <Tobacco Shreds> Tobacco shreds can be, for example, aged tobacco leaves shredded to a predetermined size. The aged tobacco leaves used for tobacco shreds are not particularly limited, but examples include those that have been deboned and separated into lamina and midrib. Tobacco shreds can also include tobacco sheets (described below) shredded to a predetermined size (hereinafter also referred to as "tobacco sheet shreds"). Other examples of tobacco shreds include a blend of tobacco shreds obtained by shredding aged tobacco leaves and tobacco sheet shreds.

[0045] There are no particular limitations on the size or preparation method of the tobacco shreds. One example is aged tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less and a length of 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Another example is processed tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less and a length longer than the tobacco shreds described above, preferably about the same length as the filler (hereinafter also referred to as "strand-type shreds"). For strand-type shreds, it is preferable to use a tobacco sheet from the viewpoint of ease of molding.

[0046] <Tobacco Sheet> A tobacco sheet can be obtained by forming a composition containing, for example, aged tobacco leaves, tobacco extract, etc., into a sheet shape. The aged tobacco leaves used for the tobacco sheet are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include those that have been deboned and separated into lamina and midrib. In addition, in this specification, the term "sheet" refers to a shape having a pair of approximately parallel main surfaces and side surfaces.

[0047] Tobacco sheets can be formed by known methods such as papermaking, casting, rolling, etc. Details of various tobacco sheets formed by such methods are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco," Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009.

[0048] Examples of methods for forming tobacco sheets using papermaking include methods that include the following steps: (1) a step of roughly crushing aged tobacco leaves and mixing and stirring the crushed leaves with a solvent such as water to extract water-soluble components from the aged tobacco leaves; (2) a step of separating the water extract containing the water-soluble components from a residue; (3) a step of concentrating the water extract by drying under reduced pressure; (4) a step of adding pulp to the residue and fiberizing it in a refiner to obtain a mixture (homogenization step); (5) a step of making paper from the mixture of the fiberized residue and pulp; and (6) a step of adding a concentrated solution of the water extract to the paper-made sheet and drying it to form a tobacco sheet.

[0049] Examples of methods for forming tobacco sheets by the casting method include methods that include the following steps: (1) a step of mixing water, pulp, and a binder with ground aged tobacco to obtain a mixture (homogenization step), and (2) a step of thinly spreading (casting) the mixture and drying it to obtain a tobacco sheet.

[0050] Examples of methods for forming tobacco sheets by rolling include methods that include the following steps: (1) a step of mixing water, pulp, and a binder with ground aged tobacco to obtain a mixture (homogenization step), (2) a step of feeding the mixture into a plurality of rolling rollers and rolling it, and (3) a step of peeling the rolled product off the rolling rollers with a doctor knife, transferring it to a net conveyor, and drying it in a dryer.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the tobacco component-containing segment 5 can include, for example, a cylindrical wrapper 12 and a tobacco material 11 filled inside the wrapper 12. The filling density of the tobacco material inside the wrapper can be appropriately set depending on the form of the tobacco material to be filled, the desired flavor, the airflow resistance, etc. For example, the filling density can be set to 0.2 mg / mm 3 Above, 0.7mg / mm 3 The following embodiments can be mentioned: The packing density is calculated by the ratio of the mass of the tobacco material to the internal volume of the rod formed by the wrapper.

[0052] The axial length of the tobacco component-containing segment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 5 to 15 mm. The circumferential length of the tobacco component-containing segment is also not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 15 to 24 mm.

[0053] 1(a), the cooling segment 6 can be a cylindrical member 13 formed of a first cylindrical member having perforations. The cylindrical member 13 may be, for example, a cardboard tube formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0054] The cooling segment is located downstream of the aerosol generating rod. The cooling segment is required to cool and liquefy (aerosolize) the vapor of the tobacco components and the aerosol source generated by the aerosol generating rod during use while minimizing the reduction of the vapor of the tobacco components and the aerosol source due to filtration or adsorption. For example, during inhalation, the difference in the internal temperature between the cooling segment inlet and the cooling segment outlet may be 20°C or more. Note that when the high-temperature vapor components of the tobacco components and the aerosol source pass through a cellulose acetate fiber-filled segment used as a filter member in a typical combustion-type flavor inhaler, although the temperature difference between the segment inlet and the segment outlet may be 20°C or more, a large amount of the vapor of the tobacco components and the aerosol source is reduced by filtration or adsorption as the vapor passes through the fiber-filled segment.

[0055] One embodiment of the cooling segment may be a hollow tube made from a single sheet of paper or a sheet of paper glued together and processed into a cylindrical shape. Materials for the tube, other than paper, include corrugated cellulose acetate fibers in a sheet form, and plastic films such as polyolefin and polyester. Furthermore, it is preferable for the tube to have holes around its periphery for introducing external air, so that room-temperature external air can be brought into contact with high-temperature steam to enhance the cooling effect. The cooling effect can also be enhanced by applying a polymer coating such as polyvinyl alcohol or a polysaccharide coating such as pectin to the inner surface of the tube, utilizing the heat of solution associated with the heat absorption or phase change of the coating. The airflow resistance of this cylindrical cooling segment is zero mmH2O.

[0056] Another preferred cooling segment embodiment is a cylindrical tube filled with a cooling sheet material. In this case, one or more airflow channels can be provided in the flow direction to achieve low levels of component removal while still providing cooling through the cooling sheet. The cooling segment preferably has a resistance to airflow of 0 to 30 mmH2O when filled with the cooling sheet. Resistance to airflow (RTD) is the pressure required to force air through the entire length of the segment under a test condition of 22°C and 101 kPa (760 Torr) at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / sec. RTD is typically expressed in mmH2O and is measured in accordance with ISO 6565:2011. Even in this cooling sheet-filled embodiment, the tube can also be provided with holes for introducing external air.

[0057] The total surface area of ​​the cooling sheet member is 300 mm 2 / mm or more, 1000mm 2 This surface area is the surface area per length (mm) of the cooling sheet member in the air passage direction. The total surface area of ​​the cooling sheet member is 400 mm 2 / mm or more, and 2 / mm or more is more preferable, while 600 mm 2 / mm or less, and 2 / mm or less is more preferable.

[0058] From the viewpoint of cooling function, it is desirable for the cooling sheet member to have a large surface area. From the viewpoint of reducing removal of tobacco components and aerosol sources by filtration or adsorption, it is desirable for the cooling segment filled with the cooling sheet member to have a low airflow resistance. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the cooling sheet may be formed by a sheet of thin material that is wrinkled to form channels in the machine direction, and then pleated, gathered, and folded.

[0059] In some embodiments, the thickness of the constituent material of the cooling sheet member is 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, for example, 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[0060] The cooling sheet member material may be a sheet material such as metal foil, polymer sheet, low-permeability paper, etc. In one embodiment, the cooling segment may include a sheet material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, and aluminum foil.

[0061] It is also desirable to use paper as the material for the cooling sheet member from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load. The paper used for the cooling sheet member has a basis weight of 30 to 100 g / m 2 and a thickness of 20 to 100 μm is desirable. From the viewpoint of minimizing the removal of tobacco components and aerosol-source components in the cooling segment, it is desirable for the air permeability of the paper used as the cooling sheet material to be low, with the air permeability preferably being 10 Coresta units or less. By applying a polymer coating such as polyvinyl alcohol or a polysaccharide coating such as pectin to the paper used as the cooling sheet member, the cooling effect can be increased by utilizing the heat of solution associated with the heat absorption and phase change of the coating.

[0062] In FIG. 1( a), the tubular member 13 and the mouthpiece lining paper 20 (described later) are provided with perforations 14 that penetrate both. The presence of the perforations 14 allows outside air to be introduced into the cooling segment 6 during inhalation. As a result, the vaporized components of the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating rod 2 come into contact with the outside air, their temperature drops, and they liquefy, forming an aerosol. The diameter (distance across) of the perforations 14 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The number of perforations 14 is not particularly limited, and may be one or two or more. For example, a plurality of perforations 14 may be provided around the circumference of the cooling segment 6.

[0063] The amount of outside air introduced through the perforations 14 is preferably 85% by volume or less, more preferably 80% by volume or less, of the total volume of gas inhaled by the user. By setting the ratio of the outside air amount to 85% by volume or less, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the reduction in flavor due to dilution by the outside air. This is also referred to as the ventilation ratio. From the viewpoint of cooling performance, the lower limit of the ventilation ratio range is preferably 55% by volume or more, more preferably 60% by volume or more.

[0064] In some embodiments, the generated aerosol may experience a temperature drop of 10° C. or more as it passes through the cooling segment and is drawn by the user. In another aspect, the temperature drop may be 15° C. or more, and in yet another aspect, 20° C. or more.

[0065] The cooling segment may be formed in a rod shape with an axial length of, for example, 7 mm to 30 mm, For example, the axial length of the cooling segment may be 20 mm.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cooling segment has a substantially circular axial cross-sectional shape, preferably with a circumference of 16 to 25 mm, more preferably 20 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 21 to 23 mm.

[0067] (Center Hole Segment) The center hole segment can be composed of a second tubular member. For example, it can be composed of a filling layer having one or more hollow portions and an inner plug wrapper (inner wrapping paper) covering the filling layer. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the center hole segment 7 can be composed of a second filling layer 15 having a hollow portion and a second inner plug wrapper 16 covering the second filling layer 15. The center hole segment 7 functions to increase the strength of the mouthpiece segment 3. The second filling layer 15 can be, for example, a rod with an inner diameter of 1.0 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, which is densely packed with cellulose acetate fibers and hardened by adding a plasticizer containing triacetin in an amount of 6% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less relative to the mass of cellulose acetate. Because the second filling layer 15 has a high fiber packing density, during inhalation, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow portions, with almost no flow within the second filling layer 15. Since the second filling layer 15 inside the center hole segment 7 is a fiber-filled layer, the feel from the outside during use is less likely to cause discomfort to the user. Note that the center hole segment 7 may not have the second inner plug wrapper 16 and its shape may be maintained by thermoforming.

[0068] (Filter Segment) The configuration of the filter segment is not particularly limited, and may be composed of a single or multiple packed layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 1( a), in a filter segment 8, the outside of the first packed layer 17 may be wrapped with a first inner plug wrapper 18 (inner wrapping paper). The airflow resistance per filter segment can be appropriately changed depending on the amount, material, etc. of the packing filled in the filter segment. For example, when the packing is cellulose acetate fiber, the airflow resistance can be increased by increasing the amount of cellulose acetate fiber filled in the filter segment. When the packing is cellulose acetate fiber, the packing density of the cellulose acetate fiber is 0.13 to 0.18 g / cm. 3In addition, even at the same packing density, a thicker cellulose acetate fiber is preferred to achieve lower airflow resistance. The thickness of a single cellulose acetate fiber is preferably 5 to 20 denier / filament. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of high-speed production of filter segments, a thickness of 7 to 13 denier / filament is more preferred. The airflow resistance is a value measured using an airflow resistance measuring device (product name: SODIMAX, manufactured by SODIM).

[0069] The circumferential length of the filter segment is not particularly limited, but is preferably 16 to 25 mm, more preferably 20 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 21 to 23 mm. The axial length of the filter segment can be selected from 5 to 20 mm, and can be selected so that the airflow resistance is 10 to 60 mmH2O / seg. The axial length of the filter segment is preferably 5 to 9 mm, more preferably 6 to 8 mm. The cross-sectional shape of the filter segment is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 1( a), the center hole segment 7 and the filter segment 8 can be connected by an outer plug wrapper (outer wrapping paper) 19. The outer plug wrapper 19 can be, for example, a cylindrical piece of paper. The aerosol-generating rod 2, the cooling segment 6, and the connected center hole segment 7 and filter segment 8 can be connected by a mouthpiece lining paper 20. These connections can be made, for example, by applying glue such as vinyl acetate glue to the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper 20, placing the three segments inside, and then wrapping the paper. These segments may also be connected in multiple places using multiple lining papers. As shown in FIG. 1( b), the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 may be fixed by the mouthpiece lining paper 20. As shown in FIG. 1( c), the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 and the tobacco component-containing segment 5 may be connected by an outer wrapper 34, and then the aerosol-generating rod 2, the cooling segment 6, and the connected center hole segment 7 and filter segment 8 may be connected by the mouthpiece lining paper 20.

[0071] (Configuration of Non-Combustion Heating Flavor Inhaler) The axial length of the non-combustion heating flavor inhaler according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 mm or more and 90 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm or more and 75 mm or less, and even more preferably 50 mm or more and 60 mm or less. The circumferential length of the non-combustion heating flavor inhaler is preferably 16 mm or more and 25 mm or less, more preferably 20 mm or more and 24 mm or less, and even more preferably 21 mm or more and 23 mm or less. For example, the aerosol-generating rod may be 20 mm long, the cooling segment 20 mm long, the center-hole segment 8 mm long, and the filter segment 7 mm long. The lengths of these individual segments can be appropriately changed depending on manufacturing suitability, required quality, and the like. Furthermore, a non-combustion heating flavor inhaler can function even if only a filter segment is disposed downstream of the cooling segment without using a center-hole segment.

[0072] The content of the aerosol source contained in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler according to this embodiment is preferably 10 to 5000 mg. A content of 10 mg or more can prevent the amount of aerosol produced during use from decreasing over time. Furthermore, a content of 5000 mg or less can prevent the aerosol source that does not become an aerosol from remaining in the flavor inhaler. The content is more preferably 10 to 200 mg, and even more preferably 20 to 120 mg.

[0073] (Flavor Component) The non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment may contain a flavor component in order to impart a favorable flavor. The type of flavor component is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fragrances, flavorings, cooling agents, etc. The flavor component may be in any form, such as a liquid or solid. The flavor component may be a single component or a combination of multiple components.

[0074] Suitable flavors of the fragrance include, for example, flavors selected from tobacco extracts and tobacco components, sugar and sugar-based flavors, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, fruit juice and fruits, spices, liquor, herbs, vanilla, and flower-based flavors, either alone or in combination.

[0075] The flavoring may be a wide variety of flavoring ingredients such as those described in "Collection of Well-Known and Commonly Used Techniques (Fragrances)" (published by the Japan Patent Office on March 14, 2007), "Latest Encyclopedia of Flavors (Popular Edition)" (published by Asakura Publishing on February 25, 2012, edited by Soichi Arai, Akio Kobayashi, Izumi Yajima, and Michiaki Kawasaki), and "Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products" (published by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in June 1972). In this embodiment, the flavoring ingredient may be a flavoring ingredient other than a tobacco ingredient.

[0076] The fragrance may be, for example, a fragrance selected from isothiocyanates, indole and its derivatives, ethers, esters, ketones, fatty acids, higher aliphatic alcohols, higher aliphatic aldehydes, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, thioethers, thiols, terpene hydrocarbons, phenol ethers, phenols, furfural and its derivatives, aromatic alcohols, aromatic aldehydes, lactones, etc., either alone or in combination. The fragrance may also be a material that imparts a cooling / warming sensation.

[0077] More specifically, the flavoring agent may be acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, Citronella juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3, 7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxybenzoate 4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, inmortel absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maple syrup, me Insol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, para-methoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, honey, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, gamma-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, delta-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, omega-pentadeca Lactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenylguaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, alpha-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8- Tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, citral, mandarin oil, 4-(acetoxymethyl)toluene, 2-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl 10-undecenoate, isoamyl hexanoate, 1-phenylethylacetic acid, lauric acid, 8-mercaptomenthone, sinensal, hexyl butyrate, plant powder (herb powder, flower powder, spice powder, Tea powder: cocoa powder, carob powder, coriander powder, licorice powder, orange peel powder, rose pip powder, chamomile flower powder, lemon verbena powder, peppermint powder, leaf powder, spearmint powder, black tea powder, etc.), camphor, isopulegol, cineole, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, 2-l-menthoxyethanol (COOLACT® 5), 3-l-menthoxypropane-1,2-diol (COOLACT® 10) , 1-menthyl-3-hydroxybutyrate (COOLACT® 20), p-menthane-3,8-diol (COOLACT® 38D), N-(2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-2-isopropyl-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1-carboxamide (COOLACT® 370), N-(4-(cyanomethyl)phenyl)-2-isopropyl-5,5-dimethylcyclohexanecarboxamide (COOLACT® 40 0), N-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-isopropyl-5,5-dimethylcyclohexanecarboxamide, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide)acetate (WS-5), N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-p-menthanecarboxamide (WS-12), 2-isopropyl-N,2,3-trimethylbutyramide (WS-23), 3-l-menthoxy-2-methylpropane-1,2-diol, 2-l-menthoxyethan-1-ol, 3-l-menthoxypropan-1-ol, 4-l-menthoxybutan-1-ol, menthyl lactate (FEMA3748), menthone glycerin acetal (Frescolat MGA, FEMA3807, FEMA3808), 2-(2-l-menthyloxyethyl)ethanol, menthyl glyoxylate, menthyl 2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate, menthyl succinate (FEMA3810), N-(2-(pyridin-2-yl)-ethyl)-3-p-menthanecarboxamide (FEMA4549), N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)-p-menthane-3-carboxamide, N-(4-cyanomethylphenyl)-p-menthanecarboxamide, and N-(4-aminocarbonylphenyl)-p-menthane.

[0078] Examples of the flavoring agent include materials that exhibit sweetness, sourness, saltiness, umami, bitterness, astringency, richness, spiciness, harshness, and astringency. Examples of materials that exhibit sweetness include sugars, sugar alcohols, and sweeteners. Examples of sugars include monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Examples of sweeteners include natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners. Examples of materials that exhibit sourness include organic acids (and their sodium salts). Examples of organic acids include acetic acid, adipic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, and tartaric acid. Examples of materials that exhibit bitterness include caffeine (extract), naringin, and wormwood extract. Examples of materials that exhibit saltiness include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium acetate, and potassium acetate. Examples of materials that provide umami include sodium glutamate, sodium inosinate, sodium guanylate, etc. Examples of materials that provide astringency include tannin, shibuol, etc.

[0079] The flavor component may be contained in any segment of the flavor inhaler, or in multiple segments. The flavor component may be contained, for example, in the aerosol source-containing segment, the tobacco component-containing segment, the cooling segment, the center hole segment, or the filter segment, or in two or more of these. However, it is preferable for the flavor component to be contained in a segment other than the aerosol source-containing segment, because this prevents the flavor component from being heated more than necessary and allows the flavor component to be maintained and last longer. The flavor component may be contained in at least one segment, for example, the tobacco component-containing segment, the cooling segment, the center hole segment, and the filter segment. The flavor component may be contained separately in each segment, or may be contained integrally throughout the entire flavor inhaler. When the flavor component is contained separately in each segment, the flavor component may be contained in each segment in the form of a flavor carrier, such as a flavor component-containing sheet, flavor component-supported granules, or flavor component-supported activated carbon. Additionally, when the flavor component is integrally contained in the entire flavor inhaler, the flavor component can be added by spraying, coating on the wrapper, filtering, or the like.

[0080] When the flavor component is contained in the tobacco component-containing segment, the tobacco-containing segment preferably includes the tobacco material and a flavor component-containing sheet containing the flavor component, a thickening polysaccharide, and a bulking material. By including the flavor component in the tobacco-containing segment as a flavor component-containing sheet, a larger amount of flavor can be loaded into the flavor inhaler compared to when a liquid flavor is added to the tobacco material. In particular, the tobacco-containing segment preferably includes the flavor component-containing sheet and the tobacco granules. The mass ratio of the flavor component-containing sheet to the tobacco granules contained in the tobacco-containing segment (flavor component-containing sheet:tobacco granules) can be selected at any ratio to suit the flavor potency.

[0081] (Flavor component-containing sheet) The flavor component-containing sheet can contain a flavor component, a thickening polysaccharide, and a bulking agent, and may further contain an emulsifier. The flavor component-containing sheet can be produced, for example, by kneading raw materials containing the thickening polysaccharide, the flavor component, the emulsifier, and the bulking agent in water to prepare a raw material slurry, spreading the raw material slurry on a substrate, and drying it. Note that the flavor component-containing sheet may not contain a tobacco component.

[0082] <Thickening Polysaccharides> The thickening polysaccharides contained in the flavor component-containing sheet have the property of fixing and coating the flavor component dispersed in the sheet. The thickening polysaccharides can be, for example, a single component system of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, gellan gum, psyllium seed gum, or konjac glucomannan; or a composite system combining two or more components selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, konjac glucomannan, starch, cassia gum, and psyllium seed gum.

[0083] Preferably, the thickening polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, gellan gum, and a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum. Aqueous solutions of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, or gellan gum gel (i.e., lose fluidity and solidify) when cooled below a certain temperature. Once gelled, they do not readily solize and can maintain the gelled state even when the temperature is subsequently raised to the gel transition temperature (hereinafter referred to as "temperature-responsive sol-gel transition property"). Therefore, when the raw material slurry contains any of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, and gellan gum as the thickening polysaccharide, the raw material slurry can be cooled to gel, and the gelled raw material can be dried at a high temperature, thereby advantageously producing a sheet in a short time.

[0084] More preferably, the thickening polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of agar, gellan gum, and a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum. When a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum is used as the thickening polysaccharide, the mass ratio of gellan gum to tamarind gum is preferably in the range of 1:1 to 3:1.

[0085] The amount of thickening polysaccharide in the raw slurry is preferably 10 to 35% by mass, more preferably 12 to 25% by mass, based on the total mass (i.e., dry weight) of the components other than water in the raw slurry. The amount of thickening polysaccharide in the raw slurry (% by mass) can be calculated using the amounts of each component other than water in the raw slurry.

[0086] <Fragrance Component> The flavor components described above can be used as the flavor component contained in the fragrance component-containing sheet. The flavor component may be used in solid form, or may be dissolved or dispersed in an appropriate solvent, such as propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, triethyl citrate, etc. Preferably, a flavor component that is easily dispersed in a solvent by the addition of an emulsifier, such as a hydrophobic flavor or an oil-soluble flavor, can be used. In the case of a solid, the shape may be any shape, such as a powder, granules, or sheet.

[0087] The content of the fragrance component in the sheet is preferably less than 18% by mass relative to the total mass of the fragrance component-containing sheet, more preferably 2.5% by mass or more but less than 18% by mass, even more preferably 2.5 to 12% by mass, and most preferably 3 to 6% by mass relative to the total mass of the fragrance component-containing sheet.

[0088] <Emulsifier> Any emulsifier can be used as the emulsifier contained in the fragrance component-containing sheet. Examples of emulsifiers that can be used include lecithin, specifically Sunlecithin A-1 (trade name, manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.). The content of the emulsifier in the sheet is preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 4.5% by mass, relative to the mass of the thickening polysaccharide in the sheet. The content of the emulsifier in the sheet can be calculated using the blending amounts of the emulsifier and thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry.

[0089] <Bulking Agent> The bulking agent contained in the fragrance component-containing sheet increases the total mass (i.e., dry mass) of the components other than water in the raw slurry, ultimately serving to increase the bulk of the fragrance component-containing sheet. That is, the bulking agent is a substance that serves only to increase the bulk of the fragrance component-containing sheet and does not affect the original function of the fragrance component-containing sheet. Specifically, the bulking agent is a substance that serves only to increase the bulk of the fragrance component-containing sheet and meets the following requirements (i) and (ii): (i) does not substantially increase the viscosity of the raw slurry; (ii) does not affect the fragrance retention function of the fragrance component-containing sheet.

[0090] For example, substances that increase the viscosity of the raw material slurry, such as starch, are not included in the category of bulking agents. Here, "does not substantially increase the viscosity of the raw material slurry" means that the viscosity of the raw material slurry is not increased to an extent that makes sheet production difficult (i.e., to an extent that makes the kneading and emulsification of the raw material slurry difficult). Furthermore, "does not affect the flavor retention function of the flavor component-containing sheet" means that the flavor retention function of the sheet is not reduced to an extent that the original function of the flavor component-containing sheet (i.e., function as a flavor component in a flavor inhaler) is not fulfilled. Note that bulking agents are substances that are acceptable in the art for addition as additives to flavor inhalers.

[0091] Furthermore, the bulking agent is preferably a substance that does not affect the flavor of the flavor inhaler. Furthermore, the bulking agent is preferably a substance that does not affect the sheet manufacturing process, for example, a substance that does not act to cause significant shrinkage of the sheet during the drying process.

[0092] The bulking agent is preferably a starch hydrolysate. Starch hydrolysate refers to a substance obtained by a process including a step of hydrolyzing starch. The starch hydrolysate may be, for example, a substance obtained by directly hydrolyzing starch (i.e., dextrin) or a substance obtained by hydrolyzing starch after heat treatment (i.e., resistant dextrin).

[0093] The starch hydrolysate may be prepared by a process including a hydrolysis step using starch as a raw material, or a commercially available starch hydrolysate may be used. When preparing the starch hydrolysate, naturally occurring starch may be used as the raw material "starch." Generally, plant-derived starch, such as corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, etc., may be used. Furthermore, a starch hydrolysate having a desired DE value may be obtained by controlling the hydrolysis conditions.

[0094] The starch hydrolysate generally has a DE value falling within the range of 2 to 40, preferably a starch hydrolysate having a DE value falling within the range of 2 to 20. Examples of starch hydrolysates having a DE value falling within the range of 2 to 20 that can be used include Pinex #100 (trade name, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), Pine Fiber (trade name, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and TK-16 (trade name, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0095] DE stands for dextrose equivalent, and the DE value indicates the degree of starch hydrolysis, i.e., the saccharification rate of starch. In this embodiment, the DE value is a value measured by the Willstatter-Schudel method. The DE value is measured as a specific numerical value by the Willstatter-Schudel method. The properties of hydrolyzed starch (starch hydrolysate), such as the molecular weight of the starch hydrolysate and the arrangement of the sugar molecules constituting the starch hydrolysate, are not uniform among the starch hydrolysate molecules but exist with a certain distribution or variation. Due to the distribution or variation of the properties of the starch hydrolysate or differences in the cut sections, the starch hydrolysate exhibits different physical properties (e.g., DE value) among its molecules. Thus, starch hydrolysates are an aggregate of molecules that exhibit different physical properties, but the measurement results by the Willstatter-Schudel method (i.e., the DE value) are treated as a representative value that indicates the degree of starch hydrolysis.

[0096] More preferably, the starch hydrolysate is selected from the group consisting of dextrin having a DE value of 2 to 5, resistant dextrin having a DE value of 10 to 15, and mixtures thereof. As a dextrin having a DE value of 2 to 5, for example, Pinex #100 (trade name, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) can be used. As a resistant dextrin having a DE value of 10 to 15, for example, Pine Fiber (trade name, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) can be used.

[0097] The bulking agent can be added in an amount that can increase the bulk of the sheet and does not affect the flavor of the flavor inhaler. The content of the bulking agent in the sheet is preferably 100 to 500% by mass, more preferably 200 to 500% by mass, relative to the mass of the thickening polysaccharide. The content of the bulking agent in the sheet can be calculated using the blending amounts of the bulking agent and thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry.

[0098] By adding a bulking agent to the raw material of a fragrance component-containing sheet, it is possible to stably produce a fragrance component-containing sheet under practical production conditions, even if the fragrance component-containing sheet has a composition with a low concentration of the fragrance component. Specifically, the bulking agent increases the dry matter content of the raw material slurry and increases the bulk of the sheet, thereby shortening the drying time required to produce a sheet with a desired thickness. Furthermore, the bulking agent does not substantially increase the viscosity of the raw material slurry, so it does not interfere with the kneading and spreading of the raw material slurry.

[0099] <Other Components> The flavor component-containing sheet may also contain water. That is, the water contained in the raw slurry may remain in the flavor component-containing sheet after drying. When water remains in the flavor component-containing sheet, the moisture content is preferably less than 10% by mass, more preferably 3 to 9% by mass, and even more preferably 3 to 6% by mass, relative to the total mass of the sheet. The moisture content of the sheet can be determined using GC-TCD.

[0100] The fragrance component-containing sheet may contain a moisturizing agent. Examples of moisturizing agents that can be used include hyaluronic acid and magnesium chloride. The fragrance component-containing sheet may also contain a coloring agent. Examples of coloring agents that can be used include food dyes such as cocoa, caramel, and Blue No. 2, polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid, and melanoidin. The fragrance component-containing sheet may have a thickness of, for example, 0.05 to 0.15 mm, and preferably 0.06 to 0.10 mm.

[0101] Specific examples of this embodiment will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0102] Example 1 An aqueous solution containing glycerin, hydroxypropyl cellulose (product name: Cerny, manufactured by Nippon Soda Co., Ltd.), and plant fiber (product name: Herbacell AQ Plus CF-D / 100, manufactured by Sumitomo Pharma & Chemical Co., Ltd.) in a mass ratio of 9:7:4 was prepared. The aqueous solution was applied to a nonwoven fabric (product name: Taiko TCF, manufactured by Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) and dried to obtain an aerosol-source support containing approximately 30% by mass of glycerin per basis weight. 300 mg of the aerosol-source support was filled as the aerosol-source support 9 in the aerosol-source-containing segment 4 of the non-combustion-heat-type flavor inhaler 1 shown in FIG. 1( a). 50 mg of tobacco granules that had been previously alkali-treated was filled as the tobacco material 11 in the tobacco component-containing segment 5 of the non-combustion-heat-type flavor inhaler 1 shown in FIG. 1( a). The content of the aerosol source (glycerin) contained in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler was approximately 90 mg.

[0103] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler was inserted into the heating device 27 shown in FIG. 2 , and only the aerosol source-containing segment 4 was heated to 295°C. The amount of each component contained in the inhaled smoke was then measured by inhaling through the mouthpiece. Inhalation was performed using a smoking device (product name: SM450RH, manufactured by Cerulean) with 55 ml per inhalation over 2 seconds, once every 30 seconds, for a total of 11 inhalations. The amounts of TSNA (tobacco specific nitrosamines), Carb (carbonyls), and VOC (volatile organic compounds) contained in the mainstream smoke obtained by inhalation were measured using the following methods. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0104] (1) TSNA Mainstream smoke was collected using a Cambridge filter (Borgwalt: 400 Filter 44 mm) and extracted with an aqueous ammonium acetate solution. The amount of TSNA was then analyzed using LC-MS / MS (Sciex: TQ7500). TSNA analyzed included NNN (N'-nitrosonornicotine), NAT (N'-nitrosoanatabine), NAB (N'-nitrosoanabatine), and NNK (4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone).

[0105] (2) Carb Mainstream smoke was collected using an impinger (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), phosphoric acid, acetonitrile, water, 22°C), treated with a Trizma base solution, and then analyzed for carb content by HPLC (Agilent Technologies: 1290 Infinity II LC system). The carb components analyzed were acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), and n-butyraldehyde.

[0106] (3) VOCs The mainstream smoke was collected using an impinger (methanol, -70°C) and then analyzed for VOC content using a GC-MS (Agilent Technologies: 7890A / 5975C). The VOCs analyzed were 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, acrylonitrile, benzene, and toluene.

[0107] Comparative Example 1 In the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 1 shown in Figure 1(a), the aerosol-generating rod 2 was not divided into two segments (aerosol source-containing segment 4 and tobacco component-containing segment 5), but was integrated into a single segment containing a mixture of glycerin (aerosol source) and tobacco components. A non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler was otherwise fabricated in the same manner as in Example 1, and the amounts of TSNA, carb, and VOC contained in mainstream smoke were measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0108]

[0109] From Table 1, it can be seen that in Example 1, which used the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system of this embodiment, the aerosol generating rod was not divided into two segments (an aerosol source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment), and the amount of secondary components produced was reduced compared to Comparative Example 1, in which the mixture of glycerin (aerosol source) and tobacco components was directly heated.

[0110] The present embodiment includes the following aspects: [1] A non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system comprising: a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler including an aerosol-source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment arranged downstream of the aerosol-source-containing segment; and a heating device including a heater that heats the aerosol-source-containing segment but does not heat the tobacco component-containing segment. [2] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [1], wherein the aerosol source contained in the aerosol-source-containing segment is at least one selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, triacetin, and 1,3-butanediol. [3] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in [1] or [2], wherein the aerosol-source-containing segment includes an aerosol-source support in which the aerosol source is supported on a carrier. [4] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system described in any of [1] to [3], wherein the content of the aerosol source contained in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler is 10 to 5,000 mg. [5] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the aerosol source-containing segment does not contain a tobacco component. [6] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the tobacco component-containing segment contains at least one tobacco material selected from the group consisting of tobacco granules, tobacco powder, tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, and tobacco extracts. [7] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler further contains a flavor component. [8] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to [7], wherein the flavor component is contained in a segment other than the aerosol source-containing segment. [9] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to [7] or [8], wherein the flavor component is contained in the tobacco component-containing segment.

[10] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to [6], wherein the tobacco-containing segment contains a flavor carrier and the tobacco material.

[11] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler further comprises at least one segment selected from the group consisting of a cooling segment formed by a first cylindrical member having perforations, a center hole segment formed by a second cylindrical member, and a filter segment.

[12] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the heating temperature of the aerosol source-containing segment by the heater is 150 to 400°C.

[0111] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 2 Aerosol generating rod 3 Mouthpiece segment 4 Aerosol source containing segment 5 Tobacco component containing segment 6 Cooling segment 7 Center hole segment 8 Filter segment 9 Aerosol source carrier 10 Wrapper 11 Tobacco material 12 Wrapper 13 Cylindrical member 14 Perforation 15 Second filling layer 16 Second inner plug wrapper 17 First filling layer 18 First inner plug wrapper 19 Outer plug wrapper 20 Mouthpiece lining paper 27 Heating device 28 Body 29 Heater 30 Metal tube 31 Battery unit 32 Control unit 33 Recess 34 Outer wrapper

Claims

1. A non-combustion heating type flavor suction device including an aerosol source-containing segment and a tobacco component-containing segment disposed downstream of the aerosol source-containing segment, a heating device including a heater that heats the aerosol source-containing segment and does not heat the tobacco component-containing segment, and a non-combustion heating type flavor suction system including the same.

2. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the aerosol source contained in the aerosol source-containing segment is at least one selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, triacetin, and 1,3-butanediol.

3. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the aerosol source-containing segment includes an aerosol source carrier in which the aerosol source is carried on a carrier.

4. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the content of the aerosol source contained in the non-combustion heating type flavor suction device is 10 to 5000 mg.

5. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the aerosol source-containing segment does not contain a tobacco component.

6. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the tobacco component-containing segment includes at least one tobacco material selected from the group consisting of tobacco granules, tobacco powder, tobacco flakes, tobacco sheets, and tobacco extracts.

7. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the non-combustion heating type flavor suction device further includes a fragrance component.

8. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 7, wherein the fragrance component is contained in a segment other than the aerosol source-containing segment.

9. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 7, wherein the fragrance component is contained in the tobacco component-containing segment.

10. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 6, wherein the tobacco-containing segment includes a fragrance carrier and the tobacco material.

11. The non-combustion heating type flavor suction system according to Claim 1, wherein the non-combustion heating type flavor suction device further includes at least one segment selected from the group consisting of a cooling segment composed of a first cylindrical member having perforations, a center hole segment composed of a second cylindrical member, and a filter segment.

12. The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heating temperature of the aerosol source-containing segment by the heater is 150 to 400°C.