Web Transport Guide

Abstract

A method for applying an additive to a web of a crimped material for use in an aerosol generating article is disclosed, wherein: the web of the crimped material has a width and a length; the web of the crimped material moves along a path substantially parallel to the length of the web of the crimped material at any given point along the path; the web of the crimped material is deformed from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration across the width of the web of the crimped material over at least a portion of the path; and the additive is applied to a concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the curved configuration.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for shaping a material web, for example, a web of crimped material unwound from a bobbin. The shaped material web may be corrugated into a rod shape for inclusion in an aerosol-generating article. Background Technology

[0002] It is known that an aerosol generating article is provided in the form of a rod-shaped consumable comprising a plurality of parts and components. The main components are generally a cigarette plug or an aerosol generating substrate, one or more filter segments, and optionally one or more cooling elements, which are wrapped in a plurality of paper layers to provide a rod-shaped consumable aerosol generating article. Such an aerosol generating article is typically used in combination with an aerosol generating device into which the aerosol generating article is at least partially inserted. The aerosol generating device is controllably configured to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a consumer by heating the aerosol generating substrate of the aerosol generating article.

[0003] To date, the filter components found in these products are formed into continuous filter rods under heat and pressure from cellulose acetate tow combined with triacetin plasticizers. Since cellulose acetate filters are plastics and do not biodegrade easily, they pose a challenge to sustainability goals, particularly the introduction of bans on single-use plastics.

[0004] The production process of cellulose acetate tow includes a series of four main steps:

[0005] Step 1: Preparation of radiation solution

[0006] To initiate the process, cellulose acetate flakes and acetone are finely mixed together. A precise amount of titanium dioxide is introduced as a delustering agent for the final product. The mixture undergoes thorough blending and then a concentrated filtration step to remove any particles that could obstruct the spinneret.

[0007] Step 2: Spinning

[0008] The spinning step begins when the spinning solution passes through the spinneret of the spinning cell. As the spinning solution exits, acetone begins to gradually evaporate. Consequently, individual filaments solidify and become entangled, while most of the acetone is removed and recovered.

[0009] Step 3: Curtain

[0010] Solidified filaments from multiple spinnerets are combined to form a cable containing tens of thousands of filaments. This cable is wound in a stuffer box, which gives the cigarette filter tow its unique structural features.

[0011] Step 4: Drying and processing

[0012] After winding, the newly formed structure undergoes drying to stabilize its shape and characteristics. Subsequently, the cigarette filter tow is compressed using a bale press, resulting in the formation of a filter tow bale prepared for further processing and use.

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic overview of the production of a cellulose acetate cigarette filter. A cellulose acetate filter forming device (400) produces a continuous filter rod (401), which is subsequently cut to length and combined with other components of a rod-shaped consumable.

[0014] The cellulose acetate tow (409) is drawn from the bale of the tow (412) and fed toward the first expansion roller (407) through the banding jet (410). The first expansion roller (407) and the second expansion roller (408) operate to expand the tow (409) into a flat sheet. Then, the expanded flat sheet of the tow (409) moves through the plasticizer chamber (405), and the plasticizer is applied to the tow (409) through the plasticizer applicator (406). A cross-sectional view 'b' of the tow (409) is shown in FIG. 4. Subsequently, the tow (409) moves through the forming funnel (404) shown in FIG. 2 before the formed tow (411) passes from the paper wrapping area (403) to the garnish area for subsequent wrapping by a wrapping material (414), such as plug wrap. In the garnish area, the infinite garnish belt (416) passes through the drive garnish roller (415). The garnish belt (416) passes along a progressively deep groove in the garnish bed (417) located at the top of the garnish area. A band-shaped wrapping material (414) is unwound from the bobbin (413) and moves along the garnish bed (417) at the top of the garnish belt (416), and the formed tow (411) is at the top of the band of the wrapping material (414). The band of the garnish belt (416) and the wrapping material (414) is wrapped longitudinally around the formed tow (411) as the garnish belt (416) moves along the progressively deep groove. Cross-sectional view 'a' is shown in FIG. 3. The adhesive used to bond each end of the plug wrap is cured in a heating block (402) to provide a continuous filter rod (401).

[0015] It is also known that cooling elements found in rod-shaped consumables are formed from plastic materials, for example, crimped polylactic acid (PLA) films. Cooling elements containing such materials are not easily biodegradable and thus pose challenges to sustainability goals.

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of an apparatus and manufacturing method for a continuous load of a web (200) of a crimped material. An apparatus and method for forming a continuous load of a crimped material web (200) can be used to form a load from a web material such as PLA, tobacco, and a paper-based material supplied from a continuous web material bobbin (141). The continuously crimped tobacco load can be formed into a tobacco sheet (cast leaf sheet or reconstructed tobacco sheet) or a paper-based filter element composed of a paper-based material or other non-woven material. Thus, it should be understood that the reference material web (140) can be selected from the various materials mentioned above.

[0017] A material web (140) is fed from a material web bobbin (141) toward a first winding roller (502) and a second winding roller (503), also illustrated in FIG. 6. The winding rollers are designed so that the tooth portion of one of the rollers engages with a groove on the other roller. Passing the material web (140) between the winding rollers (502, 503) provides a web (145) of winding material as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0018] Now, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, they show a material web before and after winding through winding rollers (502, 503). FIG. 8 shows the material web entering the gap between each winding roller as a continuous material web (140). FIG. 9 shows the winding material web (145) leaving the winding rollers (502, 503).

[0019] Referring again to FIG. 5, the web (145) of the crimped material is selectively supplied with an additive, such as a flavoring agent, from an additive applicator (121) in the chamber (120) after cutting. Since the additive is sprayed onto the substantially flat web of the crimped material, there may be a high degree of variability in the distribution of the additive across the width of the material web. Additionally, to distribute the additive more uniformly toward the edges of the material web, over-spraying may occur, resulting in the waste of the additive. Then, the crimped material web is formed into a continuous, substantially cylindrical cylinder through a star and ring tool (510), as illustrated in more detail in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Before passing through the forming funnel (404) toward the garnish belt (416), the crimped and formed material web (150) may be wrapped in a plug wrap in the same manner as described above to form a continuous rod of cellulose acetate filter, thereby providing a continuous rod of crimped material web (200) that can subsequently be cut lengthwise and combined with other components of a rod-shaped consumable. Cross-sectional view 'c' is shown in FIG. 5, and drawing 'c' is provided in FIG. 12.

[0020] Now, referring to FIGS. 10 and FIGS. 11, they illustrate a representation of a star and ring tool (510) used to form a web (145) of a crimped material into a semi-cylindrical shape. The star and ring tool is formed by a ring (511) adjacent to a star (512) and positioned in a straight line with a garnish belt, a forming funnel, and a crimping roller. The star and ring tool (510) is designed so that the web of the crimped material wraps around the upper portions of the star (512) and the ring (511), so that the material web forms a semi-cylindrical shape around the star and ring tool (510), and the material web is continuously pulled in the direction of travel shown in FIG. 11.

[0021] Considering the background information above and the current use of plastic-based components for elements of rod-shaped consumables, it would be desirable to replace these components with more sustainable materials, such as paper-based materials.

[0022] Additionally, when using the device of FIG. 5 to form a continuous load of the crimped web material, there is a limitation in the efficiency of adding the additive through the applicator (121) in that the distribution of the additive across the material web must be limited to prevent over-spraying of the additive. The additive can provide additional sensory, mechanical, or filtration properties to the continuous load of the crimped web material. The desired properties imparted by the application of the additive depend on the material web used and the desired components to be produced. For example, when producing a crimped tobacco load using a web of tobacco-based material, it may be desirable to enhance sensory properties through the application of flavoring. When producing a continuous load of a crimped paper-based filter, it may be desirable to apply a suitable additive to provide the desired mechanical and filtration properties of the finished paper-based filter component.

[0023] As illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14, a problem arises when spraying the additive (205) from the applicator (121) onto the convex web (145) of the crimped material. Due to the convex profile of the web (145) of the crimped material, the additive (205) will tend to be applied at a higher concentration in the center of the top of the convex profile of the web (145) of the crimped material, and at a lower concentration toward the edges of the web (145) of the crimped material. Additionally, there may be overspraying where the additive (205) does not come into contact with the web of the crimped material at all but is wasted. Overspraying can also cause the additive (205) to be applied to machine parts where the presence of the additive (205) is not desired.

[0024] FIG. 15 illustrates an additional problem with a known method for spraying an additive (205). Because the additive (205) is applied to the convex surface of the web (145) of the crimped material, there will tend to be a greater concentration of the additive (205) on the outer surface of the crimped and formed web (150) of the crimped material after passing through the forming funnel (404) and the garnish area. The resulting rod-shaped consumable (200) illustrated in the cross-section of FIG. 15 will comprise a rod-shaped core of the crimped material (150) formed and formed within a circumferential wrapper (414), having an outer annular portion (151) having a high concentration of the additive (205) and an inner core (152) having a low concentration of the additive (205). The high concentration of the additive (205) in the outer annular portion (151) may move through the circumferential wrapper (414) and cause unwanted staining.

[0025] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol-generating article is provided, wherein:

[0026] The web of the above-mentioned crimped material has a width and a length;

[0027] The web of the crimped material moves along a path substantially parallel to the length of the web of the crimped material at any given point along the path;

[0028] The web of the crimped material is deformed from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration over at least a portion of the path and across the width of the web of the crimped material; and

[0029] The additive is applied to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material in a curved configuration.

[0030] By deforming the web of the crimped material into a curved configuration and applying an additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material, a number of advantages are obtained.

[0031] First, the additive can be applied more uniformly. For example, if the additive is sprayed from an applicator located at or near the center of curvature of the concave surface, the distance from the applicator to each part of the concave surface will be substantially the same, and the fan-shaped spraying of the additive can result in a more uniform distribution of the additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material. This is in contrast to spraying the additive onto a substantially flat planar web of the crimped material, where the concentration of the additive may tend to be in the center of the web of the crimped material because the center is closer to the applicator than the edge of the web of the crimped material.

[0032] Second, by applying the additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimping material, the additive is applied to the surface of the web of the crimping material that will later form the inner part of the rod or cylinder after the web of the crimping material is crimped and wrapped with a wrapper. Therefore, there is less chance of an excess amount of additive coming into contact with the inner surface of the wrapper and potentially moving through the wrapper.

[0033] Third, by applying the additive to a concave surface rather than a substantially flat planar surface or a convex surface, there is less risk of overspraying, where an excess amount of additive is sprayed beyond the edge of the web of the crimped material, potentially leading to waste or unwanted application of the additive to other machine parts.

[0034] The additive can be sprayed onto the concave surface. The additive can be painted onto the concave surface. The additive can be brushed onto the concave surface. The additive can be diffused onto the concave surface. The additive can be poured onto the concave surface.

[0035] The additive may be a liquid. The additive may be a powder. The additive may be a slurry. The additive may be a gel. The additive may be a mist of droplets.

[0036] The additive may consist of or include flavor additives. For example, the additive may include one or more of menthol, tobacco flavor extracts, other plant-based flavor extracts, and synthetic flavor agents.

[0037] The concave surface of the web of the crimped material can be oriented upward, and the additive can be applied from above. This can help to incorporate the additive within the curvature of the concave surface of the web of the crimped material.

[0038] Alternatively, the concave surface of the web of the crimped material can be oriented downward, and the additive can be applied from below. This can help reduce overapplication of the additive to the web of the crimped material, and excess additive falls away from the web of the crimped material under gravity. A drip tray or similar receptacle may be provided below the additive applicator to capture excess additive falling from the web of the crimped material.

[0039] After the application of the additive, the web of the crimped material can be further deformed into a rod or cylinder, and the concave surface is oriented inward. The web of the crimped material can be further deformed by a crimping operation. For example, the web of the crimped material can pass through a funnel to cause the web of the crimped material to crimp into the rod or cylinder.

[0040] A rod or cylinder may be wrapped circumferentially with a wrapper. Wrapping may occur by transporting the rod or cylinder along a garnish belt that progressively wraps a longitudinal wrapper circumferentially around the rod or cylinder.

[0041] As mentioned above, applying an additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material that subsequently forms the inner part of the wrapped rod or cylinder can reduce the possibility of unwanted migration of the additive through the wrapper. For example, liquid additives can cause unwanted staining on the outer surface of the wrapper if such migration occurs.

[0042] The wrapped rod or cylinder can subsequently be cut into individual wrapped elements along its length.

[0043] The web of the crimp material may include reconstituted tobacco. The web of the crimp material may include tobacco cast leaves. This is useful when the web of the crimp material is used to form an aerosol generating substrate.

[0044] The web of the crimp material may include paper. The web of the crimp material may include cellulose acetate tow. The web of the crimp material may include polylactic acid, PLA.

[0045] This is useful when a web of crimped material is used to form a filter element or an aerosol cooling element.

[0046] A web of crimped material may be supplied through a guide device comprising a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the top surface to the bottom surface in a direction toward the front end, wherein the front surface and the side surfaces are flared outwardly from the top surface toward the bottom surface to define a guide surface, and the web of crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration at the bottom edge of the guide surface to a curved configuration corresponding to the longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore as the web of crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end and through the partially cylindrical bore to the rear end.

[0047] The guide device is useful for shaping a web of crimped material to take on a desired curved configuration.

[0048] The guide surface of the guide device is shaped and configured to allow the web of the crimped material to transition smoothly from a substantially flat configuration (i.e., unwound from the bobbin) to a configuration generally curved about the longitudinal axis within a partially cylindrical bore. The curved configuration of the web of the crimped material may be a partially cylindrical curved configuration. The curved configuration of the web of the crimped material may be a substantially semi-cylindrical curved configuration.

[0049] A web of crimped material is crimped by passing between a set of crimping rollers, for example, before passing through a guide device.

[0050] Forming the web of the crimped material into a curved configuration as it passes through the guide device means that the additive can be applied to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material while it is in the curved configuration. This can allow for more uniform and more efficient application of the additive.

[0051] The guide surface may have a triangular shape that is wider at the bottom than at the top. This shape can help guide the web of crimped material into a partially cylindrical bore.

[0052] The lower edge of the guide surface may be provided with a downwardly curved tongue portion, and the web of the crimped material may pass over the tongue portion before passing over the guide surface. The tongue portion may facilitate the smooth transition of the web of the crimped material to the guide surface.

[0053] The upper surface of the tongue portion may have a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimped material and the tongue portion when the web of the crimped material passes through the tongue portion.

[0054] The above guide surface may have a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimped material and the guide surface when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide surface.

[0055] A partially cylindrical bore can have a substantially constant diameter along the longitudinal axis.

[0056] Alternatively, the partial cylindrical bore may have a diameter that gradually decreases from the front end to the rear end along the longitudinal axis. In this way, the radius of curvature of the concave surface of the web of the crimped material may decrease from the front end to the rear end along the longitudinal axis. This can facilitate the subsequent wrapping of the web of the crimped material.

[0057] The partially open top surface may slope downward along the longitudinal axis from the posterior end toward the anterior end. The partially open top surface may slope downward from the posterior end toward the anterior end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the anterior surface slopes downward from the top surface toward the bottom surface.

[0058] The partially open top surface may have an elongated open slot extending from the posterior end to the anterior end. The elongated open slot may have a width that gradually increases from the posterior end to the anterior end.

[0059] The additive can be applied onto a web of the crimped material using an applicator. The applicator may include at least one spray nozzle positioned in an open portion of a partially open top surface. The applicator may include at least one spray nozzle positioned at the front end of a guide device where the guide surface transitions into a partially cylindrical bore.

[0060] A web of crimped material can pass over a roller positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel to the bottom edge of a guide surface, and the roller can guide the web of crimped material to the guide surface. This can help reduce unwanted clumping of the web of crimped material.

[0061] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol-generating article is provided, said apparatus:

[0062] A plurality of guides for guiding a web of a crimped material along a path, wherein the material web has a width and a length, and the path is substantially parallel to the length of the web of the crimped material at any given point along the path;

[0063] At least one deformation element configured to deform the web of the crimped material from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration across the width of the web of the crimped material over at least a portion of the path; and

[0064] It includes an applicator configured to apply an additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the above-mentioned curved configuration.

[0065] By deforming the web of the crimped material into a curved configuration and applying an additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material, a number of advantages are obtained.

[0066] First, the additive can be applied more uniformly. For example, if the additive is sprayed from an applicator located at or near the center of curvature of the concave surface, the distance from the applicator to each part of the concave surface will be substantially the same, and the fan-shaped spraying of the additive can result in a more uniform distribution of the additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material. This is in contrast to spraying the additive onto a substantially flat planar web of the crimped material, where the concentration of the additive may tend to be in the center of the web of the crimped material because the center is closer to the applicator than the edge of the web of the crimped material.

[0067] Second, by applying the additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimping material, the additive is applied to the surface of the web of the crimping material that will later form the inner part of the rod or cylinder after the web of the crimping material is crimped and wrapped with a wrapper. Therefore, there is less chance of an excess amount of additive coming into contact with the inner surface of the wrapper and potentially moving through the wrapper.

[0068] Third, by applying the additive to a concave surface rather than a substantially flat planar surface or a convex surface, there is less risk of overspraying, where an excess amount of additive is sprayed beyond the edge of the web of the crimped material, potentially leading to waste or unwanted application of the additive to other machine parts.

[0069] The applicator can be a spray applicator. The applicator can be a liquid applicator. The applicator can be a powder applicator. The applicator can be a solid applicator.

[0070] The additive may be a liquid. The additive may be a powder. The additive may be a slurry. The additive may be a gel. The additive may be a mist of droplets.

[0071] The additive may consist of or include flavor additives. For example, the additive may include one or more of menthol, tobacco flavor extracts, other plant-based flavor extracts, and synthetic flavor agents.

[0072] At least one deformation element may be configured to deform the web of the crimped material so that the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces upward, and the applicator may be configured to apply the additive from above. This can help to contain the additive within the curvature of the concave surface of the web of the crimped material.

[0073] Alternatively, at least one deformation element may be configured to deform the web of the crimped material so that the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces downward, and the applicator may be configured to apply the additive from below. This can help reduce over-application of the additive to the web of the crimped material, and excess additive falls away from the web of the crimped material under gravity. A drip tray or similar receptacle may be provided below the additive applicator to capture excess additive falling from the web of the crimped material.

[0074] The above device may further include a crimping component configured to crimp and further deform the web of the crimped material with a rod or cylinder having a concave surface facing inward after the application of an additive. The crimping component may be a funnel.

[0075] The device may further include a wrapping component configured to wrap a rod or cylinder circumferentially with a wrapper. The wrapping component may include a garnish belt.

[0076] The device may further include a cutting component configured to cut the wrapped rod or cylinder into individual wrapped elements along its length. The cutting component may include a knife.

[0077] The web of the crimp material may include reconstituted tobacco. The web of the crimp material may include tobacco cast leaves. This is useful when the web of the crimp material is used to form an aerosol generating substrate.

[0078] The web of the crimp material may include paper. The web of the crimp material may include cellulose acetate tow. The web of the crimp material may include polylactic acid, PLA.

[0079] This is useful when a web of crimped material is used to form a filter element or an aerosol cooling element.

[0080] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a guide device for shaping a web of a crimped material is provided, wherein the guide device comprises a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the partially open top surface toward the bottom surface in a direction toward the front end, and wherein the front surface and the side surface are flared outwardly from the partially open top surface toward the bottom surface to define a guide surface configured to smoothly feed the web of the crimped material into the partially cylindrical bore such that when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end to the rear end, the web of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration corresponding to the curved longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore.

[0081] The guide device is useful for shaping a web of crimped material to take on a desired curved configuration.

[0082] The guide surface of the guide device is shaped and configured to allow the web of the crimped material to transition smoothly from a substantially flat configuration (i.e., unwound from the bobbin) to a configuration generally curved about the longitudinal axis within a partially cylindrical bore. The curved configuration of the web of the crimped material may be a partially cylindrical curved configuration. The curved configuration of the web of the crimped material may be a substantially semi-cylindrical curved configuration.

[0083] A web of crimped material is crimped by passing between a set of crimping rollers, for example, before passing through a guide device.

[0084] Forming the web of the crimped material into a curved configuration as it passes through the guide device means that the additive can be applied to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material while it is in the curved configuration. This can allow for more uniform and more efficient application of the additive.

[0085] The guide surface may have a triangular shape that is wider at the bottom than at the top. This shape can help guide the web of crimped material into a partially cylindrical bore.

[0086] The lower edge of the guide surface may be provided with a tongue portion that is curved downward. The web of the crimped material may pass over the tongue portion before passing over the guide surface. The tongue portion may facilitate the smooth transition of the web of the crimped material to the guide surface.

[0087] The upper surface of the tongue portion may have a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimp material and the tongue portion.

[0088] The guide surface may have a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimp material and the guide surface.

[0089] A partially cylindrical bore can have a substantially constant diameter along the longitudinal axis.

[0090] Alternatively, the partial cylindrical bore may have a diameter that gradually decreases from the front end to the rear end along the longitudinal axis. In this way, the radius of curvature of the concave surface of the web of the crimped material may decrease from the front end to the rear end along the longitudinal axis. This can facilitate the subsequent wrapping of the web of the crimped material.

[0091] The partially open top surface may slope downward along the longitudinal axis from the posterior end toward the anterior end. The partially open top surface may slope downward from the posterior end toward the anterior end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the anterior surface slopes downward from the top surface toward the bottom surface.

[0092] The partially open top surface may have an elongated open slot extending from the posterior end to the anterior end. The elongated open slot may have a width that gradually increases from the posterior end to the anterior end.

[0093] The guide device can be manufactured of metal. The guide device can be manufactured of steel. The guide device can be manufactured of stainless steel.

[0094] The guide device may be provided in combination with an applicator configured to apply an additive onto a web of crimped material.

[0095] The applicator may include at least one spray nozzle positioned in an open portion of a partially open top surface. The applicator may include at least one spray nozzle positioned at the front end of a guide device where the guide surface transitions into a partially cylindrical bore. The applicator may be configured to spray an additive onto the web of the crimped material while the web of the crimped material is in a curved configuration.

[0096] The guide device may be provided in combination with a roller positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel to the lower edge of the guide surface, and the roller may be configured to guide the web of the crimped material onto the guide surface. This may help reduce unwanted clumping of the web of the crimped material.

[0097] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a device of a second aspect is provided, wherein at least one deformation element includes a guide device of a third aspect.

[0098] Embodiments of the present invention can provide several advantages over the prior art. Since application on a concave surface helps suppress the spraying of the additive and reduce leakage, cost savings can be achieved by reducing additive over-spraying and additive waste. Efficiency can be improved by reducing unwanted contamination of machine components with over-sprayed additives. The resulting consumable will tend to have a higher concentration of additive closer to the core of the consumable rather than on the outer surface of the consumable, thus reducing the risk of additive migration through the wrapper of the consumable.

[0099] In the context of the present invention, the term “additive” is intended to mean a substance applied to a web of crimped material through an applicator. The additive may be one or more of a liquid, powder, slurry, gel, or mist of droplets. The additive may consist of or include flavor additives. For example, the additive may include one or more of menthol, tobacco flavor extracts, other plant-based flavor extracts, and synthetic flavoring agents.

[0100] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “aerosol generating article” is intended to mean an article comprising an aerosol generating substrate configured to be used with an aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating substrate may comprise a nicotine-containing material, e.g., tobacco. The article may include additional components such as a mouthpiece, an aerosol mixing section, a filter section, a flavor section, etc. The aerosol generating article preferably has a rod-shaped or cylindrical form factor. The aerosol generating article preferably has an equal cross-section along its length, which may be circular, elliptical, or oval, but may also have other shapes including polygons.

[0101] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “aerosol generating material” is intended to mean a material capable of generating an aerosol upon heating. Examples of aerosol generating materials include tobacco cast leaves formed from a slurry of crushed tobacco leaves and a suitable binder, and also a mixture of nicotine with one or more of glycerin, guar gum, menthol, clove, other flavoring agents, and other crops, or a high retention material containing nicotine.

[0102] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “crimping” is used to describe processing a sheet of material to form a crimped sheet of material comprising a plurality of wavy folds or ridges and grooves.

[0103] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “material web” refers to a laminated element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness. Preferably, the sheet of material has a width of 60 mm to 300 mm, preferably 80 mm to 200 mm, and most preferably 100 mm to 150 mm. Preferably, the material web has a thickness of 50 μm to 500 μm, optionally 100 μm to 400 μm, optionally 150 μm to 350 μm, optionally 175 μm to 275 μm, optionally 200 μm to 250 μm, and optionally about 215 μm. The length of the material web is not particularly important in the context of the present disclosure. Generally, the material web is unwound from a bobbin and may have a length of tens or hundreds of meters.

[0104] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “web of crimped material” refers to a web of material as defined above, after the web of material is crimped, for example, by a passage between a pair of crimping rollers.

[0105] In the context of the present disclosure, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” are used to describe the relative positions of components of an apparatus or steps of a method with reference to the direction of travel of the web of the crimped material.

[0106] The present invention is defined in the claims. However, a non-limiting, non-comprehensive list of embodiments is provided below. Any one or more features of these embodiments may be combined with any one or more features of other embodiments, embodiments, or aspects described herein.

[0107] Example Ex1: A method of applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in aerosol-generating articles,

[0108] The web of the above-mentioned crimped material has a width and a length;

[0109] The web of the said crimped material moves along a path substantially parallel to the length of the web of said crimped material at any given point along the path;

[0110] The web of the crimped material is deformed from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration over at least a portion of the path and across the width of the web of the crimped material; and

[0111] A method in which an additive is applied to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the above-mentioned curved configuration.

[0112] Example Ex2: In Example Ex1, the method wherein the additive is sprayed onto the concave surface.

[0113] Example Ex3: In Example Ex1, the method wherein the additive is painted on the concave surface.

[0114] Example Ex4: In Example Ex1, the additive is brushed onto the concave surface.

[0115] Example Ex5: In Example Ex1, the method wherein the additive diffuses onto the concave surface.

[0116] Example Ex6: In Example Ex1, the additive is poured onto the concave surface.

[0117] Example Ex7: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex6, wherein the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces upward and the additive is applied from above.

[0118] Example Ex8: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex6, wherein the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces downward and the additive is applied from below.

[0119] Example Ex9: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex8, wherein after the application of the additive, the web of the crimped material is further deformed into a rod or cylinder, and the concave surface faces inward.

[0120] Example Ex10: In Example Ex9, the rod or cylinder is wrapped circumferentially with a wrapper.

[0121] Example Ex11: In Example Ex10, the wrapped rod or cylinder is subsequently cut into individual wrapped elements along its length, a method.

[0122] Example Ex12: A method in which, in any one of the previous embodiments, the web of the crimp material comprises a reconstructed tobacco.

[0123] Example Ex13: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex11, wherein the web of the crimp material comprises a tobacco cast leaf.

[0124] Example Ex14: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex11, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises paper.

[0125] Example Ex15: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex11, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises cellulose acetate tow.

[0126] Example Ex16: A method in any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex11, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises polylactic acid, PLA.

[0127] Example Ex17: In any one of the prior embodiments, the web of the crimped material comprises a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the top surface to the bottom surface in a direction toward the front end, and the front surface and the side surface are flared outwardly from the top surface toward the bottom surface to define a guide surface, and the web of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration at the bottom edge of the guide surface to the curved configuration corresponding to the longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end and through the partially cylindrical bore to the rear end.

[0128] Example Ex18: In Example Ex17, the guide surface has a triangular shape that is wider at the bottom than at the top.

[0129] Example Ex19: A method according to Example Ex17 or Ex18, wherein the lower edge of the guide surface has a downwardly curved tongue portion, and the web of the crimped material passes through the tongue portion before passing through the guide surface.

[0130] Example Ex20: A method in Example Ex19, wherein the upper surface of the tongue portion has a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimped material and the tongue portion when the web of the crimped material passes through the tongue portion.

[0131] Example Ex21: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex20, wherein the guide surface has a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimped material and the guide surface when the web of the crimped material passes over the guide surface.

[0132] Example Ex22: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex21, wherein the partial cylindrical bore has a substantially constant diameter along the longitudinal axis.

[0133] Example Ex23: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex21, wherein the partial cylindrical bore has a diameter that gradually decreases along the longitudinal axis from the front end to the rear end.

[0134] Example Ex24: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex23, wherein the partially open top surface slopes downward along the longitudinal axis from the rear end toward the front end.

[0135] Example Ex25: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex23, wherein the partially open top surface is sloped downward from the rear end toward the front end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the front surface slopes downward from the top surface toward the bottom surface.

[0136] Example Ex26: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex25, wherein the partially open top surface has an elongated open slot extending from the rear end to the front end.

[0137] Example Ex27: A method in Example Ex26 dependent on Example Ex24 or Example Ex25, wherein the elongated open slot has a width that gradually increases from the rear end toward the front end.

[0138] Example Ex28: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex27, wherein the additive is applied onto a web of the crimped material with an applicator.

[0139] Example Ex29: In Example Ex28, the method comprises, wherein the applicator includes at least one spray nozzle disposed in an open portion of the partially open top surface.

[0140] Example Ex30: In Example Ex28, the method comprises, wherein the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed at the front end of the guide device in which the guide surface transitions into the partial cylindrical bore.

[0141] Example Ex31: A method in any one of Examples Ex17 to Ex30, wherein the web of the crimped material passes over a roller positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel to the lower edge of the guide surface, and the roller guides the web of the crimped material onto the guide surface.

[0142] Example Ex32: A device for applying additives to a web of crimped material for use in aerosol-generating articles, wherein the device comprises:

[0143] A plurality of guides for guiding a web of the said crimped material along a path, wherein the web of the material has a width and a length, and the path is substantially parallel to the length of the web of the said crimped material at any given point along the path;

[0144] At least one deformation element configured to deform the web of the crimped material from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration across the width of the web of the crimped material over at least a portion of the path; and

[0145] A device comprising an applicator configured to apply an additive to the concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the above-mentioned curved configuration.

[0146] Example Ex33: In Example Ex32, the device is a spray applicator.

[0147] Example Ex34: In Example Ex32, the device is a liquid applicator.

[0148] Example Ex35: In Example Ex32, the apparatus is a powder applicator.

[0149] Example Ex36: In Example Ex32, the apparatus is a solid applicator.

[0150] Example Ex37: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex36, wherein at least one deformation element is configured to deform the web of the crimped material such that the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces upward, and the applicator is configured to apply an additive from above.

[0151] Example Ex38: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex36, wherein at least one deformation element is configured to deform the web of the crimped material such that the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces downward, and the applicator is configured to apply an additive from below.

[0152] Example Ex39: An apparatus comprising, in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex38, a crimping component configured to crimp and further deform the web of the crimped material with a rod or cylinder having the concave surface facing inward after the application of the additive.

[0153] Example Ex40: An apparatus according to Example Ex39, further comprising a wrapping component configured to wrap the rod or cylinder circumferentially with a wrapper.

[0154] Example Ex41: In Example Ex40, the apparatus further comprises a cutting component configured to cut the wrapped rod or cylinder into individual wrapped elements across its length.

[0155] Example Ex42: A device in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex41, wherein the web of the crimp material comprises a reconstructed tobacco.

[0156] Example Ex43: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex41, wherein the web of the crimp material comprises a tobacco cast leaf.

[0157] Example Ex44: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex41, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises paper.

[0158] Example Ex45: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex41, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises cellulose acetate tow.

[0159] Example Ex46: An apparatus in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex41, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises polylactic acid, PLA.

[0160] Example Ex47: A guide device for shaping a web of a crimped material, wherein the guide device comprises a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the partially open top surface toward the front end, and wherein the front surface and the side surface are open outwardly toward the bottom surface, so as to define a guide surface configured to smoothly feed the web of the crimped material into the partially cylindrical bore such that when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end to the rear end, the web of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration corresponding to the curved longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore.

[0161] Example Ex48: A guide device in Example Ex47, wherein the guide surface has a triangular shape that is wider at the bottom than at the top.

[0162] Example Ex49: A guide device according to Example Ex47 or Ex48, wherein the lower edge of the guide surface has a tongue portion that is curved downward.

[0163] Example Ex50: A guide device in Example Ex49, wherein the upper surface of the tongue portion is provided with a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimp material and the tongue portion.

[0164] Example Ex51: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex50, wherein the guide surface has a knurled or patterned surface to reduce friction between the web of the crimp material and the guide surface.

[0165] Example Ex52: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex51, wherein the partial cylindrical bore has a substantially constant diameter along the longitudinal axis.

[0166] Example Ex53: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex51, wherein the partial cylindrical bore has a diameter that gradually decreases along the longitudinal axis from the front end to the rear end.

[0167] Example Ex54: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex53, wherein the partially open top surface slopes downward along the longitudinal axis from the rear end toward the front end.

[0168] Example Ex55: A guide device in Example Ex54, wherein the partially open top surface slopes downward from the rear end toward the front end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the front surface slopes downward from the top surface toward the bottom surface.

[0169] Example Ex56: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex55, wherein the partially open top surface has an elongated open slot extending from the rear end to the front end.

[0170] Example Ex57: A guide device in Example Ex56 dependent on Example Ex54 or Example Ex55, wherein the elongated open slot has a width that gradually increases from the rear end toward the front end.

[0171] Example Ex58: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex57, wherein the guide device is made of metal, preferably the guide device is made of steel, and more preferably the guide device is made of stainless steel.

[0172] Example Ex59: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex58, which is combined with an applicator configured to apply an additive onto a web of the crimped material.

[0173] Example Ex60: In Example Ex59, the applicator is a guide device comprising at least one spray nozzle disposed in an open portion of the partially open top surface.

[0174] Example Ex61: In Example Ex59, the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed at the front end of the guide device where the guide surface transitions into the partial cylindrical bore.

[0175] Example Ex62: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex59 to Ex61, wherein the applicator is configured to spray the additive onto the web of the crimped material while the web of the crimped material is in the curved configuration.

[0176] Example Ex63: A guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex62, wherein the roller is configured to guide a web of the crimped material onto the guide surface in combination with a roller positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel to the lower edge of the guide surface.

[0177] Example Ex64: A device in any one of Examples Ex32 to Ex46, wherein the at least one modified element comprises a guide device in any one of Examples Ex47 to Ex63. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0178] Now, embodiments will be further described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic form, a known apparatus for forming a filter rod from cellulose acetate tow; FIG. 2 shows, in a schematic form, the forming funnel of the device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows cross-section "a" through FIG. 1 in a schematic form; FIG. 4 shows cross-section "b" through FIG. 1 in a schematic form; FIG. 5 shows, in schematic form, a known apparatus for forming a rod by applying an additive to a web of crimped material and wrapping the web of crimped material; FIG. 6 shows a pair of winding rollers of the device of FIG. 5 in a schematic form; FIG. 7 shows, in schematic form, a web of crimped material formed by the crimping roller of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 shows, in schematic form, a web of uncrimped material supplied between the crimping rollers of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 shows, in schematic form, a web of crimped material output between the crimping rollers of FIG. 6; FIG. 10 shows the star and ring tools of the device of FIG. 5 in a schematic form; FIG. 11 shows, in schematic form, the star and ring tool of FIG. 10, and the web of crimped material passes through the star and ring tool; FIGS. 12 to 14 show, in schematic form, the application of an additive to the convex upper surface of a material web in the apparatus of FIG. 5; FIG. 15 shows, in schematic form, a cross-sectional view through a wrapped rod of a web of crimped material manufactured by the device of FIG. 5; FIG. 16 shows, in schematic form, an apparatus for forming a rod by applying an additive to a web of crimped material and wrapping the web of crimped material according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 17 shows a web transport guide in schematic form according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 18 to 23 show a web transport guide in schematic form according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 24 shows the web conveying guide of FIG. 18 to 23 in combination with an additive applicator in a schematic form; FIG. 25 shows, in schematic form, the spray pattern of an additive applicator; FIG. 26 shows cross-section "d" through FIG. 24 in a schematic form; FIG. 27 shows cross-section "e" through FIG. 24 in a schematic form; FIG. 28 shows cross-section "f" through FIG. 24 in a schematic form; FIG. 29 shows cross-section "g" through FIG. 24 in a schematic form; FIG. 30 shows the star and ring tools of the device of FIG. 16 in a schematic form; FIGS. 31 and 32 show, in schematic form, the application of an additive to the concave upper surface of a material web in any one of FIGS. 18 to 29; and FIG. 33 shows, in schematic form, a cross-section through a wrapped rod of a web of crimped material manufactured by any one of FIG. 18 to FIG. 29. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0179] Now, referring to FIG. 16, an apparatus for applying an additive (205) to a web (145) of a crimped material and wrapping the web of the crimped material to form a rod (200) is illustrated. The apparatus is roughly similar to the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5, but has significant modifications that allow the additive to be properly distributed and conveniently added to the web (145) of the crimped material before the formation of the continuous rod (200). As in FIG. 5, a material web (140) (which may be reconstructed tobacco, tobacco cast leaf, paper, cellulose acetate tow, PLA, or other suitable material) is unwound from a bobbin (141) and passed between a pair of crimping rollers (502, 503) to form a web (145) of the crimped material. The material web (140) may have a width of 60 mm to 300 mm, preferably 80 mm to 200 mm, most preferably 100 mm to 150 mm. The crimp rollers (502, 503) preferably have a width (measured along the axis of rotation) greater than the width of the material web (140). The circumferential surfaces of the crimp rollers (502, 503) may be spaced apart from each other by 0.1 to 2 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.9 mm, most preferably 0.3 to 0.6 mm at their closing points. Then, the web of the crimped material (145) may pass over the guide rollers (123, 124), which will be described in more detail below, and across the guide surface of the guide device (100). The guide rollers (123, 124) help to gently guide the web of the crimped material (145) onto the guide surface of the guide device (100). The guide rollers (123, 124) may have circumferential surfaces formed of a wear-resistant material, for example, a carbon fiber material. The guide rollers (123, 124) can be vertically spaced apart from each other by 100 mm to 300 mm, preferably 150 mm to 250 mm, most preferably 180 mm to 220 mm.The web (145) of the crimped material is deformed from a substantially flat planar configuration across its width into a curved concave configuration across its width by a guide device (100), and an additive (205) is applied onto the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimped material by an applicator (121), for example by spraying. Due to the concave curvature of the web (145) of the crimped material, the applicator (121) may be positioned closer to the web (145) of the crimped material on the guide device (100), for example, at a distance of about 100 mm, than in the device of the prior art. This may help reduce over-spraying and may promote a more uniform application of the additive (205) across the surface of the web (145) of the crimped material. The post-cut chamber (120) may be provided with a base forming a drip tray, and a drain (122) may be provided within the base so that any excess or over-sprayed additive (205) can be removed from the post-cut chamber (120), thereby avoiding unwanted accumulation of additive (205) in the post-cut chamber (120).

[0180] Then, the web (145) of the crimping material passes through the forming funnel (404) across the bottom surface of the star and ring tool (510). The forming funnel (404) crimps the web (145) of the crimping material into a crimped web (150) of the crimping material. Because the additive (205) is applied to the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimping material, the additive will tend to be more concentrated on the inside rather than the outside of the crimped web (150) of the crimping material output from the forming funnel (404). Then, the crimped web (150) of the crimping material moves through the garnish area, where the infinite garnish belt (416) is driven by the garnish roller (415) and moves across the upper surface of the garnish bed (417). The garnish belt (416) passes along a progressively deeper longitudinal groove within the garnish bed (417) at the top of the garnish area. A band-shaped wrapping material (414) is unwound from a bobbin (413) and moves along a garnish bed (417) at the top of a garnish belt (416), and a corrugated web (145) of the wrapping material is at the top of the band of the wrapping material (414). The band of the garnish belt (416) and the wrapping material (414) are wrapped longitudinally around the corrugated web (145) of the wrapping material as the garnish belt (416) moves along a progressively deep groove toward a heating block (202), where the wrapping material (414) is sealed around the corrugated web (145) of the wrapping material to form a continuous wrapped rod (200). Subsequently, the continuous wrapped rod (200) can be cut into sections as needed.

[0181] FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative and simplified arrangement in which a web (145) of a crimped material passes through a first hoop (600) and is deformed into a curved configuration across its width. The first hoop (600) may be circular. The first hoop (600) may be elliptical. The first hoop (600) may be oval. The first hoop (600) may have the shape of a race track or a stadium. The radius of curvature of the web (145) of the crimped material can be controlled by adjusting the angle of the first hoop (600) with respect to the direction of movement of the web (145) of the crimped material. An applicator (121) is configured to apply an additive (not shown in FIG. 17) to the concave surface (upper surface in FIG. 17) of the web (145) of the crimped material. Optionally, a second hoop (601) similar to the first hoop (600) may be provided downstream of the first hoop (600), which may help stabilize the web (145) of the crimped material before the web (145) of the crimped material enters the forming funnel (404).

[0182] FIGS. 18 to 23 illustrate different drawings of a guide device (100) suitable for implementation in the device of FIG. 16.

[0183] The guide device (100) comprises a body portion having a front end (111), a rear end (112), a solid bottom surface (113), first and second solid side surfaces (114, 116), and a partially open top surface (117). The body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore (105) having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end (112) to the front end (111). The partially cylindrical bore (105) has a curved longitudinal wall surface. The body portion further comprises a front surface inclined downward from the partially open top surface (117) to the bottom surface (113) in a direction toward the front end (111), wherein the front surface and side surfaces (114, 116) are flared outward from the partially open top surface (117) toward the bottom surface (113) to define a guide surface (110). The guide surface (110) is configured to smoothly feed a web (145) of the crimped material (not shown in FIG. 18 to 23) into a partial cylindrical bore (105), so that as the web (145) of the crimped material passes through the guide device (100) from the front end (111) to the rear end (112), the web (145) of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration that corresponds to the curved longitudinal wall of the partial cylindrical bore (105). In this way, the web (145) of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat planar configuration to a substantially semi-cylindrical configuration along the diameter across the guide device (100), thereby facilitating the efficient application of additives to the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimped material through the applicator (121).

[0184] The guide surface (110) has a triangular shape that is wider at the bottom than at the top. A downwardly curved tongue portion (115) may be provided at the bottom edge of the guide surface (110).

[0185] The upper surface of the tongue portion (115) may be provided with a knurled or patterned surface as shown in FIG. 20 to reduce friction between the web (145) of the crimped material and the tongue portion (115). The guide surface (110) may be provided with a knurled or patterned surface as shown in FIG. 20 to reduce friction between the web (145) of the crimped material and the guide surface (110). This may help improve production speed by allowing the web (145) of the crimped material to move across the guide surface (110) at a speed in the range of 50 m / min to 500 m / min, preferably 80 m / min to 120 m / min.

[0186] The partial cylindrical bore (105) may have a substantially constant diameter along the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the partial cylindrical bore (105) may have a diameter that gradually decreases along the longitudinal axis from the front end (111) to the rear end (112).

[0187] The partially open top surface (117) may be inclined downward along the longitudinal axis from the rear end (112) toward the front end (111). The partially open top surface (117) may be inclined downward from the rear end (112) toward the front end (111) at an angle smaller than the angle at which the front surface is inclined downward from the top surface (117) toward the bottom surface (113).

[0188] As illustrated in FIG. 20, the partially open top surface (117) may have an elongated open slot (118) extending from the rear end (112) to the front end (111). The elongated open slot (118) may have a width that gradually increases from the rear end (112) toward the front end (111).

[0189] The guide device (100) can be made of metal, preferably steel, more preferably stainless steel.

[0190] FIG. 23 shows a plan view of an exemplary guide device (100) having indicated dimensions.

[0191] At the widest point, the width L5 of the elongated open slot (118) may be 25 mm to 200 mm, preferably 50 mm to 150 mm, most preferably 75 mm to 85 mm.

[0192] The length L6 of the partially open top surface (117) from the rear end (112) to the top of the guide surface (110) may be 100 mm to 400 mm, preferably 150 mm to 300 mm, most preferably 175 mm to 225 mm.

[0193] The total length L7 of the guide device (100) from the rear end (112) to the front end (111) may be 200 mm to 700 mm, preferably 400 mm to 500 mm, most preferably 425 mm to 475 mm.

[0194] The width L8 of the bottom edge of the guide surface (110) may be 75 mm to 350 mm, preferably 190 mm to 270 mm, most preferably 210 mm to 250 mm.

[0195] FIG. 24 illustrates a plan view of a guide device (100) in combination with an applicator (121). The applicator (121) is positioned over or within an elongated open slot (118) toward the front end (111) of the guide device. In this position, the applicator (121) can apply an additive to the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimped material as it enters the longitudinal bore (105) of the guide device (100). Additionally, the material web (140) is shown being unwound from the material web bobbin (141) and passing between the crimping rollers (502) to form the web (145) of the crimped material. The web (145) of the crimped material enters the chamber (120) after cutting and passes over the rollers (123) before sliding across the tongue portion (115) and the guide surface (110) of the guide device (100).

[0196] FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary spray pattern of an applicator (121) configured to spray an additive (205) onto a concave curved surface of a web (145) of a crimped material. The spray pattern extends in both the width and length directions across the concave curved surface of the web (145) of the crimped material. In the illustrated example, the spray pattern has a star configuration sprayed along eight rays from a center point. In other examples, the spray pattern may have four, six, ten, or twelve rays, or any number of rays if appropriate. Other spray patterns may be used.

[0197] FIGS. 26 through 29 are cross-sectional views taken along lines "d", "e", "f", and "g" of FIG. 24, respectively, illustrating the progressively increasing concave curvature of the web (145) of the crimped material as it passes over and through the guide device (100). FIG. 28 illustrates an applicator (121) spraying an additive (205) onto the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimped material at line "f" of FIG. 24.

[0198] FIG. 30 illustrates the star and ring tool (510) of FIG. 16 in more detail. The star and ring tool (510), comprising a star portion (512) and a ring portion (511), is similar to the star and ring tool (510) illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. However, in the device of FIG. 16, the web (145) of the crimped material passes under the star and ring tool (510) rather than over it, in its curved configuration.

[0199] FIGS. 31 and 32 illustrate, in schematic form, the application of an additive (205) by an applicator (121) to a concave surface of a web (145) of a crimped material. FIGS. 31 and 32 can be contrasted with the arrangement of the prior art shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In addition to reducing the risk of overspray, applying the additive (205) to a concave surface of a web (145) of a crimped material means that after crimping and packaging, the surface of the web (145) of the crimped material with the additive (205) will form an internal part of the resulting rod-shaped consumable (200) as shown in FIG. 33. Since the additive (205) is applied to the concave surface of the web (145) of the crimped material, there will be a tendency for a higher concentration of the additive (205) to be present on the inner surface of the crimped material web (150) that is formed and wrinkled after passing through the forming funnel (404) and the garnish area. Accordingly, the resulting rod-shaped consumable (200) will include a rod-shaped core of the crimped material (150) formed and wrinkled within a cylindrical wrapper (414) having an outer annular portion (153) with a low or substantially no concentration of the additive (205) and an inner core (154) having a higher concentration of the additive (205). A lower concentration of the additive (205) in the outer annular portion (153) means that there is less risk of the additive moving through the cylindrical wrapper (414) and that unwanted stains are reduced or eliminated.

[0200] For the purposes of this description and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, etc., shall be understood in all cases as being modified by the term “about.” Additionally, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points and include any intermediate ranges that may or may not be specifically listed herein. Accordingly, in this context, the number A is understood as 5% of A ± A. In this context, the number A may be considered to include numerical values ​​within the general standard error for measuring the characteristic that the number A modifies. In some cases used in the appended claims, the number A may deviate by the percentage listed above, provided that the amount of deviation of A does not substantially affect the basic and novel feature(s) of the claimed invention. Additionally, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points and include any intermediate ranges that may or may not be specifically listed herein.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol generating article, wherein the web of the crimped material has a width and a length; the web of the crimped material moves along a path substantially parallel to the length of the web of the crimped material at any given point along the path; the web of the crimped material is deformed from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration across the width of the web of the crimped material over at least a portion of the path; and the additive is applied to a concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the curved configuration. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces upward, and the additive is applied from above. Claim 3 A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after the application of the additive, the web of the crimped material is further deformed into a rod or cylinder, and the concave surface faces inward. Claim 4 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the web of the crimped material comprises a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the top surface to the bottom surface in a direction toward the front end, and the front surface and the side surface are flared outwardly from the top surface toward the bottom surface to define a guide surface, and the web of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration at the bottom edge of the guide surface to the curved configuration corresponding to the longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end and through the partially cylindrical bore to the rear end. Claim 5 In paragraph 4, the method wherein the partially open upper surface slopes downward from the rear end toward the front end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the front surface slopes downward from the upper surface toward the lower surface. Claim 6 A method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the partially open top surface has an elongated open slot extending from the rear end to the front end. Claim 7 A method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the additive is applied onto a web of the crimped material with an applicator, and the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed at the front end of the guide device in which the guide surface transitions to the partial cylindrical bore. Claim 8 An apparatus for applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol generating article, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of guides for guiding the web of the crimped material along a path, wherein the web of the material has a width and a length, and the path is substantially parallel to the length of the web of the crimped material at any given point along the path; at least one deformation element configured to deform the web of the crimped material from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration across the width of the web of the crimped material over at least a portion of the path; and an applicator configured to apply an additive to a concave surface of the web of the crimped material in the curved configuration. Claim 9 In claim 8, the apparatus is configured such that at least one deformation element is configured to deform the web of the crimped material so that the concave surface of the web of the crimped material faces upward, and the applicator is configured to apply an additive from above. Claim 10 A guide device for shaping a web of a crimped material, wherein the guide device comprises a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, first and second solid side surfaces, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical bore having a curved longitudinal wall surface, and a front surface inclined downward from the partially open top surface toward the front end, and wherein the front surface and the side surface are open outwardly toward the bottom surface, so as to define a guide surface configured to smoothly feed the web of the crimped material into the partially cylindrical bore such that when the web of the crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end to the rear end, the web of the crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration corresponding to the curved longitudinal wall surface of the partially cylindrical bore. Claim 11 A guide device according to claim 10, wherein the partially open upper surface slopes downward along the longitudinal axis from the rear end toward the front end at an angle smaller than the angle at which the front surface slopes downward from the upper surface toward the lower surface. Claim 12 A guide device according to claim 10 or 11, combined with an applicator configured to apply an additive onto a web of the crimped material. Claim 13 In claim 12, the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed at the front end of the guide device where the guide surface transitions into the partial cylindrical bore. Claim 14 A guide device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the applicator is configured to spray the additive onto the web of the crimped material while the web of the crimped material is in the curved configuration. Claim 15 A device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one deformation element comprises a guide device according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

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