Reusable sleeve for receiving heatable smoking products

Abstract

The invention relates to a reusable sleeve (1) for receiving heatable smoking products, having a body (2) which is made of a heat-resistant material and comprises a smoking product section (3), a cooling section (4), and a filter section (5). The sleeve (1) according to the invention offers an environmentally friendly alternative to current heatable (disposable) tobacco products. The invention additionally relates to a system (100) containing the sleeve (1) and to a method for producing the sleeve (1).

Description

Reusable sleeve for holding heatable smoking products

[0001] The present invention relates to a reusable sleeve for containing heatable smoking articles, a system containing the sleeve, and a method for producing the sleeve. State of the art

[0002] Heatable tobacco products (HTPs) are known from the prior art. These products are constructed similarly to cigarettes and are inserted into suitable (heat-not-burn) devices, where they are heated to extract the tobacco ingredients without burning. These tobacco products consist of a filter part and a part containing the tobacco or smoking material to be consumed, which are joined together with a cigarette paper to form a "heat stick" cigarette.

[0003] However, such “heat stick” cigarettes have the disadvantage that they are only suitable for single use and produce a comparatively high amount of waste. Disclosure of the invention

[0004] The present invention therefore has the object of reducing the amount of waste caused by heatable tobacco products or heatable smoking articles.

[0005] The invention solves the stated problem by a reusable cover for holding heatable smoking articles according to the subject matter of independent patent claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the cover result from the dependent patent claims and the embodiments presented below.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, the reusable sleeve comprises a body made of a heat-resistant material, which comprises a smoking article section, a cooling section and a filter section, wherein the smoking article section is designed to receive the heatable smoking articles, the filter section is designed to receive a filter and the cooling section is provided between the smoking article section and the filter section and at least one channel for guiding and cooling smoke from the smoking article section to the filter section The inventive construction of the body allows for the creation of an easy-to-use, reusable sleeve, wherein a user can place the heatable smoking articles in the smoking article section prior to use, and a filter can be placed in the filter section. Furthermore, the additional cooling section allows the smoke gas emitted by the smoking articles to be cooled before it reaches the filter and is ultimately inhaled by the user. After use, the used smoking articles and the filter can be removed from the sleeve, and the sleeve can be cleaned if necessary.

[0007] Reusability thus reduces waste, as only the heated tobacco products and the filter need to be disposed of. On the other hand, overall energy savings can be achieved during production, as the complex production of assembled heated disposable tobacco products (including tobacco products, filters, and cooling channels) is no longer necessary.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the invention, the body is formed integrally with the smoking article section, the cooling section, and the filter section. Due to the integral construction of the body, the sleeve according to the invention can be manufactured easily and without the use of adhesives or additional connecting agents, thereby reducing the pollutant load when using the sleeve. Adhesives, in particular, can release harmful substances into the smoke gas of the smoking article when heated, which can lead to a health impairment for the user.

[0009] In addition, the one-piece body can be easily manufactured, for example by an injection molding, compression molding or CNC process, or the like.

[0010] Overall, the wrapper according to the invention can significantly reduce the ecological footprint and waste volume of heatable tobacco products. Furthermore, by decoupling the smoking products from the filter or from the entire tobacco product, the user can have greater freedom of choice regarding the individual components. For example, the user can select their preferred smoking product without having to forego environmentally friendly filters.

[0011] For the purposes of the present invention, a heatable tobacco product (HTP) is understood to mean a tobacco product in which the tobacco (or smoking articles) is heated at lower temperatures than conventional cigarettes. The heatable tobacco product generally consists of a A heat source (heater) and a smoking product (tobacco product or tobacco), which releases the substances contained therein (especially nicotine) into an aerosol or smoke gas through heating or warming. In addition to the substances typically found in tobacco, additional flavorings or chemical substances, such as glycerin for moisturizing, may be included. These smoking products typically also have a higher moisture content than conventional cigarettes. The smoking products are typically heated to temperatures above 150°C. In any case, combustion of the smoking products does not occur.

[0012] Smoking products, as defined in the present invention, refer to tobacco or herbs that release substances into an aerosol or smoke gas when heated. These smoking products may contain psychoactive substances such as nicotine, THC, or the like.

[0013] A one-piece body in the sense of the present invention is understood to mean a body in which all parts or sections of the body are connected to one another without (additional) connecting means and merge into one another, or are formed from one and the same material.

[0014] A heat-resistant material in the sense of the present invention is understood to mean a material which remains stable and substantially unchanged at least up to a temperature of about 200°C, preferably up to 300°C, particularly preferably up to 350°C.

[0015] Further embodiments of the invention are presented below. Unless otherwise stated, the illustrated embodiments, or individual aspects of the embodiments, can be combined with one another in any way.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heat-resistant material can comprise a high-temperature plastic, silicone, glass, in particular silicate glass, ceramic, metal, or zirconium. High-temperature plastics and silicones have the advantage that the body of the sleeve can be manufactured easily and cost-effectively—for example, using an injection molding process.

[0017] Conventional silicones can achieve temperature resistance up to approximately 300°C. High-temperature plastics such as polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), or polyamideimide (PAI) can also achieve temperature resistance of at least 200°C.

[0018] Bodies made of glass, especially silicate glass, ceramic, metal, or zirconium, can achieve particularly high temperature stability, but are more complex to manufacture. These can be molded, for example, or manufactured using machining processes, such as CNC milling.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the body in the region of the smoking product section and / or the filter section can be designed as a cylindrical sleeve. By designing the body as a cylindrical sleeve in the smoking product section, it can accommodate smoking products in a structurally simple manner, for example because the smoking products are rolled up in cigarette paper as smoking product pellets and can thus be easily provided in the smoking product section. Likewise, designing the body in the filter section as a cylindrical sleeve can serve to accommodate a filter, in particular a disposable filter, in a technically simple manner. The inner diameters of the smoking product section and / or the filter section can preferably be adapted to the corresponding inner diameters of the smoking product pellets or the filters, so that they can be easily inserted into the sleeve, but are secured against falling out.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooling section can be designed as a solid cylinder extending between the smoking product section and the filter section, with the at least one channel penetrating the solid cylinder of the cooling section along its longitudinal direction. The cooling section ensures that the aerosol or smoke gas emanating from the smoking product section is guided through the at least one channel and thus cooled, providing the user with a more pleasant smoking experience.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the heat-resistant material can be glass, with the body being made of a cylindrical shell made of one or more layers of flexible glass. In particular, the cylindrical shell is integrally connected to a solid glass cylinder in the region of the cooling section. This integral connection can be achieved, for example, by fusing the cylindrical shell to the solid cylinder.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the inner diameter of the at least one channel can be smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical casing in the smoking product section and / or the filter section. This results in a cross-sectional narrowing from the smoking product section to the cooling section, which enables a stronger interaction between the smoke gas and the material of the solid cylinder in the cooling section, thereby achieving greater cooling of the smoke gas.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooling section can have a plurality of channels for guiding and cooling smoke. Thus, the flue gas can preferably be guided through the cooling section via multiple channels, increasing the surface area for the flue gas to interact with the cooling section, thus achieving greater cooling efficiency.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the body, particularly on its interior, can have a heat-resistant coating. This heat-resistant coating can further increase the casing's resistance to temperature influences caused by the flue gas or aerosol flowing through it. Furthermore, the coating can create a smoother and easier-to-clean surface, thus facilitating the maintenance of the reusable casing. The service life of the casing can thus be further extended.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heat-resistant coating can comprise silicon dioxide (SiO2). This results in a particularly temperature-stable and durable coating, which also further reduces the effort required to clean the casing.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the heat-resistant coating can preferably be applied to the inside of the casing using a sol-gel process.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the smoking article portion can have a receiving opening for receiving a smoking article pellet. This allows a smoking article pellet to be easily inserted into the smoking article portion of the body through the receiving opening, particularly at the front.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the filter portion can have a receiving opening for receiving a filter. This allows a filter to be easily inserted into the smoking article portion of the body through the receiving opening, particularly at the rear.

[0029] The invention also achieves the stated object by a system comprising a sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 11, a smoking article pellet containing heatable smoking articles and a filter.

[0030] With regard to the advantages of the system according to the invention, reference is made to the above statements regarding the casing according to the invention.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heatable smoking articles may be tobacco products or herbal smoking articles intended for vaporization.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, the filter can be a disposable filter. Alternatively, the filter can also be a reusable filter. The filter can be, for example, an activated carbon filter, a cellulose fiber filter, or the like.

[0033] The invention also aims to provide a method which enables a cost-effective and simple production of reusable sleeves for holding heatable smoking articles.

[0034] The present invention solves the stated problem by a method according to independent patent claim 14. Further preferred embodiments of the method result from the subject matter of the dependent patent claims and from the embodiment variants described below.

[0035] According to the invention, the one-piece body of the sleeve is manufactured using an injection molding process. This injection molding process enables particularly simple and cost-effective production of the sleeve in large quantities.

[0036] If the sleeve is manufactured using an injection molding process using a high-temperature liquid silicone, a sleeve with particularly high temperature stability can be achieved, which is also cost-effective to produce. The sleeve is also durable and can significantly contribute to reducing waste in heatable tobacco products. The sleeve produced in this way can preferably remain stable at least up to a temperature of 300°C, preferably up to 350°C.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the process, the body can be coated with the heat-resistant coating using a sol-gel process. Preferably, the coating of the body can be carried out using the sol-gel process at its maximum temperature to achieve the highest temperature stability of the body. Furthermore, the coating can seal the surface of the body or make it smoother, thus enabling easier cleaning of the sleeve after use.

[0038] If the coating is also carried out using a dip coating process according to one design variant, the inside of the channels of the cooling section can also be reliably provided with the coating.

[0039] According to a further embodiment of the method, the coating can be applied by exposing the body to a curing temperature corresponding to the short-term maximum temperature of the body material, to further increase the temperature resistance of the coating. Short description of the characters

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic axonometric view of the sleeve according to the invention according to a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the sleeve of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sleeve of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows a system comprising a sleeve according to the invention according to a first embodiment. Ways to implement the invention

[0041] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures.

[0042] According to Figs. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the reusable sleeve 1 according to the present invention is shown. Fig. 1 shows an axonometric plan view of the sleeve 1, Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view through the sleeve 1, and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through the sleeve 1.

[0043] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sleeve 1 comprises a body 2 comprising a smoking article portion 3, a cooling portion 4, and a filter portion 5. The body 2 of the sleeve 1 is formed integrally from a heat-resistant material; the smoking article portion 3, the cooling portion 4, and the filter portion 5 are thus integrally connected to one another to form the body 2 without additional connecting means.

[0044] The body 2 of the sleeve 1 forms a substantially cylindrical outer surface 6 on its outer surface. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the body 2 has a circular cross-section. According to further embodiments, which are not shown in detail in the figures, the body 2 can also assume other cross-sectional shapes, such as ellipses, rectangles, etc.

[0045] The tobacco product section 3 is arranged on the front side 7 of the sleeve 1, while the filter section 5 is arranged on the rear side 8. The cooling section 4 is provided between the tobacco product section 3 and the filter section 5 and has several channels 9 which penetrate the filter section 5 in the longitudinal direction 14 of the sleeve 1. The channels 9 serve to cool smoke gas or aerosols which are guided from the tobacco product section 3 into the filter section 5.

[0046] The smoking article section 3 forms a receiving opening 10 on the front side 7 for receiving a smoking article pellet 50, which is illustrated in Fig. 4 using the system 100. The filter section 5, in turn, forms a receiving opening 11 on the rear side 8 for receiving a filter 60. In the area of ​​the smoking article section 3 and the filter section 5, the body 2 of the sleeve 1 is designed as a substantially cylindrical shell 12 that is hollow inside. In the area of ​​the cooling section 4, however, the body is designed as a solid cylinder 13, into which the channels 9 are introduced, which penetrate the solid cylinder 13 in the longitudinal direction 14.

[0047] The body 2 has a heat-resistant coating 15 on its inner sides, which was only shown in outline in Figures 2 and 3. The coating 15 is also preferably provided inside the channels 9. The coating 15 can also be provided on the outside of the body 2, which is not shown in detail in the figures.

[0048] Preferably, the coating 15 is a SiO2 layer applied to the body 2 using a sol-gel immersion bath process. According to further embodiments, other heat-resistant coatings 15 are also possible.

[0049] Figure 4 also shows a system 100 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The system 100 comprises a sleeve 1 according to the first embodiment described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0050] The system 100 further comprises a tobacco pellet, which can be inserted into the receiving opening 10 of the tobacco section 3. The tobacco pellet 50 preferably contains a tobacco suitable for heating. According to further embodiments, the tobacco pellet 50 can also contain herbs suitable for heating and releasing a smoke gas or aerosol.

[0051] The system 100 further comprises a filter 60, which can be inserted into the receiving opening 11 of the filter section 5. The filter 60 is preferably a disposable filter, for example, with activated carbon or cellulose fibers.

[0052] After using the system 100, which has been heated in a suitable tobacco heater, the spent tobacco pellet 50 and the used or saturated filters 60 are removed from the sleeve 1 and the sleeve 1 is cleaned for the next use.

[0053] For a further description of the sleeve 1, reference is made to the above explanations with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. List of reference symbols 1 sleeve 2 bodies 3 Tobacco Products Section 4 Cooling section 5 Filter section 6 Shell surface 7 Front 8 Back 9 channels 10 Receiving opening 11 Receiving opening 12 Cylindrical shell 13 solid cylinders 14 Longitudinal direction 15 Heat-resistant coating 50 tobacco pellets 60 filters 100 systems

Claims

Patent claims 1. Reusable sleeve (1) for holding heatable smoking articles, comprising a body (2) made of a heat-resistant material, which comprises a smoking article section (3), a cooling section (4) and a filter section (5), wherein the smoking article section (3) is designed to hold the heatable smoking articles, the filter section (5) is designed to hold a filter and the cooling section (4) is provided between the smoking article section (3) and the filter section (5) and has at least one channel (9) for guiding and cooling smoke from the smoking article section (3) to the filter section (5), and wherein the body (2) is formed in one piece with the smoking article section (3), the cooling section (4) and the filter section (5).

2. Sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat-resistant material comprises a high-temperature plastic, silicone, glass, in particular silicate glass, metal, ceramic or zirconium.

3. Sleeve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the body (2) is designed as a cylindrical sleeve (12) in the region of the smoking article section (3) and / or the filter section (5).

4. Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cooling section (4) is designed as a solid cylinder (13) which extends between the smoking article section (3) and the filter section (5), wherein the at least one channel (9) penetrates the solid cylinder (13) of the cooling section (4) along its longitudinal direction (14).

5. Sleeve according to claim 3 and 4, characterized in that the inner diameter of the at least one channel (9) is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical casing (12) in the smoking article section (3) and / or in the filter section (5).

6. Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cooling section (4) has a plurality of channels (9) for guiding and cooling smoke.

7. Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the body (2), in particular on its inner side, has a heat-resistant coating (15).

8. Sleeve according to claim 7, characterized in that the heat-resistant coating (15) comprises silicon dioxide (SiO?).

9. Sleeve according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the heat-resistant coating (15) was applied by a sol-gel process.

10. Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the smoking article section (3) has a receiving opening (10) for receiving a smoking article pellet (50).

11. Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the filter section (5) has a receiving opening (11) for receiving a filter (60), in particular a disposable filter.

12. System (100) comprising a sleeve (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, a smoking article pellet (50) containing heatable smoking articles and a filter (60), in particular a disposable filter.

13. System according to claim 12, characterized in that the heatable smoking articles are tobacco products or herbal smoking articles intended for vaporization.

14. A method for producing a sleeve (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the one-piece body (2) is produced by injection molding, in particular using a high-temperature liquid silicone.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the body (2) is provided with the heat-resistant coating (15) by a sol-gel method, in particular by a sol-gel dip coating method.

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