Smoke-free cigarette

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smoke-free cigarette (10). The cigarette comprises: an autonomous heating unit (14) for generating heat and an active substance chamber, the heating unit comprising a phase change material as a supercooled melt; and a trigger mechanism for activating the heat unit, which mechanism can be actuated by a user by way of a rotary movement.

Description

[0001] Smokeless cigarette

[0002] The present invention relates to a smokeless cigarette.

[0003] Smokeless cigarettes are known in numerous different designs from the prior art.

[0004] German patent DE 10 2005 034 169 A1 discloses a smokeless cigarette that has a heating tube which is heated by the flame of a lighter. Due to its high heat capacity, the heating tube releases heat over a sufficiently long period so that the e-liquid in a reservoir can vaporize.

[0005] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a smokeless cigarette that is easy and safe to use, has a comparatively simple design and leads to effective heating of the air inhaled by a user and / or the nicotine reservoir.

[0006] This problem is solved by a smokeless cigarette with the features of claim 1. Accordingly, a smokeless cigarette is provided which has a self-contained heating unit for generating heat and an active ingredient chamber, wherein the heating unit comprises a phase-change material as a supercooled melt, and a trigger mechanism for activating the heating unit, which can be actuated by a user by means of a rotary movement, is provided.

[0007] The rotatable release mechanism allows for particularly controlled activation of the heating unit compared to known solutions where a user triggers the release mechanism by a purely axial movement (pushing).

[0008] Preferably, the triggering mechanism is configured such that the rotational movement initiates a crystallization of the phase change material of the heat unit through a mechanical process.

[0009] For example, the triggering mechanism can comprise a plate or pin, preferably made of metal, that can be inserted into the phase change medium. When the pin or plate is pushed into the phase change medium, the phase transition is triggered and the heating unit generates heat, preferably between 40 °C and 60 °C, particularly around 50 °C.

[0010] The plate or pin can be connected to a cap that is axially displaceable relative to the heating unit by means of a rotational movement, the cap preferably being located at an end of the cigarette opposite a filter piece and / or a mouthpiece. The user can thus place the cigarette in their mouth and then activate the heating unit by rotating the cap.

[0011] The cap is preferably brought close to the heating unit by a rotational movement, so that the pin or plate penetrates a membrane that delimits the phase change medium, thereby triggering the crystallization of the phase change material of the heating unit. In the inactive state, the phase change medium is sealed by the membrane. The heating unit can be located in a hollow cylindrical space, wherein the active ingredient chamber is either radially internal to the heating unit, so that the heating unit at least partially surrounds the active ingredient chamber (external heating unit), or the active ingredient chamber is radially external to the heating unit, so that the active ingredient chamber at least partially surrounds the heating unit (internal heating unit).

[0012] The heating unit preferably has a heating core which comprises or consists of at least one metal, preferably aluminium and / or stainless steel and / or an alloy thereof.

[0013] The use of metal or metal alloys is more controlled (for example, by preventing the release of plasticizers) and more environmentally friendly (since plastic is reduced) compared to conventional solutions based on plastics / polymers. Furthermore, a heating element designed in this way can be reused or recycled. A cigarette according to the invention is therefore preferably characterized by a high degree of recyclability.

[0014] The heat core can, for example, be a wall or a hollow cylinder that limits the heat unit and preferably limits the phase change medium.

[0015] Furthermore, a cigarette according to the invention can be equipped with a desorption-tight outer casing which has or consists of at least one metal, preferably aluminum and / or stainless steel and / or an alloy thereof.

[0016] The outer casing preferably comprises a metal component and a paper and / or cardboard component along its entire length. For example, the casing can consist of aluminum foil and cigarette paper or a cardboard tube in layers. If cigarette paper is used as the outermost layer, the appearance of a conventional cigarette can be achieved.

[0017] Preferably, the active ingredient chamber contains tobacco, in particular untreated tobacco. The untreated tobacco should ideally contain no additives and be equivalent to pure, dried tobacco.

[0018] However, the invention is not limited to tobacco and other, arbitrary active ingredients may be present in the active ingredient chamber, for example a small molecule active ingredient, nicotine, protein, hormone or cytokine and / or an active ingredient from the group of cytostatics, antiasthmatics, antitussives, mucolytics, antiallergics, corticosteroids, cardiac drugs, coronary drugs and / or antibiotics and / or a flavoring agent, fragrance, aroma agent and / or terpene.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the cigarette has a self-contained heating unit for generating heat and an active ingredient chamber (also called a nicotine reservoir) containing nicotine or a nicotine-containing compound.

[0020] The heating unit is preferably designed such that it comprises a liquid containing sodium acetate trihydrate and / or sodium sulfate and / or Glauber's salt and / or magnesium nitrate hexahydrate as a phase change medium, which is present in the heating unit in a metastable, supersaturated form and which releases heat during the crystallization of the sodium acetate trihydrate, the sodium sulfate, the Glauber's salt and / or the magnesium nitrate hexahydrate.

[0021] Preferably, the solution or liquid in question is provided to exist in a metastable, supersaturated state, at least at ambient temperature, so that crystallization can be triggered even at ambient temperature. Preferably, the crystallization of one or more of the aforementioned substances releases heat, which serves to warm the nicotine reservoir and promote the release of nicotine and / or to warm the air inhaled by the user.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the invention, the cigarette is provided to have a trigger mechanism, activated by a user through a rotary motion, which initiates crystallization. It is possible that the crystallization is initiated by a mechanical process.

[0023] It is conceivable that the triggering mechanism comprises a plate or pin, preferably made of metal, protruding into the solution. The activation or movement of this plate or pin initiates the crystallization process. During this crystallization, heat is continuously released over a specific period, which—as described—serves to warm the nicotine reservoir and / or the air inhaled by the user.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heating unit is located in a hollow cylindrical space, within which the nicotine reservoir is situated. The nicotine reservoir can also be arranged radii outside the heating unit. Alternatively, the heating unit and the nicotine reservoir can be arranged directly or indirectly one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette.

[0025] The nicotine reservoir can contain a substrate on whose surface the nicotine or nicotine-containing compound is located, or it can be a substrate that contains the nicotine or nicotine-containing compound. It is conceivable that the substrate is tobacco, and in particular tobacco enriched with nicotine or a nicotine compound. Preferably, the nicotine reservoir is arranged such that it can be heated by the heating unit. Heating the nicotine reservoir can cause the nicotine to evaporate more easily, or to be desorbed or otherwise released from the substrate, and thus more readily introduced into the airflow generated by the user.

[0026] As explained above, an alternative or additional embodiment of the invention consists in the airflow generated by the user being heated by the heating unit. This results in a more pleasant sensation compared to a cold airflow inhaled by the user.

[0027] The cigarette may have a filter (also called a filter piece) which essentially serves to limit the airflow through the cigarette. Alternatively or additionally, the filter may be designed to retain substances that should not enter the air inhaled by the user.

[0028] The cigarette can have a casing surrounding the heating element. Such an embodiment of the invention offers the advantage that the user does not directly contact the heating element, but rather the casing, which preferably has a heat-insulating effect, so that its temperature is lower than that of the heating element. The casing preferably comprises metal, in particular aluminum and / or stainless steel.

[0029] The present invention further relates to a smokeless cigarette with a self-contained heating unit for generating heat and with a nicotine reservoir containing nicotine or a nicotine-containing compound, wherein the heating unit is arranged such that it surrounds the nicotine reservoir at least partially. It is therefore conceivable that the heating unit is located closer to the outside of the cigarette than the nicotine reservoir. The reverse is also conceivable. In the case of a cigarette preferably with a circular cross-section, it is thus possible for the heating unit to be located in an area that lies further outwards or further inwards in the radial direction than the nicotine reservoir.

[0030] The present invention further relates to a method for filling a smokeless cigarette according to the present invention. It is provided that the sodium acetate trihydrate and / or the sodium sulfate and / or the Glauber's salt and / or the magnesium nitrate hexahydrate are heated to a temperature at which the salt at least partially dissolves, and that the solution is then filled into the space of the cigarette provided for receiving the heating element.

[0031] Preferably, it can be provided that the sodium acetate trihydrate and / or the sodium sulfate and / or the Glauber's salt and / or the magnesium nitrate hexahydrate are heated to a temperature at which the salt dissolves at least partially in its own water of crystallization.

[0032] The cigarette may have a sealing element, in particular a cap or the like. Preferably, the sealing element closes the end of the cigarette that is separated from the end that is in the mouth during use. It is therefore conceivable that one end of the cigarette is formed by the mouthpiece or by the section of the cigarette in the mouth, and that the other end is closed by the cap. The seal may be airtight.

[0033] Preferably, the cap is designed to be displaceable relative to the heating element of the cigarette by means of a rotational movement, so that a pin or plate arranged on the cap can penetrate a membrane of the heating element and enter the phase change medium of the heating element in order to trigger crystallization. Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

[0034] Figure 1: a smokeless cigarette according to the present invention in a longitudinal section view in a first embodiment,

[0035] Figure 2: a smokeless cigarette according to the present invention in a longitudinal section view in a second embodiment,

[0036] Figure 3: a smokeless cigarette according to the present invention in a longitudinal section view in a third embodiment.

[0037] Figure 4: a smokeless cigarette according to the present invention in a longitudinal section view in a third embodiment, and

[0038] Figure 5: a triggering mechanism according to the invention, which is preferably used in each of the embodiments according to Figs. 1-4.

[0039] The smokeless cigarette according to the present embodiment shown in Figure 1 is intended to supply the smoker with nicotine, but preferably without harmful substances and carcinogens. The smokeless cigarette 10 has a casing 12, a self-contained heating unit 14, a nicotine-containing substrate 16 contained in an active ingredient chamber, and a mouthpiece 18.

[0040] The smokeless cigarette also features a triggering mechanism, not shown in detail in this illustration, which initiates crystallization, a process that releases heat. This triggering mechanism is shown in Fig. 5.

[0041] In this example, the cylindrical interior, surrounded by the hollow cylindrical heating unit 14, contains conventional tobacco 16, lightly enriched with nicotine. The mouthpiece 18 ensures a constant airflow within the system. The trigger mechanism shown in Fig. 5 initiates the crystallization of a phase-change medium within the heating unit 14, thereby starting the heat transfer process.

[0042] The crystallization process is initiated, for example, by a pin that can be moved into the solution, which is mechanically actuated by a rotary movement of a cap and pierces a membrane limiting the phase change medium, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0043] The smokeless cigarette 10 further comprises a casing 12 surrounding the heating unit 14 on its outer surface. This consists, for example, of a foil forming two concentric lumina, for example made of metal (aluminium and / or stainless steel and / or an alloy thereof), inside of which is the crystalline or to-be-crystallised liquid which is able to store heat.

[0044] As explained, this heat can be released again by pressing an integrated pin, causing the entire unit to heat up to approximately 45 to 65°C and emit heat continuously for about 5 to 10 minutes. These values ​​are examples only. The temperature and the duration of heat emission can be adjusted, for example, by changing the amount of salt being crystallized.

[0045] It is advantageous if the heating unit is dimensioned in such a way that it emits heat for at least one minute, preferably in the range of 2 - 4 minutes.

[0046] According to the embodiment shown in the drawing, the casing 12 surrounds only the heating unit, but not the mouthpiece. However, it is also conceivable to extend the casing 12 over the entire length of the smokeless cigarette, including the mouthpiece 18. When the user inhales through the mouthpiece 18, the airflow passes through the tobacco 16 and is heated along its effective length by the heat generated by the heating unit 14. The airflow absorbs the vaporizing nicotine along with flavorings and is directed over the mouthpiece 18, which can also serve as a filter. The mouthpiece 18 limits the airflow and is dimensioned such that maximum nicotine levels are not reached or exceeded.

[0047] The smokeless cigarette 10, or its heating unit 14, according to the present invention functions without an external heat or energy supply and is therefore self-sufficient. The smokeless cigarette of the present invention is designed to be immediately ready for use whenever the user desires it.

[0048] After activation of the heating unit by actuating the aforementioned pin, preferably a metal pin, shown in Fig. 5, crystallization begins in the supersaturated, metastable solution. This solution can be, for example, a solution of sodium acetate trihydrate (CHsCOONa 3 H2O) in liquid. The heat of crystallization released during the exothermic reaction is dissipated in several steps.

[0049] After activation, the sodium acetate trihydrate spontaneously crystallizes and releases the heat stored in the unit in the form of latent heat (CH3COO'(aq.) + Na +(aq.) -> CHsCOONa 3 H2O (solid) plus heat), whereby the ions in the unit initially form the ionic lattice.

[0050] Simultaneously, the water molecules occupy fixed positions in the spaces of the ionic lattice formed in this way, precisely aligning their dipoles. In this manner, the water molecules form a lattice within the crystal lattice.

[0051] In the case of sodium acetate trihydrate, three water molecules are arranged per formula unit. The heat released during crystallization therefore consists, firstly, of the latent heat of the salt, that is, its heat of solution or heat of crystallization. Secondly, heat is generated during the highly exothermic, parallel formation of the water molecule lattice. This heat of formation of the hydrate is also latent heat.

[0052] Alternatively or additionally to sodium acetate trihydrate, sodium sulfate or Glauber's salt (Na₂SO₄ 10 H₂O) can be used. Alternatively or additionally, magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (Mg(NO₃)₂ 6 H₂O) can also be used, either alone or in a mixture with lithium nitrate (LiNO₃).

[0053] The mouthpiece 18 ensures a constant airflow within the cigarette.

[0054] The casing 12 of the cigarette serves, firstly, to prevent direct contact with the heat source in the form of the heating unit 14 and / or is designed in such a way that it visually resembles a conventional cigarette.

[0055] After the crystallization process is activated, the airflow is directed through the tobacco. This heats the tobacco via the active chamber, allowing it to absorb the vaporizing nicotine and flavorings. This airflow is then directed through the mouthpiece 18. The mouthpiece can serve to limit the airflow and / or act as a filter, retaining certain substances. It is conceivable that the filter is designed to prevent maximum nicotine levels from being reached.

[0056] To fill the heating unit with a supersaturated metastable solution, the salt is first heated. This causes the water of crystallization lattice to break down initially. Simultaneously, the ionic lattice is also destroyed. This process occurs when the salt is heated to a temperature of approximately 58°C.

[0057] This process is a dissolution process. In the case of sodium acetate trihydrate, this process occurs at a temperature of approximately 58°C. Anhydrous sodium acetate is initially formed. Upon further heating, the resulting sodium acetate dissolves, at least partially, in its own water of crystallization. Similar processes occur when using Glauber's salt, i.e., sodium sulfate decahydrate, as well as when using magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, which can be present in combination with lithium nitrate.

[0058] In contrast to the embodiment shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 shows that the end of the cigarette 10 spaced away from the mouthpiece 18 is closed by a cap 20.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 5, the user can trigger the crystallization process and activate the heating unit by rotating the cap 20.

[0060] Before the final application, the user separates or tears off the cap 20 from the cigarette 10, which allows air to be drawn through the cigarette 10 or through the nicotine-containing substrate 16.

[0061] In addition to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is also conceivable to modify the arrangement of the heating unit and the nicotine-containing substrate. For example, it is possible to arrange the heating unit and the nicotine-containing substrate one behind the other along the length of the cigarette. Alternatively, the heating unit could be positioned at the end of the cigarette furthest from the mouthpiece 18, and the nicotine-containing substrate could be placed between the heating unit and the mouthpiece.

[0062] Such a cigarette design is shown in Figure 3. The nicotine-containing substrate 16 is located between the heating unit 14 and the mouthpiece 18. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the heating unit 14 is also closed by the cap 20, which contains the triggering mechanism shown in Figure 5. Figure 3 further shows that the heating unit 14 is perforated by air channels 15. These run longitudinally along the cigarette 10. The feature that one or more air channels 15 are arranged in the heating unit 14 to improve or even enable the air supply is not limited to the embodiment shown in Figure 3, but is a fundamentally possible embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] It is conceivable to make the cigarette casing airtight. However, it is also conceivable to make the casing air-permeable, which would result in oxygen penetrating into the heating unit 14 or the substrate 16 also (or exclusively) through the casing surface. To prevent this from happening before the user intends, the casing can be provided with a preferably airtight cover that can be removed by the user.

[0064] In Fig. 2, the heating unit 14 is located radially outside the active ingredient chamber or the nicotine-containing substrate 16 contained therein. In contrast, in the embodiment according to Fig. 4, the heating unit 14 is located radially inside the active ingredient chamber or the nicotine-containing substrate 16 contained therein.

[0065] Fig. 5 shows a triggering mechanism according to the invention. The heating unit 14 has a phase change medium 21 which is sealed with a membrane 22.

[0066] The end of the heating unit 14 facing the cap 210 is closed with a sealing plug 23, which has a central release channel in which a pin 24 of the cap 20 is arranged.

[0067] Figure 5 shows the trigger mechanism in its resting position. The pin 24 is contained within the trigger channel, and the membrane 22 is intact. To trigger crystallization, the user rotates the cap 20. For this purpose, the cap 20 can be engaged with the threads of the smokeless cigarette, preferably its casing. The thread engagement can be directly between the casing and the cap 20, or a separate component, such as a sleeve partially surrounding the casing, can be provided to ensure the necessary mechanical stability for the thread engagement.

[0068] The rotating movement moves the cap 20 towards the heating unit 14 until the pin 24 pierces the membrane 22 and enters the phase change medium 21, thereby triggering crystallization.

[0069] The configuration in Fig. 5 is only exemplary and shows the case of an internal heating unit 14. However, if the heating unit 14 is arranged radially outside, the position of the release channel and pin also changes.

[0070] There may also be multiple trigger channels or pins.

[0071] The present invention relates not only to cigarettes in the strict sense, but also to cigars. The term "cigarette" therefore refers to both cigarettes and cigars.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Smokeless cigarette, characterized in that the cigarette has a self-contained heating unit for generating heat and an active ingredient chamber, wherein the heating unit has a phase change material as a supercooled melt, and a trigger mechanism to be operated by a user by means of a rotary movement is provided for activating the heating unit.

2. Smokeless cigarette according to claim 1, characterized in that the triggering mechanism is configured such that the rotational movement initiates a crystallization of the phase change material of the heat unit by a mechanical process.

3. Smokeless cigarette according to claim 2, characterized in that the triggering mechanism comprises a plate or a pin, preferably made of metal, which can be inserted into the phase change medium.

4. Smokeless cigarette according to claim 3, characterized in that the plate or the pin is connected to a cap which is axially displaceable relative to the heating unit by means of a rotational movement, wherein the cap is preferably arranged at an end of the cigarette opposite a filter piece and / or a mouthpiece.

5. Smokeless cigarette according to claim 4, characterized in that the cap can be brought close to the heat unit by the rotational movement, so that the pin or plate penetrates a membrane limiting the phase change medium, thereby triggering the crystallization of the phase change material of the heat unit.

6. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating unit is located in a hollow cylindrical space and the active ingredient chamber is either located radially inside the heating unit, so that the heating unit at least partially surrounds the active ingredient chamber, or the active ingredient chamber is arranged radially outside the heating unit, so that the active ingredient chamber at least partially surrounds the heating unit.

7. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating unit has a heating core which has or consists of at least one metal, preferably aluminium and / or stainless steel and / or an alloy thereof.

8. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a desorption-tight outer coating which has or consists of at least one metal, preferably aluminium and / or stainless steel and / or an alloy thereof.

9. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer coating preferably extends along its has a metal component and a paper and / or cardboard component along its entire length.

10. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active ingredient contained in the active ingredient chamber is a small molecule active ingredient, nicotine, protein, hormone or cytokine and / or an active ingredient from the group of cytostatics, antiasthmatics, antitussives, mucolytics, antiallergics, corticosteroids, cardiac drugs, coronary drugs and / or antibiotics and / or a flavoring agent, fragrance, flavoring agent and / or terpene.

11. Smokeless cigarette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active ingredient chamber preferably contains untreated tobacco.

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