Aerosol-generating article and aerosol-generating system

Abstract

The present invention provides a non-combustion-heating-type aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating segment and an airflow guide section that is positioned on the interior of the aerosol-generating segment, said airflow guide section being configured to guide air that has flowed into the aerosol-generating segment so that at least some of the air flows on the outside of the airflow guide section in the radial direction. The airflow guide section is shorter than the aerosol-generating segment in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Aerosol products and aerosol generating systems

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol products and aerosol generating systems.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an aerosol generating device for inhaling an aerosol containing a flavor or the like without burning a material. The aerosol generating device has, for example, a chamber for accommodating an aerosol product and a heater for heating an aerosol source of the aerosol product accommodated in the chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, when a heater heats an aerosol source of an aerosol product from the outside, the inside of the aerosol source tends to be at a lower temperature than the outside at the start of inhalation. Therefore, even if air passes through the inside of the aerosol source, which is relatively cold at the start of inhalation, the aerosol cannot be sufficiently delivered, and there is a risk that the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation will be insufficient.

[0004] While it is conceivable to increase the amount of aerosol delivered during the first puff by heating the aerosol source with a heater until the inside of the aerosol source reaches a sufficient temperature, this would result in a longer pre-heat time for the aerosol generator. On the other hand, it is possible to shorten the pre-heat time for the aerosol generator by reducing the amount of aerosol source in the aerosol product, but in this case the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source would decrease.

[0005] International Publication No. 2020 / 084775

[0006] One of the objects of the present invention is to increase the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation while suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source.

[0007] According to a first aspect, there is provided a non-combustion-heated aerosol production product, the aerosol production product comprising an aerosol-generation segment and an airflow guide disposed inside the aerosol-generation segment, the airflow guide configured to guide air flowing into the aerosol-generation segment so that at least a portion of the air passes radially outward of the airflow guide, the airflow guide being shorter in the longitudinal direction than the aerosol-generation segment.

[0008] According to the first aspect, when the aerosol-generation segment is heated from the outside, air can be guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment, which has a relatively high temperature at the start of suction, thereby increasing the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction. Furthermore, because the airflow guide section is shorter than the aerosol-generation segment, a decrease in the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol-generation segment can be suppressed, thereby suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment.

[0009] The airflow guide portion may have a higher airflow resistance per unit length than the aerosol-generation segment.

[0010] In this case, it is possible to make it easier for the air that has flowed into the aerosol-generation segment to pass through the aerosol-generation segment around the airflow guide portion than through the airflow guide portion.

[0011] In the longitudinal direction, the length of the airflow guide portion may be 10% or more and less than 100% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment.

[0012] If the length of the airflow guide portion is less than 10% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment, it may not be possible to sufficiently guide air to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment, and the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation may not be sufficiently increased. If the length of the airflow guide portion is 100% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment, the amount of the aerosol-generation segment may decrease, and the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment may decrease. Therefore, if the longitudinal length of the airflow guide portion is within the above range, it is possible to appropriately increase the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation while appropriately suppressing the decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment.

[0013] The width of the airflow guide portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be 25% to 70% of the width of the aerosol-generation segment.

[0014] If the width of the airflow guide portion is less than 25% of the width of the aerosol-generation segment, it may not be possible to sufficiently guide air to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment, and the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation may not be sufficiently increased. If the width of the airflow guide portion is more than 70% of the width of the aerosol-generation segment, the amount of aerosol-generation segment may decrease, and the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment may decrease. Therefore, if the width of the airflow guide portion is within the above range, it is possible to appropriately increase the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation while appropriately suppressing the decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment.

[0015] The airflow guide portion may include a cylindrical member extending in the longitudinal direction, and a lid member that closes at least a portion of a cavity of the cylindrical member when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0016] In this case, the airflow guide portion can be configured with a simple structure. Also, by adjusting the degree to which the cavity of the lid member is closed, the airflow resistance of the airflow guide portion can be easily adjusted.

[0017] The cover member may be configured to close all of the cavity of the tubular member when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

[0018] In this case, air can be prevented from passing through the airflow guide portion, and air can be guided more reliably to the outer periphery of the aerosol generation segment.

[0019] The aerosol-producing article may include a plug located upstream of the aerosol-generating segment.

[0020] In this case, the airflow guide member disposed inside the aerosol-generation segment can be prevented from falling off from the upstream side of the aerosol-generation segment, and when the airflow guide member is disposed at the upstream end of the aerosol-generation segment, the airflow guide member can be prevented from being exposed.

[0021] The aerosol generation segment may have an upstream end and a downstream end opposite the upstream end in the longitudinal direction, and the airflow guide portion may be positioned closer to the upstream end of the aerosol generation segment than to the downstream end of the aerosol generation segment.

[0022] In some cases, the downstream side of the aerosol-generation segment is heated by a heat source to prevent the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment from leaking from the tip of the aerosol-generation segment. In this case, by arranging the airflow guide unit near the upstream end, the amount of aerosol-generation segment on the downstream side closer to the heat source can be made greater than that on the upstream side, thereby increasing the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment.

[0023] The airflow guide portion may be arranged to overlap with the center of a cross section of the aerosol generation segment when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] In this case, the airflow guide portion can be positioned closer to the central axis of the aerosol generation segment, so that air can be guided in a balanced manner to the outer periphery of the aerosol generation segment.

[0025] The airflow guide may be arranged concentrically with the aerosol-generation segment.

[0026] In this case, the airflow guide portion can be arranged concentrically with the central axis of the aerosol-generating segment, so that air can be guided in a more balanced manner toward the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment.

[0027] According to a second aspect, there is provided an aerosol generation system comprising the aerosol production article described above and an aerosol generation device having a heating source for heating the aerosol-generation segment of the aerosol production article from the outer periphery.

[0028] According to the second aspect, air can be guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment, which has a relatively high temperature at the start of suction, thereby increasing the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction. Furthermore, because the airflow guide section is shorter than the aerosol-generation segment, a decrease in the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol-generation segment can be suppressed, thereby suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol-generation segment.

[0029] The aerosol generation segment has a first portion in which the airflow guide portion is arranged and a second portion adjacent to the first portion in the longitudinal direction in which the airflow guide portion is not arranged, and the longitudinal length of the portion in which the heating source overlaps with the second portion may be longer than the longitudinal length of the portion in which the heating source overlaps with the first portion.

[0030] In this case, the second part where the airflow guide section is not arranged has a larger amount of aerosol generation segments than the first part, and the second part is heated more than the first part by the heating source, so the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol generation segments can be increased.

[0031] The airflow guide portion may be made of a non-conductive material (insulator).

[0032] In this case, the airflow guide portion is not induction heated, so that when the aerosol generating device has an induction heating device, it is possible to prevent energy from being consumed in generating heat in the airflow guide portion.

[0033] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an aerosol generation system according to the present embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol product; Fig. 3 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view of an aerosol product illustrating a connection mode of the aerosol product; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol product taken along arrows 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an aerosol product used in an experiment;

[0034] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an aerosol generation system 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generation system 1000 includes a non-combustion-heated aerosol product 100 and an aerosol generation device 200 having a heat source that heats an aerosol generation segment (described later) of the aerosol product 100 from the outer periphery. Air inhaled by a user is guided into the user's oral cavity in the order of, for example, air flow A1, air flow A2, and air flow A3. That is, the aerosol generation system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 has a so-called counterflow type air flow path.

[0035] The aerosol product article 100 has a substrate containing an aerosol source, as described below, and has, for example, a columnar shape extending along the longitudinal direction. The aerosol product article 100 may be, for example, a tobacco stick. However, the aerosol product article 100 may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape with a polygonal cross section, or a flattened shape.

[0036] The aerosol generating device 200 includes a battery 10, a control circuit 20, a storage unit 30, and a heating source 40. The battery 10 stores power used by the aerosol generating device 200. For example, the battery 10 is a lithium-ion battery. The battery 10 may be rechargeable by an external power source.

[0037] The control circuit 20 is composed of a CPU, memory, etc., and controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 200. For example, the control circuit 20 starts heating the aerosol product 100 in response to a user's operation on an input device such as a push button or slide switch (not shown), and stops heating the aerosol product 100 after a certain period of time has elapsed. The control circuit 20 may stop heating the aerosol product 100 even before the certain period of time has elapsed since the start of heating the aerosol product 100 if the number of puffing actions by the user exceeds a certain value. For example, the puffing action is detected by a sensor (not shown).

[0038] Alternatively, the control circuit 20 may start heating the aerosol product 100 in response to the start of a puffing action and stop heating the aerosol product 100 in response to the end of the puffing action. The control circuit 20 may stop heating the aerosol product 100 after a certain time has elapsed since the start of a puffing action, even before the end of the puffing action. In an embodiment, the control circuit 20 is disposed between the battery 10 and the housing 30 and suppresses heat transfer from the housing 30 to the battery 10.

[0039] The heat source 40 is a heating element that generates heat, i.e., its temperature increases, due to power from the battery 10. In the illustrated example, the heat source 40 is a heater disposed in the aerosol generation device 200. The heater is disposed outside the storage section 30 and configured to heat the aerosol product 100 contained in the storage section 30 from outside the aerosol product 100. As such, in this embodiment, the aerosol generation device 200 is preferably an external heating type heating device. The heat source 40 may be, for example, a film heater having a conductive track and a pair of polyimide films sandwiching the conductive track, disposed along the side wall of the storage section 30. Alternatively, the heat source 40 may be a heating element configured to be inductively heated by an induction coil (not shown).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1 , when the aerosol product 100 is properly inserted into the housing 30 of the aerosol generation device 200, a portion of the aerosol product 100 may be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 200. The aerosol product 100 is electrically heated by the aerosol generation device 200. The heating temperature is not particularly limited, but may be 200° C. or higher, and preferably 250° C. or higher. The heating temperature may be 400° C. or lower, and preferably 350° C. or lower. The heating temperature here may be the temperature of the heating source 40 or the temperature of an aerosol generation segment of the aerosol product 100, which will be described later, when the aerosol product 100 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 200 and used.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol production product 100. Fig. 3 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view of the aerosol production product 100 illustrating a connection mode of the aerosol production product 100. In Fig. 2, the dashed line indicates the position of the heating source 40 relative to the aerosol production product 100 when the aerosol production product 100 is properly inserted into the housing 30 of the aerosol generation device 200. The aerosol production product 100 has at least an aerosol generation segment 110. More specifically, the aerosol production product 100 preferably includes an upstream segment 101 including the aerosol generation segment 110 and a downstream segment 102 including at least a mouthpiece segment 120.

[0042] The aerosol production product 100 preferably has a tip plug 130 (corresponding to an example of a plug) provided upstream of the aerosol generation segment 110. In this case, the end of the aerosol generation segment 110 is covered by the tip plug 130, preventing the aerosol generation segment 110 from falling off the aerosol production product 100. Furthermore, leakage of steam or aerosol generated in the aerosol generation segment 110 to the upstream side of the aerosol generation segment 110 is suppressed. As described below, if an airflow guide member is provided inside the aerosol generation segment 110, the airflow guide member can be prevented from falling off from the upstream side of the aerosol generation segment 110. If the airflow guide member described below is provided at the upstream end of the aerosol generation segment 110, the airflow guide member can be prevented from being exposed. As shown in FIG. 2 , the upstream segment 101 includes the aerosol generation segment 110, which generates aerosol by heating, and the tip plug 130.

[0043] The tip plug 130 is located at the tip of the aerosol product 100 and is configured to cover the end of the aerosol-generating segment 110. The tip plug 130 can be made of a material that is generally usable as a filter material for the aerosol product 100. Specifically, the tip plug 130 can be made of paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, nonwoven fabric, or the like. The tip plug 130 is preferably made of paper. The length of the tip plug 130 in the major axis direction may be 1 mm or more or 10 mm or less. An optional member may be provided upstream of the tip plug 130.

[0044] The downstream segment 102 preferably includes an intermediate segment 140 and a mouthpiece segment 120. The mouthpiece segment 120 may include a hollow segment 120a and a filter segment 120b. In a more specific example, the aerosol production product 100 includes, in order from the tip end (i.e., the side opposite the mouthpiece), a tip plug 130, an aerosol-generating segment 110, the intermediate segment 140, the hollow segment 120a, and the filter segment 120b. These five segments are covered by a wrapper. In particular, the segments are connected to each other by first tipping paper 103 and second tipping paper 104, at least a portion of which is located as the outermost layer.

[0045] As shown in the figure, ventilation V1 may be provided circumferentially and concentrically in the intermediate segment 140. Furthermore, when the concentric ventilation V1 is considered to be one group of openings, the number of opening groups may be one or two or more.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, at least a portion of the surface of each segment, except for the intermediate segment 140, is covered with a segment wrapper. Specifically, the mouthpiece segment 120 may be covered with a first segment wrapper 105, which covers multiple segments such as the filter segment 120b and the hollow segment 120a, and the filter segment 120b may be covered with a second segment wrapper 106. The aerosol-generation segment 110 may be covered with a third segment wrapper 107, and the tip plug 130 may be covered with a fourth segment wrapper 108. Note that these segment wrappers are omitted in Figure 2. The above configuration is merely an example; the upstream segment 101 may include only the aerosol-generation segment 110, or the aerosol-generation segment 110 may include multiple segments. Furthermore, the downstream segment 102 may include only the mouthpiece segment 120, or the mouthpiece segment 120 may include only the hollow segment 120a or the filter segment 120b. In other words, the aerosol-producing article 100 may comprise one or more aerosol-generating segments 110 and only the hollow segment 120a or the filter segment 120b.

[0047] The second segment wrapper 106 may be formed in any suitable form, including one or more rows of adhesive-containing seams. The second segment wrapper 106 may be formed from any suitable material, including paper, which may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate. The second segment wrapper 106 may be coated or uncoated. The second segment wrapper 106 may be made of waterproof paper, greaseproof paper, non-permeable paper, or highly permeable paper.

[0048] The first segment wrapper 105 may be, for example, a cylindrical piece of paper. The first segment wrapper 105 may be waterproof paper, oil-resistant paper, non-permeable paper, or highly permeable paper. The first segment wrapper 105 may use the same paper as the second segment wrapper 106, or may use a different paper. The form of the first segment wrapper 105 is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of seams containing adhesive.

[0049] The configuration of the third segment wrapper 107 used in the aerosol generation segment 110 is not particularly limited and can be a general configuration. Specifically, for example, the third segment wrapper 107 can be made primarily of pulp. In addition to pulp, the third segment wrapper 107 may also contain a filler. Examples of fillers that can be used include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and kaolin. However, calcium carbonate is preferably used from the viewpoint of enhancing flavor and whiteness.

[0050] Various auxiliary agents other than base paper and fillers may be added to the third segment wrapper 107. For example, a water resistance improver may be added to the third segment wrapper 107 to improve water resistance. The water resistance improver may include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the third segment wrapper 107, the front and back surfaces. There are no particular restrictions on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred. When the aerosol-generation segment 110 is composed of two or more segments, the third segment wrappers 107 wrapped around each segment may be the same or different.

[0051] There are no particular limitations on the material of the fourth segment wrapper 108, and any known material may be used. The fourth segment wrapper 108 may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate.

[0052] Next, the connection mode of each element constituting the aerosol product 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . In the aerosol product 100, the five elements are connected using a first tipping paper 103 and a second tipping paper 104. Specifically, the second tipping paper 104 connects the tip plug 130, the aerosol-generating segment 110, and the intermediate segment 140 to form a connected body. Here, the second tipping paper 104 is wrapped around the upstream segment 101 and a portion of the downstream segment 102 (the intermediate segment 140). In other words, the second tipping paper 104 does not cover the downstream end of the intermediate segment 140, leaving the intermediate segment 140 exposed at the downstream end. Furthermore, the first tipping paper 103 connects the connected body to the mouthpiece segment 120. Here, the first tipping paper 103 covers the entire mouthpiece segment 120 and a portion of the connected body, leaving the connected body exposed at the upstream end. In this case, the ventilation V1 is preferably provided so as to penetrate the first tipping paper 103 and the intermediate segment 140 or the hollow segment 120a. The above configuration is one example, and the second tipping paper 104 may cover the intermediate segment 140 up to the downstream end. Alternatively, the second tipping paper 104 may connect only the segments included in the upstream segment 101 to form a connected body, and the first tipping paper 103 may connect this connected body to the other segments. Furthermore, the second tipping paper 104 may not be provided, and all segments may be connected only by the first tipping paper 103.

[0053] The aerosol-generation segment 110 is disposed adjacent to and downstream of the tip plug 130. The aerosol-generation segment 110 may include a filler that is filled into the third segment wrapper 107. The filler is not particularly limited, and the filler of the first aerosol-generation segment or the filler of the second aerosol-generation segment, which will be described later, may be used.

[0054] First, the first aerosol-generating segment packing (also referred to simply as "first tobacco packing") will be described. The material of the tobacco shreds contained in the first aerosol-generating segment packing is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina or ribs can be used. The tobacco shreds may also be produced by grinding dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to produce tobacco grounds, homogenizing the grounds, and then shredding the resulting sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet). Furthermore, a homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating segment 110 may be shredded approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating segment 110, and then packed into the third segment wrapper 107, forming a so-called strand type.

[0055] There are several conventional methods for producing the homogenized sheet, i.e., for grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into a homogenized sheet. The first method is to produce a paper-made sheet using a papermaking process. The second method is to mix an appropriate solvent such as water with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, then cast the homogenized mixture thinly onto a metal plate or metal plate belt and dry it to produce a cast sheet. The third method is to mix an appropriate solvent such as water with ground tobacco leaves, homogenize them, and extrude them into a sheet to produce a rolled sheet. The fourth method is to obtain a tobacco extract from ground tobacco leaves and mold the obtained tobacco extract into a sheet to produce an extract sheet. Alternatively, the homogenized sheet may be a nonwoven tobacco sheet produced by the method described in WO 2014 / 104078.

[0056] The first aerosol-generating segment filler may include tobacco shreds and / or a homogenizing sheet, an aerosol base, and a flavor composition. The type of aerosol base is not particularly limited, and various natural extracts and / or their constituent components can be selected depending on the application. Examples of aerosol bases include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.

[0057] The homogenizing sheet may contain tobacco grounds (tobacco leaves) and an aerosol base material. The homogenizing sheet may also contain optional components such as a binder, fiber, pH adjuster, medium-chain fatty acid, and flavor composition. The type of aerosol base material contained in the homogenizing sheet is not particularly limited, and the same aerosol base material as the above-mentioned aerosol base material can be used. The fiber contained in the homogenizing sheet may be derived from, for example, plants. Examples of binders contained in the homogenizing sheet include guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), and CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose).

[0058] The fragrance composition may contain one or more fragrances. The fragrance composition may also contain one or more fragrances and an aerosol base. The aerosol base may be one of those described above, or alternatively, ethanol, water, or the like may also be used. The fragrance composition may also contain an emulsifier, a stabilizer, an antioxidant, a pH adjuster, or the like. The type of fragrance is not particularly limited, and menthol is preferred.

[0059] The flavor composition may be contained in any segment and / or filling material in the aerosol product 100. For example, it may be contained in the aerosol-generation segment 110. When the flavor composition is contained in the aerosol-generation segment 110, the flavor composition may be added in any combination and amount to, for example, the above-mentioned tobacco shreds, homogenized sheet, or a filling material made by mixing them in any ratio. By adding such a flavor composition to the aerosol-generation segment 110, the flavor and taste of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110 can be adjusted and the smoking experience can be improved. Alternatively, the flavor composition may be added to a desired segment other than the aerosol-generation segment 110. For example, the flavor composition may be added to the tip plug 130, the intermediate segment 140, or the mouthpiece segment 120. In particular, when the flavor composition is loaded in the mouthpiece segment 120, the flavor composition may be contained in a filter material, a breakable capsule, or the like.

[0060] While the first aerosol-generating segment filler has been described as a first tobacco filler as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first aerosol-generating segment filler may be a first non-tobacco plant filler containing a non-tobacco plant. The non-tobacco plant may be, but is not limited to, a plant used as an herb or spice. Specific examples of plants used as herbs or spices include dill seeds, rosemary, star anise, cloves, oregano, ginger, and chamomile. The above description of the first aerosol-generating segment filler (first tobacco filler) can also be applied to the first non-tobacco plant filler by replacing tobacco grounds (tobacco leaves) with ground non-tobacco plant material.

[0061] The second aerosol-generating segment filler is composed of a sheet-like aerosol-generating segment filler. The sheet-like aerosol-generating segment filler may be, for example, a homogenized tobacco sheet, or may be made of paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, nonwoven fabric, or the like. In particular, when paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, nonwoven fabric, or the like is used, it may further contain optional materials such as an aerosol base material or a flavoring. In the following description, the second aerosol-generating segment filler is composed of a homogenizing sheet. The homogenizing sheet may be one of the homogenizing sheets exemplified in the first aerosol-generating segment filler. The homogenizing sheet may contain tobacco plants or non-tobacco plants. The number of homogenizing sheets used in the second aerosol-generating segment filler may be one or two or more. The type of homogenizing sheet may be one type, or two or more types with different compositions or manufactured by different manufacturing methods. The filler may be one of the homogenizing sheets exemplified in the first aerosol-generating segment filler. In addition, when multiple homogenizing sheets are used in this embodiment, the homogenizing sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the homogenizing sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. Furthermore, the second aerosol-generating segment fillers may be arranged in any form, such as a crimped form or a concentric arrangement of multiple homogenizing sheets.

[0062] In addition to the above-described filler, the aerosol-generation segment 110 may contain a flavor-containing material in which a flavor is encapsulated in a polysaccharide gel. The flavors described above can be used as the flavor composition contained in the flavor-containing material. By incorporating the flavor-containing material into the aerosol-generation segment 110, variation in the amount of flavor delivered from puff to puff can be suppressed, and a good flavor can be continuously provided from the early to late stages of smoking. Thickening polysaccharides, cellulose derivatives, gums, etc. may also be used as the gel.

[0063] The flavor-containing material may be disposed, for example, on the inside and / or outside of the third-segment wrapper 107 around which the aerosol-generating segment 110 is wrapped. Alternatively, the third-segment wrapper 107 may be impregnated with or coated with the flavor-containing material before drying. Alternatively, the flavor-containing material before or after drying may be blended into the filling. When the flavor-containing material is disposed on the inside and / or outside of the third-segment wrapper 107 around which the aerosol-generating segment 110 is wrapped, an emulsion slurry may be applied to the third-segment wrapper 107, or the emulsion slurry may be sequentially cast onto a substrate and dried to form a flavor-containing sheet, which is then wrapped around the aerosol-producing product 100. The third-segment wrapper 107 impregnated with the flavor-containing material can be produced by impregnating the third-segment wrapper 107 with an emulsion slurry and drying it. When a flavor-containing material is incorporated into a filler, the emulsion slurry can be applied to or impregnated into a homogenizing sheet or tobacco shreds, followed by drying. Alternatively, the flavor-containing composition that has been dried may be chopped or pulverized and mixed with other fillers.

[0064] Next, the mouthpiece segment 120 will be described. The mouthpiece segment 120 is located at the mouth end of the aerosol product 100. The mouthpiece segment 120 includes at least one of a hollow segment 120a and a filter segment 120b. The mouthpiece segment 120 may include both the hollow segment 120a and the filter segment 120b. The hollow segment 120a or the filter segment 120b may be a single segment or multiple segments. For example, the mouthpiece segment 120 may include the hollow segment 120a and at least one filter segment 120b arranged in this order from the upstream side. Alternatively, the mouthpiece segment 120 may include a first hollow segment 120a, at least one filter segment 120b, and a second hollow segment 120a arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0065] In one embodiment, the filter segment 120b is located at the end of the aerosol product 100 on the mouth side. The filter segment 120b is wrapped with a second segment wrapper 106. The filter material used in the filter segment 120b is not particularly limited as long as it has a general filter function. Typical filter functions include, for example, adjusting the amount of air mixed in when inhaling aerosols, reducing flavors, and reducing nicotine and tar, but the filter material used in the filter segment 120b does not need to have all of these functions. Furthermore, in electrically heated tobacco products, which tend to produce fewer components and have a lower tobacco filler filling rate than cigarette products, one important function is to suppress filtering while preventing the tobacco filler from falling out.

[0066] The filter segment 120b may be formed in any known manner without any particular limitations. For example, the filter segment 120b may be formed by processing cellulose acetate tow into a cylindrical shape. Alternatively, a paper filter filled with sheet-shaped pulp paper may be used instead of an acetate filter. The filter segment 120b may contain a plasticizer such as triacetin. Adding a plasticizer to the cellulose acetate tow can impart appropriate hardness and elasticity to the filter segment 120b.

[0067] Activated carbon may be added to at least a portion of the filter segments 120b of this embodiment. Examples of activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment include activated carbon made from wood, bamboo, coconut shells, walnut shells, coal, etc. In this embodiment, the method for adding activated carbon to the filter segments 120b is not particularly limited, and the activated carbon may be added so that it is dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the filter segments 120b to which the activated carbon is added.

[0068] The filter segment 120b of this embodiment may include an additive release container therein, which includes a crushable outer shell. For example, the additive release container may be a capsule. The form of the capsule is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an easily crushable capsule, preferably spherical. The diameter of the capsule can be set as appropriate, but is generally between 2 mm and 5 mm. The additive contained in the capsule may include any additive, such as a fragrance or an adsorbent.

[0069] The filter material constituting the filter segment 120b may be, for example, a commercially available product. The form of the filter segment 120b is not particularly limited, and may be a filter including a single filter segment 120b, or a multi-segment filter including multiple filter segments 120b, such as a dual filter or triple filter.

[0070] The hollow segment 120a may have one or more hollow portions. The hollow segment 120a may be wrapped around the first segment wrapper 105 to improve strength and structural rigidity. The hollow segment 120a may be a cardboard tube. The hollow segment 120a may be formed from either a filled portion made of cellulose acetate or the like having one or more hollow portions, or a paper tube that does not contain a filled portion, or may be formed by selectively combining a plurality of these. When the hollow segment 120a is made up of two or more segments, the two or more segments may be wrapped together around a segment wrapper (not shown).

[0071] The intermediate segment 140 is sandwiched adjacent to the aerosol-generation segment 110 and the hollow segment 120a or the filter segment 120b (if the hollow segment 120a is not present). The intermediate segment 140 is typically a tubular member with a hollow (hollow) cross section, such as a cylinder. The intermediate segment 140 may also be a cylindrical cardboard tube.

[0072] It is desirable for the middle segment 140 to have an interior structure with a large overall surface area, and therefore in a preferred embodiment, the middle segment 140 may have a thin sheet of material therein that is wrinkled to form channels, and then pleated, gathered, and folded.

[0073] As described above, conventional aerosol production products may have a risk of insufficient aerosol transmission during the first inhalation. Therefore, the aerosol production product 100 of this embodiment includes an airflow guide portion 150 disposed inside the aerosol-generation segment 110, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . The airflow guide portion 150 is configured to guide air so that at least a portion of the air flowing into the aerosol-generation segment 110 passes radially outside the airflow guide portion 150. That is, the airflow guide portion 150 is configured to guide air so that the air flowing into the aerosol-generation segment 110 preferentially passes through the aerosol-generation segment 110 rather than through the airflow guide portion 150. In the illustrated example, due to the presence of the airflow guide portion 150, the air flowing into the aerosol-generation segment 110 from the tip plug 130 does not pass through the airflow guide portion 150, but instead passes through the aerosol-generation segment 110 located around the airflow guide portion 150. Alternatively, when the airflow guide section 150 is present, a portion of the air flowing from the tip plug 130 into the aerosol-generating segment 110 may pass through the airflow guide section 150, with the remaining air passing through the aerosol-generating segment 110 located around the airflow guide section 150. As shown in the figure, the airflow guide section 150 is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the aerosol-generating segment 110. This allows air to be guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110, which is relatively hot at the start of inhalation, when the aerosol-generating segment 110 is heated from the outside, for example, by the heating source 40, thereby increasing the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation. Furthermore, because the airflow guide section 150 is shorter than the aerosol-generating segment 110, a decrease in the volume of the aerosol-generating segment 110 is suppressed, thereby suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110. In this specification, the "longitudinal direction" of the aerosol product 100 refers to the direction in which air flows through the aerosol generation segment 110, the insertion direction when the aerosol product 100 is inserted into the storage section 30 of the aerosol generation device 200, or the direction in which the aerosol generation segment 110 and the downstream segment 102 in the aerosol product 100 are aligned.

[0074] The airflow guide section 150 has a higher airflow resistance per unit length (mmH) than the aerosol-generation segment 110. ２ 0 / mm). In this case, air flowing into the aerosol-generating segment 110 can more easily pass through the aerosol-generating segment 110 around the airflow guide section 150 than through the airflow guide section 150. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the airflow guide section 150 can have a cylindrical member 151 extending in the longitudinal direction and a lid member 152 that closes at least a portion of the cavity of the cylindrical member 151 when viewed from the longitudinal direction. In this case, the airflow guide section 150 can be configured with a simple structure. Furthermore, by adjusting the degree to which the lid member 152 closes the cavity, the airflow resistance of the airflow guide section 150 can be easily adjusted.

[0075] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 100 taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover member 152 is preferably configured to close all of the hollow spaces of the cylindrical member 151 when viewed from the longitudinal direction. In this case, air is prevented from passing through the airflow guide portion 150, and air can be more reliably guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110. However, the cover member 152 may close only a portion of the hollow spaces of the cylindrical member 151.

[0076] 2 to 4, the cylindrical member 151 has an upstream end 151a and a downstream end 151b opposite the upstream end 151a in the longitudinal direction. The lid member 152 is preferably provided at the upstream end 151a of the cylindrical member 151. This prevents air flowing into the aerosol-generating segment 110 during suction from entering the cavity of the cylindrical member 151, thereby more reliably guiding air to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110. Alternatively, the lid member 152 may be provided at the downstream end 151b or at any position between the upstream end 151a and the downstream end 151b.

[0077] 4, the airflow guide section 150 is preferably positioned so as to be spaced apart from the outer edge of the aerosol-generating segment 110 (in other words, the inner peripheral surface of the third segment wrapper 107) when viewed in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the aerosol-generating segment 110 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the airflow guide section 150, so that air can be guided more reliably to the outer peripheral side of the aerosol-generating segment 110.

[0078] As shown in Figure 4, the airflow guide unit 150 is preferably positioned so that it overlaps the cross-sectional center of the aerosol generation segment 110 when viewed in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the airflow guide unit 150 can be positioned closer to the central axis of the aerosol generation segment 110, allowing air to be guided in a balanced manner toward the outer periphery of the aerosol generation segment 110. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the airflow guide unit 150 be positioned concentrically with the aerosol generation segment 110. In this case, the airflow guide unit 150 can be positioned concentrically with the central axis of the aerosol generation segment 110, allowing air to be guided in a balanced manner toward the outer periphery of the aerosol generation segment 110.

[0079] Furthermore, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction shown in FIG. 4 , the area of ​​the airflow guide section 150 is preferably 7% to 75% of the area surrounded by the outer edge of the aerosol-generating segment 110. If the area of ​​the airflow guide section 150 is less than 7% of the area of ​​the aerosol-generating segment 110, air may not be sufficiently guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110, and the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction may not be sufficiently increased. If the area of ​​the airflow guide section 150 is more than 75% of the area of ​​the aerosol-generating segment 110, the amount of the aerosol-generating segment 110 may decrease, and the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110 may decrease. Therefore, when the area of ​​the airflow guide section 150 is within the above range, the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction can be appropriately increased while appropriately suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110. In the illustrated example, the area surrounded by the outer edge of the aerosol generation segment 110 corresponds to the cross-sectional area of ​​the space inside the third segment wrapper 107.

[0080] In the examples shown in Figures 2 to 4, the airflow guide unit 150 is composed of a cylindrical member 151 and a cover member 152. However, the airflow guide unit 150 may have any shape. For example, the airflow guide unit 150 may be spherical, elliptical, or oval (capsule-shaped). The airflow guide unit 150 may be solid or hollow. For example, the airflow guide unit 150 may be formed by rolling a sheet into a columnar or rod shape. In this case, the airflow guide unit 150 has a spiral cross section. In the examples shown in Figures 2 to 4, a single airflow guide unit 150 is provided in the aerosol product 100. However, multiple airflow guide units 150 may be provided. Multiple airflow guide units 150 may be arranged in the aerosol-generating segment 110 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction or in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0081] The airflow guide unit 150 may be formed from a material such as paper, cellulose acetate, resin, metal, plant material (tobacco or non-tobacco), or any combination thereof. However, it is preferable that the airflow guide unit 150 be formed from a non-conductive material (insulator). In this case, the airflow guide unit 150 is not induction-heated, so that when the aerosol generation device 200 includes an induction heating device, energy consumption for heating the airflow guide unit 150 can be prevented. It is also preferable that the airflow guide unit 150 be formed from a material with low thermal conductivity. In this case, heat transfer from the aerosol generation segment 110 to the airflow guide unit 150 is suppressed, allowing the aerosol generation segment 110 to be efficiently heated.

[0082] The air flow guide portion 150 may contain a fragrance or an aerosol source. For example, if the air flow guide portion 150 is in the form of a capsule, the fragrance or the aerosol source may be contained therein. Furthermore, if the air flow guide portion 150 is formed from a sheet-like material, the fragrance or the aerosol source may be supported by this material.

[0083] In the longitudinal direction, the length of the airflow guide unit 150 is preferably 10% or more but less than 100% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110. If the length of the airflow guide unit 150 is less than 10% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110, it may not be possible to sufficiently guide air to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment 110, and the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation may not be sufficiently increased. If the length of the airflow guide unit 150 is 100% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110, the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol-generation segment 110 may decrease, and the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110 may decrease. Therefore, if the longitudinal length of the airflow guide unit 150 is within the above range, it is possible to appropriately increase the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation while appropriately suppressing the decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110. It is more preferable that the length of the airflow guide unit 150 be 10% or more but less than 85% of the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110.

[0084] Furthermore, the width of the airflow guide section 150 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is preferably 25% to 70% of the width of the aerosol-generating segment 110. If the width of the airflow guide section 150 is less than 25% of the width of the aerosol-generating segment 110, air may not be sufficiently guided to the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110, and the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction may not be sufficiently increased. If the width of the airflow guide section 150 is more than 70% of the width of the aerosol-generating segment 110, the amount of the aerosol-generating segment 110 may decrease, and the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110 may decrease. Therefore, when the width of the airflow guide section 150 is within the above range, the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first suction can be appropriately increased while appropriately suppressing a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110. It should be noted that the "width" of the airflow guide portion 150 here refers to the maximum width of the cross-sectional shape of the airflow guide portion 150 when the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the airflow guide portion 150 is not circular.

[0085] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the aerosol-generation segment 110 has an upstream end 110a and a downstream end 110b opposite the upstream end 110a in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the airflow guide unit 150 is preferably positioned closer to the upstream end 110a of the aerosol-generation segment 110 than to the downstream end 110b of the aerosol-generation segment 110. As indicated by the dashed line in Figure 2, the downstream side of the aerosol-generation segment 110 may be heated by a heat source 40 to prevent the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110 from leaking from the tip of the aerosol-generation segment 110. In this case, positioning the airflow guide unit 150 closer to the upstream end 110a allows the amount of aerosol generated downstream, closer to the heat source 40, to be greater than that generated upstream, thereby increasing the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110.

[0086] 2, the aerosol-generation segment 110 has a first portion 110c in which the airflow guide section 150 is disposed, and a second portion 110d adjacent to the first portion 110c in the longitudinal direction and in which the airflow guide section 150 is not disposed. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the longitudinal length of the portion where the heating source 40 overlaps with the second portion 110d is preferably longer than the longitudinal length of the portion where the heating source 40 overlaps with the first portion 110c. In this case, the second portion 110d in which the airflow guide section 150 is not disposed has a larger amount of aerosol-generation segment 110 than the first portion 110c, and the second portion 110d is heated more by the heating source 40 than the first portion 110c, thereby increasing the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generation segment 110.

[0087] In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the airflow guide unit 150 (first portion 110c) is positioned at a position including the upstream end 110a of the aerosol generation segment 110. However, this is not limiting. The airflow guide unit 150 (first portion 110c) may also be positioned at a position including the downstream end 110b of the aerosol generation segment 110. Furthermore, the airflow guide unit 150 (first portion 110c) may be positioned between the upstream end 110a and the downstream end 110b of the aerosol generation segment 110, without including these ends. In this case, the airflow guide unit 150 (first portion 110c) may be positioned closer to the downstream end 110b of the aerosol generation segment 110 than the upstream end 110a, or closer to the upstream end 110a than the downstream end 110b of the aerosol generation segment 110. In other words, the longitudinal position of the airflow guide unit 150 (first portion 110c) is arbitrary.

[0088] (Example) An experiment was conducted to evaluate the amount of glycerin and nicotine generated from an aerosol product 100 equipped with an airflow guide portion 150. Fig. 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 100 used in the experiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the aerosol product 100 of Example 1 has an airflow guide portion 150 that is half the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110, located at the downstream end of the aerosol-generation segment 110. In the aerosol product 100 of Example 1, a cover member 152 is arranged at the downstream end of the tubular member 151 so as to close one end of the tubular member 151.

[0089] The aerosol product 100 of Example 2 has an airflow guide portion 150 at the upstream end of the aerosol-generation segment 110, the airflow guide portion 150 having half the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110. In the aerosol product 100 of Example 2, a cover member 152 is disposed at the upstream end of the cylindrical member 151 so as to close one end of the cylindrical member 151. That is, the aerosol product 100 of Example 2 has the same configuration as the aerosol product 100 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0090] The aerosol product 100 of Comparative Example 1 does not have an airflow guide portion 150. The aerosol product 100 of Comparative Example 2 has an airflow guide portion 150 with the same length as the entire length of the aerosol-generation segment 110. In the aerosol product 100 of Comparative Example 2, cap members 152 are arranged at both the upstream and downstream ends of the tubular member 151 so as to close both ends of the tubular member 151. The aerosol product 100 of Comparative Example 3 has a tubular member 151 with half the length of the aerosol-generation segment 110 at the downstream end of the aerosol-generation segment 110 and does not have a cap member 152.

[0091] In the aerosol product 100 of Example 1, Example 2, Comparative Example 2, and Comparative Example 3, the airflow guide portion 150 (cylindrical member 151) is arranged concentrically with the aerosol-generation segment 110. The diameter of the aerosol product 100 in Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-3 is 6.91 mm. The outer diameter of the cylindrical member 151 in Example 1, Example 2, Comparative Example 2, and Comparative Example 3 is 3.7 mm, and the inner diameter is 3.0 mm.

[0092] The lengths of the segments in each example are as follows: Tip plug 130: 6 mm Aerosol-generating segment 110: 14 mm Middle segment 140: 20 mm Hollow segment 120a: 10 mm Filter segment 120b: 10 mm

[0093] The amount of filler, such as tobacco, in the aerosol-generation segment 110 in Example 1, Example 2, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 3 is 160 mg. Specifically, in Examples 1 and 2, the amount of filler in the first portion 110c (see FIG. 2) where the airflow guide section 150 is arranged is 65 mg, and the amount of filler in the second portion 110d (see FIG. 2) where the airflow guide section 150 is not arranged is 95 mg. In Comparative Example 3, the amount of filler in the portion where the cylindrical member 151 is arranged is 65 mg, and the amount of filler in the portion where the cylindrical member 151 is not arranged is 95 mg. The amount of filler, such as tobacco, in the aerosol-generation segment 110 in Comparative Example 2 is 130 mg.

[0094] In the aerosol product 100 of Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-3, the downstream side of the aerosol-generation segment 110 was heated at the position of the heating unit 40 shown in Figure 2. With the outer periphery of the aerosol-generation segment 110 heated by the heating unit 40, which was set so that the maximum temperature would be 320°C with a preheating time of 25 seconds, the amounts of glycerin and nicotine inhaled during the first puff and the entire smoking period (11 puffs) were measured under the following conditions: <Inhalation conditions> Inhalation volume: 55 cc / min Inhalation time per puff: 2 seconds Number of puffs: 1 and 11 Puff interval: 30 seconds

[0095] The results of the experiment under the above conditions are as follows: <Amount inhaled in first puff> Example 1: nicotine 0.067 mg, glycerin 0.37 mg Example 2: nicotine 0.061 mg, glycerin 0.35 mg Comparative Example 1: nicotine 0.047 mg, glycerin 0.22 mg Comparative Example 2: nicotine 0.064 mg, glycerin 0.37 mg Comparative Example 3: nicotine 0.050 mg, glycerin 0.20 mg <Amount inhaled in total during smoking (11 puffs)> Example 1: nicotine 0.80 mg, glycerin 4.3 mg Example 2: nicotine 0.90 mg, glycerin 5.5 mg Comparative Example 1: nicotine 0.88 mg, glycerin 4.6 mg Comparative Example 2: nicotine 0.55 mg, glycerin 3.5 mg Comparative Example 3: nicotine 0.81 mg, glycerin 4.4 mg

[0096] Regarding the amount of nicotine and glycerin inhaled during the first puff, Examples 1 and 2 were approximately the same. The amount of nicotine and glycerin inhaled in Comparative Example 1 was smaller than those in Examples 1 and 2. This is thought to be because Comparative Example 1 did not have the airflow guide section 150, allowing sufficient air to pass through the relatively low-temperature inside of the aerosol-generation segment 110, preventing sufficient delivery of the aerosol. The amount of nicotine and glycerin inhaled in Comparative Example 2 was approximately the same as those in Examples 1 and 2. This is thought to be because Comparative Example 2 had the airflow guide section 150, although it extended the entire length of the aerosol-generation segment 110. The amount of nicotine and glycerin inhaled in Comparative Example 3 was smaller than those in Examples 1 and 2. This is thought to be because in Comparative Example 3, the air resistance inside the tubular member 151 was lower than the air resistance of the aerosol generation segment 110, so the air that flowed into the aerosol generation segment 110 passed preferentially through the inside of the tubular member 151, and the aerosol could not be delivered sufficiently.

[0097] Regarding the total amount of inhaled nicotine and glycerin in Example 2, the amount of inhaled nicotine and glycerin was slightly greater than that in Example 1. This is thought to be because, in Example 2, the airflow guide section 150 was positioned near the upstream end, so that the amount of aerosol-generation segments 110 on the downstream side closer to the heat source 40 was greater than that on the upstream side. That is, in Example 2, the heat from the heat source 40 was transferred more efficiently to the aerosol-generation segments 110 than in Example 1, which is thought to have increased the total amount of nicotine and glycerin generated from the aerosol-generation segments 110.

[0098] Furthermore, the inhaled amounts of nicotine and glycerin in Comparative Example 1 were approximately the same as those in Example 1. This is thought to be because Comparative Example 1 had an aerosol-generation segment 110 containing the same amount of filler as Example 1, so heat from the heating source 40 was sufficiently transferred to the aerosol-generation segment 110, allowing approximately the same amount of nicotine and glycerin aerosol to be generated as in Example 1. The inhaled amounts of nicotine and glycerin in Comparative Example 2 were smaller than those in Example 1. This is thought to be because Comparative Example 2 had an airflow guide portion 150 extending over the entire length of the aerosol-generation segment 110, so the filling amount of the aerosol-generation segment 110 was smaller than that in Example 1. The inhaled amounts of nicotine and glycerin in Comparative Example 3 were approximately the same as those in Example 1. This is thought to be because Comparative Example 3 had an aerosol-generation segment 110 containing the same amount of filler as Example 1, allowing approximately the same amount of nicotine and glycerin aerosol to be generated as in Example 1.

[0099] As described above, in Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 2, the inclusion of the airflow guide portion 150 allows air to be guided toward the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating segment 110, where the temperature is relatively high at the start of inhalation, thereby increasing the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 2, the airflow guide portion 150 extends along the entire length of the aerosol-generating segment 110, resulting in a smaller filling volume of the aerosol-generating segment 110 compared to the other examples, and thus a reduced overall inhalation volume. Therefore, Examples 1 and 2 were found to increase the amount of aerosol transmitted during the first inhalation and suppress a decrease in the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110. Furthermore, in Example 2, the amount of aerosol-generating segment 110 on the downstream side closer to the heat source 40 can be increased compared to the upstream side, thereby increasing the total amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating segment 110 compared to Example 1.

[0100] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims and the technical concept described in the specification and drawings. Furthermore, any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention as long as it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the aerosol generating device 200 employs a configuration in which air flows in a so-called counterflow manner. However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration in which air flows in a so-called bottom flow manner may also be employed. The heating method of the aerosol generating device 200 employed in the present invention is not limited to a resistance heating method, and may also be an induction heating method, a microwave heating method, or the like.

[0101] Some aspects disclosed in this specification are described below. (1) A non-combustion-heated aerosol production product comprising: an aerosol generation segment; and an airflow guide portion disposed inside the aerosol generation segment and configured to guide air flowing into the aerosol generation segment so that at least a portion of the air passes radially outside the airflow guide portion, wherein the airflow guide portion is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the aerosol generation segment. (2) The aerosol production product described in (1), wherein the airflow guide portion has a higher airflow resistance than the aerosol generation segment. (3) The aerosol production product described in (1) or (2), wherein the length of the airflow guide portion in the longitudinal direction is 10% or more and less than 100% of the length of the aerosol generation segment. (4) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the width of the airflow guide portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is 25% to 70% of the width of the aerosol generation segment. (5) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the airflow guide portion has a cylindrical member extending in the longitudinal direction and a lid member that closes at least a part of a cavity of the cylindrical member when viewed from the longitudinal direction. (6) The aerosol product according to (5), wherein the lid member is configured to close all of the cavity of the cylindrical member when viewed from the longitudinal direction. (7) The aerosol product according to (5) or (6), wherein the cylindrical member has an upstream end and a downstream end opposite to the upstream end in the longitudinal direction, and the cover member is provided at the upstream end of the cylindrical member. (8) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the aerosol product has a plug provided upstream of the aerosol generation segment.(9) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the aerosol generation segment has an upstream end and a downstream end opposite the upstream end in the longitudinal direction, and the airflow guide portion is disposed closer to the upstream end of the aerosol generation segment than to the downstream end of the aerosol generation segment. (10) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the airflow guide portion is disposed so as to overlap with the cross-sectional center of the aerosol generation segment when viewed in the longitudinal direction. (11) The aerosol product according to (10), wherein the airflow guide portion is disposed concentrically with the aerosol generation segment. (12) An aerosol generation system comprising the aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (11) and an aerosol generating device having a heating source that heats the aerosol generation segment of the aerosol product from the outer periphery. (13) In the aerosol generation system described in (12), the aerosol generation segment has a first portion in which the airflow guide portion is arranged and a second portion adjacent to the first portion in the longitudinal direction in which the airflow guide portion is not arranged, and the longitudinal length of the portion where the heat source overlaps with the second portion is longer than the longitudinal length of the portion where the heat source overlaps with the first portion.

[0102] 40: Heating source 100: Aerosol product 110: Aerosol generation segment 110a: Upstream end 110b: Downstream end 110c: First portion 110d: Second portion 150: Airflow guide portion 151: Cylindrical member 151a: Upstream end 151b: Downstream end 152: Lid member 200: Aerosol generation device 1000: Aerosol generation system

Claims

1. A non-combustion heated aerosol production product comprising: an aerosol generation segment; and an airflow guide portion disposed inside the aerosol generation segment, the airflow guide portion configured to guide air flowing into the aerosol generation segment so that at least a portion of the air passes radially outside the airflow guide portion, wherein the airflow guide portion is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the aerosol generation segment.

2. An aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the airflow guide portion has a higher airflow resistance per unit length than the aerosol-generating segment.

3. An aerosol product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the airflow guide portion in the longitudinal direction is 10% or more and less than 100% of the length of the aerosol-generating segment.

4. An aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the width of the airflow guide portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is 25% to 70% of the width of the aerosol generation segment.

5. An aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the airflow guide portion has a cylindrical member extending in the longitudinal direction and a lid member that closes at least a portion of the cavity of the cylindrical member when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

6. An aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the cover member is configured to close all of the cavities of the cylindrical member when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

7. An aerosol product according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the cylindrical member has an upstream end and a downstream end opposite the upstream end in the longitudinal direction, and the cover member is provided at the upstream end of the cylindrical member.

8. An aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a plug located upstream of the aerosol-generation segment.

9. An aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the aerosol generation segment has an upstream end and a downstream end opposite the upstream end in the longitudinal direction, and the airflow guide portion is positioned closer to the upstream end of the aerosol generation segment than to the downstream end of the aerosol generation segment.

10. An aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the airflow guide portion is arranged so as to overlap with the cross-sectional center of the aerosol generation segment when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

11. An aerosol production article according to claim 10, wherein the airflow guide is arranged concentrically with the aerosol generation segment.

12. An aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol production product according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and an aerosol generation device having a heating source for heating the aerosol generation segment of the aerosol production product from the outer periphery.

13. An aerosol generation system as described in claim 12, wherein the aerosol generation segment has a first portion in which the airflow guide portion is arranged and a second portion adjacent to the first portion in the longitudinal direction in which the airflow guide portion is not arranged, and the longitudinal length of the portion where the heating source overlaps with the second portion is longer than the longitudinal length of the portion where the heating source overlaps with the first portion.

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