Plug and flavor inhalation article

Abstract

Provided is a plug obtained by cutting a rod perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the rod, the plug having a filler and an inner plug wrap wound around the filler, wherein the filler is formed from a single crimped sheet or a plurality of crimped sheets, and a variation in airflow resistance after cutting is suppressed to 24% or less.

Description

Plugs and flavor inhalers

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plug and a flavor inhalation article.

[0002] As a filter for a flavor inhalation article, instead of an acetate filter made of synthetic fibers such as cellulose acetate tow processed into a rod shape, a filter made of a filler material such as paper (pure pulp) wrapped with plug wrap has been used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a paper filter for a flavor inhalation article.

[0003] The filter of a flavor inhalation article is required to have a desirable airflow resistance. Typically, a filter is manufactured by wrapping a sheet material having a predetermined length and width with a plug wrap having a predetermined length to produce a long filter rod, and then cutting this filter rod in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction so as to have the desired length. However, when the filter rod is cut, the airflow resistance may vary. Specifically, the airflow resistance of the filter after cutting may vary to a non-negligible extent from the airflow resistance of the filter rod before cutting.

[0004] International Publication No. 2022 / 230408

[0005] The present disclosure provides a plug obtained by cutting a rod in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, in which the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting is within a predetermined range, and a flavor inhalation article including the plug.

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a plug obtained by cutting a rod perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the plug having a filler material and an inner plug wrap around which the filler material is wrapped, the filler material being formed from a single or multiple crimped sheets, and the variation in air flow resistance after cutting is suppressed to 24% or less.

[0007] In the first aspect, when a rod having a predetermined airflow resistance is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the variation in the airflow resistance of the plug obtained after cutting from the airflow resistance of the rod before cutting is suppressed to 24% or less. Thus, according to the first aspect, it is possible to provide a plug obtained by cutting a rod in which the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is within a predetermined range.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is the method for manufacturing a composite material according to the first aspect, wherein the porosity of the sheet is greater than 15,000 CORESTA units, and the packing density of the filler in the plug is 0.123 mg / mm ３ That's it, the plug.

[0009] In the second aspect, a highly permeable sheet material having a porosity of 15,000 CORESTA units or more is used as the filler material of the plug, and the packing density of the filler material in the plug is 0.123 mg / mm ３ That's it. Two main mechanisms contribute to the air flow along the longitudinal direction of the plug (and the rod that precedes it): the passage structure formed inside the filler material filled in the rod along the longitudinal direction of the rod, and the air flow passing through the filler material in the thickness direction. Regarding the former of these two mechanisms, when the rod is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the air passage efficiency may vary due to pressurization near the cut. In a rod filled with a highly air-permeable sheet material at a preferred density, the contribution of the former of the two mechanisms to the air flow along the longitudinal direction of the rod is small, so when the rod is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the variation in airflow resistance is small. Therefore, according to the second aspect, the advantages of the highly air-permeable sheet material can be fully utilized to suppress the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting the rod in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0010] A third aspect of the present disclosure is the plug according to the second aspect, wherein the porosity of the sheet before crimping is greater than 7,000 CORESTA units.

[0011] In the third aspect, the porosity of the sheet forming the filler material to be filled in the plug before crimping is greater than 7,000 CORESTA units. In a rod filled with a filler material created by crimping such a highly breathable sheet material at an appropriate density, the contribution of the former of the two mechanisms described above to the air flow along the longitudinal direction of the rod is small, so that when the rod is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the variation in airflow resistance is small. Therefore, according to the third aspect, the advantages of the highly breathable sheet material can be fully utilized, and the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting the rod in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction can be reliably suppressed.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the plug according to any one of the first to third aspects above, wherein, when pores inside the plug are measured by applying mercury porosimetry to the plug, the ratio of the cumulative pore volume having pore diameters D of 0.5 μm or greater and less than 70 μm to the cumulative pore volume having pore diameters D of 0.5 μm or greater and less than 70 μm is 50% or less. (However, when applying mercury porosimetry, the pressure P applied to the mercury is set to 1.07 psia to 423.15 psia, and in the following formula (1), the contact angle of mercury is θ=140°, and the tension of mercury is σ=480 dyn / cm. D=-4σcosθ / P (formula (1)).)

[0013] In the fourth aspect, of the volume of pores present inside the plug and having a pore diameter D of 0.5 μm or more and 200 μm or less, the volume occupied by small pores (pore diameter D less than 70 μm) is 50% or less. In a structure in which the volume occupied by small pores is large, when a rod having a predetermined airflow resistance is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the impact of damage to the pores due to cutting is greater than that of large pores (pore diameter D greater than 70 μm). This makes it more likely that the airflow resistance value of the plug obtained after cutting will vary from the airflow resistance value of the rod before cutting. Thus, according to the fourth aspect, the volume occupied by small pores is kept to 50% or less of the volume of pores present inside the plug, which can contribute to suppressing variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting the plug in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the above-mentioned first to fourth aspects, wherein the pressure drop per 120 mm of length is 100 to 350 mmH. ２ It's O, it's a plug.

[0015] In the fifth aspect, the pressure drop per 120 mm of the plug length is 100 to 350 mmH. ２ O. When the pressure drop value is very low, even a slight fluctuation results in a large percentage change, making it difficult to control the manufacturing quality of the pressure drop value from the perspective of designing a flavor inhalation article equipped with a filter filled with a sheet material, and as a result, making it difficult to control filtration. Therefore, according to the fifth aspect, a certain level of pressure drop value is guaranteed, which can contribute to appropriately controlling filtration in a flavor inhalation article equipped with a filter filled with a sheet material.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a plug according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the hardness in the direction perpendicular to the major axis as defined by formula (2) is 75% or more: Hardness in the direction perpendicular to the major axis (%) = (Dd / Ds) × 100 (Formula (2)) (In formula (2), Ds (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction before a load F is applied, Dd (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction when a load F is applied, and the load F is a compressive load applied to the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis under the conditions of a 3 N compressive load, a pressure jig head diameter of 12 mm, and a compression time of 10 seconds.)

[0017] In the sixth aspect, the hardness of the plug in the direction perpendicular to the long axis, as defined by the above formula (2), is 75% or more. In the manufacturing process of the flavor inhalation article, each segment constituting the flavor inhalation article, such as a filter, is required to have sufficient hardness in order to smoothly execute processing using existing manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, in order to impart a luxurious feel to the finished flavor inhalation article, it is preferable that each segment constituting the flavor inhalation article have sufficient hardness. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect, a plug with sufficient hardness can be provided, which allows for smooth processing in the manufacturing process of the flavor inhalation article and contributes to imparting a luxurious feel to the flavor inhalation article.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a flavor inhalation article including a plug according to any one of the first to sixth aspects as a first plug, a second plug containing a flavor source, and tipping paper wrapping the first plug and the second plug.

[0019] In the seventh aspect, the flavor inhalation article is configured to include a plug as a first plug in which the change in airflow resistance compared to the rod before cutting is suppressed to 24% or less, a second plug containing a flavor source, and tipping paper wrapping around the first plug and the second plug. Thus, according to the seventh aspect, flavor inhalation articles can be manufactured that include plugs in various forms in which the change in airflow resistance before and after cutting is suppressed.

[0020] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the flavor inhalation article of the seventh aspect, wherein the plug is disposed upstream of the second plug.

[0021] In the eighth aspect, a plug as a first plug is disposed upstream of a second plug containing a flavor source inside the flavor inhalation article through which air flows from upstream to downstream when a user inhales. Thus, according to the eighth aspect, the plug can prevent vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source from leaking upstream of the flavor inhalation article.

[0022] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a filter rod according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the filter rod taken along the arrows A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a crimped paper sheet. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the ventilation structure of a filter rod using a paper sheet made from ordinary paper. FIG. 5 is a view showing the appearance of a filter rod using a paper sheet made from ordinary paper. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the ventilation structure of a filter rod using a paper sheet made from high-permeability paper. FIG. 7 is a view showing the appearance of a filter rod using a paper sheet made from high-permeability paper. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a method for measuring the hardness of a filter rod. FIG. 9 is a graph summarizing the measurement results of pore distribution, including Example 3 and Comparative Example 1. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a method for measuring the airflow resistance of a filter rod. FIG. 11 is a view showing the outline of a knife used to cut a filter rod. FIG. 12 is a view showing the blade of a knife used to cut a filter rod. FIG. 13 is a view showing a system for measuring the airflow resistance of a paper plug. FIG. 14 is a view showing a rubber tube to which a paper plug is attached. FIG. 15 is a view showing a holder that holds a paper plug from above. FIG. 16 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of a flavor inhalation article that uses a paper filter. FIG. 10 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing another example of a flavor inhalation article using a paper plug obtained by cutting a filter rod in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure 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.

[0024] Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a filter rod 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the filter rod 10 taken along the line AA in Fig. 1.

[0025] The filter rod 10 is a material for a paper filter that constitutes a part of the flavor inhalation article. The filter rod 10 can be cut to a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction to obtain a paper filter (a paper plug 20 described later). The filter rod 10 is an example of a rod of the present disclosure.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the filter rod 10 is cylindrical and includes a paper sheet 12 and a first plug wrap 14 around which the paper sheet 12 is wrapped. The paper sheet 12 is a sheet formed by cutting a predetermined raw web containing cellulose to a predetermined length and crimping it as appropriate. The paper sheet 12 is folded and contained inside the first plug wrap 14, which is rolled up into a cylindrical shape. Instead of being folded, the paper sheet 12 may be rolled up and contained inside the first plug wrap 14. The paper sheet 12 is an example of a filler material of the present disclosure. The first plug wrap 14 is an example of an inner plug wrap of the present disclosure. While the following description will be given of the use of the paper sheet 12, the filler material of the present disclosure is not limited to paper and may be other materials with appropriate breathability, such as nonwoven fabric. The fibers constituting the sheet material may be natural fibers such as wood pulp, or may be chemical fibers, such as acetate fibers, rayon fibers, polyamide fibers, acrylic fibers, polyurethane fibers, polylactic acid fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinyl acetate fibers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer fibers, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0027] The first plug wrap 14 may be made primarily of pulp. Pulp may be made from wood pulp, such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, or may be made by blending non-wood pulp, such as flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, or esparto, which are commonly used in tobacco wrapping paper. These pulps may be used alone or in any combination of two or more types. They may also contain fillers, such as calcium carbonate.

[0028] The first plug wrap 14 may be formed in any suitable manner, including one or more rows of adhesive-containing seams. The adhesive may include a hot-melt adhesive, which may further include polyvinyl alcohol. The adhesive may also include a vinyl acetate adhesive. The material of the first plug wrap 14 is not particularly limited, and known materials may be used, and may also include a filler such as calcium carbonate. The first plug wrap 14 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material to provide strength, structural rigidity, and other functions. The first plug wrap 14 may also be porous paper having a plurality of pores and providing breathability.

[0029] As an example, in the following description, the length to which the raw web is cut (i.e., the length of the filter rod 10 in the longitudinal direction) is 120 mm, and the circumference of the filter rod 10 is 21.4 mm. Therefore, assuming that pi is 3.14, the radius of the filter rod 10 is 21.4 mm / (3.14 x 2) = 3.40764 (omitted) ≈ 3.41 mm. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter rod 10 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the surface shown in Figure 2) is 21.4 mm x 3.41 mm / 2 = 36.487 mm ２ Furthermore, the volume of the filter rod 10 is 120 mm x 36.487 mm ２ = 4,378.44 mm ３ ≒ 4,378 mm ３ is.

[0030] Now, the crimp depth will be explained. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a paper sheet 12 that has been subjected to a crimping process.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, crimping a flat paper sheet 12 forms peaks 12a and valleys 12b. The difference h between the maximum height of the peaks 12a and the maximum depth of the valleys 12b of the paper sheet 12 is called the crimp depth of the paper sheet 12. For example, the crimp depth is determined by the meshing depth (amount of meshing) of a pair of rollers used to crimp the flat paper sheet 12 (or its original web).

[0032] Furthermore, the inventors of the present disclosure performed various measurements on high-permeability paper and regular paper with a lower porosity, and discovered the following differences between regular paper and high-permeability paper. Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the breathable structure of a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from regular paper. Figure 4B is a diagram showing the appearance of a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from regular paper. Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the breathable structure of a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from high-permeability paper. Figure 5B is a diagram showing the appearance of a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from high-permeability paper.

[0033] The bending of the paper sheet 12 in Figures 4A and 5A schematically illustrates the crimping process applied to the paper sheet 12. As shown schematically in Figure 4A, in a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from ordinary paper, air is thought to pass longitudinally through the passage structure formed inside the paper sheet 12 filled into the filter rod 10. Figures 4A and 5A are schematic because the crimped peaks and valleys are formed along the width direction of the paper sheet 12, as shown in Figure 3. The large arrows in Figure 4A schematically illustrate air flow paths passing through the passage structure formed inside the filled paper sheet 12. On the other hand, in a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from ordinary paper, the porosity is low, so it is thought that the air flow in the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12 is small. The small arrows in Figure 4A schematically illustrate air flow in the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12 made from ordinary paper.

[0034] On the other hand, as shown schematically in Fig. 5A, in a filter rod 10 using a paper sheet 12 made from highly breathable paper, it is believed that air flow along the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12 filled in the filter rod 10 is primarily responsible for air passing through in the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10. This is because air can easily pass through a paper sheet 12 made from highly breathable paper with a high porosity in the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12. The large arrows in Fig. 5A schematically indicate air flow in a direction perpendicular to the paper sheet 12. The small arrows in Fig. 5A schematically indicate air flow paths along the passage structure.

[0035] [Variation in Airflow Resistance Before and After Cutting of Filter Rod] Desired paper plugs can be obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 to a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction. As an example, a 120 mm long filter rod 10 is cut to produce 6 mm long paper plugs 20.

[0036] When a 120 mm long filter rod 10 is cut to 1 / 20 of its length to create 6 mm long paper plugs 20, the airflow resistance value along the longitudinal direction of the paper plug 20 will theoretically be 1 / 20 of the airflow resistance of the filter rod 10. However, it has been found that, in general, the actually measured airflow resistance value of the paper plug 20 does not coincide with 1 / 20 of the airflow resistance of the filter rod 10.

[0037] In acetate filters filled with cellulose acetate tow processed into a rod shape rather than a paper sheet, it was found that, although there was slight variation, the airflow resistance of a 120 mm long filter rod 10 was 1 / 20 of the actual measured value of the airflow resistance of a 6 mm long plug, and the airflow resistance of the acetate filter did not vary significantly before and after cutting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0038] On the other hand, for a filter filled with paper sheets 12 of a specified material, the measured airflow resistance of a 6 mm long paper plug 20 can vary to a non-negligible extent compared to 1 / 20 of the airflow resistance of a 120 mm long filter rod 10. In particular, it was found that for paper plugs 20 filled with paper sheets 12 made of ordinary paper rather than high-permeability paper, the airflow resistance increases significantly after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction compared to before cutting.

[0039] Furthermore, for the paper plugs 20 using the paper sheet 12 of high-permeability paper, different results were obtained depending on the width of the original roll. For each of the paper plugs 20 filled with the paper sheet 12 of high-permeability paper and having a width of the original roll of length 1, no significant change in airflow resistance was observed before and after cutting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, for each of the paper plugs 20 filled with the paper sheet 12 of high-permeability paper and having a width of length 2, which is smaller than length 1, the airflow resistance changed to a non-negligible extent before and after cutting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0040] The width of the original roll of paper sheet 12 corresponds to the amount of paper sheet 12 filled into the paper plug 20 (filter rod 10). If the basis weight of the original roll is constant, changing the width of the original roll of paper sheet 12 will change the weight and density of the paper sheet 12 filled into the paper plug 20 (filter rod 10). Therefore, from the results of the above study, it can be said that a filter rod 10 filled with paper sheets 12 made of highly breathable paper with high porosity at a predetermined density or higher does not experience a large change in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0041] As described above with reference to Figures 4A and 5A, the passage of air along the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 (and the paper plug 20) is thought to depend on two mechanisms. In a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of ordinary paper, the passage structure formed within the paper sheet 12 is thought to be primarily responsible for the passage of air along the longitudinal direction (see the large arrow in Figure 4A). Because the paper sheet 12 has a low porosity and suppresses air permeation, the flow perpendicular to the paper sheet 12 is thought to not contribute significantly to the passage of air (see the small arrow in Figure 4A). In this case, when the filter rod 10 is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the passage structure described above is thought to be blocked or crushed near the cut surface, thereby preventing the passage of air. This is thought to be the reason why the airflow resistance of a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of ordinary paper increases significantly after cutting perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0042] On the other hand, in a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of highly breathable paper, the high porosity of the paper sheet 12 promotes air permeation along the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12, and it is therefore believed that the air flow passing through the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12 primarily contributes to air passage along the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 (see the large arrow in FIG. 5A ). In a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of highly breathable paper, the large passage structure inside the paper sheet 12 as shown in FIG. 4A is unlikely to be formed (see the small arrow in FIG. 5A ). Therefore, when the filter rod 10 is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, even if the paper sheet 12 is crushed or deformed near the cut surface, air passage is not significantly impeded. This is thought to be the reason why, as described above, there is no significant change in airflow resistance in a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of highly breathable paper after cutting perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0043] However, even in a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12 made of highly breathable paper, if the filling amount of the paper sheet 12 is small, voids (small holes) will form inside the filter rod 10, and the appearance will be closer to that of Figure 4B than that of Figure 5B . In this case, these voids will form the above-mentioned passage structure inside the paper sheet 12, and this passage structure will contribute significantly to the passage of air along the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10. Therefore, when the filter rod 10 is cut longitudinally, it is thought that the voids will be blocked or crushed near the cut surface, impeding the passage of air to a non-negligible extent. This is thought to be the reason why, as described above, even when filled with a paper sheet 12 made of highly breathable paper, if the width of the original paper sheet 12 is small, the above-mentioned passage structure can be formed due to the small filling amount, and therefore the airflow resistance will fluctuate to a non-negligible extent before and after cutting the filter rod 10 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0044] In summary, two mechanisms contribute to the passage of air along the longitudinal direction of a filter rod 10 filled with a paper sheet 12. When the filter rod 10 is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the airflow resistance of the passage structure formed inside the paper sheet 12 can vary greatly due to effects near the cut surface. In order to suppress variations in airflow resistance before and after cutting the filter rod 10, it is necessary to use highly breathable paper with high porosity as the paper sheet 12 and to fill the filter rod 10 with more than a specified amount (weight, density) of paper sheet 12.

[0045] Based on the above recognition, the inventors of the present disclosure performed measurements on a number of examples and comparative examples. The measurement results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0046]

[0047]

[0048] Examples 1 to 3 are filter rods 10 (and paper plugs 20) filled with paper sheets 12 made from rolls of high-permeability paper of three different types, each with a different porosity. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the measured porosities of the high-permeability papers of Examples 1 to 3 are 18,943 CORESTA units, 8,712 CORESTA units, and approximately 15,328 CORESTA units, respectively.

[0049] As shown in Table 1, for Example 1, three different widths of raw web were used and crimped to a depth of 0.5 mm or 0.45 mm to create three samples of paper sheet 12. These samples were then filled into 120 mm long filter rods 10 and measured. Specifically, the raw web of Example 1 having one of the three widths was cut to a longitudinal length of 120 mm (the longitudinal length of the filter rod 10). The resulting paper sheet was then crimped to a depth of 0.5 mm or 0.45 mm. The paper sheet 12 thus prepared was then filled into a filter rod 10 with a circumference of 21.4 mm. The filter rod 10 was then cut longitudinally into 1 / 20ths of its original length (i.e., 6 mm) to obtain the three paper plug 20 samples for Example 1 shown in Table 1. Specifically, the hardness of the filter rod 10, the airflow resistance along the longitudinal direction (every 120 mm), and the airflow resistance along the longitudinal direction (every 6 mm) of 6 mm-long paper plugs 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 along the longitudinal direction were measured. In the other examples and comparative examples below, the measurement subjects were similarly manufactured filter rods 10 with a length of 120 mm and paper plugs 20 with a length of 6 mm. Note that the unit of airflow resistance in Tables 1 and 2, mmWG, stands for mmH ２ It is equal to O (millimeter of water column, the pressure that can support a 1 mm column of water).

[0050] In Tables 1 and 2, "PD / 6mm: calculated value" is a value calculated by multiplying the measured airflow resistance value (every 120 mm) along the longitudinal direction by 1 / 20. In other words, the difference between "PD / 6mm: calculated value" and "PD / 6mm: measured value" represents the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the paper plug 20. Specifically, "PD change rate" in Tables 1 and 2 represents the ratio (percentage) of "PD / 6mm: measured value" to "PD / 6mm: calculated value." Note that the alphabetical and numeric symbols attached to the examples and comparative examples in Tables 1 and 2 represent the type of paper.

[0051] As shown in Table 1, in Example 1, when a base web having a width of 220 mm or 240 mm was used, the "PD change rate" was within the range of 115% to 123%. These base web widths correspond to the weight of the paper sheet 12 being filled with a paper sheet 12 weighing 0.5676 g or 0.6192 g, respectively. Similarly, in terms of the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, a packing density of 0.126 mg / mm ３ or 0.138 mg / mm ３ correspond to the cases where

[0052] As shown in Table 1, in Example 2, raw rolls having widths of 200 mm or 240 mm were used, and crimping treatment was performed to a depth of 0.5 mm or 0.4 mm to create three samples of the paper sheet 12. These samples were then filled into a filter rod 10 having a length of 120 mm, and measurements were performed.

[0053] As shown in Table 1, in Example 2, regardless of whether the width of the raw web used was 200 mm or 240 mm, the "PD change rate" was within the range of 120% to 122%. Considering the weight of the paper sheet 12, these widths of the raw web correspond to the case where the paper sheet 12 weighs 0.552 g or 0.6624 g. Similarly, considering the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, the packing density was 0.123 mg / mm. ３ or 0.147 mg / mm ３correspond to the cases where

[0054] As shown in Table 1, in Example 3, raw rolls having widths of 200 mm, 220 mm, or 240 mm were used, and six samples of the paper sheet 12 were prepared by crimping to depths of 0.45 mm, 0.47 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.8 mm. Six samples of the paper sheet 12 were then packed into a filter rod 10 having a length of 120 mm, and measurements were taken.

[0055] As shown in Table 1, in Example 3, regardless of whether the width of the raw web used was 200 mm, 220 mm, or 240 mm, the "PD change rate" was within the range of 111% to 124%. These widths of the raw web correspond to the weight of the paper sheet 12 being filled with paper sheets 12 weighing 0.6 g, 0.66 g, or 0.72 g, respectively. Similarly, in terms of the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, the packing density was 0.133 mg / mm. ３ , 0.147mg / mm ３ , or 0.160 mg / mm ３ correspond to the cases where

[0056] In addition, when crimping is performed, the porosity of the raw roll (and the paper sheet 12 made from it) generally increases. Table 3 shows the results of measuring the porosity of four sheets stacked together when crimping 0.5 mm for Examples 1 and 2.

[0057]

[0058] As shown in Table 3, the porosities of Examples 1 and 2 after 0.5 mm of crimping were about 23,000 and about 22,000 CORESTA units, respectively, both of which exceeded 15,000 CORESTA units.

[0059] On the other hand, Comparative Example 1 is a normal paper, and Comparative Example 2 is a highly breathable paper. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the measured porosities of the papers in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are 2,958 CORESTA units and 22,576 CORESTA units, respectively. Comparative Examples 3 and 4 use the same type of paper as Examples 2 and 3, respectively.

[0060] As shown in Table 2, for Comparative Example 1, raw webs having widths of 110 mm, 140 mm, 160 mm, 180 mm, or 220 mm were used, and crimping treatment was performed to a depth of 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.31 mm, 0.38 mm, 0.40 mm, 0.49 mm, 0.50 mm, 0.52 mm, 0.60 mm, or 0.70 mm to create 11 samples of paper sheet 12, and filter rods 10 having a length of 120 mm were manufactured by filling these samples, and measurements were performed.

[0061] As shown in Table 2, for Comparative Example 1, regardless of whether the width of the base web was 110 mm or more or 220 mm or less, the "PD change rate" was at least 132% and reached a maximum of 185%. This result confirms the above-mentioned recognition that when ordinary paper with low porosity is used as the paper sheet 12, the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 becomes large. Furthermore, this result is independent of the crimp depth or the width of the base web (i.e., the fill weight or fill density of the paper sheet 12).

[0062] As shown in Table 2, for Comparative Example 2, a raw sheet having a width of 250 mm or 300 mm was used, and four samples of the paper sheet 12 were prepared by crimping to a depth of 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm. These samples were then filled into a filter rod 10 having a length of 120 mm, and measurements were performed.

[0063] As shown in Table 2, for Comparative Example 2, whether a base web with a width of 250 mm or 300 mm was used, the "PD change rate" was at least 147% and reached a maximum of 170%. Considering the weight of the paper sheet 12, these base web widths correspond to the case where a paper sheet 12 weighing 0.375 g or 0.45 g was filled, respectively. Similarly, considering the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, the packing density was 0.083 mg / mm. ３ or 0.1 mg / mm ３ correspond to the cases where

[0064] In Comparative Example 3, the same type of paper as in Example 2 was used, but the width of the raw sheet was 180 mm. In terms of the weight of the paper sheet 12, this corresponds to the case where a paper sheet 12 weighing 0.4968 g was packed. Similarly, in terms of the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, the packing density was 0.110 mg / mm ３ The "PD change rate" of Comparative Example 3 is 127%, which exceeds the maximum value of 124% of Examples 1 to 3.

[0065] Furthermore, Comparative Example 4 uses the same type of paper as Example 3, but with a width of 180 mm. In terms of the weight of the paper sheet 12, this corresponds to a case where a paper sheet 12 weighing 0.54 g is packed. Similarly, in terms of the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10, a packing density of 0.120 mg / mm ３ The "PD change rate" of Comparative Example 4 is 128%, which exceeds the maximum value of 124% of Examples 1 to 3.

[0066] The results of Comparative Examples 2 to 4 confirm the above-mentioned recognition that even when high-permeability paper with a large porosity is used as the paper sheet 12, if the filling amount (filling weight or filling density) of the paper sheet is insufficient, the variation in air flow resistance before and after cutting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 will be large.

[0067] The measurement method for "hardness (%)" in Tables 1 and 2 will now be described. The measurement device used can be a "SODIUM-H hardness module" (Korber) or an alternative device. As shown in Figure 6, a 120 mm long filter rod 10 is inserted vertically from above into a predetermined position in a measurement device 30, and pressure is applied from the side using a cylindrical jig 32. In this test, the pressure was set to 300 g. The jig 32 used had a diameter of 12 mm. The pressure was applied by placing the jig 32 at a position at least 6 mm vertically above the lower vertical end of the filter rod 10.

[0068] The measurement conditions for the measurement device are described below. Device: SODIUM-H hardness module Procedure: Pressure is applied from the side of the test piece, and the value calculated from the diameter before and after pressure is read as the hardness. <Calculation formula> Hardness in the direction perpendicular to the long axis (%) = (Dd / Ds) x 100 Ds (mm) is the diameter of the cross section of the filter rod 10 in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction before pressure is applied, and Dd (mm) is the diameter of the cross section of the filter rod 10 in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction when pressure is applied. <Measurement device conditions> Pressure: 300 g, pressure time: 10 seconds, pressure jig head diameter: φ12 mm, number of test pieces during measurement: 1

[0069] [Measurement of Pore Diameter Distribution by Mercury Intrusion Porosity] The inventors of the present disclosure have also discovered that by examining the structure of the pores inside the filter rod 10, it is possible to distinguish between paper plugs 20 that exhibit a small change in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 and paper plugs 20 that exhibit a large change in airflow resistance before and after cutting. Specifically, by using mercury intrusion porosity to measure the ratio of the cumulative pore volume of pores with a pore diameter D of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm to the cumulative pore volume of pores with a pore diameter D of 0.5 μm or more and 200 μm or less in the paper plug 20, it is possible to distinguish between paper plugs 20 that exhibit a small change in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 and paper plugs 20 that exhibit a large change in airflow resistance before and after cutting.

[0070] The measurement of pore volume will be briefly explained below. In this disclosure, the term "cumulative pore volume" refers to the cumulative (integrated) volume of pores having a pore diameter D within a predetermined range, divided by the mass of the segment (here, the paper plug 20). The term "pores" as used here refers primarily to tiny holes in the sheet material packed into the aerosol generation segment and tiny gaps between sheets that may arise due to the state of the sheet packing. These tiny holes and gaps affect the measurement results of mercury intrusion porosimetry within the range of the measurement pressure (mercury pressure) used in mercury intrusion porosimetry. Meanwhile, when mercury is injected into the sample container, the mercury is injected at a pressure lower than the measurement pressure, and at this time, the mercury is also injected into relatively large gaps within the aerosol generation segment. These relatively large gaps into which mercury can be injected at a pressure lower than the measurement pressure are not included in the term "pores."

[0071] The pore volume is measured using mercury intrusion porosimetry. In mercury intrusion porosimetry, the pressure applied to mercury is varied and the amount of mercury that penetrates into the pores of the sample is measured. The conditions under which mercury can penetrate into the pores can be expressed as D = -4σ cos θ / P, where P is the pressure, D is the pore diameter, θ is the contact angle of mercury, and σ is the surface tension. If the contact angle and surface tension are constants, then the pressure P is inversely proportional to the pore diameter D into which mercury can penetrate. Therefore, the pore distribution can be calculated by substituting the horizontal axis P of the P-V curve, P, for the pore diameter in this equation, which is obtained by measuring the pressure P and the amount of intrusion liquid V at that time while varying the pressure.

[0072] For the measurement, a mercury intrusion pore volume measuring device (e.g., MicroActive AutoPore V 9600 manufactured by Micromeritics) is used, with a mercury pressure of 1.07 to 423.15 psia, a mercury contact angle θ of 140°, and a surface tension σ of 480 dynes / cm, and the pore distribution is calculated from the measurement results using the accompanying software. For the measured pore distribution, a graph of the log differential pore volume distribution is obtained by dividing the pore volume by the mass of each segment. The cumulative pore volume can be calculated from the graph of the log differential pore volume distribution by integrating over the desired range of pore diameter (horizontal axis).

[0073] 7 shows the results of measurements of the ratio of the cumulative pore volume of pores with diameters of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm to the cumulative volume of pores with diameters of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm in the solid body for five samples including Example 3 and Comparative Example 1. The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 represents this ratio (percentage). The vertical axis of FIG. 6 represents the "PD change rate" described above in Tables 1 and 2.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 7, the sample on the far right is Comparative Example 1, and the three samples located to the left of it are Example 3. The sample on the far left in Fig. 7 represents a 6 mm long acetate filter filled with cellulose acetate tow processed into a rod shape rather than a paper sheet.

[0075] Specifically, the sample on the far right in Fig. 7 is a sample from Comparative Example 1 in which a 180 mm wide base cloth was used and a crimp depth of 0.31 mm was applied. The three samples from Example 3 in Fig. 7 are samples from the right to the left in which a 0.50 mm deep crimp depth was applied to base cloths of 240 mm, 220 mm, and 200 mm width, respectively. The horizontal axis values ​​for the five samples in Fig. 7 are 5.27%, 32.1%, 35.0%, 40.9%, and 59.3%, respectively, from the right.

[0076] The inventors of the present disclosure further prepared a 6 mm long paper plug sample filled with high-permeability paper and measured the cumulative pore volume by mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0077]

[0078] As shown in Examples 4 to 8 in Table 4, for paper plugs with similar air permeability and filling amount to Examples 1 to 3, the ratio of the cumulative pore volume of pores with a diameter of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm to the cumulative volume of pores with a pore diameter of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm is a maximum of 45%. For paper plugs filled with high-air permeability paper with a porosity of, for example, about 24,000 CORESTA units, the ratio of the cumulative pore volume of pores with a diameter of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm is expected to be approximately 50%.

[0079] From the results shown in FIG. 7 and Table 4, when the ratio of the cumulative volume of pores having a diameter of 0.5 μm or more but less than 70 μm to the cumulative volume of pores having a diameter of 0.5 μm or more but less than 200 μm inside the paper plug 20 is 50% or less, the "PD change rate" is suppressed to 124% or less. Preferably, when the ratio of the volume occupied by pores having a diameter of 0.5 μm or more but less than 70 μm is 45% or less, the "PD change rate" is reliably suppressed to 124% or less. More preferably, when the ratio of the volume occupied by pores having a diameter of 0.5 μm or more but less than 70 μm is 41% or less, the "PD change rate" is reliably suppressed to 124% or less.

[0080] [Method for Measuring Airflow Resistance] The method for measuring airflow resistance in the present disclosure will be described below. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a method for measuring the airflow resistance of a filter rod 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the outer shape of a knife used to cut the filter rod 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the blade of the knife used to cut the filter rod 10. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a system for measuring the airflow resistance of a paper plug 20. Fig. 12A is a diagram showing a rubber tube to which the paper plug 20 is attached. Fig. 12B is a diagram showing a holder that holds the paper plug 20 from above.

[0081] As shown in Figure 8, the airflow resistance of a 120 mm long filter rod 10 was measured by sandwiching the filter rod 10 between latex tubes to eliminate any gaps, and measuring the pressure loss that occurred when an air flow of 17.5 ml / sec was passed through the filter rod 10. The measurement device used was a "SODIMAX SODIM PDV" manufactured by SODIM.

[0082] Next, the filter rod 10 having a length of 120 mm and having its airflow resistance measured is placed in a cutting machine equipped with a circular cutting knife.

[0083] A circular knife is used to cut the filter rod 10. As shown in Figure 9, the circular knife has a cylindrical outer shape with a diameter of 64 mm. At the tip of the circular knife, a blade with a conical cutting edge at an angle of 15° is arranged, protruding from a 0.3 mm cylindrical holder as shown in Figure 10. The rotation speed of the circular knife in the cutting machine is set to 3,000 rpm.

[0084] In the cutting machine, the 120 mm long filter rod 10 is repeatedly cut into 6 mm segments by a circular knife blade rotating at 3,000 rpm, with each 6 mm segment being fed out from its end. This process yields 20 segments of 6 mm long paper plugs 20, with the last 20th segment being discarded.

[0085] To measure the airflow resistance of the 6 mm long paper plug 20, a measuring device "TT-300" manufactured by Tamaki Seisakusho, the external appearance of which is shown in Figure 11, is used. With this measuring device, the 6 mm long paper plug 20 is attached to the rubber tube shown in Figure 12A, and the airflow resistance of the 6 mm long paper plug 20 is measured by measuring the pressure loss that occurs when an air flow of 17.5 ml / sec is passed through it. During measurement, a holder is attached above the paper plug 20 as shown in Figure 12B to stably hold the paper plug 20.

[0086] [Configuration of Flavor Inhalation Article] A flavor inhalation article can be configured using a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 to a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction as a filter. Fig. 13 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of a flavor inhalation article 110 using a paper filter. Fig. 14 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of another example of a flavor inhalation article 200 using a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0087] 13, the flavor inhalation article 110 includes a smokable article 111, a tubular member 114, a hollow filter portion 116, and a filter portion 115. The filter portion 115 is formed of a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0088] The smokable article 111 is wrapped in cigarette paper 112. The tubular member 114, hollow filter portion 116, and filter portion 115, together with a portion of the smokable article 111 wrapped in cigarette paper 112, are wrapped in tipping paper 113 that is different from the cigarette paper 112. The tipping paper 113 also wraps a portion of the cigarette paper 112 that wraps the smokable article 111. This connects the tubular member 114, hollow filter portion 116, and filter portion 115 to the smokable article 111. The smokable article 111 wrapped in cigarette paper 112 is an example of a second plug of the present disclosure.

[0089] A lip release agent 117 is applied to the outer surface of the tipping paper 113 near the end on the filter part 115 side, so that the user's lips can easily separate from the tipping paper 113. The portion of the flavor inhalation article 110 to which the lip release agent 117 is applied functions as the mouthpiece of the flavor inhalation article 110.

[0090] The cylindrical member 114 may be provided with openings concentrically in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical member 114. These openings are intended to promote the inflow of air from the outside when the user inhales, and the air flowing in through the openings can lower the temperature of the components and air flowing in from the flavor inhalation article 110.

[0091] The smokable article 111 may include a flavor source such as tobacco and an aerosol source. The cigarette paper 112 wrapping the smokable article 111 may be a breathable sheet material. The tubular member 114 may be a paper tube or a hollow filter. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the flavor inhalation article 110 includes the smokable article 111, the tubular member 114, a hollow filter portion 116, and a filter portion 115, but the configuration of the flavor inhalation article 110 is not limited to this. For example, the hollow filter portion 116 may be omitted, and the tubular member 114 and the filter portion 115 may be disposed adjacent to each other.

[0092] In order to adjust the flavor of the flavor inhalation article, the raw roll of the paper sheet 12 may be treated when manufacturing the filter rod 10. For example, at least one of a phenol-reducing material and a flavoring agent may be added to the raw roll of the paper sheet 12.

[0093] The term "phenols" refers to a class of compounds in which one or more hydroxyl groups are bonded to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. Examples include phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, and catechol. Therefore, a "phenol-reducing material" in the present disclosure is an additive that can reduce at least one phenol, such as phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, and / or catechol, when the paper plug 20 is used as the filter portion 115 of the flavor inhalation article 110, as can be measured, for example, using a standard smoking test.

[0094] 13, the paper plug 20 is used to form the filter portion 115 of the flavor inhalation article 110, but the use of the paper plug 20 in the flavor inhalation article is not limited to a paper filter. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, it is also possible to manufacture a flavor inhalation article 200 in which the paper plug 20 forms the upstream tip of the flavor inhalation article (opposite the downstream end that is inhaled by the user).

[0095] As shown in Fig. 14, the flavor inhalation article 200 includes a first segment 210, a flavor generating segment 220, a cooling segment 230, and a second segment 240. The flavor inhalation article 200 includes a first end 201 that is inserted into a flavor inhaler and a second end 102 opposite the first end 201. In the example shown in Fig. 14, the flavor inhalation article 200 extends in the longitudinal direction along the central axis AX, and is formed with a first end 201 and a second end 202 at both ends along the longitudinal direction. Hereinafter, the first end 201 side and the second end 202 side will be referred to as the upstream side and the downstream side, respectively. Furthermore, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the terms "radial direction" and "circumferential direction" refer to the radial direction and the circumferential direction of a rotating coordinate system whose axis is the central axis AX.

[0096] The first segment 210 is a segment located on the first end 101 side of the flavor generating segment 220. The first segment 210 preferably extends from the first end 201 to the end of the flavor generating segment 220 on the first end 201 side. The first segment 210 has a plug portion 211 and a tubular second tipping paper 250 that covers the plug portion 211. The plug portion 211 is composed of a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 in the longitudinal direction. The second tipping paper 250 covers not only the plug portion 211 but also the flavor source 221 wrapped in cigarette paper 248 (described below), and connects the first segment 210 and the flavor generating segment 220. The plug portion 211 is an example of a first plug of the present disclosure.

[0097] The flavor generating segment 220 includes a flavor source 221 and a tubular cigarette paper 248 that covers the flavor source 221. The flavor source 221 is not particularly limited as long as it generates a flavor when heated, but is preferably a tobacco material. Examples of tobacco materials include materials obtained by processing dried tobacco leaves, such as shredded tobacco, and tobacco extracts (extracts made from water, organic solvents, or a mixture thereof). The flavor source 221 may be composed of one or more tobacco sheets. The tobacco sheet may be formed, for example, by processing dried tobacco leaves into a homogenized sheet (hereinafter referred to as a homogenized sheet) using a known method such as papermaking, slurrying, or rolling. The flavor source 221 may also be a shredded tobacco sheet. The flavor source 221 may contain at least one of a flavoring, a cooling agent, and a flavoring agent, instead of or in addition to the tobacco material. The flavor generating segment 220 (the flavor source 221 wrapped in the cigarette paper 248) is an example of a second plug of the present disclosure.

[0098] The cooling segment 230 has a hollow tube 231 and a tubular tipping paper 260 that covers the hollow tube 231. The hollow tube 231 may be, for example, a paper tube. The hollow tube 231 cools the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 221. By arranging the hollow tube 231 downstream of the flavor source 221 in this manner, the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 221 can be cooled. As shown in FIG. 14 , the tipping paper 260 covers not only the hollow tube 231 but also the second tipping paper 250, a portion of the flavor source 221 wrapped around the cigarette paper 248, and an outer plug wrap 350 (described later), thereby connecting the flavor generating segment 220, the cooling segment 230, and the second segment 240.

[0099] A plurality of circular through-holes 232 that penetrate the walls of hollow tube 231 and tipping paper 260 in the radial direction are formed in hollow tube 231 and concentrically aligned around hollow tube 231. Through-holes 232 are holes that promote the inflow of air from the outside when the user inhales, and this inflow of air can further cool the vapor or aerosol generated in flavor source 221.

[0100] The second segment 240 is a segment disposed on the second end 102 side of the cooling segment 230. The second segment 240 has a first filter 241 and a second filter 242 aligned in the longitudinal direction, and an outer plug wrap 350 covering the first filter 241 and the second filter 242. The second segment 240 is not particularly limited as long as it functions as a filter, such as adjusting the flow of air during flavor inhalation or adjusting the amount of flavor or other impurities. The second segment 240 can also function as a rear plug to prevent components located on the first end 201 side of the second segment 240 from falling out.

[0101] 14, the position of the first filter 241 may be interchanged with that of the second filter 242. In the flavor inhalation article 200, the second filter 242 may be omitted, or the second segment 240 may include three or more filters.

[0102] The first filter 141 includes a filler material 310 and a cylindrical first inner plug wrap 320 that encases the filler material 310. The filler material 310 is not particularly limited as long as it is a filtering material, and may be a fibrous material, a porous material, or the like. The filler material 310 may be, for example, cellulose acetate fiber, paper, or a nonwoven fabric. The filler material 310 may be composed of a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting the filter rod 10 longitudinally.

[0103] The second filter 242 is composed of a hollow packed layer 330 and a second inner plug wrap 340 that covers the packed layer 330. The packed layer 330 may be, for example, a rod made of cellulose acetate fibers packed at high density and hardened with a plasticizer containing triacetin. The second inner plug wrap 340 may be omitted.

[0104] (Operation of the Present Embodiment) In the present embodiment, when a filter rod 10 having a predetermined airflow resistance is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the variation in the airflow resistance value of the paper plug 20 obtained after cutting from the airflow resistance value of the filter rod 10 before cutting is suppressed to 24% or less. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a paper plug 20 obtained by cutting a filter rod 10 in which the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction falls within a predetermined range.

[0105] In this embodiment, the filler material of the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) is a highly breathable paper sheet 12 having a porosity of 15,000 CORESTA units or more, and the packing density of the paper sheet 12 in the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) is 0.123 mg / mm ３That's it. Two main mechanisms contribute to the air flow along the longitudinal direction of the paper plug 20 (and the filter rod 10, which precedes it). These are the passage structure along the longitudinal direction of the filter rod 10 formed inside the paper sheet 12 filled in the filter rod 10, and the air flow passing through the paper sheet 12 in the thickness direction of the paper sheet 12. With regard to the former of these two mechanisms, when the filter rod 10 is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the air passage efficiency may vary due to pressurization near the cut section. In a paper rod filled with paper sheets 12 made of high-permeability paper at a preferred density, the contribution of the former of the two mechanisms to the air flow along the longitudinal direction is small, and therefore, when cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the variation in airflow resistance is small. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the advantages of high-permeability paper can be fully utilized to suppress the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting the filter rod 10 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the porosity of the paper sheet 12 forming the filler material filled in the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) before crimping is greater than 7,000 CORESTA units. In a filter rod 10 filled with paper sheets 12 made by crimping such high-breathability paper at an appropriate density, the contribution of the former of the two mechanisms described above to air flow along the longitudinal direction is small, resulting in small variations in airflow resistance when the filter rod 10 is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Therefore, this embodiment fully utilizes the benefits of high-breathability paper, reliably suppressing variations in airflow resistance before and after cutting the filter rod 10 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, of the volume of pores present inside the paper plug 20 with a pore diameter D of 0.5 μm≦D≦200 μm, the volume occupied by small pores (pore diameter D less than 70 μm) is 50% or less. In a structure in which the volume occupied by small pores is large, when a filter rod 10 having a predetermined airflow resistance is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the impact of damage to the pores due to cutting is greater than that of large pores (pore diameter D greater than 70 μm). This makes it more likely that the airflow resistance value of the paper plug 20 obtained after cutting will vary from the airflow resistance value of the filter rod 10 before cutting. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the volume occupied by small pores is kept to 50% or less of the volume of pores present inside the paper plug 20, which can contribute to suppressing fluctuations in airflow resistance before and after cutting the filter rod 10 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0108] In this embodiment, the pressure drop per 120 mm of the length of the filter rod 10 is 100 to 350 mmH. ２ When the pressure drop value is very low, even a slight fluctuation results in a large percentage change, so from the perspective of designing the flavor inhalation article 110 equipped with the paper plug 20 as a filter, it becomes difficult to control the manufacturing quality of the pressure drop value, and as a result, it becomes difficult to control filtration. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a certain level of pressure drop value is guaranteed, which can contribute to appropriately controlling filtration in the flavor inhalation article 110 equipped with a paper filter.

[0109] In this embodiment, the stiffness of the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) in the direction perpendicular to the major axis, as defined by the following formula (2), is 75% or more. Hardness (%) in the direction perpendicular to the long axis = (Dd / Ds) x 100 (Equation (2)) (In Equation (2), Ds (mm) is the diameter of the cross section of the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction before the load F is applied, Dd (mm) is the diameter of the cross section of the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction when the load F is applied, and the load F is the load applied to the filter rod 10 (paper plug 20) in the direction perpendicular to its long axis under the conditions of a compressive load of 3 N, a pressure jig head diameter of 12 mm, and a compression time of 10 seconds.) In the manufacturing process of the flavor suction article 110, each segment constituting the flavor suction article 110, such as the paper plug 20, is required to have sufficient hardness so that processing can be carried out smoothly using existing manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, in order to impart a luxurious feel to the flavor suction article 110 as a product, it is preferable that each segment constituting the flavor suction article 110 have sufficient hardness. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a paper plug 20 with sufficient hardness can be provided, which allows smooth processing in the manufacturing process of the flavor inhalation article 110 and can contribute to giving the flavor inhalation article 110 a luxurious feel.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flavor inhalation article 110 is configured to include a paper plug 20 as a first plug in which the variation in airflow resistance compared to the filter rod 10 before cutting is suppressed to 24% or less, a smokable article 111 wrapped in cigarette paper 112 containing a flavor source, and tipping paper 113 that wraps the paper plug 20 and the smokable article 111 wrapped in cigarette paper 112. Thus, according to this embodiment, flavor inhalation articles 110 can be manufactured that include various forms of paper plugs 20 in which the variation in airflow resistance before and after cutting is suppressed.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, inside the flavor inhalation article 200, where air flows from upstream to downstream when a user inhales, a plug portion 211 formed by the paper plug 20 is disposed upstream of the flavor generating segment 220 (the flavor source 221 wrapped in cigarette paper 248). Thus, according to this embodiment, the plug portion 211 formed by the paper plug 20 can prevent the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor generating segment 220 from leaking to the upstream side of the flavor inhalation article 200.

[0112] (Supplementary Note 1) A first aspect of the present disclosure is a plug obtained by cutting a rod perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the plug having a filler material and an inner plug wrap around which the filler material is wound, the filler material being formed from a single or multiple crimped sheets, and the change in air flow resistance after cutting is suppressed to 24% or less.

[0113] (Supplementary Note 2) A second aspect of the present disclosure is the above-mentioned first aspect, wherein the porosity of the sheet is greater than 15,000 CORESTA units, and the packing density of the filler in the plug is 0.123 mg / mm ３ That's it, the plug.

[0114] (Supplementary Note 3) A third aspect of the present disclosure is the plug according to the second aspect, wherein the porosity of the sheet before crimping is greater than 7,000 CORESTA units.

[0115] (Supplementary Note 4) A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the plug according to any one of the first to third aspects above, wherein, when pores inside the plug are measured by applying mercury porosimetry to the plug, the ratio of the cumulative pore volume having pore diameters D of 0.5 μm or greater and less than 70 μm to the cumulative pore volume having pore diameters D of 0.5 μm or greater and less than 70 μm is 50% or less. (However, when applying mercury porosimetry, the pressure P applied to the mercury is set to 1.07 psia to 423.15 psia, and in the following formula (1), the contact angle of mercury is θ=140°, and the tension of mercury is σ=480 dyn / cm. D=-4σcosθ / P (Formula (1)).)

[0116] (Supplementary Note 5) A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the first to fourth aspects, wherein the pressure drop per 120 mm of length is 100 to 350 mmH. ２ It's O, it's a plug.

[0117] (Supplementary Note 6) A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a plug according to any one of the first to fifth aspects above, wherein the hardness (firmness) in the direction perpendicular to the major axis as defined by formula (2) is 75% or more. Hardness (%) in the direction perpendicular to the major axis = (Dd / Ds) × 100 (Formula (2)) (In formula (2), Ds (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction before a load F is applied, Dd (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction when a load F is applied, and the load F is a compressive load applied to the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis under the conditions of a 3 N compressive load, a pressure jig head diameter of φ12 mm, and a compression time of 10 seconds.)

[0118] (Appendix 7) A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a flavor inhalation article including: a plug according to any one of the first to sixth aspects as a first plug; a second plug containing a flavor source; and tipping paper wrapping the first plug and the second plug.

[0119] (Supplementary Note 8) An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the flavor inhalation article according to the seventh aspect, wherein the plug is disposed upstream of the second plug.

[0120] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Filter rod 12...Paper sheet 12a...Creek portion 12b...Trough portion 14...First plug wrap 20...Paper plug 110...Flavor inhalation article 111...Smokable article 112...Cigarette paper 113...Tipping paper 114...Cylindrical member 115...Filter portion 116...Hollow filter portion 117...Lip release agent 200...Flavor inhalation article 201...First end 202...Second end 210...First segment 211...Plug portion 220...Flavor generating segment 221...Flavor source 230...Cooling segment 231...Hollow tube 232...Through hole 240...Second segment 241...First filter 242...Second filter 248...Cigarette paper 250...Second tipping paper 260...Tipping paper 310...Filler material 320...first inner plug wrap 330...filler layer 340...second inner plug wrap 350...outer plug wrap

Claims

A plug obtained by cutting a rod perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, A filler material; an inner plug wrap around which the filler is wound; and the filler is formed from a single or multiple crimped sheets; The change in air resistance after cutting is suppressed to 24% or less. plug. 　 the porosity of the sheet is greater than 15,000 CORESTA units; The packing density of the filler in the plug is 0.123 mg / mm ３ That's all. The plug according to claim 1. 　 the porosity of the sheet before crimping is greater than 7,000 CORESTA units; The plug according to claim 2. 　 when pores inside the plug are measured by applying mercury porosimetry to the plug, the ratio of the cumulative pore volume of pores having a pore diameter D of 0.5 μm or more and less than 70 μm to the cumulative pore volume of pore diameters D of 0.5 μm or more and less than 200 μm is 50% or less. The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (However, when applying the mercury porosimetry, The pressure P acting on the mercury is set to 1.07 psia to 423.15 psia. In the following formula (1), Contact angle of mercury θ = 140° The tension of mercury is set to σ=480 dyn / cm. D = -4σcosθ / P (Formula (1))) Pressure drop per 120 mm of length is 100 to 350 mmH ２ It is O. The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The firmness in the direction perpendicular to the major axis defined by formula (2) is 75% or more. The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 　　　　 Hardness (%) in the direction perpendicular to the major axis = (Dd / Ds) × 100 (Equation (2)) (In formula (2), Ds (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis direction before the load F is applied, Dd (mm) is the diameter of a cross section of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction when a load F is applied, Load F is a compressive load of 3 N applied to the plug in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, with a pressure jig head diameter of 12 mm and a compression time of 10 seconds. 　 The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6 as a first plug; a second plug containing a flavor source; a tipping paper around which the first plug and the second plug are wrapped; Including, Flavor suction article. 　 The plug is disposed upstream of the second plug. The flavor inhalation article according to claim 7.

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