Plug for flavor inhalation article, and flavor inhalation article

Abstract

This plug for a flavor inhalation article comprises a filler. The filler is formed of a sheet-shaped material. When pores inside the plug for a flavor inhalation article are measured by applying a mercury intrusion method to the plug for a flavor inhalation article where the contact angle θ of mercury is 140° and the tension σ of mercury is 0.480 dyn / cm, the pore diameter D of pores into which mercury is intruded at a pressure P is expressed by a value obtained by formula (1) (D = -4σ cosθ / P). During the time in which the pressure P is increased from 1.07 Psia to 423.15 Psia, when a first pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P at which mercury is intruded to a volume equal to 10% of the total volume to which mercury is intruded is D10, a second pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P at which mercury is intruded to a volume equal to 50% of the total volume is D50, a third pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P at which mercury is intruded to a volume equal to 90% of the total volume is D90, and an index S is the value obtained by formula (2) (S = (D10 - D90) / D50), the index S is 2.0 or less.

Description

Plugs for flavor-absorbing articles and flavor-absorbing articles

[0001] This invention relates to a plug for flavor-inhaling articles and a flavor-inhaling article.

[0002] Conventionally, flavor-absorbing articles for generating aerosols with flavor have been known. Such flavor-absorbing articles have segments called plugs for purposes such as adjusting airflow resistance, filtering components generated by heating, or preventing materials inside the flavor-absorbing article from falling out. As plugs for flavor-absorbing articles, instead of acetate filters made by processing synthetic fibers such as cellulose acetate tow into a rod shape, paper filters are used, in which a filler material such as paper (pure pulp) is wrapped around a plug wrapper. Patent Document 1 discloses a paper filter for flavor-absorbing articles.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 230408

[0004] In plugs for flavor inhalation products as described above, it is necessary to ensure rigidity to prevent problems such as buckling during use. Furthermore, from an appearance standpoint, it is desirable to minimize the visibility of pores (small holes) between the filler materials. On the other hand, increasing the amount of filler material to ensure such rigidity or appearance may lead to excessively high airflow resistance or the filtration of flavor components by the filler material.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a plug for a flavor-absorbing article or a flavor-absorbing article that can suppress airflow resistance and suppress the filtration of flavor-containing components.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a plug for flavor inhalation is provided. This plug for flavor inhalation comprises a filler and a plug wrapper around which the filler is wound, wherein the filler is formed from a sheet-like material, and when the mercury intrusion method is applied to the plug for flavor inhalation and the pores inside the plug are measured, the pore diameter D of the pores injected at a pressure P, with the mercury contact angle θ being 140° and the mercury tension σ being 0.480 dyn / cm, is given by the following equation (1): D = -4σcosθ / P ...Equation (1) As the pressure P is increased from 1.07 Psia to 423.15 Psia, the diameter of the first pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 10% of the total volume is D10, the diameter of the second pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 50% of the total volume is D50, and the diameter of the third pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 90% of the total volume is D90, and the index S is the value obtained by the following equation (2): S = (D10 - D90) / D50 ...Equation (2) The index S is 2.0 or less.

[0007] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a plug for flavor-inhaling articles that can suppress airflow resistance and suppress the filtration of flavor-containing components.

[0008] The aforementioned index S may be 1.45 or less.

[0009] In this case, it is possible to provide a plug for flavor-absorbing articles that can further suppress airflow resistance and further suppress the filtration of flavor-containing components.

[0010] The filler may contain cellulose.

[0011] In this case, because it is easily disassembled, it is less likely to cause environmental problems, and it is possible to provide a plug for flavor-inhaling articles that is superior in terms of stable supply or cost reduction.

[0012] The filler may also contain regenerated cellulose.

[0013] In this case, the filler can be processed using chemical treatment to suit its intended application.

[0014] The aforementioned filler may include paper or nonwoven fabric.

[0015] Paper or nonwoven fabrics are readily available and can be supplied stably, and they are easy to process, such as by folding or rolling, which facilitates the filling of the plug wrapper with the filler material.

[0016] The filler material has a crimped structure, and the crimp depth of the crimped structure may be 0.4 mm or more.

[0017] In this case, the size of the pores formed in the flavor-inhaling plug can be suppressed, and a flavor-inhaling plug with a superior appearance can be provided.

[0018] When a jig with a diameter of 1 mm is brought into contact with the plug for the flavor inhalation article, and a load equivalent to 300 g is applied perpendicular to the long axis direction of the plug for the flavor inhalation article, the minimum diameter of the plug after the load has been applied for 10 seconds is taken as the diameter ratio, and this diameter ratio may be 80% or more.

[0019] In this case, it is possible to provide a flavor-inhaling article that has excellent structural stability or is comfortable to hold in the mouth.

[0020] The air permeability of the aforementioned filler may be greater than 10,000 Cholesta units.

[0021] In this case, more filler can be introduced than when using a filler with lower air permeability, and a flavor-absorbing article with superior hardness or appearance can be provided.

[0022] The volume occupied by pores with a pore diameter of 70 μm or less may be 50% or less of the total volume in which mercury is injected.

[0023] In this case, it is possible to suppress the increase in airflow resistance during the manufacturing of plugs for flavor inhalation articles.

[0024] The second pore diameter D50 may be 200 μm or less.

[0025] In this case, it is possible to provide a flavor-inhaling article with an excellent appearance.

[0026] When the air is flowed through the inside of the plug for the fragrance attracting article in the major axis direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / sec, the pressure drop may be 3.5 mmHg ２ O / mm or less.

[0027] In this case, it is possible to provide a plug for a fragrance attracting article suitable for a fragrance attracting article such as a non-combustion heated cigarette or the like, which has a relatively low ventilation resistance.

[0028] When the air is flowed through the inside of the plug for the fragrance attracting article in the major axis direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / sec, the pressure drop may be 0.7 mmHg ２ O / mm or more.

[0029] In this case, it is possible to provide a plug for a fragrance attracting article suitable for a fragrance attracting article such as a combustion cigarette.

[0030] According to another aspect, there is provided a fragrance attracting article including the above-described plug for a fragrance attracting article.

[0031] In this case, it is possible to provide a fragrance attracting article capable of suppressing the ventilation resistance and suppressing the filtration of components having a fragrance.

[0032] The fragrance attracting article may further include an aerosol generating segment including a fragrance source, and the plug for the fragrance attracting article may be disposed at least on the downstream side with respect to the aerosol generating segment.

[0033] In this case, it is possible to provide a fragrance attracting article capable of suppressing the filtration of components having a fragrance from the aerosol generating segment.

[0034] The fragrance attracting article may further include an aerosol generating segment including a fragrance source, and the plug for the fragrance attracting article may be disposed at least on the upstream side with respect to the aerosol generating segment.

[0035] According to the above aspect, when the plug for the fragrance attracting article has a fragrance source, it is possible to suppress the filtration of components having a fragrance, and to provide a fragrance attracting article excellent in ventilation resistance, hardness, appearance, etc.

[0036] This is a schematic perspective view of a plug for a flavor inhalation article according to one embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the plug for a flavor inhalation article taken along the line A-A in Figure 1. This is a graph illustrating the first pore diameter, second pore diameter, and third pore diameter. This is a conceptual diagram illustrating a filler with a large variation in pore diameter. This is a conceptual diagram illustrating a filler with a small variation in pore diameter. This is a perspective view of a crimped filler. This is a graph showing the relationship between the average area of ​​pores and the crimp depth. This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the measurement of the hardness of the plug for a flavor inhalation article. This is a schematic exploded view of a flavor inhalation article according to one embodiment. This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the flavor inhalation article. This is a graph showing the relationship between the pore diameter and the log differential pore volume of each filler obtained in Example 1. This is a bar graph showing the index S of each filler obtained in Example 1. This is a graph showing the relationship between the air permeability resistance of each filler and the logarithmic permeability of nicotine obtained in Example 2-1. This graph shows the K values ​​for index S and nicotine for each filler obtained in Example 2-1. This graph shows the relationship between the air permeability resistance of each filler and the logarithmic permeability of glycerin obtained in Example 2-2. This graph shows the K values ​​for index S and glycerin for each filler obtained in Example 2-2. This graph shows the relationship between the air permeability resistance of each filler and the logarithmic permeability of nicotine obtained in Example 3-1. This graph shows the K values ​​for index S and nicotine for each filler obtained in Example 3-1. This graph shows the relationship between the air permeability resistance of each filler and the logarithmic permeability of tar obtained in Example 3-2. This graph shows the K values ​​for index S and tar for each filler obtained in Example 3-2.

[0037] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the plug 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the plug 10 taken along the line A-A in Figure 1. The plug 10 is a plug for a flavor-inhaling article contained within a flavor-inhaling article.

[0039] The plug 10 has a first end face 101 at one end and a second end face 102 at the other end. The plug 10 is manufactured using a rod longer than the plug 10 as an intermediate body, and is formed by cutting the rod at the positions of the first end face 101 and the second end face 102. Hereinafter, the direction from the first end face 101 toward the second end face 102 will be called the long axis direction. That is, the second end face 102 is located on the opposite side of the long axis direction of the first end face 101. Even if the length of the plug 10 in the long axis direction is shorter than the length in other directions, the direction from the first end face 101 toward the second end face 102 will be called the long axis direction. The central axis extending in the long axis direction of the plug 10 will be called the long axis AX.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, the plug 10 includes a filler material 12 and a plug wrapper 14 around which the filler material 12 is wound. The plug 10 is preferably cylindrical. The filler material 12 is a sheet-like material. The filler material 12 can be formed by cutting a roll of material to a predetermined length and crimping it as appropriate. The sheet-like filler material 12 is folded and housed inside the cylindrically wound plug wrapper 14 to form an intermediate rod. Alternatively, the filler material 12 may be wound and housed inside the plug wrapper 14 instead of being folded.

[0041] The material of the plug wrapper 14 is not particularly limited, and known materials such as paper can be used. An example of a plug wrapper 14 is one in which pulp is the main component. As for the pulp, in addition to being made from wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, it may also be obtained by mixing and manufacturing non-wood pulp commonly used for rolling papers for tobacco products, such as flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto. These pulps may be used individually or in any combination of multiple types in any proportion. It may also contain fillers such as calcium carbonate.

[0042] The form of the plug wrapper 14 is not particularly limited and may include one or more rows of adhesive seams. The adhesive is not particularly limited but may include vinyl acetate adhesives or hot melt adhesives, and the hot melt adhesive may further include polyvinyl alcohol. The plug wrapper 14 may or may not be coated, but from the viewpoint of providing functions such as strength and structural rigidity, it is preferable to coat it with a desired material. The plug wrapper 14 may be porous paper having multiple pores and being breathable.

[0043] In the plug 10 according to this embodiment, when the mercury intrusion method is applied to the plug 10 and the pores inside the filler material 12 are measured, the index S defined below is 2.0 or less.

[0044] In this specification, pore volume is obtained by measuring the distribution of pores having a predetermined range of pore diameters in the plug 10 (pore distribution) using the mercury intrusion method. In this specification, "cumulative pore volume" is the value obtained by dividing the cumulative volume of pores having a predetermined range of pore diameters by the mass of the plug 10. The term "pores" here mainly refers to minute holes in the sheet-like packing material 12 that fills the plug 10, or minute gaps between sheets that may occur depending on the packing state of the packing material 12, and refers to minute holes or gaps that affect the measurement results of the mercury intrusion method within the range of the measurement pressure (mercury pressure) of the mercury intrusion method. On the other hand, when mercury is injected into the sample container, mercury is injected at a pressure lower than the measurement pressure, and at this time, mercury is also injected into relatively large gaps in the plug 10. Such relatively large gaps into which mercury can be injected at a pressure lower than the measurement pressure are not included in "pores".

[0045] The pore volume is measured using the mercury intrusion method. In the mercury intrusion method, the pressure applied to the mercury is changed, 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 follows, based on pressure P, pore diameter D, mercury contact angle θ, and surface tension σ: D = -4σcosθ / P ...Equation (1) If the contact angle and surface tension are constants, the pressure P and the pore diameter D into which mercury can penetrate are inversely proportional. Therefore, the pore distribution can be determined by replacing the horizontal axis P of the P-V curve, obtained by measuring the pressure P and the amount of liquid V that penetrates at that time, with the pore diameter using this equation.

[0046] For measurement, a mercury intrusion pore volume analyzer (for example, MicroActive AutoPore V 9600 from Micromeristics) is used, with a mercury pressure of 1.07 to 423.15 psi, a mercury contact angle θ of 140°, and a surface tension σ of 480 dynes / cm. The pore distribution is calculated from the measurement results using the accompanying software. In this test method, the pore volume is obtained as the volume per unit weight of the plug 10. To further analyze the pore distribution in detail, a graph of the log differential pore volume is obtained by dividing the differential pore volume dV by the logarithmic difference value d (logD) of the pore diameter D, plotting the result on the vertical axis and the pore diameter on the horizontal axis. In addition, the cumulative pore volume can be calculated by integrating the pore volumes at each pore.

[0047] Figure 3 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between pore diameter D and cumulative pore volume. The horizontal axis represents the pore diameter D calculated from the mercury intrusion pressure P using the above formula (1). The vertical axis represents the cumulative pore volume, expressed as a percentage with the total volume, which is the value when the pressure P is at its maximum, set to 100%. In the mercury intrusion method, mercury is injected through pores with larger pore diameters D. Therefore, during measurement, as the pressure P increases, the corresponding measurement point moves from the intercept on the horizontal axis to the intercept on the vertical axis, from right to left on the graph.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, while increasing the pressure P from 1.07 Psia to 423.15 Psia, let D10 be the diameter of the first pore corresponding to the pressure P when mercury has been injected to 10% of the total volume, D50 be the diameter of the second pore corresponding to the pressure P when mercury has been injected to 50% of the total volume, and D90 be the diameter of the third pore corresponding to the pressure P when mercury has been injected to 90% of the total volume. The values ​​of D10, D50, and D90 increase in that order. Here, the index S is the value obtained by the following equation (2): S = (D10 - D90) / D50 ...Equation (2)

[0049] The index S is a value that indicates the variation in the distribution of pore diameters D inside the packing material 12, as it includes the difference between D10 and D90 in the numerator of formula (2) and is a ratio with D50. The inventors have found that the variation in the distribution of pore diameters D affects the permeability of components contained in aerosols or vapors (hereinafter referred to as aerosols, etc.) when they pass through the packing material 12.

[0050] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a packing material 12 with a large variation in the distribution of pore diameter D. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a packing material 12 with a small variation in the distribution of pore diameter D. The left side of Figures 4 and 5 schematically shows the flow path 120 for aerosols, etc., in the packing material 12 in each case, and the right side of Figures 4 and 5 shows a graph representing an example of the relationship between pore diameter D (horizontal axis) and differential pore volume dV (vertical axis) in each case.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, when the variation in pore diameter D is large, that is, when the index S is large, the inner diameter of the channel 120 changes. In the parts where the inner diameter of the channel 120 is large, the flow velocity of aerosols etc. slows down, and components contained in aerosols etc. accumulate. It is presumed that this accumulation makes it easier for components contained in aerosols etc. to be filtered by being adsorbed onto the inner wall surface of the channel 120.

[0052] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, if the variation in pore diameter D is small, that is, if the index S is small, the inner diameter of the flow path 120 does not change much, and the flow velocity of aerosols, etc., passing through the flow path 120 also does not change much. In this case, it is presumed that the components contained in the aerosols, etc., do not remain, and are less likely to be filtered compared to the case in Figure 4.

[0053] In this embodiment, the index S of the filler 12 is preferably 2.0 or less, more preferably 1.45 or less, even more preferably 1.4 or less, and even more preferably 0.7 or less. The smaller the index S, the easier it is for components contained in aerosols, etc., to permeate, and in particular, the higher the permeability of components relative to the air permeability resistance. Furthermore, especially with paper, the smaller the index S, the higher the degree of air permeability tends to be.

[0054] In flavor inhalation articles, it is necessary to ensure hardness to prevent problems such as buckling during use and to facilitate the manufacture of flavor inhalation articles. In the manufacture of flavor inhalation articles, if there is a large difference in hardness between segments, it becomes difficult to connect the segments. Also, from the viewpoint of appearance, it is desirable to make the porosity between the filler material 12 not noticeable. On the other hand, if the amount of filler material 12 is increased to ensure such hardness or appearance, the airflow resistance may become too high, or the flavor components may be filtered out by the filler material 12. In this embodiment, by including a plug 10 having filler material 12 with an index S of 2.0 or less, it is possible to suppress airflow resistance and prevent the filtering of flavor components while making it easier to provide a flavor inhalation article with sufficient hardness or appearance. In particular, this effect is significant in non-combustion heated tobacco products, which generate fewer components by heating than combustion tobacco products, but it is also useful in combustion tobacco products.

[0055] If the value of index S is too small, it becomes difficult to ensure sufficient air permeability resistance or hardness in the flavor-inhaling article; therefore, index S can be set to 0.3 or higher.

[0056] When the plug 10 is measured by the mercury intrusion method described above, it is preferable that the volume occupied by pores with a pore diameter D of 70 μm or less is 50% or less of the total volume in which mercury is injected. In a structure where the volume occupied by small pores is large, when a rod with a predetermined airflow resistance is cut perpendicular to the long axis, the effect of damage to the pores due to cutting is greater compared to a structure where the volume occupied by large pores (pore diameter D greater than 70 μm) is large. Therefore, the airflow resistance of the plug 10 obtained after cutting tends to increase from the airflow resistance of the rod before cutting. By having the volume occupied by pores with a pore diameter D of 70 μm or less be 50% or less of the total volume in which mercury is injected, it is possible to suppress the increase in airflow resistance before and after cutting the rod.

[0057] From the viewpoint of providing a flavor-absorbing article with excellent appearance, the second pore diameter D50 is preferably 200 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less.

[0058] The filler 12 preferably contains cellulose. The filler 12 may contain natural cellulose, or it may contain regenerated cellulose formed into fibers or the like after dissolving cellulose in a solvent. Fillers containing cellulose are easily decomposed, making them less likely to cause environmental problems, and they also have advantages in terms of stable supply and cost reduction. Regenerated cellulose can be processed to suit the application through chemical treatment. In particular, regenerated cellulose such as rayon can have its fiber diameter or shape adjusted, so that the pore diameter is distributed over a narrower range than natural cellulose, and as a result the index S can be lowered to a value equivalent to that of acetate fibers.

[0059] From the viewpoint of high permeability of flavoring components to airflow resistance, at least one of rayon and lyocell is preferred as the regenerated cellulose contained in the filler 12. Since rayon or lyocell is soft, attempting to ensure hardness tends to increase airflow resistance. If the filler 12 contains rayon or lyocell, or is formed from rayon or lyocell, the plug 10 is either a plug for combustion cigarettes, or the pressure drop when air is flowed through the inside of the plug 10 in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second is 0.7 mmH ２It is preferable that the ratio is 0 / mm or higher.

[0060] The air permeability of the filler 12 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of obtaining the desired air permeability resistance while obtaining the desired appearance, it is more preferably 10,000 cholesta units or more, particularly preferably 12,000 cholesta units or more, preferably 35,000 cholesta units or less, more preferably 30,000 cholesta units or less, and even more preferably 25,000 cholesta units or less. The above air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is measured over an area of ​​1 cm² per minute when the differential pressure between both sides of the paper is 1 kPa. ２ Flow rate of gas passing through (cm ３ It is expressed as follows: 1 cholesterol unit (1 cholesterol unit, C.U.) is 1 cm at 1 kPa. ３ / (min・cm) ２ )

[0061] The filler 12 preferably contains paper or nonwoven fabric. The filler 12 preferably has a sheet shape and contains paper or a sheet-shaped nonwoven fabric. Paper or nonwoven fabric is readily available and can be supplied stably, and is easy to process such as folding or rolling, making it easy to fill the plug wrapper 14 with the filler 12. The filler 12 is preferably paper containing natural fibers such as pulp, and the plug 10 is preferably a paper filter containing said paper. This makes the filler 12 easily decompose in the natural environment, reducing the burden on the environment.

[0062] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the crimp structure. As shown in Figure 6, the filler 12 may have a crimp structure. If the filler 12 is made from paper, it is preferable that it has a crimp structure. As shown in Figure 6, when a sheet of filler 12 is crimped, peaks 12a and valleys 12b are formed. The difference h between the maximum height of the peaks 12a and the maximum depth of the valleys 12b of the filler 12 is called the crimp depth of the filler 12. The crimp depth is determined, for example, according to the setting of the meshing depth (amount of meshing) of a pair of rollers used to crimp the filler 12 (or its raw material).

[0063] Figure 7 shows the results of examining the relationship between the average area (mm ２ ) of the fluff and the crimp depth (mm) for normal paper (black circles) and high air permeability paper (black squares) as the filler 12. Here, from an aesthetic point of view, the average area (mm ２ ) of the fluff formed on the first end face 101 or the second end face 102 of the plug 10 is preferably 0.15 mm ２ or less. As shown in Figure 7, when filling with high air permeability paper and normal paper provided with a crimp depth of 0.4 mm or more, it was found that the average area of the fluff formed on the end face of the plug 10 is ensured to be 0.15 mm ２ or less. Furthermore, generally, when applying a deep crimp, the variation in air permeability resistance is suppressed, so it can be said that it is more preferable to apply a crimp depth of 0.5 mm or more.

[0064] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a method of measuring a hardness index which is an index indicating the hardness of the plug 10. In the present embodiment, the following diameter ratio is used as the hardness index. In this measurement, for the plug 10, a jig J1 with a diameter DM3 of 1 mm is abutted to apply a load corresponding to a weight of 300 g perpendicular to the long axis direction. The pressurization time is 10 seconds. In Figure 8, for the plug 10 arranged on a horizontal plane, the point of applying a downward force perpendicular to the long axis AX as the load is schematically shown by an arrow A10. This measurement is performed by a Sodim-H hardness module of Korber Technologies GmbH or the like. The arithmetic mean diameter of the entire circumference with the long axis AX as the axis in the plug 10 before applying the load is defined as the average diameter DM1. The minimum diameter after applying the load is defined as the minimum diameter DM2. The diameter ratio is the ratio of the minimum diameter DM2 to the average diameter DM1. The higher the diameter ratio, the smaller the deformation with respect to the load, which means that the plug 10 is harder. From the viewpoints of structural stability and holding comfort, the diameter ratio of the plug 10 is preferably 80% or more, more preferably 83% or more, and even more preferably 85% or more. Also, it may be 95% or less, or may be 90% or less.

[0065] The plug 10 is preferably a plug for non-combustion heated tobacco products, which constitutes a part of the non-combustion heated tobacco product. Non-combustion heated tobacco products generate fewer components due to heating than combustion products, but if a plug 10 with sufficient hardness or appearance is used, the risk of flavor components being filtered out by the filler material 12 can be suppressed. In addition, if the filler material 12 contains paper, the risk of the filler material 12 deforming due to melting due to heat in non-combustion tobacco products can be reduced. For example, in general, the temperature of the mainstream smoke inhaled by the user tends to be high in non-combustion tobacco products, and this point needs to be taken into consideration in the design. This is because the mainstream smoke of non-combustion tobacco products has a relatively high moisture content, and from a structural standpoint, cooling efficiency tends to be low in non-combustion tobacco products, such as the placement of hollow segments instead of solid ones for cooling. Therefore, if the filler material 12 contains paper, the risk of deformation of the filler material 12 is reduced, and the degree of design freedom can be increased. When air is flowed through the inside of plug 10 in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second, the pressure drop is 3.5 mmH. ２ It is preferable that the pressure drop be 0 / mm or less. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of facilitating adjustment of airflow resistance or hardness, the pressure drop should be 0.7 mm / mmH. ２ It is preferable that the value is 0 or higher. Such a plug 10 is suitable for flavor inhalation articles where a plug with relatively low airflow resistance is desirable, such as non-combustion heated tobacco or certain combustion tobacco products where the amount of tar inhaled is set to a moderate to high level.

[0066] The plug 10 may be a plug for a combustible tobacco product that forms part of a combustible tobacco product. In this case, the permeability of the plug 10 can be used to appropriately adjust the airflow resistance, hardness, or appearance. When air is flowed through the inside of the plug 10 in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second, the pressure drop is 0.7 mmH ２ It is preferable that the ratio is 0 / mm or higher. Such a plug 10 is suitable for flavor inhalation articles such as combustible tobacco.

[0067] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic exploded view and side cross-sectional view, respectively, of an example of a flavor inhalation article 100 to which the plug 10 according to this embodiment can be applied. The flavor inhalation article 100 comprises an upstream segment 285 including at least an aerosol generating segment 220, which will be described later, and a downstream segment 130 including at least a mouthpiece segment 265, which will be described later. The upstream segment 285 comprises an aerosol generating segment 220 that generates an aerosol by heating, and a tip segment 112 located upstream of the aerosol generating segment 220. The downstream segment 130 comprises an intermediate segment 132 and a mouthpiece segment 265. Furthermore, the mouthpiece segment 265 comprises a hollow segment 240 and a filter segment 250. In a more specific example, the flavor inhalation article 100 comprises, in order from the tip side (i.e., the side opposite the mouthpiece), a tip segment 112, an aerosol generating segment 220, an intermediate segment 132, a hollow segment 240, and a filter segment 250. These five segments are covered by wrappers, and in particular, the segments are connected to each other by tip paper, at least a portion of which is located in the outermost layer. In addition, each segment except for the intermediate segment 132 has at least a portion of its surface covered by a segment wrapper. Specifically, the mouthpiece segment 265 may be covered by a first segment wrapper 260 that covers multiple segments such as the filter segment 250 and the hollow segment 240, and the filter segment 250 may be covered by a second segment wrapper 252. The aerosol generating segment 220 may be covered by a third segment wrapper 222, and the tip segment 112 may be covered by a fourth segment wrapper 212. Details of these segment wrappers will be described later. The segment wrapper covering the aerosol generating segment 220 may be called the wrapping paper, the segment wrapper covering the mouthpiece segment 265 may be called the mouthpiece wrapper, and the segment wrapper covering the tip segment 112 may be called the tip segment wrapper.

[0068] The airflow resistance in the longitudinal direction of each flavor inhalation article 100, in other words, the airflow resistance along the entire length, is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ease of inhalation, 40 mmH ２ O or more 400mmH ２ It is preferable that the value is 0 or less. The airflow resistance is measured according to the ISO standard method (ISO 6565:2015), for example, using a filter airflow resistance meter manufactured by Cerulean Corporation.

[0069] The length of the flavor-absorbing article in the longitudinal direction (total length) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 mm or more and 100 mm or less. The diameter of the flavor-absorbing article 100 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0070] Next, the connection configuration of each element constituting the flavor inhalation article 100 will be described. As shown in Figure 9, in the flavor inhalation article 100, the five segments are connected using a first tip paper 270 and a second tip paper 280. Specifically, the second tip paper 280 connects the front segment 112, the aerosol generating segment 220, and the intermediate segment 132, forming a connected body. Here, the second tip paper 280 is wound so as to cover the upstream segment 285 and a part of the intermediate segment 132 in the downstream segment 130. In other words, the second tip paper 280 does not cover the intermediate segment 132 all the way to its downstream end, leaving the intermediate segment 132 exposed at its downstream end. Furthermore, the first tip paper 270 connects the connected body and the mouthpiece segment 265. Here, the first tip paper 270 covers the entire mouthpiece segment 265 and a part of the connected body, leaving the connected body exposed at its upstream end. In this case, it is preferable that the ventilation V1 is provided so as to penetrate the first chip paper 270 and the intermediate segment 132 or hollow segment 240.

[0071] The above configuration is merely an example, and the second chip paper 280 may extend to cover the downstream end of the intermediate segment 132. Alternatively, the second chip paper 280 may connect only the segments included in the upstream segment 285 to form a connected body, and the first chip paper 270 may connect this connected body to the remaining segments. Furthermore, the flavor inhalation article 100 may not have the second chip paper 280, and all segments may be connected using only the first chip paper 270.

[0072] If the flavor inhalation article 100 is a non-combustion heated tobacco stick, the flavor inhalation article 100 can be electrically heated by a heating device such as a flavor inhaler. The heating temperature is not particularly limited, but is preferably 200°C or higher, and preferably 250°C or higher. It is also preferably 400°C or lower, and preferably 350°C or lower. The heating temperature is the temperature of the heat source that heats the aerosol generating segment 220 when the flavor inhalation article 100 is inserted into the heating device and used, or the temperature of the aerosol generating segment 220. The heat source may be a heater connected to the heating device or the temperature of a susceptor heated by induction heating.

[0073] The flavor inhalation article 100 may contain any flavor composition. The flavor composition may contain one or more flavors. Alternatively, the flavor composition may contain one or more flavors and an aerosol base. The aerosol base may be one of the above / below-mentioned items, or it may be ethanol, water, etc. The flavor composition may also contain emulsifiers, stabilizers, antioxidants, pH adjusters, etc. The type of flavor applied to the flavor inhalation article 100 is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferred.

[0074] The fragrance composition may be included in any segment and / or filler within the flavor inhalation article 100. For example, it may be included in the aerosol generating segment 220. If the aerosol generating segment 220 contains the fragrance composition, it may also be added in any proportion and amount to a filler material such as the chopped or homogenized sheet described later, or a mixture thereof in any ratio. By adding these fragrance compositions to the aerosol generating segment 220, the flavor of the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating segment 220 can be adjusted, improving the user experience. The fragrance composition may also be added to any desired segment other than the aerosol generating segment 220. For example, the fragrance composition may be added to the tip segment 112, the intermediate segment 132, or the mouthpiece segment 265. In particular, when the fragrance composition is placed in the mouthpiece segment 265, the fragrance composition may be included in the filter material, or in a destructible capsule, etc.

[0075] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upstream segment 285 of the flavor-inhaling article 100 may have a tip segment 112 positioned upstream of the aerosol-generating segment 220. The tip segment 112 is also called a tip plug. This prevents the aerosol-generating segment 220 from falling off the flavor-inhaling article 100 because the end of the aerosol-generating segment 220 is covered by the tip segment 112. It also prevents aerosols generated in the aerosol-generating segment 220 from leaking upstream of the aerosol-generating segment 220. The tip segment 112 is located at the tip of the flavor-inhaling article 100 and is configured to cover the end of the aerosol-generating segment 220. Specifically, the tip segment 112 comprises a tip segment filler 211 and a fourth segment wrapper 212 (tip segment wrapper) that wraps the tip segment filler 211.

[0076] If the plug 10 described above is not used as the tip segment 112, the tip segment packing 211 can be any material that is generally usable as a filter material for flavor inhalation articles. Specifically, for example, the tip segment packing 211 may be paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, or nonwoven fabric. The tip segment packing 211 is preferably paper. The length of the tip segment 112 in the longitudinal direction may be 1 mm or more, or 10 mm or less.

[0077] The material of the fourth segment wrapper 212 is not particularly limited, and known materials can be used. The fourth segment wrapper 212 may contain fillers such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the fourth segment wrapper 212 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm or more and 140 μm or less. The basis weight of the fourth segment wrapper 212 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less.

[0078] The aerosol-generating segment 220 is positioned adjacent to the downstream of the tip segment 112. The aerosol-generating segment 220 comprises a flavor source 221 and a third segment wrapper 222 around which the flavor source 221 is wrapped. The flavor source 221 may contain a filler. The filler is not particularly limited, and the first aerosol-generating segment filler or the second aerosol-generating segment filler described later can be used.

[0079] The length of the aerosol generation segment 220 in the longitudinal direction can be appropriately changed according to the size of the product, but it is generally preferably 10 mm or more, and generally preferably 70 mm or less.

[0080] The content of the flavor source 221 in the aerosol-generating segment 220 is not particularly limited, but is preferably between 150 mg and 800 mg.

[0081] First, let's explain the first aerosol-generating segment filler (also simply referred to as the "first tobacco filler"). The tobacco material included in the first aerosol-generating segment filler is not particularly limited, and known materials such as laminae or backbone can be used. Alternatively, it may be made by grinding dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to obtain tobacco powder, homogenizing this powder, and then processing it into a sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet), which is then cut. Furthermore, a so-called strand type may be used, in which a homogenized sheet having a length approximately the same as the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating segment 220 is cut approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating segment 220 and then filled into the aerosol-generating segment 220.

[0082] There are several conventional methods for manufacturing the aforementioned homogenized sheet, that is, for crushing tobacco leaves and processing them into a homogenized sheet. The first is a method of producing a paper-made sheet using a papermaking process. The second is a method of producing a cast sheet by mixing a suitable solvent such as water with crushed tobacco leaves to homogenize them, then thinly casting the homogenized material onto a metal plate or metal plate belt and drying it. The third is a method of producing a rolled sheet by extruding a mixture of crushed tobacco leaves and homogenized material into a sheet. The fourth is a method of producing an extract sheet by obtaining a tobacco extract from crushed tobacco leaves and then molding the obtained tobacco extract into a sheet.

[0083] In addition, the homogenization sheet may be a nonwoven tobacco sheet manufactured by the method described in International Publication No. 2014 / 104078.

[0084] The first aerosol-generating segment filler may contain a sheet of shredded and / or homogenized tobacco, an aerosol base material, and a flavor composition. The content of tobacco leaves (shredded and / or crushed tobacco) in the first aerosol-generating segment filler may be 50% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less based on the total weight of the first aerosol-generating segment filler.

[0085] The type of aerosol base material is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their constituent components can be selected depending on the application. Examples of aerosol base materials include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol base material in the first aerosol-generating segment packing is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosols, it is usually 5% by weight or more and usually 50% by weight or less of the total amount of the first aerosol-generating segment packing.

[0086] The amount of the fragrance composition is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it should be 0.1% or more of the total weight of the first aerosol-generating segment filler, and may also be 20.0% or less.

[0087] The homogenization sheet may contain tobacco powder (tobacco leaves) and an aerosol base material. The homogenization sheet may also contain any other components, such as a binder, fibers, pH adjusters, medium-chain fatty acids, and flavor compositions. The tobacco powder (tobacco leaves) content in the homogenization sheet is preferably 50% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less of the total weight of the homogenization sheet.

[0088] The type of aerosol base material included in the homogenization sheet is not particularly limited, and the same type as the aerosol base material described above can be used. The aerosol base material content of the homogenization sheet is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosols and imparting good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more and usually 50% by weight or less of the total amount of the homogenization sheet.

[0089] The fibers contained in the homogenization sheet may be derived from plants, for example. The amount of fibers is preferably 0 to 80% by weight of the total weight of the homogenization sheet.

[0090] Examples of binders included in the homogenization sheet include guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), and CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose). The amount of binder is preferably 1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less of the total weight of the homogenization sheet.

[0091] The moisture content of the first aerosol-generating segment filler is preferably 10% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less of the total amount of the first filler.

[0092] There are no particular restrictions on the size of the tobacco particles included in the first aerosol-generating segment packing or the method of preparation thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves may be used, cut to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. Alternatively, when using a homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of approximately 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into a sheet, and then cut to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

[0093] The packing density in the first aerosol-generating segment filler is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is usually 250 mg / cm³. ３ That is all, and the usual dose is 500 mg / cm³. ３ The following applies:

[0094] Here, as an example, the first aerosol-generating segment filler is described as the first tobacco filler, but it is not limited to this. For example, the first aerosol-generating segment filler may be the first non-tobacco plant filler, which may include non-tobacco plants. The non-tobacco plants are not particularly limited, but for example, plants used as herbs or spices can be used. Specific examples of plants used as herbs or spices include dill seeds, rosemary, star anise, cloves, oregano, ginger, and chamomile. Furthermore, the matters described above regarding the first aerosol-generating segment filler (first tobacco filler) can also be applied to the first non-tobacco plant filler by substituting non-tobacco plant powder for tobacco powder (tobacco leaves).

[0095] The second aerosol-generating segment filler consists of a sheet-like aerosol-generating segment filler. The sheet-like aerosol-generating segment filler may be, for example, a homogenized tobacco sheet, or paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, or nonwoven fabric. In particular, when using paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, or nonwoven fabric, they may further contain any materials such as an aerosol base material or fragrance.

[0096] An example is given where the second aerosol-generating segment filler is composed of a homogenizing sheet. In this case, the homogenizing sheet may be the same as the one exemplified in the first aerosol-generating segment filler. The homogenizing sheet may contain tobacco plants or non-tobacco plants. The number of homogenizing sheets filled in the second aerosol-generating segment filler may be one or two or more. The type of homogenizing sheet may be one or two or more with different compositions or manufacturing methods. The filler may be the same as the one exemplified in the first aerosol-generating segment filler. In this embodiment, if multiple homogenizing sheets are used, all of the homogenizing sheets may have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the homogenizing sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. The second aerosol-generating segment filler may be arranged in any form, such as a crimped form or multiple homogenizing sheets arranged concentrically.

[0097] The packing density of the second aerosol-generating segment packing is not particularly limited, but is typically 250 mg / cm³. ３ The above is the standard, and the usual dose is 750 mg / cm³. ３ The following applies:

[0098] In addition to the filler, the aerosol-generating segment 220 may also contain a fragrance-containing material in which a fragrance is encapsulated in a polysaccharide gel. The fragrance composition contained in the fragrance-containing material can be the fragrances mentioned above. By incorporating the fragrance-containing material into the aerosol-generating segment 220, variations in the amount of fragrance delivered from puff to puff are suppressed from the early to late stages of smoking, and a good flavor can be continuously obtained.

[0099] The amount of fragrance composition in a fragrance-containing material is typically 18% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, for example (depending on the type of fragrance, the type of polysaccharide, etc.).

[0100] The gel may be made using thickening polysaccharides, cellulose derivatives, gums, etc.

[0101] The amount of fragrance-containing material in the aerosol-generating segment 220 may be, for example, 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less relative to the filler (depending on the fragrance content in the fragrance-containing material).

[0102] The fragrance-containing material may be placed, for example, on the inside and / or outside of the third segment wrapper 222 around which the flavor source 221 is wound, or the third segment wrapper 222 may be impregnated or coated with the fragrance-containing material before drying, or the fragrance-containing material before drying or after drying may be blended into the filler. When the fragrance-containing material is placed on the inside and / or outside of the third segment wrapper 222 around which the flavor source 221 is wound, an emulsion slurry can be applied to the third segment wrapper 222, or the emulsion slurry can be sequentially cast onto a substrate and dried to process it into a fragrance-containing sheet, around which the flavor source 221 can be wound. The third segment wrapper 222 impregnated with the fragrance-containing material can be made by impregnating the third segment wrapper 222 with the emulsion slurry and drying it. Furthermore, when incorporating fragrance-containing materials into the filling, the slurry can be prepared by applying or impregnating it onto a homogenizing sheet or shredded tobacco and then drying it. Alternatively, the fragrance-containing composition, once dried, may be shredded or pulverized and mixed with other filling materials.

[0103] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the flavor inhalation article 100 preferably has a downstream segment 130 located downstream of the aerosol generation segment 220. In this case, the downstream segment 130 can transport the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation segment 220 to the user's oral cavity. The downstream segment 130 includes at least a mouthpiece segment 265. The downstream segment 130 may also include an intermediate segment 132 upstream of the mouthpiece segment 265.

[0104] The mouthpiece segment 265 is a segment that includes the mouthpiece end of the flavor inhalation article 100 and is located at the mouthpiece end 1002 of the flavor inhalation article 100. The mouthpiece segment 265 comprises at least one of the hollow segment 240 and filter segment 250, which will be described later. The mouthpiece segment 265 may comprise both the hollow segment 240 and the filter segment 250, and the hollow segment 240 or the filter segment 250 may be a single segment or multiple segments. For example, the mouthpiece segment 265 may comprise a hollow segment 240 and at least one filter segment 250 from the upstream side. Alternatively, the mouthpiece segment 265 may comprise a first hollow segment, at least one filter segment 250 and a second hollow segment from the upstream side.

[0105] In one embodiment, the filter segment 250 is located at the mouthpiece end 1002 of the flavor inhalation article 100. The filter segment 250 comprises a filter segment filler 251 and a second segment wrapper 252 for winding the filter segment filler 251. If the plug 10 described above is not used as the filter segment 250, the filter material used in the filter segment filler 251 is not particularly limited as long as it has the function of a general filter. General functions of a filter include, for example, adjusting the amount of air mixed when inhaling aerosols, reducing flavor, and reducing nicotine and tar, but the filter material used in the filter segment filler 251 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 filling rate of tobacco filler compared to conventional cigarette products, preventing the tobacco filler from falling out while suppressing the filtration function is also an important function.

[0106] The length of the filter segment in the longitudinal direction of the flavor inhalation article 100 can be appropriately changed according to the size of the product, but is usually between 5 mm and 30 mm.

[0107] If the plug 10 described above is not used as the filter segment 250, the form of the filter segment packing 251 constituting the filter segment 250 is not particularly limited, and known forms may be adopted. For example, a cylindrical form of cellulose acetate tow can be used as the filter segment packing 251. The single filament fineness and total fineness of the cellulose acetate tow are not particularly limited, but in the case of a filter plug with a circumference of 22 mm, the single filament fineness is preferably 3 g / 9000 m or more and 20 g / 9000 m or less, and the total fineness is preferably 10000 g / 9000 m or more and 35000 g / 9000 m or less. Alternatively, a paper filter filled with sheet-shaped pulp paper may be used instead of the acetate filter.

[0108] The filter segment 250 may be provided with a second segment wrapper (mouthpiece wrapper) 252 for winding the filter segment filler 251, from the viewpoint of improving strength and structural rigidity. The form of the second segment wrapper 252 is not particularly limited and may include one or more seams containing adhesive. The adhesive is not particularly limited but may include vinyl acetate adhesive or hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive may further contain polyvinyl alcohol.

[0109] The material of the second segment wrapper 252 is not particularly limited and any known material can be used, including paper, and may contain fillers such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the second segment wrapper 252 is not particularly limited and is usually between 20 μm and 140 μm. The basis weight of the second segment wrapper 252 is not particularly limited and is usually between 20 gsm and 100 gsm. The air permeability of the second segment wrapper 252 is not particularly limited and is usually between 0 cholesta units and 30,000 cholesta units. The second segment wrapper 252 may or may not be coated. The second segment wrapper 252 may be water-resistant paper, oil-resistant paper, non-permeable paper, or highly permeable paper.

[0110] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the hollow segment 240 and the filter segment 250 may be connected by, for example, a first segment wrapper (mouthpiece wrapper) 260. The first segment wrapper 260 may be, for example, cylindrical paper. The thickness of the first segment wrapper 260 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm to 140 μm. The basis weight of the first segment wrapper 260 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 gsm to 100 gsm. The air permeability of the first segment wrapper 260 is not particularly limited, and is usually 0 cholesta units or more and 30,000 cholesta units or less. The first segment wrapper 260 may be water-resistant paper, oil-resistant paper, non-permeable paper, or highly permeable paper. The first segment wrapper 260 may use the same paper as the second segment wrapper 252, or it may use a different paper. The form of the first segment wrapper 260 is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of adhesive seams.

[0111] The filter segment packing 251 may contain an additive release container with a crushable outer shell. For example, the additive release container may be a capsule.

[0112] The form of the capsule is not particularly limited; for example, it may be an easily breakable capsule, and its shape is preferably spherical. The diameter of the capsule can be set as appropriate, but is between 2 mm and 5 mm. The additive contained in the capsule may be any additive, and may be a fragrance composition or an adsorbent.

[0113] In this embodiment, a fragrance composition may be added to the filter segment packing 251, and the amount of fragrance added to the filter segment packing 251 may be 0.0001 to 30 wt% relative to the weight of the filter segment packing 251.

[0114] The hollow segment 240 may comprise a hollow segment filler 241 having one or more hollow sections. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving strength and structural rigidity, it may also comprise a segment wrapper (not shown) for winding the hollow segment filler 241. The hollow segment filler 241 can be, for example, a rod with an inner diameter of φ1.0 mm to φ5.0 mm, which is densely filled with cellulose acetate fibers and hardened with a plasticizer containing triacetin added at a rate of 6% to 20% by mass relative to the mass of cellulose acetate. The hollow segment 240 may also be a paper tube without the hollow segment filler 241. The hollow segment 240 may be formed by either a hollow segment filler 241 having one or more hollow sections, or a paper tube without the hollow segment filler 241, or by selectively combining a plurality of these. If the hollow segment 240 consists of two or more segments, the two or more segments may be wound together with a segment wrapper (not shown).

[0115] The intermediate segment 132 is sandwiched adjacent to the aerosol generation segment 220 and the hollow segment 240 or filter segment 250 (if there is no hollow segment), and is a rod-shaped member that is usually provided with a cavity in which the circumferential cross-section, such as a cylinder, is hollow (empty). The length of the intermediate segment 132 in the longitudinal direction can be appropriately changed according to the size of the product, but is usually 15 mm or more and usually 40 mm or less.

[0116] When a cooling sheet (for example, a polylactic acid sheet filled in a gathered shape) is filled into the intermediate segment 132, the total surface area of ​​the intermediate segment 132 is not particularly limited, for example, 300 mm². ２ / mm or more 1000mm ２ It may be less than or equal to / mm. This surface area is the surface area per unit length (mm) in the ventilation direction of the intermediate segment 132. Alternatively, the intermediate segment 132 may be a cylindrical paper tube without hollow segment filler inside.

[0117] The intermediate segment 132 is preferably provided with an internal structure having a large total surface area. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the intermediate segment 132 may be formed from a sheet of thin material that is wrinkled to form a channel, and then pleated, gathered, and folded.

[0118] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the intermediate segment 132 may be provided with ventilation V1 in its circumferential and concentric direction.

[0119] Furthermore, if the concentrically arranged ventilation V1 is considered as a single group of openings, there may be one such group, or there may be two or more.

[0120] Ventilation V1 can be configured such that the air inflow rate from ventilation V1 (the volume percentage of air inflowing from ventilation V1, when the air drawn in from the mouthpiece is 17.5 ml / sec) is 10 to 90 volume percent when an automatic smoking machine draws air at that rate. The above air inflow rate can be measured using a coil measuring instrument (for example, SODIMAX d74 / SODIM manufactured by S.A.S.) in accordance with ISO 9512.

[0121] The flavor-inhaling article 100 may include a third segment wrapper (first wrapping paper) 222 as a segment wrapper for winding the aerosol-generating segment 220. Also, if the aerosol-generating segment 220 consists of two or more segments, the third segment wrappers 222 may be the same or different.

[0122] The composition of the third segment wrapper 222 used in the flavor-absorbing article 100 is not particularly limited and can be in a general form. Specifically, for example, the third segment wrapper 222 may be mainly composed of pulp.

[0123] The basis weight of the base paper for the third segment wrapper 222 is, for example, usually 30 gsm or more and usually 70 gsm or less. The thickness of the third segment wrapper 222 having the above characteristics is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking, it is preferably 40 μm or more and usually 100 μm or less.

[0124] In addition to the pulp described above, the third segment wrapper 222 may contain a filler. The filler content can be 10% or more and less than 60% by weight of the total weight of the third segment wrapper 222. Calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc., can be used as the filler, but calcium carbonate is preferred from the viewpoint of enhancing flavor and whiteness.

[0125] Various additives other than the base paper and filler may be added to the third segment wrapper 222. For example, a water resistance enhancer may be added to the third segment wrapper 222 to improve water resistance. The water resistance enhancer may include a wet strength enhancer (WS agent) and a sizing agent.

[0126] A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the third segment wrapper 222, which is its 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 the permeability of liquids is preferred.

[0127] The flavor inhalation article 100 may include chip paper as a wrapper connecting multiple segments, with at least a portion of it located in the outermost layer. The first chip paper 270 is a wrapper that covers at least a portion of the downstream segment 130 and connects multiple segments, and basically extends from the mouthpiece end 1002 of the flavor inhalation article 100.

[0128] The composition of the first chip paper 270 is not particularly limited and can take a general form. Specifically, for example, the first chip paper 270 can have pulp as its main component.

[0129] The basis weight of the first chip paper 270 is not particularly limited, but is usually between 20 gsm and 70 gsm. The thickness of the first chip paper 270 is not particularly limited, but is usually between 30 mm and 80 mm. The air permeability of the first chip paper 270 is not particularly limited, but is usually between 0 cholesta units and 30,000 cholesta units.

[0130] The first chip paper 270 may contain a filler. The first chip paper 270 is preferably made of calcium carbonate, in particular from the viewpoint of improving whiteness and opacity and increasing the heating rate.

[0131] The first chip paper 270 may have various additives added to it. For example, the first chip paper 270 may contain a water resistance enhancer. The water resistance enhancer may include a wet strength enhancer (WS agent) and a sizing agent.

[0132] A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the first chip paper 270. 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.

[0133] A portion of the outer surface of the first chip paper 270 may be covered with lip-release material.

[0134] The flavor-absorbing article 100 may include a second chip paper 280 as a wrapper that covers at least a portion of the upstream segment 285 and connects multiple segments. The second chip paper 280 basically extends from the upstream end 1001 of the article. All segments may be connected using only the first chip paper 270, in which case the second chip paper 280 may be omitted. If the second chip paper 280 is included, the second chip paper 280 may have the same configuration as the first chip paper 270 or it may be different.

[0135] The flavor-inhaling article 100 may not have a tip segment 112, and the aerosol-generating segment 220 may extend to the upstream end 1001. In this case, the aerosol-generating segment 220 may have a first aerosol-generating segment and a second aerosol-generating segment, each wound around a separate segment wrapper.

[0136] The plug 10 described above is used as the segment positioned upstream or downstream of the aerosol generation segment 220. This makes it possible to provide a flavor-absorbing article 100 in which even if the amount of filler is increased to ensure hardness or appearance, airflow resistance is suppressed and the risk of flavor components being filtered out by the filler 12 is reduced. When the plug 10 is located downstream of the aerosol generation segment 220, a flavor-absorbing article 100 can be provided in which the filtration of flavor components from the aerosol generation segment 220 is suppressed. Even when the plug 10 is located upstream of the aerosol generation segment 220, the filtration of flavor components can be suppressed, for example, when the plug 10 has a flavor source. It is preferable that the plug 10 is used as at least one of the tip segment 112 and the filter segment 250.

[0137] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, specification, and drawings. Furthermore, any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention as long as it achieves the function and effect of the present invention.

[0138] The present invention will be further described in detail by examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples without departing from its essence.

[0139] Example 1 A plug was manufactured using the filler materials 1-4 and wrapper described below.

[0140] Filler 1 (Comparative Example): Cellulose acetate fiber Filler 2: High air permeability paper Filler 3: (Comparative Example) Ordinary paper Filler 4: Sheet-shaped rayon wrapper: Paper fillers 1-4 with a basis weight of 27 gsm, a thickness of 43 μm, and an air permeability of 0 were wound with a wrapper to produce long rods. The filling density of each filler 1-4 is shown in Table 1 below. The air permeability, basis weight, thickness, density, width, and crimp depth of the sheet-shaped filler 2-4 are also shown in Table 1 below. For filler 2-4, a paper filter manufacturing machine equipped with a crimp roller was used to feed out the sheet-shaped filler 2-4 at the width shown in Table 1, crimp it at the crimp depth shown in Table 1, and then the crimped filler 2-4 was wound with a wrapper to produce long rods. Plugs were produced by cutting the long rods to a sample length of 6 mm. In the following, "length" refers to the length in the direction from one end face to the other end face (the long axis direction in the flavor-inhaling article).

[0141] In accordance with the ISO standard method (ISO 6565:2015), the air permeability resistance of long rods (120 mm) containing each filler material 1-4 was measured using, for example, a Körber SODIM-PD pressure drop module. Air permeability resistance refers to the pressure difference between the first and second end faces when air is flowed from one end face (first end face) to the other end face (second end face) at a predetermined airflow rate (17.5 cc / sec) while air does not permeate the side defined by the wrapper. The air permeability resistance of each filler material 1-4 is shown in Table 1 below. In the table below, a "-" indicates that measurement was not performed or could not be performed.

[0142]

[0143] Each of the above plugs was measured using the mercury intrusion method described above, and the first pore diameter D10, the second pore diameter D50, the third pore diameter D90, the difference between the first pore diameter D10 and the third pore diameter D90, and the index S were derived. The obtained values ​​are shown in Table 2. In this measurement, the MicroActive AutoPore V 9600 manufactured by Micromeristics was used as the mercury intrusion pore volume measuring device.

[0144] Figure 11 is a graph showing the pore diameter D (horizontal axis) and the log cumulative pore volume per unit weight (vertical axis) when the pores of plugs manufactured from each filler material 1-4 were measured by the mercury intrusion method.

[0145] Figure 12 is a bar graph showing the derived index S (D10-D90 / D50) for each filler material 1-4. Comparing fillers 2 and 3, the index S for filler material 3 (plain paper) was greater than 2, while the index S for filler material 2 (high air permeability) was 2 or less.

[0146]

[0147] Example 2-1 Plugs with a length of 8 mm were manufactured using the fillers 5-9 and wrappers described below. The air permeability, basis weight, thickness, and density of the sheet-like filler 6-9 are shown in Table 3 below. For each filler 5-9, multiple plugs with different widths and other characteristics and thus different air permeability resistances were prepared. Experiments were conducted to pass aerosols containing nicotine through the prepared plugs, and the logarithmic transmittance ln(1-E) for nicotine was calculated. In addition, the air permeability resistance of each plug was measured according to the ISO standard method (ISO 6565:2015), for example, using a Körber (SODIM-PD pressure drop module). Filler 5 (Comparative Example): Cellulose acetate fiber Filler 6: High air permeability paper Filler 7 (Comparative Example): Ordinary paper Filler 8: Sheet-like rayon Filler 9: Nonwoven fabric made from pulp

[0148]

[0149] The experiment to measure the logarithmic transmittance of nicotine was conducted as follows: Using an RM20 automatic smoking machine (manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.), only the aerosol-generating segment was automatically smoked according to ISO 4387 (flow rate 17.5 ml / sec, smoking time 2 sec / session, smoking frequency 1 session / minute). Crude tar was collected in a Cambridge filter CM-133 (manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.). Subsequently, after extraction using 10 ml of methanol from the Cambridge filter, the amount of nicotine was measured by gas chromatography (GC) using a flame ionization detector (FID), and the amount of water was measured by GC using a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). An Agilent 7890 (Agilent Technologies Inc.) was used for GC. A similar experiment was also performed on a plug assembly in which the aerosol-generating segment and the plug were wound and connected. Let Ni1 be the amount of nicotine measured when only the aerosol-generating segment is automatically smoked, and Ni2 be the amount of nicotine measured when the plug assembly is automatically smoked. The logarithmic transmittance of nicotine, ln(1-E), is calculated using the following equation (3): ln(1-E) = ln(Ni2 / Ni1) ...Equation (3)

[0150] Figure 13 is a graph showing the airflow resistance (horizontal axis) and logarithmic nicotine permeability (vertical axis) of each manufactured plug. Logarithmic permeability is the logarithmic ratio of the amount of nicotine that permeated the plug to the amount introduced into the plug. The numbers 5-9 in the graphs of Figures 13-16 indicate the measurement points for filler materials 5-9, respectively. For each filler material 5-9, a regression line was derived, and the K value, the absolute value of its slope, was calculated. ２ The coefficient of determination, which indicates the goodness of fit of the regression, is shown. The K value indicates the low permeability relative to the airflow resistance (ease of filtration). For nicotine permeability, the K value for filler material 5 was 0.0167, the K value for filler material 6 was 0.0311, the K value for filler material 7 was 0.0361, the K value for filler material 8 was 0.0218, and the K value for filler material 9 was 0.0271.

[0151] Furthermore, similar to Example 1 described above, plugs containing each of the fillers 5-9 were measured by the mercury intrusion method, and the first pore diameter D10, the second pore diameter D50, the third pore diameter D90, the difference between the first pore diameter D10 and the third pore diameter D90, and the index S were derived. The obtained values ​​are shown in Table 4.

[0152]

[0153] Figure 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the index S (horizontal axis) of each filler material 5-9 and the K value for nicotine (vertical axis). There is a positive correlation between the index S and the K value for nicotine, and the smaller the index S, the greater the nicotine permeability relative to the airflow resistance.

[0154] Example 2-2 Using the same filler 5-9 and wrapper as in Example 2-1, plugs with a length of 8 mm were manufactured. Multiple plugs with different air permeability resistances were prepared for each filler 5-9. The air permeability resistance of the prepared plugs was measured in the same manner as in Example 2-1, and experiments were conducted to pass aerosols containing glycerin through them in the same manner as in Example 2-1, and the logarithmic transmittance ln(1-E) for glycerin was calculated. The amount of glycerin was also measured by GC using FID, similar to the amount of nicotine.

[0155] Figure 15 is a graph showing the airflow resistance (horizontal axis) and the logarithmic permeability of glycerin (vertical axis) of each manufactured plug. For each filler material 5-9, a regression line was derived, and the K value, which is the magnitude of its slope, was calculated. Regarding the permeability of glycerin, the K value for filler material 5 was 0.0150, for filler material 6 it was 0.0291, for filler material 7 it was 0.0340, for filler material 8 it was 0.0251, and for filler material 9 it was 0.0247.

[0156] Figure 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the index S (horizontal axis) of each filler 5-9 and the K value (vertical axis) for glycerin. There is a positive correlation between the index S and the K value for glycerin, and the smaller the index S, the greater the permeability of glycerin relative to the air permeability resistance.

[0157] Example 3-1 Using the fillers 10-14 and wrappers described below, plugs with a length of 27 mm and higher air permeability resistance than those in Examples 2-1 and 2-2 were manufactured. The air permeability, basis weight, thickness, and density of the sheet-like filler 11-14 are shown in Table 5 below. Multiple plugs with different air permeability resistances were prepared for each filler 10-14. The air permeability resistance of the plugs was higher than that of Examples 2-1 and 2-2. The air permeability resistance of the prepared plugs was measured in the same manner as in Example 2-1, and experiments were conducted to pass aerosols containing nicotine through them in the same manner as in Example 2-1, and the logarithmic transmittance ln(1-E) for nicotine was calculated. In addition, the index S of filler 10-14 was measured by the mercury intrusion method in the same manner as in Example 1 above. Filler 10 (Comparative Example): Cellulose acetate fiber Filler 11: High air permeability paper Filler 12: Ordinary paper Filler 13: Sheet-like rayon Filler 14: Nonwoven fabric made from pulp

[0158]

[0159] Figure 17 is a graph showing the airflow resistance (horizontal axis) and logarithmic nicotine transmittance (vertical axis) of each manufactured plug. The plot for filler material 10 has been omitted. The numbers 10-14 in the graphs from Figure 17 to Figure 20 indicate the measurement points for filler materials 10-14, respectively. For each filler material 10-14, a regression line was derived, and the K value, which is the absolute value of its slope, was calculated. For nicotine transmittance, the K value for filler material 10 was 0.0077, for filler material 11 it was 0.0141, for filler material 12 it was 0.0146, for filler material 13 it was 0.0085, and for filler material 14 it was 0.0103.

[0160] Furthermore, similar to Example 1 described above, plugs containing each filler material 10-14 were measured by the mercury intrusion method, and the first pore diameter D10, the second pore diameter D50, the third pore diameter D90, the difference between the first pore diameter D10 and the third pore diameter D90, and the index S were derived. The obtained values ​​are shown in Table 6.

[0161]

[0162] Figure 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the index S (horizontal axis) of each filler material 10-14 and the K value for nicotine (vertical axis). In the air permeability resistance range of Example 3-1, there was a positive correlation between the index S and the K value for nicotine, and the smaller the index S, the greater the nicotine permeability relative to the air permeability resistance.

[0163] Example 3-2 Using the same filler material 10-14 and wrapper as in Example 3-1, plugs with a length of 8 mm were manufactured. Multiple plugs with different air permeability resistances were prepared for each filler material 10-14. The air permeability resistance of the prepared plugs was measured in the same manner as in Example 3-1, and experiments were conducted to pass aerosols containing tar through them in the same manner as in Example 3-1, and the logarithmic transmittance ln(1-E) for tar was calculated. The amount of tar was calculated by subtracting the amount of water and nicotine from the amount of crude tar collected in the Cambridge filter.

[0164] Figure 19 is a graph showing the airflow resistance (horizontal axis) and logarithmic tar permeability (vertical axis) of each manufactured plug. The plot for filler material 10 has been omitted. For each filler material 10-14, a regression line was derived and the K value, which is the magnitude of its slope, was calculated. Regarding tar permeability, the K value for filler material 10 was 0.0073, for filler material 11 it was 0.0140, for filler material 12 it was 0.0150, for filler material 13 it was 0.0077, and for filler material 14 it was 0.0113.

[0165] Figure 20 is a graph showing the relationship between the index S (horizontal axis) of each filler material 10-14 and the K value for tar (vertical axis). There is a positive correlation between the index S and the K value for tar, and the smaller the index S, the greater the tar permeability relative to the airflow resistance.

[0166] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the plug for flavor inhalation articles comprises a filler and a plug wrapper for winding the filler, wherein the filler is formed from a sheet-like material, and when the mercury intrusion method is applied to the plug for flavor inhalation articles to measure the pores inside the plug, the pore diameter D of the pores injected at a pressure P is given by the following formula (1): D = -4σcosθ / P As the pressure P is increased from 1.07 Psia to 423.15 Psia, the diameter of the first pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 10% of the total volume is D10, the diameter of the second pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 50% of the total volume is D50, and the diameter of the third pore corresponding to the pressure P when the mercury is injected to 90% of the total volume is D90, and the index S is the value obtained by the following formula (2): S = (D10 - D90) / D50 Formula (2) The index S is 2.0 or less. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the index S is 1.45 or less. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the filler includes cellulose. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the filler includes regenerated cellulose. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to fourth aspects, the filler includes paper or nonwoven fabric. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the filler has a crimp structure, and the crimp depth of the crimp structure is 0.4 mm or more. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to sixth aspects, when a jig with a diameter of 1 mm is brought into contact with the plug for the flavor inhalation article, and a load equivalent to 300 g is applied perpendicular to the long axis direction of the plug for the flavor inhalation article, the minimum diameter of the plug for the flavor inhalation article after the load has been applied for 10 seconds is defined as the diameter ratio, and the diameter ratio is 80% or more. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to seventh aspects, the air permeability of the filler is greater than 10,000 Cholesta units.According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to eighth aspects, the volume occupied by pores with a pore diameter of 70 μm or less is 50% or less of the total volume in which mercury is injected. According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to ninth aspects, the second pore diameter D50 is 200 μm or less. According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to tenth aspects, the pressure drop when air is flowed through the inside of the flavor inhalation article plug in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second is 3.5 mmH. ２ It is 0 / mm or less. According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to tenth aspects, when air is flowed through the inside of the plug for flavor suction articles in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second, the pressure drop is 0.7 mmH ２ The ratio is 0 / mm or greater. According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the flavor-inhaling article comprises a flavor-inhaling article plug according to any of the first to twelfth aspects. According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the flavor-inhaling article further comprises an aerosol-generating segment containing a flavor source, and the flavor-inhaling article plug is positioned at least downstream of the aerosol-generating segment. According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the flavor-inhaling article further comprises an aerosol-generating segment containing a flavor source, and the flavor-inhaling article plug is positioned at least upstream of the aerosol-generating segment.

[0167] 10: Plug 12: Filler 14: Plug wrapper 100: Flavoring absorbent article 101: First end face 102: Second end face 112: Tip segment 132: Intermediate segment 220: Aerosol generating segment 240: Hollow segment 250: Filter segment 270: First tip paper 280: Second tip paper AX: Long axis D: Pore diameter D10: First pore diameter D50: Second pore diameter D90: Third pore diameter DM1: Average diameter DM2: Minimum diameter DM3: Fixture diameter h: Crimp depth J1: Fixture

Claims

1. A plug for a flavor-absorbing article comprising a filler and a plug wrapper around which the filler is wound, wherein the filler is formed from a sheet-like material, and when the mercury intrusion method is applied to the plug for the flavor-absorbing article to measure the pores inside the plug, the pore diameter D of the pores intruded at a pressure P, with the mercury contact angle θ being 140° and the mercury tension σ being 0.480 dyn / cm, is the value obtained by the following formula (1): D = -4σcosθ / P Formula (1) A plug for flavor inhalation articles, wherein the first pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P when mercury is injected to 10% of the total volume is D10, the second pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P when mercury is injected to 50% of the total volume is D50, and the third pore diameter corresponding to the pressure P when mercury is injected to 90% of the total volume is D90, and the index S is the value obtained by the following formula (2): S = (D10 - D90) / D50 Formula (2) The index S is 2.0 or less.

2. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to claim 1, wherein the index S is 1.45 or less.

3. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filler material comprises cellulose.

4. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to claim 3, wherein the filler material comprises regenerated cellulose.

5. The plug for a flavor-inhaling article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the filler material includes paper or nonwoven fabric.

6. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filler has a crimped structure, and the crimp depth of the crimped structure is 0.4 mm or more.

7. The plug for a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the minimum diameter of the plug for a flavor inhaler after applying a load equivalent to 300 g perpendicular to the long axis direction of the plug for a flavor inhaler is defined as the diameter ratio to the average diameter of the plug for a flavor inhaler before applying a load equivalent to 300 g perpendicular to the long axis direction of the plug for a flavor inhaler, and the diameter ratio is 80% or more.

8. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the air permeability of the filler is greater than 10,000 Cholesta units.

9. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the volume occupied by pores with a pore diameter of 70 μm or less is 50% or less of the total volume in which mercury is injected.

10. The plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second pore diameter D50 is 200 μm or less.

11. When air is flowed through the inside of the plug for the flavor inhalation article in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second, the pressure drop is 3.5 mmH. ２ A plug for a flavor-inhaling article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the density is 0 / mm or less.

12. When air is flowed through the inside of the plug for the flavor inhalation article in the longitudinal direction at a flow rate of 17.5 ml / second, the pressure drop is 0.7 mmH ２ A plug for flavor-inhaling articles according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the density is 0 / mm or greater.

13. A flavor-absorbing article comprising a plug for flavor-absorbing articles according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The flavor-inhaling article according to claim 13, further comprising an aerosol-generating segment containing a flavor source, wherein the flavor-inhaling article plug is positioned at least downstream of the aerosol-generating segment.

15. The flavor-inhaling article according to claim 13, further comprising an aerosol-generating segment containing a flavor source, wherein the flavor-inhaling article plug is positioned at least upstream of the aerosol-generating segment.

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