SMOKELESS ARTICLE

Abstract

A smokeless article for oral consumption including a pouch, the pouch including a porous substrate enclosing a content, the content having a nicotinic compound, wherein the porous substrate has a continuous coatl8ing of a non-porous, saliva-stable material, and wherein the coating is frangible, such that in use the coating fractures on chewing. Also described is a method of manufacturing a smokeless articles for oral consumption the method including applying a coating material to a sheet of a porous substrate to provide a coated sheet of porous substrate, the coated sheet of porous substrate having a continuous coating of a non-porous, saliva-stable material; a forming step; and a sealing step, wherein the coating formed by the coating material is frangible.

Claims

1. A smokeless article for oral consumption comprising a pouch, the pouch comprising a porous substrate enclosing a content, the content comprising a nicotinic compound, wherein the porous substrate has a continuous coating of a non-porous, saliva-stable material, and wherein the coating is frangible, such that in use the coating fractures on chewing.

2. The smokeless article of claim 1, wherein the coating is located on an inner surface of the porous substrate.

3. The smokeless article of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coating is located on an outer surface of the porous substrate.

4. The smokeless article of any preceding claim, wherein the non-porous, saliva-stable material comprises a polymer.

5. The smokeless article of claim 4, wherein the polymer is selected from sorbitol, maltitol, isomalt, mannitol, starch, gelatin, gum arabic, polyvinyl acetate, carob bean gum, refined paraffin wax, shellac, locust bean gum, petroleum wax, terpene resin, tragacanth, polyethylene, xanthan gum, and combinations thereof

6. The smokeless article of any preceding claim wherein essentially the entire enclosed volume of the pouch is defined by the porous substrate.

7. The smokeless article of any preceding claim, wherein the non-porous, saliva-stable material is hydrophobic.

8. The smokeless article of any preceding claim, wherein the content is tobacco-free.

9. The smokeless article of any preceding claim, wherein the coating is applied by spray coating.

10. A method of manufacturing a smokeless article for oral consumption comprising: (i) applying a coating material to a sheet of a porous substrate to provide a coated sheet of porous substrate, the coated sheet of porous substrate having a continuous coating of a non-porous, saliva-stable material; (ii) forming the coated sheet of porous substrate around a content to provide a pouch; and (iii) thermally or chemically sealing the pouch to enclose the contents; wherein the coating formed by the coating material is frangible.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in step (ii) the coated sheet of porous substrate is arranged such that the coating of the non-porous, saliva-stable material is provided on an inner surface of the porous substrate.

12. The method of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the coating material is applied by spray-coating.

13. A smokeless article for oral consumption produced by a process according to any of claims 10 to 12.

14. A kit comprising a plurality of smokeless articles according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and/or 13 and a container.

15. Use of the smokeless article according to any of claims 1 to 9 and/or 13 as a smoking substitute device.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

[0092] Embodiments and experiments illustrating the principles of the disclosure will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

[0093] FIG. 1. shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a smokeless article.

[0094] FIG. 2. shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a smokeless article.

[0095] FIG. 3. shows a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a smokeless article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0096] As shown in FIG. 1 there is provided a first embodiment of a smokeless article 10 having a pouch 12, the pouch being a porous substrate having an inner surface 17 and an outer surface 18. The pouch 12 contains a content 14 including a nicotinic compound. The pouch 12 is substantially rectangular. The pouch 12 is formed from a single sheet of a porous substrate and is substantially filled by the content 14. The pouch 12 has a seal 16 along each of the three edges where the inner surface 17 of the single sheet of porous substrate meets itself to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12. The inner surface 17 of the porous substrate has a continuous coating 19 of a non-porous, saliva-stable material between the content 14 and the pouch 12. The coating 19 being frangible.

[0097] In use, the smokeless article 10 is placed into the oral cavity of the user. Due to the coating 19, saliva present in the user's oral cavity is prohibited from contacting the content 14 contained within the pouch. Nor can the nicotinic compound in the content 14 migrate through the coating 19. When the user desires a nicotine “hit” they bite down or chew on the smokeless article to break the coating 19. This exposes a portion of the porous substrate of the pouch, such that saliva can migrate through the porous substrate and contact the content 14 contained within. A nicotinic compound within the content 14 is then extracted into the saliva and may enter the user's blood stream by oral consumption to provide a nicotine “hit”.

[0098] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a smokeless article 10′ having a pouch 12, the pouch being a porous substrate having an inner surface 17 and an outer surface 18. The pouch 12 contains a content 14 including a nicotinic compound. The pouch 12 is substantially circular. The pouch 12 is formed from two opposing sheets of a porous substrate and is substantially filled by the content 14. The pouch 12 has a circumferential seal 16 along the edges where the two opposing sheets of a porous substrate meet to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12. The outer surface 18 of the porous substrate has a continuous coating 19 of a non-porous, saliva-stable material surrounding the pouch 12. The coating 19 being frangible.

[0099] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a smokeless article 10″ that, like the first embodiment, has a pouch 12 made from a single sheet of a porous substrate. However, one of the three seals 16′ is formed by an overlap of the inner surface 17 and the outer surface 18 of the single sheet of porous substrate to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12. The remaining two seals at opposing ends of the pouch are formed where the inner surface 17 of the single sheet of porous substrate meets itself. The inner surface 17 of the porous substrate has a continuous coating 19 of a non-porous, saliva-stable material between the content 14 and the pouch 12. The coating 19 being frangible.

[0100] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the disclosure in diverse forms thereof.

[0101] While the disclosure has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0102] For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purposes of improving the understanding of a reader. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

[0103] Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0104] Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “have”, “comprise”, and “include”, and variations such as “having”, “comprises”, “comprising”, and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

[0105] It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by the use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term “about” in relation to a numerical value is optional and means, for example, +/−10%.

[0106] The words “preferred” and “preferably” are used herein refer to embodiments of the disclosure that may provide certain benefits under some circumstances. It is to be appreciated, however, that other embodiments may also be preferred under the same or different circumstances. The recitation of one or more preferred embodiments therefore does not mean or imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure, or from the scope of the claims.