Blister capsule, and container, for an aerosol-generating system

Abstract

A blister capsule for an aerosol-generating system, and a container including blister capsules, are provided, the blister capsule including a blister shell; a tubular porous element disposed in the blister shell; a volatile liquid sorbed on the tubular porous element; and a film configured to seal the blister shell, the film and the blister shell being frangible, and the container including at least two of the blister capsules coupled together by a hollow tubular canister configured as a mixing chamber for the volatile liquids contained in each of the blister capsules.

Claims

1. A blister capsule for an aerosol-generating system, comprising: a blister shell, wherein a depth of the blister shell is less than a diameter of the blister shell; a tubular porous element disposed in the blister shell; a volatile liquid sorbed on the tubular porous element; a further blister shell; a further tubular porous element disposed in the further blister shell; a further volatile liquid sorbed on the further tubular porous element; and a film configured to seal the blister shell and the further blister shell, wherein the film is positioned between the blister shell and the further blister shell so that the blister shell is positioned on a first side of the film and the further blister shell is positioned on a second side of the film, and wherein the film and the blister shell are frangible.

2. The blister capsule according to claim 1, wherein the blister shell comprises a cavity and a flange extending around a periphery of the cavity, the tubular porous element being disposed in the cavity of the blister shell.

3. The blister capsule according to claim 2, wherein the film is sealed to the flange.

4. The blister capsule according to claim 1, wherein the volatile liquid is different from the further volatile liquid.

5. The blister capsule according to claim 1, the capsule having a substantially circular cross-section.

6. The blister capsule according to claim 1, wherein the blister shell is formed from a laminate material comprising at least two layers.

7. The blister capsule according to claim 1, wherein the volatile liquid comprises one or more of nicotine, nicotine base, a nicotine salt, or a nicotine derivative.

Description

(1) The disclosure extends to methods and apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(3) FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a plan view and a side view of a blister capsule according to the present invention;

(4) FIGS. 2a) and 2(b) show a plan view and a side view of an alternative blister capsule according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a container according to the present invention, incorporating a blister capsule as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b);

(6) FIG. 4 shows a plan view of an alternative container according to the present invention, incorporating two blister capsules as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b);

(7) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a yet further alternative container according to the present invention, incorporating blister capsules;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a still further alternative container according to the present invention, incorporating two blister capsules as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b);

(9) FIG. 7 shows a laminate material used in the blister capsules according to the present invention; and

(10) FIG. 8 shows an alternative laminate material used in the blister capsules according to the present invention.

(11) FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a plan view and a side view of a blister capsule 100. The blister capsules comprise a blister shell 102, a sealing film 104, and a tubular porous element 106. The tubular porous element 106 is disposed in a cavity formed by the blister shell 102. The blister shell further comprises a flange 108, provided around the periphery of the cavity. The sealing film 104 is sealed to the flange 108 to form the sealed blister capsule 100. A volatile liquid is sorbed on the tubular porous element 106.

(12) The blister shell 102 and the sealing film 104 are formed from a frangible material. The frangible material is pierceable, for example by an external piercing element. The piercing element may be part of an aerosol-generating device. The materials used to form the blister shell and sealing film are described in further detail below. By forming the blister capsule from frangible materials, the capsule can remain sealed until the point of use.

(13) The volatile liquid can be a nicotine-containing liquid, or a delivery enhancing compound, a flavour compound, or the like.

(14) The blister shell 102 is formed, for example, by punching a blank which is then cold formed using a stamp and mould. The tubular porous element 106 is then provided in the cavity of the blister shell 102, the volatile liquid is provided in the shell, and then the sealing film is sealed to the flange 108. The sealing may be effected by adhesive, heat, or welding, such as ultrasonic welding or laser welding.

(15) FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show a plan view and a side view of an alternative blister capsule 200. As can be seen, the blister capsule 200 is similar to the blister capsule 100, and comprises a first blister shell 202, a second blister shell 204, a sealing film 206, a first tubular porous portion 208, and a second tubular porous portion 210. The first tubular porous element 208 is disposed in a cavity formed by the first blister shell 202, and the second tubular porous element 210 is disposed in a cavity formed by the second blister shell 204. Each of the first blister shell 202 and the second blister shell 204 comprises a respective flange 212 and 214, provided around the periphery of each cavity. The sealing film 206 is sealed to both flange 212 of the first blister shell 202 and to the flange 214 of the second blister shell 204 to form the sealed blister capsule 200. Volatile liquid is sorbed on both the first tubular porous element 206 and the second tubular porous element 210. The volatile liquid sorbed on the first tubular porous element 206 may be the same or different to the volatile liquid sorbed on the second tubular porous element 210.

(16) The blister capsule 200 is formed in a similar manner to blister capsule 100, except that the sealing film 206 may be sealed to the second blister shell 204 at the same time as the first blister shell, or subsequently.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a container 300 for use in an aerosol-generating device. The container 300 comprises a blister capsule 100, as described above, a blister capsule 302, and a hollow tubular canister 304. The blister capsule 100 is coupled to the first end 306 of the canister 304, and the blister capsule 302 is coupled to the second end 308 of the canister 304. The first end 306 and second end 308 each comprises an orifice for receiving the respective blister shells of the blister capsules. Each orifice comprises a lip 310 and 312 respectively. The free edge of each lip extends towards the longitudinal axis 314 of the canister 304. Each lip forms a surface which the respective flanges of the blister capsules abut to form a compact and robust canister. The blister capsules may be a press-fit within the orifice of the canister, and may be attached using adhesive, such as an epoxy adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, or laser welding.

(18) In use, the hollow tubular canister 304 is a mixing chamber enabling the volatile liquid of the blister capsules to mix and form an aerosol once the capsules have been ruptured by piercing or otherwise. Further details of the use of the container in an aerosol-generating device are provided below.

(19) The canister 304 may be formed using any suitable conventional manufacturing processes. For example, the canister may be formed by extruding a hollow tube, cutting the tube into discrete portions, and then forming the lips 310 and 312 using a necking process or rolling process. In an alternative, the lips are formed separately, for example using a stamp and mould, and then attached to each end of the plane tube. The lip portions may be attached by solder, adhesive, welding, or by a press-fit.

(20) Alternatively, the canister 304 may be formed from a blank, punched from sheet material which is then drawn in a die to form a cup shape having one closed end. The closed end of the drawn cup is then cut out, for example in a further punching process, and then the lips 310 and 312 are formed as described above. In a further alternative, the canister 304 may be formed by cutting a suitably sized sheet of material, and then forming the lips 310 and 312 in a shaped rolling process which also forms the hollow tubular portion of the canister. The side-seam may then be joined by solder, adhesive or by welding.

(21) FIG. 4 shows a plan view of an alternative container 400 for use in an aerosol-generating device. The container 400 comprises a first blister capsule 100, a second blister capsule 100, and a hollow tubular canister 402. The blister capsule 100 is coupled to the first end 404 of the canister 402, and the second blister capsule 100 is coupled to the second end 406 of the canister 402. The first end 404 and second end 406 each comprises an orifice for receiving the respective blister shells of the blister capsules. Each orifice comprises a lip 408 and 410 respectively. The free edge of each lip extends away from the longitudinal axis 412 of the canister 402. Each lip forms a surface which the respective flanges of the blister capsules abut to form a compact and robust canister.

(22) The canister 402 may be formed in a similar manner to that of canister 304 described above.

(23) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a further alternative container 500. The container 500 is similar to the container 300 shown in FIG. 3, and described above, and comprises the same hollow tubular canister 304. The container 500 further comprises a blister capsule 502 and a blister capsule 100. The blister capsule 502 comprises a first blister shell 504 having a tubular porous element 506 for sorbing a volatile liquid, and a second blister shell 508 for containing a further liquid or solid aerosol-generating substrate. A sealing film 510 is provided between the first blister shell 504 and the second blister shell 508 for sealing both blister shells. The blister shells are coupled to the canister 304 in the same way as described above with reference to FIG. 3. The liquids contained within each blister capsule may be the same or different.

(24) FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a still further alternative container 600. The container 600 is similar to the container 400 shown in FIG. 4, and described above, and comprises the same hollow tubular canister 402. The container 600 further comprises two blister capsules 200 each coupled to an end of the canister 402. The liquids contained within each blister capsule may be the same or different. In this example shown in FIG. 6, the liquids may be a nicotine-containing volatile liquid, a volatile delivery enhancing compound, such as pyruvic acid or lactic acid, a volatile liquid flavour compound, such as menthol, and a further volatile liquid flavour compound, such as clove.

(25) As will now be appreciated, any combination of the blister capsules and canisters described herein may be provided. In this way, containers may be provided to suit the particular requirement. For example, containing three blister capsules, containing a nicotine-containing liquid, a liquid delivery enhancing compound and a liquid flavour compound respectively.

(26) The sealing films, blister shells, and canisters described above are formed from a laminate material.

(27) FIG. 7 shows such a laminate material 700 comprising two layers of material. The first layer 702 is of aluminium foil, and the second layer 704 is of a polymer material. The aluminium foil layer 702 forms the external surface of the sealing film, and the polymer layer 704 forms the internal layer which comes into contact with the volatile liquid.

(28) FIG. 8 shows a further example of such a laminate material 800 comprising three layers of material, and two layers of adhesive. The laminate material 800 comprises a layer 702 of a polymer material, a first layer of adhesive 804, a layer 806 of aluminium foil, a second layer of adhesive 808 and a layer of a second polymer material 810.

(29) The polymer material for the laminates may be polypropylene, polyurethane, polyethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, or any other suitable polymer.

(30) The laminate 700 is particularly useful when forming a blister capsule 100 as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) above, when only a single side of the sealing film is used to seal a blister shell. The material for the external polymer layer 704 can be chosen in dependence on the volatile liquid that it will come into contact with.

(31) The laminate 800 is particularly useful when forming a blister capsule 200 as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) above, when two different volatile liquids are provided. The material for the external polymer layers 802 and 810 can be chosen in dependence on the volatile liquid that it will come into contact with. This can ensure that the polymer layer does not degrade, and forms a suitable seal to maintain the liquid in the blister shell during storage.

(32) The above described containers may be used in an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity configured to receive the container, a piercing element configured to pierce the frangible blister shells and sealing films, at least one air inlet, and at least one air outlet.

(33) In one example, the container comprises a volatile nicotine-containing liquid in one blister capsule and a volatile delivery enhancing compound liquid in another blister capsule. In use, as the container is inserted into the cavity of the aerosol generating device the piercing element is inserted into the container and pierces the shells and frangible sealing films. This allows a user to draw air into the container through the air inlets, downstream through the tubular porous element, through the hollow tubular canister, through the other of the blister capsule and tubular porous element at the other end of the container and out through the air outlets.

(34) Volatile delivery enhancing compound vapour is released from the volatile delivery enhancing compound source in the tubular porous portion into the air stream drawn through the device and nicotine vapour is released from the nicotine source into the air stream drawn through the device. The volatile delivery enhancing compound vapour reacts with the nicotine vapour in the gas phase in the mixing chamber to form an aerosol, which is delivered to the user through the air outlets.

(35) As will be appreciated, the capsules and containers of the present invention may be used with any other suitable type of aerosol-generating device. For example, a device having and electrically operated heater may be suitable, the heater configured to aerosolise the volatile liquid to be inhaled by the user.