AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE COMPRISING A HOLLOW TUBULAR SUPPORT ELEMENT

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article having an upstream end and a downstream end is provided, the article defining a longitudinal direction between the upstream end and the downstream end, the article including: an aerosol-forming substrate; a hollow tubular support element disposed downstream of the substrate and extending along the longitudinal direction, defining an opening extending in the longitudinal direction and configured for aerosol to flow towards the downstream end, a filter disposed downstream of the hollow tubular support element in the longitudinal direction, a hardness of the article at the hollow tubular support element is at least about 80%, and the hardness of the article at the hollow tubular support element is determined by means of the DD60A Test. An aerosol-generating system is also provided.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. An aerosol-generating article having an upstream end and a downstream end, the aerosol-generating article defining a longitudinal direction between the upstream end and the downstream end, the aerosol-generating article comprising: an aerosol-forming substrate; a hollow tubular support element disposed downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate and extending along the longitudinal direction, wherein the hollow tubular support element defines an opening extending in the longitudinal direction and configured for aerosol to flow towards the downstream end, a filter disposed downstream of the hollow tubular support element in the longitudinal direction, wherein a hardness of the aerosol-generating article at the hollow tubular support element is at least about 80%; and wherein the hardness of the aerosol-generating article at the hollow tubular support element is determined by means of the DD60A Test.

16. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hardness of the aerosol-generating article at the hollow tubular support element is equal to or lower than about 90%.

17. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element is disposed immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate.

18. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the filter is disposed immediately downstream of the hollow tubular support element in the longitudinal direction.

19. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate is a tobacco-containing substrate.

20. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate has a hollow tubular shape.

21. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises: a hollow tubular peripheral portion, which defines an inner volume, a longitudinal structure extending in the longitudinal direction within the inner volume, and a radial structure extending radially within the inner volume from the hollow tubular peripheral portion to the longitudinal structure, such that at least two passages are defined by the hollow tubular peripheral portion and the radial structure, the at least two passages extending in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the opening comprises the at least two passages.

22. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 21, wherein the hollow tubular peripheral portion is substantially annular shaped.

23. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 21, wherein the radial structure comprises at least a first flat radial wall and a second flat radial wall extending radially from the longitudinal structure to the hollow tubular peripheral portion.

24. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element is substantially symmetrical in a cross section thereof.

25. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises a recess configured to house a heating element.

26. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises a polymer.

27. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 26, wherein the polymer is polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), starch, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), or a combination thereof.

28. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein at least a part of the hollow tubular support element is manufactured by additive manufacturing or is injection molded.

29. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: the aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, and an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating element configured to be inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article.

Description

[0115] These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more evident in the light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, given only by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, in reference to the attached figures:

[0116] FIG. 1 depicts a longitudinal section of an aerosol-generating article comprising a hollow tubular support element.

[0117] FIG. 2 illustrates a hollow tubular support element comprising four flat radial walls.

[0118] In FIG. 3, a cross-section of the hollow tubular support element of FIG. 2 is depicted.

[0119] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the hollow tubular support elements of FIG. 2.

[0120] FIG. 5 represents an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device in turn comprising an internal heating element.

[0121] FIG. 6 illustrates the test to calculate the hardness of the hollow tubular support element, as described above in the present specification.

[0122] FIG. 1 depicts a longitudinal section of an aerosol-generating article 10 having an upstream end 11 and a downstream end 12, the aerosol-generating article 10 defining a longitudinal direction between the upstream end 11 and the downstream end 12. The article 10 comprises an aerosol-forming substrate 13. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a hollow tubular support element 14 is disposed immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate 13 and extending along the longitudinal direction. The hollow tubular support element 14 defines an opening 16 extending in the longitudinal direction and adapted for aerosol to flow towards the downstream end 12.

[0123] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a filter 15 is disposed immediately downstream of the hollow tubular support element 14 in the longitudinal direction.

[0124] The hardness of the aerosol-generating article 10 at the hollow tubular support element 14 is at least about 60% and, preferably, between about 80% and about 90%.

[0125] The aerosol-generating article 10 of FIG. 1 may attain a desired reduction of certain constituents, due to the effect of the filter 15, and may have the desired properties in terms of structural resistance and heat capacity by providing the hollow tubular support element 14, without necessarily comprising a further aerosol-cooling element or an additional support element. Therefore, the aerosol-generating article 10 may be more easily manufactured and may avoid the disadvantages that aerosol-cooling elements or the like may lead to, such as an inconsistent experience for the consumer.

[0126] FIG. 2 depicts a hollow tubular support element 14 comprising a substantially annular hollow tubular peripheral portion 17 which defines an inner volume. A longitudinal structure 18 extends in the longitudinal direction within the inner volume. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a radial structure formed of four flat radial walls 19 extends radially from the hollow tubular peripheral portion 17 to the longitudinal structure 18. Four passages 21 are defined between the hollow tubular peripheral portion 17 and the four flat radial walls 19, the four passages 21 extending in the longitudinal direction. The four passages 21 form the opening along which the formed aerosol may flow towards the downstream 12 end of the aerosol-generating article 10.

[0127] FIG. 3 represents a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 2. The hollow tubular support element 14 of this embodiment is substantially symmetrical according to such cross section, as is depicted in FIG. 3. The longitudinal structure 18 is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the annular hollow tubular peripheral portion 17. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, each flat radial wall 19 is separated from the adjacent flat radial wall 19 by 90°. Therefore, according to the cross-section of FIG. 3, each of the four passages 21 forms a quarter of a circle.

[0128] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, such section containing the longitudinal structure 18 and two of the four flat radial walls 19. In this figure, a recess 22 present in the hollow tubular support element 14 of this embodiment can be more clearly appreciated than in FIGS. 2 and 3. The recess 22 is configured to house the heating element 31 of an aerosol-generating device 30, which may reduce the risk of the hollow tubular support element 14 being damaged by the heating element 31.

[0129] FIG. 5 depicts an aerosol-generating system 1 comprising the aerosol-generating article 10 of FIG. 1 and an aerosol-generating device 30 comprising a heating element 31 inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate 13 of the aerosol-generating article 10. More concretely, the heating element 31 of the system of FIG. 5 is a blade-shaped internal heating element 31 that pierces the aerosol-forming substrate 13. A power supply 32 is arranged to provide electrical power to the heating element 31. When the heating element 31 pierces the aerosol-forming substrate 13, as shown in FIG. 5, and the heating element 31 receives electrical power, thus generating heat, the aerosol-forming substrate 13 is heated to a temperature at which an aerosol 40 that can be inhaled by a consumer is formed. The hollow tubular support element 14 may increase the resistance of the aerosol-generating article 10 to withstand the forces generated when the heating element 31 is inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate 13. Likewise, the hollow tubular support element 14 may sufficiently cool the formed aerosol 40 when the aerosol flows along the opening 16 so that it reaches the filter 15 with a temperature which is adequate for the consumer's preferences. The cooled aerosol 40 flows through the filter 15 and reaches the downstream end 12 of the aerosol-generating article through which the consumer inhales the aerosol 40.