AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE HAVING A TUBULAR SUPPORT ELEMENT

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article defining a longitudinal direction extending between an upstream end and a downstream end is provided, including: a plug of aerosol-forming substrate at the upstream end; a hollow tubular support element positioned immediately downstream of the plug; and a filter segment at the downstream end of the article and positioned immediately downstream of the element, the article having a length extending in the longitudinal direction, the plug having a length extending in the longitudinal direction, the element having a length extending in the longitudinal direction between a first end of the element and a second end of the element, a ratio of the length of the element to the length of the article is between 0.3 to 1 and 0.5 to 1, and a ratio of the length of the plug to the length of the element is between 0.5 to 1 and 0.8 to 1.

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 extending between the upstream end and the downstream end, the aerosol-generating article comprising: a plug of aerosol-forming substrate at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article; a hollow tubular support element positioned immediately downstream of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate; and a filter segment at the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article and positioned immediately downstream of the hollow tubular support element, wherein the aerosol-generating article has a length extending in the longitudinal direction between the upstream end and the downstream end, wherein the plug of aerosol-forming substrate has a length extending in the longitudinal direction between a first end of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate and a second end of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the hollow tubular support element has a length extending in the longitudinal direction between a first end of the hollow tubular support element and a second end of the hollow tubular support element, wherein a ratio of the length of the hollow tubular support element to the length of the aerosol-generating article is between 0.3 to 1 and 0.5 to 1, and wherein a ratio of the length of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate to the length of the hollow tubular support element is between 0.5 to 1 and 0.8 to 1.

16. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the length of the hollow tubular support element is between 14 millimeters and 22 millimeters.

17. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the length of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate is between 11 millimeters and 19 millimeters.

18. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the filter segment has a length extending in the longitudinal direction between a first end of the filter segment and a second end of the filter segment of between 11 millimeters and 13 millimeters.

19. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein length of the aerosol-generating article is between 40 millimeters and 50 millimeters.

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

21. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 20, wherein the polymer is at least one of polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, starch, and poly hydroxy alkanoate.

22. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element has an external diameter of between 6 millimeters and 8 millimeters.

23. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises a peripheral wall defining a tubular shape of the hollow tubular support element, the peripheral wall having a thickness of between 0.5 millimeters and 1 millimeter.

24. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises: a peripheral wall defining a tubular shape of the hollow tubular support element, the peripheral wall defining an inner volume, and a radial structure extending radially within the inner volume from at least a first point on the peripheral wall to at least a second point on the peripheral wall so that at least two airflow passages are defined by the peripheral wall and the radial structure, the at least two airflow passages extending in the longitudinal direction.

25. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 24, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the radial structure is cross-shaped so that the peripheral wall and the radial structure define four airflow passages extending in the longitudinal direction.

26. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 24, wherein the first end of the hollow tubular support element is positioned immediately downstream of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate, and wherein the radial structure is shaped to define a recess at the first end of the hollow tubular support element, the recess extending into the inner volume defined by the peripheral wall.

27. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 15, further comprising an outer wrapper wrapped around the plug of aerosol-forming substrate, the hollow tubular support element, and the filter segment.

28. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating article according to claim 15; and an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article and a heater positioned to heat the plug of aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-generating article is received within the cavity.

29. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 28, wherein the heater is positioned within the cavity and configured for insertion into the plug of aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-generating article is received within the cavity.

Description

[0083] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0084] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the hollow tubular support element of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1;

[0086] FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the hollow tubular support element of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1;

[0087] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hollow tubular support element of FIG. 3;

[0088] FIG. 5 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of a further alternative arrangement of the hollow tubular support element of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1; and

[0089] FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system comprising the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1.

[0090] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating article 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol-generating article 10 comprises a plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 comprising tobacco and positioned at an upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 10. Positioned immediately downstream of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 is a hollow tubular support element 14 formed of polylactic acid. Positioned immediately downstream of the hollow tubular support element 14 and at a downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 10 is a filter segment 16 comprising fibres of cellulose acetate. The aerosol-generating article 10 also comprises an outer wrapper 18 formed of paper and circumscribing the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12, the hollow tubular support element 14 and the filter segment 16.

[0091] The aerosol-generating article 10 defines a longitudinal direction 20 and has a length 22 extending between the upstream and downstream ends of the aerosol-generating article 10. The length 22 of the aerosol-generating article 10 is 45 millimetres.

[0092] The plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12, the hollow tubular support element 14 and the filter segment 16 each have a length 24, 26, 28 respectively. The length 24 of the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 is 12 millimetres. The length 26 of the hollow tubular support element 14 is 21 millimetres. The length 28 of the filter segment 18 is 12 millimetres. The ratio of the length 26 of the hollow tubular support element 14 to the length 22 of the aerosol-generating article 10 is 0.47 to 1.

[0093] FIG. 2 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of the hollow tubular support element 14. The hollow tubular support element 14 comprises a peripheral wall 30 defining the tubular shape of the hollow tubular support element 14. The peripheral wall 30 has an external surface 32 and an interior surface 34. The interior surface 34 defines an inner volume 36 that forms an airflow passage 38 extending along the length 26 of the hollow tubular support element 14. The peripheral wall 30 has a thickness 40 of 0.71 millimetres. The hollow tubular support element 14 has a circular annular cross-sectional shape. The hollow tubular support element 14 has an external diameter 42 of 7.1 millimetres and an internal diameter 44 of 5.68 millimetres.

[0094] FIG. 3 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the hollow tubular support element 14. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, the hollow tubular support element 14 comprises a radial structure 46 comprising a single wall extending across the interior volume 36 defined by the peripheral wall 30. The radial structure 46 divides the interior volume 36 into two airflow passages 38. The radial structure 46 is formed integrally with the peripheral wall 30.

[0095] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hollow tubular support element 14 of FIG. 3, taken along the line 344-344 shown in FIG. 3. The hollow tubular support element 14 comprises a recess 48 formed in the radial structure 46 at a first end 50 of the hollow tubular support element 14. When the hollow tubular support element 14 is assembled with the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 and the filter segment 16 to form the aerosol-generating article 10, the first end 50 comprising the recess 48 is positioned adjacent to the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12. In other words, the recess 48 is positioned at an upstream end of the hollow tubular support element 14. A second end 52 of the hollow tubular support element 14 forms a downstream end of the hollow tubular support element 14. During use of the aerosol-generating article 10 in an aerosol-generating device, the recess 48 may receive a tip of a heater inserted through the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12.

[0096] FIG. 5 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of a further alternative arrangement of the hollow tubular support element 14, similar to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5, the radial structure 46 is cross-shaped and divides the interior volume 36 into four airflow passages 48. The hollow tubular support element 14 may comprise a recess 48 in the radial structure 46, as already described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0097] FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system 100 comprising an aerosol-generating device 102 and the aerosol-generating article 10 of FIG. 1. The aerosol-generating device 102 comprises a housing 104 defining a cavity 106 for receiving the aerosol-generating article 10. An elongate electrical heater 108 extends into the cavity 106 and is arranged for insertion into the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 when the aerosol-generating article 10 is inserted into the cavity 106. The aerosol-generating device 102 also comprises a power supply 110 and a controller 112. During use, the controller 112 controls a supply of electrical power from the power supply 110 to the elongate electrical heater 108. The elongate electrical heater 108 heats the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12 to release volatile compounds from the plug of aerosol-forming substrate 12. When a user draws on the filter segment 16, the released compounds are drawn into the hollow tubular support element 14 where they cool to form an aerosol. The aerosol is then drawn through the filter segment 16 where they are delivered to the user.