APPLYING AN ADDITIVE FROM RADIALLY OUTSIDE UPON PRODUCTION OF AN AEROSOL-GENERATING ROD

Abstract

A device (1) for producing an aerosol-generating rod (3) comprises a converging device (5), a susceptor guide (19), and a conveyor system. The converging device has a forming space converging along an axial direction (17). The susceptor guide extends into the forming space of the converging device and comprises an exit opening (21) for a susceptor (23) within the forming space (9) of the converging device. The conveyor system is configured to convey filling material (15), preferably formed as a sheet, through the forming space of the converging device to shape the filling material into a rod incorporating the susceptor. The device further comprises at least one additive supply line (29) having a dispensing opening that opens into the forming space of the converging device radially outward of the susceptor guide.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. Device for producing an aerosol-generating rod, comprising: a converging device with a forming space converging along an axial direction; a susceptor guide extending into the forming space of the converging device and comprising an exit opening for a susceptor within the forming space of the converging device; a conveyor system configured to convey filling material, preferably formed as a sheet, through the forming space of the converging device to shape the filling material into a rod incorporating the susceptor; at least one additive supply line having a dispensing opening that opens into the forming space of the converging device radially outward of the susceptor guide; and a first additive reservoir and a second additive reservoir, the first additive reservoir being connected to a first additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line and the second additive reservoir being connected to a second additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line.

17. Device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one additive supply line protrudes into the forming space of the converging device by no more than 20 millimeters, or no more than 10 millimeters, or no more than 5 millimeters, or no more than 3 millimeters, or no more than 2 millimeters, or no more than 1 millimeter.

18. Device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one additive supply line is inclined at the dispensing opening into the axial direction, as compared to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

19. Device according to claim 16, wherein the dispensing openings of at least two of the additive supply lines are arranged at different circumferential positions around the axial direction.

20. Device according to claim 16, wherein a first dispensing opening of an additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line and a second dispensing opening of another additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line are located on opposing sides with respect to the susceptor guide.

21. Device according to claim 16, wherein a dispensing opening of an additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line is upstream of a dispensing opening of another additive supply line of the at least one additive supply line with respect to the axial direction.

22. Method for producing an aerosol-generating rod, with the steps of: conveying a susceptor band through a forming space of a converging device along an axial direction; shaping filling material, preferably being in the form of a sheet, into a rod incorporating the susceptor band by conveying the filling material through the forming space of the converging device along the axial direction; and dispensing an additive onto the filling material through a first dispensing opening that opens into the forming space of the converging device; and dispensing an additive through a second dispensing opening that opens into the forming space of the converging device; wherein the additive dispensed through the first dispensing opening has a different composition than the additive dispensed through the second dispensing opening; and wherein at least a part of the filling material passes between the first dispensing opening and the susceptor band while being conveyed through the forming space of the converging device.

23. Method according to claim 22, further comprising actively heating a heating region of the forming space at least partially downstream of the first dispensing opening with respect to the axial direction.

24. Method according to claim 22, further comprising actively cooling the rod, preferably at a position along the axial direction at which shaping of the rod is complete, in particular by cooling a cooling region of the forming space.

25. Method according to claim 22, wherein conveying the filling material through the forming space of the converging device comprises simultaneously conveying two webs of filling material through the forming space, the two webs of filling material preferably entering the forming space on opposite sides of the susceptor band.

26. Method according to claim 22, wherein the additive comprises one or more of nicotine, a flavorant, glycerin, and propylene glycol.

27. Method according to claim 22, wherein the filling material comprises one or more of herbaceous material, a fiber substrate, a cellulose substrate, a cotton substrate, and a foam.

28. Aerosol-generating rod, comprising: a susceptor that is heatable by exposing the susceptor to an alternating magnetic field; a sleeve of filling material, the sleeve of filling material surrounding the susceptor to form a rod incorporating the susceptor; and an aerosol-generating gel provided within the sleeve of filling material, without direct contact between the aerosol-generating gel and the susceptor, wherein the aerosol-generating gel is a thixotropic gel.

29. Aerosol-generating rod according to claim 28, wherein the filling material is formed from a sheet substrate of reconstituted herbaceous material, a fiber substrate, a cellulose substrate, a cotton substrate, or a foam substrate.

Description

[0129] Examples and embodiments will now be further described with reference to the figures, in which:

[0130] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a device for producing an aerosol-generating rod according to an embodiment;

[0131] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of an aerosol-generating rod according to an embodiment; and

[0132] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a device for producing an aerosol-generating rod according to an embodiment.

[0133] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a device 1 for producing an aerosol-generating rod 3 according to embodiments. The device 1 comprises a converging device 5. The converging device 5 is funnel-shaped and has a wall 7 defining a forming space 9 therein to produce the aerosol-generating rod 3.

[0134] The converging device 5 comprises a first end 9 and a second end 11. A conveyor system 13 that is schematically shown in FIG. 1 conveys filling material 15 through the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 along an axial direction 17 from the first end 9 of the converging device 5 to the second end 11 of the converging device 5, for example by pulling.

[0135] A susceptor guide 19 extends into the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 along the axial direction 17 and comprises an exit opening 21 within the forming space 9. The conveyor system 13 is configured to convey a susceptor 23 through the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 along the axial direction 17. The susceptor 23 is guided by the susceptor guide 19 and exits the susceptor guide 19 within the forming space 9 through the exit opening 21.

[0136] The susceptor 23 is withdrawn from a supply row 25 as a susceptor band. The susceptor 23 is configured to be heated by being exposed to an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor 23 may be heated by means of induction heating. The susceptor 23 may, for example, be made of or comprise conductive material, such as metal or carbon.

[0137] A cross sectional area of the forming space 9, in a sectional plane in perpendicular to the axial direction 17, decreases along the axial direction 17. When the filling material 15 is conveyed through the converging device 5, the filling material 15 engages the wall 7 of the converging device 5 from inside the converging device 5 and is thereby shaped into the rod 3 incorporating the susceptor 23.

[0138] In the illustrated embodiment, the filling material 15 is conveyed through the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 as two sheets of material. The two sheets are conveyed through the forming space 9 along the axial direction 17 radially outside of the susceptor guide 19. The sheets, in the illustrated embodiment, enter the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 on opposing sides of the susceptor guide 19. Within the forming space 9, the sheets are shaped into a rod 3 incorporating the susceptor 23 by engaging the wall 7 of the converging device 5 and being compressed against the susceptor 23 from radially outside. Shaping the sheets into the rod 3 may comprise one or more of folding, bending, and compressing the sheets. Preferably, the sheets are crimped before entering the converging device 5 to facilitate folding, bending and compressing of the sheets.

[0139] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an additive reservoir 27 is connected to an inside of the converging device 5 by an additive supply line 29. The additive reservoir 27 stores an additive, in particular an aerosol-generating additive. Preferably, the additive is a gel or comprises a gel. In particular, the additive may be a thixotropic gel. The additive reservoir 27 may comprise viscosity adjustment means 28 to decrease the viscosity of the additive in the additive reservoir 27 to facilitate transporting the additive through the additive supply line 29. The viscosity adjustment means 28 may, for example, comprise one or more rotating blades or a heater.

[0140] The additive supply line 29 has a dispensing opening 31 opening into the forming space 9 of the converging device 5. While the susceptor 23 and the filling material 15 are conveyed through the forming space 9 of the converging device 5, additive is supplied into the forming space 9 through the additive supply line 29 by pumping the additive through the additive supply line 29 with a pump 33. The dispensing opening 31 of the additive supply line 29, opens into the forming space 9 radially outside of the susceptor guide 19. Upon being conveyed through the forming space 9, at least a part of the filling material 15 passes between the dispensing opening 31 of the additive supply line 29 and the susceptor 23.

[0141] In the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing opening 31 is essentially flush with the inner surface of the wall 7 of the converging device 5. The additive supply line 29 does not protrude into the forming space 9 of the converging device 5. In the alternative case that the additive supply line 29 radially protrudes into the forming space 9 of the converging device 5, the protrusion length of the additive supply line 29 into the forming space 9 preferably is small, such as no more than 20 millimeters or less, for example.

[0142] When the additive is dispensed through the dispensing opening 31 into the forming space 9 into the converging device 5, the additive is supplied to the filling material 15 from radially outside. The filling material 15 may act as a carrier for the additive. The additive may be taken along with the filling material 15 along the axial direction 17.

[0143] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the rod 3 after production. As shown, the susceptor 23 extends centrally within the rod 3 along the axial direction 17 (into the drawing plane in FIG. 2). The filling material 15, illustrated as folded and bent sheets in FIG. 2, forms a sleeve 35 circumferentially surrounding the susceptor 23. As illustrated, the filling material 15 forms bends and pockets in which the additive may reside.

[0144] Radially outside of the sleeve 35, the rod 3 comprises a wrapper 37 wrapped around the sleeve 35 after or while the rod 3 exits the converging device 5. The wrapper 37 may, for example, be formed of a paper sheet.

[0145] As the additive is dispensed onto the filling material 15 from radially outwards, the rod 3 may be manufactured without direct contact between the additive and the susceptor 23.

[0146] The device 1 schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises only one additive reservoir 27 and one additive supply line 29. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an alternative embodiment having more than one additive reservoir 27 and more than one additive supply line 29. In detail, the embodiment of FIG. 3 shows four additive reservoirs 27 and corresponding four additive supply lines 29. Aside from there being three additional additive reservoirs 27, corresponding additional additive supply lines 29, and pumps 33, the functional principle and general construction of the device 1 shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0147] In FIG. 3, each of the additive supply lines 29 opens into the forming space 9 of the converging device 5 via a corresponding dispensing opening 31 through which the additive from the corresponding additive reservoir 27 is dispensed into the forming space 9. The dispensing openings 31 open into the forming space 9 radially outwards of the susceptor guide 19 and at least a part of the filling material 15 passes between the dispensing openings 31 and the susceptor 23, when being conveyed through the converging device 5.

[0148] In FIG. 3, there are two pairs of additive supply lines 29 and corresponding additive reservoirs 27. A first pair of additive supply lines 29 is shown above the susceptor guide 19 in FIG. 3 and the other pair of additive supply lines 29 is shown in FIG. 3 below the susceptor guide 19. The dispensing openings 31 of the first pair of supply lines 29 and the dispensing openings 31 of the second pair of supply lines 29 are provided on opposite sides of the susceptor 23 and the susceptor guide 19. The dispensing openings 31 of the additive supply lines 29 illustrated in FIG. 3 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axial direction 17 as axis of symmetry. The dispensing openings 31 of the additive supply lines 29 of the same pair of supply lines 29 are arranged one behind the other along the axial direction 17.

[0149] Having multiple additive supply lines 29 with corresponding dispensing opening 31 allows dispensing additive into the forming space 9 at different locations to achieve a desired distribution of additive on the filling material 15. Having multiple additive reservoirs 27 with corresponding additive supply lines 29 allows dispensing different kinds of additive through the different dispensing openings 31. For example, all four additive reservoirs in FIG. 3 might hold different kinds of additives, or only two or three of the additive reservoirs might hold different kinds of additives. Alternatively, all four additive reservoirs 27 might hold the same kind of additive.

[0150] According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first pair of additive supply lines 29 (upper pair in FIG. 3), is provided with an additive supply line heating assembly 41 configured to actively heat the additive supply lines 29 to reduce the viscosity of the additive supplied by the additive supply lines 29. Further, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a converging device heating assembly 43 is provided to actively heat a heating region 45 of the forming space 9. The heating region 45 is at least partially downstream of at least one dispensing opening 29 with respect to the axial direction 17. By heating the heating region 45 in the forming space 9, the viscosity of the additive may be kept low even after the additive has left the additive supply line 29. This may facilitate distribution of the additive over the filling material 15.

[0151] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a cooling assembly 47 is provided to actively cool the rod 3 downstream of the heating region 45. The cooling assembly 47 may cool the rod 3 to increase viscosity of the additive and to essentially fix the distribution of additive within the sleeve 35.

[0152] FIG. 3 also illustrates a wrapping assembly 51 downstream of the second end 11 of the converging device 5. The wrapping assembly 51 is configured to wrap the rod 3 with a wrapper 37, such as the paper wrapper 37 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0153] Although the additive supply line heating assembly 41, the converging device heating assembly 43, and the cooling assembly 47 are only illustrated in FIG. 3, any one or more of those features may analogously be included into the device 1 of FIG. 1.