AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE WITH LOW RESISTANCE TO DRAW AND IMPROVED FLAVOUR DELIVERY

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating is provided, the aerosol-generating article extending from a mouth end to a distal end and including: a rod-shaped aerosol-generating element including an aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate including an aerosol-former; and a downstream section at a location downstream of the aerosol-generating element, the downstream section extending from a downstream end of the aerosol-generating element to the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article, the downstream section including a hollow tubular element, a length-to-diameter ratio of the aerosol-generating element being from about 0.5 to about 3.0, and a resistance-to-draw of the downstream section being less than 10 mm H.sub.2O.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the aerosol-generating article extending from a mouth end to a distal end and comprising: a rod-shaped aerosol-generating element comprising an aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate comprising an aerosol-former; and a downstream section at a location downstream of the aerosol-generating element, the downstream section extending from a downstream end of the aerosol-generating element to the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article, wherein the downstream section comprises a hollow tubular element, wherein a length-to-diameter ratio of the aerosol-generating element is from about 0.5 to about 3.0, and wherein a resistance-to-draw of the downstream section is less than 10 mm H.sub.2O.

17. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the length-to-diameter ratio of the aerosol-generating element is from about 1.3 to about 1.9.

18. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating element has a length from about 10 millimetres to about 35 millimetres.

19. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating element has a diameter from about 6 millimetres to about 7.5 millimetres.

20. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises tobacco cut filler.

21. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein an aerosol former content in the aerosol-generating substrate is at least about 10 percent by weight.

22. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the downstream section further comprises a ventilation zone at a location along the hollow tubular element.

23. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 22, wherein the aerosol-generating article has a ventilation level of at least about 10 percent.

24. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 22, wherein a distance between the ventilation zone and the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article is less than about 22 millimetres.

25. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 22, wherein a distance between the ventilation zone and the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article is at least about 11 millimetres.

26. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the hollow tubular element has a length of at least about 25 millimetres and a cross-section of the hollow tubular element is substantially constant.

27. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein a peripheral wall thickness of the hollow tubular element is less than about 1.5 millimetres.

28. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the hollow tubular element extends all the way to the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article.

29. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the downstream section has a resistance-to-draw of less than about 5 millimetres H.sub.2O.

30. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, further comprising an upstream section upstream of the aerosol-generating element, the upstream section having a resistance-to-draw from about 10 millimetres H.sub.2O to about 70 millimetres H.sub.2O.

Description

[0417] In the following, the invention will be further described with reference to the drawings of the accompanying Figures, wherein:

[0418] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side sectional view of an aerosol-generating article in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0419] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side sectional view of another aerosol-generating article in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

[0420] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side sectional view of a variant of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1; and

[0421] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side sectional view of a variant of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 2.

[0422] The aerosol-generating article 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate 12 and a downstream section 14 at a location downstream of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate. Thus, the aerosol-generating article 10 extends from an upstream or distal end 16—which substantially coincides with an upstream end of the rod 12—to a downstream or mouth end 18, which coincides with a downstream end of the downstream section 14.

[0423] The aerosol-generating article 10 has an overall length of about 45 millimetres. The rod of aerosol-generating substrate 12 comprises tobacco cut filler impregnated with about 12 percent by weight of an aerosol former, such as glycerin. The tobacco cut filler comprises 90 percent by weight of tobacco leaf lamina. The cut width of the tobacco cut filler is about 0.7 millimetres. The rod of aerosol-generating substrate 12 comprises about 130 milligrams of tobacco cut filler.

[0424] The downstream section 14 comprises a hollow tubular element 20 located immediately downstream of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate, the hollow tubular element 20 being in longitudinal alignment with the rod 12. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the upstream end of the hollow tubular element 20 abuts the downstream end of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate.

[0425] The hollow tubular element 20 defines a hollow section of the aerosol-generating article 10. The hollow tubular element does not substantially contribute to the overall RTD of the aerosol-generating article. In more detail, an RTD of the downstream section is about 0 mm H.sub.2O.

[0426] The hollow tubular element 20 is provided in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube made of cellulose acetate or of stiff paper, such as paper having a grammage of at least about 90 g/sqm. The hollow tubular element 20 defines an internal cavity 22 that extends all the way from an upstream end 24 of the hollow tubular segment to a downstream end 26 of the hollow tubular element 20. The internal cavity 22 is substantially empty, and so substantially unrestricted airflow is enabled along the internal cavity 22. The hollow tubular element 20 does not substantially contribute to the overall RTD of the aerosol-generating article 10.

[0427] The hollow tubular element 20 has a length of about 33 millimetres, an external diameter (D.sub.E) of about 7.3 millimetres, and an internal diameter (D.sub.I) of about 7.1 millimetres. Thus, a thickness of a peripheral wall of the hollow tubular element 20 is about 0.1 millimetres.

[0428] The aerosol-generating article 10 comprises a ventilation zone 30 provided at a location along the hollow tubular element 20. In more detail, the ventilation zone 30 is provided at about 18 millimetres from the downstream end 26 of the hollow tubular element 20. As such, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 the ventilation zone 30 is effectively provided at 18 millimetres from the mouth end 18 of the aerosol-generating article 10. A ventilation level of the aerosol-generating article 10 is about 40 percent.

[0429] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating article does not comprise any additional component upstream of the rod of aerosol-generating substrate 12 or downstream of the hollow tubular segment 20.

[0430] The aerosol-generating article 100 shown in FIG. 2 differs from the aerosol-generating article 10 described above only by the provision of an upstream section at a location upstream of the aerosol-generating element. Accordingly, the aerosol-generating article 100 will only be described insofar as it differs from the aerosol-generating article 10.

[0431] On top of a rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate and a downstream section 14 at a location downstream of the rod 12, the aerosol-generating article 100 comprises an upstream section 40 at a location upstream of the rod 12. As such, the aerosol-generating article 10 extends from a distal end 16 substantially coinciding with an upstream end of the upstream section 40 to a mouth end or downstream end 18 substantially coinciding with a downstream end of the downstream section 14.

[0432] The upstream section 40 comprises an upstream element 42 located immediately upstream of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate, the upstream element 42 being in longitudinal alignment with the rod 12. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the downstream end of the upstream element 42 abuts the upstream end of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate. The upstream element 42 is provided in the form of a cylindrical plug of cellulose acetate circumscribed by a stiff wrapper. The upstream element 42 has a length of about 5 millimetres. The RTD of the upstream element 42 is about 30 millimetres H.sub.2O.

[0433] FIG. 3 shows an aerosol-generating article 200 which is a variant of the aerosol-generating article 10 described above. The aerosol-generating article 200 is generally the same as the aerosol-generating article 10 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with the exception that the aerosol-generating article 200 of the variant of the first embodiment does not comprise a cylindrical hollow tubular element 22 as described above. Instead, the aerosol-generating article 200 of the variant of the first embodiment comprises a modified tubular element 220 located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating element 12.

[0434] The modified tubular element 220 comprises a tubular body 222 defining a cavity 224 extending from a first end of the tubular body 222 to a second end of the tubular body 222. The modified tubular element 220 also comprises a folded end portion forming a first end wall 226 at the first end of the tubular body 222. The first end wall 226 delimits an opening 228, which permits airflow between the cavity 224 and the exterior of the modified tubular element 220. In particular, the embodiment of FIG. 3 is configured so that aerosol may flow from the aerosol-generating element 12 through the opening 228 into the cavity 224.

[0435] Much like the cavity 22 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cavity 224 of the tubular body 222 is substantially empty, and so substantially unrestricted airflow is enabled along the cavity 222. Consequently, the RTD of the modified tubular element 220 can be localised at a specific longitudinal position of the modified tubular element 220—namely, at the first end wall 226—and can be controlled through the chosen configuration of the first end wall 226 and its corresponding opening 228.

[0436] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the modified tubular element 220 has a length of about 33 millimetres, an external diameter (D.sub.E) of about 7.3 millimetres, and an internal diameter (D.sub.FTS) of about 7.1 millimetres. Thus, a thickness of a peripheral wall of the tubular body 222 is about 0.1 millimetres.

[0437] FIG. 4 shows an aerosol-generating article 300 which is a variant of the aerosol-generating article 100 described above. The aerosol-generating article 300 is generally the same as the aerosol-generating article 100 of the embodiment of FIG. 2, with the exception that the aerosol-generating article 300 of the variant of the second embodiment does not comprise an upstream element 42 provided in the form of a cylindrical plug of cellulose acetate circumscribed by a stiff wrapper. Instead, the aerosol-generating article 300 of the variant of the second embodiment comprises a second tubular element 44 located immediately upstream of the aerosol-generating element 12. Consequently, in this variant of the second embodiment, the hollow tubular element 20 located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating element 12 can be referred to as a first tubular element 20.

[0438] The second tubular element 44 comprises a tubular body 46 defining a cavity 48 extending from a first end of the tubular body 46 to a second end of the tubular body 46. The second tubular element 44 also comprises a folded end portion forming a first end wall 50 at the first end of the tubular body 46. The first end wall 50 delimits an opening 52, which permits airflow between the cavity 48 and the exterior of the second tubular element 44. In particular, the embodiment of FIG. 4 is configured so that air may flow from the cavity 48 through the opening 52 and into the aerosol-generating element 12.

[0439] Further, the second tubular element 44 comprises a second end wall 54 at the second end of its tubular body 46. This second end wall 54 is formed by folding an end portion of the second tubular element 44 at the second end of the tubular body 46. The second end wall 54 delimits an opening 56, which also permits airflow between the cavity 48 and the exterior of the second tubular element 44. In the case of the second end wall 54, the opening 56 is configured to so that air may flow from the exterior of the aerosol-generating article 300 through the opening 56 and into the cavity 48. The opening 56 therefore provides a conduit through which air can be drawn into the aerosol-generating article 300 and through the aerosol-generating element 12.

[0440] In the variant of FIG. 4, a downstream end of the second tubular element 44 abuts the upstream end of the rod 12 of aerosol-generating substrate. The second tubular element 44 has a length of about 5 millimetres.