AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM HAVING A VENTILATION CHAMBER

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating article including a rod of aerosol-forming substrate, a filter downstream of the rod, the rod and the filter being assembled within a wrapper, and a ventilation zone located on the wrapper and including apertures extending through the wrapper; and an aerosol-generating device including distal and mouth ends, a housing including a peripheral wall defining a device cavity to removably receive the article at the mouth end, and a heater to heat the substrate when the article is received within the device cavity, such that, when the article is received within the device cavity, the ventilation zone is located within the device cavity and a portion of an internal surface of the peripheral wall overlying the zone is spaced apart from the article to define a ventilation chamber within the peripheral wall.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating article comprising: a rod of aerosol-forming substrate, a filter disposed downstream of the rod of aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the rod of aerosol-forming substrate and the filter are assembled within a wrapper, and a ventilation zone located on the wrapper, the ventilation zone comprising a plurality of apertures extending through the wrapper; and an aerosol-generating device comprising: a distal end and a mouth end, a housing comprising a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall defining a device cavity configured to removably receive the aerosol-generating article at the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device, and a heater configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-generating article is received within the device cavity, wherein the aerosol-generating system is configured so that, when the aerosol-generating article is received within the device cavity, the ventilation zone of the aerosol-generating article is located within the device cavity and a portion of an internal surface of the peripheral wall overlying the ventilation zone is spaced apart from the aerosol-generating article to define a ventilation chamber within the peripheral wall, wherein the ventilation chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with an exterior of the aerosol-generating device via the mouth end of the device and with the ventilation zone of the aerosol-generating article, such that air is configured to enter the ventilation chamber via the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating article is received within the device cavity, and wherein a thickness of the portion of the peripheral wall defining the ventilation chamber is different than a thickness of a different portion of the peripheral wall.

17. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the ventilation chamber is defined within a thickness of the peripheral wall.

18. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the ventilation chamber is adjacent to the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device.

19. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the ventilation chamber is located at a longitudinal position away from the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device.

20. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 19, wherein the ventilation chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device through a chamber inlet defined in the housing,

21. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 20, wherein the chamber inlet extends between the ventilation chamber and the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device.

22. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the ventilation chamber is further configured to be in fluid communication with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device via a mouth end face defining the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device.

23. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein a thickness of the portion of the peripheral wall defining the ventilation chamber is less than a thickness of a different portion of the peripheral wall.

24. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 23, wherein the thickness of the portion of the peripheral wall defining the ventilation chamber varies along a longitudinal direction.

25. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the ventilation chamber is annular.

26. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises an extractor configured to extract the aerosol-generating article received in the aerosol-generating device, and to be moveable within the device cavity.

27. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 26, wherein the extractor is further configured to expose the ventilation chamber when the extractor is in an operating position, the operating position being defined by the heater being in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article.

28. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 26, wherein an air-flow path is defined between the peripheral wall of the aerosol-generating device housing and an external surface of the extractor, and wherein the ventilation chamber is in fluid communication with the air-flow path.

29. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the filter of the aerosol-generating article comprises: a mouthpiece segment comprising a plug of filtration material arranged downstream of the rod of aerosol-forming substrate, and a hollow tubular segment located between the mouthpiece segment and the rod of aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the ventilation zone is located at a position along an upstream half of the hollow tubular segment.

30. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the heater comprises an elongate heating element configured to penetrate the rod of aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-generating article is received within the aerosol-generating device.

Description

[0171] Specific embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which:

[0172] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a comparative aerosol-generating device and a comparative aerosol-generating system;

[0173] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of an aerosol-generating system;

[0174] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of an aerosol-generating system; and

[0175] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a further embodiment of an aerosol-generating system.

[0176] FIG. 1 illustrates an aerosol-generating system 100 comprising a comparative aerosol-generating device 10 and an aerosol-generating article 1. The aerosol-generating device 10 comprises a housing 4, extending between a mouth end 2 and a distal end (not shown). The housing 4 comprises a peripheral wall 6. The peripheral wall 6 defines a device cavity for receiving an aerosol-generating article 1. An extractor 8 is located within the device cavity defined by the peripheral wall 6 and is configured to receive and extract the aerosol-generating article 1 from the device cavity. The extractor 8 comprises a body having an open, mouth end and a closed end. The closed end of the extractor 8 body is defined by an end-wall. The device cavity is further defined by a closed, distal end and an open, mouth end. The mouth end of the device cavity is located at the mouth end of the aerosol-generating device 10. The aerosol-generating article 1 is configured to be received through the mouth end of the device cavity and is configured to abut either the closed end of the device cavity or a closed end of the extractor 8. The closed end of the extractor 8 is configured to substantially abut, or to be in proximity of, the closed end of the device cavity.

[0177] An air-flow path 32 is defined around the external surface of the extractor 8 and between the peripheral wall 6 of the aerosol-generating device housing 4 and an external surface of the extractor 8. Air is allowed to enter the extractor 8 via an aperture (not shown) present at the closed end of the extractor 8 body. This enables air to flow through the rod of aerosol-forming substrate 12 and further downstream through the rest of the aerosol-generating article 1 upon suction being created by user at the mouth end of the article 1.

[0178] The aerosol-generating device 10 further comprises a heater (not shown) and a power source (not shown) for supplying power to the heater. A controller (not shown) is also provided to control such supply of power to the heater. The heater is configured to heat the aerosol-generating article 1 during use, when the aerosol-generating article 1 is received within the device 10.

[0179] The aerosol-generating article 1 comprises a rod of aerosol-forming substrate 12, a hollow support segment 14, a hollow tubular segment 16 and a mouthpiece segment 18. These four elements are arranged in an end-to-end, longitudinal alignment and are circumscribed by a wrapper 22 to form the aerosol-generating article 1. The aerosol-generating article 1 shown in FIG. 1 is particularly suitable for use with an electrically operated aerosol-generating device 1 comprising a heater for heating the rod of aerosol-forming substrate 12.

[0180] The rod of aerosol-forming substrate 12 has a length of about 12 millimetres and a diameter of about 7 millimetres. The rod 12 is cylindrical in shape and has a substantially circular cross-section. The rod 12 comprises a gathered sheet of homogenised tobacco material. The hollow cellulose acetate tube (hollow support segment) 14 has a length of about 8 millimetres and a thickness of 1 millimetre.

[0181] The mouthpiece segment 18 comprises a plug of cellulose acetate tow of 8 denier per filament and has a length of about 7 millimetres.

[0182] The hollow tubular segment 16 is provided as a cylindrical tube having a length of about 18 millimetres and a thickness of the tube wall is about 100 micrometres.

[0183] The aerosol-generating article 1 comprises a ventilation zone 26 provided at least about 5 millimetres from an upstream end of the mouthpiece segment 18. The ventilation zone 26 is at least about 12 millimetres from the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 1. The ventilation zone 26 is at least about 21 millimetres from a downstream end of the rod 12. The ventilation zone 26 comprises a series or line of perforations extending through the wrapper 22.

[0184] As shown in FIG. 1, the ventilation zone 26 of the aerosol-generating article 1 is exposed during use of the system 100.

[0185] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an aerosol-generating system 200 comprising an aerosol-generating device 20 and the aerosol-generating article 1. The aerosol-generating device 20 comprises similar features to those described in relation to the aerosol-generating device 10.

[0186] The aerosol-generating device 20 further comprises a ventilation chamber 28 configured to circumscribe the ventilation zone 26 of the aerosol-generating article 1 when received within the aerosol-generating device 20. The device cavity has a total length of 30 mm and the ventilation chamber 28 has a length of 6 mm. The ventilation chamber 28 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape that is triangular. The ventilation chamber 28 is also annular such that the ventilation chamber 28 extends around the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 6. During use, the ventilation chamber 28 circumscribes the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating article 1.

[0187] The ventilation chamber 28 is in fluid communication with an external surface of the aerosol-generating article 1 and the exterior of the device 10 via the mouth end of the device 10. In particular, the ventilation chamber 28 is configured to be in fluid communication with the ventilation zone 26 of the article 1. The ventilation chamber 28 is also configured to be in fluid communication with the air-flow path 32. The ventilation chamber 28 extends from the mouth end 2 of the device 20 towards the distal end of the device cavity. As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilation chamber 28 is defined within the thickness of the peripheral wall 6.

[0188] FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of an aerosol-generating system 300 comprising an aerosol-generating device 30 and the aerosol-generating article 1. The aerosol-generating device 30 comprises an extractor 8 that is shorter than the length of the device cavity. During use, when an aerosol-generating article 10 is received within the device 30, a space is defined between the proximal end of the extractor 8 and the mouth end 2 of the device 30. Such space defines a ventilation chamber 128 that circumscribes the aerosol-generating article 1, in particular, the ventilation zone 26. The ventilation chamber 128 is configured to be in fluid communication with the ventilation zone 26 of the article 1. The ventilation chamber 28 is also configured to be in fluid communication with the air-flow path 32 defined around the extractor 8. The ventilation chamber 128 has a length of 6 mm.

[0189] The ventilation chamber 128 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape that is rectangular. The ventilation chamber 128 is also annular such that the ventilation chamber 28 extends the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 6. In other words, during use, the ventilation chamber 28 circumscribes the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating article 1. The ventilation chamber 128 extends away from the mouth end 2 of the device 30.

[0190] In both the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, the ventilation chamber 28, 128 is in direct fluid communication with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 20, 30.

[0191] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of an aerosol-generating system 400 comprising an aerosol-generating device 40 and the aerosol-generating article 1. The aerosol-generating device 40 comprises an extractor 8.

[0192] The aerosol-generating device 40 comprises a ventilation chamber 228 configured to circumscribe the ventilation zone 26 of the aerosol-generating article 1 when received within the aerosol-generating device 40. The device cavity has a total length of 30 mm and the ventilation chamber 228 has a length of 6 mm. The ventilation chamber 228 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape that is rectangular. The ventilation chamber 228 is also annular such that the ventilation chamber 228 extends around the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 6. During use, the ventilation chamber 228 circumscribes the outer periphery of the aerosol-generating article 1.

[0193] The ventilation chamber 228 is configured to be in fluid communication with the ventilation zone 26 of the article 1 and the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 40. The ventilation chamber 228 is also configured to be in fluid communication with the air-flow path 32 defined around the extractor 8.

[0194] As shown in FIG. 4, the ventilation chamber 228 is located away from the mouth end 2 of the aerosol-generating device 40. The ventilation chamber 228 is not in direct fluid communication with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 40. The ventilation chamber 228 is in fluid communication with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 40 through a plurality of chamber inlets 44. Each chamber inlet 44 extends between the ventilation chamber 228 and the mouth end 2 of the aerosol-generating device 40 so as to ensure fluid communication between the ventilation chamber 228 and the mouth end 2 of the aerosol-generating device 40.

[0195] Each chamber inlet 44 has a circular cross-section. The diameter of each chamber inlet 44 is substantially smaller than the depth (that is, the radial depth) of the ventilation chamber 228. As shown in FIG. 4, the depth of the ventilation chamber 228 is more than five times the diameter of the chamber inlet 44.

[0196] During use of the above described aerosol-generating systems 200, 300, 400, when the aerosol-generating article 1 is received within the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 20, 30, 40, the ventilation zone 26 of the aerosol-generating article 1 cannot be directly blocked by a consumer. This is a result of the overlap of the peripheral wall 6 with the ventilation zone 26.