Holder for aerosol generating article

Abstract

A holder (200) for an aerosol generating article (100) includes a body (210) defining a passage extending from a first end to a second end of the body for receiving the aerosol generating article. The holder further includes a sleeve (220) having a (i) a ventilation region (222) including one or more holes, and (ii) an extinguishment region (224) downstream of the ventilation region. The sleeve is movable over the body between (i) a retracted position, (ii) an extinguishment position, and (iii) a use position between the retracted position and the extinguishment position. The ventilation region is configured to be aligned with the heat source (102) of the aerosol generating article when the sleeve is in the use position. The extinguishment region is configured to be aligned with the heat source of the aerosol generating article when the sleeve is in the extinguishment position.

Claims

1. A holder for an aerosol generating article having a heat source, the holder comprising: a body having a first end and a second end and passage extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the body is configured to receive the aerosol generating article into the passage; and a sleeve having a tubular body defining a first end and a second end, the tubular body comprising (i) a ventilation region comprising one or more holes through the tubular body in proximity to the second end, and (ii) an extinguishment region downstream of the ventilation region; wherein the sleeve is movable over the body between (i) a retracted position, (ii) an extinguishment position, and (iii) a use position between the retracted position and the extinguishment position, wherein the second end of the sleeve is closer to the first end of the body when the sleeve is in the retracted position relative to when the sleeve is in the extinguishment position, wherein the ventilation region is configured to be aligned with the heat source of the aerosol generating article when the sleeve is in the use position, and wherein the extinguishment region is configured to be aligned with the heat source of the aerosol generating article when the sleeve is in the extinguishment position, and wherein the sleeve and body are configured to retain the sleeve in the use position when the sleeve is moved to the use position, wherein the sleeve and body are configured to retain the sleeve in the retracted position when the sleeve is moved to the retracted position, and wherein the sleeve and body are configured to retain the sleeve in the extinguishment position when the sleeve is moved to the extinguishment position.

2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the passage of the body is configured to receive the aerosol generating article through the second end.

3. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is biased towards the extinguishment position.

4. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the extinguishment region of the sleeve has an inner surface defining an inner diameter configured to provide a clearance of 0.2 mm or less between the heat source of the aerosol generating article and the inner surface of the sleeve at the extinguishment region when the extinguishment region is aligned with the heat source of the aerosol generating article.

5. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed from a single part.

6. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed from a material comprising one or more of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyoxymethylene (POM), and high density polyethylene (HDPE).

7. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the body, in proximity to the second end, is configured to engage and retain the aerosol generating article via an interference fit.

8. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises an inner surface defining a detent, and wherein the body comprises an outer surface defining a longitudinal channel, wherein the channel is configured to receive the detent.

9. The holder according to claim 8, wherein the sleeve is at least partially rotatable about the body, and wherein the outer surface of the body further defines a slot extending away from, and contiguous with, the longitudinal channel, wherein the slot is configured to slidably receive the detent when the detent is aligned with an intersection of the slot with the channel and the sleeve is rotated.

10. The holder according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve is locked into the retracted position, the extinguishment position, or the use position when the detent is received by the slot.

11. The holder according to claim 1, further comprising a tube received in the passage of the body, wherein the tube has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end extends beyond the first end of the body, wherein the tube is slidable within the passage of the body between a use position and an ejection position, wherein the first end of the tube is further from the first end of the body when the tube is in the use position than when the tube is in the ejection position, and wherein sliding the tube in the passage of the body in a direction from the first end of the body to the second end of the body causes the aerosol generating article to be ejected from the passage of the body through the second end of the body.

12. The holder according to claim 11, wherein the tube is biased towards the retention position.

13. An assembly comprising holder according to claim 1 and the aerosol generating article having the heat source, wherein the aerosol generating article is received in the passage defined by the body of the holder.

14. A kit comprising a holder according to claim 1 and one or more aerosol generating articles having a heat source, wherein the aerosol generating articles are configured to be received by passage of the body of the holder.

15. The kit according to claim 14, wherein the aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate and wherein the aerosol generating article is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the aerosol generating substrate without combusting the substrate.

16. The kit according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol generating substrate comprises tobacco.

17. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate and wherein the aerosol generating article is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the aerosol generating substrate without combusting the substrate.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the aerosol generating substrate comprises tobacco.

19. The holder of claim 1, wherein sleeve and body interact to retain the sleeve and the body in the retracted position, the use position, and the extinguishment position via a retracted position slot, a use position slot, and an extinguishment position slot and one or more detents received in an appropriate slot.

20. The holder of claim 1, wherein sleeve and body interact to retain the sleeve and the body in the use position via a use position slot and a detent received in the use position slot.

Description

(1) Reference will now be made to the drawings, which depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like components, steps and the like. However, it will be understood that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labeled with the same number. In addition, the use of different numbers to refer to components in different figures is not intended to indicate that the different numbered components cannot be the same or similar to other numbered components.

(2) FIG. 1 is schematic perspective view of an illustrative aerosol generating article with the wrapper partially opened to view the internal contents.

(3) FIGS. 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A are schematic side views of an illustrative aerosol generating article in an illustrative holder.

(4) FIGS. 2B, 3B, 4B and 5B are schematic views of the aerosol generating article and holder illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A, respectively, with a portion of the holder cut-away.

(5) FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic perspectives view of components of a portion of an illustrative holder.

(6) FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of an illustrative an illustrative aerosol generating article in a a portion of a body of an illustrative holder.

(7) The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation.

(8) Referring now to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating article 100 extends between a proximal end 103 and a distal end 105. The aerosol generating article 100 includes a combustible heat source 102 positioned at the distal end 105 of the aerosol generating article 100, an aerosol generating substrate 104 downstream of the combustible heat source 102 and a mouthpiece 106 downstream of the aerosol generating substrate 104 and positioned at the proximal end 103 of the aerosol generating article 100.

(9) The aerosol generating article 100 comprises a combustible heat source 102, an aerosol generating substrate 104, an aerosol cooling element 107, an elongate expansion chamber or transfer element 108 and a mouthpiece 106, are in sequential, abutting coaxial alignment, which are overwrapped in an outer wrapper 110 of, for example, cigarette paper. The combustible heat source 102 is cylindrical.

(10) The aerosol generating substrate 104 is located immediately downstream of the combustible heat source 102 and comprises a cylindrical plug of homogenized tobacco material comprising, for example, glycerin as aerosol former and circumscribed by filter plug wrap. A heat conducting element 112, consisting of a tube of aluminum foil, surrounds and is in contact with a rear portion of the combustible heat source 102 and an abutting front portion of the aerosol generating substrate 104. The elongate expansion chamber 108 is located downstream of the aerosol generating substrate 104 and comprises a cylindrical open-ended tube of cardboard. The mouthpiece 106 is located downstream of the expansion chamber 108 and comprises a cylindrical plug of cellulose acetate tow 109 circumscribed by filter plug wrap.

(11) In use, the user ignites the combustible heat source which heats the aerosol generating substrate to produce an aerosol. When the user inhales on the mouthpiece 106 air is drawn through the aerosol generating substrate 104 through air inlet holes 113 in the cigarette paper 110 and adjacent to the aerosol generating substrate 104, through the expansion chamber 108, through the mouthpiece 106 and into the user's mouth.

(12) Referring now to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B, a holder 200 includes a body 210, a sleeve 220, a mouthpiece 230, a tube 240, a first spring 250 and a second spring 260. The sleeve 220, which is slidably disposed over the body 210, comprises a ventilation region 222 and an extinguishment region 224 downstream of the ventilation region 222. The mouthpiece 230 is telescoping. Tube 240 is disposed in mouthpiece 230 and body 210. Spring 250 interacts with body 210 and sleeve 220 to bias sleeve towards an extinguishment position. Spring 260 interacts with body 210 and mouthpiece 230 to bias mouthpiece 230 to a use position.

(13) In FIGS. 2A and 2B the holder 200 is in an insertion position in which an aerosol generating article 100 having a heat source 102 may be inserted into a passage of the body 210 of the holder 200. The sleeve 220 is retracted to allow insertion of aerosol generating article 100.

(14) In FIGS. 3A and 3B the holder 200 is in a use position in which the heat source 102 of the aerosol generating article 100 is aligned with the ventilation region 222 of the sleeve 220. The ventilation region 222 surrounds the heat source 102 and provides sufficient air flow to the heat source to allow the heat source 102 to be ignited and to maintain combustion of the heat source 102.

(15) In FIGS. 4A and 4B the holder 200 is in an extinguishment position in which the heat source 102 of the aerosol generating article 100 is aligned with the extinguishment region 224 of the sleeve 220. The extinguishment region 224 surrounds the heat source 102 and restricts air flow to the heat source to extinguish the heat source 102.

(16) In FIGS. 5A and 5B the holder 200 is in an ejection position in which a mouth end of the mouthpiece 230 is distally collapsed, causing tube 240 to advance distally within the passage of the body 210 to eject the aerosol generating article 100 from the passage of the body 210. The sleeve 220 is also retracted, as a user may grasp the sleeve 220 while simultaneously pressing on the mouth end of the mouthpiece 230, which may cause the sleeve 220 to retract. Alternatively, the sleeve may be moved and locked into a retracted position prior to depressing the mouthpiece.

(17) Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, an exterior surface of body 210 defines a longitudinal channel 211 and slots 213 extending away from, and continuous with the channel 211. The exterior surface of the body 210 also defines a longitudinal groove 215 for retaining the sleeve 220 about the body 210. The sleeve 220 comprises a detent 223 configured to be slidably received by the groove 216. The length of the groove 215 and thickness of the detent 223 of define the distance along which the sleeve 223 can be moved over the body 210. An inner surface of the sleeve 220 defines detent 221 which is slidably received in channel 221 of the body 210. When detent 221 is aligned with an intersection of channel 211 and slot 213, the sleeve 220 may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the body 210 to lock detent 221 in slot 213.

(18) Referring now to FIG. 8, a holder may include a seal 300 that extends from an inner surface of sleeve 200, The seal 300 is arranged and configured to engage the aerosol generating article 100 downstream of the heat source 102. The sleeve 220 defines through holes 229 downstream of the seal 300. Air that flows through holes 229 may enter air inlets 113 of the of the aerosol generating article 100. The air may pass over the aerosol generating substrate in the article 100 to increase release of volatile compounds from the substrate, to increase delivery of volatile compounds to a user, or increase release of volatile compounds from the substrate and increase delivery of volatile compounds to a user. Seal 300 may limit or prevent combustion gasses from heat source 102 from entering air drawn through article 100. It will be understood that through holes 229 and seal 300 as depicted in FIG. 8 may be included in sleeves 200 as depicted in FIGS. 2-5 and 7.

(19) Thus, methods, systems, apparatuses, assemblies and articles for a holder for aerosol generating articles are described. Various modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are apparent to those skilled in the mechanical arts and aerosol generating article manufacturing or related fields are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.