Aerosol-generating article having dispersed flavourant

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol-generating article (10) comprising an aerosol-generating substrate (12) and a mouthpiece (14). The mouthpiece (14) comprises at least one segment of filter material (18, 20, 22), a breakable capsule (26) containing an aqueous liquid (32), and a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) dispersed within the at least one segment of filter material (22). Each of the microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) comprises a flavourant encapsulated within a shell comprising a water sensitive material, such that the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) are adapted to release a flavourant upon contact with the liquid (32) contained within the breakable capsule (26).

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating article configured to be smoked by a user comprising: an aerosol-generating substrate; a mouthpiece comprising at least one segment of filter material; a breakable capsule containing an aqueous liquid; and a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles dispersed within the at least one segment of filter material, wherein each of the microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises a flavourant encapsulated within a shell comprising a water sensitive material, such that the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles are adapted to release the flavourant upon contact with the aqueous liquid contained within the breakable capsule such that an unflavoured smoking experience is provided during smoking when the breakable capsule is unbroken and a flavoured smoking experience is provided during smoking when the breakable capsule is broken.

2. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein each of the microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises an inner core of the flavourant contained within an outer shell comprising the water sensitive material.

3. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein each of the microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises the flavourant dispersed within a shell matrix comprising the water sensitive shell material.

4. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the shell of each microencapsulated flavourant particle comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, one or more carrageenans, agar, gellan gum, one or more pectins, arabic gum, ghatti gum, pullulan gum, mannan gum, one or more modified starches, one or more alginate salts, hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate about 75 percent to 90 percent hydrolyzed, hydroxyalkyl celluloses, carboxyalkyl celluloses, and combinations thereof.

5. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the breakable capsule comprises the aqueous liquid contained within a breakable shell, and wherein the breakable shell comprises at least one hydrocolloid.

6. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the breakable capsule has a substantially round cross-sectional shape, and wherein the maximum diameter of the breakable capsule is between 2.5 millimetres and 5 millimetres.

7. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles is between 5 micrometres and 500 micrometres.

8. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the total number of microencapsulated flavourant particles within the at least one segment of filter material is between 10 and 500 microencapsulated flavourant particles.

9. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the flavourant within at least some of the microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises a mixture of at least two different flavourants.

10. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the flavourant comprises menthol.

11. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises a mixture of at least a first population of microencapsulated flavourant particles and a second population of microencapsulated flavourant particles, wherein the first population of microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises at least a first flavourant and wherein the second population of microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises at least a second flavourant, wherein the first flavourant is different to the second flavourant.

12. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 11, wherein the first and second populations of microencapsulated flavourant particles are provided within the same segment of filter material.

13. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the breakable capsule is positioned within the at least one segment of filter material.

14. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles are formed using a spray drying process.

15. A method of forming a plurality of filter rods for an aerosol-generating article, the method comprising: providing a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles comprising a flavourant encapsulated within a shell comprising a water sensitive material; providing a filter material; depositing the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles onto the filter material; forming the filter material into a substantially continuous filter rod, the substantially continuous filter rod comprising the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles dispersed within the filter material; cutting the substantially continuous filter rod at spaced apart intervals to form a plurality of filter rods; and inserting at least one breakable capsule into each filter rod, each breakable capsule containing an aqueous liquid, wherein the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles are adapted to release the flavourant upon contact with the aqueous liquid within the breakable capsule such that an unflavoured smoking experience is provided during smoking when the breakable capsule is unbroken and a flavoured smoking experience is provided during smoking when the breakable capsule is broken.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the providing a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles comprises forming the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles using a spray drying process.

Description

(1) In any of the embodiments described above, the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles are preferably spray dried microencapsulated flavourant particles. Therefore, the step of providing a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles may comprise forming the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles using a spray drying process. Using a spray drying process to form the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles may be a convenient and cost-effective process for forming the particles, particularly in those embodiments in which each microencapsulated flavourant particle comprises a flavourant contained within a shell.

(2) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol-generating article 10 is a filter cigarette comprising an aerosol-generating substrate 12 in the form of a wrapped tobacco rod, and a mouthpiece 14. The mouthpiece 14 is secured to the wrapped tobacco rod by a tipping wrapper 16.

(3) The mouthpiece 14 comprises an upstream filter segment 18 at an upstream end of the mouthpiece 14, a mouth end filter segment 20 at a downstream end of the mouthpiece 14, and an intermediate filter segment 22 positioned between the upstream filter segment 18 and the mouth end filter segment 20. A combining plug wrap 24 is wrapped around the filter segments 18, 20, 22 to combine them and form the mouthpiece 14.

(4) The mouthpiece 14 further comprises a breakable capsule 26 received within a recess 28 in the upstream filter segment 18. The breakable capsule 26 comprises a breakable shell 30 defining a cavity in which a liquid 32 is received. During use of the aerosol-generating article 10, a consumer may squeeze the breakable capsule 26 to break the breakable shell 30, which releases the liquid 32 into the intermediate filter segment 22. The recess 28 in the upstream filter segment 18 is open at its downstream end to facilitate the release of the liquid 32 into the intermediate filter segment 22. An indicia may be provided on an outer surface of the tipping wrapper 16 to indicate the portion of the aerosol-generating article 10 which should be squeezed to break the breakable capsule 26.

(5) The mouthpiece 14 further comprises a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles 38 dispersed within the intermediate filter segment 22. The plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles 38 each comprise a flavourant received within a shell, wherein the shell is formed from a material that dissolves or otherwise breaks down upon contact with the liquid 32 within the breakable capsule 26. Therefore, during use of the aerosol-generating article 10, a consumer may squeeze the breakable capsule 26 to break the breakable shell 30 at the frangible portion 34, which releases the liquid 32 into the intermediate filter segment 22 and causes the release of the flavourant from the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles 38.