Aerosol generating article having removable tipping wrapper portion with tear tab

Abstract

An aerosol generating article (10) comprises an aerosol generating substrate (12), a mouthpiece (14) in axial alignment with the aerosol generating substrate (12), and a tipping wrapper (20). The tipping wrapper (20) comprises a first weakening line (22) extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the tipping wrapper; a removable tipping wrapper portion (26) extending downstream from the at least one weakening line (22); an upstream tipping wrapper portion (24) extending upstream from the first weakening line; and a longitudinal edge (28) extending along the outer surface of the mouthpiece. The longitudinal edge (28) comprises a tipping wrapper projection (32) downstream of the at least one weakening line (22) and a first straight line portion (30) extending upstream of the tipping wrapper projection (32), wherein the tipping wrapper projection (32) comprises a first curved transition portion (38) connecting the first straight line portion (30) to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection and wherein the first curved transition portion (30) follows a convex curve.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating article comprising: an aerosol generating substrate; a mouthpiece in axial alignment with the aerosol generating substrate; a tipping wrapper wrapped around the mouthpiece and at least a portion of the aerosol generating substrate, the tipping wrapper comprising: a first weakening line extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the tipping wrapper; a removable tipping wrapper portion extending downstream from the at least one weakening line; an upstream tipping wrapper portion extending upstream from the first weakening line, wherein the upstream tipping wrapper portion is attached to a downstream portion of the aerosol generating substrate and an upstream portion of the mouthpiece; and a longitudinal edge extending along the outer surface of the mouthpiece, the longitudinal edge comprising a tipping wrapper projection between 5-10 mm downstream of the first weakening line on the removable tipping wrapper portion and a first straight line portion of the longitudinal edge extending upstream from the tipping wrapper projection, wherein the tipping wrapper projection comprises a first curved transition portion of the longitudinal edge connecting the first straight line portion of the longitudinal edge to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection and wherein the first curved transition portion follows a convex curve.

2. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1 wherein the radius of curvature is at least 0.5 mm along the length of the first curved transition portion.

3. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper projection extends between 2.0 mm and 5.0 mm beyond the first straight line portion of the longitudinal edge, in a circumferential direction.

4. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first straight line portion extends downstream of the first weakening line.

5. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first curved transition portion in the longitudinal direction corresponds to at least 10 percent of the distance of the tipping wrapper projection from the first weakening line.

6. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal edge of the tipping wrapper further comprises a second straight line portion extending downstream from the tipping wrapper projection to the downstream end of the removable tipping wrapper portion and wherein the tipping wrapper projection further comprises a second curved transition portion connecting the second straight line portion of the longitudinal edge to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection, wherein the second curved transition portion is convex.

7. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper further comprises: a second weakening line spaced apart from the first weakening line in a downstream direction, wherein the removable tipping wrapper portion extends between the first weakening line and the second weakening line; and a downstream tipping wrapper portion extending downstream from the second weakening line and attached to a downstream portion of the mouthpiece.

8. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper projection is a continuous, smooth curve.

9. The aerosol generating article according to claim 8 wherein the tipping wrapper projection is a Gaussian-like curve.

10. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper projection comprises a linear portion downstream of the first curved transition portion, wherein the linear portion extends to the downstream edge of the removable tipping wrapper portion.

11. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the removable tipping wrapper portion extends to the downstream edge of the tipping wrapper.

12. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the weakening line comprises a row of perforations extending around the tipping wrapper, wherein the row of perforations has a percentage of hold of between 15 percent and 30 percent.

13. The aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is circumscribed by a mouthpiece wrapper comprising one or more plug wraps, the one or more plug wraps having a basis weight of between 50 grams per square metre and 100 grams per square metre.

14. The aerosol generating article according to claim 13 wherein the one or more plug wraps extend beyond the downstream end of the mouthpiece to define a mouth end recess.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating article in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the tipping wrapper projection of the tipping wrapper of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating article in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the tipping wrapper projection of the tipping wrapper of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 1 shows an aerosol generating article 10 according to a first 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 comprising a single segment of filtration material 16 axially aligned with the tobacco rod. A downstream end of the tobacco rod abuts an upstream end of the mouthpiece 14 along the line 18 shown in FIG. 1.

(7) A tipping wrapper 20 comprising a row of perforations that form a weakening line 22 is wrapped around the mouthpiece 14 and a portion of the tobacco rod so that an upstream tipping wrapper portion 24 extends upstream from the weakening line 22, and a removable tipping wrapper portion 26 extends downstream from the weakening line 22. Only the upstream tipping wrapper portion 24 is glued to the underlying portions of the tobacco rod and the mouthpiece 14. The removable tipping wrapper portion 26 is not glued to the underlying mouthpiece 14 and is secured to the aerosol generating article 10 only along the weakening line 22 where it is secured to the upstream tipping wrapper portion 24.

(8) The longitudinal edge 28 of the tipping wrapper 20 forms a seam extending in a longitudinal direction along the mouthpiece 14. The longitudinal edge 28 comprises a tipping wrapper projection 32 at a distance downstream of the first weakening line 22 and a first straight line portion 30 extending upstream from the tipping wrapper projection 32 to the upstream end of the tipping wrapper 20. The tipping wrapper projection 32 defines a curved tear tab 34. The longitudinal edge 28 further comprises a second straight line portion 36 extending downstream from the tipping wrapper projection 32 to the downstream end of the tipping wrapper 20. The first straight line portion 30 and the second straight line portion 36 are in line with each other, at the same position around the circumference of the mouthpiece 14.

(9) As can be seen in the enlarged view of FIG. 2, the tipping wrapper projection 32 is in the form of a symmetric bell-shaped curve. The curve is a smooth, continuous curve such that every point on the curve has a unique tangent line. The tipping wrapper projection 32 comprises a first curved transition portion 38 connecting the first straight line portion 30 of the longitudinal edge to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection 32. The first curved transition portion 38 is convexly curved. As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream end 40 of the first curved transition portion 38 is defined at the position where the longitudinal edge 28 begins to curve away from the first straight line portion 30. The downstream end 42 is defined as the point of inflection in the tipping wrapper projection 32 curve, where the curvature of the tipping wrapper projection 38 changes from convex to concave.

(10) The tipping wrapper projection 32 further comprises a second curved transition portion 44 which connects the second straight line portion 36 to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection 30. The second curved transition portion 44 has a corresponding shape to the first curved transition portion 38 due to the symmetric shape of the tipping wrapper projection 32.

(11) Before, during or after smoking the aerosol generating article 10, the consumer can remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26, if desired, to expose the underlying portion of the mouthpiece 14. To remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 the consumer can grasp the tear tab 34 on the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 and can then peel the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 away from the mouthpiece 14 by breaking the row of perforations forming the weakening line 22. The curved shape of the first transition region 38 of the tipping wrapper projection 32 minimises the risk of potential points of weakness existing in the region of the longitudinal edge where the tipping wrapper projection 32 meets the first straight line portion 30. This enables the force applied by the consumer to be more effectively transmitted to the weakening line 22 such that the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 can be removed in a single piece, without tearing of the tipping wrapper away from the weakening line 22.

(12) FIG. 3 shows an aerosol generating article 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generating article 40 is a filter cigarette of similar construction to the aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and therefore like reference numerals are used to designate like parts.

(13) The aerosol generating article 110 shown in FIG. 3 differs from the aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIG. 1 in the shape of the tear tab at the longitudinal edge of the tipping wrapper 120. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinal edge 128 of the tipping wrapper 120 of the aerosol generating article 110 comprises a tipping wrapper projection 132 having an asymmetric shape. The tipping wrapper projection 132 comprises a first curved transition portion 138 connecting the first straight line portion 130 of the longitudinal edge 128 to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection 132 and a linear portion 150 extending downstream from the first curved transition portion 138 to the downstream edge of the tipping wrapper 120. The linear portion 150 extends along the mouthpiece 14 in a longitudinal direction and is offset from the first straight line portion 130 of the longitudinal edge to form an elongate tear tab 134. The first curved transition portion 138 and the linear portion 150 are connected by a rounded corner 152.

(14) The first curved transition portion 138 has a convex shape which corresponds to that described above with reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The upstream 140 and downstream 142 ends of the first curved transition portion 138 are defined in an analogous way. However, the tipping wrapper projection 132 is shaped such that instead of curving back towards the longitudinal edge to form a symmetric bell-shaped curve as in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tipping wrapper projection 132 curves back around at the rounded corner 152 and then extends in a straight line to define the linear portion 150.

(15) As with the aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the consumer can use the tear tab 136 to remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 126 of the aerosol generating article 120 before, during or after smoking, to expose the underlying portion of the mouthpiece 14.