Aerosol generating article having mouthpiece with surface formations and removable tipping wrapper portion

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol generating article (10) comprising an aerosol generating substrate (12), a mouthpiece (14) in axial alignment with the aerosol generating substrate (12), and a tipping wrapper (20) wrapped around the mouthpiece (14) and at least a portion of the aerosol generating substrate (12). The mouthpiece (14) comprises a mouthpiece wrapper (30) circumscribing one or more mouthpiece segments (16). The tipping wrapper (20) comprises at least one weakening line (22) extending transversely around at least a portion of the tipping wrapper (20); an upstream wrapper portion (24) extending upstream from the at least one weakening line; and a removable tipping wrapper portion (26) extending downstream from the at least one weakening line (22). The mouthpiece wrapper (30) comprises at least one surface formation (28) underlying the removable tipping wrapper portion (26).

Claims

1. An aerosol generating article comprising: an aerosol generating substrate, at least a portion of which is circumscribed by an aerosol generating substrate wrapper; a mouthpiece in axial alignment with the aerosol generating substrate, the mouthpiece comprising a mouthpiece wrapper circumscribing one or more mouthpiece segments; and a tipping wrapper wrapped around the mouthpiece and at least a portion of the aerosol generating substrate, the tipping wrapper comprising: at least one weakening line extending transversely around at least a portion of the tipping wrapper; an upstream tipping wrapper portion extending upstream from the at least one weakening line, wherein the upstream tipping wrapper portion is attached to a downstream portion of the aerosol generating substrate wrapper and an upstream portion of the mouthpiece; and a removable tipping wrapper portion extending downstream from the at least one weakening line, wherein the mouthpiece wrapper comprises at least one surface formation underlying the removable tipping wrapper portion, and wherein the at least one surface formation comprises at least one of an embossment and a debossment of the mouthpiece wrapper, the at least one of an embossment and a debossment having a depth of 10 m or greater and providing a surface texture different from a surface texture of the removable tipping wrapper portion.

2. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, further comprising a lacquer provided on a surface of the mouthpiece wrapper adjacent the removable tipping wrapper.

3. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the at least one surface formation comprises a variation in the thickness of the mouthpiece wrapper.

4. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the at least one surface formation comprises a repeating pattern of surface formations.

5. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a circumferential surface around which the tipping wrapper is wrapped, and wherein the tipping wrapper covers the entire circumferential surface of the mouthpiece before the removable tipping wrapper portion is removed.

6. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the removable tipping wrapper portion extends between the at least one weakening line and a downstream edge of the tipping wrapper.

7. An aerosol generating article according to claim 6, wherein the downstream tipping wrapper portion extends downstream of a downstream end of the mouthpiece to define a recess at the mouth end of the aerosol generating article.

8. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the at least one weakening line comprises at least one upstream weakening line and at least one downstream weakening line each extending around at least a portion of the tipping wrapper and spaced apart in the downstream direction, wherein the upstream tipping wrapper portion extends upstream from the at least one upstream weakening line, wherein the removable tipping wrapper portion extends between the at least one upstream weakening line and the at least one downstream weakening line, wherein the tipping wrapper further comprises a downstream tipping wrapper portion extending downstream from the at least one downstream weakening line, and wherein the downstream tipping wrapper portion is attached to a downstream portion of the mouthpiece.

9. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper comprises first and second overlapping portions that overlap to form a tipping wrapper seam extending in the longitudinal direction along the tipping wrapper, the aerosol generating article further comprising an adhesive provided along at least a portion of the seam to secure the first overlapping portion to the second overlapping portion, and wherein at least one portion of the seam comprises less adhesive across the width of the seam in the transverse direction compared to an adjacent portion of the seam in the longitudinal direction.

10. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating article is free from adhesive between the removable tipping wrapper portion and the underlying portion of the mouthpiece.

11. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece wrapper comprises one or more plug wraps circumscribing one or more segments of filter material.

12. An aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper comprises a longitudinal edge extending along the outer surface of the mouthpiece, the longitudinal edge comprising a tipping wrapper projection downstream of the at least one weakening line on the removable tipping wrapper portion and a first straight line portion extending upstream from the tipping wrapper projection, wherein the tipping wrapper projection comprises a first curved transition portion 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.

13. An aerosol generating article according to claim 12 wherein the radius of curvature is at least 0.5 mm along the length of the first curved transition portion.

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 the aerosol generating article of FIG. 1 with the removable tipping wrapper portion partially removed;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a lateral cross sectional view of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 1 across the removable tipping wrapper portion and adjacent the downstream end of the aerosol generating article;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a lateral cross sectional view of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 1 across the removable tipping wrapper portion and adjacent the weakening line;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating article in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the aerosol generating article of FIG. 5 with the removable tipping wrapper portion partially removed;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating article in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of the tipping wrapper projection of the tipping wrapper of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 7.

(10) 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.

(11) 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.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross sectional view of the aerosol generating article 10 across the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 and adjacent the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 10. During manufacture of the aerosol generating article 10, the tipping wrapper 20 is wrapped around the single segment of filtration material 16 and the aerosol-generating substrate 12 so that the transverse ends of the tipping wrapper 20 overlap to form a seam 27 along the length of the tipping wrapper 20. As shown in FIG. 3, an adhesive 29 is applied between the overlapping portions of the tipping wrapper 20 along one or more portions of the seam 27 to secure the overlapping portions of the tipping wrapper 20 together. However, as shown in FIG. 4, which shows a transverse cross sectional view of the aerosol generating article 10 across the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 and adjacent the weakening line 22, the seam 27 is substantially free from adhesive adjacent the weakening line 22 so that the overlying transverse edge of the tipping wrapper 20 forms a free edge 31 of the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 at the seam 27 and adjacent the weakening line 20. The free edge 31 forms a portion of the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 that a consumer can grasp when removing the removable tipping wrapper portion 26.

(13) Before or during smoking of the aerosol generating article 10, the consumer can remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26, if desired, to reveal a plurality of surface formations 28 in the form of lines embossed into a mouthpiece wrapper 30 comprising a stiff plug wrap wrapped around the single segment of filtration material 16, as shown in FIG. 2 in which the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 has been partially removed. To remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 the consumer can grasp the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 at the free edge 31 adjacent the weakening line 22. The consumer 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.

(14) The stiff plug wrap forming the mouthpiece wrapper 20 maintains the required stiffness of the mouthpiece 14 after the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 has been removed.

(15) FIG. 5 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.

(16) The aerosol generating article 40 shown in FIG. 5 differs from the aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIG. 1 in the construction of the tipping wrapper 120. Specifically, the tipping wrapper 120 of the aerosol generating article 40 comprises an additional weakening line 42 comprising a row of perforations. Therefore, the first weakening line 22 forms an upstream weakening line and the additional weakening line 42 forms a downstream weakening line. Accordingly, the tipping wrapper 120 comprises the upstream tipping wrapper portion 24 extending upstream from the upstream weakening line 22, a removable tipping wrapper portion 126 extending between the upstream and downstream weakening lines 22, 42, and a downstream tipping wrapper portion 44 extending downstream from the downstream weakening line 42. The upstream and downstream tipping wrapper portions 24, 44 are glued to the underlying portions of the tobacco rod and the mouthpiece 14. The removable tipping wrapper portion 126 is not glued to the underlying mouthpiece 14 and is secured to the aerosol generating article 10 only along the weakening lines 22, 42 where it is secured to the upstream and downstream tipping wrapper portions 24, 44.

(17) FIG. 6 shows the aerosol generating article 40 with the removable tipping wrapper portion 126 partially removed to reveal the surface formations 28 embossed into the mouthpiece wrapper 30.

(18) FIG. 7 shows an aerosol generating article 210 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generating article 210 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. The aerosol generating article 210 shown in FIG. 7 differs from the aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIG. 1 in that the tipping wrapper 220 comprises a tear tab 234.

(19) The longitudinal edge 228 of the tipping wrapper 220 forms a seam extending in a longitudinal direction along the mouthpiece 14. The longitudinal edge 228 comprises a tipping wrapper projection 232 at a distance downstream of the first weakening line 22 and a first straight line portion 230 extending upstream from the tipping wrapper projection 232 to the upstream end of the tipping wrapper 220. The tipping wrapper projection 232 defines a curved tear tab 234. The longitudinal edge 228 further comprises a second straight line portion 236 extending downstream from the tipping wrapper projection 232 to the downstream end of the tipping wrapper 220. The first straight line portion 230 and the second straight line portion 236 are in line with each other, at the same position around the circumference of the mouthpiece 14.

(20) As can be seen in the enlarged view of FIG. 8, the tipping wrapper projection 232 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 232 comprises a first curved transition portion 238 connecting the first straight line portion 230 of the longitudinal edge to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection 232. The first curved transition portion 238 is convexly curved. As shown in FIG. 6, the upstream end 240 of the first curved transition portion 238 is defined at the position where the longitudinal edge 228 begins to curve away from the first straight line portion 230. The downstream end 242 is defined as the point of inflection in the tipping wrapper projection 232 curve, where the curvature of the tipping wrapper projection 238 changes from convex to concave.

(21) The tipping wrapper projection 232 further comprises a second curved transition portion 244 which connects the second straight line portion 236 to the remainder of the tipping wrapper projection 230. The second curved transition portion 244 has a corresponding shape to the first curved transition portion 238 due to the symmetric shape of the tipping wrapper projection 232.

(22) Before, during or after smoking the aerosol generating article 210, the consumer can remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26, if desired, to expose the surface projections on the underlying portion of the mouthpiece 14. To remove the removable tipping wrapper portion 26 the consumer can grasp the tear tab 234 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 238 of the tipping wrapper projection 232 minimises the risk of potential points of weakness existing in the region of the longitudinal edge where the tipping wrapper projection 232 meets the first straight line portion 230. 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.