AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE HAVING MOUTHPIECE WITH UPSTREAM CAVITY

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article (10) comprises: an aerosol-generating substrate (12); and a mouthpiece (14) in axial alignment with the aerosol-generating substrate (12), the mouthpiece comprising an additive segment (18) of filtration material comprising one or more breakable capsules (22), each breakable capsule (22) comprising an outer shell and an inner core containing an additive. The additive segment (18) of filtration material is spaced downstream from the aerosol-generating substrate (12) to define an upstream cavity (24) between the aerosol-generating substrate (12) and the additive segment (18) of filtration material, wherein the upstream cavity is substantially unfilled. A wrapper (26) circumscribes the additive segment (18) of filtration material and the upstream cavity (24).

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating article comprising: an aerosol-generating substrate; a mouthpiece in axial alignment with the aerosol-generating substrate, the mouthpiece comprising: an additive segment of filtration material comprising one or more breakable capsules, each breakable capsule comprising an outer shell and an inner core containing an additive, and an intermediate segment of filtration material provided adjacent the aerosol-generating substrate, wherein the additive segment of filtration material is spaced downstream from the intermediate segment to define an upstream cavity between the intermediate segment and the additive segment of filtration material, wherein the upstream cavity is substantially unfilled; and a wrapper circumscribing the additive segment of filtration material and the upstream cavity.

17. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the length of the additive segment is lower than the length of the upstream cavity.

18. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the hollow tube segment is formed from a paper material.

19. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the hollow tube segment is formed from a plurality of overlapping paper layers.

20. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 19, wherein the hollow tube segment is formed from at least two paper layers and fewer than eleven paper layers.

21. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the paper layers is made from a paper with a basis weight of at least about 100 grams per square metre.

22. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the wall thickness of the hollow tube segment is at least about 100 micrometres.

23. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the additive segment includes a single breakable capsule provided approximately centrally along the length of the additive segment.

24. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the mouthpiece further comprises one or more ventilation zones provided over the upstream cavity.

25. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate is a source of tobacco material, tobacco extract, or other nicotine source, which is arranged to be heated, without combustion, to generate an aerosol.

26. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating article has an overall length of between about 40 millimetres and about 90 millimetres.

27. A system comprising an aerosol-generating article according to claim 16 and a device comprising one or more electrical heating elements configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article, without combustion, to produce an aerosol.

28. A method comprising generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article according to claim 16.

Description

[0072] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0073] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol-generating article in accordance with the present invention; and

[0074] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1.

[0075] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an aerosol-generating article 10 in accordance with the present invention. The aerosol-generating article 10 comprises a wrapped tobacco rod 12 of tobacco cut filler which is attached at one end to an axially aligned mouthpiece 14. A band of tipping paper 16 circumscribes the mouthpiece 14 and a portion of the wrapped tobacco rod 12 to join together the two components of the aerosol-generating article 10.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 2, the mouthpiece 14 comprises a first filter segment 18 and a second filter segment 20. The first filter segment 18 is provided at the mouth end of the mouthpiece 14 and comprises a wrapped plug of cellulose acetate tow containing a centrally positioned capsule 22. The first filter segment 18 has a length of 10 millimetres. The second filter segment 20 is provided upstream of the first filter segment 18 and the downstream end of the second filter segment 20 abuts the upstream end of the first filter segment 18. The second filter segment 20 comprises a wrapped plug of cellulose acetate tow containing a centrally positioned capsule 24.

[0077] Each of the capsules 22,24 comprises an inner core of a flavourant additive and a frangible outer shell.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 2, the second filter segment 20 is spaced apart from the wrapped tobacco rod 12 in the longitudinal direction and an upstream cavity 26 is provided between the second filter segment 20 and the wrapped tobacco rod 12. The upstream cavity 26 is unfilled and has a length of 5 millimetres.

[0079] The upstream cavity 26 is defined by a combining plug wrap 28 which circumscribes the first filter segment 18 and the second filter segment 20 and extends upstream of the second filter segment 20 by 5 millimetres. The combining plug wrap 28 therefore does not extend over the wrapped tobacco rod 12. The tipping wrapper 16 overlies the combining plug wrap 28 to connect the mouthpiece 14 and the wrapped tobacco rod 12, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0080] The combining plug wrap 28 is formed of a sheet of a paper material having a basis weight of at least 70 grams per square metre such that the combining plug wrap 28 has a relatively high stiffness.

[0081] The aerosol-generating article 10 further comprises a ventilation zone 30 at a location along the second filter segment 20, upstream of the capsule 24. The ventilation zone 30 comprises a row of perforations extending through the tipping wrapper 16 and the combining plug wrap 28.

[0082] During smoking of the aerosol-generating article 10, the mainstream smoke generated from the tobacco in the wrapped rod 12 passes into the upstream cavity 26 before passing through the second filter segment 20 and coming into contact with the capsule 24. The smoke continues downstream and passes through the first filter segment 18 in contact with the capsule 22. The mainstream smoke cools down as it passes through the upstream cavity 26 and the effect of the mainstream smoke on the capsules 22,24 is therefore minimised. The capsules 22,24 retain their frangibility during smoking and can still be broken by the consumer after smoking to produce an audible sound.