AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE HAVING DETACHABLE FRESHENER SEGMENT

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article is provided, including a combustible heat source; an aerosol-generating substrate adjacent the heat source; a freshener segment upstream of the heat source and at least partially covering an upstream end of the heat source, the freshener segment including a segment of support material having an annular shape defining a channel extending through at least a part of the segment between upstream and downstream ends thereof, and at least one freshener delivery element contained within the channel and being detachable from the heat source to expose the heat source prior to use of the article; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the freshener segment and the heat source, including a line of weakness extending around the wrapper and overlying an upstream edge of the heat source so that the freshener segment is detachable from the heat source by breaking the wrapper along the line of weakness.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An aerosol-generating article, comprising: a combustible heat source; an aerosol-generating substrate adjacent the combustible heat source; a freshener segment upstream of the combustible heat source and at least partially covering an upstream end of the combustible heat source, the freshener segment comprising a segment of support material having an annular shape defining a channel extending through at least a part of the segment of support material between an upstream end of the segment of support material and a downstream end of the segment of support material, and at least one freshener delivery element contained within the channel, wherein the at least one freshener segment is detachable from the combustible heat source to expose the combustible heat source prior to use of the aerosol-generating article; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the at least one freshener segment and the combustible heat source, the wrapper comprising a line of weakness extending around the wrapper so that the at least one freshener segment is detachable from the combustible heat source by breaking the wrapper along the line of weakness, wherein the line of weakness overlies an upstream edge of the combustible heat source.

15. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein each of the channel and the at least one freshener delivery element has a substantially circular transverse cross sectional shape, and wherein an internal diameter of the channel is less than an external diameter of the at least one freshener delivery element.

16. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the at least one freshener delivery element comprises at least one solid freshener delivery element.

17. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the at least one freshener delivery element comprises at least one breakable capsule containing a gel or a liquid freshener.

18. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the at least one freshener delivery element comprises at least one of menthol, linalool, thymol, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, and combinations thereof.

19. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the channel is open only at one end thereof.

20. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the freshener segment is compressible along at least a transverse axis of the aerosol-generating article.

21. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the freshener segment has substantially a same diameter as the combustible heat source.

22. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the freshener segment comprises visible indicia on an outer surface thereof.

23. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 14, wherein the freshener segment is circumscribed along at least a part of a length thereof by a non-combustible element.

Description

[0099] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0100] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention.

[0101] The aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises a freshener segment 2, a combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 having an upstream end face 6 and an opposed downstream end face 8, an aerosol-generating substrate 10, a transfer element 12, an aerosol-cooling element 14, a space 16 and a mouthpiece 18 in abutting coaxial alignment. The freshener segment 2, the heat source 4, the aerosol-generating substrate 10, transfer element 12 and aerosol-cooling element 14 are wrapped in an outermost wrapper 20. As shown in FIG. 1, a line of perforations 22 is provided in the outermost wrapper 20 to enable the freshener segment to be detached from the remainder of the aerosol-generating article 100. The line of perforations 22 circumscribes the aerosol-generating article 100 and overlies the upstream end face 6 of the heat source 4. The line of weakness 22 comprises a line of micro laser perforations.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 1, a downstream end portion of the outermost wrapper 20 around a downstream portion of the aerosol-cooling element 14, the space 16 and the mouthpiece 18 are wrapped in a band of tipping paper 24, which connects the mouthpiece 18 to the other components of the aerosol-generating article 100.

[0103] The freshener segment 2 comprises an annular segment 50 formed of a hollow cellulose acetate tube which defines a central channel 52 extending through the annular segment 50 between its upstream and downstream ends. Contained within the channel 52 is a freshener delivery element 54 comprising a breakable capsule containing a liquid menthol flavourant.

[0104] The combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 is a blind carbonaceous combustible heat source and is located downstream of the freshener segment 2. After the removal of the freshener segment 2, the heat source 4 is located at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100. As shown in FIG. 1, a non-combustible substantially air impermeable barrier 28 in the form of a disc of aluminium foil is provided between the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 and the aerosol-generating substrate 10. The barrier 28 is applied to the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 by pressing the disc of aluminium foil onto the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 and abuts the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 and the a upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate 10.

[0105] The aerosol-generating substrate 10 is located immediately downstream of the barrier 28 applied to the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4. The aerosol-generating substrate 10 comprises a gathered crimped sheet of homogenised tobacco material 26 and a wrapper 30 around and in contact with the gathered crimped sheet of homogenised tobacco material 26. The gathered crimped sheet of homogenised tobacco material 26 comprises a suitable aerosol former such as, for example, glycerine.

[0106] The transfer element 12 is located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate 10 and comprises a cylindrical open-ended hollow cellulose acetate tube 32.

[0107] The aerosol-cooling element 14 is located immediately downstream of the transfer element 12 and comprises a gathered sheet of biodegradable polymeric material such as, for example, polylactic acid.

[0108] The mouthpiece 18 is located downstream of the aerosol-cooling element 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the mouthpiece 18 is located at the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100 and comprises a cylindrical plug of suitable filtration material 34 such as, for example, cellulose acetate tow of very low filtration efficiency, wrapped in filter plug wrap 36.

[0109] In the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating article 100 comprises a space 16 between the aerosol-cooling element 14 and the mouthpiece 18.

[0110] In other embodiments of the invention (not shown) the space 16 between the aerosol-cooling element 14 and the mouthpiece 18 may be omitted and the mouthpiece 18 may be located immediately downstream of the aerosol-cooling element 14.

[0111] In further embodiments of the invention (also not shown) both the aerosol-cooling element and the space 16 between the aerosol-cooling element 14 and the mouthpiece 18 may both be omitted and the mouthpiece 18 may be located immediately downstream of the transfer element 12.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating article 100 further comprises a heat-conducting element 38 formed from a suitable thermally conductive material such as, for example, aluminium foil around and in direct contact with a downstream portion 4b of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 and an upstream portion 10a of the aerosol-generating substrate 10. In the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating substrate 10 extends downstream beyond the heat-conducting element 38.

[0113] The aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises one or more air inlets 40 around the periphery of a downstream portion of the aerosol-generating substrate 10. As shown in FIG. 1, a circumferential arrangement of air inlets 40 is provided in the wrapper 30 of the aerosol-generating substrate 10 and the overlying outermost wrapper 20 to admit cool air (shown by dotted arrows in FIG. 1) into the aerosol-generating substrate 10.

[0114] In use, the user detaches the freshener segment 2 from the remainder of the aerosol-generating article 100 by twisting or bending the freshener segment 2 to break the outermost wrapper 20 along the line of perforations 22. The freshener segment 2 may be retained such that the consumer can break the freshener delivery element 54 to release the menthol flavourant into their mouth before, during or after use of the aerosol-generating article 100.

[0115] After the freshener segment 2 has been detached, the user may ignite the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4. Once the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 is ignited the user draws on the mouthpiece 18 of the aerosol-generating article 100. When a user draws on the mouthpiece 18, cool air (shown by dotted arrows in FIG. 1) is drawn into the aerosol-generating substrate 10 of the aerosol-generating article 100 through the air inlets 40.

[0116] The periphery of the upstream portion 10a of the aerosol-generating substrate 10 is heated by conduction through the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 and the barrier 28 and through the heat-conducting element 38.

[0117] The heating of the aerosol-generating substrate 10 by conduction releases aerosol former and other volatile and semi-volatile compounds from the gathered crimped sheet of homogenised tobacco material 26. The compounds released from the aerosol-generating substrate 10 form an aerosol that is entrained in the air drawn into the aerosol-generating substrate 10 of the aerosol-generating article 100 through the air inlets 40 as it flows through the aerosol-generating substrate 10. The drawn air and entrained aerosol (shown by dashed arrows in FIG. 1) pass downstream through the interior of the cylindrical open-ended hollow cellulose acetate tube 32 of the transfer element 12 and the aerosol-cooling element 14, where they cool and condense. The cooled drawn air and entrained aerosol pass downstream through the space 16 and the mouthpiece 18 and are delivered to the user through the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100.

[0118] The non-combustible substantially air impermeable barrier 28 on the downstream end face 8 of the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 isolates the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4 from air drawn through the aerosol-generating article 100 such that, in use, air drawn through the aerosol-generating article 100 does not come into direct contact with the combustible carbonaceous heat source 4.