Telescopic Filter

Abstract

A vapour generating includes a main body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body arranged to contain a solid vapour generating material; a filter having a mouthpiece end and an attachment end opposite the mouthpiece end, the attachment end arranged to be attached to the first end of the main body; and an airflow passageway within the filter configured to allow a vapour to flow into the filter through the attachment end from the first end of the body and out of the filter through the mouthpiece end. The filter includes an adjuster configured to adjust the length of the airflow passageway.

Claims

1. A vapour generating article comprising: a main body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body arranged to contain a solid vapour generating material; a filter comprising a mouthpiece end and an attachment end opposite the mouthpiece end, the attachment end arranged to be attached to the first end of the main body; and an airflow passageway within the filter configured to allow a vapour to flow into the filter through the attachment end from the first end of the body and out of the filter through the mouthpiece end; wherein the filter comprises an adjuster configured to adjust the effective length of the filter such that the length of the airflow passageway within the filter is adjusted.

2. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the adjuster comprises an inner sleeve portion and an outer sleeve potion and wherein movement of the outer sleeve portion relative to the inner sleeve portion adjusts the length of the airflow passageway.

3. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the adjuster is configured to increase the length of the airflow passageway by moving the outer sleeve portion away from the inner sleeve potion.

4. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the adjuster is configured to decrease the length of the airflow passageway by moving the outer sleeve portion towards the inner sleeve potion.

5. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve portion is arranged to receive the inner sleeve portion.

6. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the filter is made of plastic.

7. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the attachment end of the filter is releasably attachable to the first end of the main body.

8. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the adjuster comprises a fixed element and a rotatable element configured to rotate relative to the fixed element, wherein rotation of the rotatable element adjusts the length of the airflow passageway.

9. The vapour generating article according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable element comprises a helical element.

10. The vapour generating article according to claim 9, wherein rotation of the helical element in a first direction causes the length of the airflow passageway to increase and wherein rotation of the helical element in a second direction causes the length of the airflow passageway to decrease.

11. The vapour generating article according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable element is made of paper.

12. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a substrate portion forming a distal end of the vapour generating article, the substrate portion arranged to contain solid vapour generating material such as tobacco.

13. The vapour generating article according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a cooling region located between the filter and the substrate portion, the cooling region configured to allow vapour generated in the substrate portion to cool before the vapour flows out of the first end of the main body and into the filter.

14. The vapour generating article of claim 13, wherein the vapour cooling region comprises a hollow chamber.

15. A vapour generating system comprising: a vapour generating article according to claim 1; and a vapour generating device configured to receive the vapour generating article and generate a vapour from the vapour generating material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be now described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an example aerosol generating article;

[0030] FIG. 2a shows a cross-sectional side view of a first adjustable filter in a first position;

[0031] FIG. 2b shows a cross-sectional side view of a first adjustable filter in a second position;

[0032] FIG. 3a shows a cross-sectional side view of a second adjustable filter in a first position; and

[0033] FIG. 3b shows a cross-sectional side view of a second adjustable filter in a second position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1 an example aerosol generating article 1, in the form of an elongate consumable 1, is shown located within an aerosol generating device 2 in order to generate an aerosol.

[0035] The aerosol generating article 1 comprises a rod-shaped portion 11, and a filter 14.

[0036] The rod-shaped portion 11 comprises aerosol generating substrate 12 that extends over a portion of the length of the rod-shaped portion 11. The aerosol generating substrate 12 is arranged at an end of the aerosol generating article 1 that is within a heating chamber of the aerosol generating device 2 and furthest from an opening of the heating chamber. The aerosol generating substrate 12 is a material which, when heated, generates an aerosol. The aerosol generating substrate 12 may, for example, comprise tobacco or nicotine. The aerosol is drawn out of the aerosol generating article 1 by air flow through the filter 14.

[0037] The aerosol generating device 2 comprises a heating chamber 21 and a heater 22.

[0038] The heating chamber 21 is a tubular structure with an internal hollow in which the aerosol generating article 1, or the rod-shaped portion 11 of the aerosol generating article 1, may be received. Specifically, the heating chamber comprises a side wall extending between a first end 212 and a second end 213. The first end 212 is open, or openable in use, in order to allow the rod-shaped portion 11 to be inserted. The second end 213 may be open as shown in FIG. 1, in order to provide an air inlet for air to flow through the aerosol generating article. Alternatively, the second end 213 may be closed in order to improve heating efficiency of the heating chamber 21.

[0039] The heating chamber 21 may be formed from ceramic or metal. For example, the heating chamber 21 may be formed by bending or stamping sheet metal. The heater 22 may be any heater suitable to deliver heat into the internal hollow of the heating chamber 21 through its side wall. For example, the heater may be in the form of a resistive track driven by electricity. Alternatively, other types of heater may be used such as ones in which heat is provided by a chemical reaction such as fuel combustion. The heating chamber may further be surrounded by a heat insulator such as a vacuum tube, heat insulation fibre and/or aerogel.

[0040] In use, the heater 22 is arranged to heat the heating chamber 21 to a temperature sufficient to cause the aerosol generating substrate 12 to release an aerosol, without burning the aerosol generating article 1. In particular, the heater 22 is configured to heat the aerosol generating substrate 12 to a maximum temperature between 150 C. and 350 C., more preferably to a temperature between 200 C. and 350 C.

[0041] Although the heater 22 is shown outside the heating chamber 21 in FIG. 1, the heater 22 may in some embodiments be arranged inside the heating chamber 21.

[0042] The aerosol generating article 1 further comprises an aerosol cooling region 15. The aerosol cooling region 15 extends over a portion of the length of the aerosol generating article 1 and comprises a hollow tubular portion of the aerosol generating article 1. This hollow tubular portion allows an aerosol (generated by heating the aerosol generating substrate 12) to pass through the aerosol generating article 1 without leaking through the sides of the hollow tubular portion. The aerosol cooling region 15 does not overlap with the part of the aerosol generating article 1 that is being heated by the heater 22, which may be referred to as a heating region, so aerosol will not continue to be heated within the aerosol cooling region 15.

[0043] As mentioned, the aerosol substrate 15 is arranged at the end of the aerosol generating article 1 that is within the heating chamber 21 and furthest from the opening 212. The filter 14 is arranged at the other end that is closest to the opening 212. The aerosol cooling region 15 extends along the length of the aerosol generating article 1 between the aerosol generating substrate 12 and the filter 14. This ensures that, in use, a generated aerosol may be cooled before inhalation by a user.

[0044] Further details of the filter 14 will now be described.

[0045] The filter 14 comprises a mouthpiece end 32 and an attachment end 34, opposite the mouthpiece end which attaches to the rod-shaped portion 11. The filter further comprises airflow passageway 16 within the filter which allows the generated vapour to flow into the filter 14 via the attachment end 34 from the rod-shaped portion 11 and out of the filter 14 through the mouthpiece end 32.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2A-3B, the filter 14 also includes an adjuster 18 configured to control the flow of air through the airflow passage 16. This is achieved by adjusting the length of the air flow passageway 16 to alter the temperature of the air flow within the airflow passageway 16. In other words the size, in particular the length, of the airflow passageway 16 may be controlled to adjust the flow of air into and along the airflow passage 10.

[0047] For example, the size of the airflow passageway 16 may be increased from a first size (for example as seen in FIG. 2A) to a second size (for example as seen in FIG. 2B) to increase the path length of the flow of air through the filter 14, thereby decreasing the temperature of the vapour. Conversely, the size of the airflow passageway 16 may be decreased from the second size (as seen in FIG. 2B) to the first size (as seen FIG. 2A) to decrease the path length of the flow of air through the filter 14, thereby maintain the temperature of the vapour. The skilled person will appreciate that the length of the airflow passageway 16 depicted in exemplary FIGS. 2A and 2B serve only as an illustration, and the airflow passageway 16 may be controlled to vary across a continuous range of lengths, such that the vapour temperature may be precisely controlled by varying the length of the airflow passageway 16.

[0048] In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the airflow passageway 16 has a cross-sectional area which has the same shape along the length of the airflow passageway in both the first and second sizes. However in other examples, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the airflow passageway 16 has a cross-sectional area the changes along the length of the airflow passageway 16.

[0049] The adjuster 18 can take on different forms, some of which will be described in more detail below.

[0050] In a first exemplary form, the adjuster 18 comprises a telescopic means which is arranged to extend and retract in order to change the length of the adjuster 18. In more detail, the telescopic adjuster 18 comprises an inner sleeve portion 17 and an outer sleeve portion 19 that are arranged to move relative to each other. Moving the outer sleeve portion 19 relative to the inner sleeve portion 17 adjusts the length of the adjuster 18 which has the effect of adjusting the length of the airflow passageway 16. The outer sleeve portion 19 can be thought of as an elongate collar which is arranged to receive the inner sleeve portion 17. The outer sleeve 19 and the inner sleeve 17 are substantially coaxially aligned with each other.

[0051] In a retracted or first configuration, shown in FIG. 2A, the outer sleeve portion 19 is arranged to receive and surround substantially the whole length of the inner sleeve portion 17. In an extended or second configuration, shown in FIG. 2B, the outer sleeve portion 19 is arranged to surround an end portion the inner sleeve portion 17.

[0052] The outer sleeve 19 moves relative to the inner sleeve 17, as well as relative to the rod-shaped portion 11. In this way, the adjuster 18 can be thought of as comprising a telescopic region which can be moved away from and towards the rod-shaped portion to change the path length for the vapour to travel along.

[0053] In particular, moving the outer sleeve portion 19 away from the inner sleeve potion 17 increases the length of the airflow passageway 16. Conversely, moving the outer sleeve portion 19 towards the inner sleeve potion 17 increases the length of the airflow passageway 16.

[0054] In summary, the effective length of the filter 14 can be changed by moving an outer section 19 of the filter 14 in the direction away from the rod-shaped portion 11. This telescopic feature increases the distance that the vapour has to travel from the heating chamber to the user's mouth, which helps cool the vapour. For example, increasing the overall length the vapour has to travel before reaching the user's mouth by 25 mm can have the effect of cooling the vapour by as much as 15 C. This means that if the vapour is too hot or cold for the user's preference, they can change the effective length of the filter to suit their needs. In particular, the user has the ability to select a fixed length for the entire session or a variation of the length throughout the session. This may be required as the first puffs are typically the hottest of the session.

[0055] In this example, the filter 14 is re-usable filter 14 because it can be detached from one rod-shaped portion 11 of a first aerosol generating article 1, at the attachment end, and then re-attached to another rod-shaped portion 11 of a second aerosol generating article 1 via the attachment end 34. In particular, the filter 14 may slot into or onto the rod-shaped portion 11 using any suitable temporary attachment mechanism. The filter 14 can therefore be considered as being releasably attachable and able to be used with multiple aerosol generating articles. In other words, the filter 14 can be said to be semi-disposable.

[0056] The filter is made from plastic, which in some cases is the same type of plastic as the rod-shaped portion 11. A benefit of using a plastic filter is that it allows for a rigid structure which can be twisted and reused by the user in multiple aerosol-generating articles 1. As the filter 14 is reusable it is cost-effective to use a plastic body for the filter.

[0057] In a second exemplary form, illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the adjuster 18 comprises a fixed element 21 and a rotatable element 23 configured to rotate relative to the fixed element 21. In this case, rotation of the rotatable element 23 adjusts the length of the airflow passageway.

[0058] In more detail, the rotatable element 23 comprises a helical element which can rotate in a first direction and a second direction, along a helical or spiral path. Rotation of the helical element in the first direction causes the length of the airflow passageway 16 to increase as shown in FIG. 3B. Conversely, rotation of the helical element in the second direction causes the length of the airflow passageway 16 to decrease as shown in FIG. 3A.

[0059] In a retracted or first configuration, shown in FIG. 3A, the filter 14 has a substantially cylindrical shape. In an extended or second configuration, shown in FIG. 3B, the filter 14 has a substantially conical shape.

[0060] In some examples the rotatable element is made of paper. In this case, the filter 14 may be made of paper and scored with a helical shape extending along the length of the filter 14. When an outer portion of the filter 14 is rotated, the rotatable element travels along a spiral path and the effective length of the filter 14 is extended. Thus, twisting the rotatable element, forming an outer portion of the filter 14, changes the shape of the filter 14 from a relatively short cylinder to a longer cone shape. This increase the distance along which the vapour travels in the airflow passageway 16 to cool the vapour. The pressure drops is maintained along the length of the filter region 14.

[0061] When the filter 14 is attached to the rod-shaped portion 11, a vapour generating article 1 is formed. In particular, the vapour generating article 1 includes a first end and a second end, and the filter 14 attaches to the second end of the vapour generating article 1. The first end of the vapour generating article 1 may be used to connect with a vapour generating device 2. In this case, a vapour generating system is formed comprising the a vapour generating article 1 and the vapour generating device 2 which receives the vapour generating article 1.

[0062] It should be understood that the aerosol generation device is an electronic cigarette which could equally be referred to as a heated tobacco device, a heat-not-burn tobacco device, a device for vaporising tobacco products, and the like, with this being interpreted as a device suitable for achieving these effects. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices which are designed to vaporise any aerosol generating medium.

[0063] The aerosol generating substrate 12 may include tobacco, for example in dried or cured form, in some cases with additional ingredients for flavouring or producing a smoother or otherwise more pleasurable experience. In some examples, the aerosol generating substrate 12 such as tobacco may be treated with a vaporising agent. The vaporing agent may improve the generation of vapour from the aerosol generating substrate 12. The vaporising agent may include, for example, a polyol such as glycerol, or a glycol such as propylene glycol. In some cases, the aerosol generating substrate 12 may contain no tobacco, or even no nicotine, but instead may contain naturally or artificially derived ingredients for flavouring, volatilisation, improving smoothness, and/or providing other pleasurable effects.

[0064] The aerosol generating substrate 12 may be provided as a solid or paste type material in shredded, pelletised, powdered, granulated, strip or sheet form, optionally a combination of these. Equally, the aerosol generating substrate 12 may be a liquid or gel. Indeed, some examples may include both solid and liquid/gel parts. Indeed, some examples may include both solid and liquid/gel parts. In some examples, the substrate 12 may be a solid block, or may be loose material packed in a wrapper 13. Preferably the substrate comprises randomly oriented tobacco strands containing tobacco powder and an aerosol former. Suitable aerosol formers include: a polyol such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or triethylene glycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin or vegetable glycerin. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol.

[0065] Whilst the aerosol generating substrate 12 will typically produce a gas or a solid and/or liquid suspension in gas when heated, it will be appreciated that the terms vapour and aerosol are generally used interchangeably here, and refer generally to the substance which is produced when the aerosol generating substrate 12 is heated, to produce a suspension of particles or droplets of any size.

[0066] As used herein, the term fluid shall be construed as generically describing non-solid materials of the type that are capable of flowing, including, but not limited to, liquids, pastes, gels, powders and the like. Fluidized materials shall be construed accordingly as materials which are inherently, or have been modified to behave as, fluids. Fluidization may include, but is not limited to, powdering, dissolving in a solvent, gelling, thickening, thinning and the like.