HOLDER FOR AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE

Abstract

A holder (200) for an aerosol generating article (100) includes a mouthpiece (106) having a mouth end and a distal end. The mouthpiece defines a passage (213) extending from the mouth end to the distal end. The passage is configured to receive the aerosol generating article inserted in a direction from the distal end towards the mouth end. The holder further includes a cage (220) extending from the mouthpiece and configured to surround at least a portion of a heat source (102) of the aerosol generating article and configured to allow air to access the heat source. The holder may also optionally include a seal (230) extending from an inner surface of the cage. The seal is arranged to surround and contact the aerosol generating article.

Claims

1. A holder for an aerosol generating article, comprising: a mouthpiece having a mouth end and a distal end and defining a passage extending from the mouth end to the distal end, wherein the passage is configured to receive the aerosol generating article inserted in a direction from the distal end towards the mouth end; a cage extending from the mouthpiece and configured to surround at least a portion of a heat source of the aerosol generating article and configured to allow air to access the heat source, wherein the cage is slidable about the mouthpiece; and a seal extending from an inner surface of the cage, wherein the seal is arranged to surround and contact the aerosol generating article downstream of the heat source, wherein the mouthpiece defines a flange and the cage defines a stop configured to engage the flange as the cage is distally advanced over the body.

2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the cage comprises a tubular wall defining one or more holes through the wall downstream of the seal.

3. The holder according to claim 2, wherein the wall of the cage further defines one or more holes through the wall upstream of the seal.

4. The holder according to claim 3, further comprising a cover moveable about the cage between a first position and a second position, the cover comprising one or more through holes that are aligned with the holes of the cage that are upstream of the seal when the cover is in the first position, and wherein the cover covers the ventilation through holes of the cage that are upstream of the seal when the cover is in the second position.

5. The holder according to claim 4, wherein the cover comprises a ring rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the cage.

6. The holder according to claim 1 any one of the preceding claims, wherein the passage defined by the mouthpiece comprises a stepped or tapered inner diameter and wherein the inner diameter in proximity to the mouth end is configured to be smaller than the outer diameter of the aerosol generating article to prevent advancement of the aerosol generating article in the passage beyond the mouth end.

7. An assembly comprising the holder according to claim 1 and the aerosol generating article having the heat source, wherein the aerosol generating article is received in the passage defined by the mouthpiece.

8. A kit comprising the holder according to claim 1 and one or more aerosol generating articles having a heat source, wherein the aerosol generating articles are configured to be received by the passage of the mouthpiece.

9. The kit according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate and wherein the aerosol generating article is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the aerosol generating substrate without combusting the aerosol generating substrate.

10. The kit according to claim 9, wherein the aerosol generating substrate comprises tobacco.

11. The kit according to claim 9, wherein the aerosol generating article further comprises a wrapper circumscribing the aerosol generating substrate, the wrapper defining one or more ventilation through holes, wherein the cage comprises a tubular wall defining one or more holes through the wall downstream of the seal; wherein the assembly is configured such that drawing on the mouthpiece causes air to flow through the one or more holes of the tubular wall of the cage and through the one or more holes of the wrapper of the aerosol generating article.

12. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate and wherein the aerosol generating article is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the aerosol generating substrate without combusting the aerosol generating substrate.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the aerosol generating substrate comprises tobacco.

14. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the aerosol generating article further comprises a wrapper circumscribing the aerosol generating substrate, the wrapper defining one or more ventilation through holes, wherein the cage comprises a tubular wall defining one or more holes through the wall downstream of the seal; wherein the assembly is configured such that drawing on the mouthpiece causes air to flow through the one or more holes of the tubular wall of the cage and through the one or more holes of the wrapper of the aerosol generating article.

Description

[0070] Reference will now be made to the drawings, which depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like components, steps and the like. However, it will be understood that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labeled with the same number. In addition, the use of different numbers to refer to components in different figures is not intended to indicate that the different numbered components cannot be the same or similar to other numbered components.

[0071] FIG. 1 is schematic perspective view of an illustrative aerosol generating article 100 with the wrapper 110 partially opened to view the internal contents.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of an illustrative holder 200.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an illustrative aerosol generating article 100 received by an illustrative holder 200.

[0074] FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic sectional views of an illustrative cage of a holder, where the cage includes a rotatable ring cover 300.

[0075] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative holder 200.

[0076] The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation.

[0077] Referring now to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating article 100 extends between a proximal end 103 and a distal end 105. The aerosol generating article 100 includes a combustible heat source 102 positioned at the distal end 105 of the aerosol generating article 100, an aerosol generating substrate 104 downstream of the combustible heat source 102 and a mouthpiece 106 downstream of the aerosol generating substrate 104 and positioned at the proximal end 103 of the aerosol generating article 100.

[0078] The aerosol generating article 100 comprises a combustible heat source 102, an aerosol generating substrate 104, an aerosol cooling element 107, an elongate expansion chamber or transfer element 108 and a mouthpiece 106, are in sequential, abutting coaxial alignment, which are overwrapped in an outer wrapper 110 of, for example, cigarette paper. The combustible heat source 102 is cylindrical.

[0079] The aerosol generating substrate 104 is located immediately downstream of the combustible heat source 102 and comprises a cylindrical plug of homogenized tobacco material comprising, for example, glycerin as aerosol former and circumscribed by filter plug wrap. A heat conducting element 112, consisting of a tube of aluminum foil, surrounds and is in contact with a rear portion of the combustible heat source 102 and an abutting front portion of the aerosol generating substrate 104. The elongate expansion chamber 108 is located downstream of the aerosol generating substrate 104 and comprises a cylindrical open-ended tube of cardboard. The mouthpiece 106 is located downstream of the expansion chamber 108 and comprises a cylindrical plug of cellulose acetate tow 109 circumscribed by filter plug wrap.

[0080] In use, the user ignites the combustible heat source which heats the aerosol generating substrate to produce an aerosol. When the user inhales on the mouthpiece 106 air is drawn through the aerosol generating substrate 104 through air inlet holes 113 in the cigarette paper 110 and adjacent to the aerosol generating substrate 104, through the expansion chamber 108, through the mouthpiece 106 and into the user's mouth.

[0081] Referring now to FIG. 2, a holder 200 includes a mouthpiece 210 and a cage 220 slidably disposed over the holder 200. The mouthpiece 200 defines a passage 213 that extends from a mouth end to the distal end. The passage 213 is configured to slidably receive an aerosol generating article. The passage includes a shoulder 218 or reduced inner diameter region to prevent insertion of the aerosol generating article beyond the shoulder 218. The mouthpiece 200 also comprises a distal flange 212.

[0082] The cage 220 includes a proximal stop 228 that engages with flange 212 when the cage 220 is slid distally over the mouthpiece 210 to prevent further distal movement of the cage 220. The holder includes a seal 230 that extends from in inner surface of the cage 220 into the bore of the cage 220. The seal 230 is arranged and configured to sealingly engage an aerosol generating article when the article is inserted in the holder 200. The seal 230 may also engage with flange 212 to prevent the cage from sliding proximally off the mouthpiece 210. The depicted cage 220 includes holes 222, 224 through a wall of the cage downstream (222) and upstream (224) of the seal 230. The upstream holes 224 allow air flow for lighting of a heat source, continued combustion of the heat source, and evacuation of combustion gasses. Some exchange of gas through the open distal face and radial clearance between the heat source (not shown) and the cage 220. The downstream holes 222 allow for cool air to be drawn through the holes 222 and the aerosol generating article when the article is received in the holder 200.

[0083] Referring now to FIG. 3, an aerosol generating article 100 is disposed in a holder 200. The proximal end of the article 100 is in contact with shoulder 215 or reduced inner diameter portion of the mouthpiece 210, indicating that article 100 is fully received within the passage of the mouthpiece 210. The cage 220 is distally advanced over the mouthpiece 210 and stop 228 is in contact with flange 218. The seal 230 contacts and sealingly engages the aerosol generating article 100 downstream of the heat source 102. The distal portion of the cage 220 surrounds the heat source 102. Openings 224, in addition to the open distal face of the cage, allows air flow to the heat source to allow lighting, continued combustion and evacuation of combustion gasses. Openings 222 allow cool air to be drawn through the wall of the cage downstream of the seal 230, through air inlet holes 113, through or around aerosol generating substrate, through the remainder of the aerosol generating article 100, through passage of mouthpiece 210 and into a user's mouth. Seal 230 prevents or limits the amount of number of combustion products from combustion of the heat source 102 from entering the cool air taken in through holes 222 downstream of the seal 230.

[0084] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a cage 220 includes a cover 300 for covering distal holes 224 of cage 220 for aiding in extinguishing a heat source of a smoking article (not shown). The depicted cover 300 is a ring rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the cage 220. The cover 300 includes holes 334 through a body of the cover that may align with distal openings 224 of cage 220 (FIG. 4A). The cover 300 includes portions that when appropriately rotated (relative to FIG. 4A) cover distal openings 224 of cage 220 (FIG. 4B). When the distal openings 224 are covered, the heat source 102 may not receive sufficient air flow so that the heat source may be extinguished.

[0085] Referring now to FIG. 5 a schematic perspective view of an illustrative holder 200 is shown. The holder 200 includes a cage 220 slidable about a mouthpiece 210 that defines a passage (not shown) configured to slidably receive an aerosol generating article. A seal 230 extends from an inner surface of the cage 220 and is configured and arranged to sealing engage the aerosol generating article downstream of a heat source. The cage 220 comprises a plurality of ventilation holes 222 downstream of the seal 230 and a plurality of ventilation holes 224 upstream of the seal 230. The mouthpiece 210 may be telescoping so that the mouth end can be moved distally relative to a distal portion of the mouthpiece to eject an aerosol generating article.

[0086] Thus, methods, systems, apparatuses, assemblies and articles for a holder for aerosol generating articles are described. Various modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are apparent to those skilled in the mechanical arts and aerosol generating article manufacturing or related fields are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.