Abstract
A mouthpiece for inhaling an aerosol is provided, the mouthpiece including: an airflow path for an aerosol, the airflow path leading through the mouthpiece; and flavor granules arranged in the airflow path, the flavor granules containing at least one flavoring agent for flavoring the aerosol, the flavor granules being configured to be movable by a user's puff, the flavor granules including a porous matrix material including the at least one flavoring agent, and the porous matrix material having a density of between 0.4 and 2 g/cm.sup.3.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A mouthpiece for inhaling an aerosol, the mouthpiece comprising: an airflow path for an aerosol, the airflow path leading through the mouthpiece; and flavor granules arranged in the airflow path, the flavor granules containing at least one flavoring agent for flavoring the aerosol, wherein the flavor granules are configured to be movable by a user's puff, wherein the flavor granules comprise a porous matrix material including the at least one flavoring agent, and wherein the porous matrix material has a density of between 0.4 and 2 g/cm.sup.3.
17. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, wherein the at least one flavoring agent is embedded within the porous matrix material.
18. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, wherein the porous matrix material has a density of between 0.5 to 1.1 g/cm.sup.3.
19. The mouthpiece according to claim 17, wherein the porous matrix material has a porosity of between 0.11 and 0.45.
20. The mouthpiece according to claim 17, wherein the porous matrix material is water-insoluble.
21. The mouthpiece according to claim 17, wherein the porous matrix material comprises one or more of: plastic, cellulosic material, lignocellulosic material, ceramic material, minerals, and fabric.
22. The mouthpiece according to claim 17, wherein the porous matrix material is selected from a group consisting of: basalt stone, bamboo fiber composites, cork, modal fabric composite, nonwoven, cellulose composite, cyclodextrin.
23. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, wherein the flavor granules have a particle diameter of between 0.7 millimeters and 4.7 millimeters.
24. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, wherein the flavor granules have a particle diameter of between 1.7 millimeters and 3.8 millimeters.
25. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, further comprising a longitudinal axis, wherein the airflow path is partly arranged diagonally to the longitudinal axis.
26. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, further comprising an inlet portion configured for receiving the aerosol and an outlet portion configured for outflow of the aerosol, wherein the airflow path is arranged between the inlet portion and the outlet portion.
27. The mouthpiece according to claim 26, wherein the inlet portion comprises a tubular section configured to be detachably connectable to a cartridge.
28. The mouthpiece according to claim 27, wherein the tubular section is arranged along a longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece.
29. The mouthpiece according to claim 16, further comprising an outer wall, wherein the outer wall comprises at least one mouthpiece air inlet configured for allowing ambient air to enter the mouthpiece.
30. An aerosol-generating system, comprising a mouthpiece according to claim 16; a cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate; and an aerosol-generating device, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to be detachably connectable to the cartridge.
Description
[0145] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0146] FIGS. 1A and 1B show cross-sectional views of two different embodiments of mouthpieces of the present invention;
[0147] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system including a mouthpiece of the invention, a cartridge and an aerosol-generating device;
[0148] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an assembled aerosol-generating system showing the airflow path through the aerosol-generating system;
[0149] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of another aerosol-generating system including an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device including a cavity for receiving the aerosol-generating article.
[0150] In the following the same elements are marked with the same reference numerals throughout all the figures.
[0151] FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a mouthpiece 10 of the present invention. The mouthpiece 10 includes an inlet portion 10B which is configured for receiving the aerosol and an outlet portion 10A which is configured for outflow of the aerosol to a user. The mouthpiece 10 includes a flavor compartment 16 which contains vapor granules 12. The flavor compartment includes a flavor compartment air inlet 16A for receiving the aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate, which is located upstream of the mouthpiece. Flavor compartment air outlets 16 B are present in the inner walls of the outlet portion for releasing a mixture of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent into the aerosol outlet for mixing. The inlet portion 10B of the mouthpiece 10 contains a tubular section 18, which is configured for being detachably connectable for example to a cartridge containing aerosol-forming substrate (cartridge not shown in FIG. 1A). The airflow path 14 denoted by the dashed line in the inlet portion 10B runs along the longitudinal axis 22 of the mouthpiece and enters the flavor compartment 16 through the flavor compartment air inlets 16A. The flavor granules 12 are configured to be movable in the air stream of the user's puff and the at least one flavoring agent included in the flavor granules becomes entrained in the aerosol in the flavor compartment 16. Subsequently, the mixture of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent leaves the flavor compartment 16 through the flavor compartment air outlets 16B. The airflow path 14 in the flavor compartment 16 is partly arranged diagonally to the longitudinal axis 22 of the mouthpiece, denoted by the dashed line. This increases the airflow path through the flavor compartment 16 and the flavor granules 12, so that there is higher possibility that a larger amount of at least one flavoring agent is entrained in the aerosol. The inner walls 10D of the outlet portion 10A of the mouthpiece comprise a conical shape. The diameter of the inner walls at the upstream end is smaller than the diameter of the inner walls at the downstream end. This leads to reduction of the speed of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent at the downstream end, favouring the mixing of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent. The mouthpiece 10 also contains outer walls 10C which include a mouthpiece air inlet 20. This mouthpiece air inlet 20 allows the passage of ambient air into the mouthpiece. This ambient air can be employed for the production of an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate of for example a cartridge.
[0152] FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a mouthpiece of the present invention. In contrast to the embodiment of the mouthpiece shown in FIG. 1B, the air flow path 14 in the mouthpiece of FIG. 1B completely runs along the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece. Both, the flavor compartment air inlet 16A and the flavor compartment air outlet 16B are located along the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece. This mouthpiece additionally includes an inlet sealing layer 10E sealing the inlet portion 10B of the mouthpiece and an outlet sealing layer 10F sealing the outlet portion 10A of the mouthpiece. The sealing players prevent the evaporation of the at least one flavoring agent during storage of the mouthpiece and increase the shelf life of the mouthpiece. Both sealing layers can be removed by a user prior to the use of the mouthpiece.
[0153] FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional schematic view of a disassembled aerosol-generating system including a mouthpiece 10 of the invention, a cartridge 24 and an aerosol-generating device 32. As indicated by the arrows the tubular section 18 of the inlet portion of the mouthpiece 10 can be connected to the cartridge 24 through the central hollow portion 24A of the cartridge. The cartridge 24 contains liquid aerosol-forming substrate 23. A vaporizer assembly 30 is present in the cartridge 24 including a porous evaporation element 26, which is connected to the heater element 28 in a thermally conductive manner. The porous evaporation element 26 is able to absorb liquid aerosol-forming substrate 23. Upon heating of the heater element 28 the liquid aerosol-forming substrate can be evaporated. The heater element 28 contains connection pins 28A. These connection pins are configured to be detachably connectable to electrical connections 34 of the aerosol-generating device 32 (see the respective arrow between the cartridge 24 and the aerosol-generating device 32). The aerosol-generating device also contains control circuitry 36 and a power supply 38 for the heater element 28 of the cartridge. Such an aerosol-generating system allows the generation of an aerosol from the aerosol-forming substrate 23 of the cartridge and the subsequent flavoring of the aerosol with the at least one flavoring agent of the flavor granules 12 of the mouthpiece 10.
[0154] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled aerosol-generating system of FIG. 2. Upon connection of the mouthpiece 10 with the cartridge 24 an additional airflow path 14A is formed between the inner walls of the cartridge and the walls of the inlet portion 10B of the mouthpiece 10. Ambient air can enter this newly created airflow path 14A through the mouthpiece air inlet 20 and can be directed to the vaporizer assembly of the cartridge. At the vaporizer assembly of the cartridge, liquid aerosol-forming substrate contained in the cartridge is evaporated and mixed with the ambient air to create an aerosol. Subsequently, the aerosol is directed through the tubular section 18 of the mouthpiece into the flavor compartment 16. The flavor granules 12 start moving and floating in the air stream of the user's puff, thereby releasing the at least one flavoring agent. The mixture of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent leaves the flavor compartment through the flavor compartment air outlet and enters the conical aerosol outlet. This aerosol outlet enables the mixing of the aerosol and the at least one flavoring agent, so that the mixture can subsequently be inhaled by a user.
[0155] FIG. 4 depicts another disassembled aerosol-generating system, including a mouthpiece 10 in accordance with the present invention. In this aerosol-generating system the mouthpiece 10 can be connected to an aerosol-generating article 40. This aerosol-generating article 40 contains a hollow tube section 42 and substrate section 44. The substrate section 44 can comprise solid aerosol-forming substrate. The assembly of the mouthpiece 10 and the aerosol-generating article 40 can be inserted into the cavity 46 of an aerosol-generating device 32. The aerosol-generating device includes a heater element 48 adjacent to the cavity 46 for heating the substrate section 44 of the aerosol-generating article to a temperature below the combustion temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating device also includes control circuitry 38 and a power supply 36 for the heater element 48.
