AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE COMPRISING A CAVITY WITH GERMINABLE PLANT SEEDS

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article is provided, including: a cavity; and one or more plant seeds capable of germinating and being arranged within the cavity, one or more ventilation holes being provided at a longitudinal position of the aerosol-generating article upstream of the cavity. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device is also provided. A method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article is also provided.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating article, comprising: a cavity; and one or more plant seeds capable of germinating and being arranged within the cavity, wherein one or more ventilation holes are provided at a longitudinal position of the aerosol-generating article upstream of the cavity.

17. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, the aerosol-generating article having a ventilation level of at least 15 percent.

18. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, further comprising: a first element; and a second element arranged separate from and distanced from the first element, wherein the cavity extends along a whole distance between the first element and the second element.

19. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the first element is located upstream of the cavity, and wherein the first element is a filter element.

20. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the first element is located upstream of the cavity, and wherein the first element comprises an aerosol-forming substrate.

21. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the second element is located downstream of the cavity, and wherein the second element is a filter element.

22. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein the second element is located downstream of the cavity, and wherein the second element is a mouthpiece filter.

23. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein an inner diameter of the cavity along a transversal direction of the aerosol-generating article is at least 2 millimeters.

24. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the cavity is defined as an interior space of a hollow tubular element, and/or wherein the hollow tubular element comprises one or more ventilation holes.

25. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the cavity is defined as an interior space of a hollow tubular element, wherein the hollow tubular element is made of cellulose acetate, PLA, cardboard, or wrapping paper, and/or wherein the hollow tubular element comprises one or more ventilation holes.

26. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the cavity comprises between 2 plant seeds and 1000 plant seeds.

27. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 18, wherein both the first and the second elements are in a form of filled cylindrical plugs.

28. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 27, wherein both the first and the second elements are cylindrical filter plugs uniformly filled with filter material.

29. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the one or more plant seeds comprise one or more of basil seeds and cat grass seeds.

30. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating article substantially consists of biodegradable material.

31. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 30, wherein the biodegradable material is selected from polylactic acid (PLA) and cotton.

32. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, further comprising an aerosol-forming substrate with an aerosol-former content of at least 5% by weight of the total weight of the aerosol-forming substrate.

33. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating article is a heat-not-burn (HNB) article.

34. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: the aerosol-generating article according to claim 16; and an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber configured for insertion of at least a distal portion of the aerosol-generating article and an electric heating element configured to heat the heating chamber.

35. A method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article, the method comprising: providing a first element adjacent to a second element on a conveyer belt; creating a cavity between the first element and the second element; inserting one or more plant seeds capable of germinating into the cavity by means of a seed inserter; and circumscribing the first element, the second element, and the cavity with an outer wrapper, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises one or more ventilation holes provided upstream of the cavity.

Description

[0113] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0114] FIGS. 1a and 1b show filter elements for an aerosol-generating article;

[0115] FIG. 1c shows an aerosol-generating article;

[0116] FIGS. 2a to 2d show aerosol-generating articles; and

[0117] FIGS. 3a to 3c show aerosol-generating articles.

[0118] FIG. 1a shows a filter element 10 for an aerosol-generating article in perspective view. The filter element 10 comprises a first filter plug 12 and a second filter plug 14. The second filter plug 14 is arranged separate from and distanced to the first filter plug 12 to form a cavity 16 between the first filter plug 12 and the second filter plug 14. The filter element 10 further comprises a plurality of plant seeds 18 arranged within the cavity 16. The filter element 10 may be wrapped by an optional plug wrapper 20. The cavity 16 may thus be confined by the first and second filter plugs 12, 14 and the plug wrapper 20. By this arrangement, the plant seeds 18 may be prevented from falling out of the cavity 16.

[0119] FIG. 1b shows a filter element 10 of an aerosol-generating article in perspective view. The filter element 10 of FIG. 1b comprises a row of ventilation holes 22 arranged circumferentially around the filter element 10 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the filter element 10. The filter element 10 of FIG. 1b is elsewise identical to the filter element 10 of FIG. 1a.

[0120] FIG. 1c shows an aerosol-generating article in perspective view. The aerosol-generating article comprises a filter element 10 as shown in FIG. 1a. The aerosol-generating article further comprises a tobacco portion 24. The aerosol-generating article is wrapped by an outer wrapper 26. In embodiments where the optional plug wrapper 20 shown in FIG. 1a is omitted, the cavity 16 may be confined by the first and second filter plugs 12, 14 and the outer wrapper 26.

[0121] FIGS. 2a to 2d show aerosol-generating articles, particularly HNB articles, in cross-sectional views.

[0122] The article of FIG. 2a comprises a second filter plug 14 being configured as a mouthpiece filter and being located at a proximal end of the article. A cavity 16 is formed between the second filter plug 14 and a first filter plug 12. The cavity 16 is filled with plant seeds 18. The article further comprises a PLA plug 28, a hollow acetate tube 30, and a portion of aerosol-forming substrate 24, for example reconstituted tobacco. The article is circumscribed by an outer wrapper 26.

[0123] An outer diameter of the article may be about 7 millimeters. A total length of the article may be about 45 millimeters. In one embodiment, a length of the each of the first and second filter plugs 12, 14 and the cavity 16 is about 5 millimeters, a length of the PLA plug 28 is about 10 millimeters, a length of the hollow acetate tube 30 is about 8 millimeters, and a length of the portion of smokable material 24 is about 12 millimeters. In one embodiment, a length of the each of the first and second filter plugs 12, 14 and the cavity 16 is about 4 millimeters, a length of the PLA plug 28 is about 13 millimeters, a length of the hollow acetate tube 30 is about 8 millimeters, and a length of the portion of smokable material 24 is about 12 millimeters.

[0124] The article of FIG. 2b mainly corresponds to the article of FIG. 2a with the exception that the article of FIG. 2b comprises at least one row of ventilation holes 22 provided within the outer wrapper 26 and arranged circumferentially around the cavity 16 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article.

[0125] The article of FIG. 2c comprises an inner plug wrapper 20 circumscribing a filter element formed by the first and second filter plugs 12,14 and the cavity 16. The inner plug wrapper 20 is also circumscribed by the outer wrapper 26. The article of FIG. 2b is elsewise identical to the article of FIG. 2a.

[0126] The article of FIG. 2d mainly corresponds to the article of FIG. 2c with the exception that the article of FIG. 2d comprises at least one row of ventilation holes 22 provided within one or both of the inner plug wrapper 20 and the outer wrapper 26. The at least one row of ventilation holes 22 is arranged circumferentially around the cavity 16 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article.

[0127] FIGS. 3a to 3c show aerosol-generating articles, particularly HNB articles, in cross-sectional views.

[0128] The article of FIG. 3a comprise a mouthpiece filter element 10 being structured as a filled filter plug. The article further comprises a PLA plug 28, a hollow acetate tube 30, and a portion of aerosol-forming substrate 24, for example reconstituted tobacco. The article is circumscribed by an outer wrapper 26. The cavity provided within the hollow acetate tube 30 is filled with plant seeds 18.

[0129] An outer diameter of the article may be about 7 millimeters. A total length of the article may be about 45 millimeters. In one embodiment, a length of the filter element 10 is about 15 millimeters, a length of the PLA plug 28 is about 10 millimeters, a length of the hollow acetate tube 30 is about 8 millimeters, and a length of the portion of smokable material 24 is about 12 millimeters. In one embodiment, a length of the filter element 10 is about 12 millimeters, a length of the PLA plug 28 is about 13 millimeters, a length of the hollow acetate tube 30 is about 8 millimeters, and a length of the portion of smokable material 24 is about 12 millimeters.

[0130] The article of FIG. 3b mainly corresponds to the article of FIG. 3a with the exception that the article of FIG. 3b comprises at least one row of ventilation holes 22 provided within one or both of the hollow acetate tube 30 and the outer wrapper 26. The at least one row of ventilation holes 22 is arranged circumferentially around the cavity 16 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article.

[0131] The article of FIG. 3c comprises first and second filter plugs 12, 14, a cavity 16 filled with plant seeds 18, a fine hollow acetate tube 32, a hollow acetate tube 30, a portion of smokable material 24, and a front plug 34. The front plug 34 may be a filter plug. The article is circumscribed by an outer wrapper 26. Optionally, at least one row of ventilation holes (not shown) may be provided within the outer wrapper 26 and arranged circumferentially around the cavity 16 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article.

[0132] An outer diameter of the article may be about 7 millimeters. A total length of the article may be about 45 millimeters. In one embodiment, a length of the each of the first and second filter plugs 12, 14 and the cavity 16 is about 4 millimeters, a length of the fine hollow acetate tube 32 is about 8 millimeters, a length of the hollow acetate tube 30 is about 8 millimeters, a length of the portion of smokable material 24 is about 12 millimeters, and a length of the front plug 34 is about 5 millimeters.