Inhaler with sized cavity

Abstract

An inhaler article includes a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end to a distal end and a capsule cavity defined within the body. The capsule cavity has a length extending along the longitudinal axis. A mouthpiece air channel extends from the capsule cavity to the mouthpiece end. An end cap is disposed within the distal end and extends to the capsule cavity. The end cap includes an air channel extending from the end cap distal end to the end cap inner end. A capsule is disposed within the capsule cavity and has a capsule length. The capsule length is in a range from about 25% to about 99% of the cavity length, or about 50% to about 95% of the cavity length, or about 70% to about 90% of the cavity length, or from about 75% to about 85% of the cavity length, or about 80% of the cavity length.

Claims

1. An inhaler article comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end to a distal end; a capsule cavity defined within the body, the capsule cavity having a cavity length extending along the longitudinal axis; a mouthpiece air channel extends from the capsule cavity to the mouthpiece end; an end cap disposed within the distal end and extending to the capsule cavity, the end cap extending from an end cap distal end face to an end cap inner end and comprising a helical air channel extending from the end cap distal end face to the end cap inner end and a linear piercing channel and a resealable element disposed on or within the linear piercing channel; and a capsule disposed within the capsule cavity, the capsule having a capsule length, the capsule length is in a range from about 25% to about 99% of the cavity length.

2. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule contains particles comprising nicotine.

3. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the cavity length is in a range from about 18 mm to about 22 mm and the capsule length is in a range from about 14 to about 18 mm.

4. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule cavity has a cavity inner diameter, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and the capsule has a capsule outer diameter, and the capsule outer diameter is in a range from about 80% to about 99% of the cavity inner diameter.

5. The inhaler article according to claim 4, wherein the capsule outer diameter is in a range from about 85% to about 95% of the cavity inner diameter.

6. The inhaler article according to claim 5, wherein the capsule length is in a range from about 75% to about 85% of the cavity length.

7. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule cavity has an cavity inner diameter, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and the capsule has an capsule outer diameter that is less than the cavity inner diameter, and the capsule outer diameter is in a range from about 5.4 mm to about 6.4 mm and the cavity inner diameter is in a range from about 6 mm to about 7 mm, or the capsule outer diameter is in a range from about 5.7 mm to about 6.1 mm and the cavity inner diameter is in a range from about 6.4 mm to about 6.8 mm, or the capsule outer diameter is about 5.85 mm and the cavity inner diameter is about 6.6 mm.

8. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule cavity has a uniform or constant diameter along the cavity length.

9. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule cavity is a fixed length.

10. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the air channel comprises at least two air channels that are symmetrical.

11. The inhaler article according to claim 10, wherein the at least two air channels oppose each other along the end cap length.

12. The inhaler article according to claim 1, comprising a second helical air channel extending from the end cap distal end face to the end cap inner end.

13. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the body has an outer diameter that is substantially constant from the distal end to the mouthpiece end.

14. The inhaler article according to claim 1, further comprising a filter element disposed within the body and separating the capsule cavity from the mouthpiece end, the filter element in air flow communication with the capsule cavity and the mouthpiece air channel.

15. The inhaler article according to claim 14, wherein the filter element comprises fibres derived from polylactic acid.

16. The inhaler article according to claim 14, wherein the filter element defines a downstream end of the capsule cavity.

17. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule length is in a range from about 50% to about 95% of the cavity length.

18. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the capsule length is in a range from about 75% to about 85% of the cavity length.

19. A method comprising: flowing air through the inhaler article according to claim 1, such that the flowing air spins the capsule about the longitudinal axis.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the flowing air has a flow rate in a range from about 2 L/min to about 1 L/min.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative inhaler article.

(2) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative inhaler article of FIG. 1 along the longitudinal axis.

(3) FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are perspective views of an illustrative end cap.

(4) FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are perspective views of another illustrative end cap.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative end cap.

(6) FIG. 6 is cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative end cap.

(7) The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings 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.

(8) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate an exemplary inhaler article 100. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative inhaler article of FIG. 1 along the longitudinal axis. The inhaler article 100 includes a body 110 extending along a longitudinal axis L.sub.A from a mouthpiece end 112 to a distal end 114 and a capsule cavity 116 defined within the body 110. A mouthpiece air channel 111 extends from the capsule cavity 116 to the mouthpiece end 112. An end cap 120 is disposed within the distal end 112 and extends to the capsule cavity 116. The end cap 120 extends from an end cap distal end 124 to an end cap inner end 122 an end cap length. The end cap 120 includes an air channel 113 extending from the end cap distal end 124 to the end cap inner end 122. The air channel 113 is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis L.sub.A.

(9) The end cap inner end 122 and a porous support element 140 bound the capsule cavity 116. A capsule 130 is disposed within the cavity 116. The capsule 130 contains particles comprising nicotine. The end cap 120 and the porous support element 140 cooperate to contain the capsule 130 longitudinally within the capsule cavity 116. The mouthpiece end 112 is illustrated having a recessed end where the body 110 bounds an open space at the mouthpiece end 112. Alternatively the porous support element 140 can extend to the mouthpiece end 112 to fill the entire mouthpiece end 112.

(10) The capsule cavity 116 has a cavity length L.sub.1 extending along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A. The capsule 130 has a capsule length L.sub.2. The capsule cavity has a cavity inner diameter D.sub.1. The capsule 130 has a capsule outer diameter D.sub.2. The capsule 130 axis of rotation may be coextensive with the longitudinal axis L.sub.A.

(11) FIG. 3A to FIG. 4B illustrate opposing curved, or helical air channels 113 rotating about the circumference as a function of a location along the length of the end cap 120. The end cap 120 may include a collar element 125 having a larger diameter than the remaining body 123 of the end cap 120.

(12) FIG. 3A, FIG. 4A, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate a linear piercing channel 121 extending through the length of the end cap 120. The linear piercing channel 121 may extend along a central axis of the end cap 120.

(13) FIG. 4B, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate a resealable element 129 disposed on or within the linear piercing channel 121. FIG. 4B and FIG. 5 illustrate a resealable element 129 disposed on the end cap inner end 122 and sealing the linear piercing channel 121. FIG. 6 illustrates a resealable element 129 disposed on the end cap distal end 124 and sealing the linear piercing channel 121.

(14) A separate piercing element (not shown) may be utilized by a consumer to pierce the resealable element 129 along the linear piercing channel 121 and puncture the capsule 130 contained within the capsule cavity 116. The piercing element may be withdrawn from the inhaler article 100 to reseal the resealable element 129. A consumer may then utilize the inhaler device.