Aerosol Generating Article with Shaped Multi-Textured Filter

Abstract

A filter for an aerosol generating article includes a first end for attachment to an aerosol generating article; a second end which is a mouth end which can be received in the mouth of a user; and tipping paper wrapped around the filter. The tipping paper provides four haptic regions which provide different touch experiences for a user's lips at the mouth end, wherein first and second haptic regions provide a first touch experience and third and fourth haptic regions provide a second touch experience. Rotation of the filter allows different haptic regions to contact the user's lips, and haptic regions arranged on opposing sides of the filter may provide a same or different touch experience for both the upper and lower lip of the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2020/057605, filed Mar. 19, 2020, published in English, which claims priority to European Application No. 19167442.3 filed Apr. 4, 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a filter for an aerosol generating article.

Conventional cigarettes and currently available heat-not-burn tobacco sticks comprise a tobacco containing rod, a filter and tipping paper. The tipping paper provides a mechanical connection between the filter and tobacco containing rod whilst also providing a physical barrier between the inner filter material and a user's mouth. Moreover, the colour or appearance of the tipping paper may be customised, such as by using cork-like, white, glossy, or transparent tipping paper, in order to provide consumers with multiple product designs.

Beyond this, existing filter and tipping details do little to enhance the experience of a user. As such, an object of the present invention is to elevate the smoking or vaping and sensory experience during consumption of smoking, heat-not-burn or, generally speaking, aerosol generating articles comprising a filter.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a filter for an aerosol generating article, the filter comprising: a first end for attachment to an aerosol generating article; a second end which is a mouth end which can be received in the mouth of a user; and tipping paper wrapped around the filter, wherein the tipping paper provides a plurality of haptic regions which provide different touch experiences for a user's lips at the mouth end, and wherein a rotation of the filter allows different haptic regions to contact the user's lips.

In this way, an enhanced smoking experience is provided through haptic stimulation of a user's mouth. It has been found that lip and mouth stimulation can elevate sensory experience beyond taste. Hence, by applying different textures to different tipping regions of a filter, the user can navigate between these textures to produce a recognisable difference between lip feel experiences, thereby enhancing its smoking or vaping experience, in particular its flavour perceptions.

Preferably, the plurality of haptic regions provide different touch experiences using one or more of: perforations, textured tipping paper, embossing, debossing, and surface smoothness. In this way, the haptic properties of each region can be tailored to the taste of the aerosol generating article such that the flavour experience is elevated through complementation or contrast. In one example, the tipping paper may be pre-textured and applied to the filter via a reel during manufacture. In an alternative example, texture may be directly applied to the filter or incorporated later in the manufacturing process.

The plurality of haptic regions may comprise four haptic regions, wherein first and second haptic regions provide a first touch experience and third and fourth haptic regions provide a second touch experience. Preferably, the first haptic region is provided opposite the second haptic region and the third haptic region is provided opposite the fourth haptic region at the mouth end. In this way, the filter may be orientated either such that the first and second haptic regions contact the user's lips or such that the third and fourth haptic regions contact the user's lips. Therefore, a consistent touch experience is provided in different orientations which the user can navigate between to produce a recognisable difference in lip sensations. Moreover, registration of the same haptic experience for both the upper and lower lip may provide an elevated mouth feel experience compared to haptic stimulation of only one lip or dissimilar stimulation of both lips.

Preferably, the filter can be rotated through 90 degrees to move between the first touch experience and the second touch experience. In this way, only a minor modification to the standard smoking behaviour of a consumer is required in order to alternate between touch experiences.

In one arrangement, the mouth end may have a cross-sectional shape with a plurality of flat sides. In another arrangement, the mouth end may have the cross-sectional shape of a rounded square, wherein the four haptic regions are provided respectively on the four sides of the rounded square. In this way, by providing different haptic regions on distinct facets the user is able to orientate the filter with greater ease to provide the desired touch experience.

Preferably, the aerosol generating article end has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially circular to match the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating article. In this way, there is a transition in profile from the mouth end to the aerosol generating article end. This allows for optimised connectivity of the filter to a smoking rod, whilst providing a navigable mouth end with a recognisable difference between lip feel sensations.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol generating article comprising a charge of tobacco containing substrate and a filter, as set out above, attached at an aerosol delivery end of said charge.

In one arrangement, the charge of tobacco containing substrate may comprise reconstituted tobacco. In another arrangement, the charge of tobacco containing substrate may comprise extruded or moulded tobacco containing substrate elements. In another arrangement, the charge of tobacco containing substrate may comprise tobacco cut-filler.

The aerosol generating article may be a smoking article or heat-not-burn element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a cigarette in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a schematic side view of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional side view of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2D is a schematic end view of the smoking rod end of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 2E is a schematic end view of the mouth end of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a smoking article 10, in this case a cigarette, in an embodiment of the invention. The reference to a smoking article 10 shall in the context of the present invention and description not be construed as limited to cigarettes or other kinds of tobacco products requiring burning of tobacco material to generate an aerosol inhaled by a user. The terms smoking article shall to the contrary apply and be construed to also encompass any kind of aerosol generating articles making use of tobacco containing substrates, be it plain tobacco leaves, tobacco cut-filler, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco extracts in all forms, for generating an inhalable aerosol through any kind of heating technique. It may in particular encompass any heat-not-burn tobacco containing consumable device used in connection with a filter for consumption by users.

The cigarette 10 comprises a smoking rod 12 comprising a tobacco material or substrate connected to a filter 14. The filter 14 exhibits a gradual transition in cross-sectional shape from a circular profile at the smoking article end 141 to a rounded square profile at the opposing mouth end 142. In an alternative embodiment, the filter 14 profile may remain constant along the length of the filter 14.

The filter 14 comprises four textured regions, corresponding to each side of the square profile, wherein opposing sides comprise the same textural finish. A smooth surface 143 is provided on one pair of opposing surfaces and a dappled surface 144 in provided on the other pair of opposing surfaces. The dappled surface 144 comprises a hexagonal array of surface indents. This arrangement permits the user to alternate between two lip feel experiences by rotating the filter by 90 degrees whilst positioned between the user's lips.

Alternatively, the mouth end 142 may comprise a different cross-sectional profile, such as a polygon, ellipse, or combination. For example, if the mouth end 142 was hexagonal, the user could rotate the filter by 60 degrees to alternate between three lip feel experiences.

As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, in alternative embodiments the filter 14 facets may comprise any combination of textured surfaces. Opposing surfaces may be provided with the same texture or may be provided with different textures.

The filter 14 comprises a hollow end at the mouth end 142. The hollow end may be provided as a hollow filter segment. In this way, the temperature of the smoke is reduced which has been found to increase taste perception thereby enhancing the smoking experience of a user. In an alternative example, the mouth end 142 may be substantially solid.

As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art and recited above, the filter 14 may also be provided with other aerosol generating articles, such as a cigar, cigarillo, electronic cigarette or HNB cigarette.

FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of the cigarette depicted in FIG. 1A. The smoking rod 12 contains an aerosol generating material 16, such as shredded tobacco. A number of other products and ingredients may be provided within the smoking rod 12, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art.

The filter 14 is wrapped in tipping paper 18, wherein the tipping paper 18 conforms to the shape of the underlying filter 14 when wrapped. The tipping paper 18 is fed from a reel and attached to the cigarette 10 during manufacture. Prior to application of the tipping paper 18 to the filter 14, a texture is created on the tipping paper 18 such that the textured regions 143 and 144 align with the filter 14 facets when attached to the filter 14 following a registration pattern to ensure the textures of the tipping 18 properly cover each of the facets fully. The texture may be achieved using techniques such as embossing, debossing, print finishing, or perforation of the tipping paper 18. Alternatively, surface relief may be produced by attaching pieces of material to the tipping paper 18 using adhesive or similar. In an alternative example, the textural finish may be applied after attachment of the tipping paper 18 to the filter 14.

The length of tipping paper 18 exceeds the length of the filter 14. In this way, the tipping paper 18 also wraps around a portion of the smoking rod 12, thereby providing secure attachment of the filter 14 to the smoking rod 12. In an alternative embodiment, the tipping paper 18 may be the same length as the filter 14.

The filter 14 is also wrapped in plug wrap paper 20 which is provided between the filter 14 and the tipping paper 18.

As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, the filter 14 may be produced without tipping paper or plug wrap paper 18, and a textural finish applied directly to the filter 14, depending on the constituent material thereof.

FIGS. 2A to 2C show schematic side views of the cigarette 10 depicted in FIG. 1A. FIGS. 2D and 2E show two end profile views of the cigarette 10 depicted in FIG. 1A looking down the smoking rod end 121 and the mouth end 142 respectively. The filter 14 transitions from a circular profile at the smoking article end 141 to a rounded square profile at the mouth end 142 with a hollow conical interior 22.

Provision of the square profile at the mouth end 142 allow the user to readily alternate between different lip feel experiences by rotating the filter 14 in the user's mouth, whereas provision of a circular profile at the smoking article end 141 permits the filter 12 to be easily attached to conventional smoking rods.

The side profile of the filter 14 appears narrower at the mouth end 142 than the smoking article end 141. This is a result of filter 14 dimensions being chosen such that the perimeter of the rounded square profile at the mouth end 142 is equal to the circumference of the circular profile at the smoking article end 121. In this way, rectangular strips of tipping paper 18 and plug wrap paper 20 can be applied to the filter 14 without the formation of creases in the tipping paper 18 or plug wrap paper 20 or creation of a gap around the filter 14.

It is believed that texture can influence the way that taste of the aerosol generated by heating the tobacco substrate in the smoking rod 12 is perceived by the consumer. Therefore, the textural finishes may be chosen based on the taste profile of the cigarette 10 or filter 14, thereby enhancing the smoking experience for the user. In one example, the filter 14 may further comprise at least one frangible capsule containing a flavouring agent which can be released through application of pressure on the capsule by the user. The flavouring agent may be chosen to complement or contrast with one or more textured regions, or vice versa.

Claims

1. A filter for an aerosol generating article, the filter comprising:

a first end for attachment to an aerosol generating article;

a second end which is a mouth end which can be received in a mouth of a user; and

tipping paper wrapped around the filter,

wherein the tipping paper provides first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions which provide different touch experiences for a user's lips at the mouth end,

wherein the first and second haptic regions provide a first touch experience, and the third and fourth haptic regions provide a second touch experience, and

wherein a rotation of the filter allows different ones of the first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions to contact the user's lips.

2. The filter of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions provide different touch experiences using one or more of: perforations, textured tipping paper, embossing, debossing, and surface smoothness.

3. The filter of claim 1, wherein the first haptic region is provided opposite the second haptic region and the third haptic region is provided opposite the fourth haptic region at the mouth end.

4. The filter of claim 1, wherein haptic regions of the first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions arranged on opposing sides of the filter provide a same touch experience for both upper and lower lips of the user.

5. The filter of claim 1, wherein haptic regions of the first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions arranged on opposing sides of the filter provide a different touch experience.

6. The filter of claim 1, wherein the filter can be rotated through 90 degrees to move between the first touch experience and the second touch experience.

7. The filter of claim 6, wherein the mouth end has a cross-sectional shape with a plurality of flat sides.

8. The filter of claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the mouth end is a rounded square, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth haptic regions are provided respectively on the four sides of the rounded square.

9. The filter of claim 1, wherein the first end has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially circular to match a cross-sectional shape of an aerosol generating device.

10. The filter of claim 1, wherein the mouth end comprises a hollow filter segment.

11. An aerosol generating article comprising a charge of tobacco containing substrate and the filter according to claim 1 attached at an aerosol delivery end of said charge.

12. The aerosol generating article of claim 11, wherein the charge of tobacco containing substrate comprises reconstituted tobacco.

13. The aerosol generating article of claim 11, wherein the charge of tobacco containing substrate comprises extruded or moulded tobacco containing substrate elements.

14. The aerosol generating article of claim 11, wherein the charge of tobacco containing substrate comprises tobacco cut-filler.