NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE TOBACCO AND ELECTRICALLY-HEATED TOBACCO PRODUCT

- JAPAN TOBACCO INC.

Provided is a non-combustion heating-type tobacco which is rod shaped and comprises a tobacco rod part and a mouthpiece part. The mouthpiece part comprises a filter segment which includes a filter filter-material. The filter filter-material has a Y-shape in a circumferential direction cross-section, and is made of fibers having a single-fiber denier of 8-12.

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Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2022/013607, filed on Mar. 23, 2022, which is claiming priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-075206, filed on Apr. 27, 2021, and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco and an electric heating tobacco product.

BACKGROUND ART

Electric heating tobacco products that include a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco which are inserted into an electric heating device when used have been developed as an alternative to cigarettes (paper-wrapped tobaccos) (Patent Document 1). The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco commonly includes a tobacco rod formed by a shredded tobacco, a material that generates a flavor component, and the like being wrapped with a wrapping paper, a mouthpiece used for inhaling components generated from the tobacco rod by heating, and a tipping paper with which the above members are wrapped.

Commonly, in an electric heating tobacco product, the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco is inserted into an electric heating device and, subsequently, a heater member is caused to produce heat. As a result, the tobacco rod is heated from a portion of the tobacco rod which is in contact with the heater member, and the components generated by heating are delivered to the user.

The delivery of components generated by heating has been considered as an important characteristic for not only electric heating tobacco products but also cigarettes and widely studied.

Patent Document 2 discloses a cigarette including a tobacco rod that includes a volatile containing material included in a polysaccharide gel in order to increase the amount of delivery of a volatile flavoring agent contained in smoke generated on the first puff, to eliminate the possibility of the volatile flavoring agent bleeding out during storage, and to maintain the intended amount of delivery of the volatile flavoring agent during smoking subsequent to storage.

Patent Document 3 discloses a cigarette that includes an adsorbent or liquid absorber added to a filter disposed downstream of a tobacco rod in order to reduce the amount of unfavorable components generated by combustion and enables the delivery of a suitable flavor.

CITATION LIST Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2015-508676

Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2011/118040

Patent Document 3: International Publication No. 2008/146548

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, a specific material is added to a tobacco rod or a filter in order to adjust the amount of volatile components and achieve the delivery of intended components. Compared with the techniques of improving the delivery of components generated by heating with attention being focused on the materials included in tobacco, there have not been many studies of techniques of improving the delivery of the above components with attention being focused on the structure of the material constituting the filter. Thus, there is room for improvement.

An increase in the amount of components delivered through an electric heating tobacco product has been particularly anticipated, because the temperatures at which electric heating tobacco products are heated during use are low and the amount of components generated by electric heating tobacco products is small compared with cigarettes, which involve combustion.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco and an electric heating tobacco product that increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating.

Solution to Problem

The inventors of the present invention conducted extensive studies and consequently found that the above-described issues may be addressed by forming a filter element included in the filter using a fiber having a specific shape and a specific size. Thus, the inventors of the present invention conceived the present invention.

Specifically, the summary of the present invention is as follows.

    • [1] A rod-shaped non-combustion-heating-type tobacco comprising a tobacco rod portion and a mouthpiece portion,
    • wherein the mouthpiece portion includes a filter segment including a filter element,
    • the filter element being composed of a fiber, a cross section of the fiber taken in a circumferential direction being Y-shaped, the fiber having a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less.
    • [2] The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to [1], wherein the filter element has a density of 0.09 g/cm3 or more and 0.14 g/cm3 or less.
    • [3] The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to [1] or [2], wherein the filter element has a compression change P of 88% or more and 95% or less, the compression change P being represented by Formula (1),


P=(D1×100)/D2  (1)

    • P (%): a compression change
    • D1 (mm): a diameter of the filter element, the diameter being measured in a compressive direction after the filter element has been compressed and deformed in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction at a compressive load of 3 N/mm per unit length in a longitudinal direction for a compression time of 10 seconds
    • D2 (mm): an average diameter of the filter element before compression.
    • [4] The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein a length of the filter element in a longitudinal direction is 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less.
    • [5] The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein an airflow resistance of the filter segment in a longitudinal direction is 1.0 mmH2O/mm or more and 4.0 mmH2O/mm or less.
    • [6] The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein a flavoring agent capsule is disposed inside the filter element.
    • [7] An electric heating tobacco product comprising:
    • an electric heating device including a heater member, a battery unit serving as a power source for the heater member, and a control unit for controlling the heater member; and
    • the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to any one of [1] to [6], the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco being inserted in the electric heating device so as to come into contact with the heater member.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco and an electric heating tobacco product that increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating tobacco product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating tobacco product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a mouth end side end of a region of a cooling segment which is in contact with an electric heating device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mouth end side end of a region of a cooling segment which is in contact with an electric heating device.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the amounts of nicotine and glycerine delivered in Examples.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the amounts of nicotine and glycerine delivered in Examples.

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the amounts of nicotine and glycerine delivered in Examples.

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the amounts of nicotine and glycerine delivered in Examples.

 DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Details of embodiments of the present invention are described below. Note that the following description is merely an example (typical example) of the embodiments of the present invention and the present invention is not limited by the contents thereof without departing from the summary thereof.

In the present specification, in the case where a range is expressed using “to” and values or physical properties described before and after “to”, it is considered that the range includes the values described before and after “to”.

In the present specification, the term “a plurality of” refers to “two or more” unless otherwise specified.

<Non-Combustion-Heating-Type Tobacco>

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to an embodiment of the present invention (also referred to simply as “non-combustion-heating-type tobacco”) is a rod-shaped non-combustion-heating-type tobacco including a tobacco rod portion and a mouthpiece portion.

The mouthpiece portion includes a filter segment including a filter element.

The filter element is composed of a fiber the cross section of which taken in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped and which has a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to the embodiment. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco is described below with reference to FIG. 1.

The rod-shaped non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a rod-shaped non-combustion-heating-type tobacco that includes a tobacco rod portion 11, a mouthpiece portion 14, and a tipping paper 15 wrapped around the above members. The mouthpiece portion 14 includes a cooling segment 12 and a filter segment 13 including a filter element. The cooling segment 12 is arranged adjacent to the tobacco rod portion 11 and the filter segment 13 and sandwiched therebetween in the axial direction (also referred to as “longitudinal direction”) of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10. Perforations V are formed concentrically in the cooling segment 12 in the circumferential direction. The perforations V are usually perforations that facilitate the entry of outside air by the inhalation of the user. The entry of air reduces the temperature of the components and air taken in from the tobacco rod portion 11.

In the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10, components generated as a result of heating of the tobacco rod portion 11 or the like are delivered into the mouth of the user through the mouthpiece portion. Examples of the components generated by heating include a flavor component derived from a flavoring agent, nicotine and tar derived from tobacco leaves, and an aerosol component derived from an aerosol-source material. In the present specification, the term “aerosol-source material” refers to a material that generates an aerosol.

The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 preferably has a pillar-like shape that is a shape having an aspect ratio of 1 or more, the aspect ratio being defined as described below.


Aspect ratio=h/w

    • where w represents the width of the bottom of the pillar-shaped body (in the present specification, the width of the tobacco rod portion-side bottom), and h represents the height of the pillar-shaped body. It is preferable that h≥w. In the present specification, the longitudinal direction is defined as the direction represented by h. Thus, even if w≥h, the direction represented by h is referred to as “longitudinal direction” for the sake of simplicity. The shape of the bottom may be, but not limited to, a polygonal shape, a polygonal shape having rounded corners, a circular shape, an oval shape, or the like. When the bottom has a circular shape, the width w is the diameter of the circle. When the bottom has an oval shape, the width w is the major-axis length of the oval. When the bottom has a polygonal shape or a polygonal shape having rounded corners, the width w is the diameter of the circle circumscribing the polygon or the major-axis length of the oval circumscribing the polygon.

The length h of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 in the longitudinal direction is not limited. The length h is, for example, usually 40 mm or more, is preferably 45 mm or more, and is more preferably 50 mm or more. The length h is usually 100 mm or less, is preferably 90 mm or less, and is more preferably 80 mm or less.

The width w of the bottom of the pillar-shaped body of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is not limited. The width w is, for example, usually 5 mm or more and is preferably 5.5 mm or more. The width w is usually 10 mm or less, is preferably 9 mm or less, and is more preferably 8 mm or less.

The proportions of the lengths of the cooling segment and the filter segment to the length of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction (cooling segment:filter segment) is usually, but not limited to, 0.60 to 1.40:0.60 to 1.40, is 0.80 to 1.20:0.80 to 1.20, is preferably 0.85 to 1.15:0.85 to 1.15, is more preferably 0.90 to 1.10:0.90 to 1.10, and is further preferably 0.95 to 1.05:0.95 to 1.05 in consideration of the amount of the flavoring agent delivered.

When the above ratio between the lengths of the cooling segment and the filter segment falls within the above range, the cooling effect, the effect of reducing loss due to the adhesion of the generated vapor and aerosol on the inner wall of the cooling segment, and the function of the filter to adjust the amounts of air and flavor can be all achieved in a balanced manner and a suitable flavor can be achieved. In particular, when the length of the cooling segment is increased, the formation of aerosol particles and the like is facilitated and, consequently, a suitable flavor can be achieved. However, if the length of the cooling segment is excessively increased, the substance that passes therethrough may adhere on the inner wall disadvantageously.

The airflow resistance of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 per stick in the longitudinal direction is not limited. In consideration of ease of smoking, the above airflow resistance is usually 8 mmH2O or more, is preferably 10 mmH2O or more, and is more preferably 12 mmH2O or more, and is usually 100 mmH2O or less, is preferably 80 mmH2O or less, and is more preferably 60 mmH2O or less.

The above airflow resistance is measured in conformity with an ISO standard method (ISO6565:2015) using, for example, a filter airflow resistance gage produced by Cerulean. The airflow resistance is the difference in the air pressure between one of the edge surfaces (first edge surface) of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 and the other edge surface (second edge surface) which occurs when air is passed through the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 in the direction from the first to second edge surface at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/min) while the permeation of air through the side surfaces of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is blocked. The airflow resistance is commonly expressed in units of mmH2O. It is known that the airflow resistance is proportional to the length of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco when the length of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco falls within a usual range (length: 5 to 200 mm); if the length of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco doubles, the airflow resistance of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco doubles.

[Mouthpiece Portion]

The mouthpiece portion 14 may have any structure that includes a filter segment 13 including a filter element, the filter element being composed of fibers the cross section of which taken in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped and which have a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less. The mouthpiece portion 14 may include, for example, a cooling segment 12 and a filter segment 13 including the above-described filter element such that the cooling segment 12 is arranged adjacent to the tobacco rod portion 11 and the filter segment 13 and sandwiched therebetween in the axial direction of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Details of the filter segment 13 and the cooling segment 12 are described below.

(Filter Segment)

The filter segment 13 includes a filter element. The filter element is composed of fibers the cross section of which taken in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped and which have a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less. The filter segment 13 is not limited and may be any filter segment that has common filter functions. Examples of the common filter functions include a function of adjusting the amount of air that enters upon the inhalation of an aerosol or the like, a function of reducing a flavor, and a function of reducing nicotine and tar. However, the filter segment does not necessarily have all of the above functions. Furthermore, for electric heating tobacco products, which generate a smaller amount of components than paper-wrapped tobacco products and the filling ratio of a tobacco filler is low compared with paper-wrapped tobacco products, a function of suppressing the filtration function and preventing detachment of the tobacco filler is one of the important functions.

The shape of the filter segment 13 is not limited; publicly known shapes may be used. The filter segment 13 usually has a cylindrical shape. The filter segment 13 may have the following structure.

The shape of cross section of the filter segment 13 which is taken in the circumferential direction is substantially circular. The diameter of the circle can be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. The diameter of the circle is usually 4.0 mm or more and 9.0 mm or less, is preferably 4.5 mm or more and 8.5 mm or less, and is more preferably 5.0 mm or more and 8.0 mm or less. In the case where the cross section taken in the circumferential direction is not circular, the above diameter is the diameter of a virtual circle having the same area as the cross section.

The perimeter of the shape of a cross section of the filter segment 13 which is taken in the circumferential direction can be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. The above perimeter is usually 14.0 mm or more and 27.0 mm or less, is preferably 15.0 mm or more and 26.0 mm or less, and is more preferably 16.0 mm or more and 25.0 mm or less.

The length of the filter segment 13 in the longitudinal direction can be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. The above length is usually 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, is preferably 17.5 mm or more and 32.5 mm or less, and is more preferably 20.0 mm or more and 30.0 mm or less.

The shape and dimensions of the filter element may be adjusted appropriately such that the shape and dimensions of the filter segment 13 fall within the above ranges. The length of the filter element in the longitudinal direction may be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. In order to achieve the intended hardness, the above length is usually 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, is preferably 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less, is more preferably 8 mm or more and 18 mm or less, and is further preferably 10 mm or more and 15 mm or less.

The airflow resistance of the filter segment 13 in the longitudinal direction is usually, but not limited to, 1.0 mmH2O/mm or more and 4.0 mmH2O/mm or less in consideration of ease of smoking. In particular, in the case where the filter element includes the flavoring agent capsules described below, the above airflow resistance is preferably 1.5 mmH2O/mm or more and 4.0 mmH2O/mm or less in consideration of ease of smoking. In such a case, when the filter element further includes the flavor agent described below, in particular, when the filter element includes a crystalline substance, such as menthol, as a flavor agent, the above airflow resistance is more preferably 2.5 mmH2O/mm or more and 3.6 mmH2O/mm or less. When the filter element does not include the flavor agent, the above airflow resistance is more preferably 1.9 mmH2O/mm or more and 3.0 mmH2O/mm or less. In the case where the filter element does not include the flavoring agent capsules described below, the above airflow resistance is preferably 1.3 mmH2O/mm or more and 2.4 mmH2O/mm or less in consideration of ease of smoking, regardless of whether the filter element includes the flavor agent. The above conditions of airflow resistance may be applied also to the airflow resistance of the filter element in the airflow direction.

The above airflow resistance is measured in conformity with an ISO standard method (ISO6565) using, for example, a filter airflow resistance gage produced by Cerulean. The airflow resistance of the filter segment 13 is the difference in the air pressure between one of the edge surfaces (first edge surface) of the filter segment 13 and the other edge surface (second edge surface) which occurs when air is passed through the filter segment 13 in the direction from the first to second edge surface at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/min) while the permeation of air through the side surfaces of the filter segment 13 is blocked. The airflow resistance is commonly expressed in units of mmH2O. It is known that the airflow resistance of the filter segment 13 is proportional to the length of the filter segment 13 when the length of the filter segment 13 falls within a usual range (length: 5 to 200 mm); if the length of the filter segment 13 doubles, the airflow resistance of the filter segment 13 doubles.

The filter segment 13 may be, for example, a plain filter including a single filter segment or a multi-segment filter including a plurality of filter segments, such as a dual filter or a triple filter.

The filter segment 13 can be produced by a publicly known method. For example, in the case where a synthetic fiber, such as cellulose acetate tow, is used as a material for the filter element, the filter segment 13 can be produced by spinning a polymer solution including a polymer and a solvent into thread and crimping the thread. Examples of the above method include the method described in International Publication No. 2013/067511.

In the production of the filter segment 13, the above airflow resistance may be adjusted as needed. Furthermore, additives (e.g., publicly known adsorbents and flavoring agents (e.g., menthol), granular active carbon, and flavoring agent keeper) may be added to the filter element as needed.

The filter element constituting the filter segment 13 is not limited and may be any filter element composed of fibers the cross section of which taken in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped and which have a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less. The filter element may be produced by, for example, forming tow, such as cellulose acetate tow, composed of fibers having a Y-shaped cross section in the circumferential direction into a cylindrical shape.

The cross section of the fibers constituting the tow which is taken in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped. In the case where tow composed of Y-shaped fibers is used, a filter segment excellent in terms of amount of delivery is likely to be produced because of the complexity of the fiber shape, compared with the case where a tow composed of fibers having a common shape, such as a circular shape, is used. Specifically, a filter segment that enables the delivery of a large amount of components and has an intended hardness can be produced while the amount of materials used is reduced, that is, the costs are saved.

The filament denier (g/9000 m) of the fibers is not limited and may be 8 or more and 12 or less in order to increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating. The above filament denier may be 9 or more and 11 or less. If the filament denier of the fibers is less than the above range, the structure of the fibers constituting the filter element may become excessively dense, which reduces the amount of delivery of the components. If the filament denier of the fibers is more than the above range, the structure of the fibers constituting the filter element may become excessively sparse, which makes it impossible to achieve sufficiently high hardness. The total denier (g/9000 m) of the fibers may be, but not limited to, 12000 or more and 35000 or less and is preferably 15000 or more and 30000 or less in order to increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating. The above filament denier and total denier are particularly preferable when the perimeter of the mouthpiece portion is 22 mm. In the case where a filter filled with the fibers is used, triacetin may be added to the fibers such that the amount of triacetin is 5% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less of the total weight of the fibers in order to enhance the hardness of the filter.

The method for producing fibers the cross section of which in the circumferential direction is Y-shaped is not limited. For example, in the case where the above fibers are acetate fibers, acetate flakes (cellulose acetate) are produced by acetification of a pulp material. The acetate flakes are dissolved in acetone with a dissolver (doping). The resulting solution is spun into fibrous bundles. Fibers having a Y-shaped cross section in the circumferential direction can be produced by changing the shape of the nozzle plate used in this spinning step. Furthermore, the thickness (filament denier) of the fibers can be changed by changing the diameter of the nozzle. Subsequently, the total denier of the fibers is determined in accordance with the required airflow resistance, and the number of filaments per bundle (total denier/filament denier) is determined accordingly. Acetate fibers are spun using a required number of spinning chambers and tied in a bundle. The bundles are corrugated (crimped) homogeneously with a crimping machine. Tows transported in a ribbon-like manner are stacked on top of one another and packaged while being traversed with a baling machine.

The density of the filter element (in particular, in the case where the filter element includes the flavoring agent capsules described below, the density of the filter element excluding the flavoring agent capsules) is usually, but not limited to, 0.09 g/cm3 or more and 0.25 g/cm3 or less, is preferably 0.09 g/cm3 or more and 0.20 g/cm3 or less, is more preferably 0.09 g/cm3 or more and 0.14 g/cm3 or less, and is further preferably 0.11 g/cm3 or more and 0.14 g/cm3 or less in order to achieve the intended hardness.

The compression change P of the filter element which is represented by Formula (1) below is one of the measures of hardness and usually, but not limited to, 85% or more and 98% or less, is preferably 88% or more and 95% or less, and is more preferably 90% or more and 93% or less in order to achieve the intended hardness. The method for measuring the compression change P is not limited. For example, the compression change P may be measured using SODIM-H Hardness module produced by Sodim SAS. The compression change P may be adjusted by changing the density of the filter element or the material constituting the filter element.


P=(D1×100)/D2  (1)

    • P (%): compression change
    • D1 (mm): the diameter of the filter element which is measured in the compressive direction after the filter element has been compressed and deformed in a direction perpendicular to the airflow direction (in the case where the filter element is cylindrical, the circumferential direction) at a compressive load of 3 N/mm per unit length in the longitudinal direction for a compression time of 10 seconds.
    • D2 (mm): the average diameter of the filter element before compression.

Since the compression change is one of the measures of the hardness of the filter element, in the present specification, the compression change is also referred to as “hardness”.

The filter element may include, in addition to the flavoring agent capsules described below, a component such as a flavoring agent. Examples of the flavor agent include menthol, spearmint, peppermint, fenugreek, clove, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). Among these, menthol is preferable. Only one of the above components may be used alone. Two or more types of the above components may be used in any combination at any ratio.

The content of the flavor agent (in particular, menthol) in the filter element (except the flavor agent included in the flavoring agent capsules described below) is usually, but not limited to, 0.5% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less, is preferably 3% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, and is more preferably 5% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less.

A crushable additive release container (e.g., a flavoring agent capsule) that includes a crushable shell composed of gelatin or the like may be disposed inside the filter element. The flavoring agent capsule (also referred to as “additive release container” in the technical field) is not limited; publicly known flavoring agent capsules may be employed. For example, the flavoring agent capsule may be a crushable additive release container that includes a crushable shell composed of gelatin or the like. In such a case, when the flavoring agent capsule is broken before, while, or after the user uses the tobacco product, the flavoring agent capsule releases a liquid or substance (usually, a flavor agent) included in the capsule. The liquid or substance is transferred to tobacco smoke during the use of the tobacco product and then transferred to the ambient environment after the use.

The form of the flavoring agent capsule is not limited. The flavoring agent capsule may be, for example, an easy-to-crush flavoring agent capsule. The shape of the flavoring agent capsule is preferably spherical. The flavoring agent capsule may include the optional additives described above and particularly preferably include a flavor agent and active carbon. One or more materials that assist the filtration of smoke may be used as an additive. The form of the additive is usually, but not limited to, liquid or solid. Note that the use of a capsule including an additive is known in the technical field. An easy-to-crush flavoring agent capsule and the method for producing such a capsule are known in the technical field.

Examples of the flavor agent include menthol, spearmint, peppermint, fenugreek, clove, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). The flavor agent is menthol or may be menthol or the like or a combination thereof.

In the case where the flavoring agent capsules are used, if the filament denier of the fibers constituting the filter element is more than the upper limit of the above range, penetration of the components released from the flavoring agent capsules is unlikely to expand to a sufficient degree. If the above filament denier is less than the lower limit, the expansion of the components that penetrate the filter may be excessively facilitated and, consequently, the amount of delivery of the components may be reduced by an excessive degree.

In order to increase strength and structural stiffness, the filter segment 13 may include a filter wrapper (filter plug wrapper) with which the filter element, etc. are wrapped. The filter wrapper is not limited and may include one or more seams including an adhesive. The adhesive may include a hot-melt adhesive. The hot-melt adhesive may include polyvinyl alcohol. In the case where the filter segment is constituted by two or more segments, it is preferable that the two or more segments be collectively wrapped with the filter wrapper.

The material constituting the filter wrapper is not limited; publicly known materials may be used. The filter wrapper may include a filler, such as calcium carbonate.

The thickness of the filter wrapper is usually, but not limited to, 20 μm or more and 140 μm or less, is preferably 30 μm or more and 130 μm or less, and is more preferably 30 μm or more and 120 μm or less.

The basis weight of the filter wrapper is usually, but not limited to, 20 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less, is preferably 22 gsm or more and 95 gsm or less, and is more preferably 23 gsm or more and 90 gsm or less.

The filter wrapper may be coated and is not necessarily coated. In order to impart functions other than strength or structural stiffness, it is preferable to coat the filter wrapper with an intended material.

The filter segment 13 may further include a center hole segment having one or a plurality of hollow portions. The center hole segment is usually arranged closer to the cooling segment than the filter element and is preferably arranged adjacent to the cooling segment.

The center hole segment is constituted by a packed layer having one or a plurality of hollow portions and an inner plug wrapper (inner wrapping paper) wrapped around the packed layer. For example, the center hole segment is constituted by a packed layer having a hollow portion and an inner plug wrapper wrapped around the packed layer. The center hole segment increases the strength of the mouthpiece portion. The packed layer is, for example, a rod having an inside diameter ϕ of 1.0 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less which is filled with cellulose acetate fibers at a high density and cured with a plasticizer including triacetin, the plasticizer being added in an amount that is 6% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less of the mass of the cellulose acetate. Since the pack density of fibers in the packed layer is high, during inhalation, air and aerosols flow only through the hollow portion and hardly flow inside the packed layer. Since the packed layer present inside the center hole segment is a fiber-packed layer, the user seldom feel a sense of incongruity when touching the outside of the product during use. The center hole segment does not necessarily include the inner plug wrapper. In such a case, the shape of the product may be maintained by thermoforming.

The center hole segment and the filter element may be connected to each other with an outer plug wrapper (outer wrapping paper) or the like. The outer plug wrapper can be, for example, a cylindrical paper. The tobacco rod portion 11, the cooling segment 12, and the center hole segment and the filter element connected to each other may be connected to one another with, for example, a mouthpiece lining paper. The above connection can be achieved by, for example, applying a vinyl acetate-based paste or the like onto the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper, placing the tobacco rod portion 11, the cooling segment 12, and the center hole segment and the filter element connected to each other on the mouthpiece lining paper, and rolling the mouthpiece lining paper. Note that the above members may be connected to one another using a plurality of lining papers in a plurality of stages.

(Cooling Segment)

The cooling segment 12 is arranged adjacent to the tobacco rod portion and the filter segment and sandwiched therebetween. The cooling segment 12 is a rod-shaped member having a cavity formed therein such that a cross section taken in the circumferential direction is hollow, such as a cylinder.

The cooling segment 12 may have perforations V (in the technical field, also referred to as “ventilation filter (Vf)”) formed concentrically therein in the circumferential direction.

In the case where the tobacco rod portion includes an aerosol-source material, a vapor containing an aerosol-source material and a tobacco flavor component which are generated upon heating of the tobacco rod comes into contact with outside air and the temperature of the vapor is reduced. Thus, the vapor becomes liquefied and the generation of aerosol can be facilitated.

In the case where the perforations V arranged concentrically are considered as one perforation group, the number of the perforation groups may be one or two or more. In the case where two or more perforation groups are present, it is preferable that the perforation groups be not arranged at a position less than 4 mm from the boundary between the cooling segment and the filter segment toward the cooling segment in order to increase the amount of the delivered components generated by heating.

In the case where the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 includes the tobacco rod portion 11, the cooling segment 12, the filter segment 13, and the tipping paper 15 wrapped around the above members, it is preferable that the tipping paper 15 have perforations formed therein at positions directly above the perforations V formed in the cooling segment 12. In the case where such a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is prepared, wrapping may be performed using a tipping paper 15 having perforations arranged to overlap the perforations V. However, in consideration of ease of production, it is preferable to form perforations that penetrate both cooling segment 12 and tipping paper 15 after the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 has been prepared using a cooling segment 12 that does not have the perforations V.

In order to increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating, the perforations V are preferably present at a position 4 mm or more from the boundary between the cooling segment 12 and the filter segment 13 toward the cooling segment. The above distance is more preferably 4.5 mm or more, is further preferably 5 mm or more, and is particularly preferably 5.5 mm or more. In order to maintain the cooling function, the above distance is preferably 15 mm or less, is more preferably 10 mm or less, and is further preferably 7 mm or less.

In order to increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating, the perforations V are preferably present at a position 22 mm or more from the mouth end of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco toward the cooling segment. The above distance is more preferably 23.5 mm or more, is further preferably 24 mm or more, and is particularly preferably 25 mm or more. In order to maintain the cooling function, the above distance is preferably 38 mm or less, is more preferably 36.5 mm or less, and is further preferably 33 mm or less.

When the boundary between the cooling segment 12 and the tobacco rod portion 11 is used as a reference, in the case where the length of the cooling segment 12 in the axial direction is 20 mm or more, in order to maintain the cooling function, the perforations V are preferably present at a position 2 mm or more from the boundary between the cooling segment 12 and the tobacco rod portion 11 toward the cooling segment. The above distance is more preferably 3.5 mm or more and is further preferably 7 mm or more. In order to increase the amount of delivery of the components generated by heating, the above distance is preferably 18 mm or less, is more preferably 16.5 mm or less, is further preferably 15 mm or less, and is particularly preferably 14.5 mm or less.

The diameter of the perforations V is preferably, but not limited to, 100 μm or more and 1000 μm or less and is more preferably 300 μm or more and 800 μm or less. The perforations are preferably substantially circular or substantially oval. In the case where the perforations are substantially oval, the major-axis length of the perforations is considered as diameter of the perforations.

The length of the cooling segment in the longitudinal direction may be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. The above length is usually 15 mm or more and is preferably 20 mm or more. The above length is usually 40 mm or less, is preferably 35 mm or less, and is more preferably 30 mm or less. Setting the length of the cooling segment in the longitudinal direction to be equal to or more than the above lower limit enables a sufficiently high cooling effect to be maintained and allows a suitable flavor to be produced. Setting the above length to be equal to or less than the above upper limit reduces the loss of the generated vapor and aerosol which may be caused as a result of the vapor and aerosol adhering on the inner wall of the cooling segment.

In the case where a cooling sheet for cooling or the like is charged into the cooling segment 12, the total surface area of the cooling segment 12 may be, for example, but not limited to, 150 mm2/mm or more and 1000 mm2/mm or less. The above surface area is the surface area of the cooling segment 12 per length (mm) of the cooling segment 12 in the airflow direction. The total surface area of the cooling segment 12 is preferably 200 mm2/mm or more and is more preferably 250 mm2/mm or more. The above total surface area is preferably 600 mm2/mm or less and is more preferably 400 mm2/mm or less.

It is desirable that the inside structure of the cooling segment 12 have a large total surface area. Therefore, in a preferable embodiment, the cooling segment 12 may be formed of a thin sheet material that has been wrinkled in order to form channels and then pleated, gathered, or folded. The larger the number of folds or pleats per unit volume of the component, the larger the total surface area of the cooling segment.

The thickness of the material constituting the cooling segment 12 is, for example, 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less and may be, for example, 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[Tobacco Rod Portion]

The structure of the tobacco rod portion 11 is not limited and may be any publicly known structure. The tobacco rod portion 11 usually includes a tobacco filler and a wrapping paper with which the tobacco filler is wrapped. The tobacco filler is not limited; publicly known tobacco fillers, such as shredded tobacco and reconstructed tobacco sheets, may be used. The tobacco filler may include an aerosol-source material. An aerosol-source material is a material that generates an aerosol upon being heated. Examples of the aerosol-source material include glycerine, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.

The content of the aerosol-source material in the tobacco filler is not limited. In order to generate aerosol in a sufficient manner and impart a good flavor, the above content is usually 5% by weight or more and is preferably 10% by weight or more; and is usually 50% by weight or less and is preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less of the total amount of the tobacco filler.

The tobacco rod portion 11 may have a fitting portion to which, for example, a heater member used for heating the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco can be fit.

The tobacco rod portion 11, which includes a tobacco filler and a wrapping paper with which the tobacco filler is wrapped, preferably has a pillar-like shape. In this case, the aspect ratio that is the ratio of the height of the tobacco rod portion 11 in the longitudinal direction to the width of the bottom of the tobacco rod portion 11 is preferably 1 or more.

The shape of the bottom may be, but not limited to, a polygonal shape, a polygonal shape having rounded corners, a circular shape, or an oval shape. When the bottom has a circular shape, the above width is the diameter of the circle. When the bottom has an oval shape, the width is the major-axis length of the oval. When the bottom has a polygonal shape or a polygonal shape having rounded corners, the width is the diameter of the circle circumscribing the polygon or the major-axis length of the oval circumscribing the polygon. The height of the tobacco filler constituting the tobacco rod portion 11 is preferably about 10 to 70 mm. The width of the tobacco filler is preferably about 4 to 9 mm.

The length of the tobacco rod portion 11 in the longitudinal direction may be changed appropriately in accordance with the size of the product. The above length is usually 10 mm or more, is preferably 12 mm or more, is more preferably 15 mm or more, and is further preferably 18 mm or more. The above length is usually 70 mm or less, is preferably 50 mm or less, is more preferably 30 mm or less, and is further preferably 25 mm or less. In consideration of the balance between the amount of delivery and aerosol temperature, the proportion of the length of the tobacco rod portion 11 to the length h of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 in the longitudinal direction is usually 10% or more, is preferably 20% or more, is more preferably 25% or more, and is further preferably 30% or more. The above proportion is usually 60% or less, is preferably 50% or less, is more preferably 45% or less, and is further preferably 40% or less.

(Wrapping Paper)

The wrapping paper is not limited, and a common wrapping paper may be employed. Examples of the wrapping paper include a wrapping paper that includes pulp as a principal component. The wrapping paper may be a wrapping paper made of a wood pulp, such as a conifer wood pulp or a broadleaf wood pulp, or a wrapping paper made of pulp mixture further including a nonwood pulp commonly used for producing wrapping paper for tobacco products, such as a flax pulp, a cannabis pulp, a sisal hemp pulp, or an esparto pulp.

Examples of the pulp that can be used include a chemical pulp, a ground pulp, a chemiground pulp, or a thermomechanical pulp, which are produced by kraft cooking, acidic, neutral, or alkaline sulfite cooking, sodium salt cooking, or the like.

A wrapping paper is produced with a fourdrinier paper machine, a cylinder paper machine, a cylinder-tanmo hybrid paper machine, or the like using the pulp. In the papermaking step, the formation is arranged and homogenization is performed. As needed, a wet strength agent may be added to impart water resistance to the wrapping paper. In another case, a sizing agent may be added to adjust the manner in which printing is performed on the wrapping paper. Furthermore, aluminum sulfate, various anionic, cationic, nonionic, and zwitterionic internal agents for papermaking, such as a yield improver, a freeness improver, and a strength agent, and papermaking additives, such as a dye, a pH-controlling agent, an antifoaming agent, a pitch-controlling agent, and a slime-controlling agent, can also be added.

The basis weight of the base paper for the wrapping paper is, for example, usually 20 gsm or more and is preferably 25 gsm or more. The above basis weight is usually 65 gsm or less, is preferably 50 gsm or less, and is further preferably 45 gsm or less.

The thickness of the wrapping paper having the above properties is not limited. In consideration of stiffness, air permeability, and ease of control during papermaking, the above thickness is usually 10 μm or more, is preferably 20 μm or more, and is more preferably 30 μm or more. The above thickness is usually 100 μm or less, is preferably 75 μm or less, and is more preferably 50 μm or less.

Examples of the shape of the wrapping paper included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco include square and rectangular.

In the case where the wrapping paper is used for wrapping the tobacco filler (for preparing the tobacco rod portion), the length of a side of the wrapping paper is, for example, about 12 to 70 mm. The length of the other side is, for example, 15 to 28 mm, is preferably 22 to 24 mm, and is further preferably about 23 mm. When the tobacco filler is wrapped with the wrapping paper to form a pillar-shaped body, for example, an edge portion of the wrapping paper which extends about 2 mm from one of the edges of the wrapping paper in the w-direction is bonded to the other edge portion with a glue such that they overlap each other. As a result, the wrapping paper is formed into a pillar-shaped paper tube, in which the tobacco filler is filled. The size of the rectangular wrapping paper can be determined in accordance with the size of the final tobacco rod portion 11.

In the case where the wrapping paper is wrapped around the tobacco rod portion 11 and another member arranged adjacent to the tobacco rod portion 11 such that they are connected to each other like a tipping paper, the length of a side of the wrapping paper is, for example, 20 to 60 mm. The length of the other side is, for example, 15 to 28 mm.

The wrapping paper may include a filler in addition to the above pulp. The content of the filler is, for example, 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight and is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less of the total weight of the wrapping paper.

The content of the filler in the wrapping paper is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less when the basis weight falls within the preferable range (25 gsm or more and 45 gsm or less).

When the basis weight is 25 gsm or more and 35 gsm or less, the above filler content is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. When the basis weight is more than 35 gsm and 45 gsm or less, the above filler content is preferably 25% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less.

Examples of the filler include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and kaolin. For example, in order to enhance a flavor and brightness, calcium carbonate is preferably used.

Various agents may be added to the wrapping paper in addition to the base paper and the filler. For example, a water resistance improver may be added in order to enhance water resistance. Examples of the water resistance improver include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. Examples of the wet strength agent include a urea formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE). Examples of the sizing agent include a rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenylsuccinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 90% or more.

A strength agent may be added as an agent. Examples of the strength agent include polyacrylamide, a cationic starch, an oxidized starch, CMC, a polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In particular, it is known that the use of a trace amount of oxidized starch enhances air permeability (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-218699).

The wrapping paper may be coated as needed.

A coating agent may be applied onto at least one of the two surfaces, that is, the front and rear surfaces, of the wrapping paper. The coating agent is not limited. It is preferable to use a coating agent capable of forming a film on the surface of the paper and thereby reducing the permeability of the paper to liquids. Examples thereof include alginic acid and salts thereof (e.g., sodium salt), polysaccharides, such as pectin, cellulose derivatives, such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and nitro cellulose, and starch and derivatives thereof (e.g., ether derivatives, such as a carboxymethyl starch, a hydroxyalkyl starch, and a cationic starch, and ester derivatives, such as starch acetate, starch phosphate, and starch octenylsuccinate).

[Tipping Paper]

The tipping paper 15 is not limited and may be a common one, such as paper including pulp as a principal component. The paper may be paper made of a wood pulp, such as a conifer wood pulp or a broadleaf wood pulp, or paper made of pulp mixture further including nonwood pulp commonly used for producing wrapping paper for tobacco items, such as a flax pulp, a cannabis pulp, a sisal hemp pulp, or an esparto pulp. The above pulp materials may be used alone. Alternatively, a plurality of types of pulp materials may be used in combination at any ratio.

The tipping paper 15 may be constituted by one sheet or a plurality of sheets.

Examples of the pulp materials that can be used include a chemical pulp, a ground pulp, a chemiground pulp, and a thermomechanical pulp, which are produced by kraft cooking, acidic, neutral, or alkaline sulfite cooking, sodium salt cooking, or the like.

The tipping paper 15 may be either a tipping paper produced by the production method described below or a commercial tipping paper.

The shape of the tipping paper 15 is not limited. The tipping paper 15 may be, for example, square or rectangle.

The basis weight of the tipping paper 15 is usually, but not limited to, 32 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less, is preferably 33 gsm or more and 39 gsm or less, and is more preferably 34 gsm or more and 38 gsm or less.

The air permeability of the tipping paper 15 is usually, but not limited to, 0 CORESTA unit or more and 30000 CORESTA unit or less and is preferably more than 0 CORESTA unit and 10000 CORESTA unit or less. The term “air permeability” used herein refers to a value measured in conformity with ISO 2965:2009. Air permeability is expressed as an amount (cm3) of gas that passes through an area of 1 cm2 per minute when a pressure difference between the surfaces of the paper is 1 kPa. Note that 1 CORESTA unit (1 C.U.) is cm3/(min·cm2) at 1 kPa.

The tipping paper 15 may contain a filler in addition to the above pulp. Examples thereof include metal carbonates, such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides, such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates, such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides, such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, and gypsum. In order to enhance brightness and opacity and increase heating rate, it is particularly preferable that tipping paper 15 include calcium carbonate. The above fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Various agents may be added to the tipping paper 15 in addition to the above pulp and the above filler. For example, the tipping paper 15 may include a water resistance improver in order to enhance. Examples of the water resistance improver include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. Examples of the wet strength agent include a urea formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE). Examples of the sizing agent include a rosin soap, an alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenylsuccinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 90% or more.

A coating agent may be added onto at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the tipping paper 15. The coating agent is not limited and is preferably a coating agent with which a film can be formed on the surface of the paper and which thereby reduces liquid permeability.

Although the structure of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to this embodiment can be applied to the electric heating tobacco product described below, it can also be applied to cigarettes (paper-wrapped tobaccos), which involve combustion.

[Method for Producing Non-Combustion-Heating-Type Tobacco]

The method for producing the above-described non-combustion-heating-type tobacco is not limited; publicly known methods may be used. For example, the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco can be produced by wrapping the tipping paper around the tobacco rod portion and the mouthpiece portion.

<Electric Heating Tobacco Product>

An electric heating tobacco product according to another embodiment of the present invention (also referred to simply as “electric heating tobacco product”) is an electric heating tobacco product constituted by an electric heating device including a heater member, a battery unit that serves as a power source for the heater member, and a control unit that controls the heater member and the above-described non-combustion-heating-type tobacco inserted in the electric heating device so as to come into contact with the heater member.

The electric heating tobacco product may be an electric heating tobacco product that heats the outer circumferential surface of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2 or an electric heating tobacco product that heats the inside of the tobacco rod portion 11 of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Note that, although air introduction holes are formed in the electric heating devices 20 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, they are not illustrated in the drawings. An electric heating tobacco product 30 is described below with reference to FIG. 3. In the non-combustion-heating-type tobaccos 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numerals that denote the components illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially omitted.

When an electric heating tobacco product 30 is used, the above-described non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is inserted into an electric heating device 20 so as to come into contact with a heater member 21 disposed in the electric heating device 20.

The electric heating device 20 includes a body 24 formed of a resin or the like and a battery unit 22 and a control unit 23 that are disposed inside the body 24.

When the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is inserted into the electric heating device 20, the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco rod portion 11 is brought into contact with the heater member 21 of the electric heating device 20 and, subsequently, the entirety of the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco rod portion 11 and a part of the outer circumferential surface of the tipping paper are brought into contact with the heater member 21.

The heater member 21 of the electric heating device 20 produces heat due to the control performed by the control unit 23. As a result of the heat transferring to the tobacco rod portion 11 of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10, the aerosol-source material, flavor component, and the like included in the tobacco filler of the tobacco rod portion 11 become volatilized.

The heater member 21 may be, for example, a sheet-shaped heater, a tabular heater, or a tubular heater. The sheet-shaped heater is a flexible, sheet-shaped heater. Examples thereof include a heater including a film (thickness: about 20 to 225 μm) formed of a heat-resistant polymer, such as polyimide. The tabular heater is a stiff, flat sheet-shaped heater (thickness: about 200 to 500 μm). Examples thereof include a heater that includes, for example, a flat-sheet substrate and a resistance circuit disposed on the substrate, the resistance circuit serving as a heat-producing portion. The tubular heater is a hollow or solid tube-shaped heater (thickness: about 200 to 500 μm). Examples thereof include a heater that includes, for example, a cylinder made of a metal or the like and a resistance circuit formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder, the resistance circuit serving as a heat-producing portion. Examples of the tubular heater further include rod-shaped and cone-shaped heaters made of a metal or the like which include an internal resistance circuit that serves as a heat-producing portion. The cross-sectional shape of the tubular heater taken in the circumferential direction may be, for example, a circular shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape, or the shape of a polygon with rounded corners.

In the case where the electric heating tobacco product is an electric heating tobacco product that heats the outer circumferential surface of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2, the sheet-shaped heater, the tabular heater, and the tubular heater can be used. In the case where the electric heating tobacco product is an electric heating tobacco product that heats the inside of the tobacco rod portion 11 included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3, the tabular heater, the pillar-shaped heater, and the cone-shaped heater can be used.

The length of the heater member 21 in the longitudinal direction may fall within the range of L±5.0 mm, where L [mm] represents the length of the tobacco rod portion 11 in the longitudinal direction. In order to transfer heat to the tobacco rod portion 11 in a sufficient manner and cause the aerosol-source material, flavor component, and the like included in the tobacco filler to volatilize to a sufficient degree, that is, in consideration of aerosol delivery, the length of the heater member 21 in the longitudinal direction is preferably L mm or more. In order to reduce the generation of components that adversely affect the flavor and the like, the above length is preferably L+0.5 mm or less, L+1.0 mm or less, L+1.5 mm or less, L+2.0 mm or less, L+2.5 mm or less, L+3.0 mm or less, L+3.5 mm or less, L+4.0 mm or less, L+4.5 mm or less, or L+5.0 mm or less.

The heating intensity, such as the amount of heating time during which the heater member 21 heats the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 and the heating temperature at which the heater member 21 heats the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10, can be predetermined for each electric heating tobacco product 30. For example, the heating intensity can be predetermined such that, after the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 has been inserted into the electric heating device 20, preheating is performed for a predetermined period of time to increase the temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 which is inserted in the electric heating device 20 to X (° C.) and the temperature is subsequently maintained to be a certain temperature equal to or less than X (° C.).

The temperature X (° C.) is preferably 80° C. or more and 400° C. or less in consideration of the amount of the delivered components generated by heating or the like. Specifically, the temperature X (° C.) can be 80° C., 90° C., 100° C., 110° C., 120° C., 130° C., 140° C., 150° C., 160° C., 170° C., 180° C., 190° C., 200° C., 210° C., 220° C., 230° C., 240° C., 250° C., 260° C., 270° C., 280° C., 290° C., 300° C., 310° C., 320° C., 330° C., 340° C., 350° C., 360° C., 370° C., 380° C., 390° C., or 400° C.

A vapor including components derived from the aerosol-source material, components derived from the flavor component, etc. which are generated from the tobacco rod portion 11 as a result of heating performed by the heater member 21 is delivered into the oral cavity of the user through the mouthpiece portion 14, which is constituted by the cooling segment 12, the filter segment 13, etc.

In order to facilitate the entry of outside air and reduce the likelihood of the components generated by heating and air being retained inside the cooling segment 12, the perforations V formed in the cooling segment 12 are preferably present at a position closer to the mouth end than the mouth end side end (the position denoted by the arrow X in the drawing) of a region of the cooling segment 12 which comes into contact with the electric heating device 20, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The insertion opening of the electric heating device 20 through which the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 is inserted into the electric heating device 20 may be tapered as illustrated in FIG. 5 in order to make it easy to insert the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco 10 into the electric heating device 20. In this case, the mouth end side end of a region of the cooling segment 12 which comes into contact with the electric heating device 20 is the position denoted by the arrow Y in the drawing. In the non-combustion-heating-type tobaccos 10 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, reference numerals that denote the components illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 are partially omitted.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is described further specifically with reference to Examples below. The present invention is not limited by the following description of Examples without departing from the summary thereof.

<Preparation of Non-Combustion-Heating-Type Tobacco> Example 1

A mixture of 15 g/100 g of glycerine, 4 g/100 g of propylene glycol, and shredded sheet tobacco was prepared as a tobacco filler. Using a high-speed wrapping machine, the tobacco filler was wrapped with a wrapping paper (produced by Nippon Paper Papylia Co., Ltd., basis weight: 35 g/m2, thickness: 52 μm).

The weight of shreds per stick was 0.8 g. The perimeter of the stick was 22 mm. The length of the stick was 68 mm.

For each standard, 200 wrapped tobacco rod portions were charged into a plastic closed container and stored.

One of the stored tobacco rod portions was cut to a length of 20 mm. Subsequently, the tobacco rod portion, a paper tube having a length of 20 mm, a center hole segment having a length of 12 mm with a through-hole (diameter: 4.5 mm), and a filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3, compression change P (hereinafter, referred to as “hardness”): 88%) that had a length of 8 mm and was composed of cellulose acetate fibers (filament denier (g/9000 m): 12; total denier (g/9000 m): 28000), the cross section of which in the circumferential direction was Y-shaped, were wrapped with the tipping paper prepared above. Hereby, a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco having no perforations was prepared. Then, 17 holes were formed concentrically in the circumferential direction of the paper tube at positions 5.5 mm from the boundary between the paper tube and the center hole segment (25.5 mm from the mouth end side end of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco) toward the paper tube so as to penetrate both tipping paper and the paper tube. Hereby, perforations were formed, and a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1 was prepared. The airflow resistance of the filter segment of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 1.35 mmH2O/mm.

Note that the compression change P (hardness) of the filter element, which is represented by Formula (1) above, was measured using, for example, SODIM-H Hardness module represented by Sodim SAS. The same applies to all of the examples and comparative examples below.

Comparative Example 1

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Comparative Example 1 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density: 0.143 g/cm3, hardness: 87%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 5.9 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 35000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 2.62 mmH2O/mm.

Example 2

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 2 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that flavoring agent capsules (spherical shape having a diameter of 3.5 mm; the same applies to the flavoring agent capsules used in the other examples and comparative examples) including menthol were disposed inside the filter element, the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 8 mm, and the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 12 mm. The density of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco (density excluding the flavoring agent capsules), the hardness of the filter segment, and the airflow resistance of the filter segment in the longitudinal direction were 0.122 g/cm3, 88%, and 1.93 mmH2O/mm, respectively. Note that the parameters related to the filter segment were determined without crushing the flavoring agent capsules. The same applies to the other examples and comparative examples where flavoring agent capsules were used.

Example 3

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 3 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density: 0.119 g/cm3, hardness: 89%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 8 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 1.69 mmH2O/mm.

Example 4

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 4 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the flavoring agent capsules including menthol were disposed inside the filter element, the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 8 mm, the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 12 mm, and the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3, hardness: 88%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density: 0.123 g/cm3, hardness: 91%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 8 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 2.76 mmH2O/mm.

Example 5

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 5 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 6 mm, and the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 14 mm. The density of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco, the hardness of the filter segment, and the airflow resistance of the filter segment in the longitudinal direction were 0.129 g/cm3, 90%, and 1.58 mmH2O/mm, respectively.

Example 6

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 6 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 6 mm, the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 14 mm, and the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3, hardness: 88%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density: 0.119 g/cm3, hardness: 89%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 8 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 1.69 mmH2O/mm.

Example 7

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 7 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the flavoring agent capsules including menthol were disposed inside the filter element, 6 mg/12 mm of menthol was added to the filter element, the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 8 mm, and the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 12 mm. The density of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco (density excluding the flavoring agent capsules), the hardness of the filter segment, and the airflow resistance of the filter segment in the longitudinal direction were 0.122 g/cm3, 91%, and 2.48 mmH2O/mm, respectively.

Comparative Example 2

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Comparative Example 2 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the flavoring agent capsules including menthol were disposed inside the filter element, 6 mg/12 mm of menthol was added to the filter element, the length of the center hole segment was changed from 12 mm to 8 mm, the length of the filter element was changed from 8 mm to 12 mm, and the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3, hardness: 88%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density (density excluding the flavoring agent capsules): 0.152 g/cm3, hardness: 94%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 5.9 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 35000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 6.23 mmH2O/mm.

Comparative Example 3

A non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Comparative Example 3 was prepared as in the preparation of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Example 1, except that the filter element (density: 0.122 g/cm3) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 12 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 28000 was changed to a filter element (density: 0.113 g/cm3, hardness: 85%) having a filament denier (g/9000 m) of 20 and a total denier (g/9000 m) of 25000. The airflow resistance of the filter segment included in the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco in the longitudinal direction was 0.80 mmH2O/mm. In Comparative Example 3, the evaluation of the amount of delivery was not conducted because the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco of Comparative Example 3 did not have a sufficient degree of hardness.

Table 1 summarizes the production conditions and properties of each of the non-combustion-heating-type tobaccos prepared in Examples above.

TABLE 1 Comparative Example 1 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Glycerine (g/100 g) 15 15 15 15 15 15 Propylene glycol (g/100 g) 4 4 4 4 4 4 Wrapping paper Basis weight 35 35 35 35 35 35 (g/m2) Thickness (μm) 52 52 52 52 52 52 Weight of shreds (g) 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 Perimeter of stick (mm) 22 22 22 22 22 22 Length of stick (mm) 68 68 68 68 68 68 Length of flavor- (mm) 20 20 20 20 20 20 generating segment Length of paper tube (mm) 20 20 20 20 20 20 Center hole segment Length (mm) 12 12 8 12 8 6 Inside diameter 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 (mm) Filter element Length (mm) 8 8 12 8 12 14 Filament denier (—) 12 5.9 12 8 8 12 Total denier (—) 28000 35000 28000 28000 28000 28000 Density (g/cm3) 0.122 0.143 0.122 0.119 0.123 0.129 Airflow resistance 1.35 2.62 1.93 1.69 2.76 1.58 (mmH2O/mm) Addition of No No No No No No menthol Addition of No No Yes No Yes No capsules Compression change P (%) 88 87 88 89 91 90 Comparative Comparative Example 6 Example 7 Example 2 Example 3 Glycerine (g/100 g) 15 15 15 15 Propylene glycol (g/100 g) 4 4 4 4 Wrapping paper Basis weight 35 35 35 35 (g/m2) Thickness (μm) 52 52 52 52 Weight of shreds (g) 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 Perimeter of stick (mm) 22 22 22 22 Length of stick (mm) 68 68 68 68 Length of flavor- (mm) 20 20 20 20 generating segment Length of paper tube (mm) 20 20 20 20 Center hole segment Length (mm) 6 8 8 12 Inside diameter 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 (mm) Filter element Length (mm) 14 12 12 8 Filament denier (—) 8 12 5.9 20 Total denier (—) 28000 28000 35000 25000 Density (g/cm3) 0.119 0.122 0.152 0.113 Airflow resistance 1.69 2.48 6.23 0.80 (mmH2O/mm) Addition of No Yes Yes No menthol Addition of No Yes Yes No capsules Compression change P (%) 89 91 94 85

<Evaluation of Amount Delivered>

Each of the non-combustion-heating-type tobaccos prepared in Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was subjected to a smoking test in order to evaluate the amounts of the delivered components generated by heating.

The smoking test was conducted under the following conditions in accordance with Canadian Intense Regime (CIR).

Using an electric heating device capable of peripheral heating, after the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco had been inserted into the electric heating device, the heater temperature was increased to 295° C. within 21 seconds and then reduced to 260° C. within 5 seconds. Subsequently, the temperature was maintained at 260° C. until the evaluation was completed (for about 330 seconds). Then, in the smoking test, automated smoking was performed using a single-port automated smoking machine produced by Borgwaldt at a flow rate of 55 cc/2 sec and smoking intervals of 30 sec. In this test, the positions of the perforations formed in the cooling segment were adjusted to be 25.5 mm from the mouth end side end of the region of the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco which came into contact with the electric heating device. The mainstream smoke generated in the smoking test was collected with a Cambridge pad. After a puff action had been performed 12 times as for Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 and 10 times as for Examples 7 and 8 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the Cambridge pad was removed and extraction was performed with 10 mL of ethanol. The amounts of the components included in the mainstream smoke which were taken by the puff actions were measured by GC-MS.

Tables 2 and 3 list and FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate the measures of the components of the mainstream smoke, that is, the amounts of nicotine and glycerine included in the mainstream smoke generated from each of the non-combustion-heating-type tobaccos prepared in Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 which were obtained by the above measurement. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates the results obtained in Examples 1 and 3 and Comparative Example 1 (studies of impacts of filament denier under the following conditions: use of capsules: No, use of menthol: No, center hole segment length: filter segment length=12:8), FIG. 7 illustrates the results obtained in Example 7 and Comparative Example 2 (studies of impacts of filament denier under the following conditions: use of capsules: Yes, use of menthol: Yes, center hole segment length: filter segment length=8:12), FIG. 8 illustrates the results obtained in Examples 2 and 4 (studies of impacts of filament denier under the following conditions: use of capsules: Yes, use of menthol: No, center hole segment length: filter segment length=12:8), and FIG. 9 illustrates the results obtained in Examples 5 and 6 (studies of impacts of filament denier under the following conditions: use of capsules: No, use of menthol: No, center hole segment length: filter segment length=6:14). Note that, in some of the examples and comparative examples where the capsules were used, the above evaluations were conducted after the flavoring agent capsules had been crushed.

TABLE 2 Puff (number of times) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Nicotine Example 1 0.041 0.123 0.210 0.165 0.121 0.096 0.081 0.073 0.065 0.060 1.035 (mg) Comparative 0.024 0.082 0.152 0.141 0.112 0.089 0.074 0.065 0.059 0.055 0.852 Example 1 Example 2 0.014 0.072 0.166 0.151 0.109 0.084 0.070 0.062 0.056 0.051 0.836 Example 3 0.034 0.117 0.182 0.153 0.114 0.092 0.078 0.068 0.062 0.057 0.957 Example 4 0.010 0.045 0.114 0.128 0.107 0.088 0.073 0.063 0.055 0.049 0.732 Example 5 0.021 0.096 0.187 0.155 0.111 0.089 0.075 0.067 0.061 0.055 0.916 Example 6 0.019 0.081 0.175 0.155 0.124 0.098 0.080 0.069 0.061 0.054 0.917 Example 7 0.014 0.082 0.168 0.172 0.144 0.118 0.093 0.082 0.075 0.069 1.017 Comparative 0.005 0.041 0.090 0.103 0.104 0.089 0.079 0.070 0.062 0.057 0.701 Example 2

Puff (number of times) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Glycerine Example 1 0.366 0.882 1.808 1.743 1.266 0.934 0.736 0.600 0.509 0.440 9.283 (mg) Comparative 0.209 0.569 1.120 1.275 1.055 0.809 0.634 0.533 0.462 0.403 7.070 Example 1 Example 2 0.234 0.947 2.227 2.340 1.564 1.043 0.765 0.601 0.511 0.442 10.675 Example 3 0.336 0.896 1.571 1.575 1.169 0.892 0.706 0.585 0.506 0.448 8.683 Example 4 0.194 0.621 1.469 1.736 1.434 1.033 0.788 0.613 0.492 0.402 8.782 Example 5 0.322 0.981 2.065 2.068 1.425 1.001 0.760 0.602 0.514 0.434 10.173 Example 6 0.277 0.803 1.742 1.809 1.468 1.082 0.823 0.650 0.542 0.448 9.643 Example 7 0.148 0.604 1.422 1.546 1.275 0.846 0.598 0.479 0.413 0.356 7.687 Comparative 0.107 0.332 0.694 0.899 0.815 0.640 0.513 0.423 0.352 0.303 5.080 Example 2

The results listed in Tables 2 and 3 above and illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 9 confirm that, regardless of whether the flavoring agent capsules were added to the filter element and whether menthol was added to the filter element, a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco having a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less is superior to a non-combustion-heating-type tobacco the filament denier of which deviates from the above range, in terms of the amounts of delivery of nicotine and glycerine, which are the measures of the amounts of components of the mainstream smoke.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

    • 10 non-combustion-heating-type tobacco
    • 11 tobacco rod portion
    • 12 cooling segment
    • 13 filter segment
    • 14 mouthpiece portion
    • 15 tipping paper
    • V perforation
    • 20 electric heating device
    • 21 heater member
    • 22 battery unit
    • 23 control unit
    • 24 body
    • 30 electric heating tobacco product

Claims

1. A rod-shaped non-combustion-heating-type tobacco comprising a tobacco rod portion and a mouthpiece portion,

wherein the mouthpiece portion includes a filter segment including a filter element,
the filter element being composed of a fiber, a cross section of the fiber taken in a circumferential direction being Y-shaped, the fiber having a filament denier of 8 or more and 12 or less.

2. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the filter element has a density of 0.09 g/cm3 or more and 0.14 g/cm3 or less.

3. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the filter element has a compression change P of 88% or more and 95% or less, the compression change P being represented by Formula (1),

P=(D1×100)/D2  (1)
P (%): a compression change
D1 (mm): a diameter of the filter element, the diameter being measured in a compressive direction after the filter element has been compressed and deformed in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction at a compressive load of 3 N/mm per unit length in a longitudinal direction for a compression time of 10 seconds
D2 (mm): an average diameter of the filter element before compression.

4. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, wherein a length of the filter element in a longitudinal direction is 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

5. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, wherein an airflow resistance of the filter segment in a longitudinal direction is 1.0 mmH2O/mm or more and 4.0 mmH2O/mm or less.

6. The non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, wherein a flavoring agent capsule is disposed inside the filter element.

7. An electric heating tobacco product comprising:

an electric heating device including a heater member, a battery unit serving as a power source for the heater member, and a control unit for controlling the heater member; and
the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco according to claim 1, the non-combustion-heating-type tobacco being inserted in the electric heating device so as to come into contact with the heater member.
Patent History
Publication number: 20240049776
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 27, 2023
Publication Date: Feb 15, 2024
Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC. (Tokyo)
Inventor: Tetsuya MOTODAMARI (Tokyo)
Application Number: 18/496,310
Classifications
International Classification: A24D 3/04 (20060101); A24D 1/20 (20060101); A24D 3/17 (20060101); A24D 3/06 (20060101);