AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE HAVING SAME

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed to be spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and a cooling portion surrounded by the tobacco medium portion, the filter portion, and the wrapper so as to have a space therein.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, tobacco refers to a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Solanaceae, a family of dicotyledonous plants, and recently, also collectively refers to a product manufactured for the purpose of smoking and consisting of tobacco leaves in cigarette paper and a filter at one side. There are thousands of tobacco products in the worldwide market, and they come in a variety of shapes and forms.

In the case of combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and hookah, tobacco smoke contains many components such as tar, nitroamines, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide, in addition to aerosols containing nicotine.

As an alternative to compensating for the shortcomings of such combustible tobacco products, a method of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material in a cigarette rather than burning the cigarette, is widely used, and demand therefor is increasing. To meet this demand, research is actively being conducted on heating-type cigarettes or heating-type aerosol-generating devices.

In detail, an aerosol-generating device has a form similar to that of a conventional combustible tobacco product, and generates mainstream smoke including aerosols by heating an aerosol-generating material in a heating-type cigarette through a means such as a heater or ultrasonic vibration. The aerosol-generating device has the advantage of minimizing emission of components such as tar while functioning to provide smokers with smoking satisfaction, and thus is attracting attention as a new market for replacing conventional combustible tobacco products.

Unlike the conventional combustible tobacco product, the heating-type cigarette, i.e., an aerosol-generating article, used in the aerosol-generating device has an interior composed of a plurality of segments, causing an increase in manufacturing costs. In addition, the segments are continuously processed at high speed during the manufacturing process of the aerosol-generating article. Thus, there are often cases where production is interrupted when the segments are not properly processed during the manufacturing process.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and an objective of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating article capable of reducing production costs.

Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating article capable of increasing production efficiency.

Solution to Problem

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol-generating article including a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed to be spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and a cooling portion surrounded by the tobacco medium portion, the filter portion, and the wrapper so as to have a space therein.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

As described above, an aerosol-generating article according to one aspect of the present disclosure can achieve reduced production costs.

In addition, in the process of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article, it is possible to prevent the production from being interrupted, thereby achieving increased production efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view illustrating an aerosol-generating article according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the inside of section A illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5 to 7 are views illustrating modified examples of the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating an aerosol-generating article according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of an aerosol-generating device into which the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is inserted.

FIGS. 10 to 13 are views illustrating a process of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

In accordance with common practice, the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given system, method, or device. Finally, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An aerosol-generating article according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed to be spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion, a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and a cooling portion surrounded by the tobacco medium portion, the filter portion, and the wrapper so as to have a space therein.

According to some embodiments, an end of the tobacco medium portion and an end of the filter portion may face each other with respect to the cooling portion.

According to some embodiments, the space of the cooling portion may be formed by the wrapper and the respective ends of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

According to some embodiments, the cooling portion may be located between the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

According to some embodiments, the wrapper may surround at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

According to some embodiments, the wrapper may surround the entire outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

According to some embodiments, the wrapper may further extend outwardly beyond the filter portion.

According to some embodiments, the wrapper may have a thickness in the range of 100 μm to 350 μm.

According to some embodiments, the wrapper may have a basis weight in the range of 80 g/m² to 150 g/m².

According to some embodiments, the tobacco medium portion may include a plurality of segments.

According to some embodiments, aleast one of the plurality of segments may include a tobacco medium.

According to some embodiments, aerosol-generating device according to another aspect of the present disclosure may include a heater for heating at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article, a power supplier for supplying power to the heater, and a controller for controlling the power supplied to the power supplier.

According to some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may further include an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol by heating a liquid composition. The aerosol generated by the aerosol generator may be introduced into the aerosol-generating article.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, specific examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below, since the embodiments of the present disclosure can be variously modified in many different forms. However, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments set forth herein, but should be construed as covering modifications, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise”, “include”, “have”, etc. when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals will refer to the same or like elements or parts. Further, it is to be noted that, when the functions of conventional elements and the detailed description of elements related with the present disclosure may make the gist of the present disclosure unclear, a detailed description of those elements will be omitted. For the same reason, some components will be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, an aerosol-generating article according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exposed perspective view illustrating the aerosol-generating article according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the inside of the aerosol-generating article at section A illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side cross-section view illustrating the aerosol-generating article along a lengthwise direction according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure may include a tobacco medium portion 110, a cooling portion 130, a filter portion 150, and a wrapper 170. Here, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 may be further included in the aerosol-generating article 100.

The aerosol-generating article 100 according to the present embodiment may be heated by being inserted into an aerosol-generating device 300 (see FIG. 9) which will be described later. In this case, when the aerosol-generating article 100 is heated, mainstream smoke may be delivered to a user. The mainstream smoke may be an airflow flowing from upstream to downstream inside the aerosol-generating article 100. Here, the term “upstream” may mean the side at which the tobacco medium portion 110 is located, and the term “downstream” may mean the side at which the filter portion 150 is located. The user of the aerosol-generating article 100 may inhale the mainstream smoke from a downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100.

The aerosol-generating article 100 may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, the diameter of the aerosol-generating article 100 may be in the range of 4.7 mm to 9.9 mm. Each of the tobacco medium portion 110, the cooling portion 130, and the filter portion 150 may also have a cylindrical shape having a diameter of 4.7 mm to 9.9 mm.

In addition, the length of the aerosol-generating article 100 may be in the range of 31 mm to 60 mm. The length of the tobacco medium portion 110 may be in the range of 17 mm to 30 mm. The length of the cooling portion 130 may be in the range of 4 mm to 10 mm, and the length of the filter portion 150 may be in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm.

The shapes, diameters, and lengths of the aerosol-generating article 100 and the components thereof are exemplary, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. The shape and dimensions of the aerosol-generating article 100 may be partially modified within a range that can be employed by those skilled in the art.

The tobacco medium portion 110 is located at the upstream side of the aerosol-generating article 100 and may include a tobacco medium that generates an aerosol. The tobacco medium of the tobacco medium portion 110 contains nicotine, providing the user who inhales the mainstream smoke with a cigarette's distinctive taste and flavor.

When the aerosol-generating article 100 is heated by the aerosol-generating device 300 (which will be described later) and an aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating device 300 is introduced into the aerosol-generating article 100, nicotine may be absorbed by the introduced aerosol while the aerosol passes through the tobacco medium portion 110 to be delivered to the user.

Here, the nicotine contained in the tobacco medium may be at least one of free base nicotine or a nicotine salt, and the nicotine may be naturally-occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine.

The nicotine salt may be formed by adding to nicotine a suitable acid, including an organic or inorganic acid. The acid for the formation of the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected in consideration of the blood nicotine absorption rate, the heating temperature of a heater, flavor, solubility, etc. For example, the acid for the formation of the nicotine salt may be one or a mixture of at least two selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid, or malic acid, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the tobacco medium of the tobacco medium portion 110 may be made in various forms. For example, the tobacco medium may be made in the form of a sheet or strands. In addition, the tobacco medium may be made in the form of tobacco shreds obtained by finely cutting a tobacco sheet. In addition, the tobacco medium may be made in the form of granules including tobacco.

The tobacco medium portion 110 may have a cylindrical shape. However, the shape of the tobacco medium portion 110 is not necessarily limited thereto, and a bar shape with various cross-sections may be employed.

In this case, the tobacco medium portion 110 may be manufactured by folding a tobacco sheet into a cylindrical shape, or by molding tobacco strands, tobacco shreds, or tobacco granules into a cylindrical shape.

When the tobacco medium portion 110 is made of a plurality of tobacco strands obtained by finely cutting a tobacco sheet, the tobacco medium portion 110 may be formed by combining the plurality of tobacco strands in the same direction (parallel to one another) or randomly. In detail, the tobacco medium portion 110 may be formed by combining the plurality of tobacco strands to be parallel, and a plurality of longitudinal channels for allowing the aerosol to pass therethrough may result. In this case, depending on the sizes and arrangements of the tobacco strands, the longitudinal channels may be uniform or non-uniform.

The tobacco medium portion 110 may further include an aerosol-generating material to increase the amount of atomization. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, or oleyl alcohol, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The tobacco medium portion 110 may further include a flavoring material to add a flavor to the aerosol. For example, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include other additives such as a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, and/or an organic acid. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or moisturizer may be added to the tobacco medium portion 110 by spraying the flavoring liquid onto the tobacco medium portion 110.

In this case, the flavoring agent may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang, salvia, spearmint, ginger, coriander, or coffee. In addition, the wetting agent may include glycerin or propylene glycol.

The tobacco medium portion 110 may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. The heat-conducting material may improve thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco medium portion 110 by evenly distributing heat transferred to the tobacco medium portion 110, thereby improving tobacco flavor. The heat-conducting material may be a metal foil, for example an aluminum foil. However, the heat-conducting material is not necessarily limited thereto, and various materials for use as the heat-conducting material may be employed.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium portion 110 may be composed of at least one segment. For example, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include one segment, two segments, or three segments. In detail, the tobacco medium portion 110 according to the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 may include one segment. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include two segments. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include three segments.

Referring to FIG. 4, the tobacco medium portion 110 according to the present embodiment may include one segment. The segment of tobacco medium portion 110 may be filled with a tobacco medium. In other words, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include one segment filled with the tobacco medium.

In this case, the segment may be manufactured by folding a tobacco sheet into a cylindrical shape, or by molding tobacco strands, tobacco shreds, or tobacco granules into a cylindrical shape. In addition, the segment may further include an aerosol-generating material to increase the amount of atomization and/or a flavoring material.

In addition, a heater 370 (see FIG. 9) of the aerosol-generating device 300 for heating the aerosol-generating article 100 may be inserted into the segment of the tobacco medium portion 110. In FIG. 9, the heater 370 is illustrated as being disposed around the aerosol-generating article 100, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and the heater 370 may be inserted into the tobacco medium portion 110 to heat the tobacco medium portion 110.

The tobacco medium portion 110 may further include a configuration for identifying the aerosol-generating article 100. The aerosol-generating article 100 may exhibit various tastes and flavors, and may include a configuration (not illustrated) for identifying various types of the aerosol-generating article 100. For example, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include a metal foil for altering the inductance of a coil included in the aerosol-generating device 300 for recognizing an aerosol-generating article. In this case, the metal foil may be disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the tobacco medium portion 110.

Meanwhile, in embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include two segments. One of the two segments may include a tobacco medium and the other may not include a tobacco medium.

Referring to FIG. 5, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include a first segment 111 and a second segment 119. The first segment 111 is a segment that is filled with the tobacco medium and may be made of the same material as the above-described segment of the tobacco medium portion 110 illustrated in FIG. 4.

The second segment 119 may be located at an upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100 and may prevent the first segment 111 from being separated from the aerosol-generating article 100. In other words, the tobacco medium portion 110 according to the present modified example may be configured such that the second segment 119 and the first segment 111 are arranged sequentially from the upstream side.

The second segment 119 may prevent impurities from being introduced into the first segment 111 from the outside, and may prevent a liquefied aerosol formed from the aerosol-generating device from being introduced into the aerosol-generating device 300 (see FIG. 9) during smoking.

In addition, when the aerosol-generating article 100 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 300, the second segment 119 may support the aerosol-generating article 100 so that the aerosol-generating article 100 is secured to the aerosol-generating device 300.

The second segment 119 may be a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the second segment 119 may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to a cellulose acetate tow: In addition, an aerosol-generating material may be included in the cellulose acetate tow:

Nicotine may be excluded from the aerosol-generating material included in the second segment 119. For example, the second segment 119 may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, or oleyl alcohol. However, the aerosol-generating material included in the second segment 119 is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the second segment 119 may include a material in which glycerin and propylene glycol are mixed in a ratio of about 8:2. However, the above-mentioned mixing ratio is exemplary, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.

In addition, the second segment 119 may include other additives such as a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, and/or an organic acid. However, the material and type of the second segment 119 are not necessarily limited thereto, and may be modified within a range that can be employed by those skilled in the art.

The second segment 119 may have a through-hole for allowing an aerosol from the outside to be introduced therethrough to form mainstream smoke inside the aerosol-generating article 100. The through-hole formed in the second segment 119 may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through-hole is not necessarily limited thereto, and various forms may be employed.

Meanwhile, the through-hole may not be formed in the second segment 119, for example in some embodiments where the second segment 119 includes a crimped sheet impregnated with the aerosol-generating material.

In this case, when a portion of the aerosol-generating article 100 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 300, an aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating device 300 may be introduced into the aerosol-generating article 100 through the second segment 119. The aerosol thusly introduced may form mainstream smoke inside the aerosol-generating article 100 and to be delivered to the user. In addition, an aerosol generated inside the second segment 119 including the aerosol-generating material may form mainstream smoke to be delivered to the user.

The second segment 119 may further include a configuration for identifying the aerosol-generating article 100. The aerosol-generating article 100 may exhibit various tastes and flavors, and may include a configuration for identifying various types of aerosol-generating article 100. For example, the second segment 119 may include a metal foil for altering the inductance of a coil included in the aerosol-generating device 300 for recognizing an aerosol-generating article. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and the configuration for identifying the aerosol-generating article 100 may be included in the first segment 111 in addition to the second segment 119.

Referring to FIG. 6, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include a first segment 111 and a second segment 117.

The first segment 111 may be located at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100. The first segment 111 is a segment that is filled with a tobacco medium and may be made of the same material as the above-described first segment 111 illustrated in FIG. 5.

The second segment 117 may prevent the tobacco medium of the first segment 111 from being separated or moved toward the cooling portion 130 which will be described later. For example, when the heater for heating the aerosol-generating article 100 is inserted into the first segment 111, the tobacco medium in the first segment 111 may be separated and moved toward the cooling portion 130. With a configuration in which the second segment 117 is disposed between the first segment 111 and the cooling portion 130, the tobacco medium in the first segment 111 may be prevented from being separated toward the cooling portion 130.

The second segment 117 may be made of the same material as the above-described second segment 119 illustrated in FIG. 5.

In addition, the second segment 117 may have a through-hole for allowing an aerosol formed in the first segment 111 or passing through the first segment 111 to be introduced therethrough. The through-hole formed in the second segment 117 may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through-hole is not necessarily limited thereto, and various forms may be employed.

As such, the first segment 111 and the second segment 117 of the tobacco medium portion 110 may be respectively made of the same materials as the above-described first segment 111 and second segment 119 of the tobacco medium portion 110 illustrated in FIG. 5. However, the first segment 111 and the second segment 117 of the tobacco medium portion 110 may be arranged in a different order from the first segment 111 and the second segment 119 illustrated in FIG. 5. In other words, the tobacco medium portion 110 according to the present embodiment may be configured such that the first segment 111 and the second segment 117 are arranged sequentially from the upstream side.

Meanwhile, in a another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include three segments. At least one of the three segments may include a tobacco medium.

Referring to FIG. 7, the tobacco medium portion 110 may include a first segment 111, a second segment 113, and a third segment 115. In the present modified example, the first segment 111 including the tobacco medium may be centrally disposed with respect to the tobacco medium portion 110, and the second segment 113, the first segment 111, and the third segment 115 may be arranged sequentially from the upstream side.

The first segment 111 may be an intermediate segment among the three segments of the tobacco medium portion 110. The first segment 111 is a segment that is filled with the tobacco medium and may be made of the same material as the above-described first segment 111 illustrated in FIG. 5.

The second segment 113 and the third segment 115 may be disposed opposite each other with respect to the first segment 111 which is interposed therebetween. The second segment 113 and the third segment 115 may be made of the same material as the above-described second segment 119 illustrated in FIG. 5.

The second segment 113 may prevent impurities from being introduced into the first segment 111 from the outside, and may prevent a liquefied aerosol generated at the aerosol-generating article 100 from being introduced into the aerosol-generating device 300 during inhalation. In addition, the second segment 113 may remain the same or similar in structure, function, and material as the above-described second segment 119 illustrated in FIG. 5.

The third segment 115 may prevent the tobacco medium of the first segment 111 from being separated toward the cooling portion 130. In addition, the third segment 115 may remain the same in structure, function, and material as the above-described second segment 117 illustrated in FIG. 6.

As such, in the present modified example, the tobacco medium portion 110 may be configured such that the second segment 113 and the third segment 115 are disposed opposite each other with respect to the first segment 111 which includes the tobacco medium.

Referring back to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, the filter portion 150 may be located at the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100 so as to be spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion 110. The filter portion 150 may filter out at least one of the substances included in the mainstream smoke.

The filter portion 150 may be a cellulose acetate filter, and may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to a cellulose acetate tow. However, the material and type of the filter portion 150 are not limited thereto, and may be modified within a range that can be employed by those skilled in the art.

The filter portion 150 may have a cylindrical rod shape. However, the shape of the filter portion 150 is not necessarily limited thereto, and various shapes conforming to the shape of the tobacco medium portion 110 may be employed.

The filter portion 150 may be manufactured to generate a flavor. For example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter portion 150, or separate fibers coated with a flavoring liquid may be included inside the filter portion 150.

Alternatively, the filter portion 150 may include at least one capsule (not illustrated), or be configured to receive such capsule. The capsule may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule may have a structure in which a liquid containing a spice is encapsulated with a film. In this case, the capsule may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but the shape of the capsule is not necessarily limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the present embodiment may be wrapped by the wrapper 170. The wrapper 170 may surround the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 that are spaced apart from each other. As the wrapper 170 surrounds the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150, the cylindrical rod shape, which is a unique shape of the aerosol-generating article 100, may be maintained.

The wrapper 170 may surround at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 that are spaced apart from each other. The wrapper 170 may surround the at least the portion of the outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 while surrounding a space between the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150.

Preferably, the wrapper 170 surrounds the entire outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150. Thus, the wrapper 170 may surround the space between the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 spaced apart from each other, and this space may define a cooling portion 130 which will be described later.

The wrapper 170 may have at least one opening (not illustrated) for allowing external air to be introduced into or internal air to be discharged from the aerosol-generating article 100. The opening may be formed at a position corresponding to the tobacco medium portion 110, a position corresponding to the cooling portion 130, or a position corresponding to the filter portion 150.

Meanwhile, each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 constituting the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the present embodiment may be individually wrapped by a separate wrapper (not illustrated). When the tobacco medium portion 110 includes the plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments may be wrapped by a separate wrapper, or the plurality of segments may be wrapped by a single wrapper. In some embodiments, when each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 is individually wrapped, the individually wrapped tobacco medium portion 110 and filter portion 150 may be entirely rewrapped by the wrapper 170.

The wrapper 170 may include paper having a strength capable of maintaining the shape of the cooling portion 130 having a circular cross-section.

The wrapper 170 may be made of laminated paper composed of a plurality of paper layers. For example, the wrapper 170 may be made of laminated paper composed of an outer paper layer, an intermediate paper layer, and an inner paper layer, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be made of single-layer paper. Meanwhile, when the wrapper 170 includes the plurality of paper layers, an inner surface of the inner paper layer may be coated with a predetermined material, for example, poly lactic acid.

When the wrapper 170 is paper, the thickness of the wrapper 170 may be in the range of 100 μm to 350 μm. Preferably, the thickness of the wrapper 170 is in the range of about 110 μm to 180 μm, but is necessarily not limited thereto.

In addition, when the wrapper 170 is paper, the basis weight of the wrapper 170 may be in the range of 80 g/m² to 150 g/m². Preferably, the basis weight of the wrapper 170 is about 240 g/m², but is not necessarily limited thereto.

A predetermined material may be included in the wrapper 170. An example of the predetermined material may be silicon. For example, silicon exhibits characteristics such as heat resistance, oxidation resistance, resistances to various chemicals, water repellency, electrical insulation, etc. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and any material may be applied to or coated on the wrapper 170 without limitation as long as it exhibits the above-described characteristics.

The wrapper 170 may define an outermost surface of the aerosol-generating article 100, so that the shape of the aerosol-generating article 100 may be varied depending on the shape of the wrapper 170. For example, characters, patterns, symbols, images, etc. may be printed on the wrapper 170. The characters, patterns, symbols, images, etc. printed on the wrapper 170 may be varied, so that the aerosol-generating article 100 may provide various visual information.

According to the present embodiment, the cooling portion 130 may be disposed between the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 and may cool a high-temperature aerosol formed in the tobacco medium portion 110 or passing through the tobacco medium portion 110. The aerosol may be cooled while moving inside the cooling portion 130, and the cooled aerosol may pass through the filter portion 150 and be delivered to the user. Thereby, the high-temperature aerosol may be prevented from being delivered directly to the user.

The cooling portion 130 may be formed as the wrapper 170 surrounds the space between the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150. In other words, the cooling portion 130 may be defined as the space defined by opposing ends of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150, and surrounded by the wrapper 170. Therefore, as the aerosol passing through the tobacco medium portion 110 moves along the space, the aerosol may be introduced toward the filter portion 150.

In some embodiments, the wrapper 170 forming the cooling portion 130 may not be disposed only between the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150, and may be disposed to surround the respective outer peripheral surfaces of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150. In this case, the wrapper 170 may surround the entire outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150, together with the space of the cooling portion 130. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and the wrapper 170 may surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150. For example, the wrapper 170 may surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tobacco medium portion 110 and at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the filter portion 150, together with the space of the cooling portion 130.

According to the present embodiment, the cooling portion 130 may be formed by arranging the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 to be spaced apart from each other and then wrapping the tobacco medium portion 110 and the filter portion 150 with the wrapper 170 to define the cooling portion 130.

A conventional aerosol-generating article is manufactured in such a manner in that a tobacco medium portion, a separate tubular cooling portion, and a filter portion are brought into close contact with each other and then are entirely wrapped by a wrapper. In other words, while embodiments of the present disclosure do not employ a separate cooling portion component, the related art employs the separate tubular cooling portion. In this case, the use of the separate tubular cooling portion may cause an increase in manufacturing costs. In addition, during the manufacturing process of the conventional aerosol-generating article, the tobacco medium portion, the tubular cooling portion, and the filter portion may be processed and placed on the unfolded wrapper at high speed, and then the tobacco medium portion, the cooling portion, and the filter portion may be wrapped by the wrapper. However, when any of the tobacco medium portion, the cooling portion, or the filter portion placed on the wrapper is not positioned correctly, the manufacturing process of the aerosol-generating article is interrupted.

According to the present embodiment, due to the fact that the cooling portion 130 is formed by the wrapper 170 for wrapping the aerosol-generating article 100 without the need for processing a separate tubular cooling portion, the manufacturing costs may be reduced by eliminating the use of the separate tubular cooling portion. In addition, due to the fact that processing of the separate tubular cooling portion in the manufacturing process of the aerosol-generating article is not necessary, this may reduce factors that cause production interruption during the manufacturing process, such as the cooling portion failing to lie in its correct position, thereby increasing the production efficiency of the aerosol-generating article.

Hereinafter, an aerosol-generating article according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the aerosol-generating article according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, the structure of the aerosol-generating article according to the second embodiment remains the same or similar to that of the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the first embodiment, except for a recess portion 190. Thus, a duplicate description of the same configuration will be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the recess portion 190 may be formed downstream from a filter portion 150. The recess portion 190 has a structure in which a wrapper 170 surrounding the filter portion 150 further extends outward beyond the filter portion 150. In other words, in the present embodiment, the wrapper 170 extends outwardly beyond the filter portion 150 further than in the above-described aerosol-generating article 100 according to the first embodiment.

With the shape of the wrapper 170, the filter portion 150 may have a recessed rod shape.

The recess portion 190 may prevent nicotine stains formed at the end of the filter portion 150 from being easily exposed externally. Thus, nicotine stains formed on the filter portion 150 of the aerosol-generating article 100 during smoking or after smoking may not be exposed externally, resulting in an improved aesthetic appearance.

Hereinafter, the aerosol-generating device into which the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is inserted will be described.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of the aerosol-generating device 300 into which the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is inserted.

Referring to FIG. 9, the aerosol-generating device 300 according to an embodiment may include the heater 370, a power supplier 330, a controller 310, and an aerosol generator 350. Here, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those illustrated in FIG. 9 may be further included in the aerosol-generating device 300.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 9, the power supplier 330, the controller 310, and the aerosol generator 350 are illustrated as being arranged adjacently in a row. However, if necessary, the arrangement of the power supplier 330, the controller 310, and the aerosol generator 350 may be modified. Also, in FIG. 9, the aerosol generator 350 is illustrated as being included, but the aerosol generator 350 may be excluded and the aerosol-generating article 100 may be operated only by being heated by the heater 370.

The aerosol-generating article 100 may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 300. The aerosol-generating article 100 may be insertedly secured to the aerosol-generating device 300 by a fixing means. In the present embodiment, the tobacco medium portion 110 of the aerosol-generating article 100 may serve as the fixing means. However, other fixing means may be further included in addition to the tobacco medium portion 110.

The heater 370 may heat the aerosol-generating article 100. When the heater 370 is heated by power supplied from the power supplier 330, the heater 370 may transfer heat to the aerosol-generating article 100.

The heater 370 may be an electrically resistive heater. The heater 370 may include an electrically conductive track. The heater 370 may heat the aerosol-generating article 100 as a current flows through the electrically conductive track by the power supplied from the power supplier 330.

In some embodiments, the heater 370 may be an induction heater. The heater 370 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol-generating article 100 by an induction heating method, and the aerosol-generating article 100 may include a susceptor that may be heated by the induction heater.

In FIG. 9, the heater 370 is illustrated as being disposed outside the aerosol-generating article 100, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. The heater 370 may include at least one of a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element. Depending on the shape of the at least one heating element included in the heater 370, the heater 370 may heat the inside or the outside of the aerosol-generating article 100 or may heat both the inside and the outside thereof simultaneously.

The power supplier 330 may supply power for use in the aerosol-generating device 300. For example, the power supplier 330 may supply power for heating the heater 370, and may supply power for operating the controller 310. In addition, the power supplier 330 may supply power for operating components such as a display, a sensor, a motor, and the like of the aerosol-generating device 300.

The controller 310 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 300. In detail, the controller 310 may control the operation of other components included in the power supplier 330 and the aerosol generator 350. Also, the controller 310 may determine whether the aerosol-generating device 300 is in an operable state by checking the state of each component in the aerosol-generating device 300.

The aerosol generator 350 may generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition. The generated aerosol may pass through the aerosol-generating article 100 to be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 350 may be introduced into the tobacco medium portion 110 of the aerosol-generating article 100.

The aerosol generator 350 may include a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means, and heating element may be included with the aerosol-generating device 300 as independent modules.

The liquid reservoir may store the liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-containing material having a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid including a non-tobacco material. The liquid reservoir may be manufactured to be attached to or detached from the aerosol-generating device 300, or may be manufactured integrally with the aerosol-generating device 300.

When the aerosol generator 350 according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes the liquid containing the non-tobacco material, the liquid composition stored in the liquid reservoir included in the aerosol generator 350 may not contain nicotine, and the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 350 may be introduced into the tobacco medium portion 110 without containing nicotine. In this case, the aerosol that does not contain nicotine may pass through the tobacco medium portion 110 and absorb nicotine, and thus the aerosol that has passed through the tobacco medium portion 110 may contain nicotine.

The liquid composition included in the aerosol generator 350 may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a spice, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The spice may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, or various fruit-flavored ingredients, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include ingredients that may provide the user with various flavors or tastes. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, or vitamin E, but is not necessarily limited thereto. In addition, the liquid composition may include an aerosol former, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIGS. 10 to 13 are views illustrating a process of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 13, the method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article according to the present embodiment may include the steps of continuous feeding of constituent parts (see FIG. 10), wrapping with a wrapper (see FIG. 11), cutting (see FIG. 12), and forming of unit aerosol-generating articles (see FIG. 13).

In the method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment, a tobacco medium rod 110L and a filter rod 150L may be continuously fed on a unfolded continuous wrapper 170L, which is then cut into predetermined sizes to obtain multiple units aerosol-generating articles 100.

Referring to FIG. 10, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L are continuously fed alternately on the continuous wrapper 170L. At this time, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L are fed to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. Here, the predetermined interval may be equal to the space between the filter portion 150 and the tobacco medium portion 110 by which the cooling portion 130 is defined in the aerosol-generating article 100 described above.

In this case, the tobacco medium rod 110L may have a length corresponding to twice that of the tobacco medium portion 110 described in the embodiments of the aerosol-generating article 100 above. Similarly, the filter rod 150L may have a length corresponding to twice that of the filter portion 150 described in the embodiments of the aerosol-generating article 100 above.

In the cutting process, each tobacco medium rod 110L is cut in half to be divided into two tobacco medium portions 110. Also, in the cutting process, each filter rod 150L is cut in half to be divided into two filter portions 150. In FIG. 10, the dotted lines on the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L represent cut lines along which the cuts are performed.

Referring to FIG. 11 depicting a view prior to cutting, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval may be surrounded by the continuous wrapper 170L. For example, an adhesive may be applied to an inner surface of the continuous wrapper 170L or outer peripheral surfaces of the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L, and then the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L may be wrapped by the continuous wrapper 170L. As described above, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L located inside the continuous wrapper 170L may have twice the length of the tobacco medium portion 110 and twice the length of the filter portion 150, respectively, prior to cutting.

Referring to FIG. 12, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L wrapped by the continuous wrapper 170L may be cut. Each of the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L continuously fed on the continuous wrapper 170L may be cut in half.

In more detail, as illustrated in FIG. 12, each tobacco medium rod 110L may be cut in half, and each filter rod 150L may be cut in half. As a result, one tobacco medium rod 110L may be divided into two tobacco medium portions 110, and one filter rod 150L may be divided into two filter portions 150.

Referring to FIG. 13, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L may be cut and divided into a plurality of unit aerosol-generating articles 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D. Here, each of the unit aerosol-generating articles 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may correspond to the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the embodiments described above. As such, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium rod 110L and the filter rod 150L fed on the continuous wrapper 170L may be cut into halves, respectively, to thereby yield the plurality of unit aerosol-generating articles 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is defined not by the detailed description of the disclosure but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the disclosure.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating article comprising:

a tobacco medium portion;

a filter portion disposed to be spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion;

a wrapper surrounding the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion; and

a cooling portion corresponding to an interior space defined by the tobacco medium portion, the filter portion, and the wrapper.

2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein an end of the tobacco medium portion and an end of the filter portion oppose each other with respect to the cooling portion.

3. The aerosol-generating article of claim 2, wherein the space of the cooling portion is formed by the wrapper and the respective ends of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

4. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the cooling portion is located between the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

5. The aerosol-generating article of claim 4, wherein the wrapper surrounds at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

6. The aerosol-generating article of claim 5, wherein the wrapper surrounds the entire outer peripheral surface of each of the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion.

7. The aerosol-generating article of claim 5, wherein the wrapper further extends outwardly beyond the filter portion.

8. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the wrapper has a thickness in a range of 100 μm to 350 μm.

9. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the wrapper has a basis weight in a range of 80 g/m2 to 150 g/m2.

10. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco medium portion comprises a plurality of segments.

11. The aerosol-generating article of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of segments includes a tobacco medium.

12. An aerosol-generating device comprising:

a heater configured to heat at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article of claim 1;

a power supplier configured to supply power to the heater, and

a controller configured to control the power supplied to the power supplier.

13. The aerosol-generating device of claim 12, further comprising an aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition,

wherein the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator is introduced into the aerosol-generating article.