A COMPONENT FOR AN ARTICLE FOR USE IN AN AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

Abstract

A component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system includes a body of material, wherein the body has a longitudinal axis and includes one or more sheets extending through the body, said one or more sheets having an aerosol modifying additive and having a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm. An article and a method of manufacture are also provided.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2022/051636 filed Jun. 24, 2022, which claims priority to GB Application No. 2109117.8 filed Jun. 24, 2021, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system, an article for use in an aerosol provision system, and a method of manufacturing a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system.

BACKGROUND

Known aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, generally comprise a filter, including at least one section provided to alter some property of aerosol drawn therethrough, for example by performing a filtration function to remove constituents of the aerosol.

SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a first aspect there is provided a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system, the component comprising a body of material, wherein the body has a longitudinal axis and comprises one or more sheets extending through the body, said one or more sheets comprising an aerosol modifying additive and having a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm.

The one or more sheets can be crimped and/or gathered to form said body of material. The one or more sheets can comprise cellulosic material. The one or more sheets can be paper sheets, sheets of tobacco material, sheets of non-tobacco botanical material or combinations thereof.

The one or more sheets can have a basis weight of between about 20 and about 80 gsm, or between about 30 and about 50 gsm, or between about 36 and about 45 gsm, or between about 55 and about 75 gsm.

The one or more sheets can have an uncrimped thickness of between about 50 μm and about 500 μm, between about 50 μm and about 350 μm, between about 60 μm and about 300 μm, or between about 60 μm and about 160 μm.

The body of material can have a weight of from about 5 mg to about 15 mg per mm of length of said body, or between about 8 mg and about 12 mg per mm of length of said body, or about 10 mg per mm of length of said body.

The body of material can have an average bulk density of between about 0.05 and about 0.5 gms/cm³, between about 0.05 and about 0.35 gms/cm³, between about 0.1 and about 0.3 gms/cm³, between about 0.16 and about 0.25 gms/cm³, or between about 0.2 and about 0.25 gms/cm³.

The component can comprise a wrapping material surrounding the body of material. Said wrapping material can comprise a basis weight of between about 30 and about 75 gsm, or between about 40 and about 65 gsm.

Said aerosol modifying additive can comprise at least one additive selected from glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, propylene carbonate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), tetra(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (TEGDA) or alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).

Said aerosol modifying additive can comprise between about 7% and about 20% or between about 9% and about 18% by weight of said one of more sheets measured on a dry weight basis.

Said aerosol modifying additive can be applied to said one or more sheets of material as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C.

Said one or more sheets can have a total width of between about 120 mm and about 300 mm.

At least one of the one of more sheets extending through the body can comprises a crimped sheet material formed having a crimp pattern comprising a series of substantially parallel ridges and grooves, wherein the average spacing between adjacent ridges is greater than about 0.3 mm and/or wherein the average depth or amplitude of said ridges and grooves is between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm.

Said crimp can be applied using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.

Said one or more sheets can have a permeability of between about 1,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units or between about 5,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units. Said one or more sheets can have a permeability of between about 1,000 and about 10,000 Coresta Units, in some examples between about 2,000 and about 8,000 Coresta Units. In other examples, said one or more sheets can have a permeability of between about 5,000 and about 12,000 Coresta Units.

The component can comprise a circumference in the range of about 16 mm to about 25 mm. The component can comprise a circumference between about 20 mm and about 23 mm.

The component can comprise a filter. The component can comprise a flavor delivery member embedded within and surrounded on all sides by said body of material. Alternatively or additionally, the component can comprise an aerosol modifying additive or agent delivery member embedded within and surrounded on all sides by said body of material. The delivery member in either case can comprise a capsule.

The closed pressure drop across the component can be between about 1.5 mmWG and about 8.6 mmWG/mm of length of said component, or between about 3 mmWG and about 6 mmWG/mm of length of said component.

The tensile strength of the one or more sheets measured according to ISO 1924-2:2008 in the longitudinal (machine) direction of the one or more sheets, can be greater than about 10 N/30 mm, and can be between about 20 and about 100 N/30 mm, or between about 25 and about 80 N/30 mm. The stretch of the one or more sheets measured according to ISO 1924-2:2008 in the longitudinal (machine) direction of the one or more sheets, can be less than 5%, for instance between about 0.5% and about 4%, or between about 0.9% and about 2.5%. The same tensile strength and stretch ranges can also apply to the transverse (cross) direction across the width of the one or more sheets.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a second aspect there is provided article for use in an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a component according to the first aspect above and a rod of aerosol generating material.

The hardness of the component at a longitudinal centre point of the component can be in the range from about 60% to about 95%, or from about 70% to about 95%.

The article can be an article for use in or as a combustible aerosol provision system or a non-combustible aerosol provision system, as described herein. The article can be an article for use in a tobacco heating system.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a third aspect there is provided a method of manufacturing a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system, the method comprising feeding one or more sheets of material along a transfer path, said one or more sheets having a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm, applying an aerosol modifying additive to said one or more sheets as they are fed along the transfer path, forming said one or more sheets into a rod, wrapping said rod with a wrapper, and cutting said rod to form said component.

Said one or more sheets can have a total width of between about 120 mm and about 300 mm.

Said aerosol modifying additive can be applied as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C.

Said method can comprise crimping the one or more sheets using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article for use in an aerosol provision system comprising aerosol generating material and a component downstream of the aerosol generating material;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the component of FIG. 1 through the line X-X′ thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article for use in an aerosol provision system comprising aerosol generating material and a component downstream of the aerosol generating material, the component comprising a flavor delivery member; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver a substance to a user, and includes:

• • combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material);
  • non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolizable material without combusting the aerosolizable material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials;
  • articles comprising aerosolizable material and configured to be used as part of one of these non-combustible aerosol provision systems; and
  • aerosol-free delivery systems, such as lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and smokeless tobacco products such as snus and snuff, which deliver a material to a user without forming an aerosol, wherein the material may or may not comprise nicotine.

According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosolizable material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a user.

According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosolizable material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a user.

In embodiments described herein, the delivery system can be a combustible or a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

The non-combustible aerosol provision system described herein can be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement.

The non-combustible aerosol provision system described herein can be a tobacco heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system.

The non-combustible aerosol provision system described herein can be a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosolizable materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material.

The solid aerosolizable material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and an article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision system. However, it is envisaged that articles which themselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating component may themselves form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.

The non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. The exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosolizable material or heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source. The power source, such as an exothermic power source, is provided in the article so as to form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise an aerosolizable material, an aerosol generating component, an aerosol generating area, a mouthpiece, and/or an area for receiving aerosolizable material.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurisation or electrostatic means.

In one embodiment, the aerosolizable material may comprise an active material, an aerosol forming material and optionally one or more functional materials. The active material may comprise nicotine (optionally contained in tobacco or a tobacco derivative) or one or more other non-olfactory physiologically active materials. A non-olfactory physiologically active material is a material which is included in the aerosolizable material in order to achieve a physiological response other than olfactory perception.

The aerosol forming material may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more functional materials may comprise one or more of flavors, carriers, pH regulators, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosolizable material or an area for receiving aerosolizable material. In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a mouthpiece. The area for receiving aerosolizable material may be a storage area for storing aerosolizable material. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir. In one embodiment, the area for receiving aerosolizable material may be separate from, or combined with, an aerosol generating area.

Aerosolizable material, which also may be referred to herein as aerosol generating material, is material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosolizable material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine and/or flavorants. In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may for example comprise from about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or 70 wt % of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid.

The aerosolizable material may be present on a substrate. The substrate may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosolizable material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy.

An aerosol modifying agent is a substance that is able to modify aerosol in use. The agent may modify aerosol in such a way as to create a physiological or sensory effect on the human body. Example aerosol modifying agents are flavorants and sensates. A sensate creates an organoleptic sensation that can be perceived through the senses, such as a cool or sour sensation.

Articles, for instance those in the shape of rods, are often named according to the product length: “regular” (typically in the range 68-75 mm, e.g. from about 68 mm to about 72 mm), “short” or “mini” (68 mm or less), “king-size” (typically in the range 75-91 mm, e.g. from about 79 mm to about 88 mm), “long” or “super-king” (typically in the range 91-105 mm, e.g. from about 94 mm to about 101 mm) and “ultra-long” (typically in the range from about 110 mm to about 121 mm).

They are also named according to the product circumference: “regular” (about 23-25 mm), “wide” (greater than 25 mm), “slim” (about 22-23 mm), “demi-slim” (about 19-22 mm), “super-slim” (about 16-19 mm), and “micro-slim” (less than about 16 mm).

Accordingly, an article in a king-size, super-slim format will, for example, have a length of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm.

Each format may be produced with mouthpieces of different lengths. The mouthpiece length will be from about 10 mm to 50 mm, for instance from 15 mm to 35 mm. A tipping paper connects the mouthpiece to the aerosol generating material and will usually have a greater length than the mouthpiece, for example from 3 to 15 mm longer or 3 to 12 mm longer, such that the tipping paper covers the mouthpiece and overlaps the aerosol generating material, for instance in the form of a rod of substrate material, to connect the mouthpiece to the rod.

Articles and their aerosol generating materials and components described herein can be made in, but are not limited to, any of the above formats.

The terms ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ used herein are relative terms defined in relation to the direction of mainstream aerosol drawn though an article or device in use.

The filamentary tow material described herein can comprise cellulose acetate fiber tow. The filamentary tow can also be formed using other materials used to form fibers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT), starch based materials, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and polysaccharide polymers or a combination thereof. The filamentary tow may be plasticised with a suitable plasticiser for the tow, such as triacetin where the material is cellulose acetate tow, or the tow may be non-plasticised. The tow can have any suitable specification, such as fibers having a ‘Y’ shaped or other cross section such as ‘X’ shaped, filamentary denier values between 1.5 and 12 denier per filament, for example between 7 and 10 denier per filament and total denier values of 5,000 to 50,000, for example between 10,000 and 40,000.

As used herein, the term “tobacco material” refers to any material comprising tobacco or derivatives or substitutes thereof. The term “tobacco material” may include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, tobacco lamina, reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.

As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. One or more flavors can be used as the aerosol modifying agent described herein.

They may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder.

In the figures described herein, like reference numerals are used to illustrate equivalent features, articles or components.

FIG. 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article 1 for use in an aerosol provision system. In the present case, the article 1 comprises a cigarette. However, in an alternative embodiment, the same article 1 can be used as an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system. The article 1 can be used in a tobacco heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. In this case, the article 1 preferably additionally includes a cooling element located downstream or upstream of the component 4. The cooling element can be or include a tubular element. The cooling element is advantageously a paper tube, since such a tube is relatively straightforward to manufacture using existing techniques and results in a lightweight component with a large internal hollow cavity which assists with cooling. The cooling element can also include one or more apertures in the wall of the paper tube or other form of cooling element, to assist with cooling aerosol passing through the cooling element.

The article 1 comprises a cylindrical rod of aerosol generating material 2, in the present case tobacco material, and a downstream portion 3 downstream from the aerosol generating material 2 and connected to the rod 2. The aerosol generating material 2 provides an aerosol when combusted, for instance where the rod of aerosol generating material 2 is combustible. In other embodiments, the article 1 may be used within a non-combustible aerosol provision device to form a non-combustible aerosol provision system, or the article 1 can include its own heat source, forming an aerosol provision system without requiring a separate aerosol provision device. An example of a non-combustible aerosol provision system is the tobacco heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system, referred to above.

The downstream portion 3 comprises a component 4 which is includes a body of material 5 wrapped in a wrapping material 6, in the present case a plug wrap. The material forming the body 5 can be substantially uniformly provided across the whole volume of the body 5, for instance in terms of its density.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the component 4 of FIG. 1 through the line X-X′ thereof. The component 4 is illustrated in isolation of the remaining parts of the article 1, and includes the body of material 5 and wrapping material 6. As illustrated, the body of material 5 is formed by a crimped and gathered sheet of material 7. The sheet 7 is gathered laterally to form the body 5, which has a generally cylindrical outer shape.

In the present example the body 5 is formed by a single gathered sheet of material 7. However, in alternative examples, the body 5 may be formed from a plurality of sheets of material 7, which are together gathered to form the body 5. Each of the plurality of sheets of material may have the same or different properties, for instance their dimensions, permeability, thickness, basis weight, and composition.

The one or more sheets of material 7 comprising an aerosol modifying additive and have a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm. In some embodiments, the one or more sheets of material 7 have a total width of between about 120 mm and about 300 mm. Such relatively large widths enable a rod to be formed with a sufficient hardness, while also providing a large surface area for the application of the aerosol modifying additive.

The sheet 7 has a permeability of between about 1,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units, in some examples between about 5,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units. Such levels of permeability have been advantageously found to result in a component 4 in which the material forming the body 5 is more evenly distributed within the body 5, and less likely to form channels extending longitudinally through the body 5. For a given weight of sheet material 7, the increased permeability therefore results in a higher resistance to draw through the length of the body 5. This means that a lower average density of sheet material 7 can be used in the body 5 to achieve a desired resistance to draw, thus saving on material. In addition, a sheet material 7 having a higher permeability also has a more open structure, and therefore for degradable materials this can result in an improvement in the time for the component 4 to degrade. Where additives are to be applied in liquid form to the sheet material 7, the increased permeability can also result in a sheet material 7 which is more absorbent, meaning that a larger volume of additive can be applied for a given weight of material.

The permeability of the sheet of material 7 can be measured according to the international standard ISO 2965:2009, as known to those skilled in the art.

Biodegradability can be measured according to the procedure set out under ISO 14855. Components as described herein, including the component 4 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the component 4′ of FIG. 3, can achieve a biodegradation of greater than 50% in 30 days when exposed to either fresh or marine water.

The sheet 7 can have a permeability of between about 1,000 and about 10,000 Coresta Units, in some examples between about 2,000 and about 8,000 Coresta Units. In other examples, the sheet 7 can have a permeability of between about 5,000 and about 12,000 Coresta Units.

The sheet of material 7, or plurality of sheets of material where applicable, can have an average bulk density across the body 5 of between about 0.05 and about 0.5 gms/cm³. In some examples, the sheet of material 7, or plurality of sheets of material where applicable, can have an average bulk density across the body 5 of between about 0.05 and about 0.35 gms/cm³, between about 0.1 and about 0.3 gms/cm³, between about 0.16 and about 0.25 gms/cm³ or between about 0.2 and about 0.25 gms/cm³. In some examples, the one or more sheets of material forming the body of material have an average density of between about 0.1 and about 0.25 gms/cm³, or between about 0.16 and about 0.2 gms/cm³. The bulk density can be calculated by taking the total weight of the body 5, including any additives within the body but excluding capsules as described herein, excluding the weight of any wrappers around the body 5 and dividing the resulting weight by the volume defined by the outer surface of the body 5.

The one or more sheets 7 forming the body 5 can be formed from a cellulosic material. For instance, the one or more sheets can be paper sheets, sheets of tobacco material, sheets of non-tobacco botanical material or combinations thereof. The one or more sheets 7 forming the body 5 can have a basis weight of between about 20 and about 80 gsm, or between about 30 and about 50 gsm, or between about 36 and about 45 gsm, or between about 55 and about 75 gsm. Alternatively or in addition, the one or more sheets can have an uncrimped thickness of between about 50 μm and about 500 μm, between about 50 μm and about 350 μm, between about 60 μm and about 300 μm, or between about 60 μm and about 160 μm.

The body of material 5 can have a weight of from about 5 mg to about 15 mg per mm of length of said body, or between about 8 mg and about 12 mg per mm of length of said body, or about 10 mg per mm of length of said body.

The wrapping material 6 preferably comprises a basis weight of between about 30 and about 75 gsm, or between about 40 and about 65 gsm. Such basis weights, which are higher than would usually be used, can assist with improving the circularity of the cross section of the body of material 5.

Where an aerosol modifying additive is applied to the one or more sheets of material 7, this can be at least one additive selected from glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, propylene carbonate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), tetra(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (TEGDA) or alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).

The aerosol modifying additive can comprise between about 7% and about 20%, or between about 9% and about 18% by weight of said one of more sheets measured on a dry weight basis. The aerosol modifying additive can be applied to the one or more sheets of material as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C.

The one or more sheets of material 7 preferably have a total combined width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm, or between about 120 mm and about 300 mm. Such relatively large widths enable a rod to be formed with a sufficient hardness, while also providing a large surface area for the application of aerosol modifying additive, where applicable.

The one or more sheets 7 can be crimped to increase the overall firmness of the body 5. At least one of the one of more sheets 7 extending through the body 5 can include a crimped sheet material formed having a crimp pattern including a series of substantially parallel ridges and grooves. The average spacing between adjacent ridges can be greater than about 0.3 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the average depth or amplitude of said ridges and grooves is between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm.

The crimp can be applied using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.

In the present example the article 1 has an outer circumference of about 24.5 mm (i.e. the article is in the regular format). In other examples the article can be provided in any of the formats described herein, for instance having an outer circumference of between 15 mm and 25 mm, for instance between 20 mm and 23 mm. In the present example, the component 4 has a length of 27 mm. In alternative embodiments the component 4 may have any length in the range of about 7 mm to about 35 mm, for instance about 8 mm to about 20 mm.

The outer circumference of the component 4 is substantially the same as the outer circumference of the rod of aerosol generating material 2, such that there is a smooth transition between these components. In the present example, the outer circumference of the component 4 is about 24.3 mm.

In the present example a tipping paper 8 is wrapped around the full length of the component 4 and over part of the rod of aerosol generating material 2 and has an adhesive on its inner surface to connect the component 4 and rod 2. In the present example, the tipping paper 8 extends 5 mm over the rod of aerosol generating material 2 but it can alternatively extend between 3 mm and 15 mm over the rod 2, or between 4 mm and 6 mm, to provide a secure attachment between the component 4 and rod 3.

In the present example, the rod of aerosol generating material 2 is wrapped in a wrapper 10. The wrapper 10 can, for instance, be a paper or paper-backed foil wrapper, for instance for an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device.

The article 1 in the present example has a ventilation level of about 40% of the aerosol drawn through the article 1. In alternative embodiments, the article 1 can have a ventilation level of between 0% and 90% of aerosol drawn through the article 1, for instance between 20% and 75%. The ventilation is provided directly into the component 4 of the article 1. In the present example, the article 1 is provided with first and second parallel rows of perforations 12 through the tipping material 8 and wrapping material 6, providing ventilation into the body 5. In the present case, the perforations 12 are formed as laser perforations, at positions about 18 mm and about 19 mm respectively from the downstream, mouth-end 2b of the downstream portion 3. In alternative embodiments, the ventilation can be provided into the downstream portion 3 at other locations. As mentioned above, the ventilation can be provided into a cooling element of the article 1 where the article is an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system such as a tobacco heating system.

The hardness of the component 4 at a longitudinal centre point of the component 4 is preferably in the range from about 60% to about 95%, or from about 70% to about 95%.

The hardness of the component 4 may be measured according to the following protocol.

Any suitable device may be used for performing the measurement, such as the Borgwaldt Hardness Tester H10.

Hardness is defined as the ratio between the height h0 of a body and the height hi of the body under a defined load, stated as a percentage of h₀. Hardness may be expressed as:

$\mathrm{Hardness}=\left(h_1/h_0\right)\times 100$

For an individual body, or a body contained in a multi-section rod, the hardness measurement is performed at the longitudinal centre point of the body.

A load bar is used to apply the defined load to the body. The length of the load bar should be significantly higher than that of the specimen to be measured. Prior to the hardness measurement, the body to be measured is conditioned according to ISO 3402 for a minimum of 48 hours, and is maintained in environmental conditions according to ISO 3402 during the measurement.

To perform the hardness measurement, a body is placed into the Hardness Tester H10, a pre-load of 2 g is applied to the body, and after 1 s the initial height h₀ of the body under the 2 g pre-load is recorded. The pre-load is then removed and a load bar bearing a load of 150 g is lowered onto the sample at a rate of 0.6 mm/s, after 5 s the height hi of the body under the 150 g load is measured.

The hardness is determined as the average hardness of at least 20 body or other components measured according to this protocol.

The closed pressure drop across the component 4 can be between about 1.5 mmWG and about 8.6 mmWG/mm of length of said component 4, or between about 3 mmWG and about 6 mmWG/mm of length of said component 4. The closed pressure drop is a pressure drop measured through the length of the component 4 with any ventilation apertures closed. The ISO standard ISO 6565:2015 can be used to measure closed pressure drop, as known to those skilled in the art.

The tensile strength of the one or more sheets measured according to ISO 1924-2:2008 in the longitudinal (machine) direction of the one or more sheets, is preferably greater than about 10 N/30 mm, and can be between about 20 and about 100 N/30 mm, or between about 25 and about 80 N/30 mm. The stretch of the one or more sheets measured according to ISO 1924-2:2008 in the longitudinal (machine) direction of the one or more sheets, is preferably less than 5%, for instance between about 0.5% and about 4%, or between about 0.9% and about 2.5%. The same tensile strength and stretch ranges can also apply to the transverse (cross) direction across the width of the one or more sheets.

FIG. 3 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article 1′ for use in an aerosol provision system comprising aerosol generating material 2 and a component 4′ downstream of the aerosol generating material 2. The article 1′ is the same as the article 1 described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the component 4′ in the downstream portion 3′ of FIG. 3 further comprises a flavor delivery member 9.

The flavor delivery member 9 delivers a flavor or flavorant as described herein into the aerosol passing through the component 4′. In the present example the flavor delivery member 9 is embedded within and surrounded on all sides by the one or more sheets of material 7 of the body 5′. As an alternative to a flavor delivery member, additive other than flavor can be provided in a member which is otherwise the same as that described herein. The additive can, for instance, be one of the aerosol modifying additives or agents described herein.

The flavor delivery member 9 may comprise a capsule. In some embodiments, the flavor delivery member 9 comprises first and second capsules.

In some embodiments, the or each capsule 9 comprises an outer shell and an inner core.

The shell of each capsule 9 may be solid at room temperature. The shell may comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of, alginate. However, it should be recognised that in alternative embodiments the shell is formed from a different material. For example, the shell may alternatively comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of, gelatin, carageenans or pectins. The shell may comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of, one or more of alginate, gelatin, carrageenans or pectins.

The shell of each additive capsule may be impermeable, or substantially impermeable, to the flavor or flavorant, or other agent, of the core. Therefore, the shell initially prevents the agent of the core from escaping from the capsule. When the user desires to modify the aerosol, the shells of the one or more capsules are ruptured such that the agent is released.

In some embodiments, the or each capsule has a diameter in the range of 1 to 5 mm and, preferably, in the range of 2 to 4 mm. In some embodiments, the diameter of the or each capsule is about 3 mm or 3.5 mm. The or each capsule may be generally spherical. In other examples, other shapes and sizes of capsule can be used.

The total weight of each capsule may be in the range about 5 mg to about 50 mg and, preferably, in the range of about 10 to 30 mg. In some embodiments, each capsule has a weight of about 14 mg.

In some embodiments, the or each capsule is centred on the longitudinal axis of the component 4′.

As discussed above, each capsule may have a core-shell structure. That is, the encapsulating material or barrier material creates a shell around a core that comprises the flavor or another aerosol modifying agent. The shell structure hinders migration of the aerosol modifying agent during storage of the article but allows controlled release of the aerosol modifying agent, also referred to as an aerosol modifier, during use.

In some cases, the barrier material (also referred to herein as the encapsulating material) is frangible. The or each capsule is crushed or otherwise fractured or broken by the user to release the encapsulated aerosol modifier. Typically, one or more of the capsules is broken immediately prior to heating being initiated but the user can select when to release the aerosol modifier of said capsule. The user can then choose to break the other capsules a later time, for example, after heating being initiated. The user may choose to break said other one of the capsules once some of the aerosol has been released from the aerosol generating material, such that the remaining aerosol generating material is modified by the aerosol modifying agent of another of the capsules. Alternatively, the user may choose to break a plurality of capsules simultaneously.

The term “breakable capsule” refers to a capsule, wherein the shell can be broken by means of a pressure to release the core; more specifically the shell can be ruptured under the pressure imposed by the user's fingers when the user wants to release the core of the capsule.

In some cases, the barrier material is heat resistant. That is to say, in some cases, the barrier will not rupture, melt or otherwise fail at the temperature reached at the capsule site during operation of an aerosol provision device with which the article 1 is used. Illustratively, a capsule located in an article may be exposed to temperatures in the range of 30° C. to 100° C. for example, and the barrier material may continue to retain the liquid core up to at least about 50° C. to 120° C.

In other cases, the or each capsule releases the core composition on heating, for example by melting of the barrier material or by capsule swelling leading to rupture of the barrier material.

The total weight of each capsule may be in the range of about 1 mg to about 100 mg, suitably about 5 mg to about 60 mg, about 8 mg to about 50 mg, about 10 mg to about 20 mg, or about 12 mg to about 18 mg.

The total weight of the core formulation may be in the range of about 2 mg to about 90 mg, suitably about 3 mg to about 70 mg, about 5 mg to about 25 mg, about 8 mg to about 20 mg, or about 10 mg to about 15 mg.

In some embodiments, the or each capsule comprises a core as described above, and a shell. The capsules may each present a crush strength from about 4.5 N to about 40 N, more preferably from about 5 N to about 30 N or to about 28 N (for instance about 9.8 N to about 24.5 N). The capsule burst strength of each capsule can be measured when said capsule is removed from the body of material 6 and using a force gauge to measure the force at which the capsule bursts when pressed between two flat metal plates. A suitable measurement device is the Sauter FK 50 force gauge with a flat headed attachment, which can be used to crush the capsule against a flat, hard surface having a surface similar to the attachment.

The or each capsule may be substantially spherical and have a diameter of at least about 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.8 mm or 3.0 mm. The diameter of the or each capsule may be less than about 10.0 mm, 8.0 mm, 7.0 mm, 6.0 mm, 5.5 mm, 5.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.5 mm or 3.2 mm. Illustratively, the capsule diameter may be in the range of about 0.4 mm to about 10.0 mm, about 0.8 mm to about 6.0 mm, about 2.5 mm to about 5.5 mm or about 2.8 mm to about 3.2 mm. In some cases, each capsule may have a diameter of about 3.0 mm. These sizes are particularly suitable for incorporation of the capsules into an article as described herein.

Although only a single body of material 5, 5′ has been described with reference to the drawings, in alternative embodiments, the components 4, 4′ of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 may include additional sections, such as additional bodies of material or other sections such as tubular sections. The additional sections may be upstream, downstream, or both upstream and downstream of the components 4, 4′, and may be formed from any materials suitable for use in the articles described herein. For instance, an additional section formed from filamentary tow as defined herein can be provided upstream, downstream or both upstream and downstream of the body of material 5, 5′. The additional section(s) may be provided as a body of material or in another form, such as a tubular form.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system.

At step S101, one or more sheets of material are fed along a transfer path, where the one or more sheets have a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm. The transfer path may be a path between rollers which lead the one or more sheet materials into rod forming machinery. At step S102, an aerosol modifying additive is applied to said one or more sheets as they are fed along the transfer path. The aerosol modifying additive can, for instance, be applied as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C. At step S103, the one or more sheets are formed into a rod. The one or more sheets may be crimped first, and then gathered together to form the rod. At step S104, the rod is wrapped with a wrapper and at step S105 the rod is cut to form the component.

The method can also include crimping the one or more sheets of material using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide for superior delivery of a smoke modifying additives. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. A component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system, the component comprising a body of material, wherein the body has a longitudinal axis and comprises one or more sheets extending through the body, said one or more sheets comprising an aerosol modifying additive and having a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm.

2. A component according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sheets are crimped and/or gathered to form said body of material.

3. A component according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sheets comprise cellulosic material.

4. A component according to claim 3, wherein the one or more sheets are paper sheets, sheets of tobacco material, sheets of non-tobacco botanical material or combinations thereof.

5. A component according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sheets have a basis weight of between about 20 and about 80 gsm, or between about 30 and about 50 gsm, or between about 36 and about 45 gsm, or between about 55 and about 75 gsm.

6. A component according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sheets have an uncrimped thickness of between about 50 μm and about 500 μm, between about 50 μm and about 350 μm, between about 60 μm and about 300 μm, or between about 60 μm and about 160 μm.

7. A component according to claim 1, wherein the body of material has a weight of from about 5 mg to about 15 mg per mm of length of said body, or between about 8 mg and about 12 mg per mm of length of said body, or about 10 mg per mm of length of said body.

8. A component according to claim 1, wherein the body of material has an average bulk density of between about 0.05 and about 0.5 gms/cm3, between about 0.05 and about 0.35 gms/cm3, between about 0.1 and about 0.3 gms/cm3, between about 0.16 and about 0.25 gms/cm3, or between about 0.2 and about 0.25 gms/cm3.

9. A component according to claim 1, comprising a wrapping material surrounding the body of material.

10. A component according to claim 9, wherein said wrapping material comprises a basis weight of between about 30 and about 75 gsm, or between about 40 and about 65 gsm.

11. A component according to claim 1, wherein said aerosol modifying additive comprises at least one additive selected from glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, propylene carbonate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), tetra(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (TEGDA) or alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).

12. A component according to claim 1, wherein said aerosol modifying additive comprises between about 7% and about 20% or between about 9% and about 18% by weight of said one of more sheets measured on a dry weight basis.

13. A component according to claim 1, wherein said aerosol modifying additive is applied to said one or more sheets of material as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C.

14. A component according to claim 1, wherein said one or more sheets have a total width of between about 120 mm and about 300 mm.

15. A component according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one of more sheets extending through the body comprises a crimped sheet material formed having a crimp pattern comprising a series of substantially parallel ridges and grooves, wherein the average spacing between adjacent ridges is greater than about 0.3 mm and/or wherein the average depth or amplitude of said ridges and grooves is between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm.

16. A component according to claim 2, wherein said crimp is applied using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.

17. A component according to claim 1, wherein said one or more sheets have a permeability of between about 1,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units or between about 5,000 and about 50,000 Coresta Units.

18. A component according to claim 1, wherein the component comprises a circumference in the range of about 16 mm to about 25 mm.

19. A component according to claim 1, wherein the component comprises a filter.

20. A component according to claim 1, comprising a flavour delivery member embedded within and surrounded on all sides by said body of material.

21. A component according to claim 1, wherein the closed pressure drop across the component is between about 1.5 mmWG and about 8.6 mmWG/mm of length of said component, or between about 3 mmWG and about 6 mmWG/mm of length of said component.

22. An article for use in an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a component according to claim 1 and a rod of aerosol generating material.

23. An article according to claim 22, wherein the hardness of the component at a longitudinal centre point of the component is in the range from about 60% to about 95%, or from about 70% to about 95%.

24. A method of manufacturing a component for an article for use in an aerosol provision system, the method comprising:

feeding one or more sheets of material along a transfer path, said one or more sheets having a total width of between about 100 mm and about 350 mm;

applying an aerosol modifying additive to said one or more sheets as they are fed along the transfer path;

forming said one or more sheets into a rod;

wrapping said rod with a wrapper; and

cutting said rod to form said component.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said one or more sheets have a total width of between about 120 mm and about 300 mm.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein said aerosol modifying additive is applied as a liquid having a viscosity between 5 and 100 centipoise at 25° C.

27. A method according to claim 24, comprising crimping the one or more sheets using a roller surface with a temperature of greater than 30° C., greater than 40° C. or greater than 50° C.