RU2849593C1 - Smoking article with downstream flavoring additive - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a smoking article. Smoking article comprises at least one section of substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith, a flavouring additive component and a mouthpiece located downstream of the heat source and at least one section of substrate material. Mouthpiece includes a filter and a flavouring additive component containing a plurality of flavouring balls near the hollow flow tube. Hollow flow tube includes a plurality of peripheral holes made through it, wherein the hollow flow tube extends through at least a portion of the plurality of flavour beads and beyond the plurality of flavour beads.

EFFECT: improved heat transfer.

11 cl, 8 dwg

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and the right to benefit from U.S. Patent Application No. 16/732,747, entitled Smoking Article with Downstream Flavor Addition , filed January 2, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

AREA OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices and systems, such as smoking articles, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices and systems that may utilize a heat source capable of generating heat, such as, for example, a combustible, ignitable carbon-based source, to produce an aerosol (e.g., smoking articles for the purpose of producing tobacco components and other materials in an inhalable form, commonly referred to as heated-but-not-burned systems or electronic cigarettes). The components of such articles may be made of or derived from tobacco, or may otherwise be characterized as including tobacco for human consumption, and which may be capable of vaporizing tobacco components and/or other tobacco-related materials to form an inhalable aerosol for human consumption.

LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY

Over the years, a variety of smoking articles have been proposed as improvements or alternatives to tobacco-based smoking products. Typical alternatives include devices that burn solid or liquid fuel to transfer heat to the tobacco or that use a chemical reaction to provide such a heat source. Examples include the smoking articles described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

Improvements or alternatives to smoking products have typically sought to provide the sensations associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes without delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. To this end, numerous smoking products, aroma generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electrical energy to vaporize or heat a volatile material or attempt to provide the sensations of smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes without significantly burning the tobacco. See, for example, the various alternative smoking products, aerosol delivery devices, and heat-generating sources disclosed in the prior art, as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. and No. 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically driven heat generating sources referenced by trademark and trade information in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0220232 to Bless et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically driven heat generating sources referenced by trademark and trade information in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0245659 to DePiano et al., which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other representative cigarettes or smoking articles that have been described and, in some cases, made commercially available include those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al.; US Patent No. 6164287 by White; US Patent No. 6196218 by Voges; US patent No. 6810883 by Felter et al.; US Patent No. 6854461 by Nichols; US Patent No. 7832410 by Hon; US Patent No. 7513253 by Kobayashi; US Patent No. 7,726,320 by Robinson et al.; US Patent No. 7896006 by Hamano; US Patent No. 6,772,756 by Shayan; US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 by Hon; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0196518, 2009/0126745, and 2009/0188490 to Hon; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272379 to Thorens et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monsees et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834 to Oglesby et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; and WO 2010/091593 to Hon, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Various methods and techniques for assembling smoking articles that have a plurality of sequentially arranged segmented components have been proposed. See, for example, the various types of assembly techniques and methodologies set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5,469,871 to Banerjee et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,647,932 to Crooks et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0186757 to Crooks et al.; 2012/0042885 to Stone et al.; and 2012/00673620 to Conner et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Representative products that are similar in many attributes to cigarettes, cigars, or smoking pipes of traditional types are available on the market as ACCORD®, manufactured by Philip Morris Incorporated; ALPHA™, JOYE 510™, and M4™, manufactured by InnoVapor LLC; CIRRUS™ and FLING™, manufactured by White Cloud Cigarettes; BLU™, manufactured by Fontem Ventures B.V.; COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™, and SENSE™, manufactured by EPUFFER® International Inc.; DUOPRO™, STORM™, and VAPORKING®, manufactured by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc.; EGAR™, manufactured by Egar Australia; eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ manufactured by Joyetech; ELUSION™ manufactured by Elusion UK Ltd; EONSMOKE® manufactured by Eonsmoke LLC; FIN™TM manufactured by FIN Branding Group, LLC; SMOKE® manufactured by Green Smoke Inc. USA; GREENARETTE™ manufactured by Greenarette LLC; HALLIGAN™, HENDU™, JET™, MAXXQ™, PINK™ and PITBULL™ manufactured by Smoke Stik®; HEATBAR™ manufactured by Philip Morris International, Inc.; HYDRO IMPERIAL™ and LXE™ manufactured by Crown7; LOGIC™ and THE CUBAN™ manufactured by LOGIC Technology; LUCI® manufactured by Luciano Smokes Inc.; METRO®, manufactured by Nicotek, LLC; NJOY® and ONEJOY™, manufactured by Sottera, Inc.; NO. 7™, manufactured by SS Choice LLC; PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE™, manufactured by PremiumEstore LLC; RAPP E-MYSTICK™, manufactured by Ruyan America, Inc.; RED DRAGON™, manufactured by Red Dragon Products, LLC; RUYAN®, manufactured by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd.; SF®, manufactured by Smoker Friendly International, LLC; GREEN SMART SMOKER®, manufactured by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd.; SMOKE ASSIST®, manufactured by Coastline Products LLC; SMOKING EVERYWHERE®, manufactured by Smoking Everywhere, Inc.; V2CIGS™, manufactured by VMR Products LLC; VAPOR NINE™, manufactured by VaporNine LLC; VAPOR4LIFE®, manufactured by Vapor 4 Life, Inc.; VEPPO™, manufactured by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC; VUSE®, manufactured by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company; Mistic Menthol product, manufactured by Mistic Ecigs; and the Vype product, manufactured by CN Creative Ltd.; IQOS™, manufactured by Philip Morris International; and GLO™, manufactured by British American Tobacco. Other electric aerosol delivery devices, and in particular devices that have been characterized as so-called e-cigarettes, have been sold under the trade names COOLER VISIONS™; DIRECT E-CIG™; DRAGONFLY™; EMIST™; EVERSMOKE™; GAMUCCI®; HYBRID FLAME™; KNIGHT STICKS™; ROYAL BLUES™; SMOKETIP® and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™.

In some cases, traditional smoking articles, such as those mentioned above, are complex to assemble due to the numerous components that must be disassembled and reassembled when consuming the aerosol delivery components. In other cases, traditional smoking articles may have poor aerosolization properties for the aerosol-forming component(s). Providing a smoking article with enhanced functionality would be desirable. In this regard, providing a smoking article with advantageous features is desirable.

DISCLOSURE OF THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a smoking article in various embodiments. The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

An exemplary embodiment 1: A smoking article comprising at least one section of a substrate material having an associated aerosol precursor composition, a flavor component, and a mouthpiece located downstream of a heat source and said at least one section of the substrate material, wherein the mouthpiece includes a filter, wherein the mouthpiece includes a flavor component containing a plurality of flavor beads near a hollow flow tube, wherein the flow tube includes a plurality of peripheral openings formed passing through it.

Exemplary embodiment 2: The smoking article of exemplary embodiment 1 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a combustible heat source, wherein the combustible heat source is located near at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material.

Exemplary embodiment 3: A smoking article according to any of exemplary embodiments 1-2 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a device separate from the smoking article, wherein the separate device includes an electric heat source configured to heat at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material.

Exemplary embodiment 4: A smoking article according to any of exemplary embodiments 1-3 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the flavoring component is located downstream from the filter.

Exemplary embodiment 5: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-4 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube comprise a plurality of passages passing through a peripheral wall of the flow tube.

Exemplary embodiment 6: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-5 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube comprise a plurality of grooves extending through the peripheral wall of the flow tube.

Exemplary embodiment 7: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-6 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the flow tube passes through at least a portion of the filter.

Exemplary embodiment 8: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 1-7, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of flavor beads comprises at least one of the following: tobacco flavor beads, non-tobacco flavor beads, gel flavor beads, capsules containing flavor beads, or any combination thereof.

Exemplary embodiment 9: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-8 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein a filter defines a cavity, wherein a plurality of flavor beads are located in the cavity, and a flow tube passes through at least a portion of the filter.

Exemplary embodiment 10: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 1-9, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a second substrate material located between the first substrate material and the mouthpiece.

Exemplary embodiment 11: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-10, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the substrate material comprises at least one of the following: tobacco-containing beads, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, pieces of reconstituted tobacco material, or tobacco rods.

An exemplary embodiment 12: A smoking article comprising at least one section of a substrate material having an associated aerosol precursor composition, a flavor component, and a mouthpiece located downstream of a heat source and the at least one section of the substrate material, wherein the mouthpiece includes a filter, wherein the mouthpiece includes a flavor component, wherein a cavity is formed in the filter, wherein the flavor component contains a plurality of flavor beads, wherein the plurality of flavor beads are located in the cavity.

Exemplary embodiment 13: The smoking article of exemplary embodiment 12 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a heat source, wherein the heat source is located near at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material.

Exemplary embodiment 14: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 12-13 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a device separate from the smoking article, wherein the separate device includes an electric heat source configured to heat at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material.

Exemplary embodiment 15: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-14, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a hollow flow tube, wherein the flow tube extends through at least a portion of the filter.

Exemplary embodiment 16: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-15, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of flavor beads substantially surround the flow tube.

Exemplary embodiment 17: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 12-16 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the flow tube includes a plurality of peripheral openings formed therethrough.

Exemplary embodiment 18: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-17, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube comprise a plurality of passages extending through the peripheral wall of the flow tube.

Exemplary embodiment 19: A smoking article according to any one of exemplary embodiments 12-18 or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube comprise a plurality of grooves extending through the peripheral wall of the flow tube.

Exemplary embodiment 20: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-19, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of flavor beads comprises at least one of tobacco flavor beads, non-tobacco flavor beads, gel flavor beads, capsules containing flavor beads, or any combination thereof.

Exemplary embodiment 21: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-20, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a second substrate material located between the first substrate material and the mouthpiece.

Exemplary embodiment 22: The smoking article of any one of exemplary embodiments 12-21, or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the substrate material comprises at least one of the following: tobacco-containing beads, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, pieces of reconstituted tobacco material, or tobacco rods.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above embodiments, as well as combinations of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in the present description, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined in the description of a particular embodiment herein. This disclosure is intended to be read as a whole, so that any individual features or elements of the disclosed invention in any of its various aspects and embodiments should be considered as combinable unless otherwise clearly evident from the context.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Having therefore described the present invention in the general terms set forth above, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the smoking article of FIG. 1 with the outer wrapper removed according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure of the present invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. These exemplary embodiments are described in such a way that this disclosure thoroughly, completely, and fully conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In fact, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be considered as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention complies with applicable legal requirements. In this description and in the appended claims, a grammatical construction indicating that an element is given in the singular also implies the plural, unless the context of the invention clearly dictates otherwise.

The present disclosure provides descriptions of articles (and methods of assembling and/or manufacturing the same) in which a material is heated (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to form an aerosol and/or an inhalable substance; wherein such articles are most preferably sufficiently compact to be considered "portable" devices. In some aspects, the articles are characterized as smoking articles. As used herein, the term "smoking article" is intended to refer to an article and/or device that provides a variety of sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, types of flavors and aromas, organoleptic effects, physical sensation, rituals of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, and the like) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without substantially burning to any significant extent any of the components of the article and/or device. As used in this application, the term "smoking article" does not necessarily mean that the article and/or device, when in operation, produces smoke in the sense that the aerosol is not the result of by-products of combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather that the said article or device most preferably produces vapors (including vapors in the form of aerosols, which are considered to be visible aerosols and which are considered to be describable as smoke-like) resulting from the vaporization or evaporation of certain components, elements and/or the like of the article or device. In some aspects, articles or devices characterized as smoking articles contain tobacco and/or components derived from tobacco.

As noted, the aerosol-generating components of certain aerosol delivery devices can provide a variety of sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, flavor and aroma types, organoleptic effects, physical sensation, rituals of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, and the like) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe that are caused by the ignition and combustion of tobacco (and then the inhalation of tobacco smoke) without any significant combustion of any of their components. For example, a user of an aerosol delivery device in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention can hold and use this component in a manner similar to how a smoker uses a traditional type of smoking article, by puffing through one end of said means to inhale the aerosol generated by this means, performing or performing puffs at selected intervals, and the like.

The proposed articles and/or devices are also characterized as vapor-generating articles, aerosol delivery articles, or drug delivery articles. Accordingly, such articles or devices are adapted to deliver one or more substances in a form or state suitable for inhalation. For example, the inhalable substances are substantially in the form of a vapor (e.g., a substance that is in the gaseous phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substances are in the form of an aerosol (e.g., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For the sake of simplicity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is intended to refer to vapors, gases, and aerosols of a form or type suitable for inhalation by humans, regardless of whether they are or are not visible and whether or not they have a form that can be considered "smoke-like." In some embodiments, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol" may be interchangeable. Thus, for simplicity, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol” used to describe this disclosure should be understood as interchangeable unless otherwise noted.

When used, the proposed smoking products are utilized through various physical actions by a person using a traditional smoking product (e.g., a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, which is lit by a flame and consumed by inhaling tobacco, which is subsequently ignited and/or burned). For example, the user of the proposed smoking product holds the product like a traditional smoking product, drawing on one end of the product to inhale the aerosol generated by the product, inhaling puffs at selected intervals.

Although the systems are generally described herein in terms of embodiments related to smoking articles, such as so-called "tobacco heating products," it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods may be embodied in a variety of different forms and associated with various articles. For example, the description provided herein may be used in conjunction with embodiments of traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), heated-but-not-burning cigarettes, and associated with packaging for any of the products disclosed herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that the description of the mechanisms, components, features, and methods disclosed herein are provided in terms of embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices only by way of example and may be implemented and used in various other products and methods.

Smoking articles of the present disclosure generally comprise a number of elements formed or contained within a shell of the same type as the casing, outer wrapper or wrapping material, body, component, module, element, or the like. The overall design of the shell is variable, and the configuration and format of the shell, which defines the overall size and shape of the smoking article, is also variable. According to some, but not all embodiments, the overall design, size, and/or shape of the shell resembles a conventional cigarette or cigar. In various aspects, the heat source can be configured to generate heat for aerosolizing a substrate material, which includes, for example, an extruded structure and/or substrate, a substrate material associated with an aerosol precursor composition, tobacco, and/or a tobacco-related material, such as a material that is naturally present in tobacco and that can be directly isolated from tobacco or produced synthetically in solid or liquid form (e.g., pellets, sheets, pieces, wrapper), or the like. In some embodiments, the extruded structure may comprise tobacco products or a composite of tobacco with other materials, such as, for example, ceramic powder. In other embodiments, porous ceramic beads may be filled with a tobacco extract/tobacco suspension. Other embodiments may utilize non-tobacco products. In some embodiments, porous beads/powders (ceramic) filled with an aerosol precursor composition may be used. In other embodiments, rods/cylinders made from an extruded suspension of ceramic powder and an aerosol precursor composition may be used.

Although the smoking article according to the present invention may include various embodiments, as described in more detail below, the scope of use of the smoking article by the consumer will be the same. The above description of the use of the smoking article is applicable to the various embodiments described with minor modifications that may be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the additional disclosure provided herein. The provided description of use, however, is not intended to limit the use of the article according to the present invention, but is provided to meet all the necessary requirements of the disclosure provided herein.

According to certain aspects of the disclosure of the present invention, it is advantageous to provide a smoking article that provides a downstream flavor additive. FIGS. 1-5 show exemplary embodiments of such a smoking article. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a smoking article 100 that includes an outer wrapper material 102, and FIG. 2 shows a smoking article 100 in which the outer wrapper material 102 is removed to reveal other components of the smoking article 100. With reference to FIG. 2, the smoking article of the depicted embodiment includes a heat source 104, a first substrate material 106, a second substrate material 108, a filter 110, and a downstream flavor component 112. As will be described in more detail with respect to other exemplary embodiments, the downstream flavor component may have a variety of different configurations. In the illustrated embodiment, the filter 110 and the flavor component 112 together comprise a mouthpiece 114.

In various embodiments, the filter may comprise a disk or other device radially and/or longitudinally located near the downstream end of the smoking device. Thus, when a puff is taken through the mouthpiece, the filter may receive the aerosol flowing through the device. In some embodiments, the filter may comprise separate parts. In some embodiments, the filter may be made of a compacted rod or cylindrical disk made of a gas-permeable material (such as, for example, cellulose acetate or fibers such as paper or rayon, or polyester fibers). In some embodiments, the filter may comprise a tow of cellulose acetate, an assembled polypropylene web, a tube of cellulose acetate, a filter material made of polylactic acid (PLA), etc. In some embodiments, the filter may additionally or alternatively comprise strands of a tobacco-containing material, as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the filter may include a filtering segment, a draw-resistance segment, a hollow segment providing a space for aerosol cooling, other filter segments, and any one or combination of the above. In some embodiments, the filter may include one or more replaceable filter segments.

In the depicted embodiment, the first and second substrate materials 106, 108 may comprise defined centrally longitudinally extending axes between each of the respective opposite first and second ends, and the cross-section of the first and second substrate materials 106, 108 may be, in some embodiments, symmetrical about the specified axis. For example, in some embodiments, the cross-sections of the first substrate material 106 and the second substrate material 108 may be substantially circular such that the first and second substrate materials 106, 108 form substantially cylindrical shapes extending between their opposite first and second ends. For example, in other embodiments, the first and second substrate materials 106, 108 may form substantially non-circular cross-sections such that the first substrate material 106 and/or the second substrate material 108 may form a substantially non-cylindrical shape between their opposite first and second ends. In other words, in other examples, the first substrate material 106 and/or the second substrate material 108 may form an asymmetric cross-section about an axis. In various embodiments, each end of the first and second substrate materials 106, 108 may be aligned axially with adjacent elements. For example, the first end of the second substrate material 108 may be configured to coaxially align with the second end of the first material 106 when they interact.

Although various other embodiments may utilize a variety of different heat sources, including, for example, resistive heat sources, inductive heat sources, etc., in the depicted embodiment, heat source 104 is configured to generate heat upon ignition. In the depicted embodiment, heat source 104, for example, comprises a combustible fuel element that has a generally cylindrical shape and comprises a combustible carbonaceous material. In other embodiments, heat source 104 may have a different shape, such as a prism shape having a cubic or hexagonal cross-section. Carbonaceous materials typically have a high carbon content. Some examples of carbonaceous materials may consist predominantly of carbon and/or typically have a carbon content greater than about 60 percent, typically greater than about 70 percent, often greater than about 80 percent, and often greater than about 90 percent, based on dry weight.

In some cases, the heat source may include elements other than combustible carbonaceous materials (e.g., tobacco components such as powdered tobaccos or tobacco extracts; flavoring agents; salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium carbonate; heat-resistant graphite fibers, hollow cylindrical (e.g., tubular) fibers; iron oxide powder; glass filaments; powdered calcium carbonate; aluminum oxide granules; ammonia sources such as ammonia salts and/or binding agents such as guar gum, ammonium alginate, and sodium alginate). In other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a plurality of flammable objects, such as, for example, a plurality of flammable beads. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the heat source may differ in composition or relative content from those listed above. For example, in some embodiments, various forms of carbon, such as graphite or graphene, may be used as the heat source. In other embodiments, the heat source may have increased levels of activated carbon, different carbon porosities, different amounts of carbon, mixtures of any of the aforementioned components, etc. In other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a non-carbon heat source, such as, for example, a flammable liquefied gas configured to generate heat upon ignition. For example, in some embodiments, the liquefied gas may comprise one or more of the following: petroleum gas (liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied petroleum gas), propane, propylene, butylene, butane, isobutene, methylpropane, or n-butane. In yet other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a chemical reaction-based heat source, wherein ignition of the heat source involves the interaction of two or more separate components. For example, a chemical reaction-based heat source may comprise metal agents and an activating solution, wherein the heat source is activated upon contact between the metal agents and the activating solution. Some examples of chemical heat sources can be found in U.S. Patent No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Combinations of heat sources are also possible.

In some cases, the heat source may include elements other than combustible carbonaceous materials (e.g., tobacco components such as powdered tobaccos or tobacco extracts; flavoring agents; salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium carbonate; heat-resistant graphite fibers, hollow cylindrical (e.g., tubular) fibers; iron oxide powder; glass filaments; powdered calcium carbonate; aluminum oxide granules; ammonia sources such as ammonia salts and/or binding agents such as guar gum, ammonium alginate, and sodium alginate). In other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a plurality of flammable objects, such as, for example, a plurality of flammable beads. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the heat source may differ in composition or relative content from those listed above. For example, in some embodiments, various forms of carbon, such as graphite or graphene, may be used as the heat source. In other embodiments, the heat source may have increased levels of activated carbon, different carbon porosities, different amounts of carbon, mixtures of any of the aforementioned components, etc. In other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a non-carbon heat source, such as, for example, a flammable liquefied gas configured to generate heat upon ignition. For example, in some embodiments, the liquefied gas may comprise one or more of the following: petroleum gas (liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied petroleum gas), propane, propylene, butylene, butane, isobutene, methylpropane, or n-butane. In yet other embodiments, the heat source may comprise a chemical reaction-based heat source, wherein ignition of the heat source involves the interaction of two or more separate components. For example, a chemical reaction-based heat source may comprise metal agents and an activating solution, wherein the heat source is activated upon contact between the metal agents and the activating solution. Some examples of chemical heat sources can be found in U.S. Patent No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Combinations of heat sources are also possible.

Although in other embodiments the heat source may be formed in various ways, in some embodiments the heat source may be extruded or mixed using ground or powdered carbonaceous material and has a density that is greater than about 0.5 g/ ^cm3 , often greater than about 0.7 g/ ^cm3 , and most often greater than about 1 g/ ^cm3 , on a dry weight basis. See, for example, the types of components, compositions and designs of fuel sources that are set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5,551,451 to Riggs et al. and U.S. Patent No. 7,836,897 to Borschke et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Although in various embodiments the heat source may have various shapes, including, for example, a substantially solid cylindrical shape or a hollow cylindrical (e.g., tubular) shape, the heat source 104 of the depicted embodiment comprises an extruded monolithic carbonaceous material. In some embodiments, the heat source may include a plurality of internal passages extending in the longitudinal direction from the first end of the heat source to the opposite second end of the heat source. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the presence of a plurality of internal passages is not required and/or the plurality of internal passages may have various shapes and/or sizes, including substantially cylindrical and non-cylindrical shapes. For example, in some embodiments there may be only one internal passage. Still other embodiments may not contain internal passages at all. Additional embodiments may include a plurality of internal passages that may have unequal diameters and/or shapes and that may be non-uniformly spaced and/or located within the heat source.

The illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of peripheral grooves 116 that extend longitudinally from the first end of the heat source to the opposite second end. In other embodiments, the grooves do not necessarily have to extend along the entire length of the heat source. In the illustrated embodiment, the grooves are substantially equal in width and depth and are substantially uniformly distributed over the circumferential surface of the heat source. However, other embodiments may differ. For example, in some embodiments, there may be only two grooves, while still other embodiments may include only one groove. Still other embodiments may not contain grooves at all. Further embodiments may include a plurality of grooves that may have unequal width and/or depth and that may be non-uniformly spaced over the circumferential surface of the heat source. In still other embodiments, the heat source may include recesses and/or slots that extend longitudinally from the first end of the extruded monolithic carbonaceous material to its opposite second end. In some embodiments, the heat source may comprise a foamed carbonaceous monolith formed by a foaming process of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,615,184 to Lobovsky, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thus, some embodiments may provide advantages in terms of reduced time required to ignite the heat source. In some other embodiments, the heat source may be co-extruded with an insulation layer (not shown), thereby reducing manufacturing time and costs. Other embodiments of fuel cells include carbon fibers of the type described in U.S. Patent No. 4,922,901 to Brooks et al., or other embodiments of heat sources, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0044818 to Takeuchi et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional examples of heat sources, including systems with an embossed heat source, methods, and smoking articles that include such heat sources are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 15/902,665, filed February 22, 2018, entitled System for Debossing a Heat Generation Member, a Smoking Article Including the Debossed Heat Generation Member, and a Related Method, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In general, the heat source is positioned close enough to an aerosol delivery component (e.g., a substrate material) having one or more nebulized components so that the aerosol formed/evaporated by the application of heat from the heat source to the nebulized components (as well as any flavorings, medications, and/or the like that are also provided for delivery to the user) can be delivered to the user via a mouthpiece. Thus, when the heat source heats the substrate material, the aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the user. It should be noted that the above terms should be considered interchangeable, so that forms of the specified term such as "release," "release," "releases," or "released" include forms such as "form" or "generate," "forming" or "generating," "forms" or "generates," and "formed" or "generated." In particular, the inhalable substance is released as a vapor or aerosol, or a mixture thereof. Furthermore, the selection and arrangement of the various elements of the smoking articles is clear from consideration of commercially available electronic smoking articles, such as the representative products referenced in the "Background of the Invention" section of the present disclosure.

Although other embodiments may include a single substrate material, as noted, the depicted embodiment includes a first substrate material 106 and a second substrate material 108. Still other embodiments may include additional substrate materials. In some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise a blend of flavored and aromatic tobaccos in the form of cut filler. In another embodiment, one or more substrate materials may comprise a reconstituted tobacco material, such as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al.; U.S. Patent No. 4,889,143 to Pryor et al.; and U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. An additional reconstituted tobacco material may comprise reconstituted tobacco packaging paper for the type of cigarettes described in the monograph Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1988), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For example, the reconstituted tobacco material may comprise a sheet material comprising tobacco and/or tobacco-related materials. Thus, in some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may be formed from a wound roll of reconstituted tobacco material. In another embodiment, one or more substrate materials may be formed from pieces, strips of reconstituted tobacco material, and/or the like. In another embodiment, the tobacco sheet may comprise overlapping layers (e.g., a gathered web) that may or may not include heat-conducting components. Examples of substrate materials that include a series of overlapping layers (e.g., a gathered web) of a substrate precursor sheet formed by a fibrous filler material, an aerosol-forming material, and a plurality of thermally conductive constituents are described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/905,320, filed February 26, 2018, entitled "Heat Conducting Substrate For Electrically Heated Aerosol Delivery Device," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise a plurality of microcapsules, beads, granules, and/or the like containing a tobacco-related material. For example, a representative microcapsule may be generally spherical in shape and may have an outer coating or shell that contains a central region containing a liquid tobacco-derived extract, and/or the like. In some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise a plurality of microcapsules, each of which has a hollow cylindrical shape. In some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise a binder material configured to maintain the structural shape and/or integrity of the plurality of microcapsules having a hollow cylindrical shape.

Useful tobacco in one or more substrate materials may include (or be derived from) such tobaccos as flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, oriental tobacco, Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark fire-cured tobacco, and shag, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos, blends. Various representative tobacco types, processed tobacco types, and tobacco blend types are shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,836,224 to Lawson et al.; U.S. Patent No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,056,537 to Brown et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,220,930 to Gentry; U.S. Patent No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,701,936 to Shafer et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,730,832 to Dominguez et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,011,096 to Li et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,017,585 to Li et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0255965 to Perfetti et al.; PCT Application Publication No. WO 02/37990 to Bereman and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, pp. 11–17 (1997), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In yet other embodiments of the disclosure, one or more substrate materials may be formed as an extruded construct that includes or consists essentially of tobacco, a tobacco-related material, glycerin, water, and/or a binder, although some formulations may not contain a binder. In various embodiments, suitable binders may include alginates such as ammonium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, potassium alginate, and sodium alginate. Alginates, and in particular high viscosity alginates, may be used in combination with controlled levels of free calcium ions. Other suitable binders include hydroxypropyl cellulose, such as Klucel H, manufactured by Aqualon Co.; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, such as Methocel K4MS, manufactured by The Dow Chemical Co.; hydroxyethyl cellulose, such as Natrosol 250 MRCS, manufactured by Aqualon Co.; microcrystalline cellulose, such as Avicel, manufactured by FMC; methylcellulose, such as Methocel A4M, manufactured by The Dow Chemical Co.; and sodium carboxymethylcellulose, such as CMC 7HF and CMC 7H4F, manufactured by Hercules Inc. Still other possible binders include starches (e.g., corn starch), guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, pectins, and xanthan gum. In some embodiments, combinations or mixtures of two or more binders may be used. Other examples of binders are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,101,839 to Jacob et al. and U.S. Patent No. 4,924,887 to Raker et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may be provided as part of a binder (e.g., propylene glycol alginate). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the binder may comprise nanocellulose derived from tobacco or other biomass.

In some embodiments, one or more substrate materials may be in the form of an extruded material, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0042885 to Stone et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In another embodiment, one or more substrate materials may comprise an extruded structure and/or a substrate formed from marumarized and/or non-marumarized tobacco. Marumarized tobacco is known, for example, from U.S. Patent No. 5,105,831 to Banerjee et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Marumarized tobacco comprises from about 20 to about 50 percent (by weight) of a tobacco blend in powder form with glycerin (from about 20 to about 30 weight percent), calcium carbonate (typically from about 10 to about 60 weight percent, often from about 40 to about 60 weight percent), together with binders and/or flavoring agents described herein. In various embodiments, the extruded material may have one or more longitudinal openings.

In various embodiments, one or more substrate materials may take different forms depending on the different amounts of materials used therein. For example, an exemplary substrate material may comprise up to about 98 wt.%, up to about 95 wt.%, or up to about 90 wt.% tobacco and/or tobacco-related material. An exemplary substrate material may also comprise up to about 25 wt.%, about 20 wt.%, or about 15 wt.% water, such as from about 2 wt.% to about 25 wt.%, from about 5 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, or from about 7 wt.% to about 15 wt.% water. Flavorings and the like (which include medicaments such as nicotine) may comprise up to about 10 wt.%, up to about 8 wt.%, or up to about 5 wt.% of the aerosol delivery component.

Additionally or alternatively, the one or more substrate materials may be formed as an extruded structure and/or substrate that may include or substantially consist of tobacco, glycerin, water, and/or a binder and, further, is also configured to substantially maintain its structure during the aerosol generation process. Accordingly, the one or more substrate materials may be configured to substantially maintain its shape (i.e., the substrate material does not continuously deform under an applied shear stress) throughout the aerosol generation process. Although such an exemplary substrate material may contain liquids and/or have some moisture content, the substrate may remain substantially solid and may substantially maintain structural integrity throughout the aerosol generation process. Exemplary tobacco and/or tobacco-related materials suitable as a substantially solid substrate material are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 to Ademe et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0335070 to Sears et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,204,287 to White; and U.S. Patent No. 5,060,676 to Hearn et al., which are respectively incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In some embodiments, the amount of substrate material(s) used in the smoking article may be such that the article has acceptable sensory and organoleptic properties, as well as the desired performance characteristics. For example, in some embodiments, an aerosol precursor composition, such as, for example, glycerin and/or propylene glycol, may be used in the substrate material to ensure the production of a visible primary aerosol, which in many respects resembles the appearance of tobacco smoke. For example, the amount of aerosol precursor composition contained in the substrate material of the smoking article may be about 3.5 g or less, about 3 g or less, about 2.5 g or less, about 2 g or less, about 1.5 g or less, about 1 g or less, or about 0.5 g or less.

According to another embodiment, a smoking article according to the disclosure of the present invention may include one or more substrate materials comprising a porous inert material, such as, for example, a ceramic material. For example, in some embodiments, ceramics of various shapes and geometries (e.g., balls, rods, tubes, etc.) that have different pore morphologies may be used. Furthermore, in some embodiments, non-tobacco materials, such as e-liquids, may be loaded into the ceramics. In another embodiment, one or more substrate materials may include a porous inert material that is substantially chemically and/or physically non-reactive with a tobacco-related material, such as, for example, a tobacco-derived extract. Furthermore, extruded tobacco, such as described above, may be porous. For example, in some embodiments, the extruded tobacco material may have an inert gas, such as, for example, nitrogen, which acts as a blowing agent during the extrusion process.

As noted above, in various embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise tobacco, a tobacco component, and/or a tobacco-derived material that can be purified, processed, recovered, and/or treated to include an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., humectants such as, for example, propylene glycol, glycerin, and/or the like) and/or at least one flavoring agent, as well as a flame/combustion retardant (e.g., diammonium phosphate and/or another salt) configured to help prevent ignition, pyrolysis, combustion, and/or burnout of the substrate material by a heat source. Various methods of incorporating tobacco into smoking articles, and in particular smoking articles that are configured to specifically not burn substantially all of the tobacco in the smoking articles, are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al.; U.S. Patent No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

As noted above, in some embodiments, flame retardant materials and other additives may be included in one or more substrate materials and may include organophosphorus compounds, borax, aluminum hydroxide, graphite, potassium tripolyphosphate, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, and polyols. Other substances, such as nitrogen salts of phosphonic acid, monoammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium bromide, ammonium borate, ethanolammonium borate, ammonium sulfamate, halogenated organic compounds, thiourea, and antimony oxides, are suitable, but are not preferred. In each aspect of the non-flammable, fire-resistant and/or burn-resistant materials used in the substrate material and/or other components (whether individually or in combination with each other and/or with other materials), the required properties are most preferably achieved without undesirable outgassing or melting.

According to other embodiments of the disclosure, one or more substrate materials also include tobacco additives that are commonly used in the manufacture of tobacco products. These additives may include the types of materials used to enhance the flavor and aroma of tobaccos in the manufacture of cigars, cigarettes, pipes, and the like. For example, these additives may include various cigarette wrappers and/or topcoat components. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 3,419,015 to Wochnowski; U.S. Patent No. 4,054,145 to Berndt et al.; U.S. Patent No. 4,887,619 to Burcham, Jr. et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,022,416 to Watson; U.S. Patent No. 5,103,842 to Strang et al.; and U.S. Patent No. 5,711,320 to Martin, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Some shell materials may include water, sugars and syrups (e.g., sucrose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup), humectants (e.g., glycerin or propylene glycol), and flavoring agents (e.g., cocoa and licorice root). These added components may also include topcoat materials (e.g., flavoring materials such as menthol). See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,449,541 to Mays et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, materials described in U.S. Patent No. 4,830,028 to Lawson et al. and U.S. Patent No. 8,186,360 to Marshall et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, may be added.

As noted above, in various embodiments, one or more substrate materials may have an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise one or more different components, such as a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof). Exemplary additional types of aerosol precursor compositions are listed in U.S. Patent No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr., et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,101,839 to Jakob, et al., PCT WO 98/57556 to Biggs, et al., and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1988), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some aspects, the substrate material can generate a visible aerosol when sufficiently heated (and, if necessary, cooled by air), and the substrate material can generate an aerosol considered "smoke-like." In other aspects, the substrate material can generate an aerosol that is essentially invisible but can be recognized as present by other characteristics, such as aroma or texture. Thus, the nature of the resulting aerosol can vary depending on the specific components of the aerosol delivery component. The substrate material can be chemically simple compared to the chemical nature of smoke produced by burning tobacco.

In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may contain nicotine, which may be present in varying concentrations. The source of nicotine may vary, and the nicotine included in the aerosol precursor composition may be from a single source or a combination of two or more sources. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include nicotine derived from tobacco. In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include nicotine derived from other organic plant sources, such as, for example, non-tobacco plant sources, including plants of the Solanaceae family. In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include synthetic nicotine. In some embodiments, the nicotine included in the aerosol precursor composition may be derived from non-tobacco plant sources, such as other members of the Solanaceae family. The aerosol precursor composition may further include one or more active ingredients, including, but not limited to, a nicotine component, botanical ingredients (e.g., lavender, peppermint, chamomile, basil, rosemary, ginger, cannabis, ginseng, maca, hemp, eucalyptus, rooibos, fennel, citrus, cloves, and herbal teas), stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and/or pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins such as B6, B12, and C, and/or cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)). The specific percentages and selection of specific ingredients will vary depending on taste, texture, and other desired characteristics. Examples of active ingredients include any ingredients that are known to affect one or more biological functions of the body, such as ingredients that provide pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, therapy, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or that affect the structure or any function of the human or animal body (e.g., have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, have an excitatory, antipyretic, or analgesic effect, or produce some other beneficial effect on the body).

A variety of flavoring agents or materials that alter the sensory or organoleptic character, or the nature of the primary aerosol of a smoking article, may be suitable for use. In some embodiments, such flavoring agents are derived from source materials other than tobacco and may be natural or artificial in nature. For example, some flavoring agents may be applied to or incorporated into the substrate material and/or aerosol-generating regions of the smoking article. In some embodiments, such substances may be delivered directly to the heating cavity or region near the heat source, or they may be provided by the substrate material. Examples of flavoring agents may include, for example, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, cloves, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarola, cocoa, licorice, and flavoring substances and additives of the type and nature traditionally used to flavor cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobacco. In addition, syrups, such as high-fructose corn syrup, may also be suitable for use.

Flavoring agents may also include substances with acidic or basic characteristics (e.g., organic acids such as levulinic acid, succinic acid, and pyruvic acid). In some embodiments, flavoring agents may be configured to be combined with elements of the substrate material, if desired. Examples of plant-derived compositions that may be suitable are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,107,453 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0152265 to Dube et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Any of the materials, such as flavorings, coatings, and the like, that may be useful in combination with the tobacco material to alter its sensory properties, including organoleptic properties, such as those already described herein, may be combined with the substrate material. Organic acids, in particular, can be included in the substrate material to alter the flavor, sensation, or organoleptic properties of medicaments, such as nicotine, which can be combined with the substrate material. For example, organic acids such as levulinic acid, lactic acid, and pyruvic acid can be included in the substrate material with nicotine in amounts up to equimolar (based on the total organic acid content) to nicotine. Any combination of organic acids can be suitable. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate material can include from about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of levulinic acid per mole of nicotine, from about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of pyruvic acid per mole of nicotine, from about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of lactic acid per mole of nicotine, a combination up to a concentration at which the total amount of organic acid present is equal to the total amount of nicotine present in the substrate material. Various additional examples of organic acids used to form the substrate material are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0344456 to Dull et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The selection of such additional components may vary depending on factors such as the sensory characteristics desired in the smoking article, and the present invention encompasses any such additional components that are readily apparent to those skilled in the art of tobacco and tobacco-related or tobacco-derived products. See: Gutcho, Tobacco Flavoring Substances and Methods, Noyes Data Corp. (1972), and Leffingwell et al., Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products (1972), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In other embodiments, one or more substrate materials may comprise other materials having a variety of inherent characteristics or properties. For example, one or more substrate materials may comprise a plasticized material or regenerated cellulose in the form of viscose. As another example, viscose (commercially available as VISIL®), which is a regenerated cellulose product including silica, may be suitable. Some carbon fibers may include at least 95 percent carbon or more. Similarly, natural cellulose fibers, such as cotton, may be suitable and may be infused with silica particles or otherwise treated with silica, carbon, or metal particles to improve flame retardancy and minimize off-gas emission, particularly any undesirable off-gas components that may have a negative impact on taste (and, in particular, minimize the likelihood of any toxic off-gas products). Cotton can be treated, for example, with boric acid or various organophosphorus compounds to achieve the desired flame-retardant properties by dipping, spraying, or other methods known in the art. These fibers can also be treated (by infusion coating or both, such as dipping, spraying, or vapor deposition) with organic or metallic nanoparticles to impart the desired flame-retardant properties without the undesirable process of off-gassing or melting.

Although other embodiments may differ, in the depicted embodiment, the outer wrapping material 102 (shown most clearly in FIG. 1) is designed to bring at least a portion of the heat source 104 into contact with the first substrate material 106, the second substrate material 108, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece 114 or otherwise connect them to each other. Thus, in some aspects, the outer wrapping material 102 is configured to limit, for example, coaxially surround, at least a portion of the heat source 104, the first substrate material 106 brought into interaction with its first end with the heat source 104, the second substrate material 108 brought into interaction with the second end of the first substrate material 106 and at least a portion of the mouthpiece 114. The outer wrapping material 102 is configured to be retained in the wrapped position by any method, including with the help of an adhesive, a fastener and the like, to ensure that the outer wrapping material 102 remains in the wrapped position. Otherwise, in some other aspects, the outer wrapping material 102 can be made removable if necessary. For example, when the outer wrapping material 102 is held in the wrapped position, the outer wrapping material 102 may be configured to be removed from the heat source 104, the first substrate material 106 brought into interaction with its first end with the heat source 104, the second substrate material 108 brought into interaction with the second end of the first substrate material 106 and/or the mouthpiece 114.

In the illustrated embodiment, the outer wrapping material 102 also includes one or more openings 120 formed therein that allow air to enter during inhalation through the mouthpiece 114. In some embodiments, the size and number of these openings may be adjusted so that a greater portion of the drawn airflow passes through these openings (and in some embodiments, a higher airflow rate), while a smaller portion of the airflow passes through the hollow structure (and in some embodiments, a lower airflow rate), described below. Thus, the airflow through the hollow structure may be provided solely or primarily to improve heat transfer. In the embodiments shown, a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced openings 120 are formed in the outer wrapping material 102 in the region near the first substrate material 106, and a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced individual openings 122 are formed in the outer wrapping material 102 in the region near the mouthpiece 114. Although in various embodiments, a plurality of openings may be formed in the outer wrapping material 102 in a variety of ways, in the depicted embodiment, a plurality of openings are formed by laser perforation.

In various embodiments of the present invention, a downstream flavor component provides one or more flavors to an aerosol generated by heating the substrate material(s). FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 3 shows a smoking article 200 that includes a heat source 204, a first substrate material 206, a second substrate material 208, a filter 210, and a downstream flavor component 212. In the depicted embodiment, the filter 210 and the flavor component 212 together comprise a mouthpiece 214. In the depicted embodiment, the heat source 204 comprises a combustible fuel element. However, in alternative embodiments (e.g., consumables for use with ETHP devices), the heat source may be removed and the smoking article may be brought into interaction with an electrically driven device configured to heat the consumable material or a portion thereof (e.g., by resistive and/or inductive heating - see, for example, FIG. 6). Reference is now made to the above description regarding possible heat sources and variations thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the first substrate material 206 and the second substrate material 208 may comprise the same or different materials. Reference is made to the above description regarding possible substrate materials and variations thereof. Reference is also made to the above description regarding possible filters and variations thereof.

In the depicted embodiment, the flavor component 212 comprises a plurality of flavor beads 224 and a substantially hollow flow tube 226. In various embodiments, the flow tube may be formed from a variety of different materials, including, for example, metallic materials (such as, for example, stainless steel), plastic materials, or other materials such as cellulose acetate. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the flow tube 226 comprises a plurality of openings 228 located around the periphery of the flow tube 226. The plurality of openings 228 of the depicted embodiment are located in a region near the plurality of flavor beads 224. However, in other embodiments, the plurality of openings may have a different arrangement and/or may extend beyond the region of the flavor beads. In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of openings 228 comprise a plurality of slots, although in other embodiments, the plurality of openings may have other configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of openings comprise a plurality of passages.

In various embodiments, the flavor beads may comprise one or more of the following: tobacco flavor beads (such as, for example, marumerized tobacco beads), non-tobacco flavor beads, gel flavor beads, capsules containing flavor beads, or any combination thereof. In various embodiments, the flavor beads may include one or more flavoring agents that may alter the sensory or organoleptic character or nature of the mainstream aerosol of the smoking article, which may be suitably used. In some embodiments, such flavoring agents may be derived from tobacco sources or sources other than tobacco, and may be natural or artificial in nature. Examples of flavoring agents may include, for example, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarola, cocoa, licorice, and flavorings and additives of the type and nature traditionally used to flavor cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobacco. In addition, syrups, such as high-fructose corn syrup, may also be suitable for use. In some embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) of the plurality of flavoring beads may be the only flavoring substance(s) added to the aerosol. In other embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) of the plurality of flavoring beads may be in addition to the flavoring substance(s) included in the substrate material(s).

In the depicted embodiment, the flow tube 226 extends from the distal end of the mouthpiece 214 along its longitudinal axis and through at least a portion of the filter 210. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the flow tube does not necessarily extend into the filter. In various embodiments, a plurality of flavor beads may be located near at least a portion of the flow tube. In some embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may substantially surround at least a portion of the flow tube. In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of flavor beads 224 substantially surround more than half of the longitudinal length of the flow tube 226. However, in other embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may substantially surround less than half of the longitudinal length of the flow tube. In some embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may be located near a section of the substrate material.

As noted above, various other types of heat sources are possible. For example, FIG. 6 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention. In various respects, the smoking article 500 shown is similar to that shown in FIG. 3 (and reference is made to this description hereinafter). For example, the smoking article 500 includes a first substrate material 506, a second substrate material 508, and a filter 510 and a downstream flavor component 512, which together comprise a mouthpiece 514. In the depicted embodiment, the flavor component 512 comprises a plurality of flavor beads 524 and a substantially hollow flow tube 526 that includes a plurality of openings 528 located around the periphery of the flow tube 526. The plurality of openings 528 of the depicted embodiment are located in a region near the plurality of flavor beads 524. However, in the depicted embodiment, the heat source 504 is an electrical heat source, such as a resistive heat source or an inductive heat source, which may be part of a device that is separate from the smoking article 500. It should be noted that in various embodiments, the heat source may or may not be in physical contact with the substrate material, and the heat source may have any configuration, including, for example, configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, in contact with) the periphery of at least a portion of the substrate material, and/or configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, in contact with) the end of the substrate material.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a smoking article 300 that includes a heat source 304, a first substrate material 306, a second substrate material 308, a filter 310 and a downstream flavor component 312. In the depicted embodiment, the filter 310 and the flavor component 312 together comprise a mouthpiece 314. In the depicted embodiment, the heat source 304 comprises a combustible fuel element. However, in alternative embodiments (e.g., consumables for use with ETHP devices), the heat source may be removed and the smoking article may be brought into interaction with an electrically driven device configured to heat the consumable material or a portion thereof (e.g., by means of resistive and/or inductive heating - see, for example, FIG. 7). Reference is now made to the above description regarding possible heat sources and variations thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the first substrate material 306 and the second substrate material 308 may comprise the same or different materials. Reference is now made to the above description regarding possible substrate materials and variations thereof. Reference is also made to the above description regarding possible filters and variations thereof.

In the depicted embodiment, the flavor component 312 comprises a plurality of flavor beads 324. In various embodiments, the flavor beads may comprise one or more of the following: tobacco flavor beads, non-tobacco flavor beads, gel flavor beads, capsules containing flavor beads, or any combination thereof. In various embodiments, the flavor beads may include one or more flavoring agents that may alter the sensory or organoleptic character or nature of the mainstream aerosol of the smoking article, which may be suitably used. In some embodiments, such flavoring agents may be obtained from tobacco sources or sources other than tobacco, and may be natural or artificial in nature. Examples of flavoring agents may include, for example, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarola, cocoa, licorice, and flavorings and additives of the type and nature traditionally used to flavor cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobacco. In addition, syrups, such as high-fructose corn syrup, may also be suitable for use. In some embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) of the plurality of flavoring beads may be the only flavoring substance(s) added to the aerosol. In other embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) of the plurality of flavoring beads may be in addition to the flavoring substance(s) included in the substrate material(s).

In the illustrated embodiment, the filter 310 comprises a cavity 330, wherein a plurality of flavor beads 324 are located in the cavity 330. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the cavity 330 is approximately located centrally along the longitudinal length of the filter 310, in other embodiments, the cavity may be located near either end of the filter or at any other location along the length of the filter. Furthermore, although in the illustrated embodiment there is a single cavity 330, in other embodiments there may be a plurality of cavities, wherein the same or different flavor beads may be located in one or more cavities.

As noted above, various other types of heat sources are possible. For example, FIG. 7 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention. In various respects, the smoking article 600 shown is similar to that shown in FIG. 4 (and reference is made hereinafter to this description). For example, the smoking article 600 includes a first substrate material 606, a second substrate material 608, and a filter 610 and a downstream flavor component 612, which together comprise a mouthpiece 614. The filter 610 includes a cavity 630, and a plurality of flavor beads 624 are located in the cavity 630. However, in the depicted embodiment, the heat source 504 is an electrical heat source, such as a resistive heat source or an inductive heat source, which may be part of a device that is separate from the smoking article 500. It should be noted that in various embodiments, the heat source may or may not be in physical contact with the substrate material, and the heat source may have any configuration, including, for example, configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, contact) the periphery of at least a portion of the substrate material, and/or configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, contact) the end of the substrate material. FIG. 5 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 5 shows a smoking article 400 that includes a heat source 404, a first substrate material 406, a second substrate material 408, a filter 410 and a downstream flavor component 412. In the depicted embodiment, the filter 410 and the flavor component 412 together comprise a mouthpiece 414. In the depicted embodiment, the heat source 404 comprises a combustible fuel element. However, in alternative embodiments (e.g., consumables for use with ETHP devices), the heat source may be removed and the smoking article may be brought into interaction with an electrically driven device configured to heat the consumable material or a portion thereof (e.g., by means of resistive and/or inductive heating - see, for example, FIG. 8). Reference is made to the above description regarding possible heat sources and variations thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the first substrate material 406 and the second substrate material 408 may comprise the same or different materials. Reference is made to the above description regarding possible substrate materials and variations thereof. Reference is also made to the above description regarding possible filters and variations thereof.

In the depicted embodiment, the flavor component 412 comprises a plurality of flavor beads 424 and a substantially hollow flow tube 426. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the flow tube 426 comprises a plurality of openings 428 located around the periphery of the flow tube 426. The plurality of openings 428 of the depicted embodiment are located in a region near the plurality of flavor beads 424. However, in other embodiments, the plurality of openings may have a different arrangement and/or may extend beyond the region of the flavor beads. In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of openings 428 comprise a plurality of slots, although in other embodiments, the plurality of openings may have other configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of openings comprise a plurality of passages.

In various embodiments, the flavor beads may comprise one or more of the following: tobacco flavor beads, non-tobacco flavor beads, gel flavor beads, capsules containing flavor beads, or any combination thereof. In various embodiments, the flavor beads may include one or more flavoring agents that can alter the sensory or organoleptic character or nature of the main aerosol stream of the smoking article, which can be suitably used. In some embodiments, such flavoring agents may be obtained from tobacco sources or sources other than tobacco, and may be natural or artificial in nature. Examples of flavoring agents may include, for example, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarola, cocoa, licorice, and flavorings and additives of the type and nature traditionally used to flavor cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobacco. In addition, syrups, such as high-fructose corn syrup, may also be suitable for use. In some embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) from the plurality of flavoring beads may be the only flavoring substance(s) added to the aerosol. In other embodiments, the flavoring substance(s) from the plurality of flavoring beads may be in addition to the flavoring substance(s) included in the substrate material(s).

In the illustrated embodiment, the filter includes a cavity 430, wherein a plurality of flavor beads 424 are located in the cavity 430. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the cavity 430 is approximately located in the center along the longitudinal length of the filter 410, in other embodiments, the cavity may be located near either end of the filter or at any other location along the length of the filter. Furthermore, although in the illustrated embodiment there is a single cavity 430, in other embodiments there may be a plurality of cavities, wherein the same or different flavor beads may be located in one or more cavities. In the illustrated embodiment, the flow tube 426 extends from the distal end of the mouthpiece 414 along its longitudinal axis and through at least a portion of the filter 410. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the flow tube does not necessarily extend into the filter. In various embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may be located near at least a portion of the flow tube. In some embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may substantially surround at least a portion of the flow tube. In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of flavor beads 424 substantially surround more than half the longitudinal length of the flow tube. However, in other embodiments, the plurality of flavor beads may substantially surround less than half the longitudinal length of the flow tube.

As noted above, various other types of heat sources are possible. For example, FIG. 8 shows a schematic longitudinal view of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention. In various respects, the smoking article 700 shown is similar to that shown in FIG. 5 (reference is made to this description hereinafter). For example, the smoking article 700 includes a first substrate material 706, a second substrate material 708, and a filter 710 and a downstream flavor component 712, which together comprise a mouthpiece 714. In the depicted embodiment, the flavor component 712 comprises a plurality of flavor beads 724 and a substantially hollow flow tube 726. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the flow tube 726 includes a plurality of openings 728 located around the periphery of the flow tube 726. The plurality of openings 728 of the depicted embodiment are located in a region near the plurality of flavor beads 724. The filter includes a cavity 730, and the plurality of flavor beads 724 are located in the cavity 730. However, in the depicted embodiment, the heat source 704 is an electric heat source, such as a resistive heat source or an inductive heat source, which may be part of a device that is separate from the smoking article 700. It should be noted that in various embodiments, the heat source may or may not be in physical contact with the substrate material, and the heat source may have any configuration, including, for example, configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, contact) the periphery of at least a portion of the substrate material, and/or configurations that are near (or, in some embodiments, contact) the end of the substrate material.

Although the smoking article according to the present invention may include various embodiments, as described in more detail herein, the use of the smoking article by the consumer will be the same in scope. The above description of the use of the smoking article is applicable to the various embodiments described with minor modifications that may be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the additional disclosure provided herein. The provided description of use, however, is not intended to limit the use of the article according to the present invention, but is provided to meet all the necessary requirements of the disclosure provided herein.

Numerous modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided in the above description and the accompanying drawings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific embodiments disclosed herein, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (11)

1. A smoking article comprising: at least one section of a substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith, a flavor component, and a mouthpiece located downstream of a heat source and the at least one section of the substrate material, wherein the mouthpiece includes a filter, wherein the mouthpiece includes a flavor component containing a plurality of flavor beads near a hollow flow tube, wherein the hollow flow tube includes a plurality of peripheral openings formed to extend therethrough, wherein the hollow flow tube extends through at least a portion of the plurality of flavor beads and beyond the plurality of flavor beads. 2. A smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the component with the flavor additive is located downstream from the filter. 3. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the flow tube passes through at least a portion of the filter. 4. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the filter forms a cavity, wherein a plurality of flavor beads are located in the cavity, and the flow tube passes through at least a portion of the filter. 5. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a heat source, wherein the heat source is located near at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material, and wherein the heat source comprises a combustible heat source. 6. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a device separate from the smoking article, wherein the separate device includes an electric heat source configured to heat at least a portion of said at least one section of the substrate material. 7. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube are a plurality of passages passing through a peripheral wall of the flow tube. 8. The smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings of the flow tube are a plurality of grooves passing through the peripheral wall of the flow tube. 9. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flavor balls comprises at least one of the following: tobacco flavor balls, non-tobacco flavor balls, gel flavor balls, capsules containing flavor balls, or any combination thereof. 10. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a second substrate material located between the first substrate material and the mouthpiece. 11. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the substrate material comprises at least one of the following: tobacco-containing balls, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, pieces of reconstituted tobacco material, or tobacco rods.