US20250318572A1

US20250318572A1 - Flavored non-heating-type aerosol generating article for preventing reduction of amount of nicotine transfer and aerosol generating system including the same

Info

Publication number: US20250318572A1
Application number: US19/171,536
Authority: US
Inventors: Tae Kyun Kim; Chan Min KWON; In Su Park; Tae Kyung Lee
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2024-04-11
Filing date: 2025-04-07
Publication date: 2025-10-16
Also published as: WO2025216602A1; KR20250150269A

Abstract

Provided are an aerosol generating article including a medium portion, and at least one filter portion, in which the filter portion is flavored, and the flavored filter portion is positioned in a tobacco end (TE) portion of the aerosol generating article, and an aerosol generating system including the same.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0048603 filed on Apr. 11, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

One or more embodiments relate to a flavored non-heating-type aerosol generating article for preventing reduction of the amount of nicotine transfer and an aerosol generating system including the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, demands for alternative articles of general cigarettes have increased. For example, there is an increasing demand for a device (e.g., a cigarette-type electronic cigarette) that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette stick. Accordingly, research on an electrically heated aerosol generating device and a cigarette stick (or an aerosol generating article) applied thereto is being conducted.
Further, research on a non-heating-type aerosol generating device is also being conducted in addition to the electrically heated aerosol generating device. In this case, an aerosol generating article including pH-treated granules generating free nicotine is used, and vapor generated in a liquid cartridge of the aerosol generating device passes through a cigarette stick, thereby transferring free nicotine.
However, when the aerosol generating article includes a flavored filter, the free nicotine is transferred and dissolved into the flavored filter due to volatility and solubility, which causes problems in the non-heating-type electronic cigarette.
The non-heating-type electronic cigarette has difficulty in transferring free nicotine dissolved in a flavored liquid of a filter because there is no or minimal heat transfer to a stick. Therefore, even if the same medium is applied, the problem of lower nicotine transfer compared to unflavored cigarette sticks occurs, which may ultimately reduce user's satisfaction with smoking.

SUMMARY

Embodiments are provided to solve the above-mentioned problems and other problems.
Embodiments provide a flavored non-heating-type aerosol generating article for preventing reduction of the amount of nicotine transfer and an aerosol generating system including the same by changing a position of the aerosol generating article where a flavored filter is applied or adjusting a type and a content of a solvent used in flavoring a filter.
However, the technical goals are not limited to those described above, and other technical goals may be present.
According to an aspect, there is provided an aerosol generating article including a medium portion, and at least one filter portion, wherein the filter portion is flavored, and the flavored filter portion is positioned in a tobacco end (TE) portion of the aerosol generating article.
According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol generating system including an aerosol generating device including a battery, a controller, and a vaporizer, and an aerosol generating article including a medium portion and at least one filter portion, wherein the filter portion is flavored, and the flavored filter portion is positioned in a TE portion of the aerosol generating article.
Additional aspects of embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.
According to embodiments, a non-heating-type aerosol generating article may effectively prevent the reduction of the amount of nicotine transfer even when a flavored filter is provided, compared to a case of including an unflavored filter. Also, a flavor may also be felt through the flavoring treatment, which may allow smokers to have satisfaction with smoking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating article including a tobacco end (TE) portion and a mouth end (ME) portion and an aerosol generating device, to which the aerosol generating article is applicable, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol generating system in which an aerosol generating article is coupled to an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various alterations and modifications may be made to the embodiments and thus, the scope of the disclosure is not limited or restricted to the embodiments. The embodiments should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and replacements within the idea and the technical scope of the disclosure.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not to be limiting of the embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises/comprising” and/or “includes/including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly-used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
When describing the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components and a repeated description related thereto will be omitted. In the description of embodiments, detailed description of well-known related structures or functions will be omitted when it is deemed that such description will cause ambiguous interpretation of the present disclosure.
Also, in the description of the components, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b) or the like may be used herein when describing components of the present disclosure. These terms are used only for the purpose of discriminating one component from another component, and the nature, the sequences, or the orders of the components are not limited by the terms. When one component is described as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “attached” to another component, it should be understood that one component may be connected or attached directly to another component, and an intervening component may also be “connected,” “coupled,” or “attached” to the components.
A component, which has the same common function as a component included in any one embodiment, will be described by using the same name in other embodiments. Unless disclosed to the contrary, the description of any one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and the specific description of the repeated configuration will be omitted.
In the following embodiments, a “humectant” may refer to a substance capable of facilitating the formation of visible smoke and/or an aerosol. The humectant may include, for example, glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. In the art, a humectant may be used interchangeably with a term such as an aerosol former, a wetting agent, or the like.
In the following embodiments, an “aerosol forming material” may refer to a material that forms an aerosol. The aerosol may include a volatile compound. The aerosol forming material may be solid or liquid. For example, a solid aerosol forming material may include a solid material based on a tobacco raw material, such as cut tobacco leaves, tobacco granules, or reconstituted tobacco. The reconstituted tobacco may be divided into slurry-type reconstituted tobacco sheets and paper-like reconstituted tobacco sheets according to its manufacturing method. A liquid aerosol forming material may include a liquid composition based on nicotine, tobacco extracts, and/or various flavoring agents. However, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to these examples.
In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol generating article” is an article accommodating an aerosol forming material, that is, a medium, and may refer to an article through which an aerosol passes and nicotine contained in the medium is transferred. A representative example of the aerosol generating article may be a cigarette. However, the scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto.
In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol generating device” may refer to a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol forming material to generate an aerosol that may be inhaled through the mouth of a user directly to the lungs of the user.
In the following embodiments, the term “upstream” or “upstream direction” may refer to a direction away from the mouth of a user (smoker), and the term “downstream” or “downstream direction” may refer to a direction approaching the mouth of the user. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” may be used to describe relative positions of components of an aerosol generating article.
In the following embodiments, the term “puff” refers to inhalation by a user, and the inhalation refers to a situation in which a user draws in an aerosol into his or her oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs through the mouth or nose.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device, to which the aerosol generating article is applicable, according to an embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating article may include a filter disposed at a tobacco end (TE) portion, a filter disposed at a mouth end (ME) portion, and a medium portion disposed between the filters.
The TE portion may refer to a portion of 12 mm from one end of the aerosol generating article, and the ME portion may refer to a portion of 12 mm from the other end of the aerosol generating article, however, these portions are not limited thereto.
FIG. 1 shows that the filter portion is positioned in both the TE portion and the ME portion and only two filter portions are included, however, FIG. 1 merely shows an example of the present disclosure, and one or more filter portions may be included unlike what is shown in FIG. 1 .
Meanwhile, the filter portion may include a filter portion that is flavored using a flavoring solution, and the flavored filter portion is desirably positioned in the TE portion. When the flavored filter portion is positioned in the TE portion, it is possible to effectively prevent reduction of the amount of nicotine transfer, compared to a case where the flavored filter portion is positioned in the ME portion or a case where the flavored filter portion is positioned in other portions of the aerosol generating article. When the flavored filtered portion is not included in the TE portion but in the ME portion or the like, volatility and solubility of free nicotine generated from one or more of reconstituted tobacco, tobacco leaves and tobacco granules in the medium portion cause the transfer and dissolution into the flavored filter, which correspond to chronic problems in a non-heating-type electronic cigarette in which the amount of nicotine transfer or the like is reduced.
In the present disclosure, such a problem in a non-heating-type electronic cigarette is to be solved by positioning the flavored filter in the TE portion.
Meanwhile, in an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if any one of the one or more filter portions is a flavored filter positioned in the TE portion, it may be included in the scope of the present disclosure. That is, as an example, a case of including the TE portion (a flavored filter) and the ME portion (a flavored filter), and a case of including the TE portion (a flavored filter) and the ME portion (an unflavored filter) are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
Meanwhile, the flavoring solution used in the flavoring treatment may include a flavoring agent and a solution.
Specific types of the flavoring agent may include one or more of rosemary, eucalyptol, licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, mandarin oil, catechin, grapefruit, caraway, cognac, jasmine, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, and coffee, but are not limited thereto, and may be appropriately set according to desired flavors and preference of a smoker.
In addition, examples of specific types of the solvent may include PG and/or medium-chain triglyceride (MCTG), however, the type thereof is not particularly limited as long as it is a solvent capable of dissolving a flavoring agent.
The MCTG may refer to, for example, fatty acid having 8 to 10 carbon atoms, and in particular, when MCTG is used as a solvent for a flavoring solution, as will be described below, there is an effect of preventing reduction in the amount of nicotine transfer by controlling the amount of MCTG added. Therefore, it is desirable to use MCTG as a solvent for the flavoring solution.
The appropriate amount of MCTG added at this time may be, for example, less than 1.8 mg, desirably 1.2 mg or less, and more desirably 0.6 mg or less when flavoring an ME portion filter. When the amount of MCTG included in the filter portion exceeds the above range, a result of significant reduction of the transferred amounts of nicotine and total particulate matter (TPM) among smoke transfer components is obtained, which may decrease smoking satisfaction of a user.
Thus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating article may include a flavored filter portion in both the TE portion and the ME portion, and the ME portion filter may include a maximum amount of 0.6 mg of MCTG. Through this, it is possible to effectively prevent the reduction of nicotine transfer while also achieving the flavoring effect by the flavoring treatment.
Meanwhile, the filter portion may be formed by including cellulose acetate (CA) and a plasticizer before the flavoring treatment.
In addition, since the present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating article used in a non-heating-type or low-temperature heating-type electronic cigarette, the medium portion may include one or more of reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules so that nicotine is transferred in the same form as free nicotine even in the non-heating-type or low-temperature heating-type.
In this case, one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules may be base-treated to have basicity in order to facilitate the transfer of nicotine through transformation into free nicotine, and a pH adjuster may be used at this time. The type of the pH adjuster may include, for example, at least one o but is not limited to f potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), and calcium oxide (CaO), but is not limited to the above examples.
The base treatment method may be performed by adding a pH adjuster when manufacturing one or more of reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules or spraying a pH adjuster onto surfaces of one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules.
The content of the pH adjuster used may be added so that the pH of one or more of the manufactured reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules is 7.0 or more and 9.5 or less, and by performing the pH treatment as described above, free nicotine may be transferred from a medium material even under non-heating conditions or relatively low temperature conditions. That is, as the pH of one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules in the medium portion included in the aerosol generating article is adjusted to a range of 7.0 or more and 9.5 or less, volatile free nicotine may be transferred under non-heating conditions, and a sufficient level of intensity of smoking taste may be implemented.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment.
One or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules manufactured according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in a medium portion, and may be finally included in an aerosol generating article including the medium portion and one or more filter portions.
Referring to FIG. 2 , an aerosol generating article 12 may include a medium portion 122, a first filter portion 121, a second filter portion 123, and a wrapper 125.
In an embodiment, the aerosol generating article 12 may be wrapped with at least one wrapper 125. The wrapper may have at least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas flows out. The wrapper 125 may include a material with high thermal conductivity.
For example, the first filter portion 121 may be wrapped with a first wrapper 1251, the medium portion 122 may be wrapped with a second wrapper 1252, and the second filter portion 123 may be wrapped with a third wrapper 1253. In addition, the aerosol generating article 12 may be entirely wrapped again with a fourth wrapper 1255.
In an embodiment, the first wrapper 1251, the second wrapper 1252, and the third wrapper 1253 may be formed with porous wrapping paper. For example, the porosity of each of the first wrapper 1251, the second wrapper 1252, and the third wrapper 1253 may be about 35000 CU, but is not limited thereto. In addition, a thickness of each of the first wrapper 1251, the second wrapper 1252, and the third wrapper 1253 may be in a range of 70 μm to 80 μm. In addition, a basis weight of each of the first wrapper 1251, the second wrapper 1252, and the third wrapper 1253 may be in a range of 20 g/m²to 25 g/m².
For example, the second wrapper 1252 may include an aluminum component. For example, the second wrapper 1252 may be a combination of general filter wrapping paper and a metal foil such as an aluminum foil. Further, the second wrapper 1252 may be formed of sterile paper (e.g., MFW).
In an embodiment, the third wrapper 1253 may be formed with polylactic acid (PLA) laminated paper. The PLA laminated paper may refer to three-ply paper including a paper layer, a PLA layer, and a paper layer. For example, a thickness of the third wrapper 1253 may be in a range of 100 μm to 120 μm. In addition, a basis weight of the third wrapper 1253 may be in a range of 80 g/m²to 100 g/m².
In an embodiment, the fourth wrapper 1254 may be formed of sterile paper (e.g., MFW). For example, a basis weight of the fourth wrapper 1254 may be in a range of 57 g/m²to 63 g/m². Also, a thickness of the fourth wrapper 1254 may be in a range of 64 μm to 70 μm.
In an embodiment, the first filter portion 121 may include a CA filter. In addition, the first filter portion 121 may include a paper filter and a porous molding. For example, a length of the first filter portion 121 may be about 4 to 15 mm, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the first filter portion 121 may be colored and flavored.
In an embodiment, the medium portion 122 may include a cavity, and the cavity may be filled with a medium. For example, a medium material filled in the medium portion 122 may include one or more of reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules. Also, a desirable length of the medium portion 122 may be adopted from a range of 6 mm to 18 mm, but is not limited thereto.
Also, the medium portion 122 may include an aerosol generating material such as GLY or the like. The medium portion 122 may further include other additives such as a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, and/or organic acid. In addition, the medium portion 122 may include a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a humectant that is added as being sprayed onto the medium portion 122.
In an embodiment, the medium in the medium portion 122 may include one or more of pH-treated reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules. For example, one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules may be pH-treated by a pH adjuster to have basicity (e.g., pH of 7.0 to 9.5), and may include, for example, at least one of potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), and calcium oxide (CaO). However, the material included in the pH adjuster is not limited to the above examples, and a material that generates less negative odor during smoking may be used. A pH adjuster may increase the pH of the medium material included in the medium portion 122. Compared to a medium material not treated with a pH adjuster, a medium material comprising one or more of basic pH-treated reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules may increase the amount of nicotine released therefrom when heated. That is, a medium material pH-treated with a basic pH adjuster may achieve a sufficient nicotine yield even when the medium portion 122 is heated at a low temperature.
In an embodiment, a first filter portion and/or a second filter portion may be manufactured from a CA filter portion and may additionally include a plasticizer such as triacetin (TA) or triethyl citrate (TEC). Through this, free nicotine of the medium portion may be adsorbed to at least one of the first filter portion and the second filter portion.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol generating system in which an aerosol generating article is coupled to an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 3 , an aerosol generating system 1 according to an embodiment may include the aerosol generating device 11 and the aerosol generating article 12.
Referring to FIG. 3 , the aerosol generating device 11 according to an embodiment may include a battery 111, a controller 112, a vaporizer 113, and an elongated cavity 114.
The aerosol generating device 11 shown in FIG. 3 only shows components related to this embodiment. Therefore, it may be understood by those skilled in the art related to this embodiment that other general components may be further included in the aerosol generating device 11 in addition to the components shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, the aerosol generating device 11 may be in the form of a stick or a holder.
In an embodiment, the battery 111 may supply power to be used to operate the aerosol generating device 11. For example, the battery 111 may supply a current to the vaporizer 113 so that the vaporizer 113 may heat a liquid composition. In addition, the battery 111 may supply power required to operate a display, a sensor, a motor, or the like installed in the aerosol generating device 11.
In an embodiment, the battery 111 may be a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) battery, but is not limited to the above example. For example, the battery 111 may correspond to a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) battery, a lithium titanate battery, a lithium ion battery, and the like.
For example, the battery 111 may have a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 37 mm, but is not limited thereto. For example, the capacity of the battery 111 may have a range of 120 mAh to 250 mAh, but is not limited thereto. Further, the battery 111 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, when the battery 111 is chargeable, a charge rate (C-rate) of the battery 111 may be 10 C, and a discharge rate (C-rate) thereof may be 10 C to 20 C, but the charge rate and the discharge rate are not limited thereto. In addition, for static use, the battery 111 may be manufactured so that 80% or more of the total capacity may be secured even when charging/discharging is performed 2000 times.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 11. Specifically, the controller 112 may control respective operations of other components included in the aerosol generating device 11, in addition to the battery 111 and the vaporizer 113. In addition, the controller 112 may verify a state of each of the components of the aerosol generating device 11 to determine whether the aerosol generating device 11 is in an operable state.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, it is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure pertains that the processor may be implemented in other types of hardware.
In an embodiment, the vaporizer 113 may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition and emit the generated aerosol toward the aerosol generating article 12 inserted into the elongated cavity 114 such that the generated aerosol may pass through the inserted aerosol generating article 12. Therefore, a tobacco flavor may be added to the aerosol that has passed through the aerosol generating article 12, and a user may suck one end of the aerosol generating article 12 through the mouth to inhale the aerosol with the tobacco flavor added. According to an embodiment, the vaporizer 113 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer. According to an embodiment, the vaporizer 113 may be coupled to the aerosol generating device 11 in a replaceable manner.
In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 11 may include a heater. The aerosol generating article 12 according to an embodiment may transfer nicotine in a non-heating condition. In addition, in a low-temperature heating mode through the heater, an amount of nicotine transfer may increase by promoting the nicotine transfer. The low-temperature heating mode by the heater may implement a higher level of intensity of smoking taste compared to a non-heating mode, and the amount of nicotine transfer may be easily adjusted through the non-heating mode and the low-temperature heating mode.
The heater may be heated by power supplied from the battery 111. For example, when the aerosol generating article 12 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 11, the heater may be disposed outside the aerosol generating article 12. The heated heater may thus raise the temperature of an aerosol generating material in the aerosol generating article 12.
For example, the heater may be an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater may be heated as a current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater is not limited to the above-described example, and any example of heating the heater up to a desired temperature may be applicable without limitation. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 11 or may be set by the user.
Meanwhile, for another example, the heater may be an inductive heater. Specifically, the heater may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol generating article 12 in an induction heating manner, and the aerosol generating article 12 may include a susceptor to be heated by the induction heater.
For example, the heater may include a tubular heat transfer element, a plate-shaped heat transfer element, a needle-shaped heat transfer element, or a rod-shaped heat transfer element, and may heat the inside or outside of the aerosol generating article 12 according to the shape of a heat transfer element.
In addition, the heater may be provided as a plurality of heaters in the aerosol generating device 11. In this case, the plurality of heaters may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol generating article 12 or may be disposed outside the aerosol generating article 12. In addition, some of the plurality of heaters may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol generating article 12, and the rest may be disposed outside the aerosol generating article 12.
In an embodiment, the elongated cavity 114 may accommodate the aerosol generating article 12. In an embodiment, the heater may be disposed to surround an outer surface of the elongated cavity 114, thereby heating the aerosol generating article accommodated in the elongated cavity 114. The heater according to an embodiment may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the elongated cavity 114.
Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 11 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 111, the controller 112, the vaporizer 113, and the elongated cavity 114. For example, the aerosol generating device 11 may include a sensing unit, an output unit, a user input unit, a memory, and a communication unit.
According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 11 may include the vaporizer 113 and the elongated cavity 114 arranged in series or in parallel.
Referring to FIG. 3 , through an airflow path in the aerosol generating device 11, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 113 may flow into the elongated cavity 114 and pass through the aerosol generating article 12. Therefore, a tobacco flavor or nicotine may be added to the aerosol that has passed through the aerosol generating article 12, and the user may suck one end of the aerosol generating article 12 through the mouth to inhale the aerosol with the tobacco flavor or nicotine added.
The vaporizer 113 according to an embodiment may include a liquid storage, a liquid transfer means, a heating element, and an airflow path. The components of the vaporizer 113 may be formed of a material of polycarbonate, but are not limited thereto.
In an embodiment, the liquid storage may store a liquid composition from which an aerosol may be generated when heated. According to an embodiment, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, and according to another embodiment, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. In addition, the liquid composition may store a liquid in a capacity of 0.1 to 2.0 mL, but is not limited thereto. Further, the liquid storage may be interchangeably coupled within the vaporizer 113.
The liquid composition may include, for example, water, ethanol, a plant extract, a fragrance, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, for example, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, and the like, but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include ingredients that provide the user with a variety of flavors or scents. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, or vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the liquid composition may also include an aerosol former such as GLY and PG.
In an embodiment, the liquid transfer means may transfer the liquid composition in the liquid storage to the heating element. In an embodiment, the liquid transfer means may be a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, and may transfer the liquid composition in the liquid storage to the heating element using capillary action.
In an embodiment, the heating element may be an element for heating the liquid composition transferred by the liquid transfer means, and may be a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, or the like. Further, the heating element may include a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged in a structure wound around the liquid transfer means. The heating element may be heated as a current is supplied and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.
In an embodiment, the airflow path may be arranged such that the generated aerosol may be emitted toward the inserted aerosol generating article 12. That is, the aerosol generated by the heating element may be emitted through the airflow path.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may control the temperature of the heating element by controlling the current supplied to the heating element. Accordingly, the controller 112 may control the amount of aerosol generated from the liquid composition by controlling the current supplied to the heating element. In addition, the controller 112 may control the current to be supplied to the heating element for a predetermined time when a puff of the user is sensed. For example, the controller 112 may control the current to be supplied to the heating element for 1 to 5 seconds from when a puff of the user is sensed.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may control the amount of aerosol emitted from the vaporizer 113 by controlling the opening and closing state of the airflow path. Specifically, the controller 112 may increase the amount of aerosol emitted from the vaporizer 113 by increasing the size of an opening in the airflow path, and reduce the amount of aerosol emitted from the vaporizer 113 by reducing the size of the opening in the airflow path. For example, the controller 112 may control the opening in the airflow path by using a dial method.
In an embodiment, when the amount of the liquid composition in the liquid storage is less than a preset amount, the controller 112 may notify the user of information that the liquid composition is insufficient through a vibration motor or a display.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may control a temperature at which the heater heats the aerosol generating article 12. For example, the controller 112 may control the temperature at which the heater heats the medium portion.
In an embodiment, the controller 112 may control the heater between a non-heating mode and a low-temperature heating mode. In the non-heating mode, the heater may not heat the aerosol generating article 12. At this time, the medium portion may not be heated. In the low-temperature heating mode, the heater may heat the aerosol generating article 12 at a low temperature of 0° C. or more and 150° C. or less. At this time, the medium portion may be heated at a low temperature of 0° C. or more and 150° C. or less.
As the aerosol generating article 12 switches between the non-heating mode and the low-temperature heating mode, the intensity of smoking taste may be adjusted. In the non-heating mode, an amount of nicotine transferred from the medium portion may be relatively small, and thus, the intensity of smoking taste may be relatively low. In the low-temperature heating mode, compared to the non-heating mode, the intensity of smoking taste may be relatively high as the amount of nicotine transferred from the medium portion is relatively high. Therefore, in the low-temperature heating mode, a sufficient intensity of smoking taste may be secured even when the medium portion is not treated to have a high pH.

EXAMPLES

1. Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of Test of Effect of Nicotine Transfer for Each Position of Flavored Filter

As shown in Table 1 below, an aerosol generating article was manufactured by setting a flavored filter to be positioned in the TE portion and/or the ME portion.

	TABLE 1

	Application

	TE	Medium	ME
No.	portion	portion	portion	Notes

Comparative	4%	4%	4%	* indicates
Example 1-1				application of a
Example 1-1	* 4%		4%	flavored filter;
Comparative	4%		* 4%	numerical value (%)
Example 1-2				is a content of a
Example 1-2	* 4%		* 4%	plasticizer relative
				to a weight of a
				filter tow.
Comparative	4%	4%	11%	* indicates
Example 1-3				application of a
Example 1-3	* 4%		11%	flavored filter;
Comparative	4%		* 11%	numerical value (%)
Example 1-4				is a content of a
Example 1-4	* 4%		* 11%	plasticizer relative
				to a weight of a
				filter tow.
Comparative	11%	4%	4%	* indicates
Example 1-5				application of a
Example 1-5	* 11%		4%	flavored filter;
Comparative	11%		* 4%	numerical value (%)
Example 1-6				is a content of a
Example 1-6	* 11%		* 4%	plasticizer relative
				to a weight of a
				filter tow.
Comparative	11%	4%	11%	* indicates
Example 1-7				application of a
Example 1-7	* 11%		11%	flavored filter;
Comparative	11%		* 11%	numerical value (%)
Example 1-8				is a content of a
Example 1-8	* 11%		* 11%	plasticizer relative
				to a weight of a
				filter tow.

For each of Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-8 and Examples 1-1 to 1-8, which are aerosol generating articles manufactured as in Table 1, smoke transfer components were evaluated, and the results thereof are shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2

	Aerosol generating article	Aerosol generating article
Smoke transfer	transfer component	transfer component
component	(nicotine) (before smoking)	(nicotine) (after smoking)

TPM

Nic.

(mg)

(mg/14

TE

Medium

ME

Outer

Total

TE

Medium

ME

Outer

Total

No.

puff)

portion

covering

amount

portion

covering

amount

Comparative	38	0.40	0.25	1.76	0.22	0.05	2.29	0.05	1.59	0.22	0.04	1.89
Example
1-1
Example	38	0.39	0.24	1.74	0.21	0.06	2.25	0.06	1.51	0.22	0.04	1.83
1-1
Comparative	30	0.32	0.23	1.62	0.22	0.06	2.13	0.04	1.60	0.29	0.04	1.97
Example
1-2
Example	30	0.32	0.26	1.86	0.22	0.07	2.41	0.05	1.47	0.27	0.04	1.84
1-2
Comparative	35	0.38	0.25	1.72	0.31	0.05	2.33	0.04	1.31	0.32	0.03	1.70
Example
1-3
Example	35	0.36	0.26	1.61	0.31	0.06	2.24	0.05	1.30	0.32	0.04	1.71
1-3
Comparative	35	0.32	0.24	1.71	0.28	0.06	2.28	0.03	1.35	0.33	0.03	1.75
Example
1-4
Example	35	0.31	0.23	1.73	0.27	0.07	2.30	0.04	1.41	0.31	0.04	1.80
1-4
Comparative	42	0.42	0.34	1.66	0.22	0.05	2.27	0.10	1.40	0.21	0.03	1.75
Example
1-5
Example	42	0.42	0.33	1.94	0.22	0.06	2.55	0.08	1.44	0.20	0.03	1.76
1-5
Comparative	32	0.34	0.35	1.87	0.23	0.06	2.51	0.09	1.53	0.27	0.04	1.93
Example
1-6
Example	32	0.35	0.34	1.97	0.23	0.07	2.61	0.09	1.39	0.26	0.05	1.79
1-6
Comparative	40	0.37	0.36	1.60	0.31	0.05	2.33	0.09	1.12	0.33	0.03	1.57
Example
1-7
Example	40	0.36	0.31	1.74	0.30	0.05	2.41	0.07	1.20	0.31	0.04	1.63
1-7
Comparative	30	0.31	0.33	1.75	0.27	0.05	2.41	0.09	1.28	0.33	0.03	1.73
Example
1-8
Example	30	0.29	0.30	1.74	0.26	0.06	2.36	0.08	1.20	0.31	0.04	1.62
1-8

As shown in Table 2 above, when comparing Comparative Example 1-1 to Example 1-1, Comparative Example 1-3 to Example 1-3, Comparative Example 1-5 to Example 1-5, and Comparative Example 1-7 to Example 1-7, it may be found that, in a case where the flavored filter is positioned in the TE portion, the amount of TPM in the smoke transfer components does not decrease and the amount of nicotine transfer is also at the same/similar level.
Furthermore, when comparing Comparative Example 1-2 to Example 1-2, Comparative Example 1-4 to Example 1-4, Comparative Example 1-6 to Example 1-6, and Comparative Example 1-8 to Example 1-8, it may be found that, in a case where the flavored filter is applied to the ME portion in the same manner, even if the flavored filter is additionally applied to the TE portion, the amount of TPM does not decrease and the amount of nicotine transfer is also at the same/similar level.
Accordingly, it may be found that, in the non-heating-type electronic cigarette, the flavored filter may be applied to a specific position (the TE portion) of the aerosol generating article to contribute to solve the problem of the reduction of the amount of nicotine transfer caused by the application of the flavored filter.

2. Experimental Example 2: Confirmation of Amount of Transfer According to Amount of MCTG Added

A flavoring solution was prepared using MCTG as a solvent, and the prepared flavoring solution was used for the flavoring treatment on each of the ME portion filter and the TE portion filter. 5.4 mg of MCTG was added to the ME portion filter, and MCTG was added to the TE portion filter in different amounts, as shown in Table 3 below. Using the ME portion filter and the TE portion filter manufactured as described above, aerosol generating articles of Example 2-1 and Comparative Examples 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-4 were manufactured, and the smoke transfer components were evaluated.

	TABLE 3

	Smoke transfer
	component

Amount of MCTG

(mg/14 puff)

	added		TPM	Material (ME portion)
	(mg)		(Total	(before smoking →

TE

ME

Particulate

after smoking(mg))

No.	portion	portion	Nicotine	Matter)	Nicotine	VG

Comparative	5.4	0	0.37	41.0	0.22→0.21	0→6.1
Example 2-1
Example 2-1		0.6	0.38	35.1	0.27→0.27	0→9.2
Comparative		1.8	0.34	26.3	0.27→0.29	0→9.2
Example 2-2
Comparative		3.6	0.32	27.5	0.25→0.31	0→9.6
Example 2-3
Comparative		5.4	0.31	28.3	0.25→0.31	0→11.1
Example 2-4

As shown in Table 3 above, when MCTG is used as a solvent of a flavoring solution, it may be seen that there is a difference in the smoke transition components depending on the amounts of MCTG added. In particular, when the ME portion filter is flavored with the flavoring solution including MCTG, it may be seen that the amount of nicotine and TPM transfer decreases as the amount of MCTG added generally increases, compared to Comparative Example 2-1 in which the flavoring treatment is not performed. However, when the amount of MCTG added to the TE portion filter to be flavored is 0.6 mg, it may be seen that there is no decrease in the amount of nicotine transfer, but rather a slight increase from 0.37 to 0.38.
Therefore, it may be seen that, when the amount of MCTG added during flavoring treatment is 0.6 mg or less, there is an effect of preventing the reduction in the amount of nicotine transfer.
The descriptions of the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and equivalents may be made thereto. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure should be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to those described in the claims will be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.
The features and aspects of any embodiment(s) described above may be combined with features and aspects of any other embodiment(s) without resulting in apparent technical conflicts.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An aerosol generating article comprising:

a medium portion; and

at least one filter portion,

wherein the filter portion is flavored, and

the flavored filter portion is positioned in a tobacco end (TE) portion of the aerosol generating article.

2. The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the flavored filter portion is positioned in both the TE portion and a mouth end (ME) portion.

3. The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the filter portion comprises cellulose acetate (CA) and a plasticizer.

4. The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the filter portion is flavored with a flavoring solution comprising a flavoring agent and a solvent.

5. The aerosol generating article of claim 4, wherein the flavoring agent comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of rosemary, eucalyptol, licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, mandarin oil, catechin, grapefruit, caraway, cognac, jasmine, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, and coffee.

6. The aerosol generating article of claim 4, wherein the solvent comprises one or more of propylene glycol (PG) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCTG) having 8 to 10 carbon atoms.

7. The aerosol generating article of claim 6, wherein the MCTG is included in a maximum amount of 0.6 mg in the flavored filter portion.

8. The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the medium portion comprises one or more of reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules.

9. The aerosol generating article of claim 8, wherein one of more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules are pH-treated to have a pH of 7.0 to 9.5.

10. The aerosol generating article of claim 9, wherein a pH treatment is a method of spraying a pH adjuster comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), and calcium oxide (CaO) onto surfaces of one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules.

11. The aerosol generating article of claim 8, wherein one or more of the reconstituted tobacco, cut tobacco leaves and tobacco granules generate volatile free nicotine under non-heating conditions or under low-temperature heating conditions of 0° C. to 150° C.

12. The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the flavored filter portion is positioned in both the TE portion and an ME portion, and

the flavored filter included in the ME portion comprises a maximum amount of 0.6 mg of MCTG.

13. An aerosol generating system comprising:

an aerosol generating device comprising a battery, a controller, and a vaporizer; and

an aerosol generating article comprising a medium portion and at least one portion,

wherein the filter portion is flavored, and

14. The aerosol generating system of claim 13, wherein

the aerosol generating device comprises a heater, and

the heater does not heat the aerosol generating article or heats the aerosol generating article at a temperature of 0° C. to 150° C.