WO2019030115A1 - HEATING UNIT FOR A HNB TOBACCO PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A HEATING UNIT - Google Patents

Abstract

A heating unit (13) for an HNB tobacco article (10) comprises a tobacco sheet (20) and an electrical resistance heating element (18) for heating the tobacco sheet without combustion. The resistance heating element (18) is integrated into and / or connected to the tobacco foil (20) and thus forms at least one tobacco-heater composite element (26).

Description

 Heating unit for an HNB tobacco article and method of making a heating unit

The present invention relates to a heating unit for an HNB tobacco article comprising a tobacco sheet and an electrical resistance heating element for heating the tobacco sheet without combustion. The resistance heating element is integrally integrated in the tobacco sheet and / or connected thereto and thus forms at least one tobacco-heater composite element. The invention also relates to a method for producing a heating unit for an HNB tobacco article. HNB (Heat-Not-Burn) articles in which tobacco or a tobacco-containing substance is heated, thereby releasing aroma substances without combustion and resulting flue gases, have been proposed for quite some time, see for example EP 0430559 B1. In this case, a flavor-generating medium, which comprises, for example, tobacco, is arranged in the form of a cylinder around a rod-shaped heating element. The heating element is a resistance wire coil disposed in an insulating tube.

An alternative design of an HNB tobacco article is disclosed in WO 2013/131764 A1. Here smokable material, such as a tobacco blend, arranged in a chamber. Cylindrical around the chamber, a heater is arranged, such as a ceramic heater, an infrared or a resistance heater. However, in both of the arrangements described above, the tobacco material contacting the heater is heated directly, but the material farther from the heater is heated only indirectly and with delay. The resulting non-uniform temperature distribution is nachtei- Mg with regard to an optimal release of active ingredients and flavorings and reduced release of pollutants.

The object of the invention is to provide a heating unit that allows a more uniform heating of the tobacco-containing substance, as well as a method for producing the heating unit.

The invention solves this problem with the features of the independent claims. The heating element is integrated into and / or connected to the tobacco foil, resulting in a close bond between heating element and tobacco foil. Due to the direct large-area contact between heating element and tobacco foil, the resulting flat tobacco-heater composite element allows a direct, homogeneous and instantaneous heat transfer from the heating element into the tobacco foil, which in turn ensures optimum release of active substances and flavorings with reduced release of pollutants allowed.

Due to the invention, the heating unit need not be cleaned or replaced, which can improve the hygiene and manageability of the HNB tobacco article.

By advantageously provided resistance monitoring of the heating element, the maximum temperature and thus the health aspect of the product (avoidance of pollutants due to overheating) can be better controlled and regulated. Preferably, the resistance heating element is an at least partially conductive fabric or a network structure. A fabric of warp and weft yarns may serve as a substrate in the tobacco heater composite and impart mechanical stability and strength thereto. It is particularly advantageous if the fabric serves as a carrier material in the production of the tobacco sheet. As a result, the production of the tobacco sheet can be greatly simplified. Alternatively, the heating element may be added to and bonded to the tobacco sheet so that the tobacco sheet and heating element form a sandwich composite element. In this case, the heating element can be applied to the tobacco sheet in a variant in the form of a uniform or homogeneous coating, in particular by printing or spraying or as a conductive film. The conductive coating can then be brought into its final (heating) structure in a second operation by a removing process. This can be done for example by means of laser engraving. This allows very fine and complex heating structures can be realized with a very thin heating element, which in turn leads to an optimal heat distribution.

In one embodiment, there may be direct contact between the tobacco sheet and the tissue.

Alternatively, the fabric may be coated with an insulating material in an intermediate step to achieve chemically unreactive insulation between the tobacco sheet and the fabric. This is especially interesting if the desired materials for the heating element with the tobacco foil could undergo an unwanted chemical reaction. For the production can both a Spray applied to the application of the insulating material to the fabric, as well as the dipping of the network structure in an insulating bath with subsequent drying. In a second pass, tobacco-containing material can then be applied via the network structure insulated in this way by dipping or casting, followed by a drying process. Diving is also advantageous if previously the network structure has already been given a final shape, z. B. a cylindrical shape, which is then stabilized by the dipping process. The deformation before dipping also has the advantage that also insulating materials can be used for coating, which can become brittle after curing.

The invention is not limited to fabric heating elements. For example, it is also possible to use a plurality of resistance

Heat conductors, in particular parallel to each other, to intervene in the tobacco sheet or to connect with this.

In one embodiment of the invention, the heating element has conductive weft threads as a resistance heating conductor. This makes it possible in a simple manner to advantageously carry out the heating element as a fabric.

The heating conductors can generally be metallic, for example as a heating wire, or consist of another conductive material. Resistance heating conductors in the form of metallic coatings or sheathings of the fabric or of yarns are also possible. Furthermore, carbon fiber-based materials are conceivable. Advantageously, the heating element has conductive warp threads as a supply conductor for the power supply of the resistance heating element on, which allows a power supply of the heating element by simple means. The supply conductors can preferably be arranged in each case along one edge of the fabric and preferably enclose them in a U-shaped manner, resulting in a secure contact between supply conductors and resistance heating conductors.

The heating element advantageously has non-conductive warp threads and / or non-conductive weft threads as support threads. The support threads made of a suitable solid material provide sufficient mechanical stability and strength of the heating element or the fabric.

It is possible within the scope of the invention for the fabric to be completely metallic, and / or metallic coated. In this case, it is a (completely) conductive fabric.

In an advantageous embodiment, at least one of the supply conductors is divided into two or more independently controllable segments. In this way, corresponding portions of the tobacco sheet may be consumed, for example, sequentially. In this way, a multi-cigarette product can also be provided if a section of the tobacco foil corresponds to the consumption of a cigarette.

The at least one tobacco heater composite element may advantageously be arranged rolled or crimped in the heating unit. In this way, an optimal utilization of the available space in the HNB tobacco article can be achieved. With the same objective, in an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of tobacco-heater composite elements, in particular concentrically, in the Heating unit to be arranged. In this case, electrical contacts of the composite elements can advantageously be arranged at different, for example opposite, circumferential positions in the heating unit. This can contribute to a homogenization of the active ingredient content in the air flow.

Preferably, the at least one tobacco-heater composite element is held by means of radial spacers in the heating unit, which is a particularly simple design.

The invention will be explained below with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. 1 shows a schematic representation of a HNB smoking product in a longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a heating unit for a

 HNB-smoking product;

3 is a schematic representation of a heating unit in a cross section;

4 shows a schematic representation of a heating unit in a longitudinal section or a side view;

5 shows a schematic representation of an HNB smoking product in a cross section in the region of the heating unit; and Fig. 6 is a side view of a machine for embedding a tobacco heater composite element in at least one wrapping web. The HNB tobacco article 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises, for example, a rod-shaped, advantageously insulating housing 1 1, in which an electrical energy source 12, a heating unit 13 and an electronic control 14 are arranged. The electrical energy or voltage source 12 may be, for example, a battery or a rechargeable battery. The housing 1 comprises a mouthpiece 1 5, on which a consumer can draw to generate an air flow. The housing 1 1 further comprises one or more air inlet openings 16, through which ambient air can flow into the interior of the housing 1 1, when the consumer creates a negative pressure in the housing 1 1 by pulling on the mouthpiece 1 5. In this way, a controlled air flow 17 is generated in the housing 1 1.

The heating unit 13 is arranged in an axial heating section 19 in the housing 1 1. The heating unit 13 may be a replaceable disposable part, or part of such a disposable part. The main body of the HNB tobacco article 10 may be reusable. The HNB tobacco article 10 may therefore consist of a reusable body and a disposable heating unit 1 3.

The air flow 1 7 flows through the heating section 19 and thereby through the heating unit 13 or directly along the heating unit 13 to receive from a tobacco sheet 20 by means of a heating element 1 8 released active ingredient and / or flavorings. An advantageous embodiment of a heating unit 1 3 according to the invention is shown in FIG. The heating unit comprises a sheet of tobacco 20 and a heating element 18. The heating element 18 is a flat fabric of longitudinally oriented, preferably non-conductive warp yarns 21 and weft yarns 22 arranged transversely thereto. The weft yarns 22 comprise conductive weft yarns which form resistance heating conductors 24 , The weft threads 22 may further comprise non-conductive support threads 25. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 4, alternately conductive weft threads 22 are provided as resistance heating conductors 24 and non-conductive weft threads 22 as supporting threads. Other arrangements of conductive and non-conductive weft yarns 22 are possible. It is also possible that all the weft threads 22 are formed as a resistance heating conductor 24. It is also not excluded that some or all of the warp threads 21 are metallic or metallic coated.

The non-conductive warp yarns 21 and the non-conductive weft yarns 22, as well as the yarns in the case of a conductive coating, consist of a suitable solid and heat-resistant material, in particular a plastic. A suitable material, for example, aramids with a heat resistance up to about 370 ° C.

Supply conductors 23 for supplying power to the heating element 18, or more precisely the resistance heating conductor 24, are arranged along the two longitudinal edges of the heating element 18 and are for this purpose conductively connected to the supply conductors 23, for example soldered or welded, but advantageously clamped or crimped. The supply conductors 23 advantageously surround the ends of the resistance heating conductors 24 in a U-shape, as shown in FIG. This results in a particularly reliable contact between the supply conductors 23 and the resistance heating conductors 24. The supply conductors 23 each have an electrical contact 30 for contacting with the heating voltage source or energy source 12. The contacting of the heating conductors 24 and the fabric 31 can be prepared for example by clamping or crimping, preferably by a wire, contact pin or contact surface, which is then contacted when inserting the designed as a disposable heating unit 13 in the HNB article 10. The resistors of the heat conductor 24 and the resistors of the supply conductor 23 are advantageously chosen so that the heat is largely produced in the heating elements 24 and the heat loss in the supply conductors 23 is minimized. The resistance of the heating conductors 24 is therefore at least twice as high, preferably at least five times as high, more preferably at least ten times as high as the resistance of the supply conductor 23.

At least one of the supply conductors 23 can be divided into two independently controllable, separate segments 27, 28. In this way, corresponding portions (here two) of the tobacco sheet 20 may be consumed, for example, sequentially. In this way, a multi-cigarette product can be provided if a portion of the tobacco sheet 20 corresponds to the consumption of a cigarette.

The warp yarns 21 and weft yarns 22 are preferably interwoven, as best seen in FIG. Other arrangements of the warp yarns 21 and the weft yarns 22 relative to each other are possible. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, the tobacco foil 20 preferably encloses the heating element 1 8. The heating element 18 is integrally integrated in the tobacco foil 20, resulting in a close bond between heating element 18 and tobacco foil 20. The resulting planar composite element 26 is referred to here as a tobacco-heater composite element 26. From the flat composite 26 and the intimate contact between heating element 18 and tobacco sheet 20 results in a direct, homogeneous and delay-free heat transfer from the heating element 18 in the tobacco sheet 20. The fabric of warp yarns 21 and weft yarns 22 serves as a carrier material in the composite element 26 and lends this mechanical stability and strength.

The composite element 26 can be produced particularly simply with the desired properties if the fabric of warp threads 21 and weft threads 22 already serves as a carrier material in the production of the tobacco foil 20. However, it is alternatively possible if first the fabric of warp yarns 21 and weft yarns 22 is produced and then the heating element 18 is added to the tobacco sheet 20 as a layer, so that tobacco sheet 20 and heating element 18 form two adjacent layers of a sandwich composite element 26.

An advantageous construction of an HNB tobacco article 10 is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, two cylinder-rolled composite elements 26A, 26B are used. The composite elements 26A, 26B are preferably held concentrically in a cylindrical insulating element 32 by means of, for example, four radial spacers 29. The number of spacers 29 may be more or less than four. The spacers 29 are preferably at equal angular intervals, here for example 90 °, arranged to each other. The insulating member 32 may be formed by the housing 11 of the HNB tobacco article 10. The insulating element 32 may alternatively be a separate part from the housing 1 1 of the HNB tobacco article 10, in particular if the heating unit 1 3 is an exchangeable disposable part.

The electrical contacts 30 of the composite elements 26A, 26B are advantageously arranged at different circumferential positions of the HNB tobacco article 10, in FIG. 5, for example, at diametrically opposite circumferential positions. This leads to a homogenization of the active substance content in the air flow 17. However, it is not excluded that the electrical contacts 30 of the composite elements 26A, 26B are arranged at the same circumferential position of the HNB tobacco article 10, for example with regard to the shortest possible connecting lines between the contacts 30 and the heating voltage source 12th

In other embodiments, only one composite element 26 or more than two composite elements 26 may be used. For example, in one embodiment, a spirally coiled tobacco heater composite element 26 may be used.

Figure 6 shows a side view of a machine 40 of the tobacco processing industry for embedding a tobacco heater composite element 26 in wrapping webs, particularly paper webs. The composite element 26 with tobacco sheet 20 and integrated heating element 1 8 is here in the form of an endless web, which is subtracted from a reel 43. The lower fabric run 41 of the machine 40 applies the lower paper layer 42 to the composite element 26. The couch roll 44 presses the composite element 26 into the advantageously moistened paper 42. The upper fabric run 45 of the Machine 40 applies upper paper layer 46 to composite element 26. The couch roll 47 presses the advantageously moistened paper 46 on the composite element 26. In addition, the composite web 48 consisting of composite element 26 and papers 42, 46 brought to a conventional dry content and transferred to the press section.

Claims

Claims: 1 . Heating unit (13) for an HNB tobacco article (10), comprising - a tobacco sheet (20), and  an electrical resistance heating element (18) for heating the tobacco sheet without combustion,  characterized in that the resistance heating element (18) is integrated into and / or connected to the tobacco sheet (20) and thus forms at least one tobacco heater composite element (26). 2. Heating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the resistance heating element (1 8) is an at least partially conductive fabric (31) or a network structure. 3. Heating unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the fabric (31) serves as a carrier material in the production of the tobacco sheet (20). 4. Heating unit according to one of the preceding claims,  characterized in that the heating element (1 8) has conductive weft threads as a resistance heating conductor (24). 5. Heating unit according to one of the preceding claims,  characterized in that the heating element (18) has conductive warp threads as a supply conductor (23) for the power supply of the resistance heating element (1 8). 6. Heating unit according to claims 3 and 5, characterized in that at least one supply conductor (23) along an edge of the fabric (31) is arranged. Heating unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one supply conductor (23) surrounds the edge of the fabric (31) in a U-shape. Heating unit according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least one of the supply conductor (23) is divided into two or more independently controllable segments (27, 28). Heating unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (18) has non-conductive warp threads (21) and / or non-conductive weft threads (22) as support threads. Heating unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (18) of the tobacco sheet (20) is added as a layer, so that tobacco sheet (20) and heating element (18) form a sandwich composite element (26). Heating unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one tobacco-heater composite element (26) is rolled and / or crimped in the heating unit (13). Heating unit according to claim 1 1, characterized in that a plurality of tobacco-heater composite elements (26A, 26B), in particular concentric, in the heating unit (13) ange- are orders. Heating unit according to claim 12, characterized in that electrical contacts (30) of the plurality of tobacco heater composite elements (26A, 26B), at different, for example opposite circumferential positions in the heating unit (13) are arranged. Heating unit according to one of claims 1 1 to 13, characterized in that the tobacco-heater composite element (26) or the tobacco-heater composite elements (26 A, 26 B) by means of radial spacers (29) are held in the heating unit (13). HNB tobacco article (10) comprising a housing (1 1) and a in the housing (1 1) arranged heating unit (13) according to one of the preceding claims. 16. The tobacco processing industry machine for embedding a tobacco heater composite element (26) in at least one A wrapping web, characterized in that the tobacco-heater composite element (26) is withdrawn as a continuous web from a reel (43) and at least one wrapping web (42; 46) is conveyed to the endless web (26) by means of at least one couch roll (44; 47). is pressed. Method for producing a heating unit (13) for an HNB tobacco article, characterized in that the resistance heating element (18) serves as a carrier material in the production of the tobacco foil (20) and / or is added to the tobacco foil (20) as a layer.