WO2020200784A1

WO2020200784A1 - Smoking article with electronic flavor releaser

Info

Publication number: WO2020200784A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/057430
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexandr KONTAREV
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2019-03-29
Filing date: 2020-03-18
Publication date: 2020-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 2021-09-29

Abstract

Smoking article (10) with a filter segment (2) and an aerosol generating segment (4) contain-ing tobacco. According to the invention the smoking article (10) comprises an electronic flavor releaser (6), which allows the release of flavors, wherein the electronic flavor releaser (6) also allows the passage of a main stream smoke arising from the aerosol generating segment (4) and wherein the flavor releaser (6) is inserted inside the filter section (2) or adjacent to the filter section (2).

Description

Smoking article with electronic flavor releaser

Description

The present invention is directed to an aerosol generating device such as a smoking article, comprising an electronic flavor releaser. A preferred application of the current invention re lates to the provision of a smoking article like a cigarette or heat-not-burn tobacco containing stick comprising an electronic flavor releaser integrated in a filter segment thereof to provide on-demand flavoring of an aerosol (smoke or vapor) generated upon heating (through burn ing or convective heating) of an aerosol generating material such as tobacco.

In the state of the art, it is known to use flavor releasing elements, for example to at least partially alter the smoke taste. These flavor releasing elements may in particular take the form of a breakable capsule containing a liquid flavor composition, or threads arranged in the filter and impregnated with a flavourant.

While consumers appreciate the opportunity offered by these flavoring devices to provide on- demand flavoring of a smoking article, those are not free from disadvantages. A first of these disadvantages is the relatively poor controlled activation capacity of some flavoring devices, in particular capsules. It is indeed sometimes difficult to break such capsules open when ar ranged in the filters of smoking articles. Sometimes to the contrary they are already broken before use, thus leaving the consumers with no choice but a flavored smoke.

Also, the capsule flavor releasers known from the state of the art do not have a possibility to ‘turn off the flavor delivery once the capsule is crushed. Neither do flavored threads. It this therefore an object of the invention to provide an aerosol generating device with a fla vor releaser, which is more consumer friendly than the products known from the state of the art. It is another object of the invention to allow consumers more control over the flavor re lease in smoking articles.

These objects are reached by a smoking article as defined in claim 1. Preferable embodi ments are object of the subclaims.

A smoking article according to the invention comprises a filter segment and an aerosol gen erating segment, the aerosol generating segment containing aerosol generating material comprising tobacco.

According to the invention, the smoking article comprises an electronic flavor releaser which allows the release of flavors, wherein the electronic releaser also allows the passage of a main stream aerosol such as smoke or vapor arising from the aerosol generating segment and wherein the flavor releaser is inserted inside and/or at the edge of the filter segment.

It is therefore suggested to provide an aerosol generating device and especially a smoking article, which comprises an electronic flavor releaser, which is integrated inside the filter. It is possible that the flavor releaser is integrated into the bulk of the filter element, but it is also possible that the flavor releaser is arranged at an edge or adjacent to the filter element. Also the flavor releaser can be located between the filter segment and the aerosol generating seg ment.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the flavor releaser is preferably configured to al low circulation of main stream smoke or vapor from the aerosol generating segment flowing through it towards a filter segment mouth end. The flavor releaser therefore preferably com prises at least one flow channel for the aerosol, which extends at least partially adjacent and/or through the at least one atomizer. It further comprises inlets and preferably longitudi nal inlets and/or outlets and preferably longitudinal outlets (with respect to the longitudinal di rection of the aerosol generating device smoking article). Preferably the inlet has a cross section which is substantially equal to the cross-section of the aerosol generating segment towards which it is oriented in the filter segment, to allow proper airflow intake in the article.

Once the flavor releaser is activated by a consumer (for example by pressing a switch) and optionally once the consumer makes a puff, it starts to release flavor, preferably by applying electrical power to an atomizer.

This atomizer is designed to receive a signal from a flow sensor indicating that a puff is being made at an end of the filter segment of the aerosol generating device.

In a preferred embodiment, the length of the flavor releaser is greater than 8 mm, preferably greater than 9 mm. In another preferred embodiment the length of the smoking article is greater than 50mm, preferably greater than 60mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the length of the flavor releaser is smaller than 20 mm, preferably smaller than 18 mm, preferably smaller than 16 mm. In another preferred embodi ment the length of the smoking article is smaller than 160mm, preferably smaller than 150mm and preferably smaller than 140mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the diameter of the smoking article and/or the flavor re leaser is greater than 4 mm, preferably greater than 5 mm, preferably greater than 6 mm and preferably greater than 6.4 mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the diameter of the smoking article and/or the flavor re leaser is smaller than 10 mm, preferably smaller than 8 mm, preferably smaller than 7 mm and preferably smaller than 6.8 mm.

In another preferred embodiment the smoking article has a constant diameter over its length In another preferred embodiment, the filter segment contains two or more subsegments. It is possible that the flavor releaser is arranged in a direction of mainstream aerosol between the two or more segments, i.e. a longitudinal direction of the smoking article. Alternatively it is possible that the flavor releaser is located between two filter segments in a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of aerosol generating device. In another preferred embodiment, the flavor releaser comprises an activator that allows a user to activate and/or deactivate the flavor releaser. Therefor during smoking, the consumer can decide whether he wants to activate the release of flavor or not.

In another preferred embodiment, the activator comprises a switch, which can be manually actuated, wherein the switch is preferably arranged on or to be accessible at an outer cir cumference of the smoking article. Preferably, this switch is located between a mouth piece of the filter segment and the aerosol generating segment.

In another preferred embodiment, said switch surrounds the outer circumference of the smoking article and especially the filter segment of the smoking article. This has the ad vantage that the consumer can touch or activate the switch at any point of that outer circum ference of the smoking article.

Preferably, the activator is responsive to a normal pressing movement of a finger.

However, in another preferred embodiment, this activator and especially activator switch is protected from undesired activation. Especially the switch should be protected from unde sired activation during production process of smoking articles with such a device.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the switch is a membrane switch. It is pos sible that parts of the switch are interconnected by a spring and/or suspension device.

Preferably a consumer can change flavors on demand while using the smoking article. To that aim, the flavor releaser may comprise two or more atomizers which may contain and re lease various flavors into a mainstream aerosol circulated from the aerosol generating seg ment through the filter segment. A change of flavor may be triggered through a specific click ing pattern of the activator switch, e.g. a dual click, a prolonged click, or the like.

In another preferred embodiment the smoking article comprises a protection element such as a protection ring. Preferably the device comprises at least two protection elements and espe cially protection rings, wherein the releaser is located between these protection elements in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article. In another preferred embodiment, the flavor releaser comprises a first atomizer and espe cially an electrically driven first atomizer. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, this atomizer extends in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article but occupies only a part of the cross section. In this embodiment, it is possible that another part of the cross sec tion is occupied by an area of the filter segment and/or the filter segment itself.

In another preferred embodiment, the smoking article comprises a flow sensor. This flow sensor can serve to measure the flow through the filter. Especially, the flow sensor can rec ognize a user making a puff. Especially the flow sensor can also sense the direction of a flow. In another preferred embodiment, the flow sensor is suited to output a signal, which is characteristic of a flow through the aerosol generating segment and/ or the filter segment.

In another preferred embodiment the flow sensor is located between the aerosol generating segment and the at least one atomizer.

In another preferred embodiment, the flavor releaser comprises a second atomizer. Prefera bly, this second atomizer can be arranged in the same area of the smoking article with re spect to the longitudinal direction of the smoking article smoking article. In a very preferred embodiment, this second atomizer is arranged parallel to the above mentioned first atomizer. Preferably, also the second atomizer can be actuated by a user. In a very preferred embodi ment, it is possible that the user selectively activates one or the other atomizer.

In another preferred embodiment, the first atomizer and the second atomizer can be selec tively activated.

Preferably the filter segment comprises at least 2 or more segments, wherein the flavor re leaser forms one of said segments or is comprised in between said two segments.

In another preferred embodiment, the smoking article comprises at least one indicator to indi cate a state of the flavor releaser. Therefore, for example the indicator can indicate if an at omizer or also what atomizer is activated. Preferably, the indicator comprises at least one light emitting element and especially a light emitting diode. In a preferred embodiment, this light emitting diode or in general the light emitting element is visible around the essentially complete circumference of the smoking article so as to be visible by a user whatever the ori entation of the device.

Especially, it is possible that a light source like an LED is used and a light guiding channel, which extends at least partially, preferably around more than half of the circumference of the smoking article.

This light emitting element as mentioned above can not only indicate if an atomizer is switched on or off but it can also indicate the chosen flavor. Preferably, the light emitting ele ment can output different light indications, for example light rays of different colors.

In another preferred embodiment, the smoking article of the invention comprises a mouth end section of the filter segment comprising a center hole. Such mouth end section advanta geously provides more consistent and concentrated delivery of flavored mainstream smoke going through the flavor releaser to a user.

In another preferred embodiment the smoking article, and the flavor releaser in particular, comprises a battery to power the at least one atomizer. It may also further comprise a micro processor to control said at least one atomizer.

In another preferred embodiment the flavor releaser of the smoking article of the invention comprises a flow channel for the smoke. Preferably this flow channel extends at least par tially adjacent to the at least one atomizer.

Therefor the flavor releaser in form of an electronic device is preferably integrated as a filter segment into a standard filter segment and especially a multi segment filter. This flavor re leaser can be integrated in the filter segment of the smoking article in the course of a stand ard filter making process, in particular in a filter combiner.

In a preferred embodiment the flavor releaser has preferably a cylindrical shape, still prefera bly of substantially equal diameter as the filter segment so as to provide a filter segment of substantially constant diameter and circumference. Further embodiments or advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a smoking article according to the present invention given in reference to the accompanying figures, which show:

Fig. 1 a schematic view of an aerosol generating device in the form of a smoking article according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 a schematic view of the vapor releaser for a smoking article according to the invention as represented in fig. 1.

Figure 1 shows the schematic view of a smoking article according to the invention. This smoking article comprises an aerosol generating segment 4 which comprises an aerosol generating material. Reference numeral 2 refers to a filter segment. This filter segment com prises a first filter subsection 22 and a second filter subsection 24. Between these two filter subsections 22, 24 a flavor releaser 6 is inserted. This flavor releaser 6 comprises an atom izer 64, and an illumination device 8. The reference numeral 28 is directed to a mouth piece of the smoking article 10.

According to the present invention, the aerosol generating segment 4 comprises aerosol generating material including tobacco, in particular tobacco cut-filler and/or reconstituted to bacco. The aerosol generating material in the smoking article 10 of the invention may not comprise only liquid tobacco extract, nor nicotine containing liquids, as the case may be in commercially available e-liquids for electronic cigarettes.

Therefore the smoking article 10 of the current invention may preferably be comprising real tobacco material in as aerosol generating material. It may be a smoking article such as a cig arette, wherein the aerosol generating segment comprises a rod of tobacco cut-filler wrapped in a paper sleeve as aerosol generating material. It may also be a heat-not-burn stick, wherein the aerosol generating segment comprises a rod of reconstituted tobacco material wrapped in a holding sleeve of paper as aerosol generating material.

Figure 2 shows a more detailed view of the flavor releaser 6. This flavor releaser 6 comprises a first atomizer 64 and a second atomizer 68. These atomizers 64 and 68 are arranged adja cent to one another and extend in the longitudinal direction L of the flavor releaser 6 and also the smoking article. The arrow P indicates the flow direction of an aerosol issuing from heat ing of the aerosol generating material in the aerosol generating segment 4 inside the smok ing article. The smoke here may also flow between the two atomizers 64 and 68.

The reference numerals 36 and 38 relate to protection elements and especially protection rings which protect the devices between those protection elements especially from mechani cal stress.

Reference numeral 65 is directed to a heating device and especially a heating coil which serves to vaporize the flavors. The heating coil is connected to a power source, such as a battery 32 such that the atomizers 64 and 68 and especially the liquid contained in these at omizers can be heated separately. Therefor the user can choose which atomizer he wants to activate.

Reference numeral 62 is directed to an activator element such as a switch and especially a membrane switch. This membrane switch 62 extends in a circumferential direction around the longitudinal direction L of the flavor releaser.

The reference numeral 70 refers to a wrapping element, for example a foil or a paper ele ment, which surrounds the flavour releaser. The atomizer 64 and 68 may contain liquid.

Reference numeral 66 refers to an airflow sensor which here is located between the atomiz ers 64, 68 and the aerosol generating segment 4 which would continue on the right side of the figure.

Illumination device 8 is advantageously provided indicate a state of the smoking article 10, and particularly of its atomizers, when one or both of the atomizers 64 and 68 are activated. Reference numeral 34 refers to a microprocessor to control the unit and especially the atom izers 64, 68 and as well the illumination device 8.

Use of the smoking article 10 according to the present invention is extremely simple for a user as described below. Where the smoking article is a cigarette, a user just needs to light up the free end of the to bacco rod forming the aerosol generating segment 4 as with a standard cigarette and to draw a puff from the mouth end section of the filter segment 2. Whenever the user wants to flavour the smoke drawn through the filter it just needs pressing with its fingers onto the membrane switch 62 to activate the flavour releaser 6. Upon next puff the airflow sensor 66 will detect a flow of mainstream smoke passing through the flavour releaser and will automatically power one or both of the atomizers 64, 68, in a similar fashion as existing e-cigarette, to release a flavoured vapor into the mainstream smoke airflow going towards the filter mouth end section and the user. This provides a very effective and instant flavouring of the smoke for a user. If the user wishes to stop the flavouring, it just needs to press again on the switch 62 to power off the flavour releaser 6.

Where the smoking article is a heat-not-burn stick, the principle remains identical as with a cigarette, except that the user will not light up the aerosol generating segment 4 but insert it into a heating device cavity, such as known from commercially available heat-not-burn de vices, and then actuate said device to heat the aerosol generating segment 4 to generate to bacco vapor inhalable from the filter segment 2.

Then whenever the user wants to flavour the vapor drawn through the filter it just needs pressing with its fingers onto the membrane switch 62 to activate the flavour releaser 6.

Upon next puff the airflow sensor 66 will detect a flow of mainstream smoke passing through the flavour releaser and will automatically power one or both of the atomizers 64, 68, in a similar fashion as existing e-cigarette, to release a flavoured vapor into the mainstream smoke airflow going towards the filter mouth end section and the user. If the user wishes to stop the flavouring, it just needs to press again on the switch 62 to power off the flavour re leaser 6.

Reference signs

2 filter section

4 smoking section

6 flavor releaser

8 illumination device

10 smoking article

22 subsection of the filter section

24 subsection of the filter section

26 mouth piece

32 battery

34 microprocessor

36, 38 protection element

62 activator, switch

64 atomizer

65 heater

66 airflow sensor

68 atomizer

70 wrapping element

L longitudinal direction

P arrow

Claims

Smoking article with electronic flavor releaser Patent claims

1. A smoking article (10) with a filter segment (2) and an aerosol generating segment (4) aerosol generating material, preferably comprising tobacco,

characterized in that

the smoking article (10) comprises an electronic flavor releaser (6), which allows the release of flavors, wherein the electronic flavor releaser (6) also allows the passage of an aerosol arising from the aerosol generating segment (4) and wherein the flavor releaser (6) is inserted inside the filter segment (2) or adjacent to the filter segment (2).

2. Smoking article (10) according to claim 1 ,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser comprises an activator (62) that allows a user to activate and/or deactivate the flavor releaser (6).

3. Smoking article (10) according to the claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that

the activator comprises a switch, which can be manually actuated, wherein this switch is arranged on an outer circumference of the smoking article (10)

4. Smoking article (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser comprises a first atomizer (64) and especially an electrically pow ered atomizer (64).

5. Smoking article (10) according to the preceding claim,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser comprises an energy storage and especially a battery (32).

6. Smoking article (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the Smoking article comprises a flow sensor (66).

7. Smoking article (10) according to the preceding claim

characterized in that

the atomizer (64) is controlled by the flow sensor.

8. Smoking article (10) according to claim 4,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser (6) comprises a second atomizer (68).

9. Smoking article (10) according to the preceding claim,

characterized in that

the first atomizer (64) and the second atomizer (68) can be selectively activated.

10. Smoking article (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the smoking article (10) comprises at least one indicator (8) to indicate a state of the releaser (6).

11. Smoking article according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the filter segment comprises filter material arranged at least at a mouth end, the elec tronic flavor releaser being arranged between said aerosol generating segment and said mouth end section.

12. Smoking article according to claim 1 1 ,

characterized in that

said filter material at the mouth end has a tubular shape.

13. Smoking article (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the smoking article (10) comprises two protection elements (36, 38) wherein the fla vor releaser is located between these two protection elements.

14. Smoking article (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser has a cylindrical shape and especially a regular cylindrical shape.

15. Electronic flavor releaser for a smoking article, configured to allow the release of fla vors within an aerosol stream circulated from an inlet of the electronic flavor releaser to an outlet thereof,

characterized in that

the flavor releaser comprises an activator that allows a user to activate and/or deacti vate the flavor releaser, wherein the activator comprises a switch which can be manu ally actuated.