WO2024223809A1

WO2024223809A1 - Aerosol-generating article and device

Info

Publication number: WO2024223809A1
Application number: PCT/EP2024/061522
Authority: WO
Inventors: Broderick COBURN
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2023-04-28
Filing date: 2024-04-26
Publication date: 2024-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2025-10-28

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article (1) comprising a self-supporting core element (2) at least partially made of a porous material (4,8), and containing an aerosol-forming agent; and a cover (3) made of a biodegradable material and forming a primary sealed barrier around said core element (2). Furthermore, the invention relates to an assembly of said aerosol- generating article with a packaging providing a secondary sealed barrier to such article and to an aerosol-generating device for use in combination with the aerosol-generating article.

Description

AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE AND DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, especially to an aerosol-generating article for an aerosol-generating device. Furthermore, the invention relates to an assembly of said aerosol-generating article with a packaging and to an aerosol-generating device for heating said aerosolgenerating article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

E-vapor-pods are well known as aerosol-generating articles that a user may load into an aerosol-generating device so that an aerosol-forming substance (e-liquid), contained in the pod, is heated by a heating system of said device and hence released in vapor form. E-vapor pods are consumables, which have to be replaced once e-liquid is depleted.

E-liquids contain a non negligeable amount of a humectant (e.g. polypropylene glycol and/or glycerin), which is an hygroscopic component. Thus, the e-liquid is easily affected by humidity exchanges, which negatively influence the sensory experience over time. Also, oxygen may oxidize nicotine, reducing the nicotine concentration in the e-liquid, hence providing negative impact on user satisfaction.

E-liquids shall therefore be protected to guarantee their quality and freshness over the shelf-life of the articles, which is typically 12 months or more.

For current aerosol-generating articles which utilize e-liquid, the overall barrier properties which dictate shelf-life are primarily achieved through packaging. E-vapor pods are currently commercialized in individual blisters providing good barrier properties to protect the e-liquid against the permeability of gases and vapor. However, such packaging is not sustainable. High barrier materials that are commonly used to enable adequate shelf-life are for example made of polyvinylidene dichloride (PVDC) coated plastic, multi-material plastic lamination, aluminum, or metalized substrates, for which multiple-stream recycling is not possible. This is mainly due to the toxicity of substances such as PVDC and to the use of multi-materials that are inseparable.

Furthermore, aerosol generating articles using porous material are also known, for example from US 2019/343168 and EP 3782481 . However, these articles have the same drawbacks as mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to improve global sustainability in the use of aerosol-generating articles while ensuring sufficient protection of the aerosol-forming substance contained therein, in particular against gases and vapor.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with an aerosol-generating article comprising:

- a self-supporting core element at least partially made of a porous material, and containing an aerosol-forming agent, and a tobacco or nicotine containing agent; and

- a cover made of a biodegradable material and forming a primary sealed barrier around said core element.

The consumable according to the invention can be produced easily and at low costs.

It does not include electronics or plastic components, and hence is easily disposable with a low environmental footprint.

Also, the cover may be food-grade, edible, and compostable in home or industrial conditions. Further, and although this should not be considered limiting, the sustainability of the claimed article allows its applicability as a single use or single session aerosol-generating article. For example, such article may contain enough aerosol-forming substance to provide about 10 to 40 puffs maximum, preferably about 10 to 35 puffs, more preferably about 10 to 25 puffs, even more preferably about 10 to 20 puffs, for example 14 puffs, instead of the 100 puffs or more provided by the e-vapor pods of the prior art. For example, an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention may contain between 0,2 mL and 1 ,2 mL of an aerosol-forming agent. The average duration of use of the article being hence reduced, the requirements of overall barrier protection of the packaging material may be further lowered, giving more latitude to select barrier materials based on their ecological impact. Single use articles also avoid issues related to the absorption of water by the humectant that is observed on current products, as explained hereabove with reference to the prior art, and further improve the user’s experience by providing a limited vaping session with defined start and stop.

As used herein, a “porous material” refers to a material having openings therein such as pores or voids. The openings may either be isolated from each other (closed pores) and/or interconnected with each other so as to notably form a complex network of interconnected channels. The porous material may be a solid material or a semi-solid material such as a mousse-like material.

As used herein, a mousse-like material, also known as mousse or foam, is a material having a network of air bubbles or gas pockets that are dispersed throughout the matrix. It is made from a liquid mixture, with foam forming and foam stabilizing agents. Density ranges of a mousse-like material are commonly known from the skilled person.

As used herein, “an aerosol forming agent” can be any compound, mixture and/or solution that is capable of forming an aerosol, e.g. when heated. Well known examples of aerosol-forming agent include humectants such as glycerol (i.e., glycerin or vegetable glycerin), glycol derivatives such as monopropylene glycol (i.e., propylene glycol), di-propylene glycol, sebacate esters, other alcohols such as ethanol, 1 ,3-propanediol, biobased alternatives to propylene glycol, or water.

Preferably, an aerosol-forming agent used in an article according to the invention may be or contain a mixture of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin.

The aerosol-generating article may have any shape, including, but not limited to spherical, cylindrical, parallelepipedal, prismatic shapes and the volume thereof is typically less than 1000 mm³, preferably less than 500 mm³, even more preferably less than 200 mm³.

The general shape of the article is typically dictated by the shape of the porous material which itself is self-supporting. The thickness of the cover is usually negligeable with regard to the dimensions of the core element.

As an example, the cover may have a thickness of less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.25mm.

Advantageously, the porous material may be biodegradable.

As used herein, a “biodegradable material” refers to a material that may be safely and effectively disintegrated or decomposed in the presence of oxygen and natural organisms like bacteria to completely natural elements.

According to one example, the core element may comprise the porous material and a liquid retained in pores of said porous material by capillary action, and the aerosol-forming agent may be included in said liquid. In such case, the core element is formed of said porous material and the liquid (typically called e- liquid) retained in (the openings of) said porous material.

The porous material may be a solid material. For example, the porous material may be a ceramic material, in particular a ceramic made from aluminium oxide (alumina ceramic), boron nitride, porous glass ceramics, silicon carbide, cordierite or zirconia. Preferably, the porous material is a ceramic made from aluminium oxide.

Ceramic materials are advantageous as they may be recyclable and reusable.

According to another example, the porous material may be a mousselike material and the aerosol-forming agent may be included in said porous material. In such case, the aerosol-forming agent is a component of the mousse material as such.

A mousse-like material typically comprises a foam-forming agent that may include non-protein containing polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of agar, gellan gum, lecithin, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, glycerol esters of fatty acids, sorbitan esters of fatty acids, and mixtures thereof, and preferably gellan gum. Examples of mousse-like materials and their preparation that are appropriate for the present invention are described for example in WO201 8122375 or W02020/00260. For example, a manufacturing process of a mousse may comprise

- mixing, notably under heating: an aerosol-forming agent, a foam forming agent, a tobacco or nicotine containing agent and optionally a solvent, and/or an inhalable agent,

- optionally injecting a gas,

- adding a foam stabilizing agent, and

- cooling the mixture.

According to an example, the self-supporting core element may further comprise an inhalable agent.

The tobacco or nicotine containing agent and/or inhalable agent may be either contained in the porous material itself or in a liquid retained therein. Such component(s) may or not be in mixture with the aerosol-forming agent.

As used herein, a “tobacco or nicotine containing agent” can be any compound, mixture, particle matter and/or solution that contains and/or carries: - a constituent naturally contained in tobacco, and/or

- an artificially obtained derivative of tobacco, for example tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco flavor, nicotine.

As used herein, an “inhalable agent” can be any compound, mixture, particle matter and/or solution that may be inhaled, for example as a gas and/or aerosol, and it includes and/or carries for example at least one of a stimulant, such as caffeine, guarana and combinations thereof, and/or a flavor, such as menthol, natural and/or artificial plant flavors, saccharides, animal flavors, and combinations thereof.

Porosity of the material forming the self-supporting core element allows to retain the aerosol forming agent until it is heated, while preventing leakage or changes in a shape of the article before or during use. Pores provide pathways for the vaporized material to exit said self-supporting core element.

According to a particular example which will be described in more detail hereafter, the self-supporting core element may additionally be provided with at least one flow path formed inside the porous material. The self-supporting core element may also comprise a plurality of - for instance parallel - flow paths. Each flow path may typically pass through the entire core element and open at two opposite ends of said core element. Unlike pores which are intrinsically present in the porous material, flow paths are voluntarily formed during manufacture of the self-supporting core element, for example by molding or extrusion. Such paths facilitate the entry of air and exit of aerosol during use, but may also be provided to cooperate with puncturing means upon insertion of the article in a corresponding device to facilitate rupturing of the cover.

The self-supporting core element of the article may also be provided at its periphery with one or several other - typically blind - cavities, dedicated to cooperate with such puncturing means.

According to the present invention, a primary sealed barrier is provided by a cover surrounding the core element. The cover has appropriate physical properties for maintaining the quality and freshness of the core element and its components against the permeability of gases and vapor such as oxygen or water vapor.

The cover is made of biodegradable material which preferably comprises a polymer, in particular a biopolymer or a bio-sourced polymer.

As used herein, “biopolymers” are natural polymers produced by the cells of living organisms. Examples of biopolymers are selected from polypeptides and polysaccharides.

As used herein, “bio-sourced polymers” or “bio-based polymer” are derived entirely or in large part from renewable resources such as algae, bacteria, microorganisms, or plants, and these polymers include isotope carbon-14 (C14) within the polymer.

Preferably, the cover may be made of a material comprising polysaccharides, in particular polysaccharides obtained from algae such as carrageenan or alginate, or polysaccharides obtained from plants such as starch, galactomannans or cellulose, or polysaccharides obtained from microorganisms such as gellan gum or yanthan gum.

According to a particular example, the cover may be provided with one or several thermally active regions which, for example upon application of heat, are configured to degrade to create openings in the cover.

The cover is typically a thin sealed envelope formed all around the core element. It is usually flexible.

Advantageously, the cover may conform to the entire outer surface of the core element, thus limiting the amount of oxygen in contact with the core element.

According to an example, the cover may comprise at least one continuous film surrounding the entire core element. According to another example, the cover may comprise at least one coating layer applied on an entire outer surface of the core element.

According to an example, the cover may comprise several layers of coating and/or films, superimposed at a periphery of the core element.

Application of the or each film or coating to the core element may be achieved through various known methods including spraying, dipping, spreading, brushing, or vacuum impregnation layer by layer.

According to an example, the cover may have an oxygen transmission rate of less than 100 cm³/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 cm³/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 cm³/m²/24h.

As used herein, the “oxygen transmission rate” (OTR) is the steady state rate at which oxygen gas can permeate through the considered element or system.

According to an example, the cover may have a water vapor transmission rate of less than 100 g/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 g/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 g/m²/24h.

As used herein, the “water vapor transmission rate” is the steady state rate at which water vapor permeates through the considered element or system.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an assembly comprising:

- at least one aerosol-generating article as defined hereabove, and

- a packaging configured to receive the at least one aerosol-generating article therein, and forming, at least in an initial configuration of the assembly, a secondary sealed barrier around the at least one aerosol-generating article.

The present invention therefore proposes an integrated environmentally sustainable solution for vaping, with a two-stage barrier protection system maintaining the freshness and quality of the aerosol-generating article and allowing the use of environmentally friendly packaging solutions. The function of protecting the active components of the article against humidity and oxygen is split between the aerosol-generating article, which is provided with a biodegradable outer cover having barrier properties, and the outside packaging having similarly barrier properties and being preferably recyclable or biodegradable. The necessary barrier requirements to maintain the quality and freshness of the aerosol-generating agent are achieved at a system level. Such system level approach is particularly critical when materials, such as for example natural polymers, are limited in achieving similar barrier properties against both moisture and gas.

The packaging is usually - but not necessarily - meant to contain a plurality of aerosol-generating articles. The secondary sealed barrier is broken by the user for extraction of the first article.

After extraction of the first article, the secondary sealed barrier may be either definitely damaged and hence not restorable, or at least partially or even totally restorable.

According to one example, the packaging may comprise a deformable pouch made of a mono or multilayered sheet material and said sheet material may form the secondary sealed barrier.

As an example, the sheet material may be a flexible and tearable film, for example a paper film, and the pouch may be a flow wrap, typically a paper flow wrap. In such case, the secondary sealed barrier is usually provided solely before the first opening of said flow wrap and may not be restored after the first use.

Such pouch may house one or several articles.

As a variant or in addition to the pouch mentioned above, the packaging may comprise a tray and a covering system closing said tray.

In such case, the tray and covering system may surround one or several pouch(es) as mentioned hereabove, and/or the articles may be disposed as such in a compartment defined between the tray and the covering system. The tray and the covering system may advantageously be sealed together at a connection zone at least in the initial configuration of the assembly to form a secondary sealed barrier around the articles.

According to a particular example, the tray may comprise a tray structure and a film or coating that lines or coats said tray structure. In such case, the film or coating may have particular barrier properties to form part of a second envelope.

Alternatively, or additionally, the tray structure itself may have sufficient barrier properties to form part of the secondary sealed barrier.

As an example, the covering system may comprise a lid either hingedly attached to the tray or configured to fit together with the tray or to otherwise mechanically cooperate with the tray to selectively open and close the latter. Together with the tray, the lid may form a second sealed barrier.

According to an example, the lid may comprise a lid structure and a film or coating that lines or coats said lid to provide barrier properties.

As an alternative, the lid structure itself may have sufficient barrier properties to form a secondary sealed barrier.

Alternatively, or additionally, the covering system may comprise a peelable film that sealably covers the tray to form, together with said tray, a secondary sealed barrier. The peelable film may be repositionable or not. As an example, the peelable film may have adhesive properties or an adhesive coating allowing that it sticks again to the tray after having been removed and repositioned. It may for example be a paper-based peel film, which is easily recyclable.

Film(s) or coating(s) lining the tray structure and/or lid structure may be made of materials including polyethylene (PE), aluminium oxide, a biobased material or a biodegradable material, in particular a biopolymer or a bio-sourced polymer, for example PLA (polylactic acid, derived from com starch or sugar cane) or polymers comprising polysaccharides, in particular polysaccharides obtained from algae such as carrageenan or alginate, or polysaccharides obtained from plants such as starch, galactomannans or cellulose, or polysaccharides obtained from microorganisms such as gellan gum or yanthan gum. The tray and/or the lid have typically a rigid structure, which may be made of pulp-based material, in particular wood pulp-based material.

The tray and/or the lid may either be formed of the same material or of different materials.

In the present invention, the first and the at least one secondary sealed barriers together form a protection system for the at least one aerosol-generating article, said protection system having an equivalent oxygen transmission rate of less than 6 cm³/m²/24h, and/or an equivalent water vapor transmission rate of less than 6 g/m²/24h.

Thus, the present invention provides an assembly comprising at least one aerosol-generating article, and a packaging offering a two-stage barrier making it possible to protect the quality and freshness of the e-liquid over its shelf life.

According to a third aspect, the present invention further provides an aerosol-generating device comprising:

- a mouthpiece section,

- a heating cavity in communication with said mouthpiece section and adapted to receive an aerosol-generating article as described hereabove,

- opening means for opening the primary sealed barrier of the aerosol-generating article received in the heating cavity, and

- a heating system for heating the aerosol-generating article in said heating cavity.

In one example, the mouthpiece section may be entirely removable for the user to easily insert an aerosol-generating article in the heating cavity. In another example the mouthpiece section may be hinged or slidable and in part removable to enable the user to insert an aerosol-generating article in the heating cavity. As used herein, the terms top and bottom refer either to the heating cavity or to parts of the article once inserted in said cavity. The terms are employed with reference to a -usually longitudinal - direction of the device, aligned with both the heating cavity and the mouthpiece, with the mouthpiece being located at a top end of the device and hence of the heating cavity and the heater usually located at least mainly at a bottom end of the cavity.

The heating cavity may have any form adapted to receive - preferably as a form-fit arrangement, an aerosol-generating article which, as described, may have any shape, including, but not limited to spherical, cylindrical, parallelepipedal, prismatic shapes, and a size of typically less than 1000mm3, preferably less than 500mm3, even more preferably less than 200mm3.

The heating system may be configured to heat the aerosol-generating article to a temperature of at most 350°C, preferably between 100°C and 300°C, more preferably between 100°C and 250°C, even more preferably between 100°C and 200°C, for example substantially about 150°C. Advantageously, the heating system is located at a bottom end of the heating cavity.

A device according to the invention is typically provided with at least one air inlet in fluidic communication with the heating cavity, in particular with a bottom end of said cavity, and at least one aerosol outlet formed in the mouthpiece section and hence in fluidic communication with the top end of the heating cavity.

Opening means are typically located inside the heating cavity. Preferably, the opening means are located in the vicinity of the heating system, typically at the bottom end of the heating cavity, allowing a direct or close contact between the heating system and the core element. The aerosol-forming agent within the core element may so be more efficiently heated and released in vapor form.

For example, opening means may be puncturing means, comprising at least one puncturing protrusion configured to puncture the cover of the article inserted in the heating cavity, preferably a plurality of puncturing protrusions to puncture the cover at different locations to provide several vapor exit points when the article is heated.

Preferably, the puncturing means may comprise upstream protrusions and downstream protrusions respectively in fluidic communication with the air inlet and with the aerosol outlet of the device. The upstream and downstream protrusions may typically be configured to puncture the aerosol-generating article respectively at two opposite ends of the article.

According to a particular example, the heating system may comprise a pin-shaped heater protruding inside the heating cavity and forming a puncturing protrusion.

According to a particular example, the self-supporting core element may also be provided with at least one flow channel, and puncturing means may be configured to interface with such channel in a mounted configuration of the aerosol-generating article.

Advantageously, a puncturing protrusion may be traversed by an inner channel communicating with the inside of the heating cavity and either an air inlet or an aerosol outlet of the device.

According to another embodiment or in addition, opening means may also comprise thermal activation means for thermally activating degradation of the cover.

In such case, the cover may be provided with one or several thermally active regions which, for example upon application of heat, are configured to degrade to create openings in the cover.

Thermal activation means may for example comprise heating means forming part of the heating system or separate heating means.

The aerosol-generating device may further comprise a control unit (printed circuit board) to control the heating system and an electrical power source, such as a battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a core element formed of an e- mousse, and a coating forming a cover around said core element.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to another embodiment of the invention, which core element is formed of a porous material comprising opened pores and of an e-liquid containing an aerosol-forming agent, retained in the pores of said porous material.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to still another embodiment of the invention, which cover is formed of a coating and a film superimposed at the periphery of the core element.

Figure 4 illustrates an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising multiple aerosol-generating articles in a tray, a lid hingedly attached to the tray and a peelable film removably bonded to the tray.

Figure 5 is a sectional view, along plane V, of the assembly of figure 4.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention showing the tray and lid structures both internally covered by a film or coating.

Figure 7 is a schematic view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention showing the tray and lid structures both made of a material having sufficient barrier properties.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising an inner packaging in the form of a deformable pouch housing a plurality of aerosol-generating articles, said inner packaging being enclosed by an outside packaging formed of a tray and lid. Figure 9 is a schematic view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention showing in A) the device in a closed configuration without aerosol-generating article; in B) the device in an opened configuration before introduction of the aerosol-generating article in the heating chamber; and in C) the device in a use configuration with an aerosolgenerating article received in the heating chamber.

Figure 10 is a partial schematic view of an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing puncturing means provided on the device body and the mouthpiece, said puncturing means comprising channels in fluidic communication with respectively an air inlet and an aerosol outlet, in an opened configuration of the device (A) and in a use configuration (B).

Figure 11 is a partial schematic view of an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the self-supporting core of the article is provided with flow paths configured to cooperate with the puncturing means, in an opened configuration (A) and in a use configuration (B).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described with respect to embodiments and with reference to the appended drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto. The described drawings are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates an aerosol-generating article 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and provides a focus on a partial sectional portion of said article 1 .

In the illustrated example, the aerosol-generating article 1 is of cylindrical shape, but this shall not be limiting and the article 1 may take any other adapted shape such as a spherical, parallelepipedal or any other prismatic shape. The article 1 comprises a core element 2, which basically determines the general shape of said article 1 , and a cover 3.

In the illustrated example and as shown in the detailed view of figure 1 , the core element 2 is formed of a porous semi-solid self-supporting mousselike material 4. This mousse-like material has typically closed openings (pores)

5, as illustrated in figure 1 .

The mousse-like material typically comprises a foam-forming agent, for example including non-protein containing polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of agar, gellan gum, lecithin, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, glycerol esters of fatty acids, sorbitan esters of fatty acids, and mixtures thereof, and preferably gellan gum.

The mousse-like material 4 further includes an aerosol-forming agent

6, preferably in an amount allowing between 10 to 40 puffs, preferably about 10 to 35 puffs, more preferably about 10 to 25 puffs, even more preferably about 10 to 20 puffs, for example 14 puffs to a user, this corresponding to one usual vaping session. This, however, shall not be considered limiting.

The mousse-like material further includes a tobacco or nicotine containing agent, and may also include one or several additional components such as an inhalable agent.

The core element 2 is protected against humidity and/or oxygen exchanges by the cover 3, which forms a primary sealed barrier therearound.

The cover 3 typically provides medium to very high barrier protection in either moisture and/or gas. For example, the cover 3 may have an oxygen transmission rate of less than 100 cm³/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 cm³/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 cm³/m²/24h, and/or it may have a water vapor transmission rate of less than 100 g/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 g/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 g/m²/24h.

In this first embodiment, the cover 3 is a coating layer 7 formed directly on an outer surface 2a of the core element 2.

The coating layer 7 is biodegradable, has barrier properties against gas and/or moisture, and surrounds the core element 2 to form a continuous sealed envelope therearound. The core element 2 is, so to say, encapsulated by the coating material.

The coating 7 may be applied by any appropriate method such as spraying, dipping, spreading, brushing, or vacuum impregnation.

For example, the coating 7 may be formed of a biodegradable polymer, in particular a biopolymer or a bio-sourced polymer.

Preferably, it may be formed of a biodegradable material comprising polysaccharides, in particular polysaccharides obtained from algae such as carrageenan or alginate, or polysaccharides obtained from plants such as starch, galactomannans or cellulose, or polysaccharides obtained from microorganisms such as gellan gum or yanthan gum.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of an article 1 according to another embodiment of the invention, where the core element 2 comprises a self- supporting porous material 8 of the solid-type, having opened and interconnected pores 9, and a liquid 10 retained in said pores 9, typically by capillary action.

The aerosol-forming agent 6 is here included in said liquid 10, hence called e-liquid.

For example, the solid porous material 8 may be a ceramic made from aluminium oxide (alumina ceramic), boron nitride, porous glass ceramics, silicon carbide, cordierite or zirconia.

The cover 3 is formed here by a film 11 i.e. a sheet or membrane, laid around the core element 2. Such film is advantageously provided to tightly fit the outer surface 2a of the core element 2, to minimize the amount of oxygen inside the article 1 .

According to another embodiment illustrated in figure 3, the cover 3 may also be formed of one coating 7 and one film 11 , superimposed on the outer surface 2a of the core element 2, or several stacked film(s) 11 and/or superimposed coating layers 7 or any combination of coating layer(s) 7 and film(s) 11 such as described hereabove.

Figure 4 is a schematic view of an assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the invention.

As illustrated on figure 4, the assembly 200 comprises multiple aerosol-generating articles 1 and a packaging 100 in form of a box housing the aerosol-generating articles 1 .

According to the invention, the packaging 100 provides a secondary sealed barrier around the aerosol-generation articles 1 , at least in an initial configuration, that is, before it is opened for the first time by a user seeking to take out one article 1 for starting with a vaping session.

In this initial configuration, the assembly 200 as a whole provides a two-stage protection system for the core element 2.

After said first opening, the primary sealed barrier provided by the cover 3 of each article 1 shall be sufficient to protect said article 1 during the entire using time of the assembly 200. The secondary sealed barrier may, however, be at least partially restored between opening/closing sequences of the packaging 100.

In the example illustrated in figures 4 and 5, the packaging 100 comprises a tray 110 and a covering system 120 closing said tray 110.

The covering system 120 here comprises a lid 130 hingedly linked to the tray 110 and a peelable film 140 that is bonded to said tray 110 at a continuous connection zone 118 running along an upper edge 116 of the tray 110, hence forming a seal. The peelable film 140 may be easily lifted or even removed by the user, once the lid 130 is lifted.

As illustrated in figure 5, the tray 110 may comprise a rigid tray structure 112, and a film or coating 114 lining the inner surface 112a of said tray structure 112. For example, the tray structure 112 may be made of a pulp-based material, in particular wood pulp-based material.

In the illustrated figure, the lining 114 is directly applied on or bonded to the inner surface 112a of the tray structure 112. This, however, shall not be considered limiting, and a lining 114, for example in the form of a film, could also be loosely provided inside the tray 110 and attached, for example to the upper edge 116 of the tray 110.

The peelable film 140 may also typically comprise a base structure 142 and a film or coating 144 lining said base structure 142 to enhance its barrier properties. As an example, the base structure 142 may be made of a paper-based material.

In an initial configuration of the assembly 200, when the peelable film 140 is still sealed to the tray 110, said film 140 and the tray 110 form together a sealed barrier protecting the aerosol-generating articles 1 .

The material of the linings 114, 144 of both the tray 110 and the peelable film 140 may be chosen to have good barrier properties against humidity and oxygen. This may include a wide range of materials, including polyethylene, aluminum oxide, or any biobased and biodegradable material, preferably suitable for use in paper recycling streams.

The peelable film 140 may be repositionable or not. As an example, the peelable film 140 may have adhesive properties or an adhesive coating allowing that it sticks again to the tray after having been removed and repositioned.

In this example, the lid 130 as such does not provide barrier protection. However, the lid 130 may be configured to maintain the peelable film 140 against the upper edge of the tray 110, once closed, to restore at least a part of the secondary barrier.

Figure 6 illustrates an assembly 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention, where the packaging 100, similarly to that of figures 4 and 5, comprises a tray 110 and a lid 130 for closing said tray 110. In this example, the lid 130 comprises a lid structure 132 lined by a film or coating 134 having barrier properties, configured to cooperate with the lining of the tray, in an initial configuration of the assembly, to provide a secondary sealed barrier. In the closed configuration of the packaging 100, a connection zone between the tray 110 and lid 130 may be achieved with bonding means, mechanical holding means or any other adapted sealing means. In the closed configuration, a seal is formed at said connection zone between the lid 130 and the tray 110. The seal is broken when the packaging is opened. With such configuration, a peelable film 140 such as that of figures 4 and 5 may be omitted.

Figure 7 illustrates an assembly 200 according to still another embodiment of the present invention, where the tray 110 and lid 130 are integrally formed from biobased and compostable natural polymers, providing sufficient barrier properties as such. Instead of polymers, the box may also be formed of a mono-material widely recycled plastic, such as PET. With such configuration also, a peelable film 140 such as that of figures 4 and 5, as well as linings 114, 134 disclosed with reference to figures 4, 5 and 6, may be omitted.

According to another embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the packaging 100 may comprise a deformable pouch 150 made of a mono or multilayered sheet material 152 forming a secondary sealed barrier.

As an example, the sheet material 152 may be a flexible and tearable film, for example a paper film, and the pouch 150 may be a flow wrap, typically a paper flow wrap. In such case, the secondary sealed barrier is usually provided solely before the first opening of said flow wrap and may not be restored after the first use. Such pouch 150 may or not be further packaged in a rigid box of the aforementioned type, with or without particular barrier properties.

Figure 9 is a schematic view of an aerosol-generating device 1000 for use with an aerosol-generating article 1 of the type described hereabove.

As shown in Figure 9A, the device 1000 comprises a body 1010, a heating cavity 1020 formed inside said body 1010 and provided, at a first or top end 1020a, with an insertion opening 1022 allowing insertion and extraction of an aerosol-generating article 1 therein, a heating system 1030 for heating an aerosol-generating article 1 received in the cavity 1020, a mouthpiece section 1040 configured to communicate with the heating cavity 1020 in at least a position of use of the device 1000, a control unit typically in the form of a printed circuit board 1050 and an electrical power source, typically a rechargeable battery 1060.

The heating system 1030 comprises at least one heater powered by the rechargeable battery 1060 and configured to heat an aerosol-generating article 1 received in said heating cavity 1020. In the example, the heater is located at a second or bottom end 1020b of the heating cavity opposite to the insertion opening 1022 thereof.

As illustrated in figure 9B, the mouthpiece section 1040 may be detachable from the body 1010, or hingedly or slidably attached to said body 1010 to either expose or obturate the opening 1022 of the heating cavity 1020. Figure 9A illustrates the device 1000 in a closed configuration, with the mouthpiece section 1040 being mounted on the body 1010 and in communication with the heating cavity 1020. Figure 9B illustrates the device 1000 in an opened configuration, with the mouthpiece section 1040 detached from the body 1010. In this configuration, an aerosol-generating article 1 may be introduced in the heating cavity 1020.

Figure 9C shows the device 1000 in a use configuration, with the aerosol-generating article 1 located inside the heating cavity 1020 and the mouthpiece section 1040 closing the heating cavity 1020.

As shown in the figures, the device 1000 is provided with at least one air inlet 1012, typically formed in the body 1010, communicating with the heating cavity 1020, and at least one aerosol outlet 1042 formed in the mouthpiece 1040 and communicating with the heating cavity 1020 in a use configuration of the device 1000.

When the user takes a puff, air from the outside is drawn through the air inlet 1012 and passes through the heating cavity 1020, and the aerosol generated through heating of the article 1 passes through the aerosol outlet 1042 of the mouthpiece 1040 to the user’s mouth. To allow the aerosol to exit the article 1 , and as illustrated in particular in figures 9A and 9B, the device 1000 comprises opening means 1070 arranged to either puncture or degrade or otherwise open the cover 3 of the aerosolgenerating article 1 received in the heating cavity 1020, to allow air to enter the article 1 and aerosol to be released therefrom.

Opening means 1070 are advantageously provided in the vicinity of the heater 1030, typically at the bottom end 1020b of the heating cavity 1020. More preferably, opening means 1070 are located to interface with both the bottom and top ends of the aerosol-generating article 1 .

In figure 9A for example, the opening means 1070 are puncturing means comprising at least one protrusion 1072, preferably a plurality of protrusions, preferably at least one first (downstream) protrusion at a top end 1020a of the cavity and at least one second (upstream) protrusion at a bottom end 1020b of the cavity. According to a non-illustrated embodiment, the heater 1030 may also be pin-shaped and may as such form at least part of such puncturing or otherwise opening means. According to another non-illustrated embodiment, the heater 1030 may also be a thin film heater surrounding the heating cavity 1020, and the device may then include dedicated puncturing or otherwise opening means.

Protrusions 1072 are preferably made of metal or of a high- temperature plastic, such as PEEK.

They are either thin so that when piercing occurs the air or aerosol can flow therearound or they may be provided with at least one internal flow channel, typically communicating with the air inlet 1012 or respectively the aerosol-outlet 1042.

Figure 10, for example, illustrates an embodiment where each piercing protrusion 1072 comprise inner traversing channels 1074 in fluidic communication with respectively the air inlet 1012 formed on the device body and the aerosol outlet 1042 formed in the mouthpiece 1040. In the example, more particularly, each protrusion 1072 is traversed by one such channel.

As an alternative or additionally, the article 1 may further be provided with a mechanical or thermal activated design feature to allow or help the cover 3 to break upon entering the heating cavity or at least at the beginning of the vaping session, allowing the aerosol to exit more easily.

For example, the core element 2 of the article 1 may be provided at its periphery with cavities, allowing the piercing protrusions to penetrate therein to easily break the cover 3. This may be particularly relevant in cases where the core element comprises a solid porous body, e.g. of ceramic.

Advantageously, such cavities may also opened so as to form chimneys-like traversing flow paths inside the self-supporting core element.

Figure 11 for example shows a partial schematic view of an aerosolgenerating device 1000 similar to that of figure 10 receiving an aerosol-generating article 1 which self-supporting core 2 is provided with flow paths 14 configured to cooperate with the puncturing means 1070 in a use configuration as shown in B). The protrusions 1072 are arranged to penetrate the flow paths 14, bringing such paths and their inner traversing channels 1074 in communication, and providing a preferable path between the air inlet 1012 and the aerosol outlet 1042.

According to another non illustrated embodiment of the invention, the cover 3 may also be provided with thermally active regions which, upon application of heat, are configured to degrade and to create openings in the cover for the passage of air and aerosol.

Claims

1 . An aerosol-generating article (1 ) comprising:

- a self-supporting core element (2) at least partially made of a porous material (4, 8), and containing an aerosol-forming agent (6), and a tobacco or nicotine containing agent; and

- a cover (3) characterized in that the cover is made of a biodegradable material and forms a primary sealed barrier around said core element (2).

2. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the core element (2) further comprises a liquid (10) retained in pores (9) of the porous material (8) by capillary action, and the aerosol-forming agent (6) is included in said liquid (10).

3. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the porous material (8) is a mousse-like material and the aerosol-forming agent (6) is included in said porous material.

4. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover (3) has a thickness (e) of less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.25mm.

5. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover (3) comprises at least one continuous film (11 ) surrounding the entire core element (2).

6. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover (3) comprises at least one coating layer (7) applied on an entire outer surface (2a) of the core element (2).

7. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cover (3) conforms to the entire outer surface (2a) of the core element (2).

8. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cover (3) has an oxygen transmission rate of less than 100 cm³/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 cm³/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 cm³/m²/24h.

9. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cover (3) has a water vapor transmission rate of less than 100 g/m²/24h, preferably of less than 10 g/m²/24h, still more preferably less than 6 g/m²/24h.

10. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the biodegradable material is a polymer, in particular a biopolymer or a bio-sourced polymer.

11. The aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to claim 10, wherein the biodegradable material comprises polysaccharides, in particular polysaccharides obtained from algae such as carrageenan or alginate, or polysaccharides obtained from plants such as starch, galactomannans or cellulose, or polysaccharides obtained from microorganisms such as gellan gum or yanthan gum.

12. An assembly (200) comprising:

- at least one aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , and

- a packaging (100) configured to receive the at least one aerosol-generating article (1 ) therein, and forming, at least in an initial configuration of the assembly, a secondary sealed barrier around the at least one aerosol-generating article (1 ).

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the packaging (100) comprises a tray (110) and a covering system (120), such as a peelable film (140) and/or a lid (130), for closing said tray (110), the tray (110) and the covering system (120) being sealed together at a connection zone at least in the initial configuration of the assembly (200) to form said secondary sealed barrier.

14. The assembly according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the first and secondary sealed barriers together form a protection system for the at least one aerosol- generating article (1 ), said protection system having an equivalent oxygen transmission rate of less than 6 cm³/m²/24h, and/or an equivalent water vapor transmission rate of less than 6 g/m²/24h.

15. An aerosol-generating device (1000) comprising: - a mouthpiece section (1040),

- a heating cavity (1020) in communication with said mouthpiece section and adapted to receive an aerosol-generating article (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 inserted therein,

- opening means (1070) for opening the primary sealed barrier of the aerosol- generating article (1 ) received in the heating cavity (1020), and

- a heating system (1030) for heating the aerosol-generating article (1 ) in said heating cavity (1020).