WO2025154253A1 - Flavor-generating article - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a flavor-generating article. The flavor-generating article comprises a flavor source that generates a flavor when heated by a heat-generating member. The flavor source has, in a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the flavor-generating article, a first region that is close to the heat-generating member, and a second region that is further from the heat-generating member than is the first region. The porosity of the first region and the porosity of the second region differ from one another.

Description

Flavor-generating products

The present invention relates to a flavor generating product.

　Conventionally, there are known flavor generating products for inhaling flavors and the like without burning materials. One such flavor generating product is known to have at least two sections arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction, and these multiple sections are heated by separate heaters to control the delivery of volatile substances (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Special Publication No. 2021-523728

Flavor generating articles may contain a variety of volatile substances. Since the volatilization temperatures of these volatile substances vary, it is necessary to control the delivery of the volatile substances in order to deliver the desired volatile substances at the desired timing. In the flavor generating article disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to control the delivery of the volatile substances, multiple sections are heated by separate heaters, which complicates the configuration and control of the flavor inhaler in which the heaters are located.

The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the problems described above, and aims to provide a flavor-generating product that can easily control the delivery of volatile substances.

In a first aspect of the present invention, a flavor generating article is provided. The flavor generating article includes a flavor source that generates a flavor when heated by a heat generating member, and the flavor source has, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating article, a first region that is close to the heat generating member and a second region that is farther from the heat generating member than the first region, and the porosity of the first region and the porosity of the second region are different from each other.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the flavor source, a first region close to the heat generating member and a second region farther from the heat generating member than the first region have different porosities, so that the ease of air flow differs between the first region and the second region. Therefore, the first region and the second region have different delivery characteristics, and the delivery of the volatile substance can be easily controlled.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the porosity of the first region is higher than the porosity of the second region in the first aspect.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the porosity of the first region is higher than the porosity of the second region, more air can flow in the first region closer to the heat-generating member than in the second region, thereby improving the delivery efficiency of the first region.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the porosity of the second region is higher than the porosity of the first region in the first aspect.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the porosity of the second region is higher than that of the first region, more air can be allowed to flow through the second region, which is farther from the heat-generating member than the first region, than through the first region, thereby improving the delivery efficiency of the second region.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the first region contains a first volatile substance, and the second region contains a second volatile substance having a higher vapor pressure than the first volatile substance.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the porosity of the first region is higher than that of the second region, the first volatile substance, which is close to the heat generating member and relatively less likely to volatilize in the first region with a high porosity, is heated, thereby improving the delivery at the beginning of heating. In addition, the second volatile substance, which is more likely to volatilize in the second region with a low porosity and far from the heat generating member, is heated, thereby delaying the delivery and improving the durability. On the other hand, when the porosity of the second region is higher than that of the first region, the first volatile substance, which is close to the heat generating member and relatively less likely to volatilize in the first region with a low porosity, is heated, thereby improving the delivery efficiency, since the volatile substance is heated in the vicinity of the heat generating member with a high heating efficiency. In addition, the second volatile substance, which is close to the heat generating member and relatively less likely to volatilize in the second region with a high porosity, is heated, thereby delaying the delivery and improving the durability, and the volatilized components can be efficiently mixed into the air flowing through the second region.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the first volatile substance includes an aerosol source and the second volatile substance includes a flavor ingredient.

In accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first volatile material includes an aerosol source, and the second volatile material includes a flavor ingredient, so that the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a flavor.

In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the flavor ingredient includes a flavoring.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the flavor ingredient contains a fragrance, the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a scent.

In a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the fragrance includes at least one of a natural fragrance and a synthetic fragrance.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a scent, since the flavor includes at least one of a natural flavor and a synthetic flavor.

In an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, the flavoring ingredient includes a flavoring agent.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the flavor ingredient contains a flavoring, the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a smoking taste.

In the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the eighth aspect, the flavoring agent includes at least one of a sweetener, a spice, a sour agent, and a bitter agent.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a smoking taste, since the flavoring agent includes at least one of a sweetener, a spice, a sour agent, and a bitter agent.

In a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, the flavor ingredient includes a cooling agent.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the flavor ingredient contains a cooling agent, the flavor source can generate an aerosol that can provide a cooling sensation to the user.

In an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to tenth aspects, the flavor ingredient includes an emulsifier.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the flavor ingredient contains an emulsifier, the flavor source can generate an aerosol with improved flavor.

In a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect, the emulsifier comprises at least one of glycerin fatty acid ester, saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, and lecithin.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the emulsifier includes at least one of glycerin fatty acid ester, saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, and lecithin, so that the flavor source can generate an aerosol with improved flavor.

In a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to twelfth aspects, the aerosol source includes at least one of a polyhydric alcohol, triethyl citrate, triacetin, and glycerin.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the aerosol source includes at least one of a polyhydric alcohol, triethyl citrate, triacetin, and glycerin, so that the flavor source can generate an aerosol having a flavor.

In a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fourth to thirteenth aspects, the flavor source includes a carrier that carries at least one of the first volatile substance and the second volatile substance.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the flavor source includes a carrier that carries at least one of the first volatile substance and the second volatile substance, so that the first volatile substance and the second volatile substance are carried in the first region and the second region, respectively, and can be prevented from penetrating into other regions or leaking out to the outside.

In a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the fourteenth aspect, the carrier comprises at least one of a sugar, a lipid, a cellulose derivative, a fiber, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the carrier contains at least one of sugars, lipids, cellulose derivatives, fibers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol, the first volatile substance and the second volatile substance are respectively carried in the first region and the second region, and can be prevented from penetrating into other regions or leaking out to the outside.

In a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, the flavor source includes a tobacco-derived material.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, since the flavor source contains tobacco-derived materials, the flavor source can generate a vapor or aerosol containing tobacco-derived flavor components.

In a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixteenth aspects, a hollow tubular member is provided that is disposed downstream of the flavor source in the longitudinal direction, and the cross-sectional area of the hollow portion in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is equal to the cross-sectional area of the flavor source.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, by disposing a hollow tubular member downstream of the flavor source, the cross-sectional area of the hollow portion in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is equal to the cross-sectional area of the flavor source, it is possible to prevent the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source from condensing due to the narrowing of the flow path and adhering to the inner wall of the tubular member.

In an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventeenth aspects, the flavor source includes an adsorbent.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, since the flavor source contains an adsorbent, it is possible to adsorb and remove unnecessary components contained in the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor source.

In a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the eighteenth aspect, the adsorbent comprises at least one of activated carbon, zeolite, and silica.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the adsorbent contains at least one of activated carbon, zeolite, and silica, so that unwanted components contained in the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor source can be adsorbed and removed.

In the twentieth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to nineteenth aspects, the substrates constituting the first and second regions are tobacco cuttings, tobacco sheets, paper or strings, filled so as to have different void ratios.

According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, the substrates constituting the first and second regions are tobacco cuttings, tobacco sheets, paper, or strings filled to have different porosities, making it easy to achieve the desired porosity.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a flavor inhalation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a flavor generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a flavor generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a flavor generating article according to another embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor generating article taken along line AA in FIG. 3. 1 is a graph showing the delivery behavior of glycerin in flavor generating articles according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. 1 is a graph showing the delivery behavior of menthol in flavor generating articles according to Example 2 and Comparative Example 2.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components will be given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In this specification, the "longitudinal direction" refers to the length direction of the flavor generating product, in other words, the direction in which the flavor generating product is inserted into the flavor inhaler.

In addition, in this specification, the "porosity of the first region" refers to the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of the first region minus the cross-sectional area of the material that constitutes the first region (i.e., the void portion) to the total cross-sectional area of the first region in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Similarly, in this specification, the "porosity of the second region" refers to the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of the second region minus the cross-sectional area of the material that constitutes the second region (i.e., the void portion) to the total cross-sectional area of the second region in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a flavor inhalation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the flavor inhalation system 1 is composed of a flavor generating article 100 having a flavor source, and a flavor inhaler 200 that heats the flavor generating article 100. Air inhaled by a user is guided into the user's oral cavity in the order of air flow A1, air flow A2, and air flow A3, for example. In other words, the flavor inhalation system 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a so-called counterflow type air flow path.

The flavor generating article 100 is configured to generate flavor when heated by a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler 200. The flavor generating article 100 includes a flavor source such as tobacco capable of generating a smokable flavor, and has, for example, a columnar shape extending along the longitudinal direction. The flavor generating article 100 may be, for example, a tobacco stick. The flavor generating article 100 may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape with a polygonal cross section, or a flattened shape.

The flavor inhaler 200 has a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heating unit 30. The battery 10 stores power used by the flavor inhaler 200. For example, the battery 10 is a lithium ion battery. The battery 10 may be rechargeable by an external power source.

The control unit 20 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc., and controls the operation of the flavor inhaler 200 including the heating unit 30. For example, the control unit 20 starts heating the flavor generating article 100 in response to a user operation on an input device such as a push button or slide switch (not shown), and stops heating the flavor generating article 100 after a certain period of time has elapsed. If the number of puffing actions by the user exceeds a certain value, the control unit 20 may stop heating the flavor generating article 100 even before a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of heating the flavor generating article 100. For example, the puffing action is detected by a sensor (not shown).

The control unit 20 may start heating the flavor generating article 100 in response to the start of the puffing action, and may end heating the flavor generating article 100 in response to the end of the puffing action. The control unit 20 may end heating the flavor generating article 100 even before the end of the puffing action if a certain time has elapsed since the start of the puffing action. In this embodiment, the control unit 20 is disposed between the battery 10 and the heating unit 30, and suppresses heat transfer from the heating unit 30 to the battery 10.

The heating unit 30 may be configured to house the flavor generating article 100. The heating unit 30 also includes a heating source 40. The heating source 40 is a heat-generating member that generates heat, i.e., its temperature increases, due to power from the battery 10. In the illustrated example, the heating source 40 is a heater disposed in the flavor inhaler 200. The heater may include an electric heating wire. The heater is configured to heat the flavor generating article 100 housed in the heating unit 30 from outside the flavor generating article 100. In this way, the flavor inhaler 200 is preferably a so-called externally heated flavor inhaler.

In addition, instead of the heating source 40, the flavor generating article 100 may have a susceptor (heat generating member) therein. In this case, the susceptor may be inductively heated by an induction coil disposed in the flavor inhaler 200. Also, the flavor inhaler 200 may have a microwave radiation source instead of the heating source 40. In this case, a microwave absorber (heat generating member) such as water or glycerin contained in the flavor generating article 100 may be heated by microwaves from the microwave radiation source.

By configuring in this manner, the flavor generating article 100 can be heated without the need to insert a heater such as a pin-type heater into the flavor generating article 100, and it is possible to prevent a part of the flavor generating article 100 from adhering to such a heater, thereby reducing the heating efficiency. Note that the flavor inhaler 200 may have a pin or blade-type heater (heat-generating member) inserted into the flavor generating article 100, instead of the heating source 40.

2 is an exploded perspective view showing a flavor generating article 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a flavor generating article 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flavor generating article 100 includes a flavor source 221 that is heated by a heating source 40 to generate a flavor-containing vapor or aerosol, and a tip plug 112 arranged upstream of the flavor source 221. More specifically, in the illustrated example, the flavor generating article 100 includes, in order from the tip side (i.e., the side opposite the mouthpiece), a tip plug 112, a flavor generating section 220, a hollow tube section (hollow tubular member) 132, a hollow filter section 240, and a filter plug 250. These five components are connected using an outer plug wrap 280, an outer plug wrap 260, and a tip paper 270.

3, the flavor generating article 100 has a first end 101 that is inserted into the flavor inhaler 200, and a second end 102 opposite the first end 101. In the illustrated example, the flavor generating article 100 extends in the longitudinal direction along the central axis AX, and the first end 101 and the second end 102 are formed at both ends along the longitudinal direction. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the "radial direction" and the "circumferential direction" refer to the radial direction and the circumferential direction of a rotating coordinate system centered on the central axis AX.

When using the flavor generating article 100 to inhale flavor, the first end 101 is inserted into the heating unit 30, and the flavor generating article 100 is accommodated in the heating unit 30 at a desired position. Here, the desired position is a position where the flavor generating unit 220 can be heated, for example, a position where the heating source 40 and the flavor generating unit 220 overlap in the longitudinal direction. The flavor generating unit 220 is then heated, and the user inhales from the second end 102.

The airflow resistance in the longitudinal direction of each flavor-generating article 100 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ease of inhalation, it is usually 8 mmH ₂ O or more, preferably 10 mmH ₂ O or more, more preferably 12 mmH ₂ O or more, and usually 150 mmH ₂ O or less, preferably 100 mmH ₂ O or less, more preferably 80 mmH ₂ O or less, and even more preferably 60 mmH ₂ O or less. Specifically, for example, the airflow resistance of the flavor-generating article 100 is preferably 30 mmH ₂ O or more and 150 mmH ₂ O or less. In this case, a comfortable inhalation resistance can be provided to the user. The airflow resistance is measured according to the ISO standard method (ISO6565:2015), for example, using a filter airflow resistance measuring device manufactured by Cerulean Co., Ltd. The airflow resistance refers to the air pressure difference between the first end face and the second end face when air is flowed at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/sec) from one end face (first end face) to the other end face (second end face) in a state where air does not permeate through the side faces of the flavor generating article 100. The unit is generally expressed in mmH ₂ O. It is known that the relationship between the airflow resistance and the length of a non-combustion heated tobacco is proportional within the normally used length range (lengths of 5 mm to 200 mm), and the airflow resistance of the non-combustion heated tobacco doubles when the length is doubled.

The rod-shaped flavor generating article 100 preferably has a columnar shape that satisfies an aspect ratio of 1 or more, as defined below.
Aspect ratio = h/w
w is the width of the bottom surface of the columnar body (in this specification, this is defined as the width of the bottom surface on the flavor generating section 220 side), and h is the height, and it is preferable that h≧w. In this specification, the long axis direction is defined as the direction indicated by h. Therefore, even if w≧h, the direction indicated by h will be referred to as the long axis direction for convenience. The shape of the bottom surface is not limited, and may be a polygon, a rounded polygon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like. The width w is the diameter if the bottom surface is circular, the major axis if the bottom surface is elliptical, or the diameter of the circumscribing circle or the major axis of the circumscribing ellipse if the bottom surface is polygonal or rounded polygonal.

The length h of the flavor generating article 100 in the major axis direction is not particularly limited, and is, for example, usually 40 mm or more, preferably 45 mm or more, and more preferably 50 mm or more. Also, it is usually 100 mm or less, preferably 90 mm or less, and more preferably 80 mm or less.

The width w of the bottom surface of the columnar body of the flavor generating article 100 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, typically 5 mm or more, and preferably 5.5 mm or more. It is also typically 10 mm or less, and preferably 9 mm or less, and more preferably 8 mm or less.

The ratio of the length of the hollow tube section 132 and the filter segment (the total length of the hollow filter section 240 and the filter plug 250) to the longitudinal length of the flavor generating article 100 (hollow tube section 132:filter segment) is not particularly limited, but from the standpoint of the amount of flavor delivered and the appropriate aerosol temperature, it is usually 0.60-1.40:0.60-1.40, preferably 0.80-1.20:0.80-1.20, more preferably 0.85-1.15:0.85-1.15, even more preferably 0.90-1.10:0.90-1.10, and particularly preferably 0.95-1.05:0.95-1.05. By setting the length ratio of the hollow tube section 132 and the filter segment (hollow filter section 240 and filter plug 250) within the above range, it is possible to achieve a cooling effect, an effect of suppressing loss due to adhesion of the generated steam or aerosol to the inner wall of the hollow tube section 132, and an effect of providing a good and strong flavor by balancing the filter's air volume and flavor adjustment functions. In particular, if the hollow tube section 132 is made longer, the particulation of aerosols and the like is promoted, resulting in a good flavor, but if it is too long, the substances passing through will adhere to the inner wall.

The flavor generating section 220 is disposed adjacent to the downstream of the tip plug 112. The flavor generating section 220 includes a flavor source 221 and a cigarette paper 222 around which the flavor source 221 is wrapped. The characteristic configuration of the flavor generating section 220 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail later. The form of the flavor generating section 220 is not particularly limited as long as it is a known form, but is usually a form in which the flavor source 221 is wrapped with cigarette paper 222. The flavor source 221 is wrapped with cigarette paper 222 so that it is on the inside to form the flavor generating section 220. The flavor source 221 may contain tobacco-derived materials such as a tobacco filler. The tobacco filler is not particularly limited, and the first tobacco filler or the second tobacco filler described later can be used. In addition, in this specification, molded products of dried tobacco such as tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, tobacco granules, etc. described later may be simply referred to as "dried tobacco leaves". The flavor generating unit 220 may also have a fitting portion for engaging with a heat source 40 for heating the tobacco product.

The flavor generating section 220, which is formed by wrapping the flavor source 221 in wrapping paper 222, preferably has a columnar shape, and in this case, the aspect ratio represented by the height of the flavor generating section 220 in the major axis direction relative to the width of the bottom surface of the flavor generating section 220 is preferably 1 or more. The shape of the bottom surface is not limited, and may be polygonal, rounded polygonal, circular, elliptical, etc. The width of the bottom surface is the diameter if the bottom surface is circular, the major axis if the bottom surface is elliptical, and the diameter of the circumscribing circle or the major axis of the circumscribing ellipse if the bottom surface is polygonal or rounded polygonal.

The length of the flavor generating section 220 in the major axis direction can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the product, but is usually 4 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more, and more preferably 12 mm or more, and is usually 70 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, even more preferably 25 mm or less, and even more preferably 20 mm or less.

The ratio of the length of the flavor generating section 220 to the overall length of the flavor generating article 100 in the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the balance between the delivery amount and the aerosol temperature, it is usually 10% or more, preferably 20% or more, and usually 80% or less, preferably 70% or less, more preferably 60% or less, even more preferably 50% or less, particularly preferably 45% or less, and most preferably 40% or less.

The amount of dried tobacco leaves contained in the flavor generating section 220 is not particularly limited, but may be 150 mg/rod part or more and 800 mg/rod part or less, and preferably 200 mg/rod part or more and 600 mg/rod part or less.

First, the first tobacco filling (also simply referred to as the "first filling") will be described. The material of the tobacco shreds contained in the first filling is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and ribs can be used. The tobacco shreds may be manufactured by crushing dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to produce tobacco shreds, homogenizing the tobacco shreds and processing them into a sheet, and then shredding the homogenized sheet. The tobacco shreds may be of the so-called strand type, in which a homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating section 220 is shredded approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating section 220 and filled into the cigarette paper 222. The width of the tobacco shreds is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less in order to fill the cigarette paper 222.

Various kinds of tobacco can be used for the tobacco leaves used to prepare the tobacco shreds and homogenized sheet. Examples include flue-cured tobacco, burley, orient, native tobacco, other Nicotiana tabacum varieties, Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures of these. The above varieties can be appropriately blended to achieve the desired flavor. Details of the tobacco varieties are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009." There are several conventional methods known for producing the homogenized sheet, that is, for grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into a homogenized sheet. The first method is to produce a paper-making sheet using a papermaking process. The second method is to mix a suitable solvent such as water with the ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and then cast the homogenized mixture thinly on a metal plate or metal plate belt and dry it to produce a cast sheet. The third method is to mix a suitable solvent such as water with the ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and extrude the mixture into a sheet to produce a rolled sheet. Details of the types of homogenizing sheets mentioned above are disclosed in the "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009."

The moisture content of the tobacco filling is, for example, 10% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less, and preferably 11% by weight or more and 13% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco filling. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of rolling stains and improves the suitability of the flavor generating unit 220 for rolling during manufacture. There are no particular restrictions on the size of the tobacco shreds contained in the first tobacco filling or the method of preparing them. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm may be used for the first tobacco filling. In addition, when using a crushed homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into a sheet, and the sheet may be shredded to a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm for use in the first tobacco filling.

The first tobacco filling may include an aerosol source that generates an aerosol. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and/or their components may be selected depending on the application. Examples of aerosol sources include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.

The content of the aerosol source in the first tobacco filling is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco filling.

The first tobacco filling may contain a flavoring as a flavoring ingredient. The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, and examples of flavorings from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor include acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob oil, and the like. Solute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2 -one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4 -Methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene Sen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, immortelle absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone , Methyl anthranilate, Methyl phenylacetate, Methyl salicylate, 4'-Methylacetophenone, Methylcyclopentenolone, 3-Methylvaleric acid, Mimosa absolute, Honey bean, Myristic acid, Nerol, Nerolidol, γ-Nonalactone, Nutmeg oil, δ-Octalactone, Octanal, Octanoic acid, Orange flower oil, Orange oil, Orris root oil, Palmitic acid, ω-Pentadecalactone, Peppermint oil, Petitgrain Paraguay oil, Phenethyl alcohol, Phenethyl phenylacetate, Phenylacetic acid, Piperonal, Plum extract, Propenyl guaiacetate , propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, alpha-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethylpyrazine, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane ... trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being particularly preferred. These flavorings may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of the flavoring in the first tobacco filling is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is usually 10,000 ppm or more, preferably 20,000 ppm or more, more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, and is usually 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.

The filling density of the first tobacco filling material is not particularly limited, but from the standpoint of ensuring the performance of the flavor generating article 100 and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 250 mg/ ^cm3 or more, preferably 300 mg/ ^cm3 or more, and usually 400 mg/ ^cm3 or less, preferably 350 mg/ ^cm3 or less.

The second tobacco filling is composed of a tobacco sheet filled into the filling (e.g., cigarette paper 222). The number of tobacco sheets may be one or more. When the second tobacco filling is composed of one tobacco sheet, for example, a filling mode (so-called gathered sheet) in which a tobacco sheet with one side having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling is folded multiple times along folds approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the filling is included. Another example of the above mode is a mode in which a tobacco sheet with one side having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling is filled in a state where it is wound around the longitudinal axis of the filling.

In the case where the second tobacco filling is composed of two or more tobacco sheets, for example, a plurality of tobacco sheets, one side of which has a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the filling, are packed in a state of being wound around the longitudinal axis of the filling so as to be arranged concentrically. "Arranged concentrically" means that all of the tobacco sheets are arranged so that their centers are in approximately the same position. The number of tobacco sheets is not particularly limited, but examples include two, three, four, five, six, or seven. The two or more tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. The thickness of each tobacco sheet may be the same or different.

The second tobacco filler can be manufactured by preparing a plurality of tobacco sheets of different widths, stacking them so that the width decreases from the bottom to the top, and passing this through a rolling tube to roll and shape it. According to this manufacturing method, the plurality of tobacco sheets extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis. A fitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction may also be formed between the longitudinal axis and the innermost tobacco sheet.

In this manufacturing method, the laminate is preferably prepared so that a non-contact portion is formed between adjacent tobacco sheets after rolling. If there is a non-contact portion (gap) between multiple tobacco sheets where the tobacco sheets do not contact, a flavor flow path can be secured and the delivery efficiency of the flavor components can be improved. On the other hand, heat from the heater can be transferred to the outer tobacco sheet through the contact portion of the multiple tobacco sheets, so that high heat transfer efficiency can be secured. In order to provide a non-contact portion between multiple tobacco sheets where the tobacco sheets do not contact, for example, a method of using an embossed tobacco sheet, a method of laminating adjacent tobacco sheets without bonding the entire surfaces of the sheets, a method of laminating adjacent tobacco sheets by bonding parts of the sheets, or a method of preparing a laminate by laminating adjacent tobacco sheets by lightly bonding the entire surfaces or parts of the sheets so that they can be peeled off after rolling. When preparing the flavor generating portion 220 including the cigarette paper 222, the cigarette paper 222 may be placed at the bottom of the laminate. It is also possible to form the fitting portion by placing a cylindrical dummy such as a mandrel on the top of the laminate to form the second tobacco filler, and then removing the dummy.

The filling density of the second tobacco filling material is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the flavor generating article 100 and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 250 mg/ ^cm3 or more, preferably 300 mg/ ^cm3 or more, and usually 400 mg/ ^cm3 or less, preferably 350 mg/ ^cm3 or less.

The tobacco sheet may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated. A polyol such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or 1,3-butanediol is added as the aerosol source. The amount of the aerosol source added is preferably 5% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less, and more preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.

Tobacco sheets can be appropriately manufactured by known methods such as papermaking, slurrying, rolling, etc. The homogenized sheet described in the first tobacco filler can also be used. In the case of papermaking, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. (1) Dried tobacco leaves are roughly crushed and extracted with water to separate them into a water extract and a residue. (2) The water extract is dried under reduced pressure and concentrated. (3) Pulp is added to the residue, which is then fiberized in a refiner and made into paper. (4) A concentrated liquid of the water extract is added to the paper-made sheet and dried to obtain a tobacco sheet. In this case, a step of removing some of the components such as nitrosamines may be added (see JP2004-510422A). In the case of the slurry method, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. (1) Water, pulp, and a binder are mixed with crushed tobacco leaves. (2) The mixture is thinly spread (cast) and dried. In this case, a step may be added in which a slurry of water, pulp, binder, and crushed tobacco leaves is irradiated with ultraviolet light or X-rays to remove some of the components, such as nitrosamines.

In addition, as described in WO 2014/104078, a nonwoven tobacco sheet can be used that is manufactured by a method including the following steps: (1) Mixing powdered tobacco leaves with a binder. (2) Sandwiching the mixture between nonwoven fabrics. (3) Forming the laminate into a certain shape by thermal welding to obtain a nonwoven tobacco sheet. The raw tobacco leaves used in each of the above methods can be of the same type as those described for the first filling material.

The composition of the tobacco sheet is not particularly limited, but for example, the content of tobacco raw material (tobacco leaves) is preferably 50% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may also contain a binder, and examples of such binders include guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose), etc. The amount of binder is preferably 1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may further contain other additives. Examples of additives include fillers such as pulp. In this embodiment, multiple tobacco sheets are used, and the tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties.

There are no restrictions on the thickness of each tobacco sheet, but in terms of the balance between heat transfer efficiency and strength, a thickness of 150 μm or more and 1000 μm or less is preferable, and a thickness of 200 μm or more and 600 μm or less is even more preferable. The thicknesses of each tobacco sheet may be the same or different.

The flavor generating section 220 may contain dried tobacco leaves (dried tobacco leaves) and a flavor-containing material in which a flavor is encapsulated in a polysaccharide gel. The flavor-containing material is a material in which a flavor is encapsulated in a polysaccharide gel, and by incorporating the flavor-containing material in the flavor generating section 220, the variation in the amount of flavor delivered per puff is suppressed from the early to late stages of smoking, and a good flavor can be continuously obtained. The inventors speculate that the reason for this is as follows. First, the flavor generating article 100 is inserted into the flavor inhaler 200 shown in FIG. 1 and smoking is started after a certain period of preheating. If a flavor is directly incorporated into the flavor generating section 220, the flavor volatilizes during preheating and most of it is delivered in the early stages of smoking, so it is thought that the amount of flavor delivered in the later stages of smoking will be insufficient. In contrast, when a flavor-containing material is blended into the flavor generating section 220, the flavor is coated with a polysaccharide gel, which suppresses the evaporation of the flavor during preheating and gradually releases the flavor during smoking. Therefore, it is assumed that a sufficient amount of flavor can be delivered even in the later stages of smoking.

The components of the fragrance-containing material are described below. The type of fragrance is not particularly limited, and examples of fragrances from the viewpoint of imparting a good fragrance tone include acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, etc. Lute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2- on, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4- Methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene 1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, immortelle absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone , Methyl anthranilate, Methyl phenylacetate, Methyl salicylate, 4'-Methylacetophenone, Methylcyclopentenolone, 3-Methylvaleric acid, Mimosa absolute, Honey bean, Myristic acid, Nerol, Nerolidol, γ-Nonalactone, Nutmeg oil, δ-Octalactone, Octanal, Octanoic acid, Orange flower oil, Orange oil, Orris root oil, Palmitic acid, ω-Pentadecalactone, Peppermint oil, Petitgrain Paraguay oil, Phenethyl alcohol, Phenethyl phenylacetate, Phenylacetic acid, Piperonal, Plum extract, Propenyl guaiacetate , propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, alpha-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethylpyrazine, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane ... trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being particularly preferred. These flavorings may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The amount of flavoring contained in the flavoring-containing material varies depending on the type of flavoring, the type of polysaccharide, etc., but is usually 18% by mass or more, preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, and is usually 90% by mass or less, preferably 80% by mass or less.

The type of polysaccharide is not particularly limited, but is preferably a single-component system of carrageenan, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, psyllium seed gum, or konjac glucomannan; or a composite system combining two or more components selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, konjac glucomannan, starch, cassia gum, and psyllium seed gum. These polysaccharides are preferred in that they gel simply by heating to 30°C to 90°C in an aqueous solution, so no gelling agent such as metal chlorides is required when preparing the flavor-containing material, and they do not generate undesirable components in the mainstream smoke during smoking, such as decomposition products of chlorides.

The fragrance-containing material may contain an emulsifier used to emulsify the raw materials during preparation. There are no particular limitations on the type of emulsifier, and examples include lecithin, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, etc., with lecithin being preferred. These emulsifiers may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

The method for preparing the fragrance-containing material is not particularly limited, and the material can be prepared by a method similar to a known method. Known methods include those described in WO 2011/118040, JP 2013-099349, WO 2012/118034, etc. More specifically, the fragrance-containing material can be prepared, for example, by a method including the following steps (i) and (ii).
(i) preparing an aqueous solution of a polysaccharide by heating a mixture of a polysaccharide and water to a temperature of typically 30° C. to 90° C., preferably 60° C. to 90° C.; and (ii) adding a flavor and, if necessary, an emulsifier to the aqueous solution and kneading the mixture to obtain an emulsion slurry.

The content of the flavor-containing material in the flavor generating section 220 depends on the content of the flavor in the flavor-containing material, but is usually 1% by mass or more, preferably 5% by mass or more, and usually 20% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less, based on the dried tobacco leaves. The flavor generating section 220 also contains a flavor-containing material such that the content of the flavor contained in the flavor-containing material is usually 1 mg or more, preferably 5 mg or more, more preferably 10 mg or more, and usually 30 mg or more, preferably 20 mg or less. By setting the content of the flavor-containing material in the flavor generating section 220 within the above range, not only can a good flavor tone be imparted, but also the variation in the amount of flavor delivered per puff can be suppressed from the early to late stages of smoking, and a sufficient delivery amount can be ensured in all stages of smoking, from the early to late stages.

The manner in which the flavor-containing material is blended into the flavor generating section 220 is not particularly limited, and the flavor-containing material may be disposed inside and/or outside the cigarette paper 222 that wraps the flavor source 221, the cigarette paper 222 may be impregnated with the flavor-containing material, or the flavor-containing material may be blended into the tobacco filler. When the flavor-containing material is disposed inside and/or outside the cigarette paper 222 that wraps the flavor source 221, the emulsion slurry may be applied to the cigarette paper 222, or the emulsion slurry may be cast on a substrate in sequence and dried to form a flavor-containing sheet, and the flavor source 221 may be wrapped together with the cigarette paper. The cigarette paper 222 impregnated with the flavor-containing material may be produced by impregnating the cigarette paper 222 with the emulsion slurry and drying it. In addition, when blending a flavor-containing material into a tobacco filler, the emulsion slurry may be applied to or impregnated into dried tobacco leaves, or the flavor-containing sheet or shredded or pulverized material thereof may be mixed with dried tobacco.

2 and 3, the flavor source 221 may be block-shaped or may be cylindrical, for example. When the flavor source 221 is cylindrical, a gap may be formed inside the flavor source 221, extending in the direction in which the flavor source 221 and the tip plug 112 are adjacent to each other. In this case, the flavor source 221 is located outside the flavor generating article 100, and the gap is located inside the flavor source 221, so that when the flavor generating article 100 is heated from the outside in the flavor inhaler 200, the flavor source 221 can be heated efficiently. In addition, when using a flavor inhaler 200 that heats the flavor generating article 100 from the outside, the flavor source 221 is not disposed inside the flavor generating article 100, which is a position where heat is not easily transmitted and does not easily contribute to the generation of steam or aerosol, so that the amount of the flavor source 221 can be saved while suppressing a decrease in the amount of steam or aerosol. The cylindrical flavor source 221 may be formed, for example, by rolling a sheet-like flavor source 221 into a cylindrical shape.

The configuration of the cigarette paper 222 used in the flavor generating product 100 is not particularly limited and can be of a general type. Specifically, for example, the cigarette paper can be mainly made of pulp. Pulp can be wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, esparto, or other pulps generally used in cigarette papers for tobacco products, and the cigarette paper can be obtained by papermaking one or more of these pulps. These pulps can be used alone or in combination of multiple types in any ratio. Pulp can be chemical pulp obtained by kraft cooking, acidic/neutral/alkaline sulfite cooking, soda salt cooking, etc., ground pulp, chemi-ground pulp, thermomechanical pulp, etc.

The above pulp can be used in a papermaking process using a Fourdrinier papermaking machine, a cylinder papermaking machine, or a combined cylinder and short-drain papermaking machine to produce a wrapping paper with a uniform texture. If necessary, a wet strength agent can be added to the wrapping paper to impart water resistance, or a sizing agent can be added to adjust the printing condition of the wrapping paper. Furthermore, a papermaking internal additive and a papermaking additive can be added to the wrapping paper. The papermaking internal additive can include, for example, aluminum sulfate, various anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric retention improvers, drainage improvers, and paper strength enhancers. The papermaking additive can include, for example, dyes, pH adjusters, defoamers, pitch control agents, slime control agents, and the like.

The basis weight of the base paper of the wrapping paper is, for example, usually 30 gsm or more, preferably 35 gsm or more. On the other hand, the above basis weight is usually 70 gsm or less, preferably 50 gsm or less, and more preferably 45 gsm or less. The thickness of the wrapping paper having the above characteristics is not particularly limited, and is preferably 40 μm or more from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking, and is usually 100 μm or less, preferably 75 μm or less, and more preferably 60 μm or less. The wrapping paper of the flavor-generating product 100 may have a square or rectangular shape. In the case of the wrapping paper 222 for wrapping the flavor source 221 (for manufacturing the flavor-generating section 220), the length of one side of the wrapping paper 222 may be about 12 mm to 70 mm, and the length of the other side (the side connected to the above side) may be 15 mm to 28 mm, preferably 22 mm to 24 mm, and more preferably about 23 mm.

When wrapping the flavor source 221 in the wrapping paper 222 in a cylindrical shape, for example, the end of the wrapping paper 222 in the width direction and the end on the opposite side can be overlapped by about 2 mm and glued together. This gives the wrapping paper 222 a cylindrical paper tube shape, into which the flavor source 221 is filled. The size of the rectangular wrapping paper 222 can be determined depending on the size of the flavor generating unit 220. In the case of wrapping paper that connects and wraps the flavor generating unit 220 and other components adjacent to the flavor generating unit 220, the length of one side can be 20 mm to 60 mm, and the length of the other side (the side connected to the above side) can be 15 mm to 28 mm.

In addition to the pulp, the wrapping paper may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, and preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the wrapping paper. When the basis weight of the wrapping paper is in the preferred range (35 gsm or more and 50 gsm or less), the filler is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. Furthermore, when the basis weight of the wrapping paper is more than 35 gsm and 50 gsm or less, the filler is preferably 25% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. As the filler, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc. can be used, but it is preferable to use calcium carbonate from the viewpoint of enhancing flavor and whiteness, etc.

Various auxiliary agents other than the base paper and fillers may be added to the wrapping paper. For example, a water resistance improver may be added to the wrapping paper to improve water resistance. The water resistance improver may include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. The wet strength agent may include, for example, urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE). The sizing agent may include, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more. A paper strength agent may be added to the wrapping paper as an auxiliary agent. The paper strength agent may include, for example, polyacrylamide, cationic starch, oxidized starch, CMC, polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, polyvinyl alcohol, and the like. In particular, it is known that the use of extremely small amounts of oxidized starch as an auxiliary agent in wrapping paper improves breathability (see, for example, JP 2017-218699 A).

A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the wrapping paper. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred. Examples of coating agents include alginic acid and its salts (e.g., sodium salts), polysaccharides such as pectin, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and nitrocellulose, starch and its derivatives (e.g., ether derivatives such as carboxymethyl starch, hydroxyalkyl starch, and cationic starch, and ester derivatives such as starch acetate, starch phosphate, and starch octenyl succinate).

2 and 3, the tip plug 112 is located at the tip of the flavor generating article 100 and is configured to cover the end of the flavor source 221. That is, the tip plug 112 preferably extends from the first end 101 to the end of the flavor generating section 220 on the first end 101 side. This can prevent the flavor source 221 from falling out of the flavor generating article 100. Specifically, the tip plug 112 includes a first filter material 211 and a first inner plug wrap 212 around which the first filter material 211 is wrapped. The tip plug 112 may further include an aerosol source supported by the first filter material 211.

The first filter material 211 may be any material that is generally usable as a filter material for the flavor generating article 100. Specifically, the first filter material 211 may be, for example, paper, a plastic film, cellulose acetate, or a nonwoven fabric. The first filter material 211 is preferably paper. The length of the tip plug 112 in the long axis direction may be 1 mm or more, preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, and may be 11 mm or less, preferably 8 mm or less. The tip plug 112 may be manufactured to a predetermined length, and then cut to any length. If the tip plug 112 is less than 1 mm long, it may not maintain its shape when cut, and there is a risk of deformation, such as crushing. If the length of the tip plug 112 in the long axis direction is 1 mm or more, the tip plug 112 can be manufactured relatively easily.

The paper used as the first filter medium 211 may be the same as the paper used as the paper filter of the flavor generating article 100. The paper used as the first filter medium 211 has a thickness of, for example, 20 μm or more and 1500 μm or less, and a basis weight of, for example, 20 gsm or more and 50 gsm or less. The paper used as the first filter medium 211 preferably has a rectangular shape, in which case one side may have a length approximately equal to the length of the tip plug 112, and the other side may have a length of 100 mm or more and 300 mm or less. Although the thickness, basis weight, and size of the paper used as the first filter medium 211 have been described, these values refer to the values of the paper before it is subjected to a shaping process (for example, a process of pleating, etc.). When the first filter medium 211 is made of a material other than paper and has a sheet shape, such a first filter medium 211 may have the same thickness and size as paper.

The first filter medium 211 may be formed from a sheet shaped like a corrugated plate and folded in the direction of the waves. This sheet is preferably paper. The first filter medium 211 is formed when such a corrugated sheet is folded in the direction of the waves so as to form a cylindrical shape as a whole. At this time, the first filter medium 211 may be formed with a plurality of air flow paths extending in the length direction of the first filter medium 211 from the upstream end to the downstream end.

The first filter material 211 may not contain tobacco materials such as tobacco shreds or sheet tobacco. The material of the first inner plug wrap 212 is not particularly limited, and any known material may be used. The first inner plug wrap 212 may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the first inner plug wrap 212 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm to 140 μm, preferably 30 μm to 130 μm, and more preferably 30 μm to 120 μm. The basis weight of the first inner plug wrap 212 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 gsm to 100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm to 95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm to 90 gsm. The first inner plug wrap 212 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the viewpoint of imparting functions other than strength and structural rigidity.

Hereinafter, when a component is "solid," this includes the case where the space connecting the first end 101 side and the second end 102 side of the component is filled with a filler so that air can pass through. Therefore, the filler may be composed of a fibrous or porous material. In addition, when a component is "filled," this refers to the filler being disposed to the extent that air resistance is generated in the component.

The tip plug 112 is preferably solid. In the tip plug 112, a first filter material 211 is disposed in a space that communicates between the first end 101 side and the second end 102 side of the tip plug 112. This makes it possible to prevent the steam or aerosol generated in the flavor source 221 (described later) contained in the flavor generating section 220 from leaking from the upstream side of the flavor generating article 100. The tip plug 112 may be a solid or hollow acetate filter.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flavor generating article 100 preferably has a downstream section 130 disposed downstream of the flavor source 221. In this case, the downstream section 130 can cool and filter the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 221. Specifically, the downstream section 130 preferably includes a filter plug 250. This allows the filter plug 250 to cool and filter the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source.

The filter plug 250 is located at the end of the flavor generating article 100 on the mouth side. The filter plug 250 is preferably solid. The filter plug 250 includes a second filter material 251 and a second inner plug wrap 252 around which the second filter material 251 is wrapped. The filter material used for the second filter material 251 is not particularly limited as long as it has a general filter function. General functions of a filter include, for example, adjusting the amount of air mixed in when inhaling aerosols, reducing flavor, and reducing nicotine and tar, but it is not necessary for the filter material used for the second filter material 251 to have all of these functions. In addition, in electrically heated tobacco products, which tend to generate fewer components and have a lower tobacco filler filling rate compared to cigarette products, one of the important functions is to suppress the filtering function while preventing the tobacco filler from falling.

The shape of the filter plug 250 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is substantially circular. The diameter of the circle can be changed as appropriate to suit the size of the product, but is usually 4.0 mm to 9.0 mm, preferably 4.5 mm to 8.5 mm, and more preferably 5.0 mm to 8.0 mm. If the cross section of the filter plug 250 is not circular, the above diameter applies to the diameter of a circle having the same area as the area of the cross section.

The circumference of the filter plug 250 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction can be changed as appropriate to suit the size of the product, but is usually 14.0 mm or more and 27.0 mm or less, preferably 15.0 mm or more and 26.0 mm or less, and more preferably 16.0 mm or more and 25.0 mm or less.

The length of the filter plug 250 in the longitudinal direction can be changed as appropriate to suit the size of the product, but is usually 15 mm to 35 mm, preferably 17.5 mm to 32.5 mm, and more preferably 20.0 mm to 30.0 mm. The shape and dimensions of the filter medium used in the second filter medium 251 can be adjusted as appropriate so that the shape and dimensions of the filter plug 250 are within the above ranges.

The airflow resistance per 120 mm of the filter plug 250 in the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited, but is usually 40 mmH ₂ O to 300 mmH ₂ O, preferably 70 mmH ₂ O to 280 mmH ₂ O, and more preferably 90 mmH ₂ O to 260 mmH ₂ O. The airflow resistance is measured according to the ISO standard method (ISO6565), for example, using a filter airflow resistance measuring device manufactured by Cerulean Co., Ltd. The airflow resistance of the filter plug refers to the air pressure difference between the first end face and the second end face when air is flowed at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/sec) from one end face (first end face) to the other end face (second end face) in a state in which air does not pass through the side face of the filter plug. The unit is generally expressed in mmH ₂ O. It is known that the relationship between the airflow resistance of a filter plug and its length is proportional within the length range typically used (5 mm to 200 mm), and if the length is doubled, the airflow resistance of the filter plug 250 doubles.

The filter medium constituting the second filter medium 251 of the filter plug 250 may be, for example, one manufactured by the manufacturing method described below, or a commercially available product. The form of the filter plug 250 is not particularly limited, and it may be a plain filter including a single filter segment, or a multi-segment filter including multiple filter segments, such as a dual filter or triple filter.

The filter plug 250 can be manufactured by a known method. For example, when synthetic fibers such as cellulose acetate tow are used as the material for the second filter medium 251, the filter plug 250 can be manufactured by spinning a polymer solution containing a polymer and a solvent and then crimping the polymer solution. For example, the method described in International Publication No. 2013/067511 can be used as the method. In manufacturing the filter plug 250, the air resistance and the additives added to the second filter medium 251 (known adsorbents and fragrances (e.g., menthol), granular activated carbon, fragrance retention materials, etc.) can be appropriately designed.

The form of the second filter material 251 constituting the filter plug 250 is not particularly limited, and a known form may be adopted. For example, cellulose acetate tow processed into a cylindrical shape can be used as the second filter material 251. The single thread fineness and total fineness of the cellulose acetate tow are not particularly limited, but in the case of a filter plug 250 with a circumference of 22 mm, the single thread fineness is preferably 5 g/9000 m or more and 12 g/9000 m or less, and the total fineness is preferably 12000 g/9000 m or more and 35000 g/9000 m or less. Examples of the cross-sectional shape of the fibers of the cellulose acetate tow include circular, elliptical, Y-shaped, I-shaped, and R-shaped. In the case of a filter filled with cellulose acetate tow, 5% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less of triacetin may be added to the cellulose acetate tow weight to improve the filter hardness. Also, instead of the acetate filter, a paper filter filled with sheet-like pulp paper may be used.

The density of the second filter medium 251 is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.10 g/cm ³ or more and 0.25 g/cm ³ or less, preferably 0.11 g/cm ³ or more and 0.24 g/cm ³ or less, and more preferably 0.12 g/cm ³ or more and 0.23 g/cm ³ or less.

The filter plug 250 may include a second inner plug wrap 252 around which the second filter medium 251 is wrapped, from the viewpoint of improving strength and structural rigidity. The form of the second inner plug wrap 252 is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of seams containing adhesive. The adhesive is not particularly limited, but may include a vinyl acetate adhesive or a hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive may further include polyvinyl alcohol. Furthermore, when the filter segment is composed of two or more segments, it is preferable that the second inner plug wrap 252 is wrapped around these two or more segments together.

The material of the second inner plug wrap 252 is not particularly limited, and may be a known material, and may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the second inner plug wrap 252 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm to 140 μm, preferably 30 μm to 130 μm, and more preferably 30 μm to 120 μm. The basis weight of the second inner plug wrap 252 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 gsm to 100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm to 95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm to 90 gsm. The second inner plug wrap 252 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the viewpoint of imparting functions other than strength and structural rigidity.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 may be connected, for example, by an outer plug wrap 260 (outer wrapping paper). The outer plug wrap 260 may be, for example, a cylindrical piece of paper.

The second filter medium 251 may include a crushable additive release container (e.g., a capsule) that includes a crushable shell such as gelatin. The form of the capsule (also referred to in the art as an "additive release container") is not particularly limited, and any known form may be adopted. For example, a crushable additive release container that includes a crushable shell such as gelatin may be adopted. In this case, when the capsule is broken by a user of the tobacco product before, during, or after use, it releases a liquid or substance (usually a flavoring agent) contained within the capsule, which is then transferred to tobacco smoke during use of the tobacco product and to the surrounding environment after use.

The capsule may have any shape, and may be, for example, a frangible capsule, and preferably has a spherical shape. The additive contained in the capsule may include any of the additives described above, and preferably includes flavorings and activated carbon. The additive may include one or more materials that help filter smoke. The additive may have any shape, and may be, for example, a liquid or solid. The use of capsules containing additives is well known in the art. Frangible capsules and methods for producing the same are well known in the art. The flavoring may be, for example, menthol, spearmint, peppermint, fenugreek, clove, medium chain triglyceride (MCT), or the like. The flavoring may be menthol, or menthol, or the like, or a combination thereof.

In this embodiment, a flavoring may be added to the second filter material 251. By adding a flavoring to the second filter material 251, the amount of flavoring delivered during use is increased compared to the conventional technology of adding a flavoring to the tobacco filler that constitutes the tobacco rod. The degree of increase in the amount of flavoring delivered is further increased depending on the position of the opening provided in the hollow tube portion 132 described below. There are no particular restrictions on the method of adding the flavoring to the second filter material 251, and it is sufficient to add the flavoring so that it is dispersed approximately uniformly in the second filter material 251 to which the flavoring is to be added. The amount of flavoring added to the second filter material 251 can be exemplified by adding the flavoring to 10 to 100% by volume of the second filter material 251. The flavoring may be added to the second filter material 251 in advance before the filter segment is constructed, or after the filter cigarette is constructed.

The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, and examples of flavorings from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor include acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob oil, etc. Absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran 2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy- 4-Methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene Xen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, immortelle absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone , methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, honeysuckle, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, γ-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, δ-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, ω-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenyl guaiete ethanol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, alpha-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6- trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl) 2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being particularly preferred. These flavorings may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The filter plug 250 of this embodiment includes a second filter medium 251, and activated carbon may be added to at least a part of the second filter medium 251. The amount of added activated carbon may be 15.0 m 2 /cm 2 or more and 80.0 m ² /cm ² or less as a value of the specific surface area of activated carbon × the weight of activated carbon / the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction of the second filter medium 251 in one flavor generating ^{article 100.} For convenience, the above-mentioned "specific surface area of activated carbon × the weight of activated carbon / the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction of the second filter medium 251" may be expressed as "the surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area". This surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be calculated based on the specific surface area of activated carbon added to the second filter medium 251 of one flavor generating article 100, the weight of the added activated carbon, and the cross-sectional area of the second filter medium 251. Incidentally, activated carbon may not be uniformly dispersed in the filter medium to which it is added, and it is not required that the above range be satisfied in all cross sections (cross sections perpendicular to the air flow direction) of the filter medium.

In this embodiment, by having the surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area within the above range, the components generated by heating can be delivered to the user in the desired amount and the user can be given the desired flavor. If the surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is smaller than the lower limit of the above range, the effect of adding the activated carbon cannot be fully obtained. On the other hand, if the surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is larger than the upper limit of the above range, the components generated by heating are reduced more than necessary. The surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is more preferably 17.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or more, and even more preferably 35.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or more. On the other hand, it is more preferably 77.0 m ² /cm ² or less, and even more preferably 73.0 m ² /cm ² or less.

The surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the specific surface area of the activated carbon, the amount of activated carbon added, and the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the air flow direction of the second filter medium 251. The calculation of the surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is based on the filter medium to which activated carbon has been added. If the filter plug 250 is made up of multiple filter mediums, the cross-sectional area and length of only the filter medium to which activated carbon has been added are used as the basis.

Examples of activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment include activated carbon made from raw materials such as wood, bamboo, coconut shells, walnut shells, and coal. Activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment has a BET specific surface area of 1100 m ³ /g or more and 1600 m ³ /g or less, preferably 1200 m ³ /g or more and 1500 m ³ /g or less, and more preferably 1250 m ³ /g or more and 1380 ^{m 3} /g or less. The BET specific surface area can be determined by a nitrogen gas adsorption method (BET multipoint method).

Also, the activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment has a pore volume of 400 μL/g or more and 800 μL/g or less, more preferably 500 μL/g or more and 750 μL/g or less, and even more preferably 600 μL/g or more and 700 μL/g or less. The pore volume can be calculated from the maximum adsorption amount obtained using the nitrogen gas adsorption method.

In this embodiment, the amount of activated carbon added per unit length in the air passage direction of the second filter medium 251 to which activated carbon has been added is preferably 5 mg/cm to 50 mg/cm, more preferably 8 mg/cm to 40 mg/cm, and even more preferably 10 mg/cm to 35 mg/cm. In this embodiment, by having the specific surface area of the activated carbon and the amount of activated carbon added within the above ranges, the surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted as desired.

In addition, the activated carbon that can be used in this embodiment preferably has a cumulative 10% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D10) of 250 μm or more and 1200 μm or less. In addition, the cumulative 50% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D50) of the activated carbon particles is preferably 350 μm or more and 1500 μm or less. D10 and D50 are measured by a laser diffraction scattering method. An example of an apparatus suitable for this measurement is the laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution measuring apparatus "LA-950" manufactured by Horiba, Ltd. A powder is poured into the cell of this apparatus together with pure water, and the particle diameter is detected based on the light scattering information of the particles. The measurement conditions using this apparatus are as follows.
Measurement mode: Manual flow-mode cell Measurement dispersion medium: Ion-exchanged water Dispersion method: Measured after 1 minute of ultrasonic irradiation Refractive index: 1.92-0.00i (sample refractive index) / 1.33-0.00i (dispersion medium refractive index)
Number of measurements: Measure twice using different samples

In this embodiment, the method of adding activated carbon to the second filter medium 251 is not particularly limited, and the activated carbon may be added so that it is dispersed approximately uniformly in the second filter medium 251 to which the activated carbon is to be added.

The filter plug 250 may be, for example, a commercially available product. The form of the filter plug 250 is not particularly limited, and may be a filter including a single filter segment, or a multi-segment filter including multiple filter segments such as a dual filter or triple filter. When the filter plug 250 is made of a single filter segment, the second filter medium 251 to which activated carbon is added becomes the filter plug 250 as it is. On the other hand, when it is made of multiple filter segments, it is preferable that the second filter medium 251 made of the filter medium to which activated carbon is added is arranged upstream of the filter medium constituting the suction end. On the other hand, activated carbon may be added to the filter medium constituting the suction end. When the filter segment is a multi-segment filter, the length of the filter segment that is the basis for the amount of activated carbon added is the length of the filter medium to which activated carbon is added. The amount of activated carbon added is, for example, 4.0 mg or more and 24.0 mg or less, preferably 4.5 mg or more and 23.0 mg or less, and more preferably 10.5 mg or more and 22.0 mg or less, in terms of weight relative to the entire filter segment.

The downstream section 130 may further include a hollow tube section 132 and a hollow filter section 240. The hollow filter section 240 is disposed adjacent to the downstream of the hollow tube section 132. The hollow filter section 240 includes a third filter material 241 and a third inner plug wrap 242 around which the third filter material 241 is wound. The third inner plug wrap 242 may be the same as the plug wrap used in cigarettes. The third inner plug wrap 242 may be omitted. The hollow filter section 240 may also be omitted. The positions of the filter plug 250 and the hollow filter section 240 may also be interchanged.

The hollow filter section 240 may include a third filter medium 241 having one or more hollow portions, and a third inner plug wrap 242 that covers the third filter medium 241. The hollow filter section 240 has a function of increasing the strength of the downstream section 130. The third filter medium 241 can be, for example, a rod with an inner diameter of φ1.0 mm to φ5.0 mm, which is densely packed with cellulose acetate fibers and hardened by adding a plasticizer containing triacetin at 6% by mass to 20% by mass relative to the mass of cellulose acetate. Since the third filter medium 241 has a high fiber packing density, air and aerosols flow only through the hollow portions during inhalation, and hardly flow inside the third filter medium 241. Since the third filter medium 241 inside the hollow filter section 240 is a fiber-packed layer, the feel from the outside during use is unlikely to cause discomfort to the user.

The hollow filter section 240 may include a third inner plug wrap 242 (wrap paper) around which the third filter material 241 is wrapped, from the viewpoint of improving strength and structural rigidity. The form of the third inner plug wrap 242 is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of seams containing adhesive. The type of adhesive is not particularly limited, but may include a vinyl acetate adhesive or a hot melt adhesive. The hot melt adhesive may include polyvinyl alcohol. Furthermore, when the hollow filter section 240 is made up of two or more segments, it is preferable that the third inner plug wrap 242 is wrapped around these two or more segments together.

The material of the third inner plug wrap 242 is not particularly limited, and may be a known material, and may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate. The thickness of the third inner plug wrap 242 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm to 140 μm, preferably 30 μm to 130 μm, and more preferably 30 μm to 120 μm. The basis weight of the third inner plug wrap 242 is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 gsm to 100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm to 95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm to 90 gsm. The third inner plug wrap 242 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the viewpoint of imparting functions other than strength and structural rigidity.

The length of the hollow filter section 240 in the longitudinal direction can be changed as appropriate to suit the size of the product, but is usually 15 mm to 35 mm, preferably 17.5 mm to 32.5 mm, and more preferably 20.0 mm to 30.0 mm. The shape and dimensions of the filter material used in the third filter material 241 can be adjusted as appropriate so that the shape and dimensions of the hollow filter section 240 are within the above ranges.

The hollow tube section 132 is sandwiched adjacent to the flavor generating section 220 and the hollow filter section 240 or the filter plug 250 (when the hollow filter section 240 is not present), and is usually a rod-shaped member having a cavity in which the circumferential cross section of the cylinder or the like is hollow (hollow). The hollow tube section 132 may be, for example, a paper tube. The length of the long axis direction of the hollow tube section 132 can be changed appropriately according to the size of the product, but is usually 10 mm or more, preferably 15 mm or more, more preferably 20 mm or more, and is usually 40 mm or less, preferably 35 mm or less, and more preferably 30 mm or less. By setting the length of the long axis direction of the hollow tube section 132 to the above lower limit or more, a sufficient cooling effect can be ensured to obtain a good flavor, and by setting it to the above upper limit or less, loss due to adhesion of the generated steam or aerosol to the inner wall of the hollow tube section 132 can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the cross-sectional area of the hollow portion of the hollow tube section 132 is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the flavor source 221 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the difference between the diameter of the hollow tube section 132 and the diameter of the flavor source 221 in the above cross section is within 10%). By disposing the hollow tube section 132 whose cross-sectional area of the hollow portion is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the flavor source 221 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction downstream of the flavor source 221, it is possible to prevent the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor source 221 from condensing due to the narrowing of the flow path and adhering to the inner wall of the hollow tube section 132.

When a sheet for cooling (e.g., a polylactic acid sheet packed in a gathered state) is filled into the hollow tube 132, the total surface area of the hollow tube 132 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, 300 ^mm2 /mm or more and 1000 ^mm2 /mm or less. This surface area is the surface area per mm of the length in the air passage direction of the hollow tube 132. The total surface area of the hollow tube 132 is preferably 400 ^mm2 /mm or more, more preferably 450 ^mm2 /mm or more, while it is preferably 600 ^mm2 /mm or less, and more preferably 550 ^mm2 /mm or less.

It is desirable for hollow tube 132 to have an internal structure with a large total surface area. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, hollow tube 132 may be formed from a thin sheet of material that is wrinkled to form channels, and then pleated, gathered, and folded. The more folds or pleats there are in hollow tube 132, the greater the total surface area of hollow tube 132. The thickness of the material from which hollow tube 132 is made is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 5 μm to 500 μm, or 10 μm to 250 μm.

2 and 3, the hollow tube section 132 may have openings vf (also referred to as ventilation filters in this technical field) in the circumferential direction and concentrically. The presence of the openings vf allows air to flow into the hollow tube section 132 from the outside during use, lowering the temperature of the components and air flowing in from the flavor generating section 220. The openings vf may be provided in an area of 4 mm or more toward the hollow tube section 132 from the boundary between the hollow tube section 132 and the hollow filter section 240 or the filter plug 250 (when the hollow filter section 240 is not present). In this case, the openings vf not only improve the cooling capacity of the hollow tube section 132, but also suppress the retention of components generated by heating in the hollow tube section 132, thereby improving the delivery amount of the components. In addition, when an aerosol source is used in the flavor generating unit 220, the vapor containing volatile components and tobacco flavor components that is generated by heating the flavor generating article 100 comes into contact with air from the outside and is cooled, causing it to liquefy, facilitating the generation of the aerosol.

Furthermore, when the concentrically arranged openings vf are regarded as one opening group, the number of opening groups may be one or more. When there are two or more opening groups, from the viewpoint of improving the delivery amount of the components generated by heating, it is preferable not to provide an opening group in an area less than 4 mm toward the hollow tube section 132 from the boundary between the hollow tube section 132 and the hollow filter section 240 or the filter plug 250 (when the hollow filter section 240 is not present).

Furthermore, when the hollow tube portion 132 is wrapped with tipping paper 270, it is preferable that the tipping paper 270 has an opening at a position directly above the opening vf provided in the hollow tube portion 132. When producing such a flavor-generating article 100, it is possible to prepare and wrap tipping paper 270 with an opening that overlaps with the opening vf, but from the viewpoint of ease of production, it is preferable to produce the flavor-generating article 100 using a hollow tube portion 132 that does not have the opening vf, and then to open a hole that penetrates the hollow tube portion 132 and the tipping paper 270 at the same time.

From the viewpoint of improving the delivery of components generated by heating, the region where the apertures vf exist is preferably a region of 4.5 mm or more from the boundary between the hollow tube section 132 and the hollow filter section 240 or the filter plug 250 (when the hollow filter section 240 is not present) toward the hollow tube section 132 side, more preferably a region of 5 mm or more, and even more preferably a region of 5.5 mm or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ensuring cooling function, the region where the apertures vf exist is preferably a region of 15 mm or less from the boundary toward the hollow tube section 132 side, more preferably a region of 10 mm or less, and even more preferably a region of 7 mm or less.

From the viewpoint of improving the delivery of the components generated by heating, the region in which the apertures vf exist is preferably a region of 24 mm or more from the mouth end of the flavor generating article 100 toward the hollow tube portion 132, preferably a region of 24.5 mm or more, preferably a region of 25 mm or more, and more preferably a region of 25.5 mm or more. Also, from the viewpoint of ensuring a cooling function, the region in which the apertures vf exist is preferably a region of 35 mm or less from the mouth end of the flavor generating article 100 toward the hollow tube portion 132, more preferably a region of 30 mm or less, and even more preferably a region of 27 mm or less.

In addition, when the axial length of the hollow tube section 132 is 20 mm or more, the region in which the openings vf exist is preferably a region of 5 mm or more from the boundary between the hollow tube section 132 and the flavor generating section 220 toward the hollow tube section 132 side, from the viewpoint of ensuring the cooling function, more preferably a region of 10 mm or more, and even more preferably a region of 13 mm or more. In addition, when the axial length of the hollow tube section 132 is 20 mm or more, the region in which the openings vf exist is preferably a region of 16 mm or less from the boundary between the hollow tube section 132 and the flavor generating section 220, more preferably a region of 15.5 mm or less, even more preferably a region of 15 mm or less, and especially preferably a region of 14.5 mm or less, from the viewpoint of improving the delivery of the components generated by heating.

The apertures vf can be set so that the air inflow rate from the apertures vf when inhaling at 17.5 ml/sec with an automatic smoking machine (the volumetric rate of air inflowing from the apertures vf when the volumetric rate of air inhaled from the mouth end is 100%) is 10 to 90 volume%, preferably 50 to 80 volume%, more preferably 55 to 75 volume%. Such an air inflow rate can be achieved, for example, by selecting the number of apertures vf per aperture group from the range of 5 to 50, and selecting the diameter of the apertures vf from the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. The above air inflow rate can be measured using a roll measuring machine (for example, SODIMAX d74/SODIM manufactured by S.A.S.) in accordance with a method conforming to ISO9512. The apertures vf may be circular or elliptical. When the apertures vf are elliptical, the major axis of the apertures vf is selected from the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

The configuration of the outer plug wrap 280 is not particularly limited and may be of a general type. Specifically, for example, the outer plug wrap 280 may be mainly composed of pulp. Pulp may be wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, esparto, or other pulp generally used in cigarette paper for tobacco products, and the outer plug wrap 280 is obtained by papermaking one or more of these pulps. These pulps may be used alone or in combination of multiple types in any ratio. Pulp may be chemical pulp obtained by kraft cooking, acidic, neutral, or alkaline sulfite cooking, soda salt cooking, or the like, ground pulp, chemi-ground pulp, thermomechanical pulp, or the like. The outer plug wrap 280 may be a commercially available product. The shape of the outer plug wrap 280 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, square or rectangular.

The basis weight of the outer plug wrap 280 is not particularly limited, but is usually 20 gsm to 70 gsm, preferably 30 gsm to 50 gsm, and more preferably 34 gsm to 38 gsm. The thickness of the outer plug wrap 280 is not particularly limited, but is usually 30 μm to 80 μm, preferably 33 μm to 50 μm, and more preferably 35 μm to 40 μm. The air permeability of the outer plug wrap 280 is not particularly limited, but is usually 0 Coresta units or more and 30,000 Coresta units or less, and preferably more than 0 Coresta units and 10,000 Coresta units or less. The air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is expressed as the flow rate (cm ³ ) of gas passing through an area of 1 cm ² per minute when the differential pressure between both sides of the paper is 1 kPa. One Coresta unit (1 Coresta unit, 1 CU) is cm ³ /(min·cm ² ) under 1 kPa.

The outer plug wrap 280 may contain a filler. Examples of fillers include metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, and gypsum. It is preferable that the outer plug wrap 280 contains calcium carbonate, particularly from the viewpoint of improving whiteness and opacity and increasing the heating rate. Furthermore, these fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

Various auxiliary agents may be added to the outer plug wrap 280. The outer plug wrap 280 may contain, for example, a water resistance improver. The water resistance improver may include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. The wet strength agent may include, for example, urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE). The sizing agent may include, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more.

A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the outer plug wrap 280. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred.

The configuration of the chip paper 270 is not particularly limited and may be of a general type. Specifically, for example, the chip paper 270 may be mainly composed of pulp. Pulp may be wood pulp such as softwood pulp or hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, esparto, or other pulp generally used for cigarette paper for tobacco products, and the chip paper 270 is obtained by papermaking one or more of these pulps. These pulps may be used alone or in combination of multiple types in any ratio. The type of pulp may be chemical pulp, ground pulp, chemi-ground pulp, thermomechanical pulp, etc., produced by the kraft cooking method, acidic/neutral/alkaline sulfite cooking method, and soda salt cooking method. The chip paper 270 may be a commercially available product. The shape of the chip paper 270 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, square or rectangular. Additionally, the flavor generating article 100 may have one tipping paper 270, but may also have multiple tipping papers 270.

The basis weight of the tipping paper 270 is not particularly limited, but is usually 32 gsm to 40 gsm, preferably 33 gsm to 39 gsm, and more preferably 34 gsm to 38 gsm. The air permeability of the tipping paper 270 is not particularly limited, but is usually 0 Coresta units to 30,000 Coresta units, and preferably more than 0 Coresta units to 10,000 Coresta units. The air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is expressed as the flow rate (cm ³ ) of gas passing through an area of 1 cm ² per minute when the differential pressure between both sides of the paper is 1 kPa. 1 Coresta unit (1 Coresta unit, 1 C.U.) is cm ³ /(min·cm ² ) under 1 kPa.

The chip paper 270 may contain a filler. Examples of fillers include metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, and gypsum. It is particularly preferable that the chip paper 270 contains calcium carbonate from the viewpoints of improving whiteness and opacity and increasing the heating rate. Furthermore, these fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

Various auxiliary agents may be added to the chip paper 270. The chip paper 270 may contain, for example, a water resistance improver. The water resistance improver may include a wet strength agent (WS agent) and a sizing agent. The wet strength agent may include, for example, urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE). The sizing agent may be, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more.

A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the tipping paper 270. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce the permeability to liquids is preferred.

A part of the outer surface of the tipping paper 270 may be covered with a lip release material. The lip release material means a material that helps the lips and the tipping paper 270 to easily separate without substantial adhesion when the user holds the mouthpiece of the flavor generating article 100 in the mouth. The lip release material may contain, for example, ethyl cellulose or methyl cellulose. For example, the outer surface of the tipping paper 270 may be coated with the lip release material by applying an ethyl cellulose-based or methyl cellulose-based ink to the outer surface of the tipping paper 270. In this embodiment, the lip release material is provided at least in a predetermined mouthpiece area that contacts the lips of the user when the user holds the mouthpiece in the mouth. More specifically, the lip release material may be provided on the outer surface of the tipping paper 270 between the mouthpiece end (the end of the filter plug 250) and the opening vf.

Next, the connection manner of each element constituting the flavor generating article 100 will be described. In FIG. 2, gaps are provided between the elements to make it easier to see how they are connected, but in the actual flavor generating article 100, as shown in FIG. 3, the elements are adjacent to each other without any gaps. In the flavor generating article 100 shown in FIG. 2, the five elements are connected using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the tipping paper 270. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer plug wrap 280 connects the tip plug 112, the flavor generating section 220, and the hollow tube section 132. Here, the outer plug wrap 280 is wrapped around the tip plug 112 and the entire flavor generating section 220, and a part of the hollow tube section 132 to cover them. This connected body is called the first connected body 285. The outer plug wrap 260 connects the hollow filter section 240 and the filter plug 250 by wrapping them around them to cover them. This connecting body is called the second connecting body 265. Furthermore, the tipping paper 270 connects the first connecting body 285 and the second connecting body 265. Here, the tipping paper 270 covers the entire second connecting body 265 and a part of the first connecting body 285, and exposes the first connecting body 285 at the upstream end. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the outer plug wrap 280 does not cover the downstream end of the hollow tube portion 132, and exposes the hollow tube portion 132 at the downstream end, but it may cover the downstream end of the hollow tube portion 132. In this case, it is preferable that the outer plug wrap 280 has an opening at a position directly above the opening vf provided in the hollow tube portion 132. As a result, it is preferable that the opening vf is provided so as to penetrate the tipping paper 270, the outer plug wrap 280, and the hollow tube portion 132.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing a flavor generating article 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The flavor generating article 100 shown in FIG. 4 differs from the flavor generating article 100 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 only in the manner of connection. In the flavor generating article 100 shown in FIG. 4, the five components are connected using an outer plug wrap 280, an outer plug wrap 260, and tipping paper 270. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer plug wrap 280 connects the tip plug 112 and the flavor generating section 220 by wrapping them so as to cover them entirely. This connection body is called a first connection body 285. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the outer plug wrap 260 connects the hollow filter section 240 and the filter plug 250 by wrapping them so as to cover them entirely. This connection body is called a second connection body 265. Furthermore, the tipping paper 270 connects the first connection body 285, the hollow tube section 132, and the second connection body 265. Here, the tipping paper 270 covers the entire hollow tube portion 132 and the second connecting body 265, and a part of the first connecting body 285, and exposes the first connecting body 285 at the upstream end. Five components may be connected in the form shown in FIG. 4. Note that in FIG. 4, the outer plug wrap 280 covers the flavor generating section 220 up to the downstream end, but the flavor generating section 220 may not be covered up to the downstream end of the flavor generating section 220 and may be exposed at the downstream end.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the flavor generating article 100 is properly inserted into the heating section 30 of the flavor inhaler 200, a part of the flavor generating article 100 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 200. Specifically, in the state shown in FIG. 1, all or a part of the second connecting body 265 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 200. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 1, a part of the hollow tube section 132 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 200. In this case, the opening vf formed in the hollow tube section 132 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 200, or may be located inside the flavor inhaler 200 (upstream of the opening through which the flavor generating article 100 is inserted). It is preferable that the opening vf formed in the hollow tube section 132 is located inside the flavor inhaler 200, since the opening vf is less likely to be blocked by the user.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 together with FIG. 3, the characteristic configuration of the flavor generating section 220 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor generating article 100 taken along the line A-A in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the flavor source 221 has a first region 223 close to the heat source 40 and a second region 224 farther from the heat source 40 than the first region 223 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the flavor source 221 is the first region 223, and the center side of the flavor source 221 is the second region 224. Note that when a pin or blade type heater inserted into the flavor generating article 100 is used instead of the heat source 40, the center side of the flavor source 221 is the first region 223, and the outer periphery side of the flavor source 221 is the second region 224.

Here, the porosity of the first region 223 and the porosity of the second region 224 are set to be different from each other. In this embodiment, the porosity of the first region 223 is set to be higher than the porosity of the second region 224. Since the porosity of the first region 223 is higher than the porosity of the second region 224, more air can be flowed in the first region 223 closer to the heating source 40 than in the second region 224, and as a result, the delivery efficiency of the first region 223 can be improved. The porosities of the first region 223 and the second region 224 can be set appropriately depending on the components to be delivered and the timing.

First region 223 may contain tobacco-derived raw materials. Examples of tobacco-derived raw materials include materials obtained by processing dried tobacco leaves, such as tobacco shreds, or tobacco extracts (extracts made from water, organic solvents, or mixed solutions thereof). First region 223 may be composed of one or more tobacco sheets. Tobacco sheets may be formed, for example, by processing dried tobacco leaves into a homogenized sheet (homogenized sheet) using known methods such as papermaking, slurrying, rolling, etc.

The first region 223 may be manufactured by chopping a homogenizing sheet. Furthermore, the first region 223 may be a so-called strand type in which a homogenizing sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the flavor source 221 is chopped approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the flavor source 221 and filled between the second region 224 and the wrapping paper 222. Since the first region 223 contains tobacco-derived raw materials, the flavor source 221 can generate vapor or aerosol containing tobacco-derived flavor components. The second region 224 may also contain tobacco-derived raw materials.

First region 223 may include an aerosol source (first volatile material). The aerosol source is a material that is heated to vaporize and cooled to generate an aerosol, or that generates an aerosol by atomization. The aerosol source may include at least one of a polyhydric alcohol, such as propylene glycol (PG), triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, and glycerin. Because the aerosol source includes at least one of a polyhydric alcohol, triethyl citrate, triacetin, and glycerin, flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol having a flavor.

The content of the aerosol source contained in the first region 223 is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the first region 223. Note that the second region 224 may also contain the aerosol source.

The second region 224 may contain a flavor ingredient (second volatile substance). The flavor ingredient is a material that generates a flavor when heated, and has a higher vapor pressure than the aerosol source. Specific examples of flavor ingredients are described below. The first region 223 may contain the flavor ingredient. Since the first region 223 contains the aerosol source and the second region 224 contains the flavor ingredient, the flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol having a flavor.

In addition, the base material constituting the first region 223 and the second region 224 may be tobacco cuttings, tobacco sheets, paper, or string that are filled so as to have different porosities. By making the base material constituting the first region 223 and the second region 224 be tobacco cuttings, tobacco sheets, paper, or string that are filled so as to have different porosities, the desired porosity can be easily achieved.

In the flavor source 221 according to this embodiment, the first region 223, which is close to the heating source 40, and the second region 224, which is farther from the heating source 40 than the first region 223, have different porosities, so that the ease of air flow differs between the first region 223 and the second region 224. Therefore, the first region 223 and the second region 224 have different delivery characteristics, and the delivery of the volatile substance can be easily controlled.

In particular, in the flavor source 221 according to this embodiment, the porosity of the first region 223 is higher than that of the second region 224, the first region 223 contains the aerosol source, and the second region 224 contains a flavor ingredient having a higher vapor pressure than the aerosol source. Therefore, by heating the aerosol source that is relatively less likely to volatilize in the first region 223 that is close to the heating source 40 and has a high porosity, that is, by heating the aerosol source that takes time to volatilize after heating starts in the first region 223 where there is a lot of air flow, the delivery of the aerosol at the initial stage of heating can be improved. Also, by heating the flavor ingredient that is more likely to volatilize in the second region 224 that is far from the heating source 40 and has a low porosity, that is, by heating the flavor ingredient that starts volatilizing immediately after heating starts in the second region 224 where there is little air flow, the delivery of the flavor ingredient can be delayed and the durability can be improved.

Below, we will explain the results of evaluating the delivery behavior of the flavor generating article 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that the following explanation is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the following example.

<Preparation of Volatile Composition>
First, a volatile composition was prepared as follows.

Volatile composition 1: Supported glycerin solution 99 parts by mass of glycerin containing 13 parts by mass of water and 1 part by mass of agar were heated and dissolved to prepare volatile composition 1. As the agar, "Ultra Agar Ina" (manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) was used.

Volatile composition 2-1: Menthol solution Volatile composition 2-1 was prepared by dissolving 70 parts by mass of menthol and 30 parts by mass of propylene glycol.

Volatile composition 2-2: Supported menthol solution 83 parts by mass of menthol and 17 parts by mass of hydroxypropyl cellulose were heated and dissolved to prepare volatile composition 2-2. As the hydroxypropyl cellulose, "Celny SSL" (manufactured by Nippon Soda Co., Ltd.) was used.

<Production of Flavor-Generating Article>
Next, a flavor generating article was produced as follows.

Flavor-generating article 1-1 (Comparative Example 1)
A flavor-generating article was prepared by folding and filling glassine paper based on a known method. Then, a rod (rod length 12 mm, rod diameter 7 mm, mass 86.4 mg) of glassine paper (original width 180 mm) included in the flavor source was entirely coated with volatile composition 1 so that the mass of glycerin was 17 mg, thereby producing flavor-generating article 1-1.

Flavor-Generating Article 1-2 (Example 1)
A flavor generating article was prepared in which a rod (rod length 12 mm, rod diameter 7 mm, mass 86.4 mg) of glassine paper (original width 180 mm) was used in a first region 223 close to the heat generating member in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating article, and a cotton string (diameter 3.5 mm) was used in a second region 224 farther from the heat generating member than the first region 223. Here, the first region 223 has a higher porosity than the second region 224. Thereafter, volatile composition 1 was injected into the glassine paper rod contained in the flavor source using a syringe so that the mass of glycerin was 17 mg, and volatile composition 1 was supported in the first region 223, thereby producing flavor generating article 1-2.

Flavor-generating article 2-1 (Comparative Example 2)
A flavor generating article was prepared by filling tobacco sheet shreds with a known papermaking method. Then, the volatile composition 2-1 was injected into a rod of tobacco sheet shreds (mass 260 mg) contained in the flavor source using a syringe so that the mass of menthol was 7.8 mg, and the volatile composition was allowed to permeate the entire flavor source, thereby producing the flavor generating article 2-1.

Flavor-Generating Article 2-2 (Example 2)
A flavor generating article was prepared in which, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating article, a chopped rod (mass 260 mg) of a tobacco papermaking sheet was used in a first region 223 close to the heat generating member, and a cotton string (diameter 3.5 mm) was used in a second region 224 farther from the heat generating member than the first region 223. Here, the first region 223 has a higher porosity than the second region 224. Thereafter, the volatile composition 2-2 was applied to the cotton string contained in the flavor source so that the mass of menthol was 7.8 mg, and the volatile composition 2-2 was supported in the second region 224, thereby producing the flavor generating article 2-2.

<Evaluation of glycerin delivery amount>
Next, the flavor generating articles according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were puffed on an SM450 smoker (Cerulean) at 55 ml/2 sec (55 ml puffs in 2 seconds) with a 30 sec puff interval. Total particulate matter was collected on a Cambridge filter pad after each puff. Additionally, a quantitative determination of glycerin was performed for each filter pad.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the delivery behavior of glycerin in the flavor generating articles according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis indicates the number of puffs, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of glycerin delivered (mg/stick). As shown in FIG. 6, in the flavor generating article according to Comparative Example 1, the amount of glycerin delivered is small from the first to second puffs, and the amount delivered increases from the third puff onwards. On the other hand, in the flavor inhalation article according to Example 1, the amount of glycerin delivered increases from the first to second puffs. In other words, by heating glycerin, which takes time to volatilize after heating begins in the first region 223 where there is a large air flow, the delivery of glycerin at the initial stage of heating can be improved.

<Evaluation of menthol delivery amount>
The flavor generating articles according to Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 were then puffed on an SM450 smoker (Cerulean) at 55 ml/2 sec (55 ml puffs in 2 seconds) with a 30 sec interval between puffs. Total particulate matter was collected on a Cambridge filter pad after each puff. A menthol quantification was also performed for each filter pad.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the menthol delivery behavior in the flavor generating articles of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis indicates the number of puffs, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of menthol delivered (mg/stick). As shown in FIG. 7, in the flavor generating article of Comparative Example 2, the amount of menthol delivered decreased with an increase in the number of puffs from the third puff onwards. On the other hand, in the flavor inhalation article of Example 2, the decrease in the amount of menthol delivered from the third puff onwards was gradual. In other words, by heating the menthol, which begins to volatilize immediately after heating begins in the second region 224 where there is little air flow, it is possible to delay the delivery of menthol and improve its durability.

The second region 224 may contain a flavoring as a flavoring ingredient. The flavoring may also contain at least one of a natural flavoring and a synthetic flavoring. That is, one type of flavoring may be used as the flavoring, or a mixture of multiple types of flavorings may be used. Since the flavoring ingredient contains at least one of a natural flavoring and a synthetic flavoring as the flavoring, the flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol having a scent.

The second region 224 may also contain a flavoring as a flavor ingredient. The flavoring may also contain at least one of a sweetener, a spice, an acidulant, and a bitter agent. That is, one type of flavoring may be used as the flavoring, or a mixture of multiple types of flavorings may be used. Since the flavoring ingredient contains at least one of a sweetener, a spice, an acidulant, and a bitter agent as the flavoring, the flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol having a smoking taste.

The second region 224 may also contain a cooling agent as a flavor ingredient. Since the flavor ingredient contains a cooling agent, the flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol that can provide a cooling sensation to the user.

The second region 224 may also contain an emulsifier as a flavor ingredient. The emulsifier may also contain at least one of glycerin fatty acid ester, saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, and lecithin. That is, one type of emulsifier may be used as the emulsifier, or a mixture of multiple types of emulsifiers may be used. Since the flavor ingredient contains at least one of glycerin fatty acid ester, saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, and lecithin as an emulsifier, the flavor source 221 can generate an aerosol with an improved flavor.

Flavor source 221 may also contain a carrier that supports at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor ingredient. The carrier may also contain at least one of sugars, lipids, cellulose derivatives, fibers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol. That is, one type of carrier may be used as the carrier, or a mixture of multiple types of carriers may be used. Because flavor source 221 contains at least one of sugars, lipids, cellulose derivatives, fibers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol as the carrier, the aerosol source and the flavor ingredient are supported in first region 223 and second region 224, respectively, and can be prevented from penetrating into other regions or leaking out to the outside.

Flavor source 221 may also include an adsorbent. The adsorbent may also include at least one of activated carbon, zeolite, and silica. That is, one type of adsorbent may be used as the adsorbent, or a mixture of multiple types of adsorbents may be used. Since flavor source 221 includes at least one of activated carbon, zeolite, and silica as the adsorbent, unnecessary components contained in the vapor or aerosol generated by flavor source 221 can be adsorbed and removed.

In the above embodiment, the porosity of the first region 223 is set higher than the porosity of the second region 224, but this is not limited thereto, and the porosity of the second region 224 may be set higher than the porosity of the first region 223. In this case, since the porosity of the second region 224 is higher than the porosity of the first region 223, more air can be allowed to flow in the second region 224, which is farther from the heating source 40 than the first region 223, than in the first region 223, and as a result, the delivery efficiency of the second region 224 can be improved. The porosities of the first region 223 and the second region 224 can be set appropriately depending on the components to be delivered and the timing.

In such a flavor source 221, the porosity of the second region 224 is higher than that of the first region 223, the first region 223 contains the aerosol source, and the second region 224 contains a flavor ingredient with a higher vapor pressure than the aerosol source. Therefore, by heating the aerosol source that is relatively difficult to volatilize in the first region 223 that is close to the heating source 40 and has a low porosity, that is, by heating the aerosol source that takes time to start volatilizing after heating starts in the first region 223 where there is little air flow, the aerosol source is heated in the vicinity of the heating source 40 where heating efficiency is high, and the delivery efficiency of the aerosol can be improved. In addition, by heating the flavor ingredient that is easily volatilized in the second region 224 that is far from the heating source 40 and has a high porosity, that is, by heating the flavor ingredient that starts volatilizing immediately after heating starts in the second region 224 where there is a lot of air flow, the delivery of the flavor ingredient is delayed to improve its sustainability, and the volatilized ingredient can be efficiently mixed with the air flowing through the second region 224.

　Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments of the invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents. Furthermore, the components described in the claims and specification can be combined or omitted to the extent that at least part of the above-mentioned problems can be solved or at least part of the effects can be achieved.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the flavor inhalation system 1 has a counter-flow type air flow path, but is not limited to this, and the flavor inhalation system 1 may have a so-called bottom-flow type air flow path in which air is supplied from the bottom of the heating section 30 that houses the flavor generating article 100 to the upstream end face of the flavor generating article 100.

Reference Signs List 1...Flavor inhalation system 10...Battery 20...Control unit 30...Heating unit 40...Heat source 100...Flavor generating article 101...First end 102...Second end 112...Tip plug 130...Downstream portion 132...Hollow tube portion 200...Flavor inhaler 211...First filter material 212...First inner plug wrap 220...Flavor generating portion 221...Flavor source 222...Wrapping paper 223...First region 224...Second region 240...Hollow filter portion 241...Third filter material 242...Third inner plug wrap 250...Filter plug 251...Second filter material 252...Second inner plug wrap 260...Outer plug wrap 265...Second connecting body 270...Tipping paper 280...Outer plug wrap 285...First connector A1...Air flow A2...Air flow A3...Air flow AX...Center axis vf...Opening

Claims (20)

A flavor generating article, comprising:
A flavor source that generates a flavor when heated by a heat generating member,
the flavor source has, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the flavor generating article, a first region close to the heat generating member and a second region farther from the heat generating member than the first region;
The porosity of the first region and the porosity of the second region are different from each other.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 1,
The porosity of the first region is higher than the porosity of the second region.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 1,
The porosity of the second region is higher than the porosity of the first region.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 2 or 3,
the first region includes a first volatile material;
The second region includes a second volatile material having a higher vapor pressure than the first volatile material.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 4,
the first volatile material comprises an aerosol source;
The second volatile substance comprises a flavor ingredient.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 5,
The flavoring material includes a flavoring agent.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 6,
The flavoring agent includes at least one of a natural flavoring agent and a synthetic flavoring agent.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The flavoring material includes a flavoring agent.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 8,
The flavoring agent includes at least one of a sweetener, a spice, an acidulant, and a bitter agent;
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to any one of claims 5 to 9,
The flavor ingredient includes a cooling agent.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to any one of claims 5 to 10,
The flavor ingredient includes an emulsifier.
Flavor generating articles. The flavor generating article according to claim 11,
The emulsifier includes at least one of glycerin fatty acid ester, saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, and lecithin.
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 5 to 12,
The aerosol source includes at least one of a polyhydric alcohol, triethyl citrate, triacetin, and glycerin.
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 4 to 13,
the flavor source includes a carrier that carries at least one of the first volatile material and the second volatile material;
Flavor generating articles. 15. The flavor generating article of claim 14,
The carrier comprises at least one of a sugar, a lipid, a cellulose derivative, a fiber, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol;
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
The flavor source comprises a tobacco-derived material;
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
The present invention further includes a hollow tubular member disposed downstream of the flavor source in the longitudinal direction, the hollow tubular member having a cross-sectional area equal to a cross-sectional area of the flavor source in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
The flavor source comprises an adsorbent.
Flavor generating articles. 20. The flavor generating article of claim 18,
The adsorbent comprises at least one of activated carbon, zeolite, and silica.
Flavor generating articles. A flavor generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 19,
The substrates constituting the first region and the second region are tobacco cut pieces, tobacco sheets, paper, or strings, which are filled so as to have different porosities from each other.
Flavor generating articles.