WO2025224194A1

WO2025224194A1 - Aerosol article and aerosol provision system

Info

Publication number: WO2025224194A1
Application number: PCT/EP2025/061117
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dean Cowan; Richard Hepworth; Ying Liu
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2024-04-23
Filing date: 2025-04-23
Publication date: 2025-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-23
Also published as: CN120827181A

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol article and an aerosol provision system. The aerosol article comprises an article body (110), a smoke segment (1110) composed of an aerosol-generating material and a package material (1120) wrapping the smoke segment (1110). The article body (110) is provided with an air inlet (1130) in fluid communication with the smoke segment (1110). A hollow tubular element (120) is sleeved on the outer side of at least part of the package material (1120) and is configured to form an airflow channel (131, 132) located outside the package material (1120) alone or together with the package material (1120). The circumferential wall of the hollow tubular element (120) is provided with an air intake (1210). The air intake (1210), the airflow channel (131, 132), and the air inlet (1130) of the article body (110) are in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path, so that air flows through the airflow channel (131, 132) and the air inlet (1130) of the article body (110) through the air intake (1210) of the hollow tubular element (120) to enter the article body (110).

Description

AEROSOL ARTICLE AND AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, particularly to an aerosol article and an aerosol provision system.

Background

An aerosol provision system comprises an accommodating chamber and an aerosol article, such as a cigarette stick, accommodated in the accommodating chamber. The aerosol article therein is heated within the accommodating chamber to generate an aerosol for the user to puff.

For the purpose of puffing, the current aerosol provision system forms an air channel between the aerosol article and the wall of the accommodating chamber. When the user puffs, air enters this air channel from the outside of the system and then enters the interior of the article through the air channel, thereby carrying the aerosol inside the article out together into the user's mouth. As such, the interior of the aerosol article communicates with the accommodating chamber.

Summary

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol article and an aerosol provision system.

In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an aerosol article, and the aerosol article comprises: an article body, comprising a smoke segment composed of an aerosolgenerating material and a package material wrapping the smoke segment; the article body being provided with an air inlet in fluid communication with the smoke segment; and a hollow tubular element sleeved on at least part of the package material at an outer side, configured to form an airflow channel located outside the package material alone or together with the package material; a wall of the hollow tubular element being provided with an air intake. The air intake, the airflow channel, the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of an airflow path, so that air flows through the airflow channel and the air inlet of the article body through the air intake of the hollow tubular element to enter the article body.

The aerosol article provided by at least some embodiments arranges the airflow channel communicating with the article body on the article, so that the condensate of the aerosol accumulates in the airflow channel inside the article and is removed from the system when the article is replaced, thereby reducing or avoiding the accumulation of the aerosol condensate in the accommodating chamber of the system. In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the smoke segment may be located at an upstream end of the article body along the direction of the airflow path.

The hollow tubular element may have a tube body extending along its length direction and sleeved outside the smoke segment.

The tube body may extend at least to an end portion of an upstream end of the smoke segment along the direction of the airflow path. A circumferential wall of the tube body alone or together with a circumferential wall of the package material may form a first airflow channel extending along the length direction. The air intake, the first airflow channel, the air inlet of the article body may be in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the air inlet may be arranged on a circumferential face of the end portion of the upstream end of the smoke segment along the direction of the airflow path.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the tube body may extend to a position flush with the end portion of the upstream end of the smoke segment along the direction of the airflow path.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the tube body is a singlelayertube, and a gap between the single-layer tube and the circumferential wall of the package material may form the first airflow channel.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the tube body may comprise an inner tube and an outer tube, a gap between circumferential walls of the inner tube and the outer tube may form the first airflow channel, and the inner tube may be provided with an air vent hole to cause the first airflow channel and the air inlet to be in fluid communication.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the air inlet may be arranged on an end face of the upstream end of the smoke segment along the direction of the airflow path.

A downstream end of the tube body along the direction of the airflow path may extend beyond the end face of the smoke segment. An end face of the downstream end of the tube body along the direction of the airflow path alone or together with the end face of the smoke segment may form a second airflow channel. The air intake, the first airflow channel, the second airflow channel, the air inlet of the article body may be in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may be a single-layer end face, and a gap between the single-layer end face and the end face of the smoke segment may form the second airflow channel. In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may be a dual-layer end face. A gap between the dual-layer end faces may form the second airflow channel, and a first air vent hole may be provided on the end face of the inner layer to cause the second airflow channel to be in fluid communication with the air inlet.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may cover the entire end face of the smoke segment.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may be an open end face.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, at least one layer of the end face of the tube body may be completely closed.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol article, the end face of the tube body may be provided with a through hole for a heater element to pass through.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may be provided with a penetrable area for a heater element to penetrate through.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the tube body may extend radially inwards from the circumferential wall of the tube body and cover part of the end face of the smoke segment. A radial inner side of the end face of the tube body may be sealed and connected to the end face of the smoke segment.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the end face of the downstream end of the tube body along the direction of the airflow path may be partially closed or completely closed, so that this end face can provide support for the article. When the article is extracted from the accommodating chamber, this end face can provide support for the article, thereby facilitating the separation of the article from the heater element extending into the interior of the article and avoiding the breakage of the article and its residue in the accommodating chamber.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the tube body may be a single-layer tube, and a gap between a circumferential wall of the single-layer tube and the circumferential wall of the package material may form the first airflow channel.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the tube body may comprise an inner tube and an outer tube, and a gap between circumferential walls of the inner tube and the outer tube may form the first airflow channel.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the circumferential wall of the inner tube may be provided with a second air vent hole to cause the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel to be in fluid communication.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the circumferential wall of the package material may be in interference contact with the circumferential wall of the inner tube. In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the material of the hollow tubular element may be at least one of paper and silica gel.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the hollow tubular element may be in bonded connection or clamp connection with the package material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the circumferential wall of the hollow tubular element may be provided with at least two air intakes configured to be spaced along a circumferential direction and/or an axial direction of the circumferential wall of the hollow tubular element.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the article body further may comprise, along its length direction, a hollow support segment and a filter segment. The smoke segment and the hollow support segment may be wrapped in the package material successively.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the package material may comprise a first package material and a second package material. The hollow tubular element may be sleeved on the first package material, and an outer circumferential wall of the hollow tubular element may be flush with an outer circumferential wall of the second package material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol articles, the hardness of the hollow tubular element is greater than that of the package material.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision system. The system comprises a housing, defining an accommodating chamber for accommodating the or any of the above aerosol articles, which is removably arranged in the accommodating chamber. When the aerosol article is located in the accommodating chamber, an air intake of the aerosol article is outside the accommodating chamber.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol provision systems, the aerosol article may be in interference contact with the inner circumferential wall of the accommodating chamber. Through the interference contact, the article may be clamped in the accommodating chamber to achieve the fixation of the article. At the same time, it may prevent sundries from falling into the accommodating chamber through the gap between the article and the accommodating chamber, causing difficulties in cleaning.

In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol provision systems, the system may further comprise a heater element configured to heat the aerosol article. An end face of a downstream end of the hollow tubular element along the direction of the airflow path may be provided with a through hole for the heater element to pass through to enter the smoke segment. Or, an end face of a downstream end of the hollow tubular element along the direction of the airflow path may be provided with a penetrable area for the heater element to penetrate through to enter the smoke segment. In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an article for an aerosol provision system comprising: an article body comprising aerosol-generating material and a wrapper around the aerosol generating material, the article body comprising an air inlet in fluid communication with the aerosol generating material; a tubular element sleeved on at least a portion of the wrapper, the tubular element being configured to at least partially define an airflow channel around the wrapper, a wall of the hollow tubular element defining an air intake; wherein the air intake, the airflow channel, and the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other to define an airflow path from the air intake, through the airflow channel, and to the air inlet of the article body to enter the article body.

In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an article for an aerosol provision system comprising: an article body comprising a segment comprising aerosol-generating material and a wrapper around the segment comprising aerosol generating material, the article body comprising an air inlet in fluid communication with the segment comprising aerosol generating material; a tubular element sleeved on at least a portion of the wrapper, the tubular element being configured to at least partially define an airflow channel around the wrapper, a wall of the hollow tubular element defining an air intake; wherein the air intake, the airflow channel, and the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other to define an airflow path from the air intake, through the airflow channel, and to the air inlet of the article body to enter the article body.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the segment comprising aerosolgenerating material may be aerosol-generating material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the segment comprising aerosol generating material may be a smoke segment composed of aerosol generating material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the wrapper may be a package material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the tubular element may be a hollow tubular element.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the hollow tubular member may be sleeved on at least part of the package material at an outer side.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the hollow tubular member may be configured to form an airflow channel located around the package material alone or together with the package material.

In embodiments of the or any of the above articles, the air intake, the airflow channel, the air inlet of the article body may be in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path, so that air flows through the airflow channel and the air inlet of the article body through the air intake of the hollow tubular element to enter the article body. One or more of the above may provide: In some embodiments, a hollow tubular element may be arranged around the outer circumference of the article body, so that the first airflow channel communicating the interior of the article body with the outside of the system is embedded in the article itself, and the backflow of the aerosol condensate will accumulate in the first airflow channel. When the article is removed from the system, the first airflow channel may be removed together, thereby reducing or avoiding the accumulation of the aerosol condensate in the accommodating chamber.

Furthermore, in embodiments, the air intake of the aerosol article may be arranged outside the accommodating chamber of the system. The air outside the system does not pass through the accommodating chamber but directly enters the first airflow channel through the air intake of the aerosol article to enter the article body. This may make the gas path inside the article body isolated from the accommodating chamber, thereby assisting with avoiding the accumulation of the aerosol condensate in the accommodating chamber. Moreover, since there is no need to arrange a gas path on the accommodating chamber, this may assist with simplifying the structural design of the part of the system other than the article.

Additional aspects and advantages will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through the practice of the application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosure of the present application will become more understandable. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. Moreover, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, wherein:

Figure 1A shows a three-dimensional structural diagram of an aerosol article;

Figure 1 B shows another three-dimensional structural diagram of an aerosol article;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first airflow channel of the aerosol article is formed by a single-layer tube;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first airflow channel of the aerosol article is formed by a double-layer tube;

Figures 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a single-layer tube, wherein Figures 4A to 4C show different end face arrangements;

Figures 5A to 5D are schematic diagrams of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a double-layer tube, wherein Figures 5A to 5D show different arrangements of double end faces; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a double-layer tube and share an end face;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the end face of the tube body of the aerosol article covering part of the end face of the article body;

Figure 8A is a three-dimensional sectional view of an aerosol article;

Figure 8B is a three-dimensional sectional view of another aerosol article; and Figure 9 is a three-dimensional sectional view of the aerosol provision system.

Description of Reference Numerals:

10, aerosol article; (110, 9220), article body; 1110, smoke segment; 1111 , upstream end; 1120, package material; 1121 , first package material; 1122, second package material; 1130, air inlet; 1140, air outlet; 1150, support segment; 1160, filter segment; 1170, cooling segment; 1171 , air hole; (120, 9210), hollow tubular element; (1210, 1210', 9230), air intake; 121 , tube body; 1211 , first end; 12111 , inner layer end face; 12112, outer layer end face 12112; 1212, second end; 1213, inner tube; 1214, outer tube; 1215, air vent hole; (1216, 9240), through hole; 1217, first air vent hole; 1218, second air vent hole; 131 , first airflow channel; 132, second airflow channel; 90, aerosol provision system; 911 , accommodating chamber; 910, housing; 930, heater element.

Detailed Description

The following describes some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a noncombustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosolmodifying agent.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosolformer materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosolmodifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable/consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a “cartomizer”) and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol-generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems/devices.

It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

In some existing aerosol provision systems, an air path is formed between the article and the accommodating chamber that receives the article, so as to conduct the air outside the system to the inside of the article. As such, aerosol condensate in the article may flow back into the accommodating chamber. As such, a new aerosol article is proposed in embodiments, in which a hollow tubular element is arranged around the article body to form an airflow channel embedded in the article. The aerosol condensate in the article flows back into this airflow channel, and this airflow channel can be replaced together with the article body and removed from the system, which may assist with restricting aerosol residue accumulation in the system.

Embodiment 1

Embodiment 1 of this application provides an aerosol article. Figures 1A and 1 B show a three-dimensional structural diagram of an aerosol. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first airflow channel of the aerosol article is formed by a single-layer tube. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first airflow channel of the aerosol article is formed by a double-layer tube. Figures 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a single-layer tube. Figures 4A to 4C show different end face arrangements. Figures 5A to 5D are schematic diagrams of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a double-layer tube. Figures 5A to 5D show different end face arrangements. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example in which the first and second airflow channels of the aerosol article are formed by a double-layer tube and share an end face. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the end face of the tube body of the aerosol article covering part of the end face of the article body. Figures 8A and 8B are three-dimensional sectional views of the structure shown in Figure 1A.

Referring to Figures 1A to 8, the aerosol article 10 comprises an article body 110. The article body 110 comprises a smoke segment 1110 composed of an aerosol-generating material and a package material 1120 wrapping the smoke segment 1110. The article body 110 is provided with an air inlet 1130 and an air outlet 1140 in fluid communication with the smoke segment 1110. An internal airflow channel communicating the air inlet 1130 with the air outlet 1140 is provided inside the article body 110.

The ‘smoke segment’ is a segment comprising aerosol generating material. The package material may be a wrapper.

In some embodiments, the article body 110 may be a cigarette stick. The smoke segment 1110 therein is configured as a substrate segment such as tobacco that generates an aerosol when heated. Any suitable material can be selected for the package material 1120, such as some commonly used packaging materials in the prior art. In embodiments, the material of the package material 1120 is selected to be a material that is resistant to high temperatures and is not likely to volatilize toxic substances. With the wrapping of the package material 1120, substances such as tobacco that form the smoke segment 1110 are wrapped to form a shape similar to that of a traditional cigarette stick. It can be understood that, in an alternative embodiment, the package material 1120 may be wrapped outside the smoke segment 1110 to form other shapes. This application does not specifically limit this.

In embodiments, the composition of the article body 110 is not specifically limited. The composition of the article body 110 may be adjusted according to actual needs. For example, as shown in Figure 8A, the article body 110 may comprise a smoke segment 1110, a support segment 1150, and a filter segment 1160 that are sequentially arranged along the length direction of the article body 110.

The support segment 1150 is configured to support the smoke segment 1110. During the insertion of the heater element of the aerosol provision system into the smoke segment, the applied force may cause the smoke segment 1110 to move in the article body 110. Therefore, the support segment 1150 is used to provide support to prevent the movement of the smoke segment inside the article body.

The support segment 1150 may be composed of any appropriate material or combination of materials. For example, it may be cellulose acetate tow, food-grade plastic, biodegradable plastic, or all-plant extract materials. Among them, examples of the food-grade plastic or biodegradable plastic specifically include polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL), carbon dioxide copolymer, water- soluble PVA, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polybutylene succinate (PBS), etc. As shown in Figure 8A, the support segment 1150 may comprise a cavity extending along its length direction to provide a channel for the flow of air.

The filter segment 1160 is configured to provide contact with the user's mouth. It can be understood that it needs to be formed of a material suitable for contacting the mouth. Further, considering the influence of the user's saliva, the filter segment 1160 needs to be made of a water-absorbable material. In embodiments, the filter segment 1160 may also provide the function of filtering the air entering from the outside to filter out the dust or foreign matter in the air and prevent it from entering the user's mouth.

As shown in Figure 8A, the article body 110 may also be provided with a cooling segment 1170 between the support segment 1150 and the filter segment 1160 to reduce the temperature of the aerosol generated by the smoke segment 1110, making it easier to be inhaled. In embodiments, a cooling segment 1170 may also be provided between the smoke segment 1110 and the support segment 1150. An air hole 1171 may also be provided on the outer circumferential wall of the cooling segment 1170 to communicate with the outside. When the user puffs, air can enter the cooling segment 1170 from the air hole 1171 to reduce the temperature of the aerosol in the cooling segment 1170. In embodiments, other functional segments may also be provided between the support segment 1150 and the filter segment 1160 and/or between the smoke segment 1110 and the support segment 1150 to achieve the required functions.

Different from Figure 8A, the article body 110 in Figure 8B does not comprise the support segment 1150.

In embodiments, the segments of the article body 110 are sequentially and coaxially connected together. Each segment or some adjacent segments of the article body 110 may be coaxially wrapped together by the package material 1120 (such as cigarette paper, forming paper, or cork paper, etc.) to integrally form a columnar structure, such as a roughly cylindrical structure.

The aerosol article 10 also comprises a hollow tubular element 120 sleeved on the outer side of at least part of the package material 1120. The hollow tubular element 120 is configured to form an airflow channel located outside the package material 1120 either by itself or together with the package material 1120. An air intake 1210 is provided on the hollow tubular element 120.

The embodiments do not specifically limit the sleeving method of the hollow tubular element. The sleeving method may be set according to actual needs. As an example, rather than a limitation, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the hollow tubular element 120 is arranged as an annular columnar structure and is sleeved about the entire circumferential direction of the package material 1120. It may be understood that, in an alternative embodiment, the hollow tubular element 120 may also be arranged to be sleeved about a part of the circumferential direction of the package material 1120.

Based on the above structure, an airflow path that successively communicates the air intake 1210, the airflow channel, the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110, and the air outlet 1140 of the article body 110 is formed in the aerosol article 10. When the user puffs, the following airflow path is formed: the external air enters from the air intake 1210, passes through the airflow channel and the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110 successively, enters the internal airflow channel of the article body 110, and finally flows out of the air outlet 1140 of the article body 110 and is puffed by the user.

The above airflow path comprises an airflow channel outside the article body 110 and an airflow channel inside the article body 110. In embodiments, the airflow channel outside the article body 110 is at least partially arranged substantially along the length direction of the article body, and at least part of the airflow channel inside the article body 110 is arranged substantially along the length direction of the article body. In embodiments, the internal and external airflow channels arranged along the length direction of the article body 110 may be arranged in opposite directions.

In embodiments, through the hollow tubular element, the airflow channel communicating the interior of the article body with the outside of the aerosol article is embedded in the article, rather than in the accommodating chamber in the prior art. This makes the condensate of the aerosol accumulate in this airflow channel and may be removed from the system when the article is replaced, thereby reducing or avoiding the accumulation of the aerosol condensate in the accommodating chamber of the system.

In embodiments, the airflow channel is not specifically limited. The airflow channel may be set according to actual needs. As an example, rather than a limitation, as shown in Figures 1A to 8, in embodiments, the smoke segment 1110 is located at the upstream end of the article body 110 along the direction of the airflow path, and the air inlet 1130 is arranged at the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110 along the direction of the airflow path. The hollow tubular element 120 has a tube body 121 extending along its length direction and sleeved outside the smoke segment 1110. The tube body 121 has a first end 1211 and a second end 1212 arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the tube body 121. The airflow channel formed by the hollow tubular element 120 needs to be arranged adjacent to the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110 for communication. Therefore, the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 extends at least to the end portion of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110 along the direction of the airflow path, and the circumferential wall of the tube body 121 alone or together with the circumferential wall of the package material 1120 forms a first airflow channel 131 extending along the length direction. The air intake 1210, the first airflow channel 131 and the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110 are in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path.

The first airflow channel 131 acts as an airflow channel. In embodiments, the first airflow channel 131 is the sole airflow channel. In embodiments, there may be more than one airflow channel.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the filter segment 1160 is arranged at the downstream end of the article body 110. The air outlet 1140 of the article body 110 is arranged at the downstream end of the filter segment 1160 along the direction of the airflow path. That is, the airflow flowing out of the airflow channel will first pass through the air inlet 1130 arranged on the smoke segment 1110, and then successively pass through the entire smoke segment 1110, the entire support segment 1150 (if present), the entire cooling segment 1170, the filter segment 1160, and finally flow to the user through the air outlet 1140 arranged on the filter segment 1160.

The extension position of the second end 1212 of the tube body 121 can be set as required, such as setting it not to extend beyond the downstream end of the smoke segment 1110, or setting it to extend beyond the downstream end of the smoke segment 1110.

For the structure shown in Figure 8A, generally, the smoke segment 1110 of the article body 110 or the smoke segment 1110 together with the support segment 1150 is configured to be within the accommodating chamber, and the cooling segment 1170 and the filter segment 1160 are arranged outside the accommodating chamber. Therefore, the second end 1212 may be set to extend to the cooling segment 1170 or to the filter segment 1160, so that when the air intake 1210 is arranged at the second end 1212 or near it, the air intake 1210 may extend beyond the accommodating chamber.

It should be noted that, in embodiments, the arrangement of the air intake is not specifically limited. The arrangement may be set according to actual needs. As an exemplary rather than limiting illustration, in embodiments, as shown in Figure 1A for example, the air intake 1210 is arranged on the circumferential wall of the tube body 121 , and when the article is inserted into the accommodating chamber of the system, it extends beyond the accommodating chamber of the system, so that the entire airflow channel is arranged on the article, without including any part of the accommodating chamber. Specifically, the air intake 1210 may be arranged on the circumferential wall close to the second end 1212.

In alternative embodiments, different from Figure 1A, in Figure 1 B, there is an axial gap between the end face of the tube body 121 closest to the cooling segment 1170 and the cooling segment 1170. An air hole needs to either be arranged on the end face of the tube body 121 closest to the cooling segment 1170 or the end face is integrally arranged in an open manner, so as to form an air intake 1210' together with the axial gap. In embodiments, the number of air intakes is not specifically limited. The number of air intakes may be set according to actual needs. As an exemplary rather than limiting illustration, there are more than two air intakes, which are configured to be spaced along the circumferential direction and/or the axial direction of the circumferential wall of the tube body.

The position of the air inlet and the structure of the tube body in this application may have multiple possible variants. Based on this, the airflow channel in this application maybe implemented in multiple possible ways. This application does not specifically limit this. The user can set it according to actual needs. Several specific arrangements of the airflow channel will be described below.

The arrangement where the airflow channel only comprises the first type of airflow channel is now described.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in embodiments, the air inlet 1130 is arranged on the circumferential face of the end portion of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110 along the direction of the airflow path. The first end 1211 of the tube body 121 extends to a position flush with the end portion of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110. It should be noted that the end portion of the upstream end 1111 does not refer to its end face, but refers to a part with a certain length near the end face of the upstream end 1111. Arranging it on the circumferential face of the end portion of the upstream end 1111 , compared with arranging it on the circumferential face of other parts of the upstream end 1111 , can make the airflow flow through the entire smoke segment 1110 as much as possible. The first end 1211 of the tube body 121 extending to a position flush with the end portion of the upstream end 1111 means a position approximately flush with the end portion of the upstream end 1111. In an actual product, it can slightly extend beyond or be close to extending to this position. However, this position needs to extend beyond the position of the air inlet 1130. Based on this structural arrangement, the circumferential wall of the tube body 121 can either by itself or together with the circumferential wall of the package material 1120 form a first airflow channel 131 extending along the length direction. At this time, the air intake 1210, the first airflow channel 131 , and the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110 are in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path.

In embodiments, as shown in Figure 2 for example, the tube body 121 is a single-layer tube, and there is a gap between the single-layer tube and the circumferential wall of the package material 1120, and this gap forms the first airflow channel 131.

In the example of the single-layer tube, the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 may be a closed end face, and this end face may abut against the end portion of the upstream end 1111. In an alternative embodiment, the end face of the first end 1211 has a through hole, and it is an end face that is generally closed except for the through hole. The heater element of the system can pass through the through hole and enter the interior of the article body 110 for heating; in another alternative embodiment, the end face of the first end 1211 is an open end face.

By ‘pass through’, the heater element may extend through the through hole.

In embodiments, as shown in Figure 3 for example, the tube body 121 comprises an inner tube 1213 and an outer tube 1214, and the gap between the circumferential walls of the inner tube 1213 and the outer tube 1214 forms the first airflow channel 131. An air vent hole 1215 is provided on the circumferential wall of the inner tube 1213 to cause the first airflow channel 131 and the air inlet 1130 to be in fluid communication. In this structure, the airflow enters the interior of the article body 110 from the air intake 1210 through the first airflow channel 131 , the air vent hole 1215, and the air inlet 1130 successively.

In the example of the double-layer tube, the end face of the first end 1211 of the inner tube 1213 and the outer tube 1214 may be set as a fully open or partially open end face as required.

The arrangement where the airflow channel comprises the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel is now described.

As shown in Figures 4A to 7, in embodiments, the air inlet 1130 is arranged on the end face of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110. The downstream end of the tube body 121 along the direction of the airflow path, that is, the first end 1211 , extends beyond the end face of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110. The circumferential wall of the tube body 121 either by itself or together with the circumferential wall of the package material 1120 forms a first airflow channel 131 extending along the length direction, and the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 either by itself or together with the end face of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110 forms a second airflow channel 132. Based on this structure, the air intake 1210, the first airflow channel 131 , the second airflow channel 132, and the air inlet 1130 of the article body 110 are in fluid communication with each other successively along the direction of the airflow path.

For the arrangement of the first airflow channel 131 , reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of Figures 2 and 3 above. The following focuses on the description of the second airflow channel 132.

In embodiments, the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 may be set to cover the entire end face of the smoke segment 1110.

In embodiments, as shown in Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, and 6 for example, the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 is a single-layer end face, and the gap between the single-layer end face and the end face of the smoke segment 1110 forms the second airflow channel 132.

In the example of the single-layer end face, the end face may be configured as fully closed end face shown in Figure 4A, an open end face shown in Figure 4C, or the generally closed end face with a through hole 1216 for the heater element to pass through or extend through as shown in Figure 4B.

In alternative embodiments, the end face of the tube body may be provided with a penetrable area for the heater element to penetrate through.

In embodiments, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D for example, the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 is a dual-layer end face, the gap between the duallayer end faces forms the second airflow channel 132, and the inner layer end face 12111 is provided with a first air vent hole 1217 to cause the second airflow channel 132 and the air inlet 1130 to be in fluid communication. In embodiments, the outer layer end face 12112 of the dual-layer end face may be fully closed, fully open, or provided with a through hole, and the inner layer end face 12111 may be a fully open or a generally closed end face provided with a first air vent hole 1217.

As shown in Figure 7, in embodiments, the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 extends radially inwards from the circumferential wall of the tube body 121 and covers part of the end face of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110, and the radial inner side of the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 is sealed and connected to the end face of the upstream end 1111 of the smoke segment 1110.

It should be noted that when the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body is a dual-layer, the tube body 121 is a double-layer tube; and when the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 is a single-layer, the tube body 121 may be a single-layer tube or a double-layer tube as shown in Figure 6, but may share an end face. In the structure shown in Figure 6, a second air vent hole 1218 is provided on the circumferential wall of the inner tube 1213 to cause the first airflow channel 131 and the second airflow channel 132 to be in fluid communication.

In embodiments, when the end face of the first end 1211 of the tube body 121 is partially closed or completely closed, this end face may provide support for the article body 110. When the article is extracted from the accommodating chamber, this end face can provide support for the article body 110, thereby facilitating the separation of the article body 110 from the heater element extending into the interior of the article body and avoiding the breakage of the article body and its residue in the accommodating chamber.

It should be noted that, in the example where the first airflow channel is defined by the gap between the double-layer tubes, the circumferential wall of the package material 1120 may be set to be in interference contact with the circumferential wall of the inner tube 1213. Through the interference contact, the article body 110 and the hollow tubular element 120 may be connected and fixed, and the entry of dust and the like due to the presence of a gap may be avoided. Through the interference contact, the article body 110 and the hollow tubular element 120 may be in frictional or clamp contact, and the entry of dust and the like due to the presence of a gap may be avoided.

In embodiments, the hollow tubular element 120 may be removed together with the article body 110. Therefore, in embodiments, the hollow tubular element 120 is connected to the article body 110. It should be noted that, in embodiments, the specific connection method between the hollow tubular element 120 and the article body 110 is not specifically limited. The user can use any connection method according to actual needs. As an exemplary rather than limiting illustration, the hollow tubular element is in bonded connection or clamp connection with the package material. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the second end 1212 of the tube body 121 of the hollow tubular element extends radially inwards along the tube body 121 to basically seal the airflow channel at the end face of the second end 1212 and simultaneously achieve the connection with the package material 1120.

As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the package material 1120 comprises a first package material 1121 and a second package material 1122. The tube body 121 is sleeved outside the first package material 1121 , and the outer circumferential wall of the tube body 121 is flush with the outer circumferential wall of the second package material 1122. Through such an arrangement, the entire article is a columnar shape with a flat circumferential face. As shown in Figure 8A, the first package material 1121 wraps the smoke segment 1110, the support segment 1150, and part of the cooling segment 1170. The inner diameter of the second package material 1122 is larger than that of the first package material 1121 , and it wraps part of the cooling segment 1170. The tube body 121 is sleeved outside the first package material 1121 , and the outer circumferential wall is flush with the outer circumferential wall of the second package material 1122, that is, the outer diameter of the tube body 121 is the same as the outer diameter of the second package material 1122.

In embodiments, the material of the hollow tubular element is at least one of paper and silica gel.

In embodiments, the hardness of the hollow tubular element is greater than that of the package material. In embodiments, the hardness of the hollow tubular element is greater than at least one of the first package material and second package material. Based on this arrangement, the airway formed by the hollow tubular element is not easily deformed. At the same time, it can also provide better support for the article body. In embodiments, the hardness of the end face of the hollow tubular element that supports the article body can be set to be greater than that of the package material. In embodiments, the hardness of the end face of the hollow tubular element that supports the article body can be set to be greater than at least one of the first package material and second package material.

Embodiment 2 Embodiment 2 of this application provides an aerosol provision system. Figure 9 shows the structural diagram of the aerosol provision system. As shown in Figure 9, the aerosol provision system 90 comprises a housing 910 provided with an accommodating chamber 911. The accommodating chamber 911 may accommodate and receive an aerosol article. The aerosol article may be any of the above embodiments.

As shown in Figure 9, the aerosol provision system 90 comprises an aerosol article arranged in the accommodating chamber 911. This article is a consumable and is removably arranged in the accommodating chamber 911 .

In embodiments, when the aerosol article is located in the accommodating chamber 911 , the air intake 9230 of the aerosol article is arranged on the hollow tubular element 9210 and is arranged outside the accommodating chamber 911. Based on this, the outside air can only enter the interior of the article body 9220 through the airflow channel on the aerosol article, and is completely isolated from the air path of the accommodating chamber 911.

It can be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the air intake 9230 of the aerosol article may be arranged inside the accommodating chamber 911. At this time, an inlet also needs to be opened on the housing 910 to introduce air from the outside into the accommodating chamber 911 and enter the airflow channel of the aerosol article from the accommodating chamber 911. In such an embodiment, the air needs to pass through the accommodating chamber 911. However, compared with the prior art, the length of the airflow path inside the accommodating chamber 911 will be shortened, and because the airflow channel is interposed in the middle, the possibility and amount of the aerosol condensate entering the accommodating chamber will be greatly reduced.

In one embodiment, the aerosol article is arranged to be in interference contact with the inner circumferential wall of the accommodating chamber 911. Through the interference contact, the aerosol article is clamped in the accommodating chamber 911 to achieve the fixation of the aerosol article. At the same time, it can prevent sundries from falling into the accommodating chamber 911 through the gap between the article and the accommodating chamber, causing difficulties in cleaning.

As shown in Figure 9, the system further comprises a heater element 930 configured to heat the article body 9220. The end face of the downstream end of the hollow tubular element 9210 along the direction of the airflow path is provided with a through hole 9240 for the heater element 930 to pass or extend through to enter the smoke segment.

Alternatively, the end face of the downstream end of the hollow tubular element 9210 along the direction of the airflow path is provided with a penetrable area for the heater element 930 to penetrate through to enter the smoke segment.

In embodiments, the aerosol provision system 90 may also include a power source (battery assembly) and a microcontroller arranged in the chamber. The power source is configured to supply power to the heater element 930 under the control of the microcontroller, and the heat generated when the heater element 930 is energized atomizes the aerosolgenerating material in the aerosol article.

The power source is configured to provide electricity, and may be a battery assembly. In embodiments, the battery may be replaced by a portable power source (for example, a capacitive power storage device such as a supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor), a mechanical power source (a mechanical power source spring or a generator), or an alternative chemical energy source (for example, a fuel cell).

It should be noted that the above are only some examples of this application. It can be understood that this application may also have multiple possible variants. For example, a heater element for circumferential heating may also be used. For example, an extractor may also be provided to further facilitate the removal of the aerosol article, etc.

One or more of the above solutions of the present invention have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects.

In this application, a hollow tubular element may be arranged around the outer circumference of the article body, so that the first airflow channel communicating the interior of the article body with the outside of the system is embedded in the article itself, and the backflow of the aerosol condensate will accumulate in the first airflow channel. When the article is removed from the system, the first airflow channel is removed, thereby reducing or avoiding the accumulation of the aerosol condensate in the accommodating chamber.

In the description of this specification, terminology such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above-mentioned terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of the present application, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

Unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection may be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it may be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms based on the circumstances.

Although the embodiments have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting. Those skilled in the art can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the above-described embodiments.

Claims

1 . An article for an aerosol provision system comprising: an article body comprising a segment comprising aerosol-generating material and a wrapper around the segment comprising aerosol generating material, the article body comprising an air inlet in fluid communication with the segment comprising aerosol generating material; a tubular element sleeved on at least a portion of the wrapper, the tubular element being configured to at least partially define an airflow channel around the wrapper, a wall of the hollow tubular element defining an air intake; wherein the air intake, the airflow channel, and the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other to define an airflow path from the air intake, through the airflow channel, and to the air inlet of the article body to enter the article body.

2. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the segment comprising aerosol generating material is located at an upstream end of the article body; wherein the tubular element has a tube body extending along its length direction and sleeved outside the segment comprising aerosol generating material, wherein the tube body extends at least to an end portion of an upstream end of the segment comprising aerosol generating material, and a circumferential wall of the tube body by itself or together with a circumferential wall of the wrapper defines the airflow channel extending along the length direction; and wherein the air intake, the airflow channel, and the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other successively along a direction of the airflow path.

3. The article according to claim 2, wherein the air inlet is arranged on a circumferential face of the end portion of the upstream end of the segment comprising aerosol generating material.

4. The article according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the tube body extends to a position flush with the end portion of the upstream end of the segment comprising aerosol generating material along the direction of the airflow path.

5. The article according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the tube body comprises a single-layer tube, and wherein a gap between the single-layer tube and the circumferential wall of the wrapper defines the airflow channel.

6. The article according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the tube body comprises an inner tube comprising an inner tube circumferential wall and an outer tube comprising an outer tube circumferential wall, wherein a gap between the inner and outer tube circumferential walls defines the airflow channel, and the inner tube is provided with an air vent hole to cause the airflow channel and the air inlet to be in fluid communication.

7. The article according to claim 2, wherein the airflow channel is a first airflow channel, wherein the air inlet is arranged on an end face of the upstream end of the segment comprising aerosol generating material, a downstream end of the tube body extends beyond the end face of the aerosol generating material, and an end face of the downstream end of the tube body alone or together with the end face of the segment comprising aerosol generating material defines a second airflow channel; and wherein the air intake, the first airflow channel, the second airflow channel and the air inlet of the article body are in fluid communication with each other successively.

8. The article according to claim 7, wherein the end face of the tube body is a singlelayer end face, and a gap between the single-layer end face and the end face of the segment comprising aerosol generating material defines the second airflow channel.

9. The article according to claim 7, wherein the end face of the tube body is a duallayer end face, a gap between the dual-layer end face defines the second airflow channel, and an inner layer of the end face is provided with a first air vent hole to cause the second airflow channel and the air inlet to be in fluid communication.

10. The article according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the end face of the tube body covers the entire end face of the segment comprising aerosol generating material.

11 . The article according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein at least one layer of the end face of the tube body is completely closed.

12. The article according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the end face of the tube body is an open end face.

13. The article according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the end face of the tube body is provided with a through hole for a heater element to pass through.

14. The article according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the end face of the tube body is provided with a penetrable area for a heater element to penetrate through.

15. The article according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the end face of the tube body extends radially inwards from the circumferential wall of the tube body and covers part of the end face of the segment comprising aerosol generating material, and a radial inner side of the end face of the tube body is sealed and connected to the end face of segment comprising aerosol generating material.

16. The article according to any of claims 7 to 15, wherein the tube body is a singlelayer tube, and a gap between a circumferential wall of the single-layer tube and the circumferential wall of the wrapper defines the first airflow channel.

17. The article according to any of claims 7 to 15, wherein the tube body comprises an inner tube comprising an inner tube circumferential wall and an outer tube comprising an outer tube circumferential wall, and a gap between the inner tube circumferential wall of the inner tube and the outer tube circumferential wall of the outer tube defines the first airflow channel.

18. The article according to claim 17, wherein the inner tube circumferential wall of the inner tube is provided with a second air vent hole to cause the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel to be in fluid communication.

19. The article according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the circumferential wall of the wrapper is in interference contact with the inner tube circumferential wall of the inner tube.

20. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the material of the tubular element is at least one of paper and silica gel.

21. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the tubular element is in bonded connection or clamp connection with the wrapper.

22. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 21 , wherein the circumferential wall of the tubular element is provided with at least two air intakes configured to be spaced along at least one of a circumferential direction and an axial direction of the circumferential wall of the tubular element.

23. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the article body further comprises along its length direction: a hollow support segment and a filter segment; the aerosol generating material and the hollow support segment are wrapped in the wrapper successively.

24. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the wrapper comprises a first wrapper and a second wrapper; the tubular element is sleeved on the first wrapper, and an outer circumferential wall of the tubular element is flush with an outer circumferential wall of the second wrapper.

25. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the hardness of the tubular element is greater than that of the wrapper.

26. An aerosol provision system comprising: a housing defining an accommodating chamber for accommodating a portion of an article; an article according to any one of claims 1 to 25 configured to be removably received in the accommodating chamber; and wherein, when the article is located in the accommodating chamber, an air intake of the article is external to the accommodating chamber.

27. The aerosol provision system according to claim 26, wherein the article is configured to be in interference contact with an inner circumferential wall of the accommodating chamber.

28. The aerosol provision system according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the system comprises a heater element configured to heat the aerosol article; wherein: an end face of a downstream end of the tubular element is provided with a through hole configured to receive at least a portion of the heater element; and/or an end face of a downstream end of the tubular element is provided with a penetrable area configured to receive at least a portion of the heater element.