Non-Heating Aerosol Generating Article and Aerosol Generating System Including the Same

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0047865, filed on Apr. 9, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Embodiments relate to a non-heating aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating system including the same. More particularly, embodiments relate to a non-heating aerosol generating article capable of stabilizing a product quality by providing a uniform nicotine transfer amount even over time and an aerosol generating system including the same.

Recently, the demand for alternative methods for overcoming the shortcomings of general cigarettes has increased. For example, there is an increasing demand for a system for generating aerosols by heating a cigarette or an aerosol generating material by using an aerosol generating device, rather than by burning cigarettes. Accordingly, research on heating-type aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted.

However, there is a problem in that aerosol generating materials generated in the art have a low nicotine transfer amount during low-temperature heating or non-heating. Accordingly, recently, research has been actively conducted to improve nicotine transfer even during low-temperature heating or non-heating by changing the physical properties of aerosol generating materials.

For example, to facilitate the nicotine transfer even during low-temperature heating or non-heating, aerosol generating materials are treated with a pH adjuster. However, in this case, nicotine may be continuously released from the corresponding article to the outside even while a user is not actually smoking, which causes a problem in which product quality is not stabilized.

Embodiments provide an aerosol generating article capable of stabilizing product quality in terms of a nicotine transfer amount, even though an aerosol generating material is treated with a pH adjuster and an aerosol generating system including the same.

The problems to be solved by embodiments are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned may be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from the description and the accompanying drawings.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

A non-heating aerosol generating article according to an embodiment includes a tobacco medium filling at least one of a cellulose acetate filter or a paper filter, the tobacco medium includes granules including tobacco powder, and a pH adjusting aqueous solution including a pH adjuster and moisture, and the tobacco medium includes 8 wt % to 9 wt % of moisture with respect to a dry weight of the tobacco medium.

An aerosol generating system according to an embodiment includes the above-described non-heating aerosol generating article, and an aerosol generating device including an accommodation space accommodating the aerosol generating article and a cartridge including an aerosol generating material.

Regarding the terms in the various embodiments, the general terms which are currently and widely used are selected in consideration of functions of structural elements in the various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, meanings of the terms can be changed according to intention, a judicial precedence, the appearance of a new technology, and the like. In addition, in certain cases, terms which can be arbitrarily selected by the applicant in particular cases. In such a case, the meaning of the terms will be described in detail at the corresponding portion in the description of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the descriptions provided herein.

In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. In addition, the terms “-er”, “-or”, and “module” described in the specification mean units for processing at least one function and operation and can be implemented by hardware components or software components and combinations thereof.

As used herein, hen an expression such as “at least any one” precedes arranged elements, it modifies all elements rather than each arranged element. For example, the expression “at least any one of a, b, and c” should be construed to include a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown such that one of ordinary skill in the art may easily work the present disclosure. But, the present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be implemented in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

As used herein, embodiments are arbitrary divisions for easily describing the disclosure, and the embodiments do not need to be exclusive to each other. For example, components disclosed in an embodiment may be applied and/or implemented in other embodiments, and may be changed and applied and/or implemented without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

In addition, the terms used herein are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Some components in the drawings may be illustrated by exaggerating their sizes or ratios. In addition, components illustrated on one drawing may not be illustrated on another.

Throughout the specification, an “aerosol generating article” means an article used in smoking. In addition, “non-heating aerosol generating article” means a method in which ab aerosol generating article is not heated. As will be described below, a separate component (e.g., a cartridgeof) may be heated, and an aerosol generating article (e.g., an aerosol generating articleof) may not be heated. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In addition, throughout the specification, a “longitudinal direction” of a component may be a direction in which the component extends in one direction axis of the component. Here, the one direction axis of the component may refer to a direction in which the component extends longer than the other direction axis crossing the one direction axis. A “longitudinal direction of an aerosol generating article” means a direction in which the length of the aerosol generating article extends or a direction in which combustion proceeds when the aerosol generating article is burned.

For example, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating articleinmay be a direction in which a front end portion, a medium portion, and a filter portionextend. That is, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating articlemay mean the height direction of the aerosol generating articlein a cylindrical shape.

In addition, when a user inhales air by using the aerosol generating article, a part where air enters from the outside of the aerosol generating article to the inside may mean “upstream”, and a part where air exits from the inside of the aerosol generating article to the outside may mean “downstream.” The terms “upstream” and “downstream” may be used to indicate the relative position or direction between parts or segments constituting the aerosol generating article.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown such that one of ordinary skill in the art may easily work the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating devices of the various embodiments described above or may be implemented in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating systemaccording to an embodiment.

Referring to, the aerosol generating systemmay include an aerosol generating articleand an aerosol generating device. In an embodiment, the aerosol generating devicemay include an accommodation space accommodating the aerosol generating article. In addition, the aerosol generating devicemay include a separate component (e.g., a cartridge) including an aerosol generating material.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating devicemay include the cartridgeretaining the aerosol generating material and a component supporting the cartridge. The cartridgemay be detachably coupled to the aerosol generating device, but is not limited thereto.

The cartridgemay be integrally formed or assembled with the aerosol generating device, or may be fixed by a user so as not to be detached. The cartridgemay be mounted on the aerosol generating devicewhile accommodating the aerosol generating material therein. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and an aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridgewhile the cartridgeis coupled to the aerosol generating device.

The cartridgemay retain an aerosol generating material having any one of various states such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, and a gel state. The aerosol generating material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-including material having a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid including a non-tobacco material.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating material that may be included in the separate component may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, spices, flavorings, or vitamin mixtures. The spices may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit-flavored ingredients, but are not limited thereto. The flavorings may include ingredients capable of providing various flavors or tastes to the user. Vitamin mixtures may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, or vitamin E, but are not limited thereto. In addition, the aerosol generating material may include an aerosol forming substance, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

On the other hand, the aerosol generating devicemay have a configuration in which an aerosol generated by heating the separate component is transferred to the aerosol generating articlewithout directly heating the aerosol generating article.

For example, the cartridgemay operate by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the aerosol generating deviceto perform a function of converting the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridgeinto a gas phase and generating the aerosol. The aerosol may mean a gas in a state where vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material and air are mixed. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating material inside the cartridgemay be transferred to the aerosol generating article.

In an embodiment, the aerosol generating articlemay include a front end portion, a medium portion, and a filter portion. Specifically, the front end portion, the medium portion, and the filter portionmay be sequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating article. In addition to the components shown in, other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating article.

The aerosol generating articlemay be manufactured in a cylindrical shape. In an embodiment, when the aerosol generating articleis manufactured in the cylindrical shape, the diameter of the aerosol generating articlemay be about 5 mm to about 9 mm.

In an embodiment, the length of the aerosol generating articlemay be about 20 mm to about 60 mm. For example, the length of the front end portionmay be about 5 mm to about 15 mm, the length of the medium portionmay be about 10 mm to about 30 mm, and the length of the filter portionmay be about 5 mm to about 15 mm.

However, the lengths or the diameters of the aerosol generating articleand the elements constituting the aerosol generating articleare not limited thereto, and may be changed in various ways according to design.

In an embodiment, the front end portionmay prevent a material to be included in the medium portionfrom being separated to the outside, and may prevent an aerosol generated from the medium portionfrom flowing into the aerosol generating deviceduring smoking.

In addition, the front end portionmay introduce outside air into the aerosol generating article. As an embodiment, in the case of an aerosol generating article used in an aerosol generating device that does not directly heat an aerosol generating article, the front end portionmay introduce an aerosol generated by heating a separate component (e.g., the cartridgeincluding a liquid material) into the aerosol generating articleas outside air.

The front end portionmay include one of an acetate filter including a cellulose acetate tow and a paper filter including paper. As an example, the front end portionmay be manufactured by applying a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to a cellulose acetate tow. The hardness of the front end portionmay be adjusted by adjusting the content of the plasticizer.

At this time, when the front end portionincludes the acetate filter including the cellulose acetate tow, the front end portionmay be manufactured to generate flavor.

For example, when the front end portionincludes the acetate filter, a flavoring liquid including a flavor material may be sprayed onto the acetate filter, and a separate fiber to which the flavoring liquid is applied may be included inside the acetate filter. For another example, when the front end portionincludes the acetate filter, the acetate filter may include a capsule including the flavor material.

As an embodiment, the flavor material may include menthol, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the flavor material may include vegetable spices, such as cinnamon, sage, herb, chamomile, winter hay, sweet tea, lavender, bergamot, lemon, orange, jasmine, ginger, vanilla, spearmint, peppermint, acacia, coffee, celery, sandalwood, cocoa, etc. As another example, the flavor material may include animal spices such as musk, ambergris, civet, castroreum, etc.

As another example, the flavor material may be an alcohol-based compound such as geraniol, linalol, anethole, eugenol, etc. The flavor material may include an aldehyde-based compound, such as vanillin, benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, etc. The flavor material may also include an ester-based compound, such as isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, linalyl butyrate, etc.

In addition, when necessary, the front end portionmay include at least one channel. The cross-sectional shape of the channel may be manufactured in various ways. For example, the front end portionmay have a tube shape.

In an embodiment, the medium portionmay include a tobacco medium including a granular tobacco material. In an embodiment, the tobacco material may include various types of tobacco powder.

According to an embodiment, the tobacco medium may include granules including tobacco powder, and a pH adjusting aqueous solution including a pH adjuster and moisture. The tobacco medium may include 8 wt % to 9 wt % of moisture with respect to the dry weight.

For example, the tobacco powder may be a tobacco leaf fragment, a tobacco stem and/or tobacco fine powder generated during tobacco treatment. The tobacco powder may include a pulverized tobacco leaf, a pulverized reconstituted tobacco, etc. For example, the tobacco powder may include at least one type of tobacco powder from among a xanthoma-type tobacco, burley tobacco, fire-cured tobacco, sun-cured tobacco, or air-cured tobacco.

According to an embodiment, the pH of the granules may be adjusted to an alkali side by applying the pH adjusting aqueous solution to the granules. Specifically, the pH of the tobacco material included in the granules may be adjusted to the alkali side. By adjusting the pH of the tobacco material to the alkali side, the aerosol generating articlemay transfer a sufficient amount of nicotine at a low temperature even when not directly heated by a separate heating element.

In general, when the pH of the tobacco medium is adjusted to the alkali side, the storage properties of nicotine included in the tobacco medium may deteriorate. Specifically, when the pH is adjusted to the alkali side, nicotine in the tobacco medium may be converted into free nicotine during storage, and thus the amount of nicotine retained by the tobacco medium in the aerosol generating articlemay decrease over time.

However, according to the embodiment, the tobacco medium includes 8 wt % to 9 wt % of moisture with respect to the dry weight, which provides a uniform nicotine transfer amount over time, thereby stabilizing product quality.

In addition, the pH adjusting aqueous solution may include 9 wt % to 11 wt % of the pH adjuster and 17 wt % to 23 wt % of moisture with respect the total weight of the granules described above. Alternatively, the pH adjusting aqueous solution may include about 10 wt % of the pH adjuster and about 20 wt % of moisture.

That is, the pH adjusting aqueous solution including 9 wt % to 11 wt % of the pH adjuster and 17 wt % to 23 wt % of moisture with respect the total granules of 100 wt % may be sprayed.