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EP-3937700-B1 - AEROSOL GENERATION

EP3937700B1EP 3937700 B1EP3937700 B1EP 3937700B1EP-3937700-B1

Inventors

  • PATON, DAVID

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200309

Claims (14)

  1. An aerosol generating system comprising (i) an aerosol generating article (110) comprising an aerosol generating material, the aerosol generating material having a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprising an aerosol generating agent, and (ii) an aerosol generating device (100) comprising an induction heater (132, 124, 126), wherein during operation, the article (110) is inserted into the device (100) and an aerosol is generated by using the induction heater (132, 124, 126) to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 1000 nm in an aerosol generated under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during a two-second period.
  2. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating material is solid and comprises tobacco.
  3. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 400 nm, and/or more than about 100 nm.
  4. An aerosol generating system according any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generated aerosol density is less than about 2.5 µg/cc.
  5. An aerosol generating system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein during operation, an aerosol is generated by using the induction heater (132, 124, 126) to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean aerosol density of the aerosol generated during at least 7 two-second periods, under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m, is at least about 0.6 µg/cc, suitably at least 0.8 µg/cc.
  6. An aerosol generating system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein during operation, an aerosol is generated by using the induction heater (132, 124, 126) to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean aerosol density of the aerosol generated during at least 9 two-second periods, under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m, is at least about 0.4 µg/cc, suitably at least 0.6 µg/cc.
  7. A method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating material that has a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprises an aerosol generating agent, the method comprising using an induction heater (132, 124, 126) to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 1000 nm in an aerosol generated under an airflow of at least 1. 50L/m during a two-second period.
  8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 400 nm, and/or more than about 100 nm.
  9. A method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the aerosol density generated during the two-period is at least about 0.3 µg/cc.
  10. A method according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the aerosol density generated during the two-second period is less than about 2.5 µg/cc, suitably less than about 1.5 µg/cc.
  11. A method according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein aerosol generating material is solid and comprises tobacco.
  12. A method according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the aerosol generated during the two-second period comprises at least 10 µg of aerosol generating agent, which may suitably comprise glycerol.
  13. A method according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the aerosol generated during the two-second period comprises at least 10 µg of nicotine.
  14. An aerosol having a mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol of less than about 1000 nm, obtained through induction heating an aerosol generating material having a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprising an aerosol generating agent to at least 150°C, under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m for a two-second period.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a method of generating an aerosol and an aerosol generating system. Background Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles that burn tobacco by creating products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products are heating devices which release compounds by heating, but not burning, the material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. WO-A-2015/176898 discloses an aerosol generating system comprising (i) an aerosol generating article comprising an aerosol generating material which comprises nicotine and aerosol generating agent, and (ii) an aerosol generating device comprising an induction heater, wherein during operation the article is inserted into the device and an aerosol is generated by using the induction heater to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C. Summary A first aspect of the invention provides an aerosol generating system comprising (i) an aerosol generating article comprising an aerosol generating material, the aerosol generating material having a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprising an aerosol generating agent, and (ii) an aerosol generating device comprising an induction heater, wherein during operation, the article is inserted into the device and an aerosol is generated by using the induction heater to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 1000 nm in an aerosol generated under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during a two-second period. A second aspect of the invention provides a method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating material that has a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprises an aerosol generating agent, the method comprising using an induction heater to heat the aerosol generating material to at least 150°C, wherein the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 1000 nm in an aerosol generated under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during a two-second period. A further aspect of the invention provides an aerosol having a mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol of less than about 1000 nm, obtained through induction heating an aerosol generating material having a nicotine content of between 5mg/g and 15mg/g on a dry weight basis and also comprising an aerosol generating agent to at least 150°C, under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m for a two-second period. Features described herein in relation to one aspect of the invention are explicitly disclosed in combination with the other aspects, to the extent that they are compatible. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a front view of an example of an aerosol generating device;Figure 2 shows a front view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 1 with an outer cover removed;Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 1;Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 2;Figure 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly within an aerosol generating device;Figure 5B shows a close-up view of a portion of the heating assembly of Figure 5A;Figure 6A shows a partially cut-away section view of an example of an aerosol generating article;Figure 6B shows a perspective view of the example aerosol generating article of Figure 6A;Figures 7A and 7B show heat profiles programmed into an example of an aerosol generating device;Figures 8A and 8B show the tobacco temperature in an aerosol generating article heated by the programmed aerosol generating device of Figures 7A and 7B respectively;Figure 9 shows the median particle/droplet diameter in an aerosol generated from an aerosol generating article heated according to an embodiment of the invention;Figure 10 shows the aerosol density in an aerosol generated from an aerosol generating article heated according to an embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description As used herein, the term "aerosol generating material" includes materials that provide volatilised components upon heating, typically in the form of an aerosol. Aerosol generating material includes any tobacco-containing material and may, for example, include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. Aerosol generating material also may include other, non-tobacco, products, which, depending on the product, may or may not contain nicotine. Ae