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EP-4739155-A1 - A COMPONENT FOR A DELIVERY SYSTEM AND A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A COMPONENT FOR A DELIVERY SYSTEM

EP4739155A1EP 4739155 A1EP4739155 A1EP 4739155A1EP-4739155-A1

Abstract

A component for use in an aerosol provision system includes a tubular element defining a cavity and comprising a material which changes shape and/or volume in response to heat and/or moisture. An article including the component, a non-combustible aerosol provision system including the article, a method of manufacturing the component and an apparatus for manufacturing the component are also described.

Inventors

  • HEPWORTH, RICHARD
  • GRISHCHENKO, Andrei

Assignees

  • Nicoventures Trading Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240702

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A component for use in an aerosol provision system, the component comprising: a tubular element defining a cavity and comprising a material which changes shape and/or volume in response to heat and/or moisture.
  2. 2. An article for use in or as an aerosol provision system, the article comprising: an aerosol-generating material, and a component according to claim i downstream or upstream of the aerosolgenerating material.
  3. 3. An article according to claim 2, wherein the article is configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosol-generating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, and wherein the article is elongate and has a longitudinal axis and the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and wherein the tubular element comprises a tubular wall with a first cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and at a location on said longitudinal axis prior to the smoking session and a second cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and at the location on said longitudinal axis after the smoking session, the second cross-sectional area being at least 5% smaller than said first cross-sectional area.
  4. 4. An article according to claim 3, wherein the second cross-sectional area is at least 10% smaller than said first cross-sectional area.
  5. 5. An article according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the article is configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosol-generating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, and wherein the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and the article has a first resistance to draw, measured with the article separated from any heating apparatus, prior to the smoking session and a second resistance to draw, measured with the article separated from any heating apparatus, after the smoking session, the second resistance to draw being at least 5mmWG smaller than said first resistance to draw.
  6. 6. An article according to claim 5, wherein the second resistance to draw is at least tommWG smaller than said first resistance to draw.
  7. 7. An article according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the moisture content of the tubular element prior to use is between 1 and 10 weight percent based on the Karl Fischer method of moisture measurement.
  8. 8. An article according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the moisture content of the tubular element measured within 30 minutes of the end of said smoking session is between 11 and 50 weight percent based on the Karl Fischer method of moisture measurement.
  9. 9. An article according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the article is configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosolgenerating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, the article is elongate and has a longitudinal axis and wherein the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and the tubular element defines a first cavity having a first volume prior to the smoking session and a second cavity having a second volume after the smoking session, and wherein the second volume is at least 10% greater than the first volume.
  10. 10. An article according to claim 9, wherein the first cavity has a maximum diameter of between 2 mm and 5 mm and the second cavity has a maximum diameter of between 3 mm and 6mm.
  11. 11. An article according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the tubular element comprises a phase-change material, extruded material, expanded material or a gas blown material, optionally wherein the tubular element comprises foam extruded material, a material comprising foam beads and/or polylactic acid foam material.
  12. 12. An article according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the tubular element comprises a foamed material, a starch-based material and/or a freeze-dried material.
  13. 13- An article according to any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein the article comprises a downstream section downstream of the aerosol-generating material, and wherein the downstream section comprises a body of material containing therein an aerosolmodifying agent.
  14. 14. An article according to claim 13, wherein the aerosol-modifying agent comprises an encapsulated additive.
  15. 15. An article according to any one of claims 2 to 14, wherein the component is downstream of the aerosol-generating material.
  16. 16. An article according to any one of claims 2 to 15, wherein the component is upstream of the aerosol-generating material.
  17. 17. A non-combustible aerosol provision system, comprising a non-combustible aerosol provision device, and an article according to any one of claims 2 to 16.
  18. 18. A non-combustible aerosol provision system according to claim 17, wherein the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a heating element configured for insertion into the aerosol-generating material of the article.
  19. 19. A non-combustible aerosol provision system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the non-combustible aerosol provision device is configured to provide the smoking session based on at least one of a predefined number of puffs, a predefined heating profile and a predetermined duration for said smoking session.
  20. 20. A method for manufacturing a component for a delivery system according to claim 1, the method comprising: feeding a continuous supply of a material which changes shape and/or volume in response to heat and/or moisture; and shaping said material to form a tubular element defining a cavity.

Description

A Component for a Delivery System and a Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing a Component for a Delivery System Technical field The present invention relates to a component for a delivery system, a method and apparatus for manufacturing a component for a delivery system, an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system and a non-combustible aerosol provision system. Background Certain tobacco industry products produce an aerosol during use, which is inhaled by a user. For example, tobacco heating devices heat an aerosol generating substrate such as tobacco to form an aerosol by heating, but not burning, the substrate. Such tobacco industry products commonly include mouthpieces through which the aerosol passes to reach the user’s mouth. Summary In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a component for use in an aerosol provision system, the component comprising a tubular element defining a cavity and comprising a material which changes shape and/ or volume in response to heat and/or moisture. The component can be configured to reduce in volume when exposed to heat and/or moisture. The component can be formed from a phase-change material, an extruded material, an expanded material, a foamed material, a foam extruded material, a freeze-dried material, a gas blown material or a gas blown extruded material. The component can be formed from a polymer such as a carbohydrate-based material, a starch-based material or polylactic acid. For instance, the component can be formed from a foam-extruded polymer or polymer foam beads. The material can be substantially impermeable to air. In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an article for use in or as an aerosol provision system, the article comprising an aerosol-generating material, and a component according to the first aspect above downstream or upstream of the aerosol-generating material. The article can be configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosol-generating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, and wherein the article is elongate and has a longitudinal axis and the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and wherein the tubular element comprises a tubular wall with a first cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and at a location on said longitudinal axis prior to the smoking session and a second cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and at the location on said longitudinal axis after the smoking session, the second cross- sectional area being at least 5% smaller than said first cross-sectional area. The second cross-sectional area can be at least 10% smaller than said first cross- sectional area. The article can be configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosol-generating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, and wherein the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and the article has a first resistance to draw, measured with the article separated from any heating apparatus, prior to the smoking session and a second resistance to draw, measured with the article separated from any heating apparatus, after the smoking session, the second resistance to draw being at least smmWG smaller than said first resistance to draw. The second resistance to draw can be at least tommWG smaller than said first resistance to draw. The moisture content of the tubular element prior to use can be between 1 and 10 weight percent based on the Karl Fischer method of moisture measurement. The moisture content of the tubular element measured within 30 minutes of the end of said smoking session can be between 11 and 50 weight percent based on the Karl Fischer method of moisture measurement. The article can be configured for use in providing an aerosol during a smoking session in which the aerosol-generating material is heated to between 150 and 400 degrees centigrade, wherein the article is elongate and has a longitudinal axis and wherein the tubular element is arranged to be exposed to said heat and/or moisture via the aerosol provided during the smoking session, and the tubular element defines a first cavity having a first volume prior to the smoking session and a second cavity having a second volume after the smoking session, and wherein the second volume is at least 10% greater than the first volume. The first cavity can have a maximum diameter of between 2 mm and 5 mm and the second cavity can have a maximum diameter of between 3 mm and 6 mm. The tubular element can comprise a phase-change material, extruded material, expanded material or a gas blown material. The tubular element can comprise foam extruded material, a material comprising foam beads a