US-20260123670-A1 - ELEMENT FOR AN AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE OR SMOKING ARTICLE

US20260123670A1US 20260123670 A1US20260123670 A1US 20260123670A1US-20260123670-A1

Abstract

An element for an aerosol generating article or a smoking article comprising a longitudinally extending hollow tube, a layer comprising filler material, wherein the layer is engaged around the hollow tube, and a wrapper engaged around the layer, wherein the hollow tube comprises a helically wound sheet of material and wherein the helically wound sheet of material has partially overlapping helical turns.

Inventors

Sulistyo WIDODO
Giyanto -
Ilham Fadila RAMADHAN
Rosi Ana QOLBI
Agus FAHRONI

Assignees

Filtrona Pte. Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231006
Priority Date: 20220710

Claims (17)

1 - 35 . (canceled)
36 . : An element for an aerosol generating article or a smoking article comprising a longitudinally extending hollow tube; a layer comprising filler material, wherein the layer is engaged around the hollow tube; and, a wrapper engaged around the layer; wherein the hollow tube comprises a helically wound sheet of material and wherein the helically wound sheet of material has partially overlapping helical turns.
37 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 wherein the layer comprises a sheet of filler material wrapped around the hollow tube; for example wherein the sheet of filler material is wrapped at a 90-degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the hollow tube; for example wherein the sheet of filler material is wrapped once around the hollow tube.
38 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 wherein the layer comprises a sheet of filler material helically wound around the hollow tube; and/or wherein the layer comprises from 1 to 10 sheets of filler material.
39 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 37 wherein the sheet of filler material is of basis weight from 16 to 200 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ).
40 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 38 wherein the sheet of filler material is of basis weight from 16 to 200 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ).
41 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 wherein the layer comprising filler material is of average thickness from 0.2 to 3.0 mm; and/or wherein the filler material is a filtering material; and/or wherein the filler material is a paper or a non-woven material.
42 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 41 , wherein the paper or non-woven material comprises plant-based fibres; and/or wherein the paper or non-woven material is an airlaid material, a filter paper or a cellulose/lyocell/viscose based paper.
43 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 , wherein the filler material is embossed; and/or wherein the average wall thickness of the hollow tube is from 0.2 to 3.0 mm; and/or wherein the internal diameter of the hollow tube is from 1.5 to 10 mm.
44 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 wherein the sheet of material of the hollow tube is paper; and/or wherein the sheet of material of the hollow tube has a thickness from 0.02 to 1.5 mm; and/or wherein the sheet of material of the hollow tube has a basis weight from 24 to 200 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ); and/or wherein the sheet of material of the hollow tube is a plug wrap; and/or wherein the sheet of material of the hollow tube comprises a layer of adhesive disposed on a surface of the sheet of material.
45 . The element for an aerosol generating article or the smoking article according to claim 36 wherein the wrapper is a plug wrap of basis weight from 24 to 200 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ); and/or wherein the length of the element is from 5 to 150 mm; and/or wherein the circumference of the element is from 14 to 30 mm.
46 . A multi-segment product for the aerosol generating article or the smoking article comprising an element according to claim 36 and one or more discrete further segments.
47 . The aerosol generating article or the smoking article comprising an element according to claim 36 , or comprising a multi-segment product for the aerosol generating article or the smoking article comprising the element and one or more discrete further segments.
48 . A method of making an element for an aerosol generating article or a smoking article comprising the steps of: advancing a sheet of material in a longitudinal direction; helically winding the sheet of material around a shaping rod, such that the sheet of material partially overlaps with itself on successive helical turns, thereby forming a longitudinally extending hollow tube; advancing filler material in a longitudinal direction; gathering the filler material around the hollow tube to form a layer comprising filler material engaged around the hollow tube; gathering and securing a wrapper around the layer comprising filler material to form a continuous rod; and, cutting the continuously rod to form individual elements.
49 . The method according to claim 48 comprising a step of applying adhesive to the advancing sheet of material; for example wherein the overlapping portions of the sheet of material are secured to each other by adhesive; and/or wherein the filler material is a sheet of filler material; for example, wherein the method comprises a step of cutting the sheet of filler material longitudinally to thereby form two or more sheets of longitudinally extending filler material.
51 . The method according to claim 49 wherein the sheet of filler material is wrapped around the hollow tube; for example wherein the sheet of filler material is wrapped at a 90-degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the hollow tube.
52 . The method according to claim 48 wherein the sheet of filler material is helically wound around the outer surface of the hollow tube; for example, wherein the helically wound sheet of filler material partially overlaps with itself on successive helical turns; for example, wherein the helically wound sheet of filler material has abutting non-overlapping helical turns.

Description

The present invention relates to an element for an aerosol generating article, such as a heated tobacco product, or for a smoking article, such as a cigarette. The use of tube elements in aerosol generating articles and smoking articles is well known in the art. Typically, a tube element includes a cylindrical core of filtering material which includes a channel that extends longitudinally from an end of the cylindrical core. In such articles a tube element is usually included with a plug of modified tobacco and other elements, such as a wrapped plug of filtering material. The tube element may be positioned at the mouth end of the aerosol generating article to provide a distinctive end appearance and concentrate the aerosol into a stream directed at the tongue of the user. Alternatively, the tube element can be used as a middle segment or at the tobacco end of an aerosol generating article to facilitate passage of the aerosol from the tobacco segment into other elements and/or to cool the aerosol before it reaches the mouth piece. In smoking articles, the tube element may be positioned at the mouth end to provide a distinctive end appearance and reduce the appearance of staining. Alternatively, the tube element can be used as a middle segment or at the tobacco end of a smoking article where it may facilitate passage of the tobacco smoke from the tobacco segment into other elements, act as a reservoir to concentrate the tobacco smoke and enhance nicotine delivery to the user. In the past, cellulose acetate filamentary tow has been used as the filtering material of tube elements because it can be manufactured into a tube which exhibits desirable hardness, structural integrity and channel definition. Manufacture of such tube elements can take place in a single continuous process. However, cellulose acetate filamentary tow does not readily biodegrade, and as a result aerosol generating article elements and smoking article elements comprising cellulose acetate filamentary tow may persist in the environment for many years. Elements for aerosol generating articles and smoking articles have been manufactured from materials that readily biodegrade, for example paper. However, it has previously been challenging to manufacture tube elements from paper or other materials that readily biodegrade while retaining the hardness and structural integrity associated with aerosol generating article elements and smoking article elements that are made from cellulose acetate filamentary tow. There is a need for a tube element for an aerosol generating article or smoking article that has improved biodegradability compared to tube elements comprising cellulose acetate filamentary tow, and which has desirable hardness and structural integrity, for example, similar hardness and structural integrity to existing elements for aerosol generating articles and smoking articles that are formed from cellulose acetate filamentary tow. There is also a need for a method of manufacturing such tube elements. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an element for an aerosol generating article or a smoking article comprising a longitudinally extending hollow tube; a layer comprising filler material, wherein the layer is engaged around the hollow tube; and a wrapper engaged around the layer; wherein the hollow tube comprises a helically wound sheet of material and wherein the helically wound sheet of material has partially overlapping helical turns. The aerosol generating article may be a heated tobacco product, such as a heat not burn device, tobacco heating device or the like, or an electronic cigarette. The smoking article may be a cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, roll your own cigarette or the like. The element may be a mouth piece, for example a mouth piece for an aerosol generating article or a smoking article. The element may be a cooling element, for example an element for an aerosol generating article that provides a cooling effect on aerosol (e.g., vapour) or tobacco smoke. The element may be a filter element, for example an element for an aerosol generating article or smoking article that provides a filtration effect on aerosol (e.g., vapour) or tobacco smoke. Alternatively, the element may not provide a filtration effect on aerosol (e.g., vapour) or tobacco smoke, for example the element may have zero, or substantially zero, aerosol (e.g., vapour) or tobacco smoke filtering effect. The element may function as both a cooling element and a filter element for an aerosol generating article. The element may facilitate the passage of aerosol or tobacco smoke from the tobacco segment into other elements of an aerosol generating article or smoking article (i.e., the aerosol or tobacco smoke may pass through the channel of the hollow tube into other elements). It will be appreciated that if the element is facilitating the passage of aerosol or tobacco smoke from the tobacco segment into other elements of an aerosol generating article o