JP7473239B2 - cigarette - Google Patents

Description

The present invention provides a cigarette comprising a tobacco rod and a filter rod.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for methods that generate aerosols by heating aerosol-generating materials in a cigarette, rather than by burning a cigarette to generate aerosols.

Cigarettes contain filters, which act to filter out certain components contained in aerosol or to cool the aerosol. If the filtering performance of the filter is too high, the amount of aerosol transferred will decrease, and if the filtering performance is too low, certain components contained in the aerosol will not be filtered out.

As a result, research is underway into filters with appropriate performance by changing the components that make up the filter or by changing the structure of the filter.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a cigarette that uses sucrose as a cooling substance that constitutes the cooling part. The technical problem that this embodiment aims to achieve is not limited to the technical problem described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

A cigarette is disclosed that includes a tobacco rod and a filter rod connected to a downstream end of the tobacco rod.

A portion of the filter rod in this embodiment is composed of a cooling section, which contains sucrose as a cooling substance.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heated aerosol can be effectively cooled by using sucrose as a cooling material constituting the cooling section of the cigarette. When the heated aerosol passes through the cooling section, the temperature of the sucrose rises above its melting point, causing a phase change in the sucrose. In the process, the sucrose absorbs the surrounding heat, thereby cooling the heated aerosol.

In addition, due to the property of sucrose absorbing moisture around it, the moisture absorbed by the sucrose is added to the aerosol passing through the cooling section, increasing the amount of aerosol.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette being inserted into an aerosol generating device. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette being inserted into an aerosol generating device. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette being inserted into an aerosol generating device. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a cigarette. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette including a cooling unit according to an embodiment; 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a cooling material in the form of a bead according to an embodiment; 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a sheet-shaped cooling material according to one embodiment. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a sheet-shaped cooling material according to one embodiment. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a block-shaped cooling material according to an embodiment; 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a block-shaped cooling material according to an embodiment; 1 is a diagram illustrating a cooling effect obtained by using sucrose as a cooling material according to an embodiment.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical objective, the first aspect of the present disclosure can provide a cigarette including a tobacco rod and a filter rod connected to a downstream end of the tobacco rod, a portion of the filter rod being configured as a cooling section, and the cooling section including sucrose as a cooling substance.

The terms used in the examples are currently common terms that are widely used as much as possible, taking into consideration their functions in the present invention, but they may differ depending on the intentions of the engineers in this field, legal precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings that the terms have and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply by their names.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, this does not mean to exclude other components, but means that it may further include other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the embodiments. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In the following examples, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are used to indicate the relative positions between the segments that make up a cigarette. When a user inhales air using a cigarette, the part where air flows from the outside into the inside of the cigarette is "upstream," and the part where air is exhausted from the inside of the cigarette to the outside is "downstream." When using a cigarette, the user can place the downstream end of the cigarette in their mouth. Meanwhile, the term "end" is also described as "terminal end."

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 3 show an example of a cigarette being inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a battery 11000, a control unit 12000, and a heater 13000. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes a vaporizer 14000. In addition, a cigarette 20000 is inserted into the internal space of the aerosol generating device 10000.

The aerosol generating device 10000 shown in Figures 1 to 3 shows the components related to this embodiment. Therefore, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to this embodiment will understand that the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes other general-purpose components in addition to the components shown in Figures 1 to 3.

In addition, although Figures 2 and 3 show that the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a heater 13000, the heater 13000 may be omitted if necessary.

1 shows that the battery 11000, the control unit 12000, and the heater 13000 are arranged in a row. FIG. 2 shows that the battery 11000, the control unit 12000, the vaporizer 14000, and the heater 13000 are arranged in a row. FIG. 3 shows that the vaporizer 14000 and the heater 13000 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. That is, the arrangement of the battery 11000, the control unit 12000, the heater 13000, and the vaporizer 14000 may be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10000.

When the cigarette 20000 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000, the aerosol generating device 10000 may activate the heater 13000 and/or the vaporizer 14000 to generate aerosol from the cigarette 20000 and/or the vaporizer 14000. The aerosol generated by the heater 13000 and/or the vaporizer 14000 passes through the cigarette 20000 and is delivered to the user.

If necessary, the aerosol generating device 10000 can heat the heater 13000 even when the cigarette 20000 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000.

The battery 11000 supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the battery 11000 can supply power to heat the heater 13000 or the vaporizer 14000, and can supply power necessary for the operation of the control unit 12000. The battery 11000 can also supply power necessary for the operation of a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. provided in the aerosol generating device 10000.

The control unit 12000 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10000. Specifically, the control unit 12000 controls the operation of the battery 11000, the heater 13000, and the vaporizer 14000 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 10000. The control unit 12000 can also check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device 10000 and determine whether the aerosol generating device 10000 is in an operable state.

The control unit 12000 includes at least one processor. The processor is embodied as an array of a number of logic gates, and may also be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executed by the microprocessor is stored. Those having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains will understand that the processor may also be embodied by other forms of hardware.

The heater 13000 is heated by power supplied from the battery 11000. For example, when a cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000, the heater 13000 may be located inside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 13000 can increase the temperature of the aerosol generating material inside the cigarette.

The heater 13000 may also be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater 13000 includes an electrically conductive track, and the heater 13000 is heated by passing an electric current through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 13000 is not limited to the above example, and may be any heater that can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 10000, or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Meanwhile, in another example, the heater 13000 may also be an induction heater. Specifically, the heater 13000 may include an electrically conductive coil for inductively heating the cigarette, and the cigarette may include a susceptor that is heated by the induction heater.

For example, the heater 13000 may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and depending on the shape of the heating element, the inside or outside of the cigarette 20000 can be heated.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged in the aerosol generating device 10000. In this case, the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted inside the cigarette 20000, or may be arranged outside the cigarette 20000. In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted inside the cigarette 20000, and the rest may be arranged outside the cigarette 20000. In addition, the shape of the heater 13000 is not limited to the shapes illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, and may be manufactured in various shapes.

The vaporizer 14000 heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol passes through the cigarette 20000 and is delivered to the user. That is, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14000 moves along the airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 10000, and the airflow passage is configured so that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14000 passes through the cigarette and is delivered to the user.

For example, the vaporizer 14000 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage unit, a liquid transfer means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid transfer means, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 10000 as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit can store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition can be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco aroma component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance. The liquid storage unit is manufactured to be detachable from/attachable to the vaporizer 14000, or can be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 14000.

For example, the liquid composition may include water, solvent, ethanol, botanical extracts, fragrances, flavorings, or vitamin mixtures. The fragrances may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit fragrances, and the like. The flavorings may include ingredients that provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may include, but is not limited to, a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The liquid composition may also include an aerosol forming agent, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid transfer means transfers the liquid composition in the liquid storage portion to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer means can be, but is not limited to, a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition transferred by the liquid transfer means. For example, the heating element can be, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, etc. The heating element can also be configured with a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire and arranged in a structure wound around the liquid transfer means. The heating element is heated by a current supply and can transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol can be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 14000 may also be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited to these.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 10000 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 11000, the control unit 12000, the heater 13000, and the vaporizer 14000. For example, the aerosol generating device 10000 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. The aerosol generating device 10000 may also include at least one sensor (such as a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, or a cigarette insertion detection sensor). The aerosol generating device 10000 may also be manufactured with a structure that allows external air to flow in and internal gas to flow out even when the cigarette 20000 is inserted.

Although not shown in Figures 1 to 3, the aerosol generating device 10000 may form a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle is used to charge the battery 11000 of the aerosol generating device 10000. Alternatively, the heater 13000 may be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generating device 10000 are combined.

Cigarette 20000 is similar to a typical combustion cigarette. For example, cigarette 20000 is divided into a first portion including an aerosol generating material and a second portion including a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of cigarette 20000 may also include an aerosol generating material. For example, an aerosol generating material made in the form of granules or capsules may be inserted into the second portion.

The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000, or the entire first part and a part of the second part may be inserted. A user can inhale the aerosol while holding the second part to their mouth. In this case, the aerosol is generated by external air passing through the first part, and the generated aerosol is delivered to the user's mouth by passing through the second part.

As an example, external air flows in through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the opening and closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10000 and/or the size of the air passage can be adjusted by the user. This allows the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. to be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air also flows into the inside of the cigarette 20000 through at least one hole formed on the surface of the cigarette 20000.

Below, an example of cigarette 20000 is described with reference to Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows an example of a cigarette.

Referring to FIG. 4, the cigarette 20000 includes a tobacco rod 21000 and a filter rod 22000. The first portion described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 includes the tobacco rod 21000, and the second portion 32000 includes the filter rod 22000.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates the filter rod 22000 as a single segment, the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the filter rod 22000 may be composed of multiple segments. For example, the filter rod 22000 may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a specific component contained in the aerosol. If necessary, the filter rod 22000 may further include at least one segment that performs another function.

The cigarette 20000 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 24000. The wrapper 24000 has at least one hole through which external air flows in and internal gas flows out. As an example, the cigarette 20000 is wrapped by one wrapper 24000. As another example, the cigarette 20000 may be wrapped by two or more wrappers 24000 in a stacked manner. For example, the tobacco rod 21000 is wrapped by a first wrapper, and the filter rod 22000 is wrapped by a second wrapper. Then, the tobacco rod 21000 and the filter rod 22000 wrapped by the individual wrappers are combined, and the entire cigarette 20000 is rewrapped by a third wrapper. If the tobacco rod 21000 or the filter rod 22000 is composed of multiple segments, each segment is wrapped by an individual wrapper. The entire cigarette 20,000, in which the segments wrapped in the individual wrappers are joined, is then rewrapped in a different wrapper.

The tobacco rod 21000 includes an aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. The tobacco rod 21000 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, may also be added to the tobacco rod 21000 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 21000.

The tobacco rod 21000 may be manufactured in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 21000 may be manufactured from a sheet or a strand. The tobacco rod 21000 may also be manufactured from shredded tobacco in which a tobacco sheet is finely cut. The tobacco rod 21000 may also be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto. As an example, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21000 may uniformly distribute the heat transferred to the tobacco rod 21000 to improve the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod, thereby improving the tobacco taste. The thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21000 may also function as a susceptor that is heated by an induction heater. In this case, although not shown, the tobacco rod 21000 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the thermally conductive material surrounding the outside.

The filter rod 22000 is also a cellulose acetate filter. However, there is no limitation on the shape of the filter rod 22000. For example, the filter rod 22000 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow interior. The filter rod 22000 may also be a recessed rod. If the filter rod 22000 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be manufactured with a different shape.

The filter rod 22000 can also be manufactured to emit a flavor. As an example, a flavoring liquid can be sprayed onto the filter rod 22000, and a separate fiber coated with the flavoring liquid can be inserted into the inside of the filter rod 22000.

The filter rod 22000 also includes at least one capsule 23000. Here, the capsule 23000 performs the function of generating a flavor and can also perform the function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 32400 has a structure in which the content liquid containing the flavoring is covered with a coating. The capsule 32400 can have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

If the filter rod 22000 includes a segment for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment may be made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the cooling segment may be made of pure polylactic acid, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the cooling segment may be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a number of holes formed therein. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above examples and may be applicable without limitation as long as it can perform the function of cooling the aerosol.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 4, the cigarette 20000 according to one embodiment may further include a front-end filter. The front-end filter is located on one side of the tobacco rod 21000 opposite the filter rod 22000. The front-end filter prevents the tobacco rod 21000 from escaping to the outside and can prevent the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod 21000 during smoking from flowing to the aerosol generating device (10000 in FIGS. 1 to 3).

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette including a cooling section according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the cigarette 5 includes a tobacco rod 510 and a filter rod 520 connected to the downstream end of the tobacco rod 510. The filter rod 520 may include a cooling section 521, a tube section 522, and an acetate section 523.

5, in one embodiment, the cooling section 521 is connected to the downstream end of the tobacco rod 510, the tube section 522 is connected to the downstream end of the cooling section 521, and the acetate section 523 is connected to the downstream end of the tube section 522. That is, the segments may be positioned in the following order: tobacco rod 510, cooling section 521, tube section 522, and acetate section 523.

In another embodiment, the tube section 522 is connected to the downstream end of the tobacco rod 510, the cooling section 521 is connected to the downstream end of the tube section 522, and the acetate section 523 is connected to the downstream end of the cooling section 521. That is, the segments may be positioned in the following order: tobacco rod 510, tube section 522, cooling section 521, and acetate section 523.

However, the types of filter segments included in the filter rod 520 and the arrangement order of the filter segments that make up the filter rod 520 are not limited to this.

Meanwhile, the cigarette 5 is wrapped in a number of wrappers. The multiple wrappers are made of common wrapping paper, which may be porous or non-porous.

For example, the tobacco rod 510 is wrapped by a first wrapper, the tube portion 522 is wrapped by a second wrapper, the cooling portion 521 is wrapped by a third wrapper, and the acetate portion 523 is wrapped by a fourth wrapper.

The fifth trumpet is wrapped around the outer shells of the first trumpet, the second trumpet, and the third trumpet. That is, the tobacco rod 510, the tube portion 522, and the cooling portion 521 of the cigarette 5 can be further wrapped around the fifth trumpet. The sixth trumpet is wrapped around at least a portion of the fifth trumpet and the outer shell of the fourth trumpet. That is, at least a portion of the cooling portion 521 of the cigarette 5 and the acetate portion 523 can be further wrapped around the sixth trumpet.

The diameter of the cigarette 5 is within the range of 5 mm to 9 mm, and the length is about 48 mm, but is not limited thereto. For example, the length of the tobacco rod 510 is about 12 mm, the length of the tube portion 522 is about 10 mm, the length of the cooling portion 521 is about 14 mm, and the length of the acetate portion 523 is about 12 mm, but is not limited thereto.

The tobacco rod 510 includes an aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

The tobacco rod 510 may also include other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. For example, flavoring agents may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang ylang, salvia, spearmint, ginger, coriander, or coffee. Humidifying agents may also include glycerin or propylene glycol.

As one example, the tobacco rod 510 may be filled with a reconstituent tobacco sheet. As another example, the tobacco rod 510 may be filled with shredded tobacco, which is produced by cutting a reconstituent tobacco sheet into small pieces. As yet another example, the tobacco rod 310 may be filled with a plurality of tobacco strands formed by cutting a reconstituent tobacco sheet into small pieces. For example, the tobacco rod 310 may be formed by arranging a plurality of tobacco strands in the same direction (parallel) or randomly.

In addition, before the tobacco rod 510 is wrapped in a wrapper, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer may be added by spraying it into the center of the tobacco rod 510.

The tube portion 522 is also a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the tube portion 522 is also a tube-shaped structure including a hollow inside. The length of the tube portion 522 is appropriately set within the range of 4 mm to 30 mm, but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the length of the tube portion 522 is 10 mm, but is not limited thereto. The diameter of the hollow included in the tube portion 522 is appropriately set within the range of 2 mm to 4.5 mm, but is not limited thereto.

The hardness of the tube portion 522 can be adjusted by adjusting the content of plasticizer during the manufacture of the tube portion 522. The tube portion 522 is also manufactured by inserting a film, tube, or other structure made of the same or different material inside (e.g., hollow).

The tube portion 522 is made of cellulose acetate. This prevents the internal material of the tobacco rod 510 from being pushed out when the heater is inserted, and can provide a cooling effect for the aerosol.

The cooling section 521 contains sucrose (or cane sugar) as a cooling substance. The melting point of sucrose is about 160°C to 180°C. When the temperature of sucrose exceeds the melting point, caramelization takes place, absorbing surrounding heat in the process.

The cooling section 521 cools the aerosol generated by the heater heating the tobacco rod 510. Therefore, the user can inhale the aerosol that has been cooled to an appropriate temperature.

Specifically, when the cigarette 5 is inserted into the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device activates a heater to heat the tobacco rod 510 of the cigarette 5. When a user inhales air through the acetate part 523 of the cigarette 5 inserted into the aerosol generating device, air is introduced into the cigarette 5 from the outside, and aerosol is generated as the introduced air passes through the tobacco rod 510 heated by the heater.

As the aerosol generated in the tobacco rod 510 passes through the cooling section 521, the temperature of the sucrose, which is a cooling substance contained in the cooling section 521, increases. When the temperature of the sucrose exceeds its melting point, a caramel reaction occurs, and in the process, the surrounding heat is absorbed, cooling the heated aerosol. Therefore, the user can inhale the aerosol that has been cooled to an appropriate temperature.

In addition, the sucrose contained in the cooling section 521 has the property of absorbing and retaining moisture from the surrounding area. As a result, the moisture absorbed by the sucrose is added to the aerosol passing through the cooling section 521, increasing the amount of aerosol, and the amount of aerosol is maintained until the latter half of the smoking period.

In addition, when sucrose is a concentrated sugar liquid, its high osmotic pressure gives it high preservative properties and ensures storage stability.

In one embodiment, the sucrose contained in the cooling section 521 may have a bead, sheet, or block shape.

Beaded sucrose can have a spherical or pellet shape. Sheeted sucrose can be made of one of the following materials: porous paper or edible film. Blocked sucrose can have a cylindrical, tubular, or briquette shape.

The length or diameter of the cooling section 521 may be determined in various ways depending on the shape of the cigarette 5. For example, the length of the cooling section 521 may be appropriately set within the range of 7 mm to 20 mm. Preferably, the length of the cooling section 521 is about 14 mm, but is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the cooling section 521 is located upstream of the cigarette 5 relative to the tube section 522 and the acetate section 523, thereby preventing the tube section 522 and the acetate section 523 from melting or shrinking due to heat.

Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram showing a bead-shaped cooling material according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cooling section 600 may include a first filter element 610, a second filter element 620, and a cooling material 630.

A first filter element 610 may be located at one end of the cooling unit 600, and a second filter element 620 may be located at the other end of the cooling unit 600. The first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a cavity between the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620. A cooling material 630 including sucrose may be located in the cavity.

In one embodiment, the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620 are tubular structures having a hollow interior, but the shapes of the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620 are not limited thereto.

The cooling material 630 located in the cavity between the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620 is also bead-shaped. The bead-shaped cooling material 630 can have a spherical or pellet shape.

In one embodiment, a bead-shaped cooling material 630 can be produced by layering a sucrose layer on a sucrose seed using a tangential spray method or a top spray method. The bead-shaped cooling material 630 produced by such a method can have a spherical or pellet shape.

The surface of the bead-shaped cooling material 630 is coated. The coating agent for coating the surface of the cooling material 630 may be a film-forming polymer, a gum, or a starch. For example, the coating agent for coating the surface of the cooling material 630 may be shellac, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), corn starch, or a combination thereof. Preferably, the coating agent for coating the surface of the cooling material 630 is shellac. By coating the surface of the cooling material 630, it becomes easier to insert the cooling material 630 into the cooling unit 600, and the storage properties of the cooling material 630 are improved.

Furthermore, fine protrusions are formed on at least a portion of the surface of the cooling material 630. By forming fine protrusions on the surface of the cooling material 630, the contact area of the cooling material 630 with the aerosol passing through the cooling unit 600 can be increased. As a result, the cooling effect of the cooling material 630 is improved.

In one embodiment, the volume ratio of the bead-shaped cooling material 630 to the total volume of the cooling section 600 is 30% to 35%. The diameter of the bead-shaped cooling material 630 is about 3 mm to 5 mm, and the weight is about 0.3 g to 1.0 g.

Meanwhile, the first filter element 610, the second filter element 620, and the cooling material 630 included in the cooling unit 600 are also packaged by at least one wrapper 640.

Figures 7A and 7B are illustrative diagrams showing a sheet-like cooling material according to one embodiment.

The cooling substance 710 containing sucrose can have a sheet shape.

In one embodiment, the cooling material 710 is a porous paper sheet. The porous paper is a material that has elastic resilience and flexibility, and is made from cellulosic materials such as birch, bamboo, etc., which are used in trumpets.

When the cooling material 710 is formed by a porous paper sheet, a coating material consisting of sucrose (e.g., sucrose powder), distilled water, and starch syrup can be applied to the porous paper material. The starch syrup contained in the coating material serves to adjust the viscosity and inhibit the precipitation of sugar/glucose crystals.

On the other hand, the materials contained in the coating substance are not limited to the above examples, and additional substances may be added to improve the efficiency of the coating and drying operations of the cooling substance 710.

In one embodiment, the concentration of sucrose (e.g., sucrose powder) is 30% wt to 70% wt relative to the total concentration of the coating material applied to the porous paper, and the weight of starch syrup is 40% or less relative to the total weight of the coating material, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the cooling substance 710 is also an edible film.

The edible film may contain a biodegradable film material. For example, starch, cellulose, and their derivatives such as pectin, alginate, carrageenan, and chitosan are used as biodegradable film materials. In addition, pullulan, which has excellent coating and film-forming properties, is further added to the edible film.

By mixing the biodegradable film material and sucrose, an edible film-like cooling substance 710 is formed.

In yet another embodiment, the sheet-like cooling substance 710 can have a wax-like viscosity. To have a wax-like viscosity, the cooling substance 710 can be composed of sucrose, an acidic solution, and distilled water. The acidic solution can be lemon juice, vinegar, etc.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the sheet-shaped cooling material 710 may be rolled up. When the rolled up cooling material 720 is located inside the cooling unit 700, the rolled up cooling material 720 may be located inside the cooling unit 700 so that an airflow (e.g., aerosol) passes through along the longitudinal direction of the cooling unit 700. That is, the rolled up cooling material 720 may be located inside the cooling unit 700 so that the longitudinal direction of the rolled up cooling material 720 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cooling unit 700.

In FIG. 7A, multiple rolled cooling materials 720 are positioned in the cooling section 700, so that a honeycomb-like airflow path can be formed within the cooling section 700.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the sheet-like cooling material 710 may be positioned in the cooling unit 700 in various patterns so that airflow passes through the cooling unit 700 in the longitudinal direction. For example, the cooling material 731 may be positioned inside the cooling unit 700, and may be wound in an irregular pattern, a vortex-shaped cooling material 732, or a concentric cooling material 733.

Figures 8A and 8B are illustrative diagrams showing a block-shaped cooling material according to one embodiment.

The cooling material containing sucrose may be in a block shape. In one embodiment, a block-shaped cooling material can be produced by pouring syrup or powdered sucrose into a mold and allowing it to solidify.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the block-shaped cooling material may have a cylindrical shape, a tube shape including a hollow space inside, or a briquette shape with a plurality of holes formed therethrough. However, the shape of the block-shaped cooling material is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 8B, at least one channel is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the block-shaped cooling material. The at least one channel formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cooling material is formed in the longitudinal direction of the cooling portion so that airflow passes along the longitudinal direction of the cooling material.

In one embodiment, at least one channel formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling material may be formed in a regular or irregular pattern, such as a straight line, a curved line, a spiral, or a zigzag pattern. Also, convex protrusions or concave grooves may be formed in a spiral pattern on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling material to act as a channel for passing airflow.

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the cooling effect achieved by using sucrose as a cooling substance in one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9, cigarettes 910 to 970 are composed of a tobacco rod, a tube section, a cooling section, and an acetate section.

While the tobacco rods of the cigarettes 910 to 970 are being heated, each time a user takes a puff on the acetate portion of the cigarette 910 to 970, air is drawn into the cigarette 910 to 970 from the outside. As the air flows through the heated tobacco rod, an aerosol is generated.

Table 1 below shows the results of measuring the temperature of the aerosol generated in the tobacco rod and reaching the upstream end of the acetate section after passing through the cooling section using cigarettes 910 to 970 according to the first to seventh designs. In other words, based on Table 1 below, it can be seen how much the aerosol was cooled as it passed through the cooling section in each of the first to seventh designs.

For the measurements in Table 1 below, the puff volume was set to 55 ml, the puff time to 2 seconds, the puff cycle to 20 seconds, and the number of puffs to 12. In Table 1, the maximum temperature means the average value of the maximum temperature during the puff cycle for each puff, and the average temperature means the average value of the average temperature during the puff cycle for each puff.

The tube section and cooling section of the first to seventh proposals below are tube-shaped structures that include a hollow space inside.

In the case of the first design, the tube part of the cigarette 910 is made of CA (Cellulose Acetate), and the cooling part is made of PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) fabric. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the cigarette 910 of the first design, the maximum temperature was measured to be 79.2°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 65.8°C.

In the case of the second proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 920 is CA, and the cooling part is also CA. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the cigarette 920 of the second proposal, the maximum temperature was measured to be 68.8°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 57.7°C.

In the case of the third proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 930 is a plate-shaped leaf, and the cooling part is CA. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the cigarette 930 of the third proposal, the maximum temperature was measured to be 86.8°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 69.0°C.

In the case of the fourth proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 940 is paper, and the cooling part is CA. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the cigarette 940 of the fourth proposal, the maximum temperature was measured to be 69.5°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 55.7°C.

In the case of the fifth proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 950 is CA, and the cooling part is a plate-shaped leaf. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the fifth proposal cigarette 950, the maximum temperature was measured to be 77.3°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 61.8°C.

In the case of the sixth proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 960 is CA, and the cooling part is paper. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the fifth proposal cigarette 960, the maximum temperature was measured to be 85.7°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 72.7°C.

In the case of the seventh proposal, the tube part of the cigarette 970 is CA, and the cooling part is sucrose. When the aerosol temperature was measured at the measurement position using the seventh proposal cigarette 970, the maximum temperature was measured to be 47.3°C, and the average temperature was measured to be 42.6°C.

That is, when the temperature of the aerosol that reached the upstream end of the acetate section was measured using cigarettes 910 to 970 according to the first to seventh designs, the maximum and average temperatures were measured to be the lowest for the seventh design, in which the cooling material in the cooling section was sucrose.

When the temperature of the sucrose contained in the cooling section rises above its melting point, the caramelization reaction takes place, and in the process, it absorbs the surrounding heat and effectively cools the heated aerosol. Therefore, the user can inhale the aerosol that has been cooled to the appropriate temperature.

A person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention relates will understand that the present invention may be embodied in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is set forth in the claims, not the above description, and all differences within the scope of the equivalents thereto should be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims (10)

Tobacco rod,
a filter rod connected to a downstream end of the tobacco rod,
A portion of the filter rod is configured as a cooling section, and the cooling section contains sucrose as a cooling substance;
The cooling material has fine protrusions formed on at least a portion of its surface,
The filter rod includes the cooling section, a tube section, and an acetate section,
A cigarette, wherein the cooling section is connected to a downstream end of the tobacco rod, the tubing section is connected to the downstream end of the cooling section, and the acetate section is connected to the downstream end of the tubing section. 2. The cigarette of claim 1, wherein the cooling substance is in the form of a bead. 3. The cigarette of claim 2, wherein the surface of the bead of cooling material is coated. 2. The cigarette of claim 1, wherein the cooling substance is in the form of a sheet. The cigarette according to claim 4 , wherein the sheet-like cooling substance is wound up and positioned in the cooling section so that air flows through the sheet-like cooling substance along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section. The cigarette according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the sheet-like cooling substance is made of any one of porous paper and edible film. 2. The cigarette of claim 1, wherein the cooling substance is in the form of a block. The cigarette according to claim 7, wherein the block of cooling material has any one of a cylindrical shape, a tubular shape, and a briquette shape. The cigarette according to claim 7 or 8, wherein at least one channel for passing airflow in the longitudinal direction of the cooling portion is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the block-shaped cooling material. 10. The cigarette of claim 9, wherein the at least one channel forms a regular or irregular pattern that may be straight, curvilinear, spiral or zigzag and is formed in a peripheral surface of the cooling material.