JP7502066B2 - Support member for heated aroma cartridge and heated aroma cartridge including same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates containing an aerosol former, aroma source material, and binder, etc., which is attached to a heated aroma device equipped with a heat source such as an electronically controlled heater and heated to generate aerosol and aroma, and a mouthpiece equipped with at least one of a support member, a cooling member, and a filter in the longitudinal direction of the heated aroma generating source, in a heated aroma cartridge. The present invention relates to a support member having the functions required by the mouthpiece, and provides a heated aroma cartridge equipped with the support member.

In particular, the present invention relates to a support member that, among the functions required of a mouthpiece, has the function of stably supporting the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source when the heated aroma cartridge is attached to a heated aroma device and when smoking, the function of cooling the volatile components of the aerosol former and aroma raw material generated from the heated aroma-generating substrate when heated, and the function of allowing these volatile components to pass through without resistance, and it is possible to provide a heated aroma cartridge equipped with this support member.

The above-mentioned "heated aroma-generating substrate" has traditionally been called an "aerosol-forming substrate". However, when heated, the aroma components of the aroma raw materials and aromatics are volatilized along with the aerosol former that generates the aerosol, and the aerosol smoke and the aroma of the aroma raw materials and aromatics are enjoyed by smoking, so in this invention, it is called a "heated aroma-generating substrate". Based on this, the conventional names "aerosol-forming body" (an assembly of aerosol-forming substrates), "electronic cigarette cartridge", and "heated smoking device" are called "heated aroma-generating source", "heated aroma cartridge", and "heated aroma device", respectively.

In recent years, as smoking bans have become more widespread in places where people gather, such as workplaces and restaurants, the number of smokers who use flame-based smoking, which burns tobacco, is decreasing, whereas the number of smokers who use heated smoking, which uses heated aroma cartridges that are equipped with a heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates containing an aerosol former that generates an aerosol and aroma raw materials including tobacco plants of the genus Nicotiana, family Solanaceae, and that are heated by heat transferred from a heat source such as a heater, is rapidly increasing.

In the case of traditional flame smoking, the number of enthusiasts was extremely large because the burning of tobacco produces smoke that satisfies the smoker's visual desires, nicotine that is the root cause of the smoker's addiction to tobacco, and a myriad of aromatic compounds. However, a temperature of at least 600°C is required for combustion, and can reach a maximum of 900°C during smoking, and flame smoking produces a very large amount of harmful substances, so in today's health-conscious world, there is a very clear tendency for enthusiasts, as well as non-smokers who are concerned about passive smoking, to shy away from flame smoking.

In contrast, heated smoking allows smoking at temperatures of around 200-350°C, the temperature at which tobacco leaves begin to decompose thermally, and contains aromatic materials other than tobacco leaves, which not only prevents the generation of harmful substances due to combustion, but also reduces the generation of harmful substances due to thermal decomposition. For this reason, various technologies that make heated smoking even more enjoyable are being actively developed (for example, Patent Documents 1-11).

The mechanism of such heated smoking varies depending on the form of the heated smoking device, heated aroma cartridge, etc., but we will explain it using a typical example of smoking by attaching a heated aroma cartridge to a heated aroma device that uses a heater blade as a heat source.

The heated aroma cartridge is configured by connecting a heated aroma generating source and a mouthpiece in this order in the longitudinal direction from the heat source. This mouthpiece is made of at least one selected from a support member, a cooling member, and a filter, but when multiple members are used, it is common for them to be formed by connecting a support member, a cooling member, and a filter in this order in the longitudinal direction from the heat source (Patent Documents 1 to 11).

The heated aroma generating substrate is a mixture of an aerosol former such as glycerin or propylene glycol, an organic solvent with a boiling point of approximately 150-300°C, various non-tobacco plants including tobacco plants that contain aroma components, and aroma agents, which are formed into a mass using a binder such as polysaccharides. When smoking, the aroma cartridge is attached to the chamber of a heated aroma device equipped with a heating element, and at the same time, the heating element is inserted into this heated aroma generating source. It is then heated to approximately 200-350°C by an electronically controlled heating source, generating volatiles (vapor) from the aerosol former, as well as volatiles of various non-tobacco plants including tobacco plants and aroma components from the aroma agents.

The support member, cooling member, and filter that make up the mouthpiece each have the following functions (Patent Documents 7 to 11).

The support member supports the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source when the aroma cartridge is attached to the heated aroma device, and plays a major role in preventing the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source from being damaged or moving toward the mouthpiece when the substrate is attached or when smoking. It also serves as a flow path for volatile matter generated when the heated aroma-generating substrate is heated, and also serves as a cooling member that has a significant effect on the generation of smoke (core) as the volatile matter passes through the support member (Patent Document 11).

The cooling member is a flow path for actively cooling the volatiles generated when the heated aroma-generating substrate is heated, and is often made of a porous material with a large contact area with the volatiles, which is thought to have a greater cooling effect than the support member (Patent Documents 7, 9, 10, and 11), but may also act as a filter capable of adsorbing harmful substances (Patent Document 9).

The filters used are similar to those used in cigarettes, made from bundles of cellulose acetate fibers that can filter out volatile matter and harmful substances contained in smoke, or made from carbon materials with pore structures that have excellent substance adsorption capabilities (Patent Documents 7 to 11).

To summarize the mechanism of heated smoking, the smoke generated when the volatiles in the aerosol former pass through a support member and a cooling member and are cooled, and the aromatic components volatilized by various non-tobacco plants, including tobacco plants, and aromatic agents are inhaled to enjoy smoking.

In particular, the phenomenon in which the volatile matter in the aerosol former cools to produce smoke is a phenomenon in which droplets are formed from vapor, and is interesting in that it is one of the nucleation phenomena in which a local thermodynamic phase change occurs. This nucleation phenomenon has important significance in the mechanisms of the formation of water droplets that adhere to cups and window panes in daily life, clouds and rainfall, the mechanism of aerosol formation in the atmosphere related to environmental science, processes that use steam in factories and hospitals, and crystals formed from solutions, and has been the subject of various theoretical and experimental research since ancient times (Non-Patent Documents 1-8). Therefore, the development of smoking by attaching a heated aroma cartridge to a heating aroma device utilizes the nucleation phenomenon and is considered to be possible based on the results of theoretical and experimental research to date.

Closely related to this nucleation phenomenon is the mouthpiece, which acts as a passageway for the vapor, a volatile product of the aerosol former. In particular, the support member and cooling member are the site where smoke is generated by the nucleation phenomenon and are also the passageway through which the vapor passes, so the smoke generation mechanism in the support member and cooling member must be considered in terms of both the nucleation phenomenon and phenomena based on fluid mechanics (Non-Patent Documents 8-11).

The mechanism of smoke generation in the support and cooling members has a significant impact on the design of the support and cooling members, so we consider the nucleation phenomenon and flow state of the volatile matter of the aerosol former in the support and cooling members.

First, when considering smoke (nuclei) generation by cooling volatiles in an aerosol former, i.e., aerosol generation, from the perspective of conventional nucleation mechanisms based on thermodynamics, two types of generation can be considered: (1) homogeneous condensation nucleation in the gas phase, and (2) heterogeneous condensation nucleation on a wall surface (Non-Patent Documents 1, 4, and 7).

In addition, the nucleation mechanism differs depending on the wettability of the wall surface, but it is believed that nucleation occurs in two stages: (2) primary nucleation due to heterogeneous condensation nucleation on the wall surface, and (1) secondary nucleation, which is homogeneous condensation nucleation in the gas phase.

In particular, the homogeneous condensation nuclei of secondary nucleation are smaller than the heterogeneous condensation nuclei of primary nucleation, and the number of secondary nuclei is greater than the number of primary nuclei, which is presumably closely related to the amount and size of smoke produced by the fragrance cartridge. The number of secondary nuclei increases as the cooling rate increases and the vapor flow becomes more turbulent, and the average particle size of the nuclei decreases accordingly, greatly affecting the amount and size of smoke produced by the fragrance cartridge.

On the other hand, primary nucleation is more likely to occur the more the steam wets the wall surface, and is thought to be influenced by the materials of the support and cooling members that form the flow path of the aroma cartridge.

Next, with regard to phenomena based on fluid mechanics, as is clear from the equation of continuity, Bernoulli's theorem, Reynolds number, etc., the flow rate, flow manner, and cooling rate of the volatiles of the heated aroma-generating substrate, which is a fluid, are strongly influenced by the structure of the support members and cooling members that form the flow path. For example, the shape of the flow path has a significant effect on the flow rate and flow manner of the volatiles, and volatiles flowing through thin tubes have high flow rates and cooling rates and are prone to turbulence, which is thought to make nucleation phenomena more likely to occur (Non-Patent Documents 8-11).

In this way, when the mechanism of smoke generation in heated smoking is examined from the perspective of the thermodynamic element of the nucleation phenomenon and the fluid dynamic element that indicates the state of the fluid, it is clear that the structure and materials of the support and cooling members that affect the generation of the smoke have a significant impact on the generation of the smoke.

However, the mouthpieces of the prior art, particularly the support member and cooling member, are not designed based on thermodynamics, which is that smoke is generated by a nucleation phenomenon, and on fluid dynamics, which is that they are gas flow paths, so they have a complex structure and have not been provided with a design that allows smokers to smoke in a way that suits their preferences and operation (Non-Patent Documents 8-10).

As a result, it was necessary to separately provide a support member, which has the function of preventing damage or movement of the heated aroma generating substrate and the heated aroma generating source when the heated aroma cartridge is attached to the heated aroma device and when smoking, and a cooling member, which generates an aerosol from the volatile matter of the aerosol former, on the heated aroma cartridge (Non-Patent Documents 8 to 10).

JP 2008-518614 A JP 2010-520764 A JP 2013-519384 A JP 2016-538848 A Patent No. 6433626 Japanese Patent No. 6442110 Japanese Patent No. 5920744 Japanese Patent No. 6005735 Patent No. 5877618 JP 2017-518041 A Japanese Patent No. 6280287

Eiji Mizuto and Takashi Kobayashi, Lecture "Theory of Precipitation (I) -Nucleation Theory-", Japan Anaylst, 1966 (Showa 41), Vol. 15, pp. 1406-1412 Ichiro Tanazawa, "On Dropwise Condensation", Journal of the Japan Marine Engineering Society, January 1978, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 27-34 Mikio Kasahara, "Generation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere", Aerosol Research, 1988 (Showa 63), Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 23-28 Tatsuto Kimura, Doctoral dissertation "Molecular dynamics of solid-liquid contact and nucleation", December 2001 Akio Kono, "Molecular simulation of homogeneous vapor-liquid nucleation as an initial process of aerosol generation", Aerosol Research, 2010 (Heisei 22), Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 299-308 Shinichiro Shima, "Introduction to Cloud Physics", Physical Research, Electronic Edition, August 2014, Vol. 3, No. 3, 033210 Dong-Wook Seo, "Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Heterogeneous Nucleation", March 2015, Vol. 113, No. 1156, pp. 150 Japan Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Contractors Association, "Steam and Return Water Piping", Air Conditioning and Sanitary Contractors Association, Vol. 72, October 2018 Pigeon Poppo, "Aerodynamics Course for Beginners - Continuity Equation", [online], [Retrieved March 15, 2020], Internet <URL: https://pigeon-poppo.com/continuity-equation> Pigeon Poppo, "Aerodynamics Course for Beginners - Continuity Equation", [online], [Retrieved March 15, 2020 (Reiwa 2)], Internet <URL: https://pigeon-poppo.com/bernoullis-theorem/> Pigeon Poppo, "Aerodynamics Course for Beginners - Continuity Equation", [online], [Retrieved March 15, 2020], Internet <URL: https://pigeon-poppo.com/reynolds-number>

In a heated aroma cartridge that is connected in the longitudinal direction, a heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates that are heated to generate volatiles that become aerosol and aroma components, is arranged upstream, and a mouthpiece equipped with at least a support member is arranged downstream. Conventional support and cooling members that make up mouthpieces are not designed based on thermodynamics, which states that smoke is generated by a nucleation phenomenon, and fluid dynamics, which states that it is a gas flow path, so that the structure is complex and no products that enable smoking suited to the smoker's preferences and operation have been provided. As a result, it has been necessary to separately arrange in the heated aroma cartridge a support member that prevents damage or movement of the heated aroma generating substrate and heated aroma generating source when the heated aroma cartridge is attached to a heated aroma device and when smoking, and a cooling member that generates aerosol from volatiles in the aerosol former.

The inventors therefore reexamined the mouthpiece that constitutes the aroma cartridge from the viewpoint that the generation of smoke from such heated tobacco is a nucleation phenomenon in which droplets are formed from steam, and is influenced by the hydrodynamic phenomenon of the steam flowing through the flow paths of the support member and cooling member. As a result, they discovered that there exists a support member with a flow path of an appropriate structure that can prevent damage or movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, and allow smokers to enjoy pleasant smoke and aroma, leading to the completion of the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to a heated aroma cartridge that is connected in the longitudinal direction with respect to the direction of airflow when a smoker inhales through the heated aroma cartridge, with a heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates that are heated to generate volatiles that become aerosol and aroma components, on the upstream side and a mouthpiece equipped with at least a support member on the downstream side, the support member at least comprises a support section that prevents damage or movement of the heated aroma generating substrates and the heated aroma generating source, and a flow path that passes through and cools the volatiles, and the support member is characterized by comprising at least two or more flow paths with different porosity, where the porosity is defined as the ratio of the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heated aroma cartridge formed by the outer periphery of the flow path to the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heated aroma cartridge formed by the outer periphery of the support member.

It is preferable that the flow paths have a porosity in the range of about 1 to 70%, and it is even more preferable that the difference between the minimum and maximum porosity of two or more flow paths is about 19 to 69%.

By configuring in this way, a support portion is formed with an area capable of supporting the heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates, on a surface, and therefore damage and movement, etc. of the heated aroma generating substrate and heated aroma generating source can be prevented when the heated aroma cartridge is attached to a heated aroma device equipped with a blade-type heat source or the like. In addition, when the smoker inhales while smoking, the stress that the heated aroma generating source receives from the support member is reduced, preventing damage and movement, etc. of the heated aroma generating source.

The cause of the damage and movement of such heated aroma-generating substrates and heated aroma-generating sources is due to the material composition for realizing the mechanism of heated smoking, in which the heated aroma-generating substrate that constitutes the heated aroma-generating source is molded from a composition including an aerosol former, tobacco plants and various other plants that volatilize aromatic components when heated, aromatic agents, and binders such as polysaccharides and cellulose fibers for binding these. The heated aroma-generating substrates, such as rectangular columns, cylinders, and granules, molded from such compositions are slightly viscous and brittle lumps that undergo plastic deformation, so they are damaged by even the slightest stress. In addition, heated aroma-generating sources are usually molded by wrapping the heated aroma-generating substrate with a heated aroma-generating substrate wrapping member, but if a heated aroma-generating substrate with such physical properties is wrapped tightly, there is a problem that the heated aroma-generating substrate is destroyed and the flow path of the volatile matter when heated is blocked, and the wrapping state that ensures air gaps is also a cause of the damage and movement described above.

Therefore, if the porosity is about 70% or more, the cross-sectional area of the support part is reduced, making it difficult to support the heated aroma generating substrate and the heated aroma generating source on a surface, and making it difficult to prevent damage and movement of these when the heated aroma cartridge is attached and when smoking. Therefore, it is more preferable that the porosity is about 50% or less. In addition, the flow path is limited by the porosity, and the shape of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flow path having such a porosity and the position where the flow path is formed are not particularly limited. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape can be various shapes such as a circle, a semicircle, an ellipse, a triangle, a square, a polygon, and a star. In addition, the position where the flow path is formed may be within or on the outer periphery of the support member, and is preferably in a symmetrical positional relationship with the center of the support member. However, an irregular positional relationship is also possible.

On the other hand, smoke, which is one of the important elements in heated smoking, is generated in the mouthpiece, which acts as a passageway for the vapor, a volatile component of the aerosol former, so the configuration of the mouthpiece has a significant impact on smoke generation.

The mouthpiece is equipped with one or more selected from a support member, a cooling member, and a filter. The support member and the cooling member, which serve as the flow path through which the volatiles of the aerosol former generated from the heated aroma-generating substrate pass, play an important role as the site for generating smoke through the nucleation phenomenon of condensation.

Conventionally, mouthpieces with a complex structure incorporating both a support member to prevent the movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, and a cooling member with a large specific surface area to generate smoke, have been designed. A typical example of a cooling member is a hollow cylinder with a sufficient flow path. However, cooling members have been used that have complex, uneven flow paths or a collection of many thin flow paths to increase the contact area with the volatiles.

As a result, the cross-sectional area of the support portion of the support member that receives the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source is small, and volatile matter flows easily, but it is difficult to prevent damage and movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source when the heated aroma cartridge is attached and when smoking. On the other hand, the cooling member has a large contact area with the volatile matter and generates a lot of smoke, but unlike filters similar to those used in cigarettes made from bundles of cellulose acetate fibers and pore structures with excellent substance adsorption capacity, the smoke adheres to the cooling member along with harmful substances, resulting in insufficient smoke production. In addition, providing a support member and a cooling member also creates the problem of complicating the structure of the mouthpiece.

The support member of the present invention is characterized in that the porosity of the flow path is in the range of about 1-70%, more preferably about 1-50%, and has two or more, more preferably three or more, flow paths with different porosities, and the difference between the minimum and maximum porosities of the flow paths is about 19-69%, more preferably about 19-49%. As mentioned above, such a structure is effective in preventing damage and movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, and is also preferable for smoke generation.

The generation of smoke by cooling the volatiles in the aerosol former is thought to occur in two ways: homogeneous condensation nucleation in the gas phase and heterogeneous condensation nucleation on the wall. It is believed that secondary nucleation, which is homogeneous condensation nucleation in the gas phase, occurs following primary nucleation by heterogeneous condensation nucleation on the wall. Here, it has been experimentally found that the homogeneous condensation nuclei of secondary nucleation are smaller than the heterogeneous condensation nuclei of primary nucleation, and the number of secondary nuclei is greater than the number of primary nuclei, which is closely related to the amount and size of smoke generated by the aroma cartridge. The number of secondary nuclei increases as the cooling rate increases and the steam flow becomes more turbulent, and as a result, the average particle size of the nuclei decreases, which has a significant impact on the amount and size of smoke generated by the aroma cartridge.

Therefore, in a flow path with a low porosity, the contact area between the flow path surface and the volatiles of the aerosol former becomes relatively large, and the cooling rate increases. As is clear from the equation of continuity, Bernoulli's theorem, and Reynolds number, which are based on fluid mechanics, the flow velocity of the cooling member increases and turbulence is easily formed, generating a large amount of smoke with a small average particle size. On the other hand, in a flow path with a high porosity, the opposite phenomenon occurs, generating smoke with a large average particle size. In this way, by forming flow paths with different porosities in the support member, smoke that is suitable for smoking is generated. And, as a result of various experiments, it was revealed that the difference between the minimum and maximum porosity of the flow path is preferably about 19 to 69%, and more preferably about 19 to 49%.

Furthermore, the contact surface area between the smoke generation and the volatile matter in the flow path is also an important factor, and is preferably 18 to ⁵⁰⁰ mm2 per mm of the length of the support member, more preferably 18 to 300 ^mm2 , and even more preferably ¹⁸ to 250 mm2. From this viewpoint, the shape of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flow path is limited to the contact surface area, and is not particularly limited, and can be various shapes such as a circle, a semicircle, an ellipse, a triangle, a square, a polygon, and a star. In addition, the position where the flow path is formed may be within or on the outer periphery of the support member, and is preferably in a symmetrical positional relationship with the center of the support member, but may be an irregular positional relationship. However, when the porosity is constant, the longer the outer periphery length per unit area, the greater the contact area, and the easier it is to form the flow path, so a square shape or a triangular shape is more preferable than a circle. In addition, it is also desirable to form irregularities on the inner surface of the flow path.

In this way, the support member having the porosity and contact area of the present invention is closely related to the generation of smoke, and as already mentioned, does not impair the area of the support part that receives the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source. Therefore, by using the support member of the present invention, it is possible to provide a heated aroma cartridge of simple structure that combines a support member and a cooling member.

On the other hand, it has been experimentally confirmed that primary nucleation occurs more easily when the steam has a higher wettability with the wall surface, and the material of the support member is preferably a hydrophilic polymer containing hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, amino groups, amide groups, and ether groups. Representative examples of such hydrophilic polymers include ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, acrylic acid copolymers, methacrylic acid copolymers, maleic acid copolymers, acrylamide copolymers, quaternary ammonium salt type copolymers, various nylons, various polyethers, etc.

With such a support member, smoke with different average particle sizes generated from flow paths with different porosity is inhaled separately, but when compared to mixing and inhaling each of the smoke, it was found that a more comfortable smoking experience can be achieved by forming a confluence flow path near the downstream end of the support member where volatiles flowing out from two or more flow paths are mixed, rather than inhaling each of the smoke separately.

In addition, it is preferable that the ratio of smoke with a small average particle size to smoke with a large average particle size in the smoke that allows for a pleasant smoking experience is, on average, 1:1, and it is preferable that the total porosity of the flow paths with a small porosity is equal to the total porosity of the flow paths with a large porosity; however, there are individual differences, and heated aroma cartridges with support members having different total porosities can be made into different products.

However, in order to enjoy smoke with a variety of flavors, and to allow various support members to be replaced, and to allow the heated aroma generating source and the mouthpiece to which the support member is attached to be detached, it is preferable to use, for example, a connecting member as the outermost material of the heated aroma generating base material. The material of such a connecting member is not particularly limited, but is preferably a cylindrical plastic that can be fitted with screws or the like and can withstand attachment and detachment. For example, general-purpose resins such as polyolefin resins, polyester resins, nylon resins, EVA resins, and acrylic resins are preferably used, but from the perspective of protecting the natural environment, it is more preferable that the connecting member be a biodegradable plastic.

In this way, the support member of the present invention has functions equal to or superior to those of conventional support members and cooling members, and can simplify the structure of the heated aroma cartridge, providing a heated aroma cartridge that is easy to handle and allows for enjoyable smoking.

The support member of the present invention has a support section that prevents the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source from being damaged or moved, and at least two or more flow paths with different porosity through which volatiles pass, so that a support section having an area large enough to receive the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source without damage or movement can be formed.

This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram taken along the XY plane passing through the center of a heated aroma cartridge according to conventional technology, showing the state when a heated aroma cartridge having a support member with a hollow gas flow path is attached to a heated aroma device and smoked. (a) A schematic oblique view of a first support member having two cylindrical gas flow paths with different porosities and a heated aroma source support section according to one embodiment of the present invention, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left direction of the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right direction of the X axis. This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram taken through the center of the heated aroma cartridge and cut in the XY plane, showing the state when a heated aroma cartridge having the first support member shown in Figure 2 is attached to a heated aroma device during smoking, according to one embodiment of the present invention. (a) A schematic oblique view of a second support member having two triangular prismatic gas flow paths with different porosity and a heated aroma source support section according to one embodiment of the present invention, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view viewed from the left direction of the X axis, and (d) a side view viewed from the right direction of the X axis. (a) A schematic oblique view of a third support member according to one embodiment of the present invention, which has two rectangular columnar gas flow paths with different porosity and a heated aroma source support section, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view viewed from the left direction of the X axis, and (d) a side view viewed from the right direction of the X axis. (a) A schematic oblique view of a fourth support member according to one embodiment of the present invention, which has three cylindrical gas flow paths with different porosities and a heated aroma source support section, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view viewed from the left direction of the X axis, and (d) a side view viewed from the right direction of the X axis. (a) A schematic oblique view of a fifth support member according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fifth support member having two cylindrical gas flow paths with different porosities, a heated aroma source support section, and a cylindrical merging flow path of two cylindrical gas flow paths, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left direction of the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right direction of the X axis. FIG. 1 is a schematic oblique view of (a) a heated aroma generating source connecting member equipped with a heated aroma generating source, (b) a mouthpiece connecting member, and (c) a heated aroma cartridge connecting member into which the two are fitted, according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram cut along the XY plane of a heated aroma cartridge in one embodiment of the present invention, in which the first support member shown in Figure 2, a mouthpiece connecting member in which a filter is arranged, and a heated aroma emitting source connecting member in which a heated aroma emitting source is arranged are removably engaged.

The present invention will be described in more detail below using embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the technical ideas described in the claims.

The heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, which is an assembly of the heated aroma-generating substrate, used in the examples of the present invention were prepared as follows: Dried and ground saffron flowers, konjac, peppermint leaves, and apricot fruit were used as plants that volatilize aroma components, and these were mixed with crosslinked PVP, β-cyclodextrin, microcrystalline cellulose, and CMC-Na that had been dissolved and mixed in a predetermined amount of pure water/ethanol, and then mixed with glycerin and propylene glycol, and further a potassium sorbate/sodium benzoate aqueous solution with konjac powder dispersed therein was added to prepare a heated aroma-generating substrate composition.
Saffron flowers 87 parts by weight Apricot fruit 6 parts by weight Peppermint leaves 6 parts by weight Konjac 1 part by weight Glycerin 24 parts by weight Propylene glycol 24 parts by weight Cross-linked PVP 16 parts by weight β-cyclodextrin 1 part by weight Microcrystalline cellulose 16 parts by weight CMC-Na 3 parts by weight Potassium sorbate 0.005 parts by weight Sodium benzoate 0.005 parts by weight

This composition was formed using three rolls to a sheet thickness of 0.28±0.02 mm. The sheet thus formed was then cut into pieces to a width of 1.5±0.1 mm to form heated aroma-generating substrate 310, which was then wrapped with heated aroma-generating substrate wrapping member 320 to achieve a predetermined filling rate. Next, this wrapped heated aroma-generating substrate 310 was cut to a length of 11.5-12.0 mm and then dried until the moisture content was 18-20% by mass, producing heated aroma-generating source 300.

On the other hand, the mouthpiece 400 constituting the heated aroma cartridge of the present invention is manufactured by connecting a support member 510 and a filter 700 formed from a bundle of cellulose acetate fibers in this order from the upstream side, and wrapping them with a mouthpiece wrapping member 410, as shown in FIG. 3.

The heated aroma generating source 300 and mouthpiece 400 manufactured in this manner were then connected to the mouthpiece 400 by the heated aroma cartridge wrapping member 410, as shown in FIG. 3, to manufacture the heated aroma cartridge 200.

The heated aroma cartridge 200 with the various support members manufactured in this manner was evaluated using IQOS (registered trademark) 100, a heated aroma device in which a blade-type heat source 130 is provided at the bottom of the chamber 120 of the main body 110, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

In order to compare the support member of the present invention and the heated aroma cartridge 200 using the same with the prior art, Figure 1 shows a heated aroma generating source 300, which is connected in this order to a hollow cylindrical support member 500, a cooling member 600 made of an open-cell porous material with a porosity of 70% or more, and a filter 700 made of a bundle of cellulose acetate fibers, and a prior art heated aroma cartridge 200R connected to the prior art mouthpiece 400R, which is connected to the prior art heated aroma cartridge 200R, attached to a heated aroma device 100.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the XY plane passing through the centre of the heated aroma cartridge 200R. The first thing that can be seen from the figure is that the cross-sectional area taken along the YZ plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support part 502 of the support member 500 only comprises the circumferential part, and when the heated aroma cartridge 200R is attached to the heated aroma device 100 and when inhaling during smoking, the heated aroma generating substrate 310 and the heated aroma generating source 300 are subjected to great stress, resulting in problems such as breakage and movement. Secondly, the heated aroma generating substrate 310 is heated and generated, and the volatiles pass through the flow path 501 of the support member 500. However, because the inner wall area of the flow path 501 is small and the amount of smoke generated by the volatiles being cooled and condensed is extremely small, a cooling member 600 is required, which complicates the structure of the heated aroma cartridge 200R.

The support member of the present invention has a porosity range of approximately 1-70%, and by having at least two or more flow paths with a difference in porosity of approximately 19%-69%, support sections 512-552 are formed with a large area for receiving the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, and smoke with different average particle sizes is sufficiently generated from the flow paths 5111-5512 of the support members 510-550, solving the problems with the support member 500 and cooling member 600 of the conventional heated aroma cartridge 200R described above.

Figure 2 shows (a) a schematic perspective view, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left along the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right along the X axis of a first support member 510 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first support member 510 having a cylindrical gas flow path 5111 with a porosity of approximately 6%, a cylindrical gas flow path 5112 with a porosity of approximately 25%, and a heated aroma source support section 512.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the XY plane passing through the center of the heated aroma cartridge, showing the heated aroma cartridge 200 having the first support member 510 shown in Figure 2 disposed thereon according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to the heated aroma device 100 during smoking.

By using such a support member 510, as is clear from the figure, the cross-sectional area of the heated aroma source support portion 512 is ensured, and in particular, damage and movement of the heated aroma generating substrate 310 and the heated aroma generating source 300 can be reliably prevented when attaching the heated aroma cartridge 200 to the heated aroma device 100. In addition, a flow path with a low porosity has a high flow rate and becomes turbulent, so a large amount of smoke with a small average particle size is generated due to secondary nucleation, whereas a flow path with a high porosity generates a small amount of smoke with a large average particle size. In this way, it was found that the two flow paths with different porosities generate smoke with different average particle sizes and amounts, allowing for a comfortable smoking experience.

Figure 4 shows (a) a schematic perspective view, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left along the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right along the X axis of a second support member 520 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second support member 520 having a triangular prism-shaped gas flow path 5211 with a porosity of approximately 6%, a triangular prism-shaped gas flow path 5212 with a porosity of approximately 25%, and a heated aroma source support section 522.

Figure 5 shows (a) a schematic perspective view, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left direction along the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right direction along the X axis of a third support member 530 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is equipped with a rectangular columnar gas flow path 5311 having a porosity of approximately 6%, a rectangular columnar gas flow path 5312 having a porosity of approximately 25%, and a heated aroma source support section 532.

Thus, although the porosity is exactly the same, the difference in the cross-sectional shape of the flow path does not affect the effect of preventing damage and movement of the heated aroma-generating substrates 310 and 300. However, due to the difference in the cross-sectional shape, the circumference of the flow path becomes longer in the order of circle, square, and triangle, and the contact area with the volatiles on the inner wall of the flow path increases in this order. As a result, the cooling rate increases, and in particular the secondary nucleation rate increases, resulting in the generation of large amounts of smoke with small average particle diameters, which changes the sensation and taste of the smoke inhaled when smoking. Since this sensation and taste vary from person to person, this is effective as a means of increasing product variety.

Figure 6 shows (a) a schematic perspective view, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left along the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right along the X axis of a fourth support member 540 having a cylindrical gas flow path 5411 with a porosity of approximately 3%, a cylindrical gas flow path 5412 with a porosity of approximately 9%, and a cylindrical gas flow path 5413 with a porosity of approximately 18%, and a heated aroma source support section 542, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The total porosity of these three different porosities is approximately 30%, which is not significantly different from the total porosity of 31% for the first support member 510, the second support member 520, and the third support member 530. However, the increased surface area of contact with volatiles increases the amount of smoke produced overall and further widens the average particle size distribution of all smoke, resulting in changes to the smoking sensation and taste and increasing product variety.

Figure 7 shows (a) a schematic perspective view, (b) a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane, (c) a side view seen from the left along the X axis, and (d) a side view seen from the right along the X axis of a fifth support member 550 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is equipped with a cylindrical gas flow path 5511 having a porosity of approximately 6%, a cylindrical gas flow path 5512 having a porosity of approximately 25%, a heated aroma source support section 552, and a cylindrical merging flow path 553 of these two cylindrical gas flow paths with different porosities.

Since such a confluence flow path 553 is formed at the downstream end of the support member, it prevents damage and movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate 310 and the heated aroma-generating source 300, and does not significantly change the smoke generated from the flow paths. However, it has been found that smoke with different average particle sizes is mixed and inhaled into the oral cavity, resulting in a different sensation and taste of the smoke than when the confluence flow path 553 is not present.

As described above, the support member of the present invention not only prevents damage and movement of the heated aroma generating substrates 310 and 300 when the heated aroma cartridge is attached and when smoking, but also varies the average particle size and amount of smoke generated by cooling and condensing the aerosol former volatiles generated from the same heated aroma generating substrate by controlling the porosity, shape of the flow paths, number of flow paths, formation of merging flow paths, etc., allowing different smoking sensations and flavors to be enjoyed.

In order to make the most of the features of the support member of the present invention, a detachable heated aroma cartridge connecting member 220 as shown in Figure 8 is used, allowing users to enjoy smoking with a variety of sensations and flavors using heated aroma cartridges made of the same heated aroma generating substrate.

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of (a) a heated aroma generating source connecting member 221 having a heated aroma generating source, (b) a mouthpiece connecting member 222, and (c) a removable heated aroma cartridge connecting member 220 in which these are engaged with female threads 2211 and male threads 2221 according to one embodiment of the present invention. And Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the XY plane of a heated aroma cartridge in which the mouthpiece connecting member 222 in which the first support member 510 and filter 700 shown in Figure 2 are arranged and the heated aroma generating source connecting member 221 in which the heated aroma generating source 300 is arranged are removably engaged according to one embodiment of the present invention.

When using such a heated aroma cartridge connecting member 220, by preparing a mouthpiece connecting member 222 having various support members arranged thereon, it is possible to enjoy many different types of heated aroma cartridges with the heated aroma generating source connecting member having a heated aroma generating source 330 arranged thereon, which is an assembly of one type of heated aroma generating substrate.

As a result of thermodynamic and fluid dynamic phenomena, a heated aroma generating cartridge using the support member of the present invention can generate a large amount of smoke with a small average particle size from a flow path with a low porosity, and smoke with a large average particle size from a flow path with a high porosity, allowing the user to enjoy a comfortable smoke. By utilizing this fact, by preparing a wide variety of support members of the present invention with different porosities, cross-sectional shapes and cross-sectional areas of the flow paths, number of flow paths, etc., it is possible to enjoy a wide variety of smoke sensations and tastes with a single type of heated aroma generating source. Furthermore, the support member of the present invention combines the functions of a support member and a cooling member, making it possible to create a heated aroma generating cartridge with a simple structure.

The technology for generating aerosol (smoke) from volatilized aerosol formers using the thermodynamic nucleation phenomenon and fluid dynamic flow phenomena that form the basis of the aerosol generation mechanism of the present invention may be applicable not only to heated smoking using heated aroma cartridges, but also to incense sticks, burning incense, powdered incense, incense liniments, etc. that handle fluids such as smoke and steam, as well as aromatherapy, etc.

100 Heated aroma device 110 Body 120 Chamber 130 Blade-type heat source 200R Heated aroma cartridge 200 of the prior art Heated aroma cartridge 210 Heated aroma cartridge wrapping member 220 Heated aroma cartridge connecting member 221 Heated aroma source connecting member 2211 Heated aroma source connecting member female thread portion 222 Mouthpiece connecting member 2221 Mouthpiece connecting member male thread portion 223 Heated aroma cartridge connecting portion 300 Heated aroma source 310 Heated aroma emitting substrate 320 Heated aroma emitting substrate wrapping member 400R Mouthpiece 400 of the prior art Mouthpiece 410 Mouthpiece wrapping member 500 Support member 501 of the prior art Gas flow path 502 of the support member of the prior art Heated aroma source support portion 510 of the support member of the prior art First support member 5111 of the present invention First gas flow path 5112 of the first support member of the present invention Second gas flow path 512 of the first support member of the present invention Heated aroma emitting source support part 520 of the first support member of the present invention Second support member 5211 of the present invention First gas flow path 5212 of the second support member of the present invention Second gas flow path 522 of the second support member of the present invention Heated aroma emitting source support part 530 of the second support member of the present invention Third support member 5311 of the present invention First gas flow path 5312 of the third support member of the present invention Second gas flow path 532 of the third support member of the present invention Heated aroma emitting source support part 540 of the third support member of the present invention Fourth support member 5411 of the present invention First gas flow path 5412 of the fourth support member of the present invention Second gas flow path 5413 of the fourth support member of the present invention Third gas flow path 542 of the fourth support member of the present invention Heated aroma emitting source support part 550 of the fourth support member of the present invention Fifth support member 5511 of the present invention First gas flow path 5512 of the fifth support member of the present invention Second gas flow path 552 of the fifth support member of the present invention Heated aroma generating source support portion 553 of the fifth support member of the present invention. Junction flow path 600 of the fifth support member of the present invention. Cooling member 700. Filter member. X-axis: Longitudinal direction of the heated aroma cartridge. Y-axis: Vertical direction perpendicular to the X-axis. Z-axis: Vertical direction of the XY plane.

Claims (7)

In a heated aroma cartridge, a heated aroma generating source, which is an assembly of heated aroma generating substrates that are heated to generate volatiles that become aerosol and aroma components when heated, is provided on the upstream side, and a mouthpiece equipped with at least a support member is provided on the downstream side, based on the direction of airflow when a smoker inhales through the heated aroma cartridge, and the heated aroma generating source is arranged in sequence in the longitudinal direction,
the support member includes at least a support portion for preventing movement of the heated aroma-generating substrate and the heated aroma-generating source, and a flow path through which the volatile matter passes;
When the ratio of the area of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heated aroma cartridge formed by the outer periphery of the flow path to the area of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heated aroma cartridge formed by the outer periphery of the support member is defined as the porosity,
The at least two types of flow paths each having a different porosity are provided with at least one,
The flow passage is formed in and on an outer periphery of the support member;
The cross-sectional shape of the flow path formed within the outer periphery is circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the flow path formed on the outer periphery is triangular, rectangular, or polygonal,
A hollow confluence flow path is formed at the downstream end of the support member, in which the volatiles flowing out from the two or more types of flow paths are mixed.
A support member characterized by: 2. The support member of claim 1, comprising channels having a porosity in the range of 1 to 70% . The support member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the difference between the minimum porosity and the maximum porosity of the two or more types of flow paths is 19 to 69%. A support member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inner wall surface area of the flow path is 18 to 500 mm2 per 1 mm of the length of the support member. The support member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the material of the support member is a hydrophilic polymer containing at least one of a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, an amino group, an amide group, and an ether group. A heated aroma cartridge comprising the support member according to any one of claims 1 to 5 disposed thereon. 7. The heated aroma cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the heated aroma generating source and the mouthpiece are detachable from each other.