Aerosol-forming cartridge with protective foil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10602776-B2
Application number	US-201515323908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol-forming cartridge for an electrically operated aerosol-generating system. The aerosol-forming cartridge includes a base layer including at least one cavity and at least one aerosol-forming substrate held in the at least one cavity. A protective foil is removably attached to the base layer and is arranged to substantially hermetically seal the at least one aerosol-forming substrate within the at least one cavity prior to use of the aerosol-forming cartridge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol-forming cartridge for an electrically operated aerosol-generating system, the aerosol-forming cartridge comprising:
a base layer comprising at least one cavity;
at least one aerosol-forming substrate held in the at least one cavity, the aerosol-forming substrate comprising a tobacco-containing material with volatile tobacco flavour compounds, which are releasable from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating, or a nicotine-containing liquid substrate with volatile nicotine compounds, which are releasable from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating;
a vaporiser comprising an electric heater including at least one heating element configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate; and
a protective foil removably attached to the base layer and arranged to substantially hermetically seal the at least one aerosol-forming substrate within the at least one cavity,
wherein the base layer and the at least one aerosol-forming substrate are in contact at a substantially planar first contact surface, and the base layer and the protective foil are in contact at a substantially planar second contact surface, and
wherein the first and second contact surfaces are substantially parallel.

2. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a cover layer fixed to the base layer and over the at least one aerosol-forming substrate to retain the at least one aerosol-forming substrate in the at least one cavity, the cover layer comprising at least one gas-permeable window.

3. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the protective foil is substantially planar and is arranged to substantially hermetically seal the aerosol-forming substrate within the at least one cavity by closing the at least one gas-permeable window.

4. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 3 ,
wherein an area of the at least one gas-permeable window is less than an area of the at least one cavity, and
wherein a remainder of the cover layer is substantially gas-impermeable.

5. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the base layer, the protective foil, and the at least one aerosol-forming substrate is substantially flat.

6. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the protective foil is removably attached to the base layer by ultrasonic welding along a continuous sealing line.

7. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the continuous sealing line comprises first and second continuous weld lines arranged side by side.

8. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the protective foil is removably attached to the base layer by an adhesive.

9. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the protective foil is formed from a flexible film comprising a polymer film, a metallised film, a metallised paper film, a laminated metal foil, or any combination thereof.

10. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the protective foil comprises a first portion that is removably attached to the base layer and a second portion that is attached to the first portion, the second portion extending beyond the base layer to form a tab by which a user can remove the first portion from the base layer.

11. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the second portion is folded over the first portion at a fold line such that the first portion and the second portion are substantially coplanar.

12. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one aerosol-forming substrate comprises first and second aerosol-forming substrates and the base layer comprises first and second cavities in which the first and second aerosol-forming substrates are stored separately, and
wherein the protective foil is configured for removal in stages to selectively open the first and second cavities independently.

13. The aerosol-forming cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a flavour carrier with volatile flavour compounds that are releasable from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating.

14. A pack of aerosol-forming cartridges for an electrically heated aerosol-generating system, the pack containing a plurality of aerosol-forming cartridges each comprising:
a base layer comprising at least one cavity;
at least one aerosol-forming substrate held in the at least one cavity, the aerosol-forming substrate comprising a tobacco-containing material with volatile tobacco flavour compounds, which are releasable from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating, or a nicotine-containing liquid substrate with volatile nicotine compounds, which are releasable from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating;
a vaporiser comprising an electric heater including at least one heating element configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate; and
a protective foil removably attached to the base layer and arranged to substantially hermetically seal the at least one aerosol-forming substrate within the at least one cavity,
wherein the base layer and the at least one aerosol-forming substrate are in contact at a substantially planar first contact surface, and the base layer and the protective foil are in contact at a substantially planar second contact surface, and
wherein the first and second contact surfaces are substantially parallel.

Assignees

• Philip Morris Products Sa

Inventors

• Batista Rui Nuno

Classifications

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A61M15/06

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• B65D85/54

  for articles of special shape not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B65D25/04

  Partitions · CPC title

• A24B15/167 Primary

  in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes · CPC title