Flavor article for an aerosol delivery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11517688-B2
Application number	US-201916408942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2019
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a flavor delivery article, a cartridge, and/or an aerosol delivery device that includes such flavor delivery article or a component thereof. The flavor delivery article includes a flavor substrate that can be formed of a porous material optionally having a graded porosity across at least a portion thereof. The flavor substrate further includes a flavor material retained thereby. The flavor substrate may be positioned within an outer shell of the flavor delivery article, and the flavor delivery article may be positioned anywhere within an aerosol delivery device (or a mouthpiece or a cartridge of an aerosol delivery device) wherein the flavor substrate retaining the flavor material may be contacted by a gaseous stream, such as a vapor stream and/or aerosol stream formed in the aerosol delivery device so that the flavor material may become entrained in the vapor stream and/or aerosol stream.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flavor delivery article comprising:
an outer shell extending along a longitudinal axis between a distal end including at least one opening and a proximal end including at least one opening, the outer shell defining a chamber therein;
a flavor unit positioned in the chamber, the flavor unit extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and an opposing second end so as to be substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the outer shell, the flavor unit comprising at least one flavor substrate configured as a porous sheet, at least one flavor material retained by the flavor substrate, and a film configured substantially as a tube, the porous sheet being one or more of pleated, gathered, and rolled and being positioned within the tube; and
a mouthpiece arranged on the outer shell so as to at least partially cover the proximal end of the outer shell and extend down the outer shell toward the distal end of the outer shell along a portion of a longitudinal length of the outer shell.

2. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the film is formed of a polymeric material.

3. The flavor delivery article of claim 2 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, acetals, polycarbonates, celluloses, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and combinations thereof.

4. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the film is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of paper foil, filter paper, ceramics, aluminum, and combinations thereof.

5. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the film has a thickness of about 2 microns to about 500 microns.

6. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated flavor substrate has a graded porosity such that an average pore size varies across at least a portion of the at least one elongated flavor substrate.

7. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the porous material forming the at least one elongated flavor substrate is a polymeric material.

8. The flavor delivery article of claim 7 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfone, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, nylon, polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose nitrate, regenerated cellulose, cellulose acetate, silica, cotton, and combinations thereof.

9. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the following conditions is met:
the at least one elongated flavor substrate comprises one or more rods comprising a porous material;
the at least one elongated flavor substrate comprises one or more tubes comprising a porous material.

10. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the outer shell is shaped and dimensioned for insertion into a cartridge of an aerosol delivery device.

11. A cartridge for an aerosol delivery device, the cartridge comprising:
a cartridge housing having a mouthend;
a reservoir including an aerosol precursor composition;
a heater adapted to vaporize the aerosol precursor composition; and
a flavor delivery article according to claim 1 engaged with the cartridge such that at least the distal end of the outer shell is engaged with the mouthend of the cartridge housing.

12. The cartridge of claim 11 , further comprising a liquid transport element configured for transport of the aerosol precursor composition between a reservoir and the heater.

13. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the reservoir includes a fibrous material.

14. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the reservoir is a tank.

15. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a power unit housing including a power source and a controller; and
a cartridge according to claim 11 .

16. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises a mouth opening configured to the passage of vapor or aerosol therethrough.

17. The flavor delivery article of claim 16 , wherein the mouth opening is configured to retain the flavor substrate and comprises a plurality of apertures, a mesh, a screen, or a combination thereof.

18. The flavor delivery article of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to be removably attached to the outer shell.

19. The flavor delivery article of claim 6 , wherein the average pore size changes from a first portion of the flavor substrate to a second portion of the flavor substrate.

20. The flavor delivery article of claim 19 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are selected from an inner section of the flavor substrate and an outer section of the flavor substrate.

21. The flavor delivery article of claim 6 , wherein the average size of the pores is about 250 nm to about 2 μm.

22. The flavor delivery article of claim 6 , wherein the average size of the pores is about 1 μm to about 20 μm.

23. The flavor deliver of claim 6 , wherein the average size of the pores is about 1 nm to about 30 μm.

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Hejazi Vahid
• Reynolds Rebecca H

Classifications

• A24F40/46

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F7/00

  Mouthpieces for pipes; Mouthpieces for cigar or cigarette holders · CPC title

• A61M15/06 Primary

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