Inductively heatable aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming rod segment and method for manufacturing such aerosol-forming rod segments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11974607-B2
Application number	US-201917263007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device is provided, the article including: an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the rod segment, the susceptor element including at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the susceptor element, and the narrower portion at each extreme end including a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the susceptor element along a length extension of the susceptor element including a maximum transverse cross-section of the susceptor element. A method is also provided for manufacturing inductively heatable aerosol-forming rod segments in a continuous rod-forming process including usage of a continuous susceptor profile having reduced transverse cross-sections at periodically spaced positions along its length extension.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device, the article comprising:
an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the elongate susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the aerosol-forming rod segment,
wherein the elongate susceptor element comprises at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the elongate susceptor element,
wherein the narrower portion at each extreme end comprises a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element along a length extension of the elongate susceptor element comprising a maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element,
wherein the elongate susceptor element further comprises another at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element, and
wherein the another at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends comprises a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element along the length extension of the elongate susceptor comprising the maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element.

2. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 ,
wherein a minimum cross-sectional dimension of the at least one narrower portion is at most 90% of a maximum cross-sectional dimension of the elongate susceptor element in the one or more portions comprising the maximum transverse cross-section, and
wherein the maximum cross-sectional dimension is measured in a same direction as the minimum dimension cross-sectional transverse to the length extension of the elongate susceptor element.

3. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein over at least 1% of the length extension of the elongate susceptor element a cross-sectional area of the at least one narrower portion is at most 50% of a cross-sectional area of the maximum transverse cross-section.

4. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein over at least 5% of the length extension of the elongate susceptor element a cross-sectional area of the at least one narrower portion is at most 90% of a cross-sectional area of the maximum transverse cross-section.

5. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein over at least 80% of the length extension of the elongate susceptor element the reduced transverse cross-section of the at least one narrower portion is at most 80% of a cross-sectional area of the maximum transverse cross-section.

6. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the maximum transverse cross-section is in a range of 0.1 square millimeter to 5.0 square millimeter.

7. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element comprising the maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element cover at least 75% of the length extension of the elongate susceptor element.

8. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate susceptor element further comprises at least one lateral recess in the at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the elongate susceptor element and/or at least one lateral recess in the at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element.

9. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate susceptor element further comprises at least two lateral recesses at opposing lateral sides of the elongate susceptor element in the at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element and/or at least two lateral recesses at opposing lateral sides of the elongate susceptor element in the at least one narrower portion at the extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element.

10. The inductively heatable aerosol-generating article according to claim 8 , wherein a shape of the at least one lateral recess, as viewed in a longitudinal cross-section through the elongate susceptor element along the length extension, is one of trapezoidal, triangular, wedged, curved, circular, oval, rectangular, or polyhedral.

11. An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device, the article comprising:
an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the elongate susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the aerosol-forming rod segment,
wherein the elongate susceptor element comprises at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the elongate susceptor element and/or at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element,
wherein the respective narrower portion comprises a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element along a length extension of the elongate susceptor element comprising a maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element, and
wherein the one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element comprising the maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element cover at least 70% of the length extension of the elongate susceptor element.

12. An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device, the article comprising:
an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the elongate susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the rod segment,
wherein the elongate susceptor element comprises at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the elongate susceptor element and/or at least one narrower portion between both extreme ends of the elongate susceptor element,
wherein the respective narrower portion comprises a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the elongate susceptor element along a length extension of the elongate susceptor element comprising a maximum transverse cross-section of the elongate susceptor element,
wherein the elongate susceptor element is a susceptor strip, and
wherein a width of the susceptor strip is larger than a thickness of the susceptor strip, and the thickness of the susceptor strip in the one or more portions other than the at least one narrower portion is in a range of 0.03 millimeter to 0.15 millimeter.

13. A method for manufacturing inductively heatable aerosol-forming rod segments in a continuous rod-forming process, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a continuous susceptor profile comprising narrower portions having a reduced transverse cross-section at periodically spaced positions along a length extension thereof as compared to one or more portions of the continuous susceptor profile comprising a maximum transverse cross-section of a susceptor element;
providing a substrate web comprising an aerosol-forming substrate;
positioning the susceptor profile and the substrate web relative to each other;
gathering the substrate web around the susceptor profile so as to form a continuous rod-sh

Assignees

• Philip Morris Products Sa

Inventors

• Mironov Oleg
• Rossoll Andreas Michael
• Courbat Jerome Christian
• Stura Enrico
• Mancini Roberto

Classifications

• A24F40/465 Primary

  specially adapted for induction heating · CPC title

• A24C5/01 Primary

  Making cigarettes for simulated smoking devices · CPC title

• A24D1/20 Primary

  Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• H05B6/105

  using a susceptor · CPC title