Substitute smoking consumable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12349725-B2
Application number	US-202016946282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A heat not burn consumable ( 1 ) is provided. The consumable includes a tubular vapour generating member ( 7 ) defining a channel therethrough. At least an active portion of the vapour generating member is configured to be heated by a heater to produce vapour. The tubular vapour generating member has an inlet to the channel at a first end of the consumable, the first end of the consumable being for cooperation with a heating device. The active portion of the vapour generating member has a sidewall which has a thickness greater than 0.1 mm. This allows for rapid and consistent heating of the vapour generating member. The active portion comprises an amount of an active substance which is between 0.0001 milligrams per mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and 0.02 milligrams per mm{circumflex over ( )}2 of said internal surface area. The vapour generating member has an overall length which is greater than 50% of a total length of the consumable. This may allow for efficient manufacture of the consumable. The consumable also includes an inactive structural tube in axial abutment with the tubular vapour generating member and located downstream of the vapour generating member. A wrapper overwraps the vapour generating member and at least a portion of the inactive tube. This may allow for efficient manufacture of the consumable.

First claim

We claim:

1. A heat not burn consumable comprising:
a tubular vapour generating member defining a channel therethrough, wherein at least an active portion of the vapour generating member includes an aerosol former and is configured to be heated by a heater to produce vapour without burning the aerosol former, wherein:
the tubular vapour generating member has an inlet to the channel at an open first end of the consumable, the open first end of the consumable configured for cooperation with a heating device;
a supporting structural tube in axial abutment with the tubular vapour generating member downstream of the vapour generating member, wherein the structural supporting tube is an inactive element;
a wrapper overwrapping the vapour generating member and at least a portion of the supporting structural tube;
a filter downstream of at least a portion of the supporting structural tube; and
a hollow open space within the supporting structural tube between the active portion and the filter, the hollow open space providing a mixing zone.

2. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the consumable has an airflow passage extending between the inlet and an outlet opening located at a second end of the consumable, the channel through the active portion forming at least a portion of the airflow passage.

3. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the active portion of the vapour generating member has a sidewall which has a thickness between 0.2 and 1.0 mm.

4. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the entire consumable has a constant external diameter.

5. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 , wherein the channel through the active portion has a transverse cross-section substantially equal in size and shape to a transverse cross-section of the inlet opening.

6. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the filter is at a second end of the consumable, opposite from the open first end, and the channel extends from the open first end to the filter, with the channel having a constant inside diameter.

7. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein a total mass of an active substrate in the active portion is greater than 100 mg and less than 1000 mg.

8. The heat not burn consumable of claim 7 wherein the active substrate of the active portion includes between 0.2 milligrams and 2.0 milligrams of active substance.

9. The heat not burn consumable of claim 7 wherein the active substrate of the active portion includes between 0.0002 milligrams and 0.02 milligrams of active substance per milligram of said active substrate.

10. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the vapour generating member is configured to be heated by a heater inserted into the consumable through the open first end of the consumable.

11. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 having a total longitudinal length greater than or equal to 50 mm.

12. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the vapour generating member includes an active substance, wherein the active substance includes nicotine.

13. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the vapour generating member includes a sheet of reconstituted tobacco.

14. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the entire consumable has only a single filter, and the single filter is at a downstream end of the entire structural tube, at a second end of the consumable.

15. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein structural tube comprises a material impervious to vapor.

16. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the structural tube is free of perforations.

17. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the consumable is cylindrical and is configured for cooperation with a heating device which radially heats the tubular vapour generating member.

18. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the consumable is configured to be inserted into a heater device.

19. The heat not burn consumable of claim 1 wherein the channel extends unobstructed from an inlet opening entirely through the consumable to the filter.

20. A heat not burn consumable comprising:
a tubular vapour generating member defining a channel therethrough, wherein at least an active portion of the vapour generating member includes an aerosol former and has an internal surface area configured to produce vapour when heated by a heater, wherein:
the tubular vapour generating member has an inlet to the channel at an open first end of the consumable, the open first end of the consumable configured for cooperation with a heating device;
the channel having a transverse cross-section substantially equal in size and shape to a transverse cross-section of the inlet opening;
a supporting structural tube, downstream of the active portion; and
perforations through a sidewall of the supporting structural tube which allow air flow into a mixing zone within the supporting structural tube.

21. The heat not burn consumable of claim 20 wherein an amount of an active substance of the active portion is between 0.0001 milligrams per mm 2 and 0.02 milligrams per mm 2 of the internal surface area.

22. The heat not burn consumable of claim 20 wherein the active portion has a sidewall which has a thickness between 0.2 and 1.0 mm.

23. A heat not burn consumable, comprising:
a tubular vapor generator having an open upstream end configured for engagement with a heating device;
the vapor generator having an active portion containing an aerosol former configured to be heated by the heating device to produce vapor without burning the aerosol former;
a structural tube having an upstream end in axial abutment with a downstream end of the tubular vapor generator;
a wrapper overwrapping at least parts of the tubular vapor generator and the structural tube;
a filter at a downstream end of the structural tube; and
a channel extending from the open upstream end of the tubular vapor generator to the filter, the channel having a constant inside diameter, and the channel including a hollow empty open space in the structural tube between the active portion and the filter, the hollow empty open space providing a mixing zone.

24. The heat not burn consumable of claim 23 wherein the entire consumable has
a constant outside diameter, and a single filter at a second end of the consumable.

Assignees

• Nerudia Ltd
• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Ferrie Kate
• Shenton Edward Ross

Classifications

• A24D3/17

  Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices · CPC title

• A24B3/14

  Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40) · CPC title

• A61M15/06

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

• A24D1/20 Primary

  Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices · CPC title