AEROSOL GENERATING SUBSTRATE AND AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2023/136213, filed on Dec. 4, 2023, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310095317.7, filed on Jan. 20, 2023. The entire disclosure of both applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

This application relates to the technical field of smoking articles, and in particular, to an aerosol generating substrate and an aerosol generating article that produce aerosol by heating manner.

BACKGROUND

Smoking articles include those that generate aerosol by ignition and those that generate the aerosol by heat not burn. A typical heat not burn smoking article includes an aerosol generating substrate, such as a tobacco material, a flavoring material, and/or an aerosol former, that can be volatilized during heating to produce the aerosol. The aerosol generating substrate is heated using an external heat source to a degree sufficient for volatilization without combustion. By loading a high dosage of aerosol former, the aerosol former is released through high-temperature heating during use, forming aerosol.

In the prior art, when puffing the smoking article, the resistance to draw (RTD) of the aerosol generating substrate is high, and there is significant variation in the amount of smoke produced from puff to puff.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides an aerosol generating substrate, comprising: at least one airway channel internally formed, the at least one airway channel penetrating through at least one end of the aerosol generating substrate along a length direction, wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, a cross-sectional shape of the at least one airway channel is substantially a regular polygon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter of the present disclosure will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations. The features and advantages of various embodiments will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate the following:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of this application;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating article according to another embodiment of this application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 1 of this application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 2 of this application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure shown in FIG. 5 from another perspective;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 3 of this application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 4 of this application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 5 of this application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 6 of this application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 7 of this application;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 8 of this application;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 9 of this application;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 10 of this application;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 11 of this application;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 12 of this application;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 13 of this application;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 14 of this application;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 15 of this application;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating substrate according to Embodiment 16 of this application;

FIG. 21 is a schematic sectional diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating substrate according to an embodiment of this application; and

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating article according to yet another embodiment of this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment, the present invention provides an aerosol generating substrate and an aerosol generating article that can reduce RTD and enhance the consistency of puffing during inhalation.

An embodiment of this application provides an aerosol generating substrate. The aerosol generating substrate is internally formed with at least one airway channel, where the airway channel penetrates through at least one end of the aerosol generating substrate along a length direction, and in the cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channel is substantially a regular polygon.

In some embodiments, multiple airway channels are provided, the airway channels penetrate through two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate along the length direction, and the airway channels are of same shape and dimension.

In some embodiments, an airway groove is formed along the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate, and the airway groove penetrates through the two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate along the length direction.

In some embodiments, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, the cross-sectional shape of the airway groove is identical to the local shape of the regular polygon.

In some embodiments, multiple airway channels are provided, and the multiple airway channels are distributed on multiple trajectory lines, where the airway channels on a single trajectory line are linearly arranged along the first direction, the multiple trajectory lines are arranged along the second direction, and the first direction is not parallel to the second direction.

In some embodiments, the airway channels on a single trajectory line are equidistantly arranged.

In some embodiments, the airway channels on a single trajectory line are arranged along the circumferential direction around the center of the aerosol generating substrate, and the multiple rows of airway channels are arranged in concentric circles along the radial direction.

In some embodiments, the airway channels on a single trajectory line are linearly arranged along the first direction, the multiple trajectory lines are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent airway channels on a single trajectory line is equal to the distance between two adjacent trajectory lines.

In some embodiments, the airway channels are distributed in a matrix, or the distribution pattern of the airway channels is: a matrix distribution with omitted apex points.

In some embodiments, the regular polygon is a square or a regular hexagon.

In some embodiments, the regular polygon is the regular hexagon, the airway channels on two adjacent trajectory lines are staggered, and the airway channels are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

In some embodiments, the number of the airway channels does not exceed 730.

In some embodiments, the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels ranges from 0.1 mm to 3 mm.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate is a particle aggregate, micropores are formed between particles of the particle aggregate, the multiple micropores communicate with each other and form micro airways that communicate with the airway channels, and the hydraulic diameter of the micropores ranges from 10 nm to 30 μm.

In some embodiments, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate ranges from 4 mm to 10 mm.

In some embodiments, the number of the sides of the regular polygon does not exceed 10. An embodiment of this application provides an aerosol generating article, including: the aerosol generating substrate according to any of embodiments of this application;

• • a functional segment arranged at one end of the aerosol generating substrate along the length direction, at least including a filter segment for filtering aerosol; and
  • an outer wrapping layer wrapping the circumferential outer portion of the functional segment and the aerosol generating substrate. According to the aerosol generating substrate in this embodiment of this application, the walls of the airway channels form the inner surfaces of the aerosol generating substrate. The airway channels can increase the inner surface area of the aerosol generating substrate, facilitating heat transfer, and enhancing heating efficiency. Additionally, a substrate of the aerosol generating substrate is heated to produce aerosol, and the aerosol is gathered in the airway channels and is delivered to the puffing end under the action of puffing negative pressure. The airway channels can reduce the RTD experienced by a user, thereby improving user experience. The RTD is positively correlated with the flow resistance of the aerosol. The less the flow resistance of the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate, the less the RTD experienced by the user. The greater the flow resistance of the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate, the greater the RTD experienced by the user.

According to the aerosol generating substrate in this embodiment of this application, the airway channel in the regular polygon shape has a regular shape and facilitates the control of the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the wall of the airway channel and the circumferential outer surface of the aerosol generating substrate. When multiple airway channels are provided, the wall thickness of the substrate wall between two adjacent airway channels is easy to control, thereby easily achieving effects of consistent and stable heat transfer during the heating of the aerosol generating substrate and maintain consistency of puff-by-puff smoking.

The embodiments of this application are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The following embodiments are used to illustrate this application, but should not be used to limit the scope of this application.

In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” are only used for descriptive purposes, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

An embodiment of this application provides an aerosol generating substrate 10, which is used for generating aerosol during heating for a user to inhale.

An embodiment of this application further provides an aerosol generating article. With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the aerosol generating article includes a functional segment 30, an outer wrapping layer 20, and the aerosol generating substrate 10 according to any embodiment of this application.

The aerosol generating article is used in cooperation with an aerosol generating device with a heating element. Specifically, the heating element heats the aerosol generating substrate 10 to volatilize corresponding components, so as to generate the aerosol.

The aerosol generating article generates the aerosol through the aerosol generating substrate 10, and the functional segment 30 does not generate the aerosol.

The aerosol generating article according to this embodiment of this application may be suitable for inhalation by heating and combustion, or for inhalation by heat not burn. In this embodiment of this application, the description is made by using the example of the aerosol generating article 100 suitable for inhalation by heat not burn.

The functional segment 30 is arranged at one end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along a length direction. The functional segment 30 at least includes a filter segment 31 for filtering the aerosol. The filter segment 31 may also be referred to as a filter.

The user puffs the filtered aerosol through the filter segment 31 of the functional segment 30.

The outer wrapping layer 20 wraps the circumferential outer portion of the functional segment 30 and the aerosol generating substrate 10.

The material of the outer wrapping layer 20 is not limited, for example, includes but is not limited to one or a combination of more of fiber paper, metal foil, metal foil composite fiber paper, polyethylene composite fiber paper, PE, PBAT, etc.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2, the functional segment 30 only includes the filter segment 31. In some other embodiments, referring to FIG. 22, in addition to the filter segment 31, a supporting segment and/or a cooling segment 32 are/is further included. The supporting segment and/or the cooling segment 32 are/is arranged between the aerosol generating substrate 10 and the filter segment 31.

The cooling segment 32 is used for cooling the aerosol before the filter segment 31 filters the aerosol, to reduce the temperature of the aerosol and improve the phenomenon of “burning mouth” when the user inhales the aerosol.

The material of the cooling segment 32 includes but is not limited to one or a combination of more of polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA, also referred to as polylactide), butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), polypropylene (PP), cellulose acetate fiber, and an acrylic fiber material. The material of the filter segment 31 includes but is not limited to one or a combination of more of polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA, also referred to as polylactide), butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), polypropylene (PP), cellulose acetate fiber, and an acrylic fiber material. The materials of the cooling segment 32 and the filter segment 31 may be the same or different.

The supporting segment has a certain structural strength and axially limits the aerosol generating substrate 10. Specifically, when the aerosol generating article is inserted into a heating chamber of the aerosol generating device, or when the heating element is inserted into the aerosol generating substrate 10, the supporting segment provides a reactive force against the aerosol generating substrate 10 to prevent the aerosol generating substrate 10 from moving along the axial direction.

There are many heating methods for the heating element of the above aerosol generating device. Exemplarily, the heating methods include central heating and peripheral heating. The central heating method refers to the heating element being inserted into the aerosol generating article to roast and heat the aerosol generating article from inside out. The peripheral heating method refers to the heating element being arranged on the periphery of the aerosol generating article to roast and heat the aerosol generating article from outside in. These heating methods may specifically include resistance heating, electromagnetic heating, infrared heating, microwave heating, laser heating, etc., which are not specifically limited herein.

Specific components of the aerosol generating substrate 10 are not limited herein. Exemplarily, in an embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 may include plant components, adjuvant components, aerosol former components, binder components, etc.

In an embodiment, the plant components are one or a combination of more of powders formed after crushing tobacco leaf materials, tobacco leaf fragments, tobacco stems, tobacco powder, aromatic plants, etc. The plant components are used for generating aerosol containing alkaloid during heating.

In an embodiment, the adjuvant components may be one or a combination of more of an inorganic filler, a lubricant, and an emulsifier. The inorganic filler includes one or a combination of more of heavy calcium carbonate, light calcium carbonate, zeolite, attapulgite, talcum powder, and diatomaceous earth. The inorganic filler may provide a skeletal support function for the plant components, and also has micropores, which can increase a wall material porosity after the plant components are formed, thereby improving an aerosol release rate.

The lubricant includes one or a combination of more of candelilla wax, carnauba wax, shellac, sunflower wax, rice bran, beeswax, stearic acid, and palmitic acid.

The lubricant can increase the fluidity of particles, reduce friction between the particles, achieve a consistent overall density of particle distribution, and also reduce the pressure required for mold forming and abrasion of a mold.

The emulsifier includes one or a combination of more of polyglycerol fatty acid ester, Tween-80, and polyvinyl alcohol.

The emulsifier can, to a certain extent, slow down the loss of aroma substances during storage, increase the stability of the aroma substances, and improve the sensory quality of a product.

In an embodiment, the aerosol former components can serve as generating a large amount of vapor during heating, thereby enhancing a smoke volume of a smoking article. A aerosol former may include, for example, one or a combination of more of monohydric alcohol (e.g., menthol); polyols (e.g., propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerol); ester of polyols (e.g., monoacetin, diacetin, or triacetin); monocarboxylic acid; and polycarboxylic acid (e.g., lauric acid and myristic acid) or aliphatic ester of polycarboxylic acid (e.g., dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, erythritol, 1,3-butanediol, tetraethylene glycol, triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate, ethyl laurate, triactin, meso-erythritol, diacetin mixture, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, ethyl vanillate, tributyrin, and lauryl acetate).

In an embodiment, the binder components are natural plant-extracted, non-ionized modified sticky polysaccharide, including one or a combination of more of tamarind polysaccharide, pullulan, seaweed polysaccharide, locust bean gum, guar gum, and xyloglucan.

A binder is used for bonding the particles together, preventing the particles from loosening, also improves the water resistance of the aerosol generating substrate, is harmless to the human body, and has certain health benefits.

At least one airway channel 10a is formed in the aerosol generating substrate 10. Referring to FIG. 2, the airway channels 10a penetrate through at least one end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along a length direction.

In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 19, the airway channels 10a penetrate through the same end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction, and the other end is closed.

In some other embodiments, referring to FIG. 20, some airway channels 10a penetrate through one end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction, and the other part of airway channels 10a penetrate through the other end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction.

In still other embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 20, each airway channel 10a penetrates the two ends of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction. That is, the airway channels 10a extend along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10, thereby allowing airway to flow from one end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 to the other end of the aerosol generating substrate 10 through the airway channels 10a. Preferably, the airway channels 10a are parallel to the central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10.

The walls of the airway channels 10a form the inner surfaces of the aerosol generating substrate 10. The airway channels 10a can increase the inner surface area of the aerosol generating substrate 10, facilitating heat transfer, and enhancing heating efficiency. Additionally, a substrate of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is heated to produce the aerosol, and the aerosol is gathered in the airway channels 10a and is delivered to the puffing end under the action of puffing negative pressure. The airway channels 10a can reduce the RTD experienced by the user, thereby improving user experience. The RTD is positively correlated with the flow resistance of the aerosol. The less the flow resistance of the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate 10, the less the RTD experienced by the user. The greater the flow resistance of the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate 10, the greater the RTD experienced by the user.

Referring to FIG. 4 to FIG. 8, in the cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10, the cross section of each airway channel 10a is substantially a regular polygon.

In this embodiment of this application, the airway channel 10a in the regular polygon shape has a regular shape and facilitates the control of the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the wall of the airway channel 10a and the circumferential outer surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10. When multiple airway channels 10a are provided, the wall thickness of the substrate wall between two adjacent airway channels 10a is easy to control, thereby easily achieving relatively consistent and stable heat transfer during the heating of the aerosol generating substrate 10 and maintain consistency of puff-by-puff smoking.

Exemplarily, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is a particle aggregate, such as a reconstituted tobacco material containing components like aerosol formers and tobacco, which may form an integrated structure through extrusion molding, injection molding, or compression molding processes. Extrusion molding refers to a processing method where a raw material mixture is added into an extruder, the material is subjected to thermal plasticization while being pushed forward by a screw under the action of an extruder barrel and the screw, and continuously passes through a die to form various cross-sectional products or semi-finished products. A substrate structure formed by the extrusion molding is in a strip shape in the same row. Accordingly, the aerosol generating substrate 10 remains an integrated substrate both during heating and puffing, or after heating stops, and is not prone to disintegration or shedding. The problems in the prior art that sheet-like, filamentous or loose granular aerosol generating substrates experience sheet loosening, filamentous or granular component detachment, and difficulty in cleaning, as well as components are uneven are solved.

Referring to FIG. 21, micropores 10d are formed between the particles of the particle aggregate, and the micropores 10d communicate with each other and form micro airways that communicate with the airway channels 10a. The substrate releases the aerosol after being heated, which is gathered to the airway channels through the micro airways and is conveyed to the puffing end under the action of puffing negative pressure.

The number of the airway channels 10a is not limited, which may be 1, 2, or more than 2.

Exemplarily, the number of the airway channels 10a does not exceed 730, such as 1, 5, 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 600, 700, and 730.

When overall dimension of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is fixed, it is negative correlation between the number of the airway channels 10a and the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the adjacent airway channels 10a. The greater the number of the airway channels 10a, the greater a specific surface area of the airway channels 10a becomes, enabling reduced flow resistance for the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate 10 and higher heat transfer efficiency. The thinner the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the adjacent airway channels 10a, the more favorable it is for heat penetration or diffusion. The thinner the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the adjacent airway channels 10a, the less the overall mass of the aerosol generating substrate 10. The reduction in a base material also leads to the low puffing quality and the overall aerosol release amount. Moreover, the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the adjacent airway channels 10a affects the overall structural strength of the aerosol generating substrate 10. The thinner the wall, the less the overall structural strength of the substrate structure. Therefore, the number of the airway channels 10a should not exceed 730.

Exemplarily, the number of the airway channels 10a ranges from 10 to 500. When the number of the airway channels 10a is less, the process and the structure are simpler, making it easy to manufacture. The porosity is less, the wall thickness of the substrate wall is greater, the mass of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is greater, and the number of puffs is higher. However, the heat transfer efficiency is less, and there may be overheating at a contact surface with a heat source. Conversely, when the wall thickness of the substrate wall between the adjacent airway channels 10a is thinner, the mass of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is less, a heat transfer rate is higher, and the number of puffs is fewer.

When the number of the airway channels 10a is greater, the process and the structure become more complex, the manufacturing difficulty is higher, the wall thickness of the substrate wall becomes thinner, the flow path for the aerosol to converge from the micro airways to the airway channels 10a is shorter, the porosity is higher, and the aerosol release rate after substrate heating is higher, with a high heat transfer rate. The overall number of puffs decreases, but the taste of the inhaled aerosol is consistent.

Therefore, when the number of the airway channels 10a ranges from 10 to 500, the manufacturing process of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is of moderate difficulty, offering an appropriate heat transfer rate and a consistent puffing taste.

Exemplarily, the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.05 mm to 6 mm (millimeter), such as 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.8 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, and 6 mm.

In this embodiment of this application, the hydraulic diameter refers to a ratio of four times the cross-sectional area of a flow passage to a perimeter. When the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a is greater than 6 mm, the number of the airway channels 10a is less, making the aerosol generating substrate 10 prone to charring and resulting in uneven aerosol release during heating of the aerosol generating substrate 10 (e.g., a large amount of aerosol is released along the first two puffs, but less in subsequent puffs), which affects the user puffing experience.

When the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a is less than 0.05 mm, the difficulty of a molding process is significantly increased, making it difficult to control the dimension of the airway channels 10a and increasing the defect rate of the aerosol generating substrate 10.

However, when the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.05 mm to 6 mm, the flow resistance of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is less (i.e., the RTD is less), the aerosol flow rate is appropriate, the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate 10 is easily extracted, the aerosol release is consistent with a high utilization rate, and the aerosol generating substrate 10 is not prone to charring, providing a high use experience for the user and facilitating processing and manufacturing.

Preferably, the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.1 mm to 3 mm (millimeter), such as 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.8 mm, and 3 mm. Exemplarily, the cross-sectional area of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.0019 mm² to 30 mm² (square millimeter), such as 0.002 mm², 0.1 mm², 0.2 mm², 0.4 mm², 0.5 mm², 0.8 mm², 1 mm², 1.3 mm², 1.6 mm², 1.8 mm², 2 mm², 2.1 mm², 2.2 mm², 2.4 mm², 2.6 mm², 2.8 mm², 3 mm², 4 mm², 5 mm², and 6 mm².

In this embodiment of this application, the cross-sectional area refers to the cross-sectional area of the flow passage.

When the cross-sectional area of the airway channels 10a is greater than 30 mm², the number of the airway channels 10a is less, making the aerosol generating substrate 10 prone to charring and resulting in uneven aerosol release during heating of the aerosol generating substrate 10 (e.g., a large amount of aerosol is released along the first two puffs, but less in subsequent puffs), which affects the user puffing experience.

When the cross-sectional area of the airway channels 10a is less than 0.0019 mm², the difficulty of the molding process is significantly increased, making it difficult to control the dimension of the airway channels 10a and increasing the defect rate of the aerosol generating substrate 10.

However, when the cross-sectional area of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.0019 mm² to 30 mm², the flow resistance of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is less (i.e., the RTD is less), the aerosol flow rate is appropriate, the aerosol within the aerosol generating substrate 10 is easily extracted, the aerosol release is consistent with a high utilization rate, and the aerosol generating substrate 10 is not prone to charring, providing a high use experience for the user and facilitating processing and manufacturing.

Preferably, the cross-sectional area of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.007 mm² to 7.1 mm² (square millimeter), such as 0.1 mm², 0.2 mm², 0.4 mm², 0.5 mm², 0.8 mm², 1 mm², 1.3 mm², 1.6 mm², 1.8 mm², 2 mm², 2.1 mm², 2.2 mm², 2.4 mm², 2.6 mm², 2.8 mm², and 3 mm².

Exemplarily, the hydraulic diameter of the micropores ranges from 10 nm (nanometer) to 30 μm (micrometer), such as 10 nm, 20 nm, 24 nm, 30 nm, 40 nm, 50 nm, 60 nm, 70 nm, 80 nm, 100 nm, 200 nm, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500 nm, 600 nm, 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, 1 μm, 2 μm, and 3 μm.

When the hydraulic diameter of the micropores is less than 10 nm, active components within the substrate are not likely to be volatilized into the airway channels 10a, leading to a decrease in the substrate utilization rate. When the diameter range of the micropores in a substrate body is greater than 30 μm, uneven heat conduction within the micropores is caused, leading to a decline in the puffing experience. Therefore, in this embodiment, controlling the hydraulic diameter of the micropores within the range of 0.1 nm to 30 μm can balance both the substrate utilization rate and the puffing experience enhancement.

Preferably, the hydraulic diameter of the micropores ranges from 50 nm to 5 μm.

Exemplarily, the cross-sectional area of the micropores ranges from 0.7 nm² (square nanometer) to 710 μm² (square micrometer), such as 1 nm², 10 nm², 25 nm², 30 nm², 40 nm², 50 nm², 60 nm², 70 nm², 80 nm², 100 nm², 200 nm², 300 nm², 400 nm², 500 nm², 600 nm², 700 nm², 800 nm², 900 nm², 1 μm², 2 μm², and 3 μm².

When the cross-sectional area of the micropores is less than 0.7 nm², the active components within the substrate are not likely to be volatilized into the airway channels 10a, leading to a decrease in the substrate utilization rate. When the cross-sectional area of the micropores of the substrate body is greater than 710 m², uneven heat conduction within the micropores is caused, leading to a decline in the puffing experience. Therefore, in this embodiment, controlling the cross-sectional area of the micropores within the range of 0.7 nm² to 710 μm² can balance both the substrate utilization rate and the puffing experience enhancement.

Preferably, the cross-sectional area of the micropores ranges from 1963 nm² to 20 μm².

In the cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10, the contour shape of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is not limited, which may be, for example, circular, elliptical, and polygonal, and is not limited herein.

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is cylindrical, meaning that the contour of the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is approximately circular. The cylindrical aerosol generating substrate 10 has a regular form, which can reduce the difficulty of the manufacturing process.

Exemplarily, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 ranges from 4 mm to 10 mm, such as 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, and 10 mm. The outer diameter dimension of the aerosol generating substrate 10 not only provides the aerosol generating substrate 10 with good structural strength but also facilitates the user to hold it in the mouth.

The maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 refers to the distance between two farthest points on the contour line of the aerosol generating substrate 10 in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate. For example, when the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is cylindrical, the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is the diameter of a circle. When the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is elliptical, the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is a major axis of an ellipse. Preferably, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate, the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 ranges from 6 mm to 8.6 mm, such as 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 7.4 mm, 7.7 mm, 8 mm, and 8.6 mm.

In some specific embodiments, when the maximum dimension of the contour of the aerosol generating substrate 10 ranges from 4 mm to 10 mm, the hydraulic diameter of the airway channels 10a ranges from 0.05 mm to 6 mm.

The specific shape of the regular polygon is not limited, which may be, for example, a regular triangle, a square, a regular pentagon, a regular hexagon, a regular heptagon, a regular octagon, a regular nonagon, and a regular decagon.

Exemplarily, the number of the sides of the regular polygon does not exceed 10. When the number of the sides exceeds 10, the side length of the regular polygon becomes too short, making it difficult to control the dimensions and significantly increasing the difficulty of the manufacturing process. Therefore, controlling the number of the sides of the regular polygon to 10 or below facilitates processing and manufacturing.

When multiple airway channels 10a are provided, the cross-sectional shapes of the airway channels 10a may be identical; and alternatively, some airway channels 10a may have different cross-sectional shapes, while other airway channels 10a may have distinct cross-sectional shapes. For example, in some embodiments, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple airway channels 10a may be regular triangles or squares; and in some other embodiments, some airway channels 10a are regular triangles, while other airway channels 10a are squares.

Exemplarily, when multiple airway channels 10a are provided, the airway channels 10a may be of same shape and dimension. For example, when the regular polygon is the regular triangle, the multiple airway channels 10a are the regular triangles with equal side lengths. Accordingly, each airway channel 10a of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may be formed using the same mold, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 10, FIG. 11 to FIG. 15, and FIG. 17, in some embodiments, airway groove 10b is formed along the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10, and the airway groove 10b penetrates through two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction. In other words, some regions of the outer side wall of the aerosol generating substrate 10 are recessed to form the airway groove 10b. That is, the groove-shaped airway groove 10b can be observed from the outer side wall of the aerosol generating substrate 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, the outer wrapping layer 20 around the periphery of the aerosol generating substrate 10 can seal the airway groove 10b in the periphery of the aerosol generating substrate 10, and the airway groove 10b may also serve as an airway channel for the aerosol, thereby increasing the air intake and aerosol extraction efficiency. Additionally, if the heating method of the heating element is peripheral heating, the overall heating rate of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may also be adjusted through the heating method, thereby enhancing the user puffing experience.

One or more airway grooves 10b may be provided, which is not limited herein.

When the outer side wall of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is provided with the multiple airway grooves 10b, the cross-sectional shapes of the airway grooves 10b may be identical; and alternatively, some airway grooves 10b may have different cross-sectional shapes, while other airway grooves 10b may also have distinct cross-sectional shapes. For example, some airway grooves 10b may have semicircular cross-sectional shapes, while at least one airway groove 10b may have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

The shape of the airway groove 10b is not limited herein. Exemplarily, in an embodiment, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10, the cross-sectional shape of the airway groove 10b includes but is not limited to a semicircle, an arc, a V shape, a rectangle, or a trapezoid.

Exemplarily, in the plane perpendicular to the length direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10, the cross-sectional shape of the airway groove 10b is identical to the local shape of the regular polygon. In a molding process, the airway groove 10b may be formed based on the same mold for the airway channels 10a, facilitating mold design, reducing mold costs, and lowering production costs.

In some other embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 16, and FIG. 18, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may be a smooth surface without the above airway groove. In an embodiment, the central line of at least one of the multiple airway channels 10a in the extension direction coincides with the central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction, meaning that the airway channels 10a are arranged in the center of the aerosol generating substrate 10.

The central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction is a virtual datum line for reference.

The coincidence refers to: the central line of the airway channel 10a in the extension direction and the central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction may either coincide exactly or approximately. In other words, there may be a certain deviation between the central line of the airway channel 10a in the extension direction and the central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10 along the length direction, with the central axis of the aerosol generating substrate 10 approximately passing through a through airway along the length direction.

The airway channel 10a located on the central axis may cause the aerosol to converge at a substrate outlet during the heating and puffing process (the flow rate is high at the central hole of the substrate, creating a negative pressure zone at an outlet of the central hole of the substrate, thereby causing the aerosol flowing out from peripheral holes to converge), enhancing the “cohesiveness” of the aerosol. Additionally, the arrangement may also enhance the stability of the aerosol temperature at the substrate outlet (due to the high flow rate of the aerosol through the central hole, the temperature variation of the aerosol is less, which can reduce a temperature change rate after the aerosol converges), thereby improving the consumer puffing experience.

The airway channels 10a in this embodiment of this application may be straight holes, meaning that the airway channels 10a extend along a straight line; and the airway channels 10a may also be curved holes, such as extending in a helical shape.

In an embodiment where multiple airway channels 10a are provided, the arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a is not limited. Exemplarily, the multiple airway channels 10a are distributed on multiple trajectory lines. The airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line are linearly arranged along the first direction, and the multiple trajectory lines are arranged along the second direction, and the first direction is not parallel to the second direction. A planar two-dimensional coordinate system is formed by the first direction and the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction can define a planar arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a. In other words, the airway channels 10a are arranged in a regular pattern, facilitating the processing of each airway channel 10a according to a preset arrangement rule in the molding process.

Exemplarily, the airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line are equidistantly spaced. Equidistant spacing means that the distance between hole centers of the two adjacent airway channels 10a is equal. Accordingly, the substrate walls between every two adjacent airway channels 10a are approximately of same shape and dimension. Therefore, in the heating and puffing process, the aerosol release consistency of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is improved, and the aerosol transfer consistency and heating consistency are facilitated, thereby improving the user puffing experience.

The first direction may be a straight line or a curved line; and the second direction may be a straight line or a curved line.

For example, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15, and FIG. 17, the airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line are arranged along the circumferential direction around the center of the aerosol generating substrate 10, and the multiple trajectory lines are arranged in concentric circles along the radial direction. That is, the first direction is the circumferential direction around the center of the aerosol generating substrate 10, and the second direction is the radial direction.

In some other embodiments, referring to FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, FIG. 10, FIG. 11 to FIG. 14, FIG. 16, and FIG. 18, each row of airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line is linearly arranged along the first direction, the multiple trajectory lines are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line are linearly arranged along the first direction, and the multiple trajectory lines are arranged in parallel along the second direction, forming multiple rows of non-matrix arranged airway channels. As shown in FIG. 10, the airway channels 10a are arranged in a matrix.

Exemplarily, when the first direction and the second direction are mutually perpendicular straight-line directions, referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the distance between two adjacent airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line is equal to the distance between two adjacent trajectory lines. Accordingly, the thickness of the substrate walls between any two adjacent airway channels 10a is the same, facilitating consistent heating and consistent aerosol release.

Exemplarily, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the airway channels are distributed in a matrix. Specifically, a matrix distribution refers to an overall arrangement of N*M, where N represents the number of the airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line, M represents the number of the trajectory lines, and N and M can be the same or different.

Exemplarily, in some other embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 13, the distribution pattern of the airway channels 10 is: a matrix distribution with omitted apex points.

The following is a brief introduction to eighteen specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 4, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple airway channels 10a in the aerosol generating substrate 10 are regular triangles.

A direction A in FIG. 4 may be defined as the first direction, and a direction B may be defined as the second direction; or the direction B in FIG. 4 may be defined as the first direction, and the direction A may be defined as the second direction. The first direction and the second direction form a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system.

The multiple airway channels 10a are distributed on multiple trajectory lines, the single trajectory line extends along the straight line, and the multiple trajectory lines are parallel to each other.

The circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is a smooth outer surface, meaning that no airway groove 10b is arranged.

Each row of airway channels 10a is equidistantly and repetitively arranged, meaning that the distance between two adjacent airway channels 10a along the first direction is equal. Repetitive arrangement means that assuming that one regular polygon is translated a certain distance along the first direction, the regular polygon can completely coincide with another regular polygon.

Any two trajectory lines are arranged in parallel and equidistantly.

In this embodiment, the distance between two adjacent airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line is equal, referred to as the first distance; and the distance between two adjacent trajectory lines is the second distance, where the first distance and the second distance may be equal or unequal.

The number of the airway channels 10a on each trajectory line may be equal or unequal. The airway channels 10a on each trajectory line may be aligned or misaligned.

Embodiment 2

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 1, with the difference including: the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 in this embodiment being provided with the airway groove 10b.

The multiple airway grooves 10b are provided, which are consistently arranged along the circumferential direction of the aerosol generating substrate 10. The airway grooves 10b are in a V shape, and the V shape is identical to any apex shape of the regular triangle.

Embodiment 3

Referring to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 2 shown in FIG. 6, with the difference including: a different arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a.

In this embodiment, the regular triangular arrangement of each row of airway channels 10a is not entirely identical. Apex orientations of some regular triangles are 180 degrees reversed compared to those of the other part of regular triangles, and the two types of regular triangles are alternately arranged along the first direction.

In this embodiment, the wall thicknesses and forms of the substrate walls between every two adjacent airway channels 10a in a single row tend to be consistent, enabling more consistent heat transfer efficiency and promoting consistent puffing sensory perception. Additionally, in the case of the same cross-sectional dimension of the aerosol generating substrate 10 and the same dimension of the airway channels, more airway channels can be arranged, thereby improving a cross-section utilization rate, and increasing the porosity.

In Embodiment 3, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may not be provided with the airway groove 10b.

Embodiment 4

Referring to FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the regular triangle.

The first direction is the circumferential direction around the center of the aerosol generating substrate 10, meaning that each row of airway channels 10a is arranged in a circular ring pattern, and the second direction is the radial direction.

The apex orientations of the triangles of two adjacent rows of airway channels 10a are arranged in a 180-degree reversed manner. Dotted lines in FIG. 8 indicate virtual reference arrangement trajectories for each row of airway channels 10a.

In this embodiment, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may also be provided with the airway groove 10b.

Embodiment 5

Referring to FIG. 9, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 4 shown in FIG. 8, with the difference including: the same apex orientations of the regular triangles of two adjacent rows of airway channels 10a in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may also be provided with the airway groove 10b.

Embodiment 6

Referring to FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the square. The first direction and the second direction form a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system, and the multiple airway channels 10a are arranged in a matrix pattern. The number of rows and columns in the matrix is the same.

The multiple airway channels 10a are divided into multiple rows, and the arrangement directions of each row of airway channels 10a are parallel to each other. The wall thicknesses and forms of the substrate walls between every two adjacent airway channels 10a in a single row tend to be consistent, enabling more consistent heat transfer efficiency and promoting consistent puffing sensory perception.

Each row of airway channels 10a is equidistantly and repetitively arranged, meaning that the distance between two adjacent airway channels 10a along the first direction is equal. Any two adjacent rows of airway channels 10a are equidistantly arranged, meaning that if the centers of each row of airway channels 10a are connected to form a straight line, any two adjacent straight lines are parallel to each other and are equidistant. Accordingly, regardless of the first direction or the second direction, the spacing between adjacent airway channels and the wall thicknesses of the substrate walls are consistent, thereby facilitating mold design and processing, and ensuring a stable substrate heat transfer rate.

The circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is provided with multiple airway grooves 10b. More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the airway channels 10a are distributed in a matrix.

The multiple airway grooves 10b are consistently arranged along the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10. The airway grooves 10b are semicircular.

Embodiment 7

Referring to FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 6 shown in FIG. 10, with the difference including: the airway grooves 10b in this embodiment being rectangular.

Embodiment 8

Referring to FIG. 12, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the square. The first direction is the circumferential direction around the center of the aerosol generating substrate 10, meaning that the airway channels 10a on a single trajectory line are arranged in a circular ring pattern, and the second direction is the radial direction.

Dotted lines in FIG. 12 indicate virtual reference trajectory lines for each row of airway channels 10a.

Embodiment 9

Referring to FIG. 13, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the regular pentagon. The first direction and the second direction form a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system, and the multiple airway channels 10a are arranged in a matrix pattern.

The multiple airway channels 10a are divided into multiple rows, and the arrangement directions of each row of airway channels 10a are parallel to each other. Within each row, the airway channels 10a are equidistantly and repetitively arranged, meaning that the two adjacent airway channels 10a are equidistant along the first direction. Repetitive arrangement means that assuming that one pentagon is translated a certain distance along the first direction, the pentagon can completely coincide with another pentagon.

Any two adjacent rows of airway channels 10a are equidistantly arranged, meaning that if the centers of each row of airway channels 10a are connected to form a straight line, any two adjacent straight lines are parallel to each other and are equidistant.

Embodiment 10

Referring to FIG. 14, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 9 shown in FIG. 13, with the difference including: a pentagon arrangement pattern.

In this embodiment, the apex orientations of two adjacent rows of airway channels 10a are arranged in a 180-degree reversed manner. Dotted lines in FIG. 14 indicate virtual reference arrangement trajectories for each row of airway channels 10a.

Embodiment 11

Referring to FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a in the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 8 shown in FIG. 12, with the difference including: the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a being different.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the hexagon.

The regular hexagon is an optimal topological structure for covering a two-dimensional plane, which can evenly divide the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate 10, enabling a high cross section utilization rate.

The circumferential outer surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 is also provided with the airway groove 10b.

Embodiment 12

Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the regular hexagon. In this embodiment, the first direction and the second direction form a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system. The airway channels 10a on two adjacent trajectory lines are staggered, such that the multiple airway channels 10a are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, thereby ensuring a consistent wall thickness between the adjacent airway channels 10a, enabling more consistent heat transfer efficiency, and promoting consistent puffing sensory perception.

The multiple airway channels 10a are divided into multiple rows, and the arrangement directions of each row of airway channels 10a are parallel to each other.

Embodiment 13

Referring to FIG. 17, in this embodiment, the arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a in the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 11 shown in FIG. 15, with the difference including: the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a being different.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the regular octagon.

Airway grooves 10b are further provided.

Embodiment 14

Referring to FIG. 18, in this embodiment, the arrangement pattern of the airway channels 10a in the aerosol generating substrate 10 is generally the same as that in Embodiment 12 shown in FIG. 16, with the difference including: the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a being different.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the airway channels 10a is substantially the octagon.

In the embodiments shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 18, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generating substrate 10 may or may not be provided with the airway groove 10b.

In the embodiments of this application, the structures shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 18 do not limit a relative size relationship between the airway channels 10a and the aerosol generating substrate. The airway channels 10a in FIG. 1 to FIG. 18 are merely illustrated to clearly show the arrangement relationship of the airway channels 10 and do not specifically denote specific dimensions.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the invention refer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily all embodiments.

The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.