AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN 2024/104258, filed on Jul. 8, 2024, which claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202310926806.2, entitled “AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM”, filed on Jul. 26, 2023. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, with the advancement of the global tobacco control movement, new tobacco articles represented by heat-not-burn tobacco articles have gained increasing popularity among users.

Heat-not-burn tobacco articles, also referred to as aerosol generating articles, are provided with a substrate section made of an aerosol generating substrate. Aerosol generating articles are usually used in conjunction with aerosol generating devices. The heating element in the aerosol generating device can heat the substrate section to a temperature sufficient to atomize and generate aerosol without combustion, and the aerosol is discharged from the aerosol generating device for user inhalation.

During use and transportation, the substrate section may deform and thus fall off the aerosol generating article due to the influence of factors such as temperature change and external vibration.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to the field of atomization technology, and specifically relates to an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating system.

In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating system capable of reducing the probability of the detaching of the substrate section.

To achieve the above objective, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are implemented as follows:

The first aspect of the present disclosure provide a generating article including:

• • a substrate section, in which at least one air channel is formed, the air channel extends through at least one end of the substrate section, the substrate section is configured to be heated to generate aerosol;
  • a support element, located at a distal lip end of the substrate section in a length direction, the support element is configured to cooperate with the substrate section to limit the substrate section;
  • a wrapper layer, arranged around outer sides of the substrate section and the support element in the length direction.

The second aspect of the disclosure further provides an aerosol generating system, comprising an aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating article according to any one of the foregoing embodiments. The aerosol generating device includes a heating element configured to heat the substrate section to generate aerosol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, in which the dashed arrows indicate the direction of air flow;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the

third embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the aerosol generating article in the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and the technical features in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other. The detailed description in the embodiments shall be construed as an explanatory description of the purpose of the present disclosure, and shall not be regarded as an undue restriction on the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, the positional or directional relationship of the term “length direction” is based on the positional or directional relationship shown in FIG. 2. It should be understood that these directional terms are only used to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or must be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they shall not be construed as a limitation on the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating article configured to be inserted into an aerosol generating device to generate aerosol. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the aerosol generating article includes a wrapper layer 10, a substrate section 20, and a support element 30.

At least part of the substrate section 20 is form by an aerosol generating substrate. In this way, the substrate section 20 can be heated to generate aerosol for user inhalation.

At least one air channel 20a is provided within the substrate section 20, and the air channel 20a extends through at least one end of the substrate section 20. The aerosol generated after the aerosol generating substrate is heated is collected in the air channel 20a, and the air flow in the air channel 20a can carry the aerosol and finally flow out of the aerosol generating article.

The support element 30 is located at the distal lip end of the substrate section 20 in the length direction.

The wrapper layer 10 is arranged around the outer side of the substrate section 20 in the length direction. The wrapper layer 10 is configured to protect the substrate section 20 and conduct heat.

It should be noted that the material of the wrapper layer 10 has a certain structural strength to avoid deformation caused by airflow pressure during the inhalation process.

The material of the wrapper layer 10 is not limited, for example, may be one or more of the materials such as fiber paper, metal foil, metal foil composite fiber paper, polyethylene composite fiber paper, PE, PBAT, etc.

The support element 30 is disposed at the distal lip end of the substrate section 20 in the length direction, and is configured to cooperate with the substrate section 20 to restrict the movement range of the substrate section 20.

In the related art, the substrate section 20 may undergo shrinkage and deformation after being heated, and generate a tendency to move under the action of factors such as gravity. According to the aerosol generating article in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a certain restrictive effect can be exerted on the deformed substrate section 20 through the cooperation between the support element 30 and the substrate section 20, thereby reducing the probability of the substrate section escaping from the wrapper layer 10. Meanwhile, the support element 30 can function to adjust the inhalation resistance and reduce the probability of the condensate generated after the aerosol condenses flowing out of the aerosol generating article.

It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the length direction does not specifically refer to the direction in which the outer contour of the substrate section 20 is longest. The arrangement direction of the support element 30 and the substrate section 20 is consistent with the length direction; the insertion direction of the aerosol generating article into the aerosol generating device and the removal direction of the aerosol generating article from the aerosol generating device are both parallel to the length direction. The length of the substrate section 20 in the length direction may be longer than, shorter than, or the same as the lengths in other directions.

For example, if the outer contour of the substrate section 20 is cylindrical, the length

direction is the axial direction of the substrate section 20. It should be noted that even if the axial length of the substrate section 20 is smaller than its diameter, the length direction of the substrate section 20 is still the axial direction.

For another example, if the outer contour of the substrate section 20 is a cuboid, the length direction still meets the direction defined above, that is, the arrangement direction of the functional section 40 and the substrate section 20; alternatively, it refers to the insertion or removal direction of the aerosol generating article, and the length direction of the substrate section 20 may be any one of the length, width, and height directions of the cuboid.

The “distal lip end” refers to the end, of the two ends of the aerosol generating article in the length direction, that is away from the user's lip when the user uses the aerosol generating article. The “proximal lip end” refers to the end, of the two ends of the aerosol generating article in the length direction, that is adjacent to the user's lip when the user uses

the aerosol generating article. It can be understood that the “distal lip end of the substrate section 20” refers to the end, of the two ends of the substrate section 20 in the length direction, that is away from the user's lip; the “proximal lip end of the substrate section 20” refers to the end, of the two ends of the substrate section 20 in the length direction, that is adjacent to the user's lip.

The specific components of the aerosol generating substrate are not limited herein. For example, the aerosol generating substrate may include plant component, additive component, smoke agent component, binder component, and the like.

In some embodiments, the plant component is powder formed after crushing treatment of one or more of tobacco leaf raw materials, tobacco leaf fragments, tobacco stems, tobacco dust, aromatic plants, and the like. The plant component is the core source of the flavor of the article. Endogenous substances in the plant component, such as nicotine, enter the human bloodstream through atomization, promote the pituitary gland to produce dopamine, thereby achieving physiological satisfaction.

In some embodiments, the additive component may be one or more of inorganic filler, lubricant, and emulsifier. Among them, the inorganic filler includes one or more of ground calcium carbonate, precipitated calcium carbonate, zeolite, attapulgite, talc powder, and diatomaceous earth. The inorganic filler can provide support skeleton for the plant component, and the inorganic filler has micropores, which can improve the wall porosity of the plant component after molding, thereby increasing the aerosol release rate.

The lubricant includes one or more of candelilla wax, carnauba wax, shellac, sunflower wax, rice bran wax, beeswax, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. The lubricant can increase the fluidity of the particles, reduce the friction force between the particles, enable the overall distribution density of the particles to be relatively uniform, and also reduce the pressure required during the extrusion molding process and minimize the wear of the die.

The emulsifier includes one or more of polyglycerol fatty acid ester, Tween-80, and polyvinyl alcohol. The Emulsifier (also referred to as surfactant) can reduce the interfacial tension between water-soluble and water-insoluble components in the mixed system, and form a relatively strong film on the surface of droplets or an electrical double layer on the surface of droplets due to the charges provided by the emulsifiers, thereby preventing the droplets from aggregating with each other and maintaining a uniform emulsion. The emulsification and homogenization of two immiscible components can improve the consistency of article quality.

The smoke agent component functions to generate a large amount of vapor when heated, thereby increasing the aerosol yield of the aerosol generating article. In one embodiment, the smoke agent may include, for example: one or more of monohydric alcohols (such as menthol); polyhydric alcohols (such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerol); esters of polyhydric alcohols (such as monoacetin, diacetin, or triacetin); monocarboxylic acids; polycarboxylic acids (such as lauric acid, myristic acid); or aliphatic esters of polycarboxylic acids (such as 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, lauryl acetate) or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the binder component is a non-ionic modified viscous polysaccharide extracted from natural plants, including one or more of tamarind polysaccharide, pullulan, seaweed polysaccharide, locust bean gum, guar gum, and xyloglucan. The binder achieves close contact with the component materials of the article through interface wetting, generating intermolecular attraction, thereby functioning to bind the powder, liquid, and other forms of component materials. Meanwhile, the use of non-ionic modified viscous polysaccharide extracted from natural plants can avoid the release of harmful substances such as methanol, formaldehyde, and acrolein caused by modification, improving the safety of the product.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating article is cylindrical.

The specific manner of achieving the cooperation between the support element 30 and the substrate section 20 is not limited.

For example, the distal lip end of the substrate section 20 in the length direction has

a first end face 20b, and the support element 30 is configured to cooperate with the first end face 20b to limit the substrate section. That is to say, the support element 30 may abut against

the first end face 20b to restrict the movement of the substrate section 20 in a direction pointing toward the distal lip end, thereby preventing the substrate section 20 from escaping from the wrapper layer. In this way, the support element 30 restricts the tendency of the substrate section 20 to move toward the distal lip end in the length direction.

The cooperation between the support element 30 and the first end face 20b can be understood as follows: the support element is arranged apart from the first end face, and after

the substrate section 20 moves a certain distance in the length direction toward the distal lip end, the support element 30 and the first end face 20b abut against each other; or, the support element and the first end face always remain in an abutted state.

It should be noted that the manner of the cooperation between the support element 30 and the substrate section 20 is not limited to the aforementioned manner. In other embodiments, the support element 30 may also cooperate with the side face of the substrate section 20 to limit the substrate section.

In some embodiments, the support element 30 is fixed to the wrapper layer 10, so that the relative position between the support element 30 and the wrapper layer 10 is fixed, thereby better restricting the position of the substrate section 20.

The specific manner of achieving fixation of the support element 30 to the wrapper layer 10 is not limited. For example, the wrapper layer 10 and the support element 30 are fixed together by means of adhesive bonding. For another example, there is an interference fit or

transition fit between the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10 and the support element 30, and fixation is achieved through the frictional force generated by the contact between the support element and the wrapper layer.

It should be understood that a certain force exists between the substrate section 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10 to restrict the tendency of the substrate section 20 to move.

For example, the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10, to fix the position of the substrate

section 20 through the frictional force between the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10, thereby restricting the movement of the substrate section 20 caused by the shaking of the aerosol generating article during transportation and use.

It should be understood that there is an interference fit or transition fit between the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10, so that compression occurs between the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer, to enhance the frictional force.

It should be understood that the support element 30 is at least partially located at the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10.

It should be understood that airflow can pass directly through the support element 30, or pass through the gap between the wrapper layer 10 and the support element 30, so that the airflow can enter the distal lip end of the substrate section 20.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 7, the support element 30 is provided with at least one first airflow through-holes 30a extending through the support element in its length direction, so that airflow can pass directly through the support element 30.

It should be understood that the first airflow through-holes 30a is a hole in the macroscopic sense, which are directly identifiable to the naked eye.

It should be understood that one or more first airflow through-holes 30a may be provided.

The specific manner of forming the first airflow through-holes 30a is not limited.

For example, referring to FIG. 2, the support element 30 includes a barrel 31, and the space inside the barrel 31 forms the first airflow through-hole 30a.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2, the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 is in contact to the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10. Through the frictional force between the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10, the relative position between the barrel 31 and the wrapper layer 10 is fixed, thereby reducing the probability that the barrel 31 separates from the wrapper layer 10 under the pushing of the substrate section 20 and causes the escaping of the substrate section 20.

It should be understood that the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 is in an

interference fit or transition fit with the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10, so that compression occurs between the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10. Therefore, the frictional force is enhanced, and the stable connection between the barrel 31 and the wrapper layer 10 is achieved.

An adhesive may be applied between the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10 to bond the barrel 31 and the wrapper layer 10 together, thereby further improving the connection stability between the barrel and the wrapper layer.

The shape of the cross-section of the barrel 31 in its length direction is not limited; and may be circular or polygonal.

It should be understood that the shape of the cross-section of the barrel 31 in a direction perpendicular to the length direction is the same as the shape of the cross-section of the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the shape of the cross-section of the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 in the direction perpendicular to the length

direction, the shape of the cross-section of the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper layer 10 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction, and the shape of the cross-section of the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction are circular, and the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 31 is the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20.

After the substrate section 20 undergoes shrinkage and deformation upon heating, the support element 30 can still cooperate with the first end face 20b to limit the substrate section, to prevent the substrate section 20 from escaping from the wrapper layer 10.

In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the barrel 31 is greater than or equal to 5 mm (millimeter), so that after the cross-section of the outer peripheral surface of the substrate section 20 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction shrinks to the minimum limit size position at the rated operating temperature, the first end face 20b can still cooperate with the support element 30 to limit the substrate section, thereby preventing the substrate section 20 from escaping from the wrapper layer 10.

The specific value of the wall thickness of the barrel 31 is not limited, for example, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, etc.

In other embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, the support element 30 further includes a stop member 32, which is disposed inside the barrel 31 and connected to the barrel 31. That is to say, even if the substrate section 20 shrinks to the minimum limit size position at the rated operating temperature and the barrel 31 to fail to cooperate with the first end face 20b, the stop member 32 can still cooperate with the first end face 20b to limit the substrate section, thereby preventing the substrate section 20 from escaping from the wrapper layer 10. It should be understood that in the embodiments where the stop member 32 is provided, due to the limiting effect of the stop member 32, the requirement for the wall thickness of the barrel 31 is lower. For example, the wall thickness of the barrel 31 is greater than or equal to 2 mm, and specific values may be 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, etc., so as to reduce the weight while ensuring the structural strength of the barrel 31.

It should be understood that in the case where the substrate section 20 shrinks to the minimum limit size position at the rated operating temperature, the projection of at least part

of the stop member 32 in the length direction, falls within the range of the projection the substrate section 20 in the length direction.

The specific structural form of the stop member 32 is not limited.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, the stop member 32 is in the form of a rib. A plurality of stop members 32 may be provided, first ends of the stop members 32 are connected to one another, and the second ends are connected to the barrel 31. The plurality of stop members 32 radially extend from the center of the barrel 31, so that when the substrate section 20 undergoes shrinkage and deformation and the barrel 31 fails to cooperate with the substrate section 20, the stop members 32 can still cooperate with the substrate section 20 to limit the substrate section, thereby preventing the substrate section 20 from escaping.

It should be understood that, referring to FIG. 3, stop members 32 and the barrel 31 together define a plurality of first airflow through-holes 30a. Moreover, after the substrate section 20 shrinks to its minimum limit size position at the rated operating temperature, the cross-sectional dimension of the largest one of the first airflow through-holes 30a is still smaller than cross-sectional dimension of the substrate section 20, so as to prevent the substrate section 20 from escaping from the first airflow through-holes 30a.

The end of each stop member 32 facing the substrate section 20 is flush with the end of the barrel 31 facing the substrate section 20. This ensures that after the substrate section 20 shrinks in size, it will not displace due to the disengagement of the cooperation between the first end face 20b and the barrel 31, which would otherwise cause a part of the aerosol-generating substrate of the substrate section 20 to escape.

The end of the stop member 32 away from the substrate section 20 may be flush or non-flush with the end of the barrel 31 away from the substrate section 20.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, the stop member 32 is a fiber filter structure which is filled in the inner space of the barrel 31. On the one hand, the fibers in the fiber filter structure can cooperate with the first end face 20b to limit the substrate section, so that when the substrate section 20 undergoes shrinkage and deformation and the barrel 31 fails to cooperate with the substrate section 20, the fibers can still cooperate with the substrate section 20 to limit the substrate section, thereby preventing the substrate section 20 from escaping. On the other hand, airflow pores are formed between the fibers in the fiber filter structure, and airflow passes through the airflow pores to flow toward the distal lip end of the substrate section 20. During the process of airflow passing through the airflow pores, the fiber filter structure can exert a filtration effect on the airflow due to its large surface area, thereby reducing the impurities in the airflow entering the substrate section 20 and improving the user experience. Meanwhile, the fiber filter structure can adjust the airflow inhalation resistance, and it can also prevent the condensate formed after aerosol condensation from flowing out of the aerosol generating article and adversely affecting other components in the aerosol generating device.

The fiber filter structure is connected to the inner wall of the barrel 31 to serve the purpose of fixing the fiber filter structure.

It should be understood that the airflow pores formed in the fiber filter structure may be holes in the macroscopic sense, or holes in the microscopic sense, i.e., not directly identifiable to the naked eye.

The specific connection manner between the fiber filter structure and the inner wall of the barrel 31 is not limited, for example, may be adhesive bonding.

The specific method for forming the fiber filter structure is not limited.

For example, the stop member 32 is filled with cellulose acetate tow.

Cellulose acetate tow includes cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate, also known as cellulose acetate ester, is a chemically modified polymer compound obtained by esterifying the hydroxyl groups in cellulose molecules with acetic acid. Cellulose acetate includes cellulose diacetate and cellulose triacetate, and has good acid and alkali resistance as well as organic solvent resistance.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 7, the stop member 32 is in the form of a mesh. That is, the dimension of the stop member 32 in the length direction is small, and the stop member is provided with a plurality of first airflow through-holes 30a extending in the length direction. In this way, in addition to the cooperation with the heated and shrunk substrate section 20, the dimension of the stop member 32 in the length direction can be effectively reduced, thereby helping to reduce the overall size of the aerosol generating article and resulting in a more compact structure.

The specific method for forming the stop member 32 into a mesh is not limited. For example, the stop member 32 is formed by interweaving a plurality of crisscrossing filamentary structures, and the first airflow through-holes 30a are defined by the intersectant filamentary structures. For another example, the stop member 32 is in the form of a thin plate, and the first airflow through-holes 30a extend through the stop member 32 in the thickness direction of the stop member.

In some embodiments, the stop member 32 and the barrel 31 are discrete elements, so as to be assembled together or disassembled.

In some embodiments, the support element 30 is formed as an integrated structure, which facilitates the assembly and removal of the support element 30, helps to simplify the manufacturing process of the support element 30, and enhances the overall structural strength of the support element 30.

The specific method for forming the support element 30 as an integrated structure is not limited.

For example, referring to FIG. 5, the support element 30 is cylindrical and provided with a plurality of first airflow through-holes 30a extending in the length direction of the support element, and the first airflow through-holes 30a are in communication with the air channels 20a. That is to say, the first airflow through-holes 30a are arranged in correspondence with the air channels 20a, so that the airflow flowing out of the first airflow through-holes 30a can quickly flow into the air channels 20a, thereby improving the aerosol extraction efficiency and adjusting the airflow inhalation resistance to enhance user experience.

The number of the first airflow through-holes 30a and the air channels 20a is not limited; the number may be one or more, and the number of the first airflow through-holes and the air channels is the same.

The air channels 20a are holes in the macroscopic sense.

The support element 30 can be formed as an integrated structure by means of extrusion molding, die casting, or injection molding, with the first airflow through-holes 30a formed simultaneously, thereby improving production efficiency.

For another example, referring to FIG. 6, the support element 30 is an air-permeable membrane structure. The membrane structure is provided with a large number of micropores through which airflow can pass. In this way, in addition to the cooperation of the support section with the heated and shrunk substrate section 20, the dimension of the support element 30 in the length direction can be effectively reduced, thereby helping to reduce the overall size of the aerosol generating article and resulting in a more compact structure.

The micropores are holes in the microscopic sense.

The connection manner between the membrane structure and the barrel 31 is not limited, for example, may be adhesive bonding.

The specific material of the membrane structure is not limited, for example, may be polytetrafluoroethylene.

It should be understood that the stop member 32 and the barrel 31 may be formed as an integrated structure.

In some embodiments, micropores are formed in the aerosol-generating substrate of the substrate section 20, and at least some of the micropores are interconnected to form micro-airways in communication with the air channels 20a. In addition, it should be understood that the interconnection of micropores may mean that some micropores are interconnected while others are not, or that all micropores are interconnected with one another. The air channels 20a and micropores in the aerosol-generating substrate according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can increase the surface area of the aerosol-generating substrate, facilitate heat transfer, and improve heating efficiency. When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated to release aerosol, part of the aerosol is collected into the air channels 20a through the micropores and delivered to the proximal lip end under the action of suction negative pressure, while the other part is directly delivered to the proximal lip end through the micro-airways. The air channels 20a can reduce the inhalation resistance for users and enhance user experience.

It should be noted that the air channels 20a are holes in the macroscopic sense, while the micropores are holes in the microscopic sense. The cross-sectional area of the air channels 20a is much larger than that of the micropores. In the embodiment where the substrate section 20 is an aggregate of particles, the size of the micropores is determined by the gaps between particles.

It should be understood that, given a fixed external dimension of the substrate section 20, there is a negative correlation between the number of the air channels 20a and the wall thickness of the substrate wall between adjacent air channels 20a. The greater the number of the air channels 20a, the larger the specific surface area of the air channels 20a, the lower the flow resistance of the generated aerosol, the higher the heat transfer efficiency, and the thinner the wall thickness of the substrate wall between adjacent air channels 20a. In turn, a thinner wall thickness of the substrate wall between adjacent air channels 20a facilitates the penetration or diffusion of heat. However, a thinner wall thickness of the substrate wall between adjacent air channels 20a will lead to a lower overall mass of the aerosol-generating substrate, and the reduction of the base material will result in a relative decrease in suction quality and total aerosol release amount. Meanwhile, the wall thickness of the mass wall between adjacent air channels 20a affects the structural strength of the substrate section 20, and the thinner the wall thickness, the lower the overall structural strength.

The substrate section 20 can be formed as an integrated structure by means of extrusion molding, die casting, or injection molding, with the air channels 20a formed simultaneously, thereby improving production efficiency.

It should be understood that the aerosol discharged from the proximal lip end of the substrate section 20 needs to be processed before being provided for user inhalation, to enhance user experience.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating article includes a functional section 40. The functional section 40 comprises a cooling section 41 and a filter section 42, and is disposed on the inner side the wrapper layer 10 and located on the side of the proximal lip end of the substrate section 20.

The cooling section 41 is provided with a plurality of second airflow through-holes 41a extending in the length direction. By means of the second airflow through-holes 41a, the

flow path of the airflow can be extended and the contact area between the airflow and the cooling section 41 can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the airflow and the cooling section 41. This further reduces the temperature of the aerosol during the flowing of the aerosol, lowers the risk of the aerosol scalding the mouth, and enhances user experience.

The filter section 42 is provided with a plurality of micropores, at least some of which are interconnected to each other to form micro-airways extending through the filter section 42 in the length direction, thereby allowing airflow to pass through the filter section 42 via the micro-airways. By virtue of the micropores, the contact area between the filter section 42 and the airflow is increased, thereby enabling the filter section 42 to better adsorb the impurities in the airflow and enhancing user experience.

The micropores are holes in the microscopic sense.

The material of the cooling section 41 includes but is not limited to one or more of PE (polyethylene), PLA (polylactic acid, also known as polylactide), PBAT (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), cellulose acetate, and polyacrylic fiber.

The material of the filter section 42 includes but is not limited to one or more of PE (polyethylene), PLA (polylactic acid, also known as polylactide), PBAT (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), cellulose acetate, and polyacrylic fiber.

The materials of the cooling section 41 and the filter section 42 may be the same or different.

It should be understood that, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the cooling section 41 is disposed between the filter section 42 and the substrate section 20 to enhance the filtration effect of the filter section 42.

In some embodiments, the functional section 40 comprises two cooling sections 41, which are disposed on the inner side of the wrapper layer 10 and located on the side of the proximal lip end of the substrate section 20 in the length direction. The presence of a plurality of cooling sections 41 can achieve a better cooling effect and enhance user experience.

In some embodiments, the functional section 40 comprises two filter sections 42, which are disposed on the inner side of the wrapper layer 10 and located on the side of the proximal lip end of the substrate section 20 in the length direction.

By adjusting the number and size of the second air channels 20a and the micropores, the purpose of further adjusting the inhalation resistance can be achieved.

It should be understood that the functional section 40 and the substrate section 20 may be in contact with each other in the length direction, or spaced apart in the length direction.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the support element 30 is provided with first airflow through-holes 30a. When the substrate section 20 is heated, ambient airflow such as air can pass through the first airflow through-holes 30a to enter and diffuse inside the substrate section 20. The interior of the substrate section 20 is provided with micropores, at least some of which are interconnected to each other and in communication with the air channels 20a. The aerosol generated by the part of the substrate section 20 surrounding the air channels 20a (i.e., the part of the substrate section 20 exposed to the air channels 20a) directly enters the air channels 20a, while the aerosol generated by other parts of the substrate section 20 (i.e., the parts not exposed to the air channels 20a) can be collected into the air channels 20a through the micropores. Thus, during the inhalation process, the air entering through the first airflow through-holes 30a can carry the aerosol collected in the air channels 20a and flow into the second airflow through-holes 41a of the cooling section 41, and finally pass through the filter section 42 before entering the user's mouth.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the substrate section 20 and the functional section 40 are spaced apart at least partially and form a first cavity 40a. The first cavity 40a can increase the contact area between the airflow discharged from the substrate section 20 and the aerosol generating article, thereby achieving a better cooling effect; at the same time, it prevents the functional section 40 from directly contacting the substrate section 20, so as to reduce the probability of aerosol deposition on the end faces of the functional section 40 and the substrate section 20 and decrease the loss of aerosol during transmission.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the functional section 40 is a two-section structure, and the two sections of the structure are spaced apart from each other and form the third cavity 40c.

The two-section structure refers to that the functional section 40 includes two filter sections 42, or two cooling sections 41, or one filter section 42 and one cooling section 41.

By virtue of the third cavity 40c, the contact area between the airflow and the aerosol generating article can be increased, thereby achieving a better cooling effect; meanwhile, direct contact between the various sections of the functional section 40 is avoided, so as to reduce the probability of aerosol deposition on the end faces of each section and reduce the loss of aerosol during transmission.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 9, the cooling section 41 is spaced apart from the substrate section 20 and the filter section 42 in the length direction, respectively.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 11, the wrapper layer 10 protrudes beyond the end face of the side of the functional section 40 away from the substrate section 20, so as to form a second cavity 40b on the air outlet side of the functional section 40, thereby improving the cooling effect on the airflow, reducing the inhalation resistance, and enhancing user experience.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the substrate section 20, support element 30, cooling section 41 and filter section 42 are cylinders with identical outer diameters and arranged coaxially with each other, and the length direction is the axial direction of the substrate section 20, support element 30, cooling section 41 and filter section 42. Thus, the cross-sections of the substrate section 20, support element 30, cooling section 41 and filter section 42 perpendicular to the length direction are circular. On the one hand, this helps to reduce the probability of stress concentration, and at the same time, can provide support for the wrapper layer 10 to enhance the structural strength of the aerosol generating article and reduce the risk of damage during use. On the other hand, it is conducive to improving the consistency of the production process of the substrate section 20, support element 30, cooling section 41 and filter section 42, thereby enhancing production efficiency and reducing costs.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an aerosol generating system, which includes an aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating articles described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The aerosol generating device includes a heating element configured to heat the substrate section 20 to generate aerosol. Airflow enters from one end of the aerosol generating article in the length direction, passes through the support element 30, enters the substrate section 20 from the distal lip end of the substrate section 20, carries the aerosol and exits from the proximal lip end of the substrate section 20.

The specific form of the heating element is not limited. For example, the heating element is a resistance/electromagnetic heating wire/sheet/needle/tube, which is in contact with the wrapper layer 10. When the heating element is activated, it transfers heat to the wrapper layer 10, which in turn transfers heat to the substrate section 20 to produce aerosol through the aerosol-generating substrate. For another example, the heating element is an infrared/microwave/laser heating device. The laser heating device irradiates the wrapper layer 10 with high-energy infrared rays/microwaves/lasers to heat up the wrapper layer 10, which then transfers heat to the substrate section 20 to facilitate the generation of aerosol by the aerosol-generating substrate.

It should be understood that the aerosol generating article is placed into the aerosol generating device to allow the heating element to heat the aerosol generating article. After the aerosol-generating substrate in the aerosol generating article is depleted, the used article is removed from the aerosol generating device and replaced with a new one.

The various embodiments and implementations provided by the present disclosure can be combined with each other, provided that there is no contradiction between them.

The above descriptions are merely the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the present disclosure. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.