AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2024/103323 filed on Jul. 3, 2024, which is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310929413.7 filed on Jul. 26, 2023, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of smoke generating articles, and in particular to an aerosol generating article.

BACKGROUND

In the related technologies, an aerosol generating article is provided with an aerosol generating substrate segment and a filtering segment. The aerosol generating substrate segment is configured to be heated by an external heat source to generate aerosol, and the aerosol is filtered by the filtering segment for inhalation by a user.

However, the aerosol generating substrate segment in the related technologies has a dense structure and a low efficiency of the aerosol extraction. Moreover, the temperature of the aerosol generating article after being heated is relatively high. When inhaling, the excessively high temperature may easily cause heat shrinkage and deformation of the filtering segment, and further affect the inhalation experience.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, the embodiments of the present disclosure are expected to provide an aerosol generating article capable of improving the inhalation experience.

In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating article, which includes an aerosol generating substrate segment and a functional segment.

The aerosol generating substrate segment is internally provided with at least one airway, where the at least one airway extends through at least one end of two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate segment along a first direction.

The functional segment is provided at one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment along the first direction, where the functional segment is provided with a supporting segment, a cooling segment and a filtering segment that are arranged sequentially along the first direction, and the supporting segment is located between the aerosol generating substrate segment and the cooling segment.

In one implementation, at least one of the supporting segment or the cooling segment is a tubular structure.

In one implementation, the tubular structure is a fiber tube or a metal tube.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel, and the cooling segment is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel. An outer dimension of a cross-section of the supporting tube is identical to an outer dimension of a cross-section of the cooling tube.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel, and the cooling segment is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel. A cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel is smaller than or equal to a cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel and a first airflow channel, and the first airflow channel is located on a peripheral side of the first hollow channel and extends through two opposite ends of the supporting tube along the first direction.

In one implementation, the cooling segment is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel and a second airflow channel, and the second airflow channel is located on a peripheral side of the second hollow channel and extends through two opposite ends of the cooling tube along the first direction.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is the supporting tube; the supporting tube includes a first outer circular layer, a first inner circular layer sleeved in the first outer circular layer, and a first corrugated layer connected between the first outer circular layer and the first inner circular layer. Herein, a cross-section of the first corrugated layer is wavy; an interior of the first inner circular layer is the first hollow channel; and the first outer circular layer, the first inner circular layer and the first corrugated layer collectively define a plurality of first airflow channels.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is the supporting tube, and the aerosol generating article further includes a fragrant substrate disposed within the first airflow channel.

In one implementation, the cooling segment is the cooling tube, the cooling tube includes a second outer circular layer, a second inner circular layer sleeved in the second outer circular layer, and a second corrugated layer connected between the second outer circular layer and the second inner circular layer. Herein, a cross-section of the second corrugated layer is wavy; an interior of the second inner circular layer is the second hollow channel; and the second outer circular layer, the second inner circular layer and the second corrugated layer collectively define a plurality of second airflow channels.

In one implementation, the cooling segment is the cooling tube, and the aerosol generating article further includes a fragrant substrate disposed within the second airflow channel.

In one embodiment, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel, a portion of an outer sidewall of the supporting tube is recessed to form a groove, and the groove extends through two opposite ends of the supporting tube along the first direction.

In one implementation, the cooling segment is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel, and a portion of an outer sidewall of the cooling tube is recessed to form a groove, and the groove extends through two opposite ends of the cooling tube along the first direction.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel, the supporting tube includes a first tube wall and a metal coating; the first tube wall defines the first hollow channel, and at least one of an inner wall surface or an outer wall surface of the first tube wall is coated with the metal coating.

In one implementation, a material of the metal coating is one of aluminum, copper or tin; or a combination of at least two of aluminum, copper and tin.

In one implementation, the cooling segment is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel, a cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel is equal or unequal to a cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel.

In one implementation, the supporting segment is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel, the supporting tube includes a first tube wall and a separator, the first tube wall defines the first hollow channel, and the separator is disposed in the first hollow channel to divide the first hollow channel into a plurality of third airflow channels.

In one implementation, one of the supporting segment and the cooling segment is the tubular structure; and another one of the supporting segment and the cooling segment is a solid fiber structure.

In one implementation, the filtering segment is a solid fiber structure or a porous structure.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate segment, the supporting segment, the cooling segment and the filtering segment are cylinders that are coaxially disposed; the aerosol generating substrate segment is an integrated structure; and the first direction is an axial direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment, the supporting segment, the cooling segment and the filtering segment.

In one implementation, the aerosol generating article further includes an outer wrapping layer, and the outer wrapping layer is wrapped on peripheral sides of the aerosol generating substrate segment and the functional segment.

The aerosol generating article according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is provided with the aerosol generating substrate segment with the airway and the functional segment located at one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment along the first direction. The functional segment is provided with the supporting segment, the cooling segment and the filtering segment that are arranged sequentially along the first direction. The supporting segment is located between the aerosol generating substrate segment and the cooling segment. The airway on the aerosol generating substrate segment can extend the airflow path and increase the flow velocity of the airflow in the aerosol generating substrate segment, thereby enhancing the impact force of the airflow and uniformly mixing the aerosol. As such, the extraction efficiency and uniformity of the aerosol in the aerosol generating substrate segment can be improved, and the inhalation experience feeling of the user can be further improved. The supporting segment 21 can enhance the structural strength of the functional segment 20, to better prevent the functional segment 20 from being collapsed and deformed at high temperature of the aerosol. The cooling segment can cool the aerosol to the temperature that is acceptable to the human body. The aerosol generating article has a high efficiency of the aerosol extraction as well as a relatively high structural strength, which can significantly improve the inhalation experience feeling of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a first aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of outer wrapping layer of the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 1 in which the outer wrapping layer is omitted.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram of the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram of a second aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the supporting segment shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional diagram of a third aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram of a fourth aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional diagram of a fifth aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of the supporting segment shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional diagram of a sixth aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional diagram of a seventh aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional diagram of the cooling segment shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the term such as “first direction” is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in FIG. 2. Such orientation terms are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or component must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating article, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, 6 to 8, and 10, which includes an aerosol generating substrate segment 10 and a functional segment 20.

The aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is internally provided with at least one airway 10a. The at least one airway 10a extends through at least one end of two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction. The functional segment 20 is provided at one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction. The functional segment 20 is provided with a supporting segment 21, a cooling segment 22 and a filtering segment 23 that are arranged sequentially along the first direction. The supporting segment 21 is located between the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 and the cooling segment 22.

The aerosol generating article is configured to be used in conjunction with an aerosol generating device that includes a heating component. Specifically, the heating component heats and atomizes the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 in the aerosol generating article to generate the aerosol, for inhalation by the user or for use in medicine, cosmetics, etc.

The heating component has many heating manners. Exemplarily, the heating manners include center heating manner and a peripheral heating manner. The center heating manner refers to a manner of inserting the heating component to the interior of the aerosol generating article, to bake and heat the aerosol generating article from the inside to the outside. The peripheral heating manner refers to a manner of setting the heating component on the periphery of the aerosol generating article, to bake and heat the aerosol generating article from the outside to the inside. Specifically, such heating manners can be applied by resistance heating, electromagnetic heating, infrared heating, microwave heating, laser heating, etc.

The specific structure of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is not limited herein. Exemplarily, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may be made of an atomizing substrate per se, and for example, may be made of an aerosol generating fragrant substrate. In some other embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may further include a substrate and an atomizing substrate arranged on the substrate, and the substrate may be, for example, high-temperature resistant carbon fiber. Thus, through the arrangement of the substrate, the strength of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can be improved, and the high temperature to a certain degree may be borne without generating peculiar smell.

The specific ingredient of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is not limited herein. Exemplarily, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may include a plant ingredient, an auxiliary ingredient, an aerosol former ingredient, a binder ingredient, etc. In one embodiment, the plant ingredient is one or a combination of several kinds of powder formed by performing crushing treatment on tobacco raw materials, tobacco fragments, tobacco stems, tobacco powder, fragrant plants, etc. The plant ingredient is the core source of the fragrance of the article. Endogenous substances in the plant ingredient, such as nicotine, enter the human bloodstream through atomization, which promotes the pituitary gland to produce dopamine, thus achieving physiological satisfaction.

In one embodiment, the auxiliary ingredient may be one or a combination of several materials of an inorganic filler, a lubricating agent and an emulsifying agent. The inorganic filler includes one or a combination of several materials of heavy calcium carbonate, light calcium carbonate, zeolite, attapulgite, talcum powder and diatomite. The inorganic filler may provide a skeleton supporting effect for the plant component, at the same time, the inorganic filler also has micro holes, and the wall material porosity after the plant ingredient is formed may be improved, so that the aerosol release rate may be improved.

The lubricating agent includes one or a combination of several materials of candelilla wax, Brazil wax, shell-lac, helianthus annuus wax, rice bran, beeswax, stearic acid and palmic acid. The lubricating agent may increase the mobility of granules, decrease the friction among the granules, enable the integral granule distribution density to be uniform, reduce the pressure required for mold forming, and reduce the mold abrasion.

The emulsifying agent includes one or a combination of several materials of polyglycerol fatty acid ester, Tween-80 and polyvinyl alcohol. The emulsifying agent may slow down the loss of a fragrant substance in the storage process to a certain degree, enhance the stability of the fragrant substance, and improve the sensory quality of the article. The emulsifying agent (also referred to as a surfactant) can reduce the interfacial tension between water-soluble and water-insoluble components in the mixed system, and further form a robust film on a droplet surface or form a double electric layer on the droplet surface due to the charge(s) given by the emulsifier, which can prevent the droplet coalescence and maintain a uniform emulsion. Emulsification and homogenization of two immiscible components can improve the consistency of article quality.

The aerosol former ingredient has a function of generating a great amount of steam when being heated, so that the aerosol volume of the smoke generating article is improved In one embodiment, the aerosol former may include one or a combination of several materials of monohydric alcohol (such as menthol); polyhydric alcohol (such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerol); ester of polyhydric alcohol (such as gylcerol monoacetate, diacetin, or glyceryl triacetate); monocarboxylic acid; and polybasic carboxylic acid (such as lauric acid, and myristic acid) or aliphatic ester of polybasic carboxylic acid (such as dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, erythritol, 1,3-butanediol, tetraethylene glycol, triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate, ethyl laurate, Triactin, meso-erythritol, a diacetin mixture, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, ethyl vanillate, glycerin tributyrate, and lauryl acetate).

In one embodiment, the binder ingredient is extracted from natural plants, and is non-ionized modified viscous polysaccharide including one or a combination of several materials of tamarind polysaccharide, Pullulan, algal polysaccharide, locust bean gum, guar gum, and xyloglucan. The binder is in close contact with the interface of the ingredient material of the article by wetting, resulting in intermolecular attraction, thereby playing the role of binding the powder, liquid, etc. of the ingredient material. At the same time, the natural plants may be selected. In addition, the extraction and non-ionization of the binder can prevent the release of harmful substances such as methanol, formaldehyde, and acrolein caused by colloid modification, which can improve the safety of articles.

Exemplarily, the aerosol generating segment 10 may be a particulate conjugate, which is a recombined tobacco medium, for example, a recombined tobacco medium containing ingredients such as a smoke-generating agent, a tobacco, and the like. The aerosol generating segment 10 is an integrated structure, for example, an integrated structure that can be manufactured by an injection process, compression process, or extrusion process. Here, the extrusion process refers to a processing method where the raw material mixture is added into an extruder, the material is pushed forward by the screw through the action between the extruder barrel and the screw, and continuously passes through the die head to form articles or semi-finished articles of various cross sections. The aerosol substrate formed by the extrusion process is in the shape of a strip.

Since the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is the particulate conjugate, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 remains an integrated medium whether subjected to heat inhalation or after heat cessation, and the phenomenon of disintegration and falling is not easy to occur. This addresses issues presented in the existing flake-like, filamentous or loose-particle aerosol generating substrate segment 10 such as flake detachment, filamentous or particle components falling off, and difficulty in cleaning.

Moreover, the shape of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is not limited herein. Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may be columnar. The shape of the cross-section of the columnar aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may be circular or other shapes, such as polygonal (including but not limited to triangular, square, prismatic, etc.), elliptical, track-shaped, irregular shaped, etc. Herein, the irregular shaped refers to other symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes other than those listed above.

The first direction is the arrangement direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22, and the filtering segment 23. The aerosol generating article may be inserted into the aerosol generating device along the first direction, and the aerosol generating article may also be taken out from the aerosol generating device along the first direction. The length of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction may be longer, shorter, or the same as the length in other directions.

For example, when the profile contour of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is cylindrical, and the first direction is the axial direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10. It should be noted that the axial length of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may be smaller than the diameter thereof.

For another example, when the profile contour of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is a cuboid, the first direction is still the direction defined above, that is, the arrangement direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23; or, the direction in which the aerosol generating article is taken and placed on the aerosol generating device. The first direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 may be any direction of the length, width, and height of the cuboid.

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23 may be cylinders that are coaxially disposed. The aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is an integrated structure. The first direction is the axial direction of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23.

The airway 10a in FIG. 3 extends through two opposite ends of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction. In some embodiments, the airway 10a may only extend through one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 approximate to the functional segment 20, and another end is a closed end. Alternatively, the airway 10a may also only extends through one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 away from the functional segment 20, and another end is a closed end.

Compared with the airway 10a extending through only one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction, the airway 10a extending through two ends of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction may be more beneficial to reducing the resistance to draw of the user inhalation.

There may be one or a plurality of airways 10a.

The airway 10a may be a straight airway 10a as shown in FIG. 3. The straight airway 10a is an airway 10a extending along a straight line, in other words, the extension direction of the straight airway 10a is the straight line.

The airway 10a may also be a spiral airway 10a. The spiral airway 10a is an airway 10a in which at least part of the area along the extension direction is in a curved shape with a non-zero curvature. For example, along the extension direction of the spiral airway 10a, the spiral airway 10a may be a structural form that includes both a curved section with a non-zero curvature and a straight section with a zero curvature. Alternatively, the spiral airway 10a may be a structural form that only includes a curved segment with a non-zero curvature but no straight segment with a zero curvature. That is, from a starting point to an ending point of the spiral airway 10a along the extension direction, the spiral airway 10a may just not extend along a straight line.

When there are the plurality of airways 10a, a part of the airways 10a may be the straight airways 10a, and another part of the airways 10a may be the spiral airways 10a.

The shape of the cross-section of the airway 10a is not limited herein. For example, the cross-sectional shape may be circular, polygonal (including but not limited to triangular, square, prismatic, etc.), elliptical, track-shaped, or special-shaped, etc.

The airway 10a may extend the airflow path and increase the flow velocity of the airflow in the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, thereby enhancing the impact force of the airflow and uniformly mixing the aerosol. As such, the efficiency of the aerosol extraction as well as the uniformity of the aerosol in the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can be improved, and the inhalation experience feeling of the user can be further improved.

The supporting segment 21 is mainly configured to provide a supporting effect for the functional segment 20 to enhance the structural strength of the functional segment 20, especially to enhance the structural strength at a high temperature.

Exemplarily, the supporting segment 21 may have good structural strength at least at a high temperature of 200° C.

In some scenarios, the supporting segment 21 may also provide the certain resistance to draw.

The cooling segment 22 is mainly configured to cool the aerosol so as to avoid “burning the mouth” situation during the inhalation process.

Exemplarily, the cooling segment 22 may reduce the temperature of the aerosol to 65° C. and below.

The supporting segment 21 and the cooling segment 22 may have the same structures or different structures.

The materials of the supporting segment 21 and the cooling segment 22 may be the same or different.

The filtering segment 23 is mainly configured to filter harmful compositions in the aerosol and adjust the resistance to draw.

Exemplarily, the filtering segment 23 may be a solid fiber structure, which is composed primarily of the fibers through which the aerosol passes through naturally formed holes between the fibers. The solid fiber structure is not provided with a macroscopic airflow channel. The macroscopic airflow channel refers to a channel that is mainly made by processing. The dimension such as the cross-sectional area and length of the airflow channel can be changed according to the design requirements, while the dimension such as the cross-sectional area and length of the holes between the fibers are mainly formed naturally during the processing.

The material of the solid fiber structure may be PET, acetate fiber, etc.

The solid fiber structure can perform directional filtration on the aerosol to remove harmful compositions therein, and can also adjust the resistance to draw to better prevent the aerosol generating article from affecting the inhalation experience feeling due to inhalation voids caused by too small resistance to draw.

Exemplarily, the filtering segment 23 may also be a porous structure. The porous structure refers to a structure with macroscopic airflow channels.

Exemplarily, the resistance to draw of the filtering segment 23 may be 100 pa to 350 pa (inclusive of the endpoint values). For example, the resistance to draw of the filtering segment 23 may be 100 pa, 150 pa, 170 pa, 200 pa, 230 pa, 260 pa, 280 pa, 320 pa, 350 pa, etc.

It should be noted that the aerosol generating article relies on the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 to generate the aerosol, and the functional segment 20 does not generate the aerosol.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the aerosol generating article may further be provided with an outer wrapping layer 30, and the outer wrapping layer 30 is wrapped on the outer peripheral sides of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 and the functional segment 20.

The material of the outer wrapping layer 30 is not limited herein. For example, the outer wrapping layer 30 includes, but is not limited to, one or more or a combination of the materials such as: a fiber paper, a metal foil, a metal foil composite fiber paper, a polyethylene composite fiber paper, a polyethylene (PE), butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), and the like.

Exemplarily, the outer wrapping layer 30 may be a one-layer structure or two-layer structure. For example, when the outer wrapping layer 30 is the one-layer structure, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23 may be wrapped simultaneously. When the outer wrapping layer 30 is the two-layer structure, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23 may be firstly wrapped by one outer wrapping layer 30; and then, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23 may be wrapped by another outer wrapping layer 30. Alternatively, the outer wrapping layer 30 may also be wrapped in other manners.

In the related technologies, the aerosol generating substrate segment has a dense structure and low efficiency of the aerosol extraction. The heating temperature of the aerosol generating substrate segment during the heating process is about 300° C., and the temperature at the outlet of the aerosol generating substrate segment during inhalation is generally about 200° C. or even higher. The excessively high temperature may easily cause heat shrinkage and deformation of the filtering segment, which may affect the profile and inhalation experience.

In contrast, the aerosol generating article according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is provided with the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 with the airway 10a and the functional segment 20 located at one end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 along the first direction. The functional segment 20 is provided with the supporting segment 21, the cooling segment 22 and the filtering segment 23 that are arranged sequentially along the first direction. The supporting segment 21 is located between the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 and the cooling segment 22. The airway 10a of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can extend the airflow path and increase the flow velocity of the airflow in the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, thereby improving the impact force of the airflow and uniformly mixing the aerosol. As such, the efficiency of the aerosol extraction as well as the uniformity of the aerosol in the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can be improved, and the inhalation experience feeling of the user can be further improved. The supporting segment 21 can enhance the structural strength of the functional segment 20, to better prevent the functional segment 20 from being collapsed and deformed at high temperature of the aerosol. The cooling segment 22 can cool the aerosol to the temperature that is acceptable to the human body. The aerosol generating article has a high efficiency of the aerosol extraction and a relatively high structural strength, which can significantly improve the inhalation experience feeling of the user.

In one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 6 to 8, and 10, at least one of the supporting segment 21 or the cooling segment 22 may be a tubular structure, and the tubular structure refers to a tubular shape provided with a hollow channel.

According to the design requirements, the supporting segment 21 may be the tubular structure, and the cooling segment 22 may be a non-tubular structure. Alternatively, the supporting segment 21 may be the non-tubular structure, and the cooling segment 22 may be the tubular structure. Alternatively, both the supporting segment 21 and the cooling segment 22 may be the tubular structure.

The structural strength of the tubular structure is relatively high, and the hollow channel of the tubular structure can facilitate the smooth passage of the aerosol.

Exemplarily, the tubular structure may be a fiber tube, such as an acetate tube (i.e., being made of acetate fiber), a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tube (i.e., being made of PET), a paper tube (i.e., being made of plant fiber, non-plant fiber), or the like.

Exemplarily, the tubular structure may be a metal tube, such as an aluminum tube or the like.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the supporting segment 21 is a supporting tube with a first hollow channel 21a, and the cooling segment 22 is a cooling tube with a second hollow channel 22a. That is, the supporting segment 21 and the cooling segment 22 may both be the tubular structure, and the first hollow channel 21a is connected with the second hollow channel 22a to jointly form the channel for the aerosol to pass through.

Referring to FIG. 3, the outer dimension of the cross-section of the supporting tube may be identical to the outer dimension of the cross-section of the cooling tube. That is, the outer contour of the cross-section of the supporting tube is exactly identical to the outer contour of the cross-section of the cooling tube, to facilitate the composite or crimping forming of the aerosol generating article.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a may be smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a; that is, compared to the second hollow channel 22a, the space in the first hollow channel 21a is relatively narrow. Such arrangement can cause a Venturi effect between the first hollow channel 21a and the second hollow channel 22a (the Venturi effect refers to the phenomenon where the flow velocity of the fluid increases when the fluid passes through the reduced flow cross-section, and the flow velocity is inversely proportional to the flow cross-section), and the aerosol can pass through the first hollow channel 21a relatively quickly. Thus, the aerosol can be extracted relatively rapidly. The cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube is relatively large, and thus, the cooling tube has a large specific surface area and can realize rapid cooling of the aerosol.

The cross-sectional dimension refers to a dimension from which the cross-sectional area of the cross-section can be calculated. For example, since the cross-sections of the first hollow channel 21a and the second hollow channel 22a in FIG. 3 are both circular, the cross-sectional dimensions refer to the diameters or radii of the cross-sections of the first hollow channel 21a and the second hollow channel 22a.

In addition, when the outer dimension of the cross-section of the supporting tube is the same as or similar to the outer dimension of the cross-section of the cooling tube, if the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a, it is equivalent that the tube wall thickness of the supporting tube is larger than the tube wall thickness of the cooling tube, and the supporting tube can provide better support for the functional segment 20.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a may also be equal to or larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 3, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional section 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the first hollow channel 21a, the second hollow channel 22a and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Since the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a in FIG. 3 is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a, the Venturi effect occurs between the first hollow channel 21a and the second hollow channel 22a, and the aerosol can pass through the first hollow channel 21a relatively quickly; as such, the aerosol can be extracted relatively rapidly. The cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube is relatively large, and thus, the cooling tube has a large specific surface area and can realize rapid cooling of the aerosol. In one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the supporting tube may be provided with a first airflow channel 21b, and the first airflow channel 21b is located on the peripheral side of the first hollow channel 21a and extends through two opposite ends of the supporting tube along the first direction.

There may be one first airflow channel 21b or a plurality of first airflow channels 21b.

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 5, the supporting tube may include a first outer circular layer 214, a first inner circular layer 215 sleeved in the first outer circular layer 214, and a first corrugated layer 216 connected between the first outer circular layer 214 and the first inner circular layer 215. Herein, the cross-section of the first corrugated layer 216 is wavy; the interior of the first inner circular layer 215 is the first hollow channel 21a; and the first outer circular layer 214, the first inner circular layer 215, and the first corrugated layer 216 collectively define a plurality of first airflow channels 21b.

The cooling segment 22 in FIG. 4 is the cooling tube, and the first airflow channel 21b is connected to the second hollow channel 22a. That is, a part of the aerosol may flow from the first airflow channel 21b into the second hollow channel 22a.

In some embodiments, the cooling segment 22 may also not be a tubular structure.

During the heating process of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10, the external airflow flows into the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 from the side of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional segment 20, and carries the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 to flow to the functional segment 20. When the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the first hollow channel 21a and the first airflow channel 21b respectively, the airflow can be buffered in the first hollow channel 21a and the first airflow channel 21b. Due to the relatively low thermal conduction efficiency of the external airflow (with a thermal conductivity of around 0.03 W/(m·K)), the external airflow can exchange heat and cool the aerosol. As a result, it can better prevent the supporting segment 21 from being collapsed and deformed at high temperatures, and thus ensure that the supporting segment 21 can provide better support.

Further, the aerosol generating article may further be provided with a fragrant substrate disposed within the first airflow channel 21b,

The fragrant substrate may flow out along with the airflow flowing through the first airflow channel 21b, playing a role in compensating for the smoke fragrance and enhance the flavor of inhalation.

In addition, the fragrant substrate can also absorb a certain amount of heat. For example, the fragrant substrate can generally effectively absorb more than 50 joules of heat. Therefore, the setting of the fragrant substrate can also better reduce the temperature of the aerosol.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional section 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the supporting tube, the second hollow channel 22a and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, when passing through the supporting tube, one part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the first hollow channel 21 and is buffered in the first hollow channel 21, and another part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the first airflow channel 21b and is buffered in the first airflow channel 21b. Due to the relatively low thermal conduction efficiency of the external airflow (with a thermal conductivity of around 0.03 W/(m·K)), the external airflow can exchange heat and cool the aerosol. As a result, it can better prevent the supporting segment 21 from being collapsed and deformed at high temperatures.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, the cooling tube may be provided with a second airflow channel 22b, and the second airflow channel 22b is located on the peripheral side of the second hollow channel 22a (the structure of the cooling tube in FIG. 6 can refer to the structure of the supporting tube shown in FIG. 5), and extends through two opposite ends of the cooling tube along the first direction.

There may be one second airflow channel 22b or a plurality of the second airflow channels 22b.

Exemplarily, the cooling tube may include a second outer circular layer, a second inner circular layer sleeved in the second outer circular layer, and a second corrugated layer connected between the second outer circular layer and the second inner circular layer. Herein, the cross-section of the second corrugated layer is wavy; the interior of the second inner circular layer is the second hollow channel; and the second outer circular layer, the second inner circular layer, and the second corrugated layer collectively define a plurality of second airflow channels.

The supporting segment 21 in FIG. 6 is the supporting tube, and the second air flow channel 22b is connected to the first hollow channel 21a. That is, a part of the aerosol may flow from the first hollow channel 21a into the second airflow channel 22b.

That is, the second airflow channel 22b similar to the first airflow channel 21b may be provided on the cooling tube. After the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the second hollow channel 22a and the second airflow channel 22b respectively, the airflow can be buffered and cooled in the second hollow channel 22a and the second airflow channel 22b. Thereby, the cooling effect of the cooling tube can be further improved.

Similarly, the fragrant substrate may be disposed within the second air flow channel 22b.

In addition, it should be noted that, although the cooling tube shown in FIG. 4 is not provided with the second airflow channel 22b and the supporting tube shown in FIG. 6 is not provided with the first airflow channel 21b, in some embodiments, the functional segment 20 may also be provided with the supporting tube with the first airflow channel 21b and the cooling tube with the second airflow channel 22b at the same time.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 6, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional section 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the first hollow channel 21a, the cooling tube and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, when passing through the cooling tube, one part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the second airflow channel 22b and is buffered and cooled in the second airflow channel 22b, and another part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the second airflow channel 22b and is buffered and cooled in the second airflow channel 22b. Thereby, the cooling effect of the cooling tube can be further improved.

In one embodiment, the supporting tube may also be provided with a metal coating 212. For example, referring to FIG. 7, for convenience of description, the tube wall of the supporting tube defining the first hollow channel 21a may be referred to as a first tube wall 211, and at least one of the inner wall surface or the outer wall surface of the first tube wall 211 may be coated with the metal coating 212. That is, the metal coating 212 may be coated only on the inner wall surface of the first tube wall 211, or only on the outer wall surface of the first tube wall 211, or on both the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the first tube wall 211.

The metal coating 212 can not only enhance the support strength of the supporting tube, but also has better temperature resistance. Therefore, the metal coating 212 can better prevent the supporting tube from being thermally collapsed and deformed at high temperatures.

Exemplarily, the material of the metal coating 212 may be one of aluminum, copper or tin, or a combination of at least two of aluminum, copper and tin.

In addition, since the metal coating 212 can provide good support and temperature resistance, when the cooling segment 22 is the cooling tube, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a of the supporting tube may be larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube. That is, the space in the first hollow channel 21a is relatively large, thus, more aerosol can be accommodated in the first hollow channel 21a, which can not only enhance the capability of the supporting tube to buffer the aerosol, but also improve the extraction efficiency of the aerosol to a certain extent.

In some embodiments, the cooling tube may also be provided with the metal coating 212. For example, for convenience of description, the tube wall of the cooling tube defining the second hollow channel 22a may be referred to as a second tube wall, and at least one of the inner wall surface or the outer wall surface of the second tube wall may be coated with the metal coating 212.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 7, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional section 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the first hollow channel 21a, the second hollow channel 22a and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, the supporting tube is provided with the metal coating 212, and the metal coating 212 can not only enhance the support strength of the supporting tube, but also have better temperature resistance. Therefore, the metal coating 212 can better prevent the supporting tube from being thermally collapsed and deformed at high temperatures. At the same time, in FIG. 7, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a of the supporting tube is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube, and thus more aerosol can be accommodated in the first hollow channel 21a, which can not only enhance the capability of the supporting tube to buffer the aerosol, but also improve the extraction efficiency of the aerosol to a certain extent.

In some other embodiments, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a may also be smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube; or, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow channel 21a may also be equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the second hollow channel 22a of the cooling tube.

In one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the supporting tube may further be provided with a separator 213, and the separator 213 is disposed in the first hollow channel 21a to divide the first hollow channel 21a into a plurality of third airflow channels 21c.

The separator 213 can not only enhance the support strength of the supporting tube to better prevent the supporting tube from being thermally collapsed and deformed at high temperatures, but also filter and screen the condensate formed by the aerosol or large particles in the aerosol to alleviate the filtration pressure of the filtering segment 23; additionally, the separator 213 can also prevent the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 from heat shrinkage and falling into the supporting tube or the cooling segment 22, thereby better improving the user's experience feeling.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional section 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the supporting tube, the second hollow channel 22a and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, when passing through the supporting tube, the airflow carrying the aerosol enters each of the third airflow channels 21c. The separator 213 can not only enhance the support strength of the supporting tube to better prevent the supporting tube from being thermally collapsed and deformed at high temperatures, but also filter and screen the condensate formed by the aerosol or large particles in the aerosol to alleviate the filtration pressure of the filtering segment 23; additionally, the separator 213 can also prevent the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 from heat shrinkage and falling into the supporting tube or the cooling segment 22, thereby better improving the user's experience feeling.

In some embodiments, the separator 213 may also be provided in the cooling tube. For example, the separator 213 may be disposed in the second hollow channel 22a to divide the second hollow channel 22a into a plurality of fourth airflow channels.

In one embodiment, one of the supporting segment 21 or the cooling segment 22 may be a tubular structure, and another one of the supporting segment 21 or the cooling segment 22 is a solid fiber structure.

The supporting segment 21 in FIG. 10 is the solid fiber structure. For example, the supporting segment 21 may be solid acetate fiber or solid PET; and the cooling segment 22 is the cooling tube.

In the aerosol generating article shown in FIG. 10, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional segment 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the supporting segment 21, the second hollow channel 22a and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, the supporting segment 21 is the solid fiber structure. While providing the support, the solid fiber structure can perform directional filtration on the aerosol to remove harmful components therein, and can also adjust the resistance to draw to better prevent the aerosol generating article from affecting the inhalation experience feeling due to inhalation voids caused by too small resistance to draw.

In some other embodiments, the supporting segment 21 may be the supporting tube, and the cooling segment 22 may be the solid fiber structure.

When the supporting segment 21 or the cooling segment 22 is the solid fiber structure, the solid fiber structure may also provide a resistance to draw ranging from 100 pa to 350 pa (inclusive of the endpoint values). For example, the resistance to draw of the solid fiber structure may be 100 pa, 150 pa, 170 pa, 200 pa, 230 pa, 260 pa, 280 pa, 320 pa, 350 pa, etc.

In one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a portion of an outer sidewall of the cooling tube may be recessed to form a groove 22c, and the groove 22c extends through two opposite ends of the cooling tube along the first direction.

There may be one groove 22c or a plurality of grooves 22c.

The groove 22c can increase the contact area between the aerosol and the cooling tube, reduce the flow rate of the aerosol, and can be more conducive to lowering the temperature of the aerosol.

Furthermore, a fragrant substrate may be provided in the groove 22c.

In the aerosol generating article illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, when the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 is heated, the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 releases the aerosol. Since at least some micro holes or gaps in the wall material of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 are connected to the airway 10a, the aerosol released by heating the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 can enter the airway 10a through the micro holes or gaps connected to the airway 10a. Meanwhile, the external airflow enters the airway 10a from the end of the aerosol generating substrate segment 10 facing away from the functional segment 20, and drives the aerosol to pass through the first hollow channel 21a, the cooling tube and the filtering segment 23 in sequence, to finally flow into the user's mouth. Herein, when passing through the cooling tube, one part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the second airflow channel 22b and is buffered and cooled in the second airflow channel 22b, and another part of the airflow carrying the aerosol enters the groove 22c and is buffered and cooled in the groove 22c. Thus, the cooling effect of the cooling tube can be further improved.

In some other embodiments, a portion of an outer sidewall of the supporting tube may also be recessed to form a groove, and the groove extends through two opposite ends of the supporting tube along the first direction.

In the description of the present disclosure, a description with reference to the terms “in one embodiment”, “in some embodiments”, “in other embodiments”, “in still other embodiments”, or “exemplary” or the like means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the illustrative expression of the above terms is not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can combine different embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure and features of different embodiments or examples without contradicting each other.

The foregoing is intended to illustrate merely preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present disclosure. Any modification, equivalent substitution, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.