Thermally releasable gel-based flavor source for smoking articles
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsWalter A. Nichols, Pamela D. Lieberman, Mary E. Toerne
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Abstract
A flavor source to be used as a thermally releasable flavorant for smoking articles that do not combust tobacco. The flavor source includes tobacco particles, an aerosol precursor that forms an aerosol upon exposure to heat, and a gelling agent that imparts sufficient structural framework for rigidity to the flavor source. The material is mixed, extruded through a die, and cut into the shape of a one-piece flavor source. The flavor source is loaded into a chamber for inclusion in a smoking article as a flavor generator.
Claims30
A thermally releasable gel-based flavorant source for use in a smoking article wherein the flavorant source comprises a mixture of a gelling agent, as a dispersing medium, and a dispersed phase which supplies flavor to the flavorant source, wherein the dispersed phase comprises a mixture of aerosol precursor, water up to about 50 percent by weight tobacco particles, said tobacco particles having a particle size of up to about 20 mesh, and wherein the water to aerosol precursor ratio by weight is at least about 25/75 and wherein the total amount of water and aerosol precursor contained in the flavorant source is such that upon setting of the mixture a gel is formed.
A flavor generator for use in a smoking article, said smoking article having a heat source and a mouth end, said flavor generator comprising:
- a chamber having a first opening and a second opening, the first and second openings being connected by nonporous material so as to create a flow passageway;
- and
- a one-piece gel comprising a mixture of a gelling agent, as a dispersing medium, and a dispersed phase which supplies flavor to the source and wherein the dispersed phase comprises a mixture of up to about 50 percent by weight tobacco particles, having a particle size of up to about 20 mesh, an aerosol precursor and water and wherein the water to aerosol precursor ratio by weight is at least about 25/75 and wherein the total amount of water and aerosol precursor contained in the flavorant source is such that upon setting of the mixture a gel is formed.
A method of making a thermally releasable gel-based material for use in a smoking article comprising:
- mixing together a gelling agent, as a dispersing medium, and a dispersed phase component which supplies flavor to the material;
- extruding the mixture through a die to form a profiled extrudant material;
- and
- severing the profiled extrudant material, thereby forming a one-piece flavor source for use in a smoking article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.