Blended rods for use in aerosol-generating articles

Abstract

A rod for an aerosol-generating article is provided, including at least two sheets of tobacco material gathered together and circumscribed by a wrapper. The rod includes a first sheet of a first tobacco material and a second sheet of a second tobacco material. The second sheet of the second tobacco material is physically or chemically different to the first sheet of the first tobacco material.

1 . A rod comprising a first sheet of a first tobacco material and a second sheet formed of a second tobacco material gathered together with the first sheet of the first tobacco material and circumscribed by a wrapper, in which both the first tobacco material and the second tobacco material are homogenised tobacco material, the second tobacco material being chemically different to the first tobacco material. 
     
     
         2 . The rod according to  claim 1  in which both the first and second tobacco materials comprise an aerosol-former, the proportion by weight of aerosol-former in the first tobacco material being different to the proportion by weight of aerosol-former in the second tobacco material. 
     
     
         3 . The rod according to  claim 1  in which the first tobacco material comprises a first aerosol-former and the second tobacco material comprises a second aerosol-former different to the first aerosol-former. 
     
     
         4 .- 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The rod according to claim in which at least one of the first and second sheets of tobacco material is crimped. 
     
     
         7 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The rod according to  claim 1  comprising a further continuous sheet of a third tobacco material. 
     
     
         11 . An aerosol-generating article, for example a smoking article, comprising a rod according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . An aerosol-forming substrate for a heated aerosol-generating article, comprising a rod according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An aerosol-generating article comprising a combustible heat source and an aerosol-forming substrate according to  claim 12  located downstream of the combustible heat source. 
     
     
         14 . An aerosol-generating article for use in an electrically-operated aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-forming substrate according to  claim 12 . 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising an electrically-operated aerosol-generating apparatus and an aerosol-generating article for use with the apparatus, the aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate according to  claim 12 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a rod, comprising:
 providing a first continuous sheet of a first tobacco material;   providing a further continuous sheet of a second tobacco material;   simultaneously gathering together the first continuous sheet and the further continuous sheet;   circumscribing the gathered first and second tobacco materials with a wrapper to form a continuous rod; and   severing the continuous rod into a plurality of discrete rods, in which both the first tobacco material and the second tobacco material are homogenised tobacco material, the first tobacco material being chemically different to the second tobacco material.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  in which at least the first continuous sheet of the first tobacco material is crimped prior to being gathered. 
     
     
         18 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16  in which both the first sheet and the further sheet are crimped prior to being gathered.