Support element for aerosol generating article

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article is provided, including an aerosol-forming substrate; and a hollow tubular support element including fibrous filtration material and being disposed immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate, the hollow tubular support element defining an opening configured to allow aerosol to flow from the aerosol-forming substrate towards a mouth end of the aerosol-generating article, and at least a portion of the fibrous filtration material of the hollow tubular support element inwardly projects into the opening and defines at least one internal projection.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating article, comprising:
 an aerosol-forming substrate; and   a hollow tubular support element comprising fibrous filtration material and being disposed immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate,   wherein the hollow tubular support element defines an opening configured to allow aerosol to flow from the aerosol-forming substrate towards a mouth end of the aerosol-generating article, and   wherein at least a portion of the fibrous filtration material of the hollow tubular support element inwardly projects into the opening and defines at least one internal projection.   
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the opening extends through an entire length of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the at least one projection extends into the opening at least at an upstream end portion of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the hollow tubular support element comprises two or more projections that inwardly project into the opening, the two or more projections being uniformly disposed around the opening. 
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein a tip of the at least one projection is located from a radial centre of the hollow tubular support element by a distance of less than 23 percent of a radius of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein a tip of the at least one projection is located at a radial centre of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the at least one projection extends through a radial centre of the hollow tubular support element, and   wherein the tip of the at least one projection extends beyond the radial centre of the hollow tubular support element by a distance of less than 23 percent of a radius of the hollow tubular support element.   
     
     
         23 . An aerosol-generating article, comprising:
 an aerosol-forming substrate in a form of a rod; and   a hollow tubular support element comprising fibrous filtration material and being disposed immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate,   wherein the hollow tubular support element further comprises:
 a peripheral portion of material that extends around a periphery of the hollow tubular support element, and 
 an inner portion of material that extends from at least a first point on the peripheral portion to at least a second point on the peripheral portion through a radial centre of the hollow tubular support element, and 
   wherein the peripheral and the inner portions together define at least two openings in the hollow tubular support element configured to allow aerosol to flow from the aerosol-forming substrate towards a mouth end of the aerosol-generating article.   
     
     
         24 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , wherein the peripheral portion of the material of the hollow tubular support element is substantially annular shaped. 
     
     
         25 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , wherein the inner portion of the material comprises one or more bars, which extend across a space within the peripheral portion, with at least one bar extending through the radial centre of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         26 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , wherein the inner portion of the material resides at least at an upstream end portion of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         27 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the hollow tubular support element is formed from an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , wherein the hollow tubular support element is formed from an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , further comprising a filter segment at the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         30 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , further comprising a filter segment at the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         31 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , further comprising an aerosol-cooling element downstream of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         32 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 23 , further comprising an aerosol-cooling element downstream of the hollow tubular support element. 
     
     
         33 . An aerosol-generating system, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 ; and   an aerosol-generating device comprising a heater blade configured to be inserted into an aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article.