Aerosol-generating material rod segment

Abstract

A process of producing aerosol-generating material rod segments includes cutting a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of aerosol-generating material strands; gathering the strands together to form an aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands is substantially non-coiled; and cutting the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments. Also disclosed is an apparatus for producing aerosol-generating material rod segments, and a product including an aerosol-generating material rod.

1 . Process of producing aerosol-generating material rod segments, comprising:
 cutting a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of aerosol-generating material strands;   gathering the strands together to form an aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands is substantially non-coiled; and   cutting the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce said aerosol-generating material rod segments.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the gathering comprises:
 gathering the strands together to form the aerosol-generating material rod in which the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands are substantially parallel to one another.   
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1  of  claim 2 , wherein the gathering comprises:
 gathering the strands together to form the aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the aerosol-generating material strands is substantially straight. 
 
     
     
         4 . The process according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 3 , wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material is a tobacco sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the tobacco sheet is a reconstituted tobacco sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises glycerol. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material has a substantially constant mass per unit length. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, the process comprising:
 providing the sheet of aerosol-generating material from a bobbin of aerosol-generating material sheet.   
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 8 , the process comprising:
 providing a mother reel of aerosol-generating material sheet; and   slitting the mother reel to produce the bobbin.   
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , the process comprises:
 selecting a mass per unit length for the aerosol-generating material rod segments;   determining, based on a mass per unit area of the sheet of aerosol-generating material, and based on the selected mass per unit length for the aerosol-generating material rod segments, a bobbin width; and   slitting the mother reel to produce a bobbin having the determined bobbin width.   
     
     
         11 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, the process comprising:
 selecting a strand number and/or a strand width for the aerosol-generating material rod segments; and   determining, based on the selected strand number and/or strand width, a cut number and/or a cut spacing;   
       wherein said cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises:
 cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material with the determined cut number and/or cut spacing. 
 
     
     
         12 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, the process comprising:
 feeding the sheet of aerosol-generating material in a sheet feed direction;   
       wherein said cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises:
 cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction. 
 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12 , wherein the gathering comprises:
 gathering each of the strands towards an axis that lies in a plane, the plane including the feed direction and being perpendicular to a plane defined by the plurality of strands before they are gathered.   
     
     
         14 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gathering comprises:
 gathering each of the strands towards an axis that lies centrally of the plurality of strands.   
     
     
         15 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gathering comprises:
 gathering each of the strands substantially transversely to form the rod.   
     
     
         16 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gathering comprises:
 feeding the strands through a funnel to gather the strands.   
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 16 , the process comprising, before said cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material:
 feeding the sheet of aerosol-generating material through the funnel to form an aerosol-generating material rod of non-cut tobacco sheet.   
     
     
         18 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the plurality of strands have a width substantially in the range 0.25 mm to 3 mm, or substantially in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to any preceding claim, the process comprising:
 wrapping the aerosol-generating material rod in a wrapping material.   
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminium foil. 
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 19  or  claim 20 , wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segments each have an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4 mm to 7.8 mm, or substantially in the range 6.7 mm to 7.8 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The process according to any one of  claim 19  to  claim 21 , wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segments are consumables for an aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus for producing aerosol-generating material rod segments, the apparatus comprising:
 a first cutter arranged to cut a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of aerosol-generating material strands;   a gatherer arranged to gather the strands together to form an aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands is substantially non-coiled; and   a second cutter arranged to cut the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce said aerosol-generating material rod segments.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the gatherer is arranged to gather the strands together to form the aerosol-generating material rod in which the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 23  or  claim 24 , wherein the gatherer is arranged to gather the strands together to form the aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the aerosol-generating material strands is substantially straight. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 25 , wherein the apparatus is arranged to provide the sheet of aerosol-generating material from a bobbin of aerosol-generating material sheet. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 26 , wherein the first cutter is adjustable so as to adjust the number and/or width of the strands. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 27 , wherein the first cutter is adjustable to either cut said sheet of aerosol-generating material to produce said plurality of aerosol-generating material strands or to not cut said sheet of aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 28 , wherein the apparatus is arranged to feed the sheet of aerosol-generating material to the first cutter in a sheet feed direction; wherein the first cutter is arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the gatherer is arranged to gather each of the strands towards an axis that lies in a first plane, the first plane including the feed direction and being perpendicular to a second plane defined by the plurality of strands before they are gathered. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 30 , wherein the gatherer is arranged to gather each of the strands towards an axis that lies centrally of the plurality of strands. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 31 , wherein the gatherer is arranged to gather each of the strands substantially transversely to form the rod. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 32 , wherein the gatherer comprises a funnel. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 33 , wherein the first cutter is arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally so as to produce the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands each having a width substantially in the range 0.25 mm to 3 mm, or substantially in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 34 , wherein the apparatus comprises a wrapper arranged to wrap the aerosol-generating material rod in a wrapping material. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus according to  claim 35 , wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminium foil. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus according to  claim 35  or  claim 36 , wherein the apparatus is arranged to produce aerosol-generating material rod segments having an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4 mm to 7.8 mm, or substantially in the range 6.7 mm to 7.8 mm. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to any one of  claim 23  to  claim 37 , wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segments are consumables for an aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         39 . A product comprising an aerosol-generating material rod, wherein the aerosol-generating material rod is formed of a plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material is substantially non-coiled. 
     
     
         40 . The product according to  claim 39 , wherein the plurality of strands are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         41 . The product according to  claim 39  or  claim 40 , wherein each of the plurality of strands is substantially straight. 
     
     
         42 . The product according to any one of  claim 39  to  claim 41 , wherein each of the plurality of strands has a width substantially in the range 0.25 mm to 3 mm, or substantially in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         43 . The product according to any one of  claim 39  to  claim 42 , wherein one or more of the strands is or comprises tobacco. 
     
     
         44 . The product according to  claim 43 , wherein one or more of the strands is or comprises reconstituted tobacco. 
     
     
         45 . The product according to any one of  claim 39  to  claim 44 , wherein one or more of the strands comprises glycerol. 
     
     
         46 . The product according to any one of  claim 39  to  claim 45 , wherein the product comprises a wrapping material wrapped around the aerosol-generating material rod. 
     
     
         47 . The product according to  claim 46 , wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminium foil. 
     
     
         48 . The product according to  claim 46  or  claim 47 , wherein the product has an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4 mm to 7.8 mm, or substantially in the range 6.7 mm to 7.8 mm. 
     
     
         49 . The product according to any one of  claim 39  to  claim 48 , wherein the product is a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.