Apparatus and methods for manufacturing articles for use as or in an aerosol provision system

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for manufacturing articles for use as or in an aerosol provision system as well as an apparatus and methods for applying a substance in liquid form to a substrate, such as a sheet material wrapper for an article for use as or in an aerosol provision system. The apparatus includes a rod forming portion which forms one or more portions of sheet material into a rod. A first applicator applies a first substance in liquid form to the one or more portions of sheet material. An air flow nozzle also supplies a heated flow of air to the rod forming portion. A substance in liquid form can be applied to a substrate with an apparatus including a conduit and at least one nozzle. The conduit and/or nozzle are heated to a temperature greater than the melting point of the substance.

1 . Apparatus for manufacturing a rod for articles for use as or in an aerosol provision system, comprising:
 a rod forming portion configured to receive one or more portions of sheet material and to form said one or more portions into a rod;   a first applicator configured to apply a first substance in liquid form to the one or more portions of sheet material;   an air flow nozzle configured to supply a flow of air to the rod forming portion; and   a heating arrangement configured to heat the flow of air supplied to the rod forming portion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rod forming portion comprises a funnel having an inlet to receive the one or more portions of sheet material and a narrowing width in the longitudinal direction to form said one or more portions of sheet material into a rod, wherein the air flow nozzle is configured to supply the flow of air to the funnel inlet. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the funnel comprises a funnel portion and a stem portion and the apparatus further comprises an air inlet configured to supply a flow of air to the stem portion. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a heating arrangement configured to heat the flow of air supplied to the stem portion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a second applicator configured to apply a second substance in liquid form to the one or more portions of sheet material in the stem portion, downstream of the first applicator. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first applicator includes a nozzle having an aperture through which the first substance in liquid form is supplied. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the aperture has a dimension in the range of 0.01-10 mm, 0.1-5.0 mm, 0.2-1.0 mm, 0.2-0.8 mm, 0.3-0.7 mm, or 0.4-0.6 mm, or a dimension of about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first applicator comprises a shaft extending into the rod forming portion with the nozzle located at the distal end. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the rod forming portion comprises a funnel having a funnel portion and a stem portion, and the shaft extends through the funnel portion and into the stem portion such that the nozzle is located in the stem portion. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the shaft is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the funnel. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the shaft is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the air flow nozzle. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first applicator is heated. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first applicator includes a heating element. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first substance is menthol. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second substance is menthol or another flavour flavor. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus for applying a substance in liquid form to a substrate, the apparatus comprising a conduit and at least one nozzle through which the substance in liquid form is supplied to the substrate, wherein the conduit is configured to supply the substance in liquid form to the nozzle, and wherein the nozzle has an aperture with a dimension in the range of 0.01-10 mm and the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature greater than the melting point of the substance. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle aperture has a dimension in the range of 0.1-5.0 mm, 0.2-1.0 mm, 0.2-0.8 mm, 0.3-0.7 mm, or 0.4-0.6 mm, or a dimension of about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , comprising a plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature greater than 20 degrees C., 30 degrees C., 40 degrees C., or 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature in the range of 20-80 degrees C., 30-70 degrees C., 40-60 degrees C., or is about 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the substance is menthol. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a wrapping section configured to wrap a substrate around the rod, wherein the substrate includes a substance applied by a conduit and at least one nozzle through which the substance in liquid form is supplied to the substrate, wherein the conduit is configured to supply the substance in liquid form to the nozzle, and wherein the nozzle has an aperture with a dimension in the range of 0.01-10 mm and the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature greater than the melting point of the substance. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus for applying a substance in liquid form to a sheet material wrapper for an article for use as or in an aerosol provision system, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one nozzle through which the substance in liquid form is supplied to the wrapper;   a conduit for supplying the substance to the nozzle;   a rod forming portion for receiving aerosol-generating substrate material and forming the aerosol-generating substrate material into a rod; and   a wrapping portion for using the sheet material wrapper to wrap the aerosol-generating substrate material.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate is or contains paper. 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing a rod for articles for use as or in an aerosol provision system, comprising:
 receiving one or more portions of sheet material in a rod forming portion to form said one or more sheet material portions into a rod;   applying a first substance in liquid form to the one or more portions of sheet material; and   supplying a heated flow of air to the rod forming portion.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the temperature of the air supplied to the funnel is greater than the melting point of the first substance. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the temperature of the air supplied to the funnel is greater than 20 degrees C., 30 degrees C., 40 degrees C., or 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the temperature of the air supplied to the funnel is in the range of 20-80 degrees C., 30-70 degrees C., 40-60 degrees C., or is about 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the rod forming portion comprises a funnel having an inlet to receive the one or more portions of sheet material and a narrowing width in the longitudinal direction to form said one or more portions of sheet material into a rod, wherein the heated flow of air is supplied to the funnel inlet. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the funnel comprises a funnel portion and a stem portion and the method further comprises supplying a flow of air to the stem portion. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the temperature of the air supplied to the stem portion is greater than the temperature of the ambient air external to the stem portion. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the temperature of the air supplied to the stem portion is the same as the temperature of the air supplied to the rod forming portion. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the method further comprises applying a second substance in liquid form to the one or more portions of sheet material in the stem portion, downstream of the first substance. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first substance in liquid form is supplied by a first applicator, the method further comprising the step of heating the first applicator. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the first applicator is heated to a temperature greater than the melting point of the first substance. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the first applicator is heated to a temperature greater than 20 degrees C., 30 degrees C., 40 degrees C., or 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the first applicator is heated to a temperature in the range of 20-80 degrees C., 30-70 degrees C., 40-60 degrees C., or is about 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising the step of heating the first substance before supply to the first applicator. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first substance is menthol. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second substance is menthol or another flavor. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of cutting the rod into separate rod segments. 
     
     
         42 . A method of applying a substance in liquid form to a substrate with an apparatus comprising a conduit and at least one nozzle, the method comprising:
 heating the conduit and/or nozzle to a temperature greater than the melting point of the substance;   supplying the substance in liquid form from the conduit to the nozzle, and   applying the substance in liquid form to the substrate from the nozzle.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature greater than 20 degrees C., 30 degrees C., 40 degrees C., or 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the conduit and/or nozzle is heated to a temperature in the range of 20-80 degrees C., 30-70 degrees C., 40-60 degrees C., or is about 50 degrees C. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the substance is menthol. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the substrate is or contains paper. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of wrapping a substrate around the rod, wherein the substrate includes a liquid substance applied by
 a conduit and at least one nozzle, the application comprising:
 heating the conduit and/or nozzle to a temperature greater than the melting point of the substance; 
 supplying the substance in liquid form from the conduit to the nozzle, and 
 applying the substance in liquid form to the substrate from the nozzle. 
   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising the step of cutting the rod into separate rod segments after the wrapping step. 
     
     
         50 . A method of applying a substance in liquid form to a sheet material wrapper for an article for use as or in an aerosol provision system, the method employing an apparatus comprising a conduit and at least one nozzle, the method comprising:
 supplying the substance in liquid form from the conduit to the nozzle;   applying the substance in liquid form to the sheet material wrapper from the nozzle;   forming a rod of aerosol-generating substrate material; and   wrapping the aerosol-generating substrate material rod using the sheet material wrapper.   
     
     
         51 . A rod for articles for use as or in an aerosol provision system manufactured by the method of  claim 25 . 
     
     
         52 . An article for use as or in an aerosol provision system including the rod of  claim 51 . 
     
     
         53 . A substrate including a substance in liquid form applied by the method of  claim 42 . 
     
     
         54 . An article for use as or in an aerosol provision system including the substrate of  claim 53 . 
     
     
         55 . A sheet material wrapper for an article for use as or in an aerosol provision system including a substance in liquid form applied by the method of  claim 50 . 
     
     
         56 . An article for use as or in an aerosol provision system including the sheet material wrapper of  claim 55 .