Aerosol-generating article with an aerosol-generating substrate circumscribed by a high-porosity annular portion

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article is provided, including: an aerosol-generating rod extending from an upstream end to a downstream end; and a downstream section provided downstream of the aerosol-generating rod and abutting the downstream end of the aerosol-generating rod, the aerosol-generating rod including a substantially cylindrical core portion having a longitudinal axis and an annular portion surrounding and extending coaxially with the core portion, the annular portion being air permeable, such that an upstream end of the annular portion internal is in fluid communication with the downstream section, the core portion including an aerosol-generating substrate and having a cross-sectional porosity of from 0.10 to 0.45, a cross-sectional porosity of the annular portion being at least 120 percent of the cross-sectional porosity of the core portion, and a thickness of the annular portion being at least 0.5 millimetre. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device is also provided.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating article, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating rod extending from an upstream end to a downstream end; and   a downstream section provided downstream of the aerosol-generating rod and abutting the downstream end of the aerosol-generating rod,   wherein the aerosol-generating rod comprises a substantially cylindrical core portion having a longitudinal axis and an annular portion surrounding and extending coaxially with the core portion,   wherein the annular portion is air permeable, such that an upstream end of the annular portion internal is in fluid communication with the downstream section,   wherein the core portion comprises an aerosol-generating substrate and has a cross-sectional porosity of from 0.10 to 0.45,   wherein a cross-sectional porosity of the annular portion is at least 120 percent of the cross-sectional porosity of the core portion, and   wherein a thickness of the annular portion is at least 0.5 millimetre.   
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the downstream section comprises a hollow tubular element, the hollow tubular element defining an internal cavity and abutting the downstream end of the aerosol-generating rod. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 17 , wherein an internal diameter of the annular portion is smaller than an internal diameter of the hollow tubular element. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the downstream section further comprises a mouthpiece element downstream of the hollow tubular element, and   wherein the aerosol-generating article further comprises a wrapper circumscribing the aerosol-generating rod, the hollow tubular element, and the mouthpiece.   
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 17 , further comprising a ventilation zone at a location along the hollow tubular element. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the annular portion comprises linear, axially oriented fibres. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 21 , wherein the linear, axially oriented fibres are selected from: cellulose acetate fibres, poly lactic acid (PLA) fibres, polypropylene fibres, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHVB) fibres, rayon fibres, viscose fibres, regenerated cellulose fibres, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 21 , wherein the annular portion further comprises two or more longitudinal segments of tow material, and the tow material of adjacent ones of the two or more longitudinal segments is bonded together at least along longitudinal edges of the segments to form an integral annular portion. 
     
     
         24 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 21 , wherein the fibres have a denier per filament (dpf) from 3.0 dpf to 15.0 dpf. 
     
     
         25 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the core portion has a cross-sectional porosity of from 0.15 to 0.30. 
     
     
         26 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the core portion has a cross-sectional porosity distribution of from 0.04 to 0.22. 
     
     
         27 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the annular portion has a cross-sectional porosity of from 0.3 to 0.95. 
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , further comprising a susceptor element arranged within the core portion and thermally coupled with the aerosol-generating substrate. 
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the annular portion radially abuts the core portion. 
     
     
         30 . An aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16  and an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber open at a proximal end configured to at least partly receive the aerosol-generating rod to heat the aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating device further comprising an opening at a distal end configured to admit airflow into the heating chamber along a longitudinal axis of the heating chamber, wherein a diameter of the opening is smaller than the internal diameter of the annular portion.