Method for manufacturing a ventilation zone in an aerosol-generating article

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a first ventilation zone in a first aerosol-generating article and a second ventilation zone in a second aerosol-generating article, comprising the method steps: A) providing a first aerosol-generating article, B) forming first perforations in the first aerosol-generating article, thereby creating a first ventilation zone, C) determining the first air infusion value for the first aerosol-generating article, the air infusion value being determined by the equation (Pin−Pout)·100%/Pin, wherein Pin is the air pressure applied at the first end face of the article and Pout is the air pressure detected at the second end face of the article, D) comparing said first air infusion value to a reference value, E) providing the second aerosol-generating article and forming second perforations in the second aerosol-generating article, thereby creating the second ventilation zone, wherein a size of the second perforations is adjusted based on the comparison between the determined first air infusion value and the reference value.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for manufacturing a first ventilation zone in a first aerosol-generating article and a second ventilation zone in a second aerosol-generating article, comprising the method steps:
 A) providing a first aerosol-generating article,   B) forming first perforations in the first aerosol-generating article, thereby creating a first ventilation zone,   C) determining the first air infusion value for the first aerosol-generating article, the air infusion value being determined by the equation (P in −P out )·100%/P in , wherein P in  is an air pressure of between 5 millibars and 50 millibars applied at the first end face of the article and P out  is an air pressure detected at the second end face of the article,   D) comparing said first air infusion value to a reference value,   E) providing the second aerosol-generating article and forming second perforations in the second aerosol-generating article, thereby creating the second ventilation zone, wherein a size of the second perforations is adjusted based on the comparison between the determined first air infusion value and the reference value, wherein during method step C) an air blast is applied as air pressure to the first aerosol-generating article for a time period of between 25 milliseconds to 60 milliseconds and the pressure difference is measured between both opposing first and second end faces of the first aerosol-generating article as indicated by the equation above.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein a first continuous rod is provided as a first aerosol-generating article and wherein a second continuous rod is provided as a second aerosol-generating article, wherein the first continuous rod and the second continuous rod includes at least two aerosol-generating articles, preferably wherein the first continuous rod and the second continuous rod consists of two aerosol-generating articles. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to any  claim 16  for manufacturing a first ventilation zone in a predetermined first number of first aerosol-generating articles, wherein during the method steps A) and B) the predetermined first number of first aerosol-generating articles is provided and wherein first perforations are formed in each of the first aerosol-generating articles of the predetermined first number of first aerosol-generating articles and wherein during method step C) the individual first air infusion values of the first aerosol-generating articles are determined and wherein an average first air infusion value thereof is calculated. 
     
     
         19 . The method for manufacturing according to  claim 16 , wherein the reference value is a target air infusion value for the first and second aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         20 . The method for manufacturing of  claim 16 , wherein in a method step A2) before method step B) a first resistance-to-draw RTD value of the first aerosol-generating article is measured in accordance with ISO 6565-2015, more preferably wherein the RTD value is measured by applying a constant air flow to the first end face of the first aerosol-generating article and measuring the increase in air pressure at said first end face of the first aerosol-generating article due to the air resistance of the article. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein individual first RTD values are determined for each of the first aerosol-generating articles of the predetermined first number of first aerosol-generating articles. 
     
     
         22 . The method for manufacturing according to  claim 21 , wherein the individual first air infusion values of the first aerosol-generating articles determined in step C) are corrected on the basis of the first individual resistance-to-draw (RTD) values, thereby providing corrected individual first air infusion values and wherein an average corrected first air infusion value is calculated based on the corrected individual first air infusion values. 
     
     
         23 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 22 , wherein in step E) the average corrected first air infusion value is compared to the reference value and wherein in step E) the size of the second perforations is adjusted based on the comparison between the average corrected first air infusion value and the reference value. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein an average first RTD value is calculated from the individual first RTD values of the first aerosol-generating articles and wherein an average second RTD value is calculated from individual second RTD values of the second aerosol-generating articles of the predetermined second number of first aerosol-generating articles. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein the reference value is set in method step D) depending on the RTD value measured for the first aerosol-generating article in method step A2). 
     
     
         26 . The method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article of  claim 18 , wherein the predetermined first number of aerosol-generating articles is the same as the predetermined second number of aerosol-generating articles, preferably wherein the predetermined first and second number of aerosol-generating articles is at least 50, preferably at least 100, more preferably at least 1000 aerosol-generating articles. 
     
     
         27 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 16 , wherein in step E) the size of the second perforations is one of decreased or increased in comparison to the size of the first perforations. 
     
     
         28 . The method for manufacturing of  claim 16 , wherein during method step B) slits or ovals are formed as first perforations, the first perforations having a width and a length, and wherein during method step E) the length of the second perforations is adjusted. 
     
     
         29 . The method for manufacturing of any  claim 16 , wherein during method step A) a first aerosol-generating article is provided, wherein the first aerosol-generating article comprises a first hollow tube section and a first substrate section, preferably wherein the first aerosol-generating article further comprises a first filter section.