METHOD OF PREPARING AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20150313283A1
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Collett, William Robert, Sears, Stephen Benson, Taluskie, Karen V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/70 Manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/06 Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device, an input for such devices, and methods of preparing such devices. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of forming an aerosol delivery device, which can comprise providing a fibrous substrate, providing a shell, wetting the fibrous substrate with a wetting liquid, and inserting the wetted fibrous substrate into the shell. After the inserting step, the shell further can comprise one or more of a heater, a liquid transport element, and an electrical connection. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an input that can comprise a liquid transport element, a heater in a heating arrangement with the liquid transport element, and a wetted fibrous substrate wrapped around at least a portion of the liquid transport element.

Claims

1. A method of forming an aerosol delivery device comprising:

providing a fibrous substrate;

providing a shell;

wetting the fibrous substrate with a wetting liquid; and

inserting the wetted fibrous substrate into the shell;

wherein, after the inserting step, the shell further comprises one or more of a heater, a liquid transport element, and an electrical connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous substrate has a maximum liquid retention capacity, and wherein the mass of liquid in the wetted fibrous substrate when inserted into the shell is less than 75% of the maximum retention capacity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shell has a cross-sectional shape, and wherein the method further comprises configuring the wetted fibrous substrate into a shape that substantially corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the shell.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shell is substantially cylindrical, wherein the wetted fibrous substrate is flat, and wherein the method comprises configuring the flat, wetted fibrous substrate to be substantially cylindrical.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising wrapping the wetted fibrous substrate around a support such that opposing ends of the wetted fibrous substrate overlap or substantially abut.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising removing at least a portion of the liquid from the wetted fibrous substrate prior to inserting the wetted fibrous substrate into the shell.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein removing at least a portion of the liquid comprises applying pressure to the wetted fibrous substrate.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising passing the wetted fibrous substrate through one or more sets of rollers.

9. The method according to claim 6, comprising removing at least 25% by weight of the liquid from the wetted fibrous substrate.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the fibrous substrate prior to the wetting step has a first thickness, and wherein after the step of removing at least a portion of the liquid, the wetted fibrous substrate has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness by at least 5%.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising adding an aerosol precursor composition to the fibrous substrate after the fibrous substrate has been inserted into the shell.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the aerosol precursor composition has at least one component in common with the wetting liquid.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous substrate is a nonwoven material.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the fibrous substrate comprises cellulose acetate.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

providing the fibrous substrate;

providing the liquid transport element with the heater in communication therewith;

providing the shell;

wetting the fibrous substrate with the wetting liquid;

wrapping the wetted fibrous substrate around at least a portion of the liquid transport element; and

inserting the wetted fibrous substrate in combination with the liquid transport element and the heater into the shell so that the heater is positioned beyond an end of the wetted fibrous substrate.

16. A method for adding an aerosol precursor composition to an aerosol delivery device comprising:

providing a fibrous substrate and a shell of the aerosol delivery device;

adding at least a portion of at least one component of the aerosol precursor composition to the fibrous substrate prior to combining the fibrous substrate with the shell; and

adding the remainder of the aerosol precursor composition to the fibrous substrate after combining the fibrous substrate with the shell.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises water, and wherein the method comprises adding all or a portion of the water to the fibrous substrate prior to combining the fibrous substrate with the shell.

18. An input for an aerosol delivery device housing, the input comprising a liquid transport element;

a heater in a heating arrangement with the liquid transport element; and

a wetted fibrous substrate wrapped around at least a portion of the liquid transport element;

wherein the wetted fibrous substrate has an inner surface in a wicking arrangement with the liquid transport element and has an outer surface having a maximum diameter that substantially corresponds to the diameter of an inner surface of the aerosol delivery device housing.

19. The input according to claim 18, wherein the fibrous substrate comprises cellulose acetate.

20. The input according to claim 18, wherein the heater extends beyond an end of the wetted fibrous substrate.