Patent EA-002185-B1 (EA)
Title: A smoking article for delievering an aerosol
Inventor: ST CHARLES FRANK KELLY
IPC: A24F42/60
Filed: 1999-02-22
Abstract: 1. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow tube defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end and a mouth end thereof, the tube being non-combustible upon application of a flame; and a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate having a distal end and positioned within said tube, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap of sufficient length to prevent combustion of said substrate when a flame is disposed adjacent to said heat receiving end. 2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the tube is substantially non-porous. 3. The article according to claim 1, wherein the tube is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: ceramics, metals, paperboards, reconstituted tobacco, woods, bamboo, glasses, bakelite, and metal foils and combinations thereof. 4. The article according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a support material having at least one distillable substance imbued therein. 5. The article according to claim 4, wherein the support material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, fibrous cellulosic material, carbolized cellulosic material, metal wool, ceramic wool, and porous ceramic. 6. The article according to claim 5, wherein the fibrous cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of paper, cotton, and wood pulp, and combinations thereof. 7. The article according to claim 4, wherein the at least one distillable substance is selected from the group consisting of: glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, tobacco extract, tobacco pyrolysates, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, wax and oil and combinations thereof. 8. The article according to claim 1, wherein further comprising a heat diffuser disposed in said continuous air gap, said heat diffuser having a plurality of holes permitting transmission of hot gases and blocking the flame. 9. The article according to claim 8, wherein the heat diffuser comprises a wire mesh. 10. The article according to claim 8, wherein the heat diffuser includes a catalyst to promote oxidation of carbon monoxide. 11. The article according to claim 8, wherein the heat diffuser is substantially tubular and has a rear portion embedded within the aerosol forming substrate. 12. The article according to claim 1, further comprising a filter being disposed within the air passageway between the mouth end of the tube and the aerosol forming substrate. 13. The article according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol forming substrate has a proximal end adjacent the mouth end of the tube, further comprising a filter being disposed within the air passageway adjacent the proximal end of the aerosol forming substrate. 14. The article according to claim 13, wherein the filter abuts the proximal end of the aerosol forming substrate. 15. The article according to claim 1, further including a heating liquid hydrocarbon element attached to said heat receiving end of said tube. 16. The article according to claim 1, further comprising a heat diffusor positioned between said distal end of said substrate and said heat receiving end of said tube and being spaced from said distal end. 17. The article according to claim 8, wherein the tube is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: ceramics, metals, paperboards, reconstituted tobacco, woods, bamboo, glasses, bakelite, and metal foils and combinations thereof. 18. The article according to claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises a support material having at least one distillable substance imbued therein. 19. The article according to claim 18, wherein the support material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, fibrous cellulosic material, carbolized cellulosic material, metal wool, ceramic wool, and porous ceramic. 20. The article according to claim 19, wherein the fibrous cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of paper, cotton, and wood pulp, and combinations thereof. 21. The article according to claim 18, wherein the at least one distillable substance is selected from the group consisting of: glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, tobacco extract, tobacco pyrolysates, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, wax and oil and combinations thereof. 22. The article according to claim 8, further comprising a filter being disposed within the air passageway between the mouth end of the tube and the aerosol forming substrate. 23. The article according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol forming substrate has a proximal end adjacent the mouth end of the tube, further comprising a filter being disposed within the air passageway adjacent the proximal end of the aerosol forming substrate. 24. The article according to claim 23, wherein the filter abuts the proximal end of the aerosol forming substrate. 25. The article according to claim 8, further including a heating element attached to said heat receiving end of said tube. 26. The article according to claim 8, further comprising a heat diffusor positioned between said distal end of said substrate and said heat receiving end of said tube. 27. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow tube defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at the opposite end, wherein the heat receiving end is an open end of the tube, the tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of a lighter for cigarettes, a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate is positioned in the air passageway and has a distal end, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end, said air gap has a continuous length from 2 to 6 cm, said continuous air gap prevents combustion of said substrate when a flame is disposed to said heat receiving end, wherein said aerosol forming component forms an aerosol when inhaling the air from the mouth end and upon application of a lighter to the heat receiving end. 28. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow non-combustible tube having an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at the opposite end, wherein the heat receiving end is an open end of said hollow tube, a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate is positioned in the air passageway and has a distal end, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap of at least 2 cm between said heat receiving end and said distal end, wherein said aerosol forming component forms an aerosol when inhaling the air from the mouth end and upon application of sufficient heat to the heat receiving end. 29. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow tube defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at the opposite end, wherein the heat receiving end is an open end of said hollow tube, said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of a flame to said heat receiving end, a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate is positioned in the air passageway and has a distal end, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap of at least 2 cm between said heat receiving end and said distal end, said continuous air gap has a length preventing substantial combustion of said substrate when a flame is disposed to said heat receiving end and permitting an aerosol forming component to form an aerosol when inhaling the air from the mouth end and upon application of said flame to the heat receiving end. 30. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow tube having an inner diameter and defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at the opposite end, wherein the heat receiving end is an open end of said hollow tube, said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of a flame to said heat receiving end, a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate is positioned in the air passageway and has a distal end, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end of at least 2 cm to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end, wherein said continuous air gap has a length proportional to said inner diameter, and said length is sufficient to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate when a flame is disposed to said heat receiving end, and an aerosol forming component forms an aerosol when inhaling the air from the mouth end and upon application of said flame to the heat receiving end. 31. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, comprising: an open-ended hollow tube having an inner diameter and defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at the opposite end, wherein the heat receiving end is an open end of said hollow tube, said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of a flame to said heat receiving end, a substrate containing an aerosol forming component, said substrate is positioned in the air passageway and has a distal end, said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end of at least 2 cm to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end, said continuous air gap has a length exceeding said inner diameter from 2 to 10 times, wherein said continuous air gap is sufficient to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate when a flame is disposed to said heat receiving end, and an aerosol forming component forms an aerosol when inhaling the air from the mouth end and upon application of said flame to the heat receiving end. 32. An article for delivering an aerosol to a us