[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for an aerosol generating device such as
a smoking article.
[0002] Personal hygiene and freshness is an important consideration for cigarette smokers.
Side stream smoke is generated at the lit end of a conventional cigarette and this
can flow towards a user's fingers causing potential discolouration and a lingering
smell. Similar issues can arise with other aerosol generating devices, such as heat-not-burn
devices. Holders are well known for positioning the fingers further away from the
lit end and therefore reducing the interaction between fingers and side stream smoke.
However, these cigarette holders are often bulky items that are purchased separately
from a packet of cigarettes. For these reasons it is not always convenient or possible
to use a cigarette holder, and an object of the present invention is to address this
issue.
[0003] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a holder for an
aerosol generating device, comprising: a first holder portion and a second holder
portion pivotally arranged about a fold line, wherein each of the first and second
holder portions extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the fold line and comprise
a mouthpiece end, an aerosol generating device end and a longitudinal free edge, and
wherein the holder can be folded about the fold line between an unassembled configuration
and an assembled configuration, wherein in the assembled configuration the longitudinal
free edges of the first and second holder portions are joined together to accommodate
the aerosol generating device and to provide an airflow channel that extends from
the mouthpiece end to the aerosol generating device end.
[0004] In this way, the smoking article holder can be easily assembled by joining together
the longitudinal free edges of the first and second holder portions. In its unassembled
configuration the holder can be accommodated within a packet, such as a packet of
cigarettes, so that it can be easily accessed by a user.
[0005] Preferably the holder provides substantially no inner volume in its unassembled configuration.
This substantially reduces the amount of volume occupied by the holder in its unassembled
configuration which means that the holder can easily be accommodated within a small
volume, such as a smoking article container.
[0006] Preferably the fold line is a longitudinal fold line that is provided centrally between
the first and second holder portions. This provides a symmetric holder having two
halves, which correspond to the first and second folder portions. In its assembled
configuration the longitudinal free edges are preferably joined together at a position
that is diametrically opposite the fold line. Any of a number of techniques can be
used for joining together the longitudinal free edges; in one example a hook or flap
can be provided on one longitudinal free edge to engage with a complementary feature
on the other longitudinal free edge.
[0007] Preferably the holder is made of a paper material. This means that the holder can
be easily folded about the fold line and can be produced at low cost. In one example,
the holder may be injection moulded.
[0008] In its assembled configuration, the mouthpiece end preferably has a non-circular
cross-sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the major axis is
longer than the minor axis. The aerosol generating device end is preferably substantially
circular in its assembled configuration so that it can accommodate an aerosol generating
device such as a smoking article.
[0009] The distance from the mouthpiece end to the aerosol generating device end may be
at least 20mm, and preferably at least 25mm. It has been found that this is a sufficient
additional separation from the user's fingers to the lit end to noticeably decrease
the undesirable effects of side stream smoke.
[0010] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a plurality of holders
as defined above, wherein the plurality of holders are nested together in their unassembled
configurations. In this way, the volume occupied by a stack of holders can be reduced
as much as possible so that they can easily by accommodated within a container.
[0011] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a container comprising:
a first compartment for accommodating a plurality of aerosol generating devices; and
a second compartment for accommodating the holder as previously defined.
[0012] Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference
to the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder in an unassembled configuration in an embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing flaps that can join together longitudinal
edges of a holder in an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3A is a front view of an arrangement including a smoking article with a holder
in its assembled configuration, in an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3B is a side view of the arrangement shown in Figure 3A;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a holder in an assembled configuration, separated
from a smoking article in an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a holder in an assembled configuration, joined with
a smoking article in an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of three holders nested together in their unassembled
configurations in an embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a container including a compartment with smoking
articles and a compartment with holders in an embodiment of the invention.
[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder 8 for an aerosol generating device in
an unassembled configuration. The holder 8 has a first portion 18 and a second portion
20, provided on either side of a longitudinal fold line 14. First and second longitudinal
free edges 19, 21 are provided in the first and second portions 18, 20 respectively,
and these edges 19, 21 are parallel with the fold line 14. The holder 8 is made of
injection moulded paper and comprises a mouthpiece end 10 and an aerosol generating
device end 12.
[0014] The holder 8 is assembled by folding the first and second portions 20 about the longitudinal
fold line 14 until the first and second longitudinal free edges 19, 21 come into contact
with one another. In this position the first and second longitudinal free edges 19,
21 can be joined together.
[0015] In this example embodiment the second portion 20 includes a tab 30 that projects
from the second longitudinal free edge 21. The tab 31 includes a flap 32 that is folded
outwardly from the remainder of the holder 8. As shown schematically in Figure 2,
when the first and second portions 18, 20 are folded about the fold line 14, the flap
32 is configured to engage with a corresponding flap 28 that is provided on the first
longitudinal free edge 19, and which is folded inwardly, towards the remainder of
the holder 8. In this way, the flaps 28, 32 can engage with one another when the flap
32 is slid radially inwardly of the flap 28 as the first and second longitudinal edges
19, 21 come together. This creates a connection between the first and second longitudinal
free edges 19, 21 so that they do not come apart and so that the holder 8 can remain
in its assembled configuration.
[0016] A wide variety of alternative techniques can be used to join together the first and
second longitudinal free edges 19, 21. One technique, as exemplified by Figure 2,
involves providing a flap or hook on one longitudinal free edge that can engage with
a flap or hook on the other longitudinal free edge. Another technique simply involves
gluing the first and second longitudinal free edges 19, 21 together. Such gluing could
be allowed through the provision of non-permanent adhesive (of the kind found on re-stickable
papers such as Post-it®) on the free edges 19, 21 of each half 18, 20 of the mouthpiece.
Alternatively, it could also be granted by permanent adhesive arranged on at least
one of the longitudinal free edges 19, 21, which permanent adhesive is covered with
a removable, protective, liner material which a user would remove before adjoining
the free edges against each other to form the assembled mouthpiece 8.
[0017] Figures 3A, 3B, 4 and 5 show the smoking article holder 8 in its assembled configuration.
The assembled holder 8 can receive an end of an aerosol generating device 2, which
may be a smoking article 2 having a tobacco rod 4 and a filter 6. The reference to
a smoking article 2 shall in the context of the present invention and description
not be construed as limited to cigarettes or other kinds of tobacco products requiring
burning of tobacco material to generate an aerosol inhaled by a user. The terms smoking
article shall to the contrary apply and be construed to also encompass any kind of
aerosol generating devices making use of tobacco containing substrates, be it plain
tobacco leaves, tobacco cut-filler, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco extracts in all
forms, for generating an inhalable aerosol through any kind of heating technique.
It may in particular encompass any heat-not-burn tobacco containing consumable device
used in connection with a filter for consumption by users.
[0018] In its assembled configuration the holder 8 has an inner volume defined between the
first and second portions 18, 20, within which an airflow channel extends from the
aerosol generating device end 12 to the mouthpiece end 10. The holder 8 has a circular
cross-sectional shape at the aerosol generating device end 12 so that it can accommodate
the filter end 6 of the smoking article 2. The cross-sectional shape of the holder
8 is different at the mouthpiece end 10, as shall be explained, so that the holder
8 is shaped substantially like the mouthpiece of a whistle.
[0019] The mouthpiece end 10 has a cross-sectional shape defined by a major axis and a minor
axis. The major axis extends between the longitudinal fold line 14 and the first and
second longitudinal free edges 19, 21 where they are joined together. The major axis
is longer than the minor axis to provide a cross-sectional shape that is like an athletics
track, constructed of a rectangle with semicircles at opposite sides. The cross-sectional
shape of the holder 8 is substantially constant from the mouthpiece end 10 to a position
that is around one half to two thirds of the length of the holder 8. At this point
the cross-sectional shape changes in a gradual way, and flares outwardly towards a
circular cross-sectional shape. The circular cross-sectional shape is provided between
this position and the aerosol generating device end 12 of the holder 8. The flared
shape of the holder 8 can provide a limit to the depth of insertion of the aerosol
generating device 2 within the holder 8.
[0020] As shown in Figure 3B, the aerosol generating device 2 is inserted into the aerosol
generating device end 12 of the holder 8, in use. Alternatively, the holder 8 can
be assembled around the end of the aerosol generating device 2, such that the aerosol
generating device 2 is positioned in one of the first and second portions 18, 20,
and then the holder 8 is folded about the fold line 14 so that the aerosol generating
device 2 is captured within the assembled holder 8. When fully inserted in the holder
8, the aerosol generating device 8 is separated from the mouth end 10 of the holder
by approximately 27mm. It has been found that this provides enough separation to significantly
reduce the interaction between a user's fingers and the side stream smoke or aerosol
that is generated during use. In other embodiments the distance from the aerosol generating
device 2, when fully inserted, and the mouthpiece end 10 may be at least 20mm, and
preferably at least 25mm.
[0021] Figure 6 is a perspective view of three holders 8a, 8b, 8c. The holders 8a, 8b, 8c
are shown in a stacked configuration. This provides a compact arrangement of holders
8. When a user requires a single holder it can be easily separated from the stack
for use, while the remaining holders can remain unassembled and occupying as small
a volume as possible. The holders 8 are neatly stacked above or below one another
because the adjacent first and second portions 18, 20 of respective holders have shapes
that conform with one another. This allows a number of smoking article holders 8 to
be nested within one another so that they occupy a small combined volume.
[0022] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article container 22 including a
first compartment 24 with smoking articles 2 and a second compartment 26 with holders
8. Twenty smoking articles 2 in the first compartment 24 are provided in a standard
7-6-7 configuration. Twenty holders 8 are provided stacked one on top of the other.
This allows production of a container that can contain twenty smoking articles and
twenty holders. The smoking article holders 8 can therefore be packaged with the smoking
articles 2 and designed for a single use.
1. A holder for an aerosol generating device, comprising:
a first holder portion and a second holder portion pivotally arranged about a fold
line;
each of the first and second holder portions extending in a longitudinal direction
parallel to the fold line and comprising a mouthpiece end, an aerosol generating device
end and a longitudinal free edge;
wherein the holder can be folded about the fold line between an unassembled configuration
and an assembled configuration, wherein in the assembled configuration the longitudinal
free edges of the first and second holder portions are joined together to accommodate
the aerosol generating device and to provide an airflow channel that extends from
the mouthpiece end to the aerosol generating device end.
2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the fold line is provided centrally between the first
and second holder portions.
3. The holder of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the holder is made of a paper material.
4. The holder of claim 3, wherein the holder is injection moulded.
5. The holder of any of the preceding claims, wherein, in the assembled configuration,
the mouthpiece end has a non-circular cross-sectional shape with a major axis and
a minor axis, wherein the major axis is longer than the minor axis.
6. The holder of any of the preceding claims, wherein the distance from the mouthpiece
end to the aerosol generating device end is at least 20mm, and preferably at least
25mm.
7. The holder of any of the preceding claims wherein a connection mechanism is provided
on each longitudinal free edge so that the longitudinal free edges can be joined together
in the assembled configuration.
8. The holder of claim 7, wherein the connection mechanism comprises a flap or a hook.
9. A plurality of the holders of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of
smoking article holders are nested together in their unassembled configurations.
10. A container comprising:
a first compartment for accommodating a plurality of aerosol generating devices; and
a second compartment for accommodating the holder or any of claims 1 to 8.