Smoking article

Abstract

A smoking article is provided and has opposed lighting and mouth ends. A mouth end portion is disposed at the mouth end and a heat generation portion is disposed about the lighting end. An outer wrapping material is wrapped at least about the heat generation portion and extends toward the mouth end portion, to define a cylindrical rod. An aerosol-generating portion is disposed within the outer wrapping material and between the heat generation and mouth end portions. The aerosol-generating portion is configured to generate an aerosol in response to heat received from the heat generation portion. The aerosol-generating and heat generation portions are further configured to cooperate to distribute heat received by the aerosol-generating portion from the heat generation portion, so as to prevent scorching of the outer wrapping material. An associated method is also provided.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . An elongate smoking article having a lighting end and an opposed mouth end, said smoking article comprising:
 a mouth end portion disposed at the mouth end;   a heat generation portion disposed about the lighting end;   an outer wrapping material wrapped at least about the heat generation portion and extending toward the mouth end portion, so as to define a cylindrical rod; and   an aerosol-generating portion disposed within the outer wrapping material and between the heat generation portion and the mouth end portion, the aerosol-generating portion being configured to generate an aerosol in response to heat received from the heat generation portion, the aerosol-generating portion and the heat generation portion being further configured to cooperate to distribute heat received by the aerosol-generating portion from the heat generation portion, so as to prevent scorching of the outer wrapping material.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises a rod member having a length and a maximum diameter, and wherein the rod member has a surface area greater than a surface area of a right cylinder having a length and a maximum diameter equal to the length and the maximum diameter, respectively, of the rod member. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises a fluted rod member. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3 , wherein the fluted rod member defines a channel extending longitudinally therethrough. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 3 , wherein the fluted rod member is extruded from a mixture including milled tobacco, calcium carbonate, binder, glycerin, water, and flavoring. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises an aerosol-generating element wrapped by a wrapping material disposed between the aerosol-generating element and the outer wrapping material. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the wrapping material is elected from the group consisting of a paper-foil sheet laminate, a paper-foil-paper sheet laminate, a paper-foil-tobacco sheet laminate, a non-woven graphite sheet, a graphene sheet, a graphene-foil sheet laminate, a graphene-foil-paper sheet laminate, a paper-graphene sheet laminate, a graphene ink imprinted on a paper sheet, a graphene ink imprinted on a foil sheet, carbon nanotubes engaged with a paper sheet or a foil sheet, fullerenes engaged with a paper sheet or a foil sheet, and graphene engaged with a paper sheet or a foil sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the graphene ink is imprinted according to a continuous pattern or a discontinuous pattern on the paper sheet or the foil sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the paper sheet comprises a tobacco wrapping paper sheet, and wherein the tobacco sheet comprises an extruded tobacco sheet, a cast tobacco sheet, or a reconstituted tobacco sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the foil sheet comprises a continuous foil sheet or discrete foil strips. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a tobacco portion disposed within the outer wrapping material, and between the heat generation portion and the aerosol-generating portion. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a tobacco portion disposed within the outer wrapping material, and between the aerosol-generating portion and the mouth end portion 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-woven graphite sheet or a non-woven composite sheet of graphite and graphene wrapped about a portion of the heat generation portion and about a portion of the aerosol-generating portion, within the outer wrapping material, and extending toward the mouth end portion. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the non-woven graphite sheet is laminated with the outer wrapping material. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a metallic foil sheet laminated with the outer wrapping material via an adhesive material therebetween, the adhesive material including therein a portion of aluminum hydroxide, and the metallic foil sheet being wrapped about the heat generation portion and about a portion of the aerosol-generating portion, within the outer wrapping material, and extending toward the mouth end portion. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the outer wrapping material includes therein a portion of aluminum hydroxide, a portion of magnesium hydroxide, or a portion of calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a glass fiber sheet wrapped about the heat generation portion and about a portion of the aerosol-generating portion, within the outer wrapping material, and extending toward the mouth end portion. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat conductive material engaged with the outer wrapping material, the heat conductive material being disposed within the outer wrapping material and extending to wrap radially at least partially about the heat generation portion and longitudinally from the heat generation portion to the aerosol-generating portion. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 18 , wherein the heat conductive material comprises a conductive ink imprinted on the outer wrapping material, a metallic layer deposited on a selected portion of the outer wrapping material, graphene engaged with the outer wrapping material, or a carbon material engaged with a selected portion of the outer wrapping material. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating portion is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of a cast sheet of a tobacco material in cut filler form, a sheet of a reconstituted tobacco material in cut filler form, cut filler tobacco material treated with glycerin, aerosol-forming beads, a ceramic material including glycerin, a cast sheet of a non-tobacco material in cut filler form, a glass fiber mat including a tobacco-derived nicotine substance, a foil sheet having an aerosol forming material applied thereto, gathered paper including a tobacco-derived nicotine substance, a non-tobacco material including a tobacco-derived nicotine substance, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The article of  claim 20 , wherein the cut filler tobacco material treated with glycerin includes between about 5% and about 25% glycerin. 
     
     
         22 . The article of  claim 20 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion serially disposed between the heat generation portion and the mouth end portion. 
     
     
         23 . The article of  claim 20 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the aerosol-generating portion being comprised of a different material than the second portion of the aerosol-generating portion. 
     
     
         24 . The article of  claim 20 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion includes a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being mixed together to form a single aerosol-generating element. 
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises a porous ceramic rod member defining at least one conduit extending longitudinally therethrough. 
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the porous ceramic rod member includes an aerosol former, flavoring, or tobacco extract engaged therewith. 
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the aerosol former comprises glycerin and the tobacco extract comprises tobacco derived nicotine. 
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the porous ceramic rod member defines a plurality of longitudinally-extending open channels angularly spaced apart about an outer surface thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion is comprised of aerosol-forming beads serially disposed in relation to the heat generation portion, and includes a non-tobacco plug member disposed between the beads and the mouth end portion. 
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises a plurality of rod members extending in parallel with each other, the rod members being comprised of a tobacco material, a non-tobacco material, or a ceramic material. 
     
     
         31 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the heat generation portion includes a heating element comprised of a carbonized material or a pyrolyzed material, including an ignitability-enhancing material selected from the group consisting of carbon, cotton linters, glass microspheres, a catalyst, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising an overwrap material wrapped at least about the outer wrapping material wrapped at least about the heat generation portion, the overwrap material being embossed so as to be at least partially spaced apart from the outer wrapping material. 
     
     
         33 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermochromic ink material interacted with the outer wrapping material, the thermochromic ink being configured to provide a visual indicium is response to the outer wrapping material exceeding a temperature threshold.