Aerosol-generating article with liquid-impervious wrapper, aerosol-generating system, and a method of using the aerosol-generating article

1. An aerosol-generating article, comprising:

a plurality of elements coaxially aligned and assembled within a wrapper, the aerosol-generating article having an outlet end and a distal end upstream from the outlet end;

a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the liquid aerosol-forming substrate being releasably contained within at least one frangible capsule; and

a liquid retention medium being configured to retain the liquid aerosol-forming substrate within the aerosol-generating article after the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the liquid retention medium being devoid of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate prior to the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the wrapper being formed from a sheet of liquid-impervious material, the liquid retention medium being in a first element of the plurality of elements, and the liquid retention medium being positioned on the distal end.

2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is in the liquid retention medium.

3. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the liquid retention medium is in the form of a tube having a lumen, and the at least one frangible capsule is located within the lumen of the tube.

4. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the liquid retention medium includes an absorbent polymeric material.

5. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is configured to rupture by application of an external force.

6. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is configured to be pierced by a piercing element.

7. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cooling section located downstream from the liquid retention medium, the cooling section being a second element of the plurality of elements.

8. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the liquid aerosol-forming substrate includes between 10 weight percent and 25 weight percent water, an aerosol former, and at least one flavorant.

9. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , further comprising:

a mouthpiece filter located at the outlet end of the aerosol-generating article, the mouthpiece filter being a third element of the plurality of elements.

10. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plug located at the distal end, the aerosol-generating article being configured to draw air into the aerosol-generating article at or adjacent to the distal end, through the aerosol-generating article, and out of the outlet end if a negative pressure is applied at the outlet end.

11. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the wrapper is one of a sheet of polymeric material, a sheet of treated paper, and a sheet of metallic foil.

12. The aerosol-generating article of claim 3 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is in the liquid retention medium.

13. The aerosol-generating article of claim 12 , wherein the liquid retention medium includes an absorbent polymeric material.

14. The aerosol-generating article of claim 13 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is configured to be pierced by a piercing element.

15. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule includes a first frangible capsule and a second frangible capsule,

the first frangible capsule includes a first volatile liquid substrate,

the second frangible capsule includes a second volatile liquid substrate, the first volatile liquid substrate and the second volatile liquid substrate being the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and

the first volatile liquid substrate includes a first constituent of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and the second volatile liquid substrate includes a second constituent of the liquid aerosol-forming liquid aerosol generating substrate.

16. An aerosol-generating system, comprising:

an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article including,

a plurality of elements coaxially aligned and assembled within a wrapper, the aerosol-generating article having an outlet end and a distal end upstream from the outlet end,

a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the liquid aerosol-forming substrate being releasably contained within at least one frangible capsule, and

a liquid retention medium being configured to retain the liquid aerosol-forming substrate within the aerosol-generating system after the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the liquid retention medium being devoid of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate prior to the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the wrapper being formed from a sheet of liquid-impervious material, the liquid retention medium being in a first element of the plurality of elements, the liquid retention medium being positioned on the distal end; and

an electrically-operated aerosol-generating device, the electrically-operated aerosol-generating device including a heating element for heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to form an aerosol.

17. The aerosol-generating system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is in the liquid retention medium.

18. A method of using an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article including a plurality of elements coaxially aligned and assembled within a wrapper, the aerosol-generating article having an outlet end and a distal end upstream from the outlet end, a liquid aerosol-forming substrate being releasably contained within at least one frangible capsule, and a liquid retention medium, the liquid retention medium being configured to retain the liquid aerosol-forming substrate within the aerosol-generating article after the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the liquid retention medium being devoid of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate prior to the release of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the at least one frangible capsule, the wrapper being formed from a sheet of liquid-impervious material, the liquid retention medium being in a first element of the plurality of elements, and the liquid retention medium being positioned on the distal end, the method comprising:

coupling the aerosol-generating article to an electrically-operated aerosol-generating device;

activating a heating element of the electrically-operated aerosol-generating device; and

drawing air through the aerosol-generating article, the liquid aerosol-forming substrate being vaporized by heat energy supplied by the heating element and condensed to form an aerosol entrained in the air.

19. The method of claim 18 , further including,

releasing the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the frangible capsule such that it is retained within the aerosol-generating article by the liquid retention medium.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one frangible capsule is in the liquid retention medium.