Patent Grant
12016387
The present application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/077394, filed Oct. 9, 2019, published in English, which claims priority to European Application No. 18200271.7 filed Oct. 12, 2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generation device and to a heating chamber therefor. The disclosure is particularly applicable to a portable aerosol generation device, which may be self-contained and low temperature. Such devices may heat, rather than burn, tobacco or other suitable materials by conduction, convection, and/or radiation, to generate an aerosol for inhalation.
The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporisers) has grown rapidly in the past few years as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolisable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products.
A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is the heated substrate aerosol generation device or heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol substrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitable aerosolisable material to a temperature typically in the range 150° C. to 300° C. Heating an aerosol substrate, but not combusting or burning it, releases an aerosol that comprises the components sought by the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco or other aersolisable material does not typically comprise the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can be unpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore require the sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user.
In general terms it is desirable to rapidly heat the aerosol substrate to, and to maintain the aerosol substrate at, a temperature at which an aerosol may be released therefrom. It will be apparent that the aerosol will only be released from the aerosol substrate and delivered to user the when there is air flow passing through the aerosol substrate.
Aerosol generation device of this type are portable devices and so energy consumption is an important design consideration. The present invention aims to address issues with existing devices and to provide an improved aerosol generation device and heating chamber therefor.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a heating chamber for an aerosol generation device, the heating chamber comprising:
Optionally, the platform is formed from a deformation of the base.
Optionally, wherein the platform comprises a portion of material added to the base.
Optionally, wherein the platform comprises a first portion of the base left after removal of a second portion of the base.
Optionally, further comprising a channel around the platform.
Optionally, wherein the platform is atraumatic.
Optionally, the platform is shaped so as not to cause damage to a pre-packaged aerosol substrate.
Optionally, the platform comprises a platform side wall facing the chamber side wall, and a platform top facing the open end.
Optionally, the platform top is substantially flat, convex, or hemispherical.
Optionally, the platform is shaped to increase the strength of the base, such that the base is resilient to deformation.
Optionally, the heating chamber comprises a flange positioned at the open top, and extending radially outwards away from the centre of the chamber, wherein platform, base, chamber side wall, and flange are constructed from a single piece of material.
Optionally, the heating chamber further comprises a heater (e.g. heating element) in thermal engagement with the chamber side wall. The platform may be shaped so as to elongate (e.g. lengthen) the heat flow path between the heater/heating element and the base and/or platform.
Optionally, the heater/heating element extends around the chamber side wall, and preferably not around the base.
Optionally, the heater/heating element extends over a part of the chamber side wall but the heating element does not extend over the entire chamber side wall.
Optionally, the heater comprises one or more heating elements, preferably wherein the heater has a backing film within which the heating element(s) are positioned.
Optionally, the platform top has an area 75% or less of the cross-sectional area of the base.
Optionally, the platform has a width of 5 mm or less, and preferably 4 mm.
Optionally, the platform has a height 10% or less of the height of the side wall (e.g. of the distance from the open first end to the second end of the chamber side wall).
Optionally, the platform has a height of 2 mm or less above the base, and preferably 1 mm.
Optionally, the base is circular and the platform has a circular profile.
According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a system comprising heating chamber is configured to receive a substrate carrier comprising an aerosol substrate formed of loose-packed material at a first end of the substrate carrier, wherein the top of platform is configured to make contact with the first end of the substrate carrier.
Optionally, the top of the platform is further from the base than the part of the first end of the substrate carrier that is closest to the base such that the top of the platform is configured to compress the loose-packed material.
Optionally, the top of the platform is configured not to damage the first end of the substrate carrier.
Optionally, the surface area of the top surface of the platform is between 20% and 70%, preferably between 25% and 40% and more preferably approximately 30% of the surface area of the first end of the substrate carrier.
Optionally, the heating chamber is the heating chamber having an open channel, wherein the open channel is partially covered by the first end of the substrate carrier, and wherein the open channel is configured to collect any of the loose-packed material that becomes free from the substrate carrier without blocking airflow into the tip of the substrate carrier.
According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generation device comprising:
According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing the heating chamber as described above, wherein the platform is formed by compressing a portion of the base between a press formed of a female part and a male part, to form the deformation of the base.
Optionally, the method comprises attaching a/the heater to the outside surface of the heating chamber.
Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
A first end 104 of the aerosol generation device 100, shown towards the bottom of each of
As shown, the aerosol generation device 100 holds a pair of washers 107a, 107b in place at the second end 106, by interference fit with an inner portion of the outer casing 102 (in
The aerosol generation device 100 has a heating chamber 108 located towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generation device 100. The heating chamber 108 is open towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generation device 100. In other words, the heating chamber 108 has a first open end 110 towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generation device 100. The heating chamber 108 is held spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer casing 102 by fitting through a central aperture of the washers 107a, 107b. This arrangement holds the heating chamber 108 in a broadly coaxial arrangement with the outer casing 102. The heating chamber 108 is suspended by a flange 138 of the heating chamber 108, located at the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108, being gripped between the pair of washers 107a, 107b. This means that the conduction of heat from the heating chamber 108 to the outer casing 102 generally passes through the washers 107a, 107b, and is thereby limited by the thermally insulating properties of the washers 107a, 107b. Since there is an air gap otherwise surrounding the heating chamber 108, transfer of heat from the heating chamber 108 to the outer casing 102 other than via the washers 107a, 107b is also reduced. In the illustrated embodiment, the flange 138 extends outwardly away from a side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108 by a distance of approximately 1 mm, forming an annular structure.
In order to increase the thermal isolation of the heating chamber 108 further, the heating chamber 108 is also surrounded by insulation. In some embodiments, the insulation is fibrous or foam material, such as cotton wool. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulation comprises an insulating member 152 in the form of an insulating cup comprising a double walled tube 154 and a base 156. In some embodiments, the insulating member 152 may comprise a pair of nested cups enclosing a cavity therebetween. The cavity 158 defined between the walls of the double walled tube 154 can be filled with a thermally insulating material, for example fibres, foams, gels or gases (e.g. at low pressure). In some cases the cavity 158 may comprise a vacuum. Advantageously, a vacuum requires very little thickness to achieve high thermal insulation and the walls of the doubled walled tube 154 enclosing the cavity 158 can be as little as 100 μm thick, and a total thickness (two walls and the cavity 158 between them) can be as low as 1 mm. The base 156 is an insulating material, such as silicone. Since silicone is pliable, electrical connections 150 for a heater 124 can be passed through the base 156, which forms a seal around the electrical connections 150.
As shown in
As an alternative to this arrangement, the insulating member 152 may be supported by struts running between the insulating member 152 and the outer casing 102. The struts may ensure increased rigidity so that the heating chamber 108 is located centrally within the outer casing 102, or so that it is located in a set location. This may be designed so that heat is distributed evenly throughout the outer casing 102, so that hot spots do not develop.
As yet a further alternative, the heating chamber 108 may be secured in the aerosol generation device 100 by engagement portions on the outer casing 102 for engaging a side wall 126 at an open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. As the open end 110 is exposed to the largest flow of cold air, and therefore cools the quickest, attaching the heating chamber 108 to the outer casing 102 near the open end 110 may allow for the heat to dissipate to the environment quickly, and to ensure a secure fit.
Note that in some embodiments the heating chamber 108 is removable from the aerosol generation device 100. The heating chamber 108 may therefore be easily cleaned, or replaced. In such embodiments the heater 124 and electrical connections 150 may not be removable, and may be left in situ within the insulation member 152.
In the first embodiment, the base 112 of the heating chamber 108 is closed. That is, the heating chamber 108 is cup-shaped. In other embodiments, the base 112 of the heating chamber 108 has one or more holes, or is perforated, with the heating chamber 108 remaining generally cup-shaped but not being closed at the base 112. In yet other embodiments, the base 112 is closed, but the side wall 126 has one or more holes, or is perforated, in a region adjacent the base 112, e.g. between the heater 124 (or metallic layer 144) and the base 112. The heating chamber 108 also has the side wall 126 between the base 112 and the open end 110. The side wall 126 and the base 112 are connected to one another. In the first embodiment, the side wall 126 is tubular. More specifically, it is cylindrical. However, in other embodiments the side wall 126 has other suitable shapes, such as a tube with an elliptical or polygonal cross section. Usually, the cross section is generally uniform over the length of the heating chamber 108 (not taking account of the protrusions 140), but in other embodiments it may change, e.g. the cross-section may reduce in size towards one end so that the tubular shape tapers or is frustoconical.
In the illustrated embodiment, the heating chamber 108 is unitary, which is to say the side wall 126 and base 112 are formed from a single piece of material, for example by a deep drawing process. This can result in a stronger overall heating chamber 108. Other examples may have the base 112 and/or flange 138 formed as a separate piece and then attached to the side wall 126. This may in turn allow the flange 138 and/or base 112 to be formed from a different material to that from which the side wall 126 is made. The side wall itself 126 is arranged to be thin-walled. In some embodiments, the side wall is up to 150 μm thick. Typically, the side wall 126 is less than 100 μm thick, for example around 90 μm thick, or even around 80 μm thick. In some cases it may be possible for the side wall 126 to be around 50 μm thick, although as the thickness decreases, the failure rate in the manufacturing process increases. Overall, a range of 50 μm to 100 μm is usually appropriate, with a range of 70 μm to 90 μm being optimal. The manufacturing tolerances are around ±10 μm, but the parameters provided are intended to be accurate to around ±5 μm.
When the side wall 126 is as thin as defined above, the thermal characteristics of the heating chamber 108 change markedly. The transmission of heat through the side wall 126 sees negligible resistance because the side wall 126 is so thin, yet thermal transmission along the side wall 126 (that is, parallel to a central axis or around a circumference of the side wall 126) has a small channel along which conduction can occur, and so heat produced by the heater 124, which is located on the external surface of the heating chamber 108, remains localised close to the heater 124 in a radially outward direction from the side wall 126 at the open end, but quickly results in heating of the inner surface of the heating chamber 108. In addition, a thin side wall 126 helps to reduce the thermal mass of the heating chamber 108, which in turn improves the overall efficiency of the aerosol generation device 100, since less energy is used in heating the side wall 126.
The heating chamber 108, and specifically the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108, comprises a material having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/mK or less. In the first embodiment, the heating chamber 108 is metal, preferably stainless steel. Stainless steel has a thermal conductivity of between around 15 W/mK to 40 W/mK, with the exact value depending on the specific alloy. As a further example, the 300 series of stainless steel, which is appropriate for this use, has a thermal conductivity of around 16 W/mK. Suitable examples include 304, 316 and 321 stainless steel, which has been approved for medical use, is strong and has a low enough thermal conductivity to allow the localisation of heat described herein.
Materials with thermal conductivity of the levels described reduce the ability of heat to be conducted away from a region where heat is applied in comparison to materials with higher thermal conductivity. For example, heat remains localised adjacent to the heater 124. As heat is inhibited from moving to other parts of the aerosol generation device 100, heating efficiency is thereby improved by ensuring that only those parts of the aerosol generation device 100 which are intended to be heated are indeed heated and those which are not intended to be heated, are not.
Metals are suitable materials, since they are strong, malleable and easy to shape and form. In addition their thermal properties vary widely from metal to metal, and can be tuned by careful alloying, if required. In this application, “metal” refers to elemental (i.e. pure) metals as well as alloys of several metals or other elements, e.g. carbon.
Accordingly, the configuration of the heating chamber 108 with thin side walls 126, together with the selection of materials with desirable thermal properties from which the side walls 126 are formed, ensures that heat can be efficiently conducted through the side walls 126 and into the aerosol substrate 128. Advantageously, this also results in the time taken to raise the temperature from ambient to a temperature at which an aerosol may be released from the aerosol substrate 128 being reduced following initial actuation of the heater.
The heating chamber 108 is formed by deep drawing. This is an effective method for forming the heating chamber 108 and can be used to provide the very thin side wall 126. The deep drawing process involves pressing a sheet metal blank with a punch tool to force it into a shaped die. By using a series of progressively smaller punch tools and dies, a tubular structure is formed which has a base at one end and with a tube which is deeper than the distance across the tube (it is the tube being relatively longer than it is wide which leads to the term “deep drawing”). Due to being formed in this manner, the side wall of a tube formed in this way is the same thickness as the original sheet metal. Similarly, the base formed in this way is the same thickness as the initial sheet metal blank. A flange can be formed at the end of the tube by leaving a rim of the original sheet metal blank extending outwardly at the opposite end of the tubular wall to the base (i.e. starting with more material in the blank than is needed to form the tube and base). Alternatively a flange can be formed afterwards in a separate step involving one or more of cutting, bending, rolling, swaging, etc.
As described, the tubular side wall 126 of the first embodiment is thinner than the base 112. This can be achieved by first deep drawing a tubular side wall 126, and subsequently ironing the wall. Ironing refers to heating the tubular side wall 126 and drawing it, so that it thins in the process. In this way, the tubular side wall 126 can be made to the dimensions described herein.
The thin side wall 126 can be fragile. This can be mitigated by providing additional structural support to the side wall 126, and by forming the side wall 126 in a tubular, and preferably cylindrical, shape. In some cases additional structural support is provided as a separate feature, but it should be noted that the flange 138 and the base 112 also provide a degree of structural support. Considering the base 112 first, note that a tube that is open at both ends is generally susceptible to crushing, while providing the heating chamber 108 of the disclosure with the base 112 adds support. Note that in the illustrated embodiment the base 112 is thicker than the side wall 126, for example 2 to 10 times as thick as the side wall 126. In some cases this may result in a base 112 which is between 200 μm and 500 μm thick, for example approximately 400 μm thick. The base 112 also has a further purpose of preventing a substrate carrier 114 from being inserted too far into the aerosol generation device 100. The increased thickness of the base 112 helps to prevent damage being caused to the heating chamber 108 in the event of a user inadvertently using too much force when inserting a substrate carrier 114. Similarly, when the user cleans the heating chamber 108, the user might typically insert an object, such as an elongate brush, through the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. This means that the user is likely to exert a stronger force against the base 112 of the heating chamber 108, as the elongate object comes to abut the base 112, than against the side wall 126. The thickness of the base 112 relative to the side wall 126 can therefore help to prevent damage to the heating chamber 108 during cleaning. In other embodiments, the base 112 has the same thickness as the side wall 126, which provides some of the advantageous effects set out above.
The flange 138 extends outwardly from the side wall 126 and has an annular shape extending all around a rim of the side wall 126 at the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. The flange 138 resists bending and shear forces on the side wall 126. For example, lateral deformation of the tube defined by the side wall 126 is likely to require the flange 138 to buckle. Note that while the flange 138 is shown extending broadly perpendicularly from the side wall 126, the flange 138 can extend obliquely from the side wall 126, for example making a funnel shape with the side wall 126, while still retaining the advantageous features described above. In some embodiments, the flange 138 is located only part of the way around the rim of the side wall 126, rather than being annular. In the illustrated embodiment, the flange 138 is the same thickness as the side wall 126, but in other embodiments the flange 138 is thicker than the side wall 126 in order to improve the resistance to deformation. Any increased thickness of a particular part for strength is weighed against the increased thermal mass introduced, in order that the aerosol generation device 100 as a whole remains robust but efficient.
A plurality of protrusions 140 are formed in the inner surface of the side wall 126. The width of the protrusions 140, around the perimeter of the side wall 126, is small relative to their length, parallel to the central axis of the side wall 126 (or broadly in a direction from the base 112 to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108). In this example there are four protrusions 140. Four is usually a suitable number of protrusions 140 for holding a substrate carrier 114 in a central position within the heating chamber 108, as will become apparent from the following discussion. In some embodiments, three protrusions may be sufficient, e.g. (evenly) spaced at intervals of about 120 degrees around the circumference of the side wall 126. The protrusions 140 have a variety of purposes and the exact form of the protrusions 140 (and corresponding indentations on an outer surface of the side wall 126) is chosen based on the desired effect. In any case, the protrusions 140 extend towards and engage the substrate carrier 114, and so are sometimes referred to as engagement elements. Indeed, the terms “protrusion” and “engagement element” are used interchangeably herein. Similarly, where the protrusions 140 are provided by pressing the side wall 126 from the outside, for example by hydroforming or pressing, etc., the term “indentation” is also used interchangeably with the terms “protrusion” and “engagement element”. Forming the protrusions 140 by indenting the side wall 126 has the advantage that they are unitary with the side wall 126 so have a minimal effect on heat flow. In addition, the protrusions 140 do not add any thermal mass, as would be the case if an extra element were to be added to the inner surface of the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108. Indeed, as a result of forming the protrusions 140 by indenting the side wall 126, the thickness of the side wall 126 remains substantially constant in the circumferential and/or the axial direction, even where the protrusions are provided. Lastly, indenting the side wall as described increases the strength of the side wall 126 by introducing portions extending transverse to the side wall 126, so providing resistance to bending of the side wall 126.
The heating chamber 108 is arranged to receive substrate carrier 114. Typically, the substrate carrier comprises an aerosol substrate 128 such as tobacco or another suitable aerosolisable material that is heatable to generate an aerosol for inhalation. In the first embodiment, the heating chamber 108 is dimensioned to receive a single serving of aerosol substrate 128 in the form of a substrate carrier 114, also known as a “consumable”, as shown in
The aerosol generation device 100 works by both conducting heat from the surface of the protrusions 140 that engage against the outer layer 132 of substrate carrier 114 and by heating air in an air gap between the inner surface of the side wall 126 and the outer surface of a substrate carrier 114. That is there is convective heating of the aerosol substrate 128 as heated air is drawn through the aerosol substrate 128 when a user sucks on the aerosol generation device 100 (as described in more detail below). The width and height (i.e. the distance that each protrusion 140 extends into the heating chamber 128) increases the surface area of the side wall 126 that conveys heat to the air, so allowing the aerosol generation device 100 to reach an effective temperature quicker.
The protrusions 140 on the inner surface of the side wall 126 extend towards and indeed contact the substrate carrier 114 when it is inserted into the heating chamber 108 (see
It will be apparent that to conduct heat into the aerosol substrate 128, the surface 145 of the protrusion 140 must reciprocally engage with the outer layer 132 of substrate carrier 114. However, manufacturing tolerances may result in small variations in the diameter of the substrate carrier 114. In addition, due to the relatively soft and compressible nature outer layer 132 of the substrate carrier 114 and aerosol substrate 128 held therein, any damage to, or rough handling of, the substrate carrier 114 may result in the diameter being reduced or a change of shape to an oval or elliptical cross-section in the region which the outer layer 132 is intended to reciprocally engage with the surfaces 145 of protrusions 140. Accordingly, any variation in diameter of the substrate carrier 114 may result in reduced thermal engagement between the outer layer 132 of substrate carrier 114 and the surface 145 of the protrusion 140 which detrimentally effects the conduction of heat from the surface 145 of protrusion 140 through the outer layer 132 of substrate carrier 114 and into the aerosol substrate 128. To mitigate the effects of any variation in the diameter of the substrate carrier 114 due to manufacturing tolerances or damage, the protrusions 140 are preferably dimensioned to extend far enough into the heating chamber 108 to cause compression of the substrate carrier 114 and thereby ensure an interference fit between surfaces 145 of the protrusions 140 and the outer layer 132 of the substrate carrier 114. This compression of the outer layer 132 of the substrate carrier 114 may also cause longitudinal marking of the outer layer 132 of substrate carrier 114 and provide a visual indication that the substrate carrier 114 has been used.
Also emphasised in
In order to be confident that the protrusions 140 contact the substrate carrier 114 (contact being necessary to cause conductive heating, compression and deformation of the aerosol substrate) account is taken of the manufacturing tolerances of each of: the protrusions 140; the heating chamber 108; and the substrate carrier 114. For example, the internal diameter of the heating chamber 108 may be 7.6±0.1 mm, the substrate 114 carrier may have an external diameter of 7.0±0.1 mm and the protrusions 140 may have a manufacturing tolerance of ±0.1 mm. In this example, assuming that the substrate carrier 114 is mounted centrally in the heating chamber 108 (i.e. leaving a uniform gap around the outside of the substrate carrier 114), then gap which each protrusion 140 must span to contact the substrate carrier 114 ranges from 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. In other words, since each protrusion 140 spans a radial distance, the lowest possible value for this example is half the difference between the smallest possible heating chamber 108 diameter and the largest possible substrate carrier 114 diameter, or [(7.6−0.1)−(7.0+0.1)]/2=0.2 mm. The upper end of the range for this example is (for similar reasons) half the difference between the largest possible heating chamber 108 diameter and the smallest possible substrate carrier 114 diameter, or [(7.6+0.1)−(7.0−0.1)]/2=0.4 mm. In order to ensure that the protrusions 140 definitely contact the substrate carrier, it is apparent that they must each extend at least 0.4 mm into the heating chamber in this example. However, this does not account for the manufacturing tolerance of the protrusions 140. When a protrusion of 0.4 mm is desired, the range which is actually produced is 0.4±0.1 mm or varies between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. Some of these will not span the maximum possible gap between the heating chamber 108 and the substrate carrier 114. Therefore, the protrusions 140 of this example should be produced with a nominal protruding distance of 0.5 mm, resulting in a range of values between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. This is sufficient to ensure that the protrusions 140 will always contact the substrate carrier.
In general, writing the internal diameter of the heating chamber 108 as D±δD, the external diameter of the substrate carrier 114 as d±δd, and the distance which the protrusions 140 extend into the heating chamber 108 as L±δL, then the distance which the protrusions 140 are intended to extend into the heating chamber should be selected as:
where |δD| refers to the magnitude of the manufacturing tolerance of the internal diameter of the heating chamber 108, |δd|, refers to the magnitude of the manufacturing tolerance of the external diameter of the substrate carrier 114 and |δL| refers to the magnitude of the manufacturing tolerance of the distance which the protrusions 140 extend into the heating chamber 108. For the avoidance of doubt, where the internal diameter of the heating chamber 108 is D±δD=7.6±0.1 mm, then |δD|=0.1 mm.
Furthermore, manufacturing tolerances may result in minor variations in the density of the aerosol substrate 128 within the substrate carrier 114. Such variances in the density of the aerosol substrate 128 may exist both axially and radially within a single substrate carrier 114, or between different substrate carrier 114 manufactured in the same batch. Accordingly, it will also be apparent that to ensure relatively uniform conduction of heat within the aerosol substrate 128 within a particular substrate carrier 114 it is important to that the density of the aerosol substrate 128 is also relatively consistent. To mitigate the effects of any inconsistencies in the density of the aerosol substrate 128 the protrusions 140 may be dimensioned to extend far enough into the heating chamber 108 to cause compression of the aerosol substrate 128 within the substrate carrier 114, which can improve thermal conduction through the aerosol substrate 128 by eliminating air gaps. In the illustrated embodiment, protrusions 140 extending about 0.4 mm into the heating chamber 108 are appropriate. In other examples, the distance which the protrusions 140 extend into the heating chamber 108 may be defined as a percentage of the distance across the heating chamber 108. For example, the protrusions 140 may extend a distance between 3% and 7%, for example about 5% of the distance across the heating chamber 108. In another embodiment, the restricted diameter circumscribed by the protrusions 140 in the heating chamber 108 is between 6.0 mm and 6.8 mm, more preferably between 6.2 mm and 6.5 mm, and in particular 6.2 mm (±0.5 mm). Each of the plurality of protrusions 140 spans a radial distance between 0.2 mm and 0.8 mm, and most preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm.
In relation to the protrusions/indents 140, the width corresponds to the distance around the perimeter of the side wall 126. Similarly, their length direction runs transverse to this, running broadly from the base 112 to the open end of the heating chamber 108, or to the flange 138, and their height corresponds to the distance that the protrusions extend from the sidewall 126. It will be noted that the space between adjacent protrusions 140, the side wall 126, and the outer layer 132 substrate carrier 114 defines the area available for air flow. This has the effect that the smaller the distance between adjacent protrusions 140 and/or the height of the protrusions 140 (i.e. the distance which the protrusions 140 extend into the heating chamber 108), the harder that a user has to suck to draw air through the aerosol generation device 100 (known as increased draw resistance). It will be apparent that (assuming the protrusions 140 are touching the outer layer 132 of the substrate carrier 114) that it is the width of the protrusions 140 which defines the reduction in air flow channel between the side wall 126 and the substrate carrier 114. Conversely (again under the assumption that the protrusions 140 are touching the outer layer 132 of the substrate carrier 114), increasing the height of the protrusions 140 results in more compression of the aerosol substrate, which eliminates air gaps in the aerosol substrate 128 and also increases draw resistance. These two parameters can be adjusted to give a satisfying draw resistance, which is neither too low nor too high. The heating chamber 108 can also be made larger to increase the air flow channel between the side wall 126 and the substrate carrier 114, but there is a practical limit on this before the heater 124 starts to become ineffective as the gap is too large. Typically a gap of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm or from 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm around the outer surface of the substrate carrier 114 is a good compromise, which allows fine tuning of the draw resistance within acceptable values by altering the dimensions of the protrusions 140. The air gap around the outside of the substrate carrier 114 can also be altered by changing the number of protrusions 140. Any number of protrusions 140 (from one upwards) provides at least some of the advantages set out herein (increasing heating area, providing compression, providing conductive heating of the aerosol substrate 128, adjusting the air gap, etc.). Four is the lowest number that reliably holds the substrate carrier 114 in a central (i.e. coaxial) alignment with the heating chamber 108. In another possible design, only three protrusions are present which are distributed at 120 degree distance from one another. Designs with fewer than four protrusions 140 tend to allow a situation where the substrate carrier 114 is pressed against a portion of the side wall 126 between two of the protrusions 140. Clearly with limited space, providing very large numbers of protrusions (e.g. thirty or more) tends towards a situation in which there is little or no gap between them, which can completely close the air flow path between the outer surface of the substrate carrier 114 and the inner surface of the side wall 126, greatly reducing the ability of the aerosol generating device to provide convective heating. In conjunction with the possibility of providing a hole in the centre of the base 112 for defining an air flow channel, such designs can still be used, however. Usually the protrusions 140 are evenly spaced around the perimeter of the side wall 126, which can help to provide even compression and heating, although some variants may have an asymmetric placement, depending on the exact effect desired.
It will be apparent that the size and number of the protrusions 140 also allows the balance between conductive and convective heating to be adjusted. By increasing the width of a protrusion 140 which contacts the substrate carrier 114 (distance which a protrusion 140 extends around the perimeter of the side wall 126), the available perimeter of the side 126 to act as an air flow channel (arrows B in
As shown in
It can be advantageous for the protrusions 140 not to extend all the way along the length of the heating chamber 108 (e.g. from base 112 to flange 138). At the upper end, as will be described below, the top edge 142a of the protrusion 140 can be used as an indicator for a user to ensure that they do not insert the substrate carrier 114 too far into the aerosol generation device 100. However, it can be useful not only to heat regions of the substrate carrier 114 which contain aerosol substrate 128, but also other regions. This is because once aerosol is generated, it is beneficial to keep its temperature high (higher than room temperature, but not so high as to burn a user) to prevent re-condensation, which would in turn detract from the user's experience. Therefore, the effective heating region of the heating chamber 108 extends past (i.e. higher up the heating chamber 108, closer to the open end) the expected location of the aerosol substrate 128. This means that the heating chamber 108 extends higher up than the upper edge 142a of the protrusion 140, or equivalently that the protrusion 140 does not extend all the way up to the open end of the heating chamber 108. Similarly, compression of the aerosol substrate 128 at an end 134 of the substrate carrier 114 that is inserted into the heating chamber 108 can lead to some of the aerosol substrate 128 falling out of the substrate carrier 114 and dirtying the heating chamber 108. It can therefore be advantageous to have the lower edge 142b of the protrusions 140 located further from the base 112 than the expected position of the end 134 of the substrate carrier 114.
In some embodiments, the protrusions 140 are not elongate, and have approximately the same width as their length. For example they may be as wide as they are high (e.g. having a square or circular profile when looked at in a radial direction), or they may be two to five times as long as they are wide. Note that the centring effect that the protrusions 140 provide can be achieved even when the protrusions 140 are not elongate. In some examples, there may be multiple sets of protrusions 140, for example an upper set close to the open end of the heating chamber 108 and a lower set spaced apart from the upper set, located close to the base 112. This can help to ensure that the substrate carrier 114 is held in a coaxial arrangement while reducing the draw resistance introduced by a single set of protrusions 140 over the same distance. The two sets of protrusions 140 may be substantially the same, or they may vary in their length or width or in the number or placement of protrusions 140 arranged around the side wall 126.
In side view, the protrusions 140 are shown as having a trapezoidal profile. What is meant here is that the profile along the length of each protrusion 140, e.g. the median lengthwise cross-section of the protrusion 140, is roughly trapezoidal. That is to say that the upper edge 142a is broadly planar and tapers to merge with the side wall 126 close to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. In other words, the upper edge 142a is a bevelled shape in profile. Similarly, the protrusion 140 has a lower portion 142b that is broadly planar and tapers to merge with the side wall 126 close to the base 112 of the heating chamber 108. That is to say, the lower edge 142b is a bevelled shape in profile. In other embodiments, the upper and/or lower edges 142a, 142b do not taper towards the side wall 126 but instead extend at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the side wall 126. In yet other embodiments, the upper and/or lower edges 142a, 142b have a curved or rounded shape. Bridging the upper and lower edges 142a, 142b is a broadly planar region which contacts and/or compresses the substrate carrier 114. A planar contacting portion can help to provide even compression and conductive heating. In other examples, the planar portion may instead be a curved portion which bows outwards to contact the substrate carrier 128, for example having a polygonal or curved profile (e.g. a section of a circle).
In cases where the protrusions 140 have an upper edge 142a, the protrusions 140 also act to prevent over-insertion of a substrate carrier 114. As shown most clearly in
As shown, the base 112 also includes a platform 148. The platform 148 is formed by a single step in which the base 112 is pressed from below (e.g. by hydroforming, mechanical pressure, as part of the formation of the heating chamber 108) to leave an indentation on an outside surface (lower face) of the base 112 and the platform 148 on the inside surface (upper face, inside the heating chamber 108) of the base 112. Where the platform 148 is formed in this way, e.g. with a corresponding indent, these terms are used interchangeably. In other cases, the platform 148 may be formed from a separate piece which is attached to the base 112 separately, or by milling out parts of the base 112 to leave the platform 148; in either case there need not be a corresponding indent. These latter cases may provide more variety in the shape of platform 148 that can be achieved, since they do not rely on a deformation of the base 112, which (while a convenient manner), limits the complexity with which a shape can be chosen. While the shape shown is broadly circular, there are, of course, a wide variety of shapes which will achieve the desired effects set out in detail herein, including, but not limited to: polygonal shapes, curved shapes, including multiple shapes of one or more of these types. Indeed, while shown as a centrally located platform 148, there could in some cases be one or more platform elements spaced away from the centre, for example at the edges of the heating chamber 108. Typically the platform 148 has a broadly flat top, but hemispherical platforms or those with a rounded dome shape at the top are also envisaged.
As noted above, the distance between the top edge 142a of the protrusion 140 and the parts of the base 112 which the substrate carrier 114 touches can be carefully selected to match the length of the aerosol substrate 128 to provide a user with an indication that they have inserted the substrate carrier 114 as far into the aerosol generation device 100 as they should. In cases where there is no platform 148 on the base 112, then this simply means that the distance from the base 112 to the top edge 142a of the protrusion 140 should match the length of the aerosol substrate 128. Where the platform 148 is present, then the length of the aerosol substrate 128 should correspond to the distance between the top edge 142a of the protrusion 140 and the uppermost portion of the platform 148 (i.e. that portion closest to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108 in some examples). In yet another example, the distance between the top edge 142a of the protrusion 140 and the uppermost portion of the platform 148 is slightly shorter than the length of the aerosol substrate 128. This means that the tip 134 of the substrate carrier 114 must extend slightly past the uppermost part of the platform 148, thereby causing compression of the aerosol substrate 128 at the end 134 of the substrate carrier 114. Indeed, this compression effect can occur even in examples where there are no protrusions 140 on the inner surface of the side wall 126. This compression can help to prevent aerosol substrate 128 at the end 134 of the substrate carrier 114 from falling out into the heating chamber 108, thereby reducing the need for cleaning of the heating chamber 108, which can be a complex and difficult task. In addition, the compression helps to compress the end 134 of the substrate carrier 114, thereby mitigating the effect described above where it is inappropriate to compress this region using protrusions 140 extending from the side wall 126, due to their tendency to increase the likelihood that the aerosol substrate 128 falls out of the substrate carrier 114.
The platform 148 also provides a region that can collect any aerosol substrate 128 which does fall out of the substrate carrier 114 without impeding the air flow path into the tip 134 of the substrate carrier 114. For example, the platform 148 divides the lower end of the heating chamber 108 (i.e. the parts closest to the base 112) into raised portions forming the platform 148 and lower portions forming the rest of the base 112. The lower portions can receive loose bits of aerosol substrate 128 which fall out of the substrate carrier 114, while air can still flow over such loose bits of aerosol substrate 128 and into the end of the substrate carrier 114. The platform 148 can be about 1 mm higher than the rest of the base 112 to achieve this effect. The platform 148 may have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the substrate carrier 114 so that it does not prevent air from flowing through the aerosol substrate 128. Preferably, the platform 148 has a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 0.2 mm, most preferably between 0.45 mm and 0.35 mm, such as 0.4 mm (±0.03 mm).
The aerosol generation device 100 has a user operable button 116. In the first embodiment, the user-operable button 116 is located on a side wall 118 of the casing 102. The user-operable button 116 is arranged so that on actuating the user-operable button 116, e.g. by depressing the user-operable button 116, the aerosol generation device 100 is activated to heat the aerosol substrate 128 to generate the aerosol for inhalation. In some embodiments, the user-operable button 116 is also arranged to allow the user to activate other functions of the aerosol generation device 100, and/or to illuminate so as to indicate a status of the aerosol generation device 100. In other examples a separate light or lights (for example one or more LEDs or other suitable light sources) may be provided to indicate the status of the aerosol generation device 100. In this context, status may mean one or more of: battery power remaining, heater status (e.g. on, off, error, etc.), device status (e.g. ready to take a puff, or not), or other indication of status, for example error modes, indications of the number of puffs or entire substrate carriers 114 consumed or remaining until the power supply is depleted, and so on.
In the first embodiment, the aerosol generation device 100 is electrically powered. That is, it is arranged to heat the aerosol substrate 128 using electrical power. For this purpose, the aerosol generation device 100 has an electrical power source 120, e.g. a battery. The electrical power source 120 is coupled to control circuitry 122. The control circuitry 122 is in turn coupled to a heater 124. The user-operable button 116 is arranged to cause coupling and uncoupling of the electrical power source 120 to the heater 124 via the control circuitry 122. In this embodiment, the electrical power source 120 is located towards the first end 104 of the aerosol generation device 100. This allows the electrical power source 120 to be spaced away from the heater 124, which is located towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generation device 100. In other embodiments, the heating chamber 108 is heated in other ways, e.g. by burning a combustible gas.
A heater 124 is attached to the outside surface of the heating chamber 108. The heater 124 is provided on a metallic layer 144, which is itself provided in contact with the outer surface of the side wall 126. The metallic layer 144 forms a band around the heating chamber 108, conforming to the shape of the outer surface of the side wall 126. The heater 124 is shown mounted centrally on the metallic layer 144, with the metallic layer 144 extending an equal distance upwardly and downwardly beyond the heater 124. As shown, the heater 124 is located entirely on the metallic layer 144, such that the metallic layer 144 covers a larger area than the area occupied by the heater 124. The heater 124 as shown in
The heater 124 comprises a heating element 164, electrical connection tracks 150 and a backing film 166 as shown in
The electrical connection tracks 150 are shown as part of the heater 124, but may be replaced in some embodiments by wires or other connecting elements. The electrical connections 150 are used to provide power to the heating element 164, and form a circuit with the power source 120. The electrical connection tracks 150 are shown extending vertically down from the heating element 164. With the heater 124 in position, the electrical connections 150 extend past the base 112 of the heating chamber 108 and through the base 156 of the insulating member 152 to connect with the control circuitry 122.
The backing film 166 may either be a single sheet with a heating element 164 attached, or may form an envelope sandwiching the heating element between two sheets 166a, 166b. The backing film 166 in some embodiments is formed of polyimide. In some embodiments the thickness of the backing film 166 is minimised so as to reduce the thermal mass of the heater 124. For example, the thickness of the backing film 166 may be 50 μm, or 40 μm, or 25 μm.
The heating element 164 attaches to the side wall 108. In
It is also noted that the height of the heater 124 is approximately 14 mm to 15 mm. The circumference of the heater 124 (or its length before being applied to the heating chamber 108) is approximately 24 mm to 25 mm. The height of the heating element 164 may be less than 14 mm. This enables the heating element 164 to be positioned fully within the backing film 166 of the heater 124, with a border around the heating element 164. The area covered by the heater 124 may therefore in some embodiments be approximately 3.75 cm2.
The power used by the heater 124 is provided by the power source 120, which in this embodiment is in the form of a cell (or battery). The voltage provided by the power source 120 is a regulated voltage or a boosted voltage. For example, the power source 120 may be configured to generate voltage in the range 2.8 V to 4.2 V. In one example, the power source 120 is configured to generate a voltage of 3.7 V. Taking an exemplary resistance of the heating element 164 in one embodiment to be 0.6Ω, and the exemplary voltage to be 3.7 V, this would develop a power output of approximately 30 W in the heating element 164. It is noted based on the exemplary resistances and voltages the power output may be between 15 W and 50 W. The cell forming the power source 120 may be a rechargeable cell, or alternatively may be a single use cell 120. The power source is typically configured so that it can provide power for 20 or more heat cycles. This enables a full packet of 20 substrate carriers 114 to be used by the user on a single charge of the aerosol generation device 100. The cell may be a lithium ion cell, or any other type of commercially available cell. It may for example be an 18650 cell, or an 18350 cell. If the cell is an 18350 cell the aerosol generation device 100 may be configured to store enough charge for 12 heat cycles or indeed 20 heat cycles, to allow a user to consume 12 or even 20 substrate carriers 114.
One important value for a heater 124 is the power per unit area that it produces. This is a measure of how much heat may be provided by the heater 124 to the area in contact with it (in this case the heating chamber 108). For the examples described, this ranges from 4 W/cm2 to 13.5 W/cm2. Heaters are generally rated for maximum power densities of between 2 W/cm2 and 10 W/cm2, depending on the design. Therefore for some of these embodiments a copper or other conductive metal layer 144 may be provided on the heating chamber 108 to conduct the heat efficiently from the heater 124 and reduce the likelihood of damage to the heater 124.
The power delivered by the heater 124 may in some embodiments be constant, and in other embodiments may not be constant. For example, the heater 124 may provide variable power through a duty cycle, or more specifically in a pulse width modulation cycle. This allows the power to be delivered in pulses and the time averaged power output by the heater 124 to be easily controlled by simply selecting the ratio of “on” time to “off” time. The level of the power output by the heater 124 may also be controlled by additional control means, such as current or voltage manipulation.
As shown in
In the aerosol generating device 100 of the first embodiment, the time to first puff after initiation of the aerosol generation device 100 is an important parameter. A user of the aerosol generation device 100 will find it preferable to start inhaling aerosol from the substrate carrier 128 as soon as possible, with the minimum lag time between initiating the aerosol generation device 100 and inhaling aerosol from the substrate carrier 128. Therefore, during the first stage of heating the power source 120 provides 100% of available power to the heater 124, for example by setting a duty cycle to always on, or by manipulating the product of voltage and current to its maximum possible value. This may be for a period of 30 seconds, or more preferably for a period of 20 seconds, or for any period until the temperature sensor 170 gives a reading corresponding to 240° C. Typically the substrate carrier 114 may operate optimally at 180° C. but it may nevertheless be advantageous to heat the temperature sensor 170 to exceed this temperature, such that the user can extract aerosol from the substrate carrier 114 as quickly as possible. The reason for this is that the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128 typically lags behind (i.e. is lower than) the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 170 because the aerosol substrate 128 is heated by convection of warmed air through the aerosol substrate 128, and to an extent by conduction between the protrusions 140 and the outer surface of the substrate carrier 114. By contrast, the temperature sensor 170 is held in good thermal contact with the heater 124, so measures a temperature close to the temperature of the heater 124, rather than the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128. It can in fact be difficult to accurately measure the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128 so the heating cycle is often determined empirically where different heating profiles and heater temperatures are tried and the aerosol generated by the aerosol substrate 128 is monitored for the different aerosol components which are formed at that temperature. Optimum cycles provide aerosols as quickly as possible but avoid the generation of combustion products due to overheating of the aerosol substrate 128.
The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 170 may be used to set the level of power delivered by the cell 120, for example by forming a feedback loop, in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 170 is used to control a heater powering cycle. The heating cycle described below may be for the case in which a user wishes to consume a single substrate carrier 114.
In the first embodiment, the heater 124 extends around the heating chamber 108. That is, the heater 124 surrounds the heating chamber 108. In more detail, the heater 124 extends around the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108, but not around the base 112 of the heating chamber 108. The heater 124 does not extend over the entire side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108. Rather, it extends part or all the way around the side wall 126, but only over part of the length of the side wall 126, the length in this context being from the base 112 to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. In other embodiments, the heater 124 extends over the entire length of the side wall 126. In yet other embodiments, the heater 124 comprises two heating portions separated by a gap, leaving a central portion of the heating chamber 108 uncovered, e.g. a portion of the side wall 126 mid-way between the base 112 and the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. In other embodiments, since the heating chamber 108 is cup-shaped, the heater 110 is similarly cup-shaped, e.g. it extends completely around the base 112 of the heating chamber 108. In yet other embodiments, the heater 124 comprises multiple heating elements 164 distributed proximate to the heating chamber 108. In some embodiments, there are spaces between the heating elements 164; in other embodiments they overlap one another. In some embodiments the heating elements 164 may be spaced around a circumference of the heating chamber 108 or side wall 126, e.g. laterally, in other embodiments the heating elements 164 may be spaced along the length of the heating chamber 108 or side wall 126, e.g. longitudinally. It will be understood that the heater 124 of the first embodiment is provided on an external surface of the heating chamber 108, outside of the heating chamber 108. The heater 124 is provided in good thermal contact with the heating chamber 108, to allow for good transfer of heat between the heater 124 and the heating chamber 108.
The metallic layer 144 may be formed from copper or any other material (e.g. metal or alloy) of high thermal conductivity, for example gold or silver. In this context, high thermal conductivity may refer to a metal or alloy having a thermal conductance of 150 W/mK or higher. The metallic layer 144 can be applied by any suitable method, for example electroplating. Other methods for applying the layer 144 include sticking metallic tape to the heating chamber 108, chemical vapour deposition, physical vapour deposition, etc. While electroplating is a convenient method for applying a layer 144, it requires that the part onto which the layer 144 is plated is electrically conductive. This is not so with other deposition methods, and these other methods open up the possibility that the heating chamber 108 is formed from electrically non-conductive materials, such as ceramics, which may have useful thermal properties. Also, where a layer is described as metallic, while this usually should be taken to mean “formed from a metal or alloy”, in this context it refers to a relatively high thermal conductivity material (>150 W/mK). Where the metallic layer 144 is electroplated on to the side wall 126, it may be necessary to first form a “strike layer” to ensure that the electroplated layer adheres to the outer surface. For example, where the metallic layer 144 is copper and the side wall 126 is stainless steel, a nickel strike layer is often used to ensure good adhesion. Electroplated layers and deposited layers have the advantage that there is a direct contact between the metallic layer 144 and the material of the side wall 126, so improving thermal conductance between the two elements.
Whichever method is used to form the metallic layer 144, the thickness of the layer 144 is usually somewhat thinner than the thickness of the side wall 126. For example, the range of thicknesses of the metallic layer may be between 10 μm and 50 μm, or between 10 μm and 30 μm, for example around 20 μm. Where a strike layer is used, this is even thinner than the metallic layer 144, for example 10 μm or even 5 μm. As described in more detail below, the purpose of the metallic layer 144 is to distribute heat generated by the heater 124 over a larger area than that occupied by the heater 124. Once this effect has been satisfactorily achieved, there is little benefit in making the metallic layer 144 yet thicker, as this merely increases thermal mass and reduces the efficiency of the aerosol generation device 100.
It will be apparent from
As shown in
Since the heating zone can be defined by the portions of the side wall 126 which are covered by the metallic layer 144, the exact placement of the heater 124 on the outside of the heating chamber 108 is less critical. For example, rather than needing to align the heater 124 a particular distance from the top or bottom of the side wall 126, the metallic layer 144 can instead be formed in a very specific region, and the heater 124 placed over the top of the metallic layer 144 which spreads the heat over the metallic layer 144 region or heating zone, as described above. It is often simpler to standardise the masking process for electroplating or deposition than it is to exactly align a heater 124.
Similarly, where there are protrusions 140 formed by indenting the side wall 126, the indentations represent parts of the side wall 126 which will not be in contact with a heater 124 wrapped around the heating chamber 108; instead the heater 124 tends to bridge over the indentation, leaving a gap. The metallic layer 144 can help to mitigate this effect because even the parts of the side wall 126 which do not directly contact the heater 124 receive heat from the heater 124 by conduction via the metallic layer 144. In some cases, the heater element 164 may be arranged to minimise the overlap between the heater element 164 and the indent on the exterior surface of the side wall 126, for example by arranging the heating element 164 to cross over the indentation, but not to run along the indentation. In other cases, the heater 124 is positioned on the external surface of the side wall 126 such that the parts of the heater 124 overlying the indentations are the gaps between the heater elements 164. Whichever method is chosen to mitigate the effect of the heater 124 overlying an indentation, the metallic layer 144 mitigates the effect by conducting heat into the indentation. In addition, the metallic layer 144 provides additional thickness into the indented regions of the side wall 126, thereby providing additional structural support to these regions. Indeed, the additional thickness provided by the metallic layer 126 strengthens the thin side wall 126 at all parts covered by the metallic layer 144.
The metallic layer 144 can be formed before or after the step in which indentations are formed in the outer surface side wall 126 to provide protrusions 140 extending into the heating chamber 108. It is preferred to form the indentations before the metallic layer because once the metallic layer 144 is formed steps such as annealing tend to damage the metallic layer 144, and stamping the side wall 126 to form protrusions 140 becomes more difficult due to the increased thickness of the side wall 126 in combination with the metallic layer 144. However, in the case where the indentations are formed before the metallic layer 144 is formed on the side wall 126, it is much easier to form the metallic layer 144 such that it extends beyond (i.e. above and below) the indentations because it is difficult to mask the outer surface of the side wall 126 in such a way that it extends into the indentation. Any gap between the masking and the side wall 126 can result in metallic layer 144 being deposited underneath the masking.
Wrapped around the heater 124 is a thermally insulating layer 146. This layer 146 is under tension, so providing a compressive force on the heater 124, holding the heater 124 tightly against the outer surface of the side wall 126. Advantageously, this thermally insulating layer 146 is a heat shrink material. This allows the thermally insulating layer 146 to be wrapped tightly around the heating chamber (over the heater 124, metallic layer 144, etc.) and then heated. Upon heating the thermally insulating layer 146 contracts and presses the heater 124 tightly against the outer surface of the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108. This eliminates any air gaps between the heater 124 and the side wall 126 and holds the heater 124 in very good thermal contact with the side wall. This in turn ensures good efficiency, since the heat produced by the heater 124 results in heating of the side wall (and subsequently the aerosol substrate 128) and is not wasted heating air or leaking away in other ways.
The preferred embodiment uses a heat shrink material, e.g. treated polyimide tape, which shrinks only in one dimension. For example, in the polyimide tape example, the tape may be configured to shrink only in the length direction. This means that the tape can be wrapped around the heating chamber 108 and heater 124 and on heating will contract and press the heater 124 against the side wall 126. Because the thermally insulating layer 146 shrinks in the length direction, the force generated in this way is uniform and inwardly directed. Were the tape to shrink in the transverse (width) direction this could cause ruffling of the heater 124 or the tape itself. This in turn would introduce gaps, and reduce the efficiency of the aerosol generation device 100.
Referring to
When a user wishes to use the aerosol generation device 100, the user first loads the aerosol generation device 100 with the substrate carrier 114. This involves inserting the substrate carrier 114 into the heating chamber 108. The substrate carrier 114 is inserted into the heating chamber 108 oriented such that the first end 134 of the substrate carrier 114, towards which the aerosol substrate 128 is located, enters the heating chamber 108. The substrate carrier 114 is inserted into the heating chamber 108 until the first end 134 of the substrate carrier 114 rests against the platform 148 extending inwardly from the base 112 of the heating chamber 108, that is until the substrate carrier 114 can be inserted into the heating chamber 108 no further. In the embodiment shown, as described above, there is an additional effect from the interaction between the upper edge 142a of the protrusions 140 and the boundary of the aerosol substrate 128 and the less compressible adjacent region of the substrate carrier 114 which alerts the user that the substrate carrier 114 has been inserted sufficiently far into the aerosol generation device 100. It will be seen from
With the substrate carrier 114 inserted into the heating chamber 108, the aerosol substrate 128 within the substrate carrier 114 is arranged at least partially within the heating chamber 108. In the first embodiment, the aerosol substrate 128 is wholly within the heating chamber 108. Indeed, the pre-packaged amount of the aerosol substrate 128 in the substrate carrier 114 is arranged to extend along the substrate carrier 114 from the first end 134 of the substrate carrier 114 by a distance that is approximately (or even exactly) equal to an internal height of the heating chamber 108 from the base 112 to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108. This is effectively the same as the length of the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108, inside the heating chamber 108.
With the substrate carrier 114 loaded in the aerosol generation device 100, the user switches the aerosol generation device 100 on using the user-operable button 116. This causes electrical power from the electrical power source 120 to be supplied to the heater 124 via (and under the control of) the control circuitry 122. The heater 124 causes heat to be conducted via the protrusions 140 into the aerosol substrate 128, heating the aerosol substrate 128 to a temperature at which it can begin to release vapour. Once heated to a temperature at which the vapour can begin to be released, the user may inhale the vapour by sucking the vapour through the second end 136 of the substrate carrier 114. That is, the vapour is generated from the aerosol substrate 128 located at the first end 134 of the substrate carrier 114 in the heating chamber 108 and drawn along the length of the substrate carrier 114, through the vapour collection region 130 in the substrate carrier 114, to the second end 136 of the substrate carrier, where it enters the user's mouth. This flow of vapour is illustrated by arrow A in
It will be appreciated that, as a user sucks vapour in the direction of arrow A in
When the user activates the aerosol generation device 100 by actuating the user-operable button 116, the aerosol generation device 100 heats the aerosol substrate 128 to a sufficient temperature to cause vaporisation of parts of the aerosol substrate 128. In more detail, the control circuitry 122 supplies electrical power from the electrical power source 120 to the heater 124 to heat the aerosol substrate 128 to a first temperature. When the aerosol substrate 128 reaches the first temperature, components of the aerosol substrate 128 begin to vaporise, that is the aerosol substrate produces vapour. Once vapour is being produced, the user can inhale the vapour through the second end 136 of the substrate carrier 114. In some scenarios, the user may know that it takes a certain amount of time for the aerosol generation device 100 to heat the aerosol substrate 128 to the first temperature and for the aerosol substrate 128 to start to produce vapour. This means that the user can judge for himself when to start inhaling the vapour. In other scenarios, the aerosol generation device 100 is arranged to issue an indication to the user that vapour is available for inhalation. Indeed, in the first embodiment, the control circuitry 122 causes the user operable button 116 to illuminate when the aerosol substrate 128 has been at the first temperature for an initial period of time. In other embodiment, the indication is provided by another indicator, such as by generating an audio sound or by causing a vibrator to vibrate. Similarly, in other embodiments, the indication is provided after a fixed period of time from the aerosol generation device 100 being activated, as soon as the heater 124 has reached an operating temperature or following some other event.
The user can continue to inhale vapour all the time that the aerosol substrate 128 is able to continue to produce the vapour, e.g. all the time that the aerosol substrate 128 has vaporisable components left to vaporise into a suitable vapour. The control circuitry 122 adjusts the electrical power supplied to the heater 124 to ensure that the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128 does not exceed a threshold level. Specifically, at a particular temperature, which depends on the constitution of the aerosol substrate 128, the aerosol substrate 128 will begin to burn. This is not a desirable effect and temperatures above and at this temperature are avoided. To assist in this, the aerosol generation device 100 is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown). The control circuitry 122 is arranged to receive an indication of the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128 from the temperature sensor and to use the indication to control the electrical power supplied to the heater 124. For example, in one scenario, the control circuitry 122 provides maximum electrical power to the heater 124 during an initial time period until the heater or chamber reaches the first temperature. Subsequently, once the aerosol substrate 128 has reached the first temperature, the control circuitry 122 ceases to supply electrical power to the heater 124 for a second time period until the aerosol substrate 128 reaches a second temperature, lower than the first temperature. Subsequently, once the heater 124 has reached the second temperature, the control circuitry 122 starts to supply electrical power to the heater 124 for a third time period until the heater 124 reaches the first temperature again. This may continue until the aerosol substrate 128 is expended (i.e. all aerosol which can be generated by heating has already been generated) or the user stops using the aerosol generation device 100. In another scenario, once the first temperature has been reached, the control circuitry 122 reduces the electrical power supplied to the heater 124 to maintain the aerosol substrate 128 at the first temperature but not increase the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128.
A single inhalation by the user is generally referred to a “puff”. In some scenarios, it is desirable to emulate a cigarette smoking experience, which means that the aerosol generation device 100 is typically capable of holding sufficient aerosol substrate 128 to provide ten to fifteen puffs.
In some embodiments the control circuitry 122 is configured to count puffs and to switch off the heater 124 after ten to fifteen puffs have been taken by a user. Puff counting is performed in one of a variety of different ways. In some embodiments, the control circuitry 122 determines when a temperature decreases during a puff, as fresh, cool air flows past the temperature sensor 170, causing cooling which is detected by the temperature sensor. In other embodiments, air flow is detected directly using a flow detector. Other suitable methods will be apparent to the skilled person. In other embodiments, the control circuitry additionally or alternatively switches off the heater 124 after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since a first puff. This can help to both reduce power consumption, and provide a back-up for switching off in the event that the puff counter fails to correctly register that a predetermined number of puffs has been taken.
In some examples, the control circuitry 122 is configured to power the heater 124 so that it follows a predetermined heating cycle, which takes a predetermined amount of time to complete. Once the cycle is complete, the heater 124 is switched off entirely. In some cases, this cycle may make use of a feedback loop between the heater 124 and a temperature sensor 170. For example, the heating cycle may be parameterised by a series of temperatures to which the heater 124 (or, more accurately the temperature sensor) is heated or allowed to cool. The temperatures and durations of such a heating cycle can be empirically determined to optimise the temperature of the aerosol substrate 128. This may be necessary as direct measurement of the aerosol substrate temperature can be impractical, or misleading, for example where the outer layer of aerosol substrate 128 is a different temperature to the core.
In the following example the time to first puff is 20 seconds. After this point the level of power supplied to the heater 124 is reduced from 100% such that temperature remains constant at approximately 240° C. for a period of about 20 seconds. The power supplied to the heater 124 can then be reduced further such that the temperature recorded by the temperature sensor 170 reads approximately 200° C. This temperature may be held for approximately 60 seconds. The power level may then be further reduced such that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 170 drops to the operating temperature of the substrate carrier 114, which in the present case is approximately 180° C. This temperature may be held for 140 seconds. This time interval may be determined by the length of time for which the substrate carrier 114 may be used. For example, the substrate carrier 114 may stop producing aerosol after a set period of time, and therefore the time period where the temperature is set to 180° C. may allow the heating cycle to last for this duration. After this point the power supplied to the heater 124 may be reduced to zero. Even when the heater 124 has been switched off, aerosol or vapour generated while the heater 124 was on can still be drawn out of the aerosol generation device 100 by a user sucking on it. Therefore, even when the heater 124 is turned off, a user may be alerted to this situation by a visual indicator remaining on, although the heater 124 has already switched off in preparation for the end of an aerosol inhalation session. In some embodiments this set period may be 20 seconds. The total time duration of the heating cycle may in some embodiments be approximately 4 minutes.
The above exemplary heat cycle may be altered by the use of the substrate carrier 114 by the user. When a user extracts the aerosol from the substrate carrier 114 the breath of the user encourages cold air through the open end of the heating chamber 108, towards the base 112 of the heating chamber 108, flowing down past the heater 124. The air may then enter the substrate carrier 114 through the tip 134 of the substrate carrier 114. The entrance of cold air into the cavity of the heating chamber 108 reduces the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 170 as cold air replaces the hot air which was previously present. When the temperature sensor 170 senses that the temperature has been reduced this may be used to increase the power supplied by the cell to the heater to heat the temperature sensor 170 back to the operating temperature of the substrate carrier 114. This may be achieved by supplying the maximum amount of power to the heater 124, or alternatively by supplying an amount of power greater than the amount required to keep the temperature sensor 170 reading a steady temperature.
The electrical power source 120 is sufficient to at least bring the aerosol substrate 128 in a single substrate carrier 114 up to the first temperature and maintain it at the first temperature to provide sufficient vapour for the at least ten to fifteen puffs. More generally, in line with emulating the experience of cigarette smoking, the electrical power supply 120 is usually sufficient to repeat this cycle (bring the aerosol substrate 128 up to the first temperature, maintain the first temperature and vapour generation for ten to fifteen puffs) ten times, or even twenty times, thereby emulating a user's experience of smoking a packet of cigarettes, before there is a need to replace or recharge the electrical power supply 120.
In general, the efficiency of the aerosol generation device 100 is improved when as much as possible of the heat that is generated by the heater 124 results in heating of the aerosol substrate 128. To this end, the aerosol generation device 100 is usually configured to provide heat in a controlled manner to the aerosol substrate 128 while reducing heat flow to other parts of the aerosol generation device 100. In particular, heat flow to parts of the aerosol generation device 100 that the user handles is kept to a minimum, thereby keeping these parts cool and comfortable to hold, for example by way of insulation as described herein in more detail.
It can be appreciated from
A second embodiment is now described with reference to
In more detail, referring to
The inlet 137 extends through the outer casing 102. It is located part way along the length of the outer casing 102, between the first end 104 and the second end 106 of the aerosol generation device 100. In the second embodiment, the outer casing defines a void 139 proximate to the control circuitry 122 and between the inlet 137 in the outer casing 102 and the channel 113 in the base 112 of the heating chamber 108. The void 139 provides fluid communication between the inlet 137 and the channel 113 so that air can pass from the environment outside of the outer casing 102 into the heating chamber 108 via the inlet 137, the void 139 and the channel 113.
During use, as vapour is inhaled by the user at the second end 136 of the substrate carrier 114, air is drawn into the heating chamber 108 from the environment surrounding the aerosol generation device 100. More specifically, air passes through the inlet 139 in the direction of arrow C into the void 139. From the void 139, the air passes through the channel 113 in the direction of arrow D into the heating chamber 108. This allows initially the vapour, and then the vapour mixed with the air, to be drawn through the substrate carrier 114 in the direction of arrow D for inhalation by the user at the second end 136 of the substrate carrier 114. The air is generally heated as it enters the heating chamber 108, such that the air assists in transferring heat to the aerosol substrate 128 by convection.
It will be appreciated that the air flow path through the heating chamber 108 is generally linear in the second embodiment, that is to say the path extends from the base 112 of the heating chamber 108 to the open end 110 of the heating chamber 108 in a broadly straight line. The arrangement of the second embodiment also allows the gap between the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108 and the substrate carrier to be reduced. Indeed, in the second embodiment, the diameter of the heating chamber 108 is less than 7.6 mm, and the space between the substrate carrier 114 of 7.0 mm diameter and the side wall 126 of the heating chamber 108 is less than 1 mm.
In variations of the second embodiment, the inlet 137 is located differently. In one particular embodiment, the inlet 137 is located at the first end 104 of the aerosol generation device 100. This allows the passage of air through the entire aerosol generation device 100 to be broadly linear, e.g. with air entering the aerosol generation device 100 at the first end 104, which is typically oriented distal to the user during use, flowing through (or over, past, etc.) the aerosol substrate 128 within the aerosol generation device 100 and out into the user's mouth at the second end 136 of the substrate carrier 114, which is typically oriented proximal to the user during use, e.g. in the user's mouth.
A third embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the third (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments four to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
Moreover, the platform 148 has a height 10% or less of the height of the side wall 126 in the embodiment of
In the event that despite the compression of the tip of the substrate carrier 114, a portion of the material of the aerosol substrate 128 does fall out of the substrate carrier 114 the open channel is configured to collect the loose-packed material that has become free, without blocking airflow into the tip of the substrate carrier 114. This enables the user to continue to extract the aerosol from the substrate carrier 114 despite the portion of loose-packed material having come free.
It is noted that as shown in
A fourth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the fourth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments seven to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
The heating chamber 108 may be manufactured by compressing a portion of the base 112 between a press formed of a female part and a male part, to form the deformation of the base 112. For example, a male part may be situated on the exterior of the base 112, and a female part situated inside the heating chamber 108 atop the interior of the base. A force may be applied to press the male part into the female part, so that the portion of the base 112 in contact with the male part is indented to the shape of the female part.
A fifth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the fifth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments seven to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
A sixth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the sixth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments seven to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
In this embodiment the platform 148 may be removable from the heating chamber 108 in order to aid with ensuring that cleaning of the heating chamber 108 is quick and efficient for the user. In this embodiment the platform 148 may be formed by welding, joining, screwing or otherwise adding a portion of material to the heating chamber 108. An adhesive may also be used to join the platform 148 to the base 112. Were the platform 148 to be removable, an indent may be formed in the base 112 into which the platform 148 may fit.
A seventh embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the seventh (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments eight to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
An eighth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the eighth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments nine to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
A ninth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the ninth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments ten to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
A tenth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the tenth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments eleven to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
An eleventh embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the eleventh (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiments twelve to thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
A twelfth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the twelfth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment, and may be combined with the features of embodiment thirteen to achieve the benefits highlighted below.
A thirteenth embodiment is now described with reference to
However, it is noted that the heating chamber 108 of the thirteenth (and further) embodiment may in itself be a stand-alone embodiment.
It will be appreciated from the description above that many features of the different embodiments are interchangeable with one another. The disclosure extends to further embodiments comprising features from different embodiments combined together in ways not specifically mentioned. For example, the third to fifth embodiments do not have the platform 148 shown in
The term “heater” should be understood to mean any device for outputting thermal energy sufficient to form an aerosol from the aerosol substrate 128. The transfer of heat energy from the heater 124 to the aerosol substrate 128 may be conductive, convective, radiative or any combination of these means. As non-limiting examples, conductive heaters may directly contact and press the aerosol substrate 128, or they may contact a separate component which itself causes heating of the aerosol substrate 128 by conduction, convection, and/or radiation. Convective heating may include heating a liquid or gas which consequently transfers heat energy (directly or indirectly) to the aerosol substrate.
Radiative heating includes, but is not limited to, transferring energy to an aerosol substrate 128 by emitting electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave or radio parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radiation emitted in this way may be absorbed directly by the aerosol substrate 128 to cause heating, or the radiation may be absorbed by another material such as a susceptor or a fluorescent material which results in radiation being re-emitted with a different wavelength or spectral weighting. In some cases, the radiation may be absorbed by a material which then transfers the heat to the aerosol substrate 128 by any combination of conduction, convection and/or radiation.
Heaters may be electrically powered, powered by combustion, or by any other suitable means. Electrically powered heaters may include resistive track elements (optionally including insulating packaging), induction heating systems (e.g. including an electromagnet and high frequency oscillator), etc. The heater 128 may be arranged around the outside of the aerosol substrate 128, it may penetrate part way or fully into the aerosol substrate 128, or any combination of these.
The term “temperature sensor” is used to describe an element which is capable of determining an absolute or relative temperature of a part of the aerosol generation device 100. This can include thermocouples, thermopiles, thermistors and the like. The temperature sensor may be provided as part of another component, or it may be a separate component. In some examples, more than one temperature sensor may be provided, for example to monitor heating of different parts of the aerosol generation device 100, e.g. to determine thermal profiles.
The control circuitry 122 has been shown throughout as having a single user operable button 116 to trigger the aerosol generation device 100 to turn on. This keeps the control simple and reduces the chances that a user will misuse the aerosol generation device 100 or fail to control the aerosol generation device 100 correctly. In some cases, however, the input controls available to a user may be more complex than this, for example to control the temperature, e.g. within pre-set limits, to change the flavour balance of the vapour, or to switch between power saving or quick heating modes, for example.
With reference to the above-described embodiments, aerosol substrate 128 includes tobacco, for example in dried or cured form, in some cases with additional ingredients for flavouring or producing a smoother or otherwise more pleasurable experience. In some examples, the aerosol substrate 128 such as tobacco may be treated with a vaporising agent. The vaporising agent may improve the generation of vapour from the aerosol substrate. The vaporising agent may include, for example, a polyol such as glycerol, or a glycol such as propylene glycol. In some cases, the aerosol substrate may contain no tobacco, or even no nicotine, but instead may contain naturally or artificially derived ingredients for flavouring, volatilisation, improving smoothness, and/or providing other pleasurable effects. The aerosol substrate 128 may be provided as a solid or paste type material in shredded, pelletised, powdered, granulated, strip or sheet form, optionally a combination of these. Equally, the aerosol substrate 128 may be a liquid or gel. Indeed, some examples may include both solid and liquid/gel parts.
Consequently, the aerosol generation device 100 could equally be referred to as a “heated tobacco device”, a “heat-not-burn tobacco device”, a “device for vaporising tobacco products”, and the like, with this being interpreted as a device suitable for achieving these effects. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices which are designed to vaporise any aerosol substrate.
The embodiments of the aerosol generation device 100 are described as being arranged to receive the aerosol substrate 128 in a pre-packaged substrate carrier 114. The substrate carrier 114 may broadly resemble a cigarette, having a tubular region with an aerosol substrate arranged in a suitable manner. Filters, vapour collection regions, cooling regions, and other structure may also be included in some designs. An outer layer of paper or other flexible planar material such as foil may also be provided, for example to hold the aerosol substrate in place, to further the resemblance of a cigarette, etc.
As used herein, the term “fluid” shall be construed as generically describing non-solid materials of the type that are capable of flowing, including, but not limited to, liquids, pastes, gels, powders and the like. “Fluidized materials” shall be construed accordingly as materials which are inherently, or have been modified to behave as, fluids. Fluidization may include, but is not limited to, powdering, dissolving in a solvent, gelling, thickening, thinning and the like.
As used herein, the term “volatile” means a substance capable of readily changing from the solid or liquid state to the gaseous state. As a non-limiting example, a volatile substance may be one which has a boiling or sublimation temperature close to room temperature at ambient pressure. Accordingly “volatilize” or “volatilise” shall be construed as meaning to render (a material) volatile and/or to cause to evaporate or disperse in vapour.
As used herein, the term “vapour” (or “vapor”) means: (i) the form into which liquids are naturally converted by the action of a sufficient degree of heat; or (ii) particles of liquid/moisture that are suspended in the atmosphere and visible as clouds of steam/smoke; or (iii) a fluid that fills a space like a gas but, being below its critical temperature, can be liquefied by pressure alone.
Consistently with this definition the term “vaporise” (or “vaporize”) means: (i) to change, or cause the change into vapour; and (ii) where the particles change physical state (i.e. from liquid or solid into the gaseous state).
As used herein, the term “atomise” (or “atomize”) shall mean: (i) to turn (a substance, especially a liquid) into very small particles or droplets; and (ii) where the particles remain in the same physical state (liquid or solid) as they were prior to atomization.
As used herein, the term “aerosol” shall mean a system of particles dispersed in the air or in a gas, such as mist, fog, or smoke. Accordingly the term “aerosolise” (or “aerosolize”) means to make into an aerosol and/or to disperse as an aerosol. Note that the meaning of aerosol/aerosolise is consistent with each of volatilise, atomise and vaporise as defined above. For the avoidance of doubt, aerosol is used to consistently describe mists or droplets comprising atomised, volatilised or vaporised particles. Aerosol also includes mists or droplets comprising any combination of atomised, volatilised or vaporised particles.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18200271 | Oct 2018 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/077394 | 10/9/2019 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/074600 | 4/16/2020 | WO | A |
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| 20210345673 A1 | Nov 2021 | US |
