Patent Application
20240225099
This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2021104782722, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on Apr. 30, 2021 and entitled “AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This application relates to the technical field of cigarette devices, and in particular, to an aerosol generation device and system.
During use of smoking articles such as a cigarette or cigar, tobaccos are burnt to generate vapor. An attempt has been made to provide substitutes for these tobacco-burning articles by producing products that release compounds without burning. An example of the products is a heat-not-burn product, which releases compounds by heating tobaccos rather than burning tobaccos.
A document with the Application Publication No. of CN109068748A discloses a device for heating an inhalable material. When the consumable is inserted into a device, an air gap exists between a hollow chamber and the consumable, and cold air can enter the chamber from the outside of the device through a vent path, thereby helping to lower the temperature and reduce the content of the water vapor component released by the heated volatile component from the inhalable material.
The cigarette device has the problem that the cold air outside the device is used to cool the cigarette, the cooling effect is not ideal, and the inhaler may easily have a burning sensation during inhalation. Especially in the first puff, due to the relatively high moisture content in the cigarette, the water vapor with high heat after being heated and evaporated makes the inhaler feel more obvious.
This application provides an aerosol generation device and system, so as to solve the problem that the existing cigarette device is easy to cause an inhaler to have a burning sensation during inhalation.
An aspect of this application provides an aerosol generation device, including:
Another aspect of this application provides an aerosol generation system, including an aerosol generation product and an aerosol generation device.
Through the aerosol generation device provided in this application, partial heat of the aerosol generation product is removed through the heat transfer element, which avoids a problem that an inhaler is prone to burning pain during inhalation or a first puff, thereby improving inhalation experience of users.
One or more embodiments are exemplarily described with reference to the corresponding figures in the accompanying drawings, and the descriptions are not to be construed as a limitation on the embodiments. Elements in the accompanying drawings that have same reference numerals are represented as similar elements, and unless otherwise particularly stated, the figures in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale.
For ease of understanding of this application, this application is described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementations. It should be noted that, when an element is expressed as “being fixed to” another element, the element may be directly on the another element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between the element and the another element. When one element is expressed as “being connected to” another element, the element may be directly connected to the another element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between the element and the another element. The terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer”, and similar expressions used in this specification are merely used for an illustrative purpose.
Unless otherwise defined, meanings of all technical and scientific terms used in this specification are the same as that usually understood by a person skilled in the technical field to which this application belongs. The terms used in this specification of this application are merely intended to describe objectives of the specific implementations, and are not intended to limit this application. A term “and/or” used in this specification includes any or all combinations of one or more related listed items.
Referring to
a housing 13, which may be composed of a plurality of parts, for example: an upper cover, a body, and a lower cover (not shown in the figure). The housing 13 is internally provided with an accommodating space that may accommodate a heater 131, a core 132, a circuit 133, and the like.
The housing 13 has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end is provided with an inlet 13a, and the second end is provided with a cleaning port 13b. At least part of the aerosol generation product 20 is removably inserted into the aerosol generation device 100 through the inlet 13a. The first end is provided with a heat transfer element 12 and a cover assembly 11 in sequence. The cover assembly 11 has a sliding cover capable of sliding left and right relative to the housing 13 and a through hole corresponding to the inlet 13a, and the inlet 13a can be opened or covered by the movement of the sliding cover. A cleaning plug 14 is arranged on the second end, and the cleaning plug 14 is detachably inserted into the aerosol generation device 100 through the cleaning port 13b. When the aerosol generation product 20 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 100, the cleaning plug 14 can provide an end stop to hold a heating section 23 of the aerosol generation product 20 in a heating region. The cleaning plug 14 is further provided with an air inlet channel, external cold air flows in through the air inlet channel, passes through the heater 131, and then flows out from the inlet 13a. Specifically, reference may be made to the arrows shown in
The heater 131 is configured to heat the inhalable material in the aerosol generation product 20 to generate an inhalable aerosol.
An infrared electrothermal coating 1312 is formed on a surface of the base body 1311. The infrared electrothermal coating 1312 may be formed on an outer surface of the base body 1311, or may be formed on an inner surface of the base body 1311. The infrared electrothermal coating 1312 receives electric power to generate heat, and then generates infrared rays of a specific wavelength, for example, far infrared rays in a range of 8 μm to 15 μm. When a wavelength of the infrared ray matches an absorption wavelength of the inhalable material, energy of the infrared ray is easily absorbed by the inhalable material. The wavelength of the infrared ray is not limited, and the infrared rays may be infrared rays in a range of 0.75 μm to 1000 μm, preferably far infrared rays in a range of 1.5 μm to 400 μm.
A conductive element includes a first electrode 1313 and a second electrode 1314 arranged on the base body 1311 and spaced apart from each other, which are configured to feed the electric power to the infrared electrothermal coating 1312. Both the first electrode 1313 and the second electrode 1314 are at least partially electrically connected to the infrared electrothermal coating 1312, so that a current can flow from one electrode to the other electrode through the infrared electrothermal coating 1312.
The first electrode 1313 and the second electrode 1314 are symmetrically arranged along a central shaft of the base body 1311. The first electrode 1313 includes a coupled electrode 1313b extending in a circumferential direction of the base body 1311 and a strip-shaped electrode 1313a extending in an axial direction from the coupled electrode 1313b towards the first end of the base body 1311. The coupled electrode 1313b is not in contact with the infrared electrothermal coating 1312, and the strip-shaped electrode 1313a is at least partially in contact with the infrared electrothermal coating 1312 to form an electrical connection. The second electrode 1314 includes a coupled electrode 1314b extending in a circumferential direction of the base body 1311 and a strip-shaped electrode 1314a extending in an axial direction from the coupled electrode 1314b towards the first end of the base body 1311. The coupled electrode 1314b is not in contact with the infrared electrothermal coating 1312, and the strip-shaped electrode 1314a is at least partially in contact with the infrared electrothermal coating 1312 to form an electrical connection.
In this example, both the first electrode 1313 and the second electrode 1314 are conductive coatings, the conductive coating may be a metal coating, a conductive tape, or the like, and the metal coating may be made of silver, gold, palladium, platinum, copper, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, or an alloy material of the foregoing metal.
Further, referring to
It should be noted that, an infrared transmitter formed by the infrared electrothermal coating 1312, the first electrode 1313, and the second electrode 1314 is not limited to the example in
It should be further noted that, in the foregoing example, the heater 131 is described in an infrared heating manner. In another example, the heating manner of the heater 131 may be resistance heating, electromagnetic heating, or the like, which is not limited thereto. The number of heaters 131 is not limited herein, and may be one or more.
In this example, the heat transfer element 12 includes a tubular shell and a capillary liquid absorbing core located in the tubular shell. After the tubular shell is filled with an appropriate amount of working liquid after being pumped to a specific negative pressure, so that the capillary porous material of the liquid absorbing core tightly attached to an inner wall of the tubular shell is filled with liquid, and then the tubular shell is sealed. In this way, when one end of the heat transfer element 12 is heated, the working liquid in the tubular shell quickly vaporizes, vapor flows to another end under the power of thermal diffusion, and condenses at the cold end to release heat, and then the working liquid flows back to an evaporation end by capillary action along the capillary liquid absorbing core. Such a cycle is repeated until the temperatures at two ends of the heat transfer element 12 are equal.
The tubular shell may be made of materials with a high thermal conductivity, for example: copper, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel. The working liquid is selected from materials with a relatively high specific heat capacity, for example: water, liquid ammonia, liquid hydrogen, and acetic acid. Preferably, the working liquid is water.
referring to
The insertion portion 121 is arranged between the inlet 13a and the heater 131, and has a proximal end 121a and a distal end 121b opposite to each other. The proximal end 121a is arranged close to the inlet 13a or flush with the inlet 13a, and the distal end 121b extends into the aerosol generation device 100 through the inlet 13a, that is, extends towards the heater 131.
In this example, the insertion portion 121 is constructed in the shape of a tube surrounding the part of the aerosol generation product 20, and the aerosol generation product 20 can pass through a cavity of the insertion portion 121 and then be at least partially inserted into the heater 131. As an optional implementation, an inner surface of the insertion portion 121 is provided with one or more bumps (not shown in the accompanying drawing) arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction. In this way, when the aerosol generation product 20 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 100, the bump keeps in contact with the aerosol generation product 20.
In another example, it is also feasible that the shape of the insertion portion 121 constructed to partially surround the aerosol generation product 20, for example, semi-tubular (a cross section is arc-shaped). The insertion portion 121 may further be constructed in the shape of a sheet and a strip and another regular or irregular shape, or the like in thermally conductive contact with at least part of a surface of the aerosol generation product 20. As an optional implementation, one or more insertion portions 121 may be arranged.
The extension 122 extends from the proximal end 121a in the radial direction of the insertion portion 121, and the shape of the extension substantially matches a shape of an upper end of the housing 13. The extension 122 is held on the housing 13, and may be fixed to the housing 13 through an adhesive material or fixed to the housing 13 through a fixed connector, which is not limited herein.
With reference to
The inhalable material is a substrate that can release volatile compounds forming aerosols. The volatile compound may be released by heating the inhalable material. The inhalable material may be solid, liquid, or components including solid and liquid. The inhalable material may be loaded onto a carrier or a supporting member through adsorbing, coating, impregnating, or in other manners.
When the aerosol generation product 20 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 100, the heating section 23 is located in the heating chamber of the base body 1311, and the heat transfer element 12 is in thermally conductive contact with the connecting section 22. In this way, during inhalation, partial heat of the connecting section 22 may be absorbed and transferred through the phase change of the working liquid in the heat transfer element 12, thereby reducing the temperature at the connecting section 22 or the filter section 21, which avoids a problem that an inhaler is prone to burning pain during inhalation or a first puff, thereby improving inhalation experience of users.
It should be noted that, it is also feasible that the heat transfer element 12 may be in thermally conductive contact (direct contact or indirect contact) with the filter section 21 and the connecting section 22. One or more connecting sections 22 may be arranged in the aerosol generation product 20. In another example, the aerosol generation product 20 may not have the connecting section 22. That is to say, the aerosol generation product 20 includes only a filter section 21 and a heating section 23 containing an inhalable material. In this case, when the aerosol generation product 20 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 100, the heating section 23 is located in the heating chamber of the base body 1311, and the heat transfer element 12 may be in thermally conductive contact with a part of the filter section 21. As an optional implementation, when the aerosol generation product 20 is inserted into the heating chamber, the heat transfer element 12 surrounds a part of an outer surface of the filter section 21. The part may be a part of a surface region away from an end of the filter section 21, so as to transfer partial heat downstream of the aerosol generation product 20, thereby reducing the temperature of the filter section 21, especially the end of the filter section 21 contacting a lip.
Referring to
It should be noted that, in another example, it is also feasible that the heat transfer element 12 does not include a capillary liquid absorbing core. In this case, the working liquid may flow back to the evaporation end by gravity or another acting force.
It should be further noted that, in another example, it is also feasible that the heat transfer element 12 does not include high specific heat capacity materials. For the specific structure thereof, reference may be made to
It should be further noted that, in the above examples, the working liquid is used for description. That is to say, partial heat of the aerosol generation product 20 is transferred through transition from a liquid phase to a gas phase of the working liquid. It can be easily imagined that in another example, it is feasible that another phase change material may be adopted. For example: a paraffin material is used to transfer partial heat of the aerosol generation product 20 through transition from a solid phase to a liquid phase of paraffin.
A core 132 provides electric power for operating the aerosol generation device 100. For example, the core 132 may provide electric power to heat the heater 131. In addition, the core 132 may provide the electric power required for operating other components provided in the aerosol generation device 100.
The core 132 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. The core 132 may be, but is not limited to, a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. For example, the core 132 may be a lithium cobaltate (LiCoO2) battery or a lithium titanate battery.
A circuit 133 may control overall operations of the aerosol generation device 100. The circuit 133 not only controls operations of the core 132 and the heater 131, but also controls operations of other components in the aerosol generation device 100. For example: the circuit 133 obtains temperature information of the heater 131 that is sensed by a temperature sensor, and controls, based on the information, the electric power supplied to the heater 131 by the core 132.
It should be noted that, the specification of this application and the accompanying drawings thereof illustrate preferred embodiments of this application. However, this application may be implemented in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. These embodiments are not intended to be an additional limitation on the content of this application, and are described for the purpose of providing a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the content disclosed in this application. Moreover, the foregoing technical features are further combined to form various embodiments not listed above, and all such embodiments shall be construed as falling within the scope of this application. Further, a person of ordinary skill in the art may make improvements or modifications according to the foregoing descriptions, and all the improvements and modifications shall fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of this application.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202110478272.2 | Apr 2021 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2022/087138 | 4/15/2022 | WO |
