JP7597863B2 - Atomizer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of atomization technology, and in particular to atomizers.

Aerosols are colloidal dispersions formed when small particles of solid or liquid are dispersed and suspended in a gaseous medium, and aerosols are absorbed by the human body through the respiratory system, providing users with a new alternative means of absorption. An atomizer is a device that forms aerosols from a stored atomizable medium by methods such as heating or ultrasound.

Non-combustion heated aerosol generating substrates use a special heat source to heat the substrate (heating temperature is 500°C or less), and when heated, various substances in the atomization substrate vaporize to generate aerosols, which is a new substrate that meets the needs of smokers. Non-combustion heated aerosol generating substrates do not generate open flames or smoke during the inhalation process, making them more environmentally friendly and providing users with a good user experience. At the same time, they reduce the generation of harmful substances caused by high-temperature decomposition during the combustion of traditional substrates, thereby reducing damage to the user's body.

A conventional atomizing device for atomizing a non-combustion heated aerosol-generating substrate has a heating cavity, and after an atomizing medium is inserted into the heating cavity, an external airflow enters the aerosol-generating substrate from the bottom of the atomizing substrate, and the airflow and the active substances such as fragrances generated by heating the inside of the aerosol-generating substrate are mixed and then inhaled by the user. However, the airflow flowing into the bottom of the aerosol-generating substrate reduces the temperature of the aerosol-generating substrate, and the substances in the aerosol-generating substrate are not baked sufficiently, and the active substances therein are not fully released, resulting in a smaller amount of active substances contained in the aerosol output from the atomizing device and a poor usability of the atomizing device.

In view of this, there is a need to provide an atomizer that can achieve a technical effect in which the content of active substance in the aerosol formed by baking the aerosol-generating substrate is higher, in order to address the problem of the aerosol-generating substrate not being baked sufficiently.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an atomizer for heating and atomizing an aerosol-generating substrate comprising a substrate segment, a hollow segment, and a filtration segment connected in sequence, the hollow segment having a first air collection hole in a side wall thereof, and the substrate segment having a second air collection hole in a side wall at one end thereof close to the hollow segment, the atomizer comprising a body having a storage cavity, the storage cavity having an open end and a closed end provided opposite to each other, the substrate segment and the hollow segment of the aerosol-generating substrate being inserted into the storage cavity, a gap being present between the aerosol-generating substrate and the side wall of the storage cavity, forming a first air flow passage communicating with the first air collection hole, and a second air flow passage communicating with the first air flow passage and the second air collection hole.

In one embodiment, the first airflow passage communicates with the open end of the storage cavity.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate abuts a cavity bottom wall that forms the closed end of the receiving cavity.

In one embodiment, the atomizer further includes at least two support members, each of which protrudes from a cavity side wall of the containing cavity and is located within the second airflow passage, and a passage for the flow of airflow is formed between two adjacent support members.

In one embodiment, a first air intake hole communicating with the first air flow passage is provided in the cavity side wall at one end close to the opening end of the storage cavity.

In one embodiment, a second air intake hole is provided in the cavity bottom wall that forms the closed end of the storage cavity.

In one embodiment, the atomizer further includes an atomizing assembly, the atomizing assembly is provided within the main body, and the main body further includes an intake passage, one end of the intake passage communicates with the atomizing assembly, and the other end of the intake passage communicates with the first intake hole and the second intake hole.

In one embodiment, the atomizer further includes a sealing support member that protrudes from a cavity side wall at one end of the cavity that is close to the open end of the cavity to seal the cavity.

In one embodiment, the gap between the aerosol-generating substrate and the cavity sidewall of the containing cavity is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm.

In one embodiment, the containment cavity includes a heating segment proximate the closed end and a containment segment proximate the open end, the substrate segment of the aerosol-generating substrate being located within the heating segment and the hollow segment being located within the containment segment.

According to the above atomizer, the main flow path of the airflow does not pass through the heating segment of the receiving cavity and the bottom of one end of the substrate segment away from the hollow segment, so the baking temperature in the heating segment is more stable, and the baking degree of the aerosol-generating substrate does not change due to significant changes in temperature, so the aerosol-generating substrate is sufficiently baked in the receiving cavity, the active substances therein are sufficiently released, the texture of the aerosol is improved, and the use experience of the atomizer is effectively improved.

FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the atomizer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an atomizer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an aerosol-generating substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the insertion of an aerosol-generating substrate into the atomizer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the insertion of an aerosol-generating substrate into the atomizer shown in FIG. 2.

In order to more clearly understand the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, many specific details are described in order to fully understand the present invention. However, the present invention can be embodied in many other forms different from the embodiments described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific examples disclosed below.

In describing the present invention, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "up," "down," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are intended only to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention, and do not imply or suggest that the devices or elements referred to have a particular orientation or must be configured and operated in a particular orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Note that the terms "first" and "second" are for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as implying or suggesting the relative importance or number of the technical features being described. Thus, a feature qualified with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the feature. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly and specifically limited, "plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc.

In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "attached," "coupled," "connected," "fixed," and the like should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They may also refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. Furthermore, unless otherwise clearly limited, they may refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, an internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," or "on the upper surface" of a second feature may simply indicate that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or that the horizontal height of the first feature is greater than that of the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," or "on the lower surface" of a second feature may simply indicate that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or that the horizontal height of the first feature is smaller than that of the second feature.

For illustrative purposes, when an element is referred to as being "fixed" or "mounted" on another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be intervening elements. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be intervening elements. As used herein, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "up," "down," "left," "right," and similar terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the present invention provides an atomizer 100/200 for heating and atomizing an aerosol-generating substrate 300. The aerosol-generating substrate 300 has a columnar structure and includes a substrate segment 320, a hollow segment 340, and a filtering segment 360 connected in sequence in the axial direction. The substrate segment 320 can be heated by the atomizer 100/200 to generate aerosol and other active substances. The aerosol and other active substances generated in the substrate segment 320 are merged and filtered by the hollow segment 340 and the filtering segment 360 before flowing out and being inhaled by the user.

Furthermore, in order to enable sufficient release of the active substance in the aerosol-generating substrate 300, a first air collection hole 341 is provided in the side wall of the hollow segment 340, and the airflow outside the aerosol-generating substrate 3001 can enter the hollow segment 340 through the first air collection hole 341. Preferably, the hollow segment 340 is provided with a plurality of first air collection holes 341, and the plurality of first air collection holes 341 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction. A second air collection hole 321 is provided in the side wall of one end of the substrate segment 320 close to the hollow segment 340, and the airflow outside the aerosol-generating substrate 3001 can enter the substrate segment 320 through the second air collection hole 321. Preferably, the substrate segment 320 is provided with a plurality of second air collection holes 321, and the plurality of second air collection holes 321 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction.

The atomizer 100/200 comprises a body 120/210 and a heating tube 140/230. The body 120/210 has a receiving space with an open end, and the heating tube 140/230 is a hollow tubular structure that is received in an end of the receiving space remote from the opening, and the heating tube 140/230 together with the body 120/210 defines and forms a receiving cavity 160/250 having an open end and a closed end disposed opposite each other. The receiving cavity 160/250 has a shape that matches the shape of the aerosol-generating substrate 300, and includes a heating segment 161/252 near the closed end defined and formed by the heating tube 140/230, and a receiving segment 163/254 near the open end defined and formed by the receiving space.

One end of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 160/250; specifically, the substrate segment 320 is located within the heating segment 161/252, one end of the hollow segment 340 connected to the substrate segment 320 is located within the heating segment 161/252, the other end of the hollow segment 340 and one end of the filtration segment 360 connected to the hollow segment 340 are located within the accommodating segment 163/254, and the other end of the filtration segment 360 extends from the open end of the accommodating cavity 160/250. 4 and 5, a gap exists between the aerosol-generating substrate 300 and the cavity sidewall of the receiving cavity 160/250, forming a first airflow passage 1632/2541 and a second airflow passage 1634/2543, the first airflow passage 1632/2541 communicates with the first air collection hole 341, and the second airflow passage 1634/2543 communicates with the first airflow passage 1632/2541 and the second air collection hole 321. In a preferred embodiment, the gap between the aerosol-generating substrate 300 and the cavity sidewall of the receiving cavity 160/250 is 0.3 mm to 1 mm, which allows the air to flow smoothly.

In this way, the airflow outside the aerosol-generating substrate 3001 can first flow into the first airflow passage 1632/2541, with a portion of the airflow in the first airflow passage 1632/2541 flowing through the first air collection hole 341 into the hollow segment 340, and another portion of the airflow passing through the second airflow passage 1634/2543 and the second air collection hole 321 in sequence into the substrate segment 320, before entering the hollow segment 340 carrying the aerosol and other active substances generated in the substrate segment 320 and merging with the airflow in the hollow segment 340.

As can be seen, the main flow path of the airflow does not pass through the heating segment 161/252 of the receiving cavity 160/250 and the bottom of one end of the substrate segment 320 away from the hollow segment 340, so the baking temperature in the heating segment 161/252 is more stable, and the baking degree of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 does not change due to significant changes in temperature, so the aerosol-generating substrate 300 is sufficiently baked in the receiving cavity 160/250, the active substances therein are sufficiently released, the texture of the generated aerosol is improved, and the use experience of the atomizer 100/200 is effectively improved.

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the first embodiment of the present invention provides an atomizer 100, in which a first airflow passage 1632 of the atomizer 100 is connected to the external environment, and the airflow flowing into the first airflow passage 1632 is air from the external environment.

Specifically, in the first embodiment, the first airflow passage 1632 surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 300 in the circumferential direction and extends in the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from the open end of the containing cavity 160 to the position where the first air collection hole 341 is located. The second airflow passage 1634 surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 300 in the circumferential direction and extends in the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from the position where the first air collection hole 341 is located to the position where the second air collection hole 321 is located.

In this manner, airflow in the external environment enters the first airflow passage 1632 from the open end of the containment cavity 160, and then continues to flow along the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 until a portion of the airflow passes through the first air collection hole 341 into the hollow segment 340 of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 and another portion of the airflow passes through the second air collection hole 321 into the substrate segment 320.

Furthermore, to prevent airflow from entering the substrate segment 320 from the bottom of the substrate segment 320 of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 at one end remote from the hollow segment 340, the end wall of the substrate segment 320 at one end remote from the hollow segment 340 abuts against the cavity bottom wall forming the closed end of the receiving cavity 160. In this way, since the bottom of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 is sealed by the cavity bottom wall of the receiving cavity 160, external airflow cannot enter the substrate segment 320 through the bottom of the aerosol-generating substrate 300, and therefore the temperature in the substrate segment 320 is not affected.

In some embodiments, the atomizer 100 further includes at least two support members 180, each of which is protruded from the side wall of the receiving cavity 160 and located in the second airflow passage 1634, and a passage for the flow of airflow is formed between two adjacent support members 180, and in some embodiments, the passage is specifically expressed as a communicating groove. In this way, the support member 180 can play a role of position restriction for the aerosol-generating substrate 300, thereby preventing the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from shaking in the receiving cavity 160 and preventing the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from being taken out during the inhalation process. At the same time, the airflow in the second airflow passage 1634 can flow through the passage between the two adjacent support members 180, so that the installation of the support member 180 does not obstruct the flow of airflow. It should be understood that the number, shape, and installation position of the support member 180 are not limited and can be installed as necessary to meet different requirements.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second embodiment of the present invention provides an atomizer 200, which further includes an atomizing assembly 290 disposed in the body 210, the atomizing assembly 290 being capable of atomizing the liquid aerosol-generating substrate 300 to generate an aerosol, and the airflow flowing into the first airflow passage 2541 is from the atomizing assembly 290.

Specifically, a first intake hole communicating with the first air flow passage 2541 is provided on the side of the cavity side wall of the storage cavity 250 close to the open end, and an intake passage is further provided in the main body 210, one end of which is connected to the atomizing assembly 290 and the other end of which is connected to the first intake hole. The first air flow passage 2541 surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 300 along the circumferential direction, and extends in the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from the installation position of the first intake hole to the position where the first air collection hole 341 is located. The second air flow passage 2543 surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 300 along the circumferential direction, and extends in the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 from the position where the first air collection hole 341 is located to the position where the second air collection hole 321 is located.

In this way, the aerosol generated by the atomizing assembly 290 can pass through the intake passage and enter the first airflow passage 2541 via the first intake hole, after which some of the aerosol flows through the first air collection hole 341 into the hollow segment 340 of the aerosol-generating substrate 300, and another portion of the aerosol continues to flow along the axial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 until it enters the substrate segment 320 through the second air collection hole 321.

In some embodiments, the cavity bottom wall forming the closed end of the containing cavity 250 is further provided with a second intake hole communicating with the intake passage, and a portion of the aerosol generated in the atomizing assembly 290 can enter the substrate segment 320 through the intake passage and the second intake hole, and then enter the hollow segment 340 carrying the aerosol and other active substances generated in the substrate segment 320.

In some embodiments, the atomizer 200 further includes a sealing support member 270 that protrudes from the side of the cavity sidewall of the receiving cavity 250 near the open end and surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 300 along the circumferential direction to seal the receiving cavity 250. Since the receiving cavity 250 is sealed against the external environment, all airflow flowing into the aerosol-generating substrate 300 comes from the atomizing assembly 290.

The atomizer 100/200, in combination with the aerosol-generating substrate 300 having the first air collecting hole 341 and the second air collecting hole 321, forms a first air flow passage 1632/2541 communicating with the first air collecting hole 341 and a second air flow passage 1634/2543 communicating with the second air collecting hole 321. Therefore, unlike the means in which all air is sucked from the bottom of one end of the substrate segment 320 of the aerosol-generating substrate 300, which is far from the hollow segment 340, the main flow path of the air in the present invention does not pass through the substrate segment 320, so that the baking temperature is stable, the baking of the aerosol-generating substrate 300 is more stable, and the active substance in the aerosol-generating substrate 300 is constantly released and bled out by the negative pressure caused by inhalation, thereby having a larger atomization amount, and the aerosol has a better texture, giving the user a better experience of use.

The technical features of the embodiments described above may be combined in any manner, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments described above have been described. However, as long as there are no contradictions in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope described in this specification.

The above examples merely show some embodiments of the present application, and although the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements within the scope of the present application without departing from the idea of the present application. Therefore, the scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the scope of the attached claims.

100 Atomizer 120 Body 140 Heater tube 160 Storage cavity 161 Heater segment 163 Storage segment 1632 First airflow passage 1634 Second airflow passage 180 Support member 200 Atomizer 210 Body 230 Heater tube 250 Storage cavity 252 Heater segment 254 Storage segment 2541 First airflow passage 2543 Second airflow passage 270 Sealed support member 290 Atomizing assembly 300 Aerosol-generating substrate 320 Substrate segment 321 Second air collection hole 340 Hollow segment 341 First air collection hole 360 Filter segment

Claims (8)

1. An atomizer for heating and atomizing an aerosol-generating substrate comprising a substrate segment, a hollow segment, and a filtration segment connected in sequence, the hollow segment having a first air collection hole in a side wall thereof and the substrate segment having a second air collection hole in a side wall thereof at one end thereof proximate to the hollow segment, comprising:
The atomizer includes a body having a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity having opposed open and closed ends;
the substrate segment and the hollow segment of the aerosol-generating substrate are inserted into the accommodating cavity, and a gap exists between the aerosol-generating substrate and a cavity side wall of the accommodating cavity, thereby forming a first air flow passage communicating with the first air collection hole and a second air flow passage communicating with the first air collection hole and the second air collection hole ;
a first air intake hole communicating with the first air flow passage is provided in a cavity side wall at one end of the accommodating cavity close to the opening end;
The atomizer further includes a sealing support member, the sealing support member being protruded from a cavity side wall at one end of the receiving cavity close to the open end thereof to seal the receiving cavity . 2. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the first airflow passage communicates with an open end of the receiving cavity. 3. The atomizer of claim 2, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate abuts a bottom cavity wall that defines the closed end of the receiving cavity. 3. The atomizer according to claim 2, further comprising at least two support members, each of which is protruded from a cavity side wall of the receiving cavity and located within the second airflow passage, and a passage for the flow of airflow is formed between two adjacent support members. 2. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein a second intake hole is provided in a bottom wall of the cavity that defines the closed end of the receiving cavity. 6. The atomizer according to claim 5, further comprising an atomizing assembly, the atomizing assembly being disposed within the body, the body further comprising an intake passage, one end of the intake passage communicating with the atomizing assembly , and the other end of the intake passage communicating with the first intake hole and the second intake hole. 2. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein a gap between the aerosol-generating substrate and the cavity sidewall of the containing cavity is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm. 2. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the containment cavity includes a heating segment proximate the closed end and a containment segment proximate the open end, the substrate segment of the aerosol-generating substrate being located within the heating segment and the hollow segment being located within the containment segment.