JP7634693B2 - Aerosol generating article and aerosol generating system - Google Patents

Description

The following embodiments relate to aerosol generating articles and aerosol generating systems.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the shortcomings of traditional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for devices that generate aerosols by electrically heating cigarette sticks (e.g. cigarette-type electronic cigarettes). As a result, active research has been conducted on electrically heated aerosol generating devices and cigarette sticks (or aerosol generating articles) that are applied thereto. For example, Published Patent Application No. 10-2017-0132823 discloses a non-combustion type flavor inhaler, a flavor smoking source unit, and a smoke unit.

The objective of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol generating article that includes a medium rod that includes multiple airflow paths, thereby allowing the airflow and aerosol generated by heating to flow smoothly.

The objective of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol generation system with increased heating efficiency by distributing the heat source by arranging multiple heating elements.

The aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a length from the first end toward the second end, a media rod and a filter rod aligned along the longitudinal direction, and the media rod may include a media portion that contains a media and one or more airflow paths formed through the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the airflow path may include a main airflow path formed through the center of the medium portion, and one or more sub-airflow paths formed parallel to the main airflow path around the main airflow path.

In one embodiment, the sub-airflow path may have a cross-sectional area narrower than the cross-sectional area of the main airflow path.

In one embodiment, the medium rod may further include a wrapper that encases the medium portion of the medium rod, and a side airflow path formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium portion and the wrapper.

In one embodiment, the cross section perpendicular to the length of the medium portion may be any one of a circle, an ellipse, a convex polygon, and a concave polygon.

In one embodiment, the device further includes an aerosol rod containing an aerosol-forming substrate, the aerosol rod being disposed at the upstream end of the medium rod.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article further includes a soft capsule contained within at least one of the medium rod, the filter rod, and the aerosol rod, and the soft capsule may be made of a thermally decomposable material.

The aerosol generating system according to various embodiments includes a medium rod and a filter rod, and the medium rod may include an aerosol generating article including a medium section that contains a medium, a main airflow path that is formed in the longitudinal direction through the center of the medium section, and one or more sub-airflow paths that are formed around the main airflow path in parallel to the main airflow path, and an aerosol generating device including a housing, an elongated cavity formed inside the housing that contains the aerosol generating article, and a heating section that heats the aerosol generating article contained in the elongated cavity.

In one embodiment, the heating section may include a first heating element that is an internal heating type and a second heating element that is an external heating type.

In one embodiment, each of the first heating element and the second heating element may be one of a direct heating type, an induction heating type, and a hot air heating type.

In one embodiment, the maximum heating temperature of the first heating element may be lower than the maximum heating temperature of the second heating element.

In one embodiment, the aerosol formed by heating the heating unit can be transported downstream of the aerosol-generating article via the main airflow path and the sub-airflow path.

In one embodiment, the medium rod further includes a medium sheet that encases the outer surface of the medium portion, a wrapper that encases the medium sheet of the medium rod, and a side airflow path formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium sheet and the wrapper, and the aerosol formed by heating the heating portion can be moved to the downstream side of the aerosol-generating article via the main airflow path, the sub-airflow path, and the side airflow path.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article further includes an aerosol rod that contains an aerosol-forming substrate and is disposed at the upstream end of the medium rod, and the aerosol rod can be heated by the heating section of the aerosol generating device to form an aerosol.

In one embodiment, the heating portion can be configured to protrude from one end of the elongated cavity.

In one embodiment, the heating section may include a heating unit that generates heat and a hot air unit that dissipates hot air heated by the heating unit.

The aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment includes a medium rod that includes multiple airflow paths, allowing the airflow and aerosol generated by heating to flow smoothly.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating system can increase heating efficiency by distributing the heat source by arranging multiple heating elements.

The effects of the aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to various embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to various embodiments. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol generating device including a heating unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments have been selected as widely used terms as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention, but this may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, legal precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined not simply as names of terms, but based on the meanings that the terms have and the overall content of the present invention.

Throughout the specification, when any part is said to "include" any component, this does not exclude other components, but means that it further includes other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "~ unit" and "~ module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be embodied in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one" precedes an array of components, it modifies the entire array of components and not each individual component of the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

In the following embodiments, an "aerosol-generating article" refers to an article that contains a medium and through which an aerosol passes, transferring the medium. A typical example of an aerosol-generating article is a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means a direction away from the mouth of the user, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means a direction toward the mouth of the user. The terms upstream and downstream are used to describe the relative positions of the elements that make up the aerosol-generating article.

In the following embodiments, "puff" refers to inhalation by the user, where inhalation refers to the situation in which inhalation is performed through the user's mouth or nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates aerosol by electrically heating an aerosol generating article contained in an internal space.

The aerosol generating device includes a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include an electrically conductive track, and when an electric current flows through the electrically conductive track, the heater is heated.

The heater may include a tube-type heating element, a plate-type heating element, a needle-type heating element, or a rod-type heating element, and depending on the shape of the heating element, the inside or outside of the aerosol-generating article is heated.

The cigarette includes a tobacco rod and a filter rod. The tobacco rod may be made of a sheet or a strand. The tobacco sheet may be made of finely cut tobacco. The tobacco rod may also be wrapped with a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto.

The filter rod may be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol-forming substrate.

The aerosol generating device may include a cartridge that holds an aerosol-forming substrate and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge is detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed or assembled with the body and fixed so that it cannot be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol-forming substrate contained therein. However, without being limited thereto, the aerosol-forming substrate may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

The cartridge may hold an aerosol-forming substrate having any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, a gel state, etc. The aerosol-forming substrate may include a liquid-phase composition. For example, the liquid-phase composition may be a liquid that includes a tobacco-containing material, including a volatile tobacco aroma component, or may be a liquid that includes a non-tobacco material.

The cartridge is operated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, and functions to convert the phase of the aerosol-forming substrate inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-forming substrate and air are mixed together.

In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats the liquid phase composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be transmitted through the cigarette to the user. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid phase composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate using an ultrasonic vibration method. Here, the ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method in which ultrasonic vibration is generated by a vibrator and an aerosol is generated by atomizing the aerosol-forming substrate.

The aerosol generating device may include a vibrator, and may generate short-period vibrations through the vibrator to atomize the aerosol-forming substrate. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be, but is not limited to, a frequency band of about 100 Hz to about 3.5 MHz.

The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the wick may be positioned to surround at least a region of the transducer or to contact at least a region of the transducer.

When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer can be transmitted to the aerosol-forming substrate absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substrate absorbed in the wick is converted to a gas phase by the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-forming base material absorbed in the core may be reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the aerosol-forming base material with reduced viscosity may be broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to the above.

In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device using induction heating.

The aerosol generating device may include a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. A magnetic field may be formed inside the coil by supplying power to the coil from the aerosol generating device. In one embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnetic material that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field. When the susceptor is located inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied, the susceptor generates heat and the aerosol product is heated. Alternatively, the susceptor may be disposed inside the aerosol product.

In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

The aerosol generator can be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle can charge the battery of the aerosol generator. Or, the heater can be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generator are coupled together.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those having ordinary skill in the art can easily implement them. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be realized by the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, but is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment.

The aerosol generating device 100 includes a control unit 110, a detection unit 120, an output unit 130, a battery 140, a heater 150, a user input unit 160, a memory 170, and a communication unit 180. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. In other words, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to this embodiment will understand that some of the components shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 100.

The detection unit 120 detects the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the state around the aerosol generating device 100, and transmits the detected information to the control unit 110. Based on the detected information, the control unit 110 can control the aerosol generating device 100 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 150, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol generating article (e.g., an aerosol generating article, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying notifications, etc.

The detection unit 120 includes at least one of a temperature sensor 122, an insertion detection sensor 124, and a puff sensor 126, but is not limited to these.

The temperature sensor 122 detects the temperature to which the heater 150 (or the aerosol-forming substrate) heats. The aerosol generating device 100 may include a separate temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater 150, or the heater 150 itself may function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 122 may be disposed near the battery 140 so as to monitor the temperature of the battery 140.

The insertion detection sensor 124 can detect the insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article.

The puff sensor 126 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel. For example, the puff sensor 126 may detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

In addition to the above-mentioned sensors 122 to 126, the detection unit 120 may further include at least one of an on/humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB sensor (illuminance sensor). The function of the angle sensor may be intuitively inferred by a person skilled in the art from its name, so a detailed description may be omitted.

The output unit 130 outputs information regarding the status of the aerosol generating device 100 to provide it to the user. The output unit 130 includes at least one of a display unit 132, a haptic unit 134, and an audio output unit 136, but is not limited to these. If the display unit 132 and the touchpad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 132 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 132 can visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 100 means various information such as the charging/discharging state of the battery 140 of the aerosol generating device 100, the preheating state of the heater 150, the insertion/removal state of an aerosol generating item, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 100 is restricted (e.g., detection of an abnormal item), and the display unit 132 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 132 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. Also, the display unit 132 may be in the state of an LED light emitting element.

The haptic unit 134 can convert electrical signals into mechanical or electrical stimuli and provide the user with tactile information about the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the haptic unit 134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The acoustic output unit 136 can provide audible information about the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, the acoustic output unit 136 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

The battery 140 provides the power used for the aerosol generating device 100 to operate. The battery 140 may provide power to the heater 150 so that it can heat. The battery 140 also provides the power required for the operation of different components (e.g., the detection unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180) provided within the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 150 receives power from the battery 140 and heats the aerosol-forming substrate. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC/DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to the heater 150. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 100 generates aerosol using an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a DC/AC converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 140 into an AC power supply.

The control unit 110, the detection unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180 can function by receiving power from the battery 140. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to each component.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, and the like. The heater 150 may also be realized as, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having an electrically conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, and the like.

In another embodiment, the heater 150 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 150 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil and heats the aerosol-forming substrate.

In one embodiment, heater 150 may include multiple heaters. For example, heater 150 may include a first heater for heating the aerosol-generating article and a second heater for heating the liquid phase.

The user input unit 160 receives information input by a user and outputs information to the user. For example, the user input unit 160 may be a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared detection type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and may be connected to other external devices via a connection interface such as a USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 140.

The memory 170 may be hardware for storing various data processed within the aerosol generating device 100, and may store data processed by the control unit 110 and data to be processed. The memory 170 may include at least one of the following types of storage media: a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card-type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 170 may store data on the operating time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern, etc.

The communication unit 180 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 180 includes a short-range communication unit 182 and a wireless communication unit 184.

The short-range wireless communication unit 182 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 184 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 184 may identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 100 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)).

The control unit 110 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, the control unit 110 may include at least one processor. The processor may be realized as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. A person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment pertains will understand that the processor may also be realized in other forms of hardware.

The control unit 110 can control the temperature of the heater 150 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 140 to the heater 150. For example, the control unit 110 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 140 and the heater 150. As a different example, a heating direct circuit may control the power supply to the heater 150 in response to a control command from the control unit 110.

The control unit 110 analyzes the results detected by the detection unit 120 and controls the processing to be executed thereafter. For example, the control unit 110 can control the power supplied to the heater 150 so that the operation of the heater 150 is started or ended based on the results detected by the detection unit 120. For another example, the control unit 110 can control the amount of power supplied to the heater 150 and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater 150 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results detected by the detection unit 120.

The control unit 110 can control the output unit 130 based on the results detected by the detection unit 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted via the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the control unit 110 can notify the user via at least one of the display unit 132, the haptic unit 134, and the audio output unit 136 that the aerosol generating device 100 will soon be shut down.

In one embodiment, the control unit 110 can control the time and/or amount of power supply to the heater 150 depending on the state of the aerosol-generating article detected by the detection unit 120. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is in an overly humid state, the control unit 110 can control the time of power supply to the induction coil to increase the preheating time compared to when the aerosol-generating article is in a normal state.

An embodiment may also be realized in the form of a recording medium including computer executable instructions such as program modules executed by a computer. A computer readable recording medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, including both volatile and non-volatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. A computer readable recording medium may also include both computer storage media and communication media. A computer storage medium may include both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. A communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information transmission medium.

2A and 2B are schematic perspective views of an aerosol-generating article 2 according to various embodiments.

2A and 2B, an aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment includes a first end 2a, a second end 2b, and a length extending from the first end 2a toward the second end 2b. For example, referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first end 2a is the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 2, and the second end 2b is the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 2.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment further includes a medium rod 21 and a filter rod 22. In one embodiment, the medium rod 21 and the filter rod 22 may be aligned along the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the media rod 21 may be positioned upstream of the filter rod 22.

In one embodiment, the medium rod 21 may include a medium. The medium according to one embodiment may include, but is not limited to, a solid substance based on tobacco raw materials such as sheet tobacco, shredded tobacco, or reconstituted tobacco, and a liquid-phase composition based on nicotine, tobacco extract, and/or various flavoring agents, and may include substances such as vitamins, taurine, caffeine, and GABA. The medium rod 21 may also contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. A flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer may also be added to the medium rod 21 by spraying it onto the medium rod 21.

In one embodiment, the filter rod 22 may be, but is not limited to, an acetyl cellulose filter or a paper filter. There is no limitation on the shape of the filter rod 22. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylindrical rod or a tube-type rod including a hollow inside. The filter rod 22 may also be a resease-type rod. If the filter rod 22 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be manufactured into another shape.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment further includes a smoke rod 23. In one embodiment, the smoke rod 23 may be disposed at the upstream end of the medium rod 21. In one embodiment, the smoke rod 23 may include an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The medium rod 21 may also contain other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a moisturizer, may also be added to the medium rod 21 by being sprayed onto the medium rod 21.

The aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment may be packaged in at least one wrapper 24. The wrapper 24 may have at least one hole through which outside air can flow in or the internal gas can flow out. As an example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be packaged in one wrapper 24. As another example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be packaged in two or more wrappers 24 in a redundant manner. For example, the medium rod 21 may be packaged in a first wrapper 241, and the filter rod 22 may be packaged in wrappers 242, 243, and 244. Then, the entire aerosol-generating article 2 may be repackaged in a single wrapper 245. If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be packaged in a wrapper 242, 243, and 244.

The aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment includes at least one capsule C or C2. The capsule C or C2 according to one embodiment may perform a function of generating a flavor or a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule C or C2 has a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring is wrapped in a coating. Such a soft capsule C or C2 may be contained inside at least one of the medium rod 21, the filter rod 22, and the smoke rod 23. The soft capsule C or C2 according to one embodiment may be made of a thermally decomposable material. When the soft capsule C or C2 is made of a thermally decomposable material, the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol generating device moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the aerosol-generating article 2, and the heat sensation is transmitted to the soft capsule C or C2, so that the soft capsule C or C2 is decomposed, and the substance contained inside the capsule may be transferred together with the aerosol. In one embodiment, the soft capsule C or C2 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

Figures 3A-3C are schematic cross-sectional views of aerosol-generating articles 2 according to various embodiments.

Referring to Figures 3A to 3C, the medium rod 21 of the aerosol-generating article 2 according to one embodiment includes a medium portion 211 and an airflow path 212. The airflow path 212 according to one embodiment forms a longitudinal path in the space between the compressed medium portions 211, thereby allowing the medium to smoothly move from the upstream side to the downstream side of the aerosol-generating article 2 by the aerosol.

The medium portion 211 according to one embodiment may include a medium, which may include, but is not limited to, solid substances based on tobacco raw materials, such as sheet tobacco, shredded tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco, and liquid-phase compositions based on nicotine, tobacco extracts, and/or various flavoring agents, and may include substances such as vitamins, taurine, caffeine, and GABA.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the airflow path 212 according to one embodiment may be formed to penetrate the longitudinal direction of the medium portion 211. In one embodiment, the medium rod 21 includes one or more airflow paths 212.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the airflow path 212 according to one embodiment includes a main airflow path 212a formed to pass through the center of the cross section of the medium portion 211, and a sub-airflow path 212b formed around the main airflow path 212a in a direction parallel to the main airflow path. The medium rod 21 may include one or more sub-airflow paths 212b. Still referring to FIG. 3B, the sub-airflow path 212b according to one embodiment may have a cross-sectional area narrower than the cross-sectional area of the main airflow path 212a. The sub-airflow path 212b according to another embodiment may have a cross-sectional area equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the main airflow path 212a.

Referring to FIG. 3C, the airflow path 212 according to an embodiment further includes a side airflow path 212c. In an embodiment, the medium rod 21 may include a wrapper 24 that wraps the medium portion 211. Here, a space that is separated in the longitudinal direction may be formed between the medium portion 211 and the wrapper 24. This separated space may function as the side airflow path 212c according to an embodiment.

In one embodiment, the cross section of the medium portion 211 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 3C) may be any one of a circle, an ellipse, a convex polygon, and a concave polygon. For example, referring to FIG. 3C, the cross section of the medium portion 211 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be a star shape, which is a concave polygon.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 3C, if the cross section of the medium portion 211 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not circular, the medium rod 21 may further include a medium sheet 213 that helps to maintain the shape of the medium portion 211. If the cross section of the medium portion 211 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not circular, multiple side airflow paths 212c are formed between the medium portion 211 and the wrapper 24. The airflow paths 212 allow the medium of the compressed medium portion 211 to be smoothly transferred by the aerosol, so that the medium sheet 213 that wraps the side of the medium portion 211 is preferably made of a permeable material.

In one embodiment, when the medium part 211 has a polygonal shape as shown in FIG. 3C, the amount of medium that is discarded without being sufficiently heated can be reduced by reducing the amount of medium on the outer periphery of the medium part when the medium part 211 is heated by a central heating type heating part.

Figures 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams illustrating an aerosol generating device 3 according to various embodiments.

Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, the aerosol generating device 3 includes a housing 31, an elongated cavity 32, a heating unit 33, a battery 34, and a control unit 35.

In one embodiment, the housing 31 is configured to at least partially house the aerosol-generating article 2 and house various electronic/mechanical components.

In one embodiment, the elongated cavity 32 can at least partially accommodate the aerosol-generating article 2. The aerosol-generating article 2 accommodated in the elongated cavity 32 generates an aerosol by being heated by the heating section 33, and the generated aerosol is inhaled through the mouth of the user.

The heating unit 33 according to one embodiment heats the aerosol-generating article 2 housed in the elongated cavity 32. In one embodiment, the heating unit 33 may include one or more heating elements (e.g., 331 and 332 in FIG. 4B). For example, the heating unit 33 includes a first heating element 331, which is an internal heating type that heats the inside of the medium, i.e., the center, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is housed in the elongated cavity 32, and a second heating element 332, which is an external heating type that heats the outside of the medium, i.e., the outer shell. For example, the first heating element 331 and the second heating element 332 may be any one of a direct heating type, an induction heating type, and a hot air heating type heating element. Preferably, the first heating element 331 may be a blade type, pin type, needle type heating element, or hot air blow type heating element, and the second heating element 332 may be a contact (direct) heating type or an induction heating type heating element, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 4B, in one embodiment, the maximum heating temperature of the first heating element 331 may be lower than the maximum heating temperature of the second heating element 332. The first heating element 331 is an internal heating element, and if the temperature is too high, the medium in direct contact with the first heating element 331 may burn, causing the user to experience a burnt taste. Therefore, by setting the maximum heating temperature of the second heating element 332, which is an external heating element, lower than the maximum heating temperature of the first heating element 331, more uniform heating of the medium in the aerosol-generating article 2 may be possible.

In one embodiment, the battery 34 (e.g., battery 140 in FIG. 1) supplies the power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 3. For example, the battery 34 can supply power to the heating section 33 so that the medium section 211 or the aerosol-forming substrate in the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated, and can supply the power required for the control section 35 (e.g., control section 110 in FIG. 1) to operate. The battery 34 can also supply the power required for the operation of a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 3.

The control unit 35 (e.g., control unit 110 in FIG. 1) according to one embodiment generally controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 3. For example, the control unit 35 may control the power supplied from the battery 34 to the heating unit 33. The control unit 35 also controls the operation of not only the heating unit 33 and the battery 34 but also other components included in the aerosol generating device 3. The control unit 35 may also check the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 3 and determine whether the aerosol generating device 3 is in an operable state.

The control unit 35 includes at least one processor. The processor may be realized as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment pertains will understand that the processor may be realized in another form of hardware.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device 3 including a heating unit 33 according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the heating section 33 included in the aerosol generating device 3 according to one embodiment may be formed to protrude from one end of an elongated cavity (e.g., the elongated cavity 32 shown in FIG. 4A). Here, the heating section 33 includes a heating unit 33a that actually generates heat and a hot air unit 33b that dissipates the air heated by the heating unit 33a to the outside of the heating section. With this structure of the heating section 33, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is accommodated in the elongated cavity 32 of the aerosol generating device 3, the medium and/or the aerosol-forming substrate can be heated more efficiently.

Figures 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating an aerosol generating system according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, an aerosol generating system according to one embodiment includes a medium rod 21 and a filter rod 22. The medium rod 21 includes an aerosol generating article 2 including a medium portion 211 that contains a medium, a main airflow path 212a that is formed in the longitudinal direction by penetrating the center of the medium portion 211, and one or more sub-airflow paths 212b that are formed around the main airflow path 212a in parallel to the main airflow path 212a, and a housing (e.g., the housing 31 shown in FIG. 4A), an elongated cavity (e.g., the elongated cavity 32 shown in FIG. 4A), and an aerosol generating device 3 including a heating section 33 that heats the aerosol generating article 2 contained in the elongated cavity.

6A, the medium contained in the medium portion 211 of the aerosol-generating article 2 is aerosolized by being heated by the heating portion 33, and moves toward the filter rod 22. Here, the aerosolized medium may move downstream along the main airflow path 212a and the sub-airflow path 212b formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium portions 211. Here, the heating portion 33 is shown as a single unit in FIG. 6A, but is not limited thereto. For example, the heating portion 33 of the aerosol generating device 3 may include one or more heating elements (e.g., 331, 332 in FIG. 4B), and for example, the heating portion 33 includes a first heating element 331 of an internal heating type that heats the inside of the medium, i.e., the center portion, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is contained in the elongated cavity 32, and a second heating element 332 of an external heating type that heats the outside of the medium, i.e., the outer shell portion. In one embodiment, the first heating element 331 and the second heating element 332 may be any one of a direct heating type, an induction heating type, and a hot air heating type heating element.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 6A, the medium rod 21 may further include a medium sheet (e.g., medium sheet 213 in FIG. 3C) wrapping the outer surface of the medium portion 211, a wrapper (e.g., wrapper 24 in FIG. 3C) wrapping the medium sheet of the medium rod 21, and a side airflow path 212c formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium sheet 213 and the wrapper 24, and the aerosolized medium can move downstream along the side airflow path 212c together with the main airflow path 212a and the sub-airflow path 212b.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the aerosol-generating article 2 of the aerosol generating system may further include a mist rod 23. In one embodiment, the mist rod 23 may contain an aerosol-forming substrate and be disposed at the upstream end of the medium rod 21. When such an aerosol-generating article 2 is contained in the elongated cavity 32 of the aerosol generating device 3, the heating unit 33 may heat only the mist rod 23 or heat both the medium rod 21 and the mist rod 23 to form a more abundant aerosol that can be transferred to the user's mouth.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and a person having ordinary skill in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from that described, and/or the components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a form different from that described, or may be replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents, and still achieve suitable results.

Accordingly, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. An aerosol-generating article comprising:
a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a length from the first end toward the second end, a media rod and a filter rod aligned along a longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article;
The medium rod is
a medium portion that contains a medium;
one or more airflow paths formed through the longitudinal direction;
a wrapper that encases the medium portion of the medium rod;
Including,
The airflow path is:
A main airflow path formed through the center of the medium portion;
one or more sub-airflow paths formed around and parallel to the main airflow path;
a side airflow path formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium portion and the wrapper;
Including ,
An aerosol-generating article , wherein a cross section of the medium portion in a direction perpendicular to the length thereof is a convex polygon or a concave polygon . The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the sub-airflow path has a cross-sectional area narrower than the cross-sectional area of the main airflow path. further comprising an aerosol rod containing the aerosol-forming substrate;
The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol rod is disposed at an upstream end of the medium rod. the aerosol-generating article further comprises a soft capsule contained within at least one of the medium rod, the filter rod, and the aerosol rod;
The aerosol-generating article according to claim 3 , wherein the soft capsule is made of a thermally decomposable material. 1. An aerosol generation system comprising:
An aerosol-generating article comprising a medium rod and a filter rod, the medium rod comprising a medium portion containing a medium, a wrapper wrapping the medium portion of the medium rod, a main airflow path formed in the longitudinal direction passing through the center of the medium portion, one or more sub-airflow paths formed in parallel to the main airflow path around the main airflow path, and a side airflow path formed in the longitudinal direction between the medium portion and the wrapper , the cross section of the medium portion perpendicular to the length being a convex polygon or a concave polygon ;
an aerosol generating device including a housing, an elongated cavity formed inside the housing for accommodating the aerosol-generating article, and a heating section for heating the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the elongated cavity;
1. An aerosol generating system comprising: The heating unit includes:
a first heating element that is internally heated;
a second heating element that is externally heated;
6. The aerosol generating system of claim 5 , comprising: 7. The aerosol generating system of claim 6 , wherein each of the first heating element and the second heating element is one of a direct heating type, an inductive heating type, and a hot air heating type structure. The aerosol generating system of claim 6 , wherein the maximum heating temperature of the first heating element is lower than the maximum heating temperature of the second heating element. The aerosol generating system according to claim 5 , wherein the aerosol formed by heating the heating section is transported downstream of the aerosol-generating article via the main airflow path , the sub-airflow path and the side airflow path . The medium rod is
The medium sheet further includes a medium sheet that encloses an outer surface of the medium portion,
The aerosol generating system of claim 5 , wherein the side airflow path is formed between the media sheet and the wrapper. The aerosol-generating article further includes an aerosol rod containing an aerosol-forming substrate and disposed at an upstream end of the medium rod;
The aerosol generating system of claim 5 , wherein the fog rod is heated by the heating portion of the aerosol generating device to form an aerosol. The aerosol generating system of claim 5 , wherein the heating portion is configured to protrude at one end of the elongated cavity. The heating unit includes:
A heating unit that generates heat;
A hot air unit that dissipates hot air heated by the heating unit;
13. The aerosol generating system of claim 12 , comprising: