JP7652957B2 - Flavor inhaler - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flavor inhaler.

Conventionally, there is known a flavor inhaler for inhaling flavors and the like without burning a material. The flavor inhaler has, for example, a chamber that contains a flavor-generating article, a heater that heats the flavor-generating article contained in the chamber, and a heat insulating material that suppresses heat transfer from the heater to the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the top and base hold the heat insulating material and sleeve by sandwiching them in the axial direction.

International Publication No. 2020/035454

There is a risk that components placed near the heater will expand due to the heat of the heater. For this reason, if such components are completely fixed, there is a risk that the components will buckle if thermal expansion occurs in the fixed components. In addition, if a component made of a brittle material such as an aerogel sheet is completely fixed to the housing, when an external impact is applied to the flavor inhaler, the impact cannot be cushioned and the impact is transmitted to the component itself, which may destroy the component.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to prevent the components that make up the flavor inhaler from being damaged.

According to the first aspect, a flavor inhaler is provided. This flavor inhaler has a housing, a storage section that is housed in the housing and stores a consumable product, a cylindrical section that surrounds the storage section, and a holding section that holds the cylindrical section so that it can move in the axial direction of the cylindrical section or in a first direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

According to the first embodiment, the cylindrical portion is held by the holding portion so as to be movable in the axial direction or the first direction. That is, the cylindrical portion is not completely fixed, and there is a space in which the cylindrical portion can move, so that the cylindrical portion can thermally expand in this space, and buckling of the cylindrical portion can be suppressed. Even if an external impact is applied to the flavor inhaler, the cylindrical portion can move to cushion the impact, and destruction of the cylindrical portion can be suppressed. Note that in this specification, the cylindrical portion may be a cylindrical body of any shape, such as a cylindrical or angular tube. Also, in this specification, "hold" means restricting the movement of an object so as to position the object within a predetermined area, and is not limited to physically grasping or holding the object.

The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the holding portion includes a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction.

According to the second embodiment, while the cylindrical portion is movable in the first direction, the first restricting portion can restrict the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction. Therefore, the cylindrical portion is prevented from moving endlessly in the first direction, and collision between the cylindrical portion and another member (e.g., a housing or a storage portion) can be prevented.

A third aspect is based on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the first restricting portion is configured to restrict movement of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

According to the third embodiment, the first restricting portion restricts the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first and second directions. Therefore, the cylindrical portion is prevented from moving endlessly in the first and second directions, and collision between the cylindrical portion and another member (e.g., a housing or a storage portion) can be prevented.

The fourth embodiment is similar to the second or third embodiment in that the first restricting portion includes an inner first restricting portion located inside the cylindrical portion.

According to the fourth embodiment, while the cylindrical portion is movable in the first direction, the inner first regulating portion can regulate the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction. This eliminates the need to provide a member on the outside of the cylindrical portion that regulates the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction, and the space required for this can be saved, thereby preventing the flavor inhaler from becoming too large.

The fifth embodiment is based on the fourth embodiment, and is characterized in that, when the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is D1 and the diameter of an imaginary circle circumscribing the first inner restricting portion as viewed in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion is D2, D1>D2.

According to the fifth embodiment, when the inner first restricting portion is disposed inside the tubular portion, a gap is provided between the inner first restricting portion and the tubular portion. This allows the tubular portion to move in the first direction, while the inner first restricting portion can restrict the movement of the tubular portion in the first direction. Note that in this specification, the inner diameter of the tubular portion when the tubular portion is not cylindrical, such as a rectangular tube, refers to the diameter of an imaginary circle inscribed in the inner surface of the tubular portion.

The sixth embodiment is similar to the fifth embodiment, except that the difference between D1 and D2 is 1 mm or less.

According to the sixth embodiment, the inner first restricting portion can be substantially loosely fitted inside the cylindrical portion. This allows the cylindrical portion to move in the first direction while reducing the space required for the cylindrical portion to move. As a result, the flavor inhaler can be prevented from becoming large. In addition, the range in which the cylindrical portion can move can be reduced, preventing the cylindrical portion from significantly shifting from its designed position in the flavor inhaler, and preventing the performance of the flavor inhaler from deviating from its designed performance. In addition, damage to the cylindrical portion caused by the cylindrical portion swinging significantly is prevented.

The seventh embodiment is based on the fifth or sixth embodiment, and is characterized in that the first inner restricting portion has at least two protrusions protruding in the first direction, and the imaginary circle is circumscribed by the at least two protrusions.

According to the seventh embodiment, the convex portion of the inner first restricting portion circumscribes the imaginary circle, and therefore this convex portion can come into contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. In other words, the inner first restricting portion does not come into contact with the entire circumference of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. Therefore, compared to when the inner first restricting portion comes into contact with the entire circumference of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, the transfer of heat from the inner first restricting portion to the cylindrical portion can be suppressed. Therefore, particularly when the storage portion is heated, the inner first restricting portion, which is closer to the storage portion than the cylindrical portion, is suppressed from transferring heat to the cylindrical portion, and as a result, the heat of the storage portion is suppressed from dissipating to the outside.

The eighth form is based on the seventh form, and is characterized in that the convex portion has an apex having a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the cylindrical portion when viewed in the axial direction, the imaginary circle is circumscribing the apex, and when the circumferential length of the imaginary circle is L1 and the total length of the portion of the apex circumscribing the imaginary circle is L2, L1 > L2.

According to the eighth embodiment, the inner first restricting portion does not contact the entire circumference of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. Therefore, compared to when the inner first restricting portion contacts the entire circumference of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, it is possible to suppress the transfer of heat from the inner first restricting portion to the cylindrical portion. Therefore, particularly when the storage portion is heated, the inner first restricting portion, which is closer to the storage portion than the cylindrical portion, is suppressed from transferring heat to the cylindrical portion, and as a result, the heat of the storage portion is suppressed from dissipating to the outside.

The ninth form is the eighth form, with L1 and L2 satisfying L2 < 0.5 x L1.

According to the ninth embodiment, the area of contact between the inner first restricting portion and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion can be made smaller. As a result, the transfer of heat from the inner first restricting portion to the cylindrical portion can be suppressed. Therefore, particularly when the storage portion is heated, the transfer of heat from the inner first restricting portion, which is closer to the storage portion than the cylindrical portion, to the cylindrical portion is more suppressed, and as a result, the dissipation of heat from the storage portion to the outside is more suppressed.

The tenth embodiment is any one of the fourth to sixth embodiments, in which the first inner restricting portion has an annular portion located between the storage portion and the cylindrical portion.

According to the tenth embodiment, when the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the tubular portion is annular like the annular portion, the annular portion can contact the inner surface of the tubular portion over a relatively wide area. Therefore, when the tubular portion comes into contact with the annular portion, the impact applied to the tubular portion from the annular portion is dispersed, and the tubular portion can be prevented from being destroyed.

The eleventh embodiment is the tenth embodiment, in which the annular portion has an outer peripheral surface that faces the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and the outer peripheral surface includes a tapered surface whose outer diameter decreases toward the center of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction.

According to the eleventh embodiment, when the annular portion is positioned inside the cylindrical portion, it is easy to insert the annular portion into the cylindrical portion.

The twelfth embodiment is any one of the second to eleventh embodiments, in which the first restricting portion includes an outer first restricting portion located outside the cylindrical portion.

According to the twelfth embodiment, since the outer first restricting portion is located outside the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion can move in the first direction without providing a member that restricts the movement of the cylindrical portion inside the cylindrical portion, and the outer first restricting portion can restrict the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction. As a result, particularly when the storage portion is heated, by not providing a member that restricts the movement of the cylindrical portion at a position closer to the storage portion than the cylindrical portion, the transfer of heat to the cylindrical portion can be suppressed, and the heat of the storage portion can be suppressed from dissipating to the outside. When the first restricting portion includes an inner first restricting portion and an outer first restricting portion, the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction can be restricted by both the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion. That is, when the cylindrical portion moves in the first direction, both the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion can contact the cylindrical portion at the same time to restrict the movement of the cylindrical portion, so that the impact when the first restricting portion contacts the cylindrical portion is dispersed, and the destruction of the cylindrical portion can be suppressed.

The thirteenth embodiment is a twelfth embodiment that references any one of the fourth to eleventh embodiments, and is characterized in that the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion are positioned so as to overlap in the axial direction.

According to the thirteenth embodiment, the movement of the cylindrical portion in the first direction can be restricted at the same position in the axial direction by both the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion. Therefore, the impact when the first restricting portion contacts the cylindrical portion is dispersed at the same position in the axial direction, and the cylindrical portion can be prevented from being destroyed.

The fourteenth embodiment is the thirteenth embodiment, in which a gap is formed in the first direction between the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion, and the cylindrical portion is accommodated in the gap.

According to the fourteenth embodiment, the tubular portion is positioned in the gap in the first direction and can be held in this gap so as to be movable in the first direction. In other words, the tubular portion is sandwiched between the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion without being fixed thereto.

The fifteenth embodiment is any one of the second to fourteenth embodiments, in which the cylindrical portion has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the first restricting portion is disposed on the inside or outside of at least one of the first end and the second end of the cylindrical portion in the first direction.

The 16th embodiment is similar to the 15th embodiment, except that the first restricting portion is disposed on the inside or outside of both the first end and the second end of the cylindrical portion in the first direction.

According to the sixteenth embodiment, movement in the first direction can be restricted at two locations, the first end and the second end of the cylindrical portion, so that endless movement in the first direction at both ends of the cylindrical portion can be prevented, and collision between the cylindrical portion and other members (e.g., a housing or a storage portion) can be more reliably prevented. In addition, the impact when the first restricting portion comes into contact with the cylindrical portion is dispersed to both ends, and destruction of the cylindrical portion can be suppressed.

The seventeenth embodiment is any one of the first to sixteenth embodiments, in which the cylindrical portion has a base and an insulating layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base.

According to the seventeenth embodiment, it is possible to prevent the base and the insulating layer from being destroyed. In particular, when the insulating layer is made of a brittle material such as an aerogel sheet, the insulating layer is supported by the base, and the base can be held so that the holding part does not come into contact with the insulating layer.

The 18th embodiment is the 17th embodiment, which is a reference to the 14th embodiment, and is characterized in that, at one end of the cylindrical portion, the base portion has a protruding portion that protrudes axially from the insulating layer, and the protruding portion is accommodated in the gap.

According to the 18th embodiment, the movement of the base constituting the tubular portion in the first direction is restricted by the inner first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion. Therefore, by forming the base from a material having a predetermined strength, for example, a resin such as PEEK, it is possible to prevent the tubular portion from being destroyed.

The 19th embodiment is the 17th embodiment, which is a reference to any one of the 12th to 14th embodiments, and is characterized in that the outer first restricting portion does not contact the insulating layer.

According to the 19th embodiment, since no impact is directly applied to the insulating layer from the outer first restricting portion, the insulating layer can be prevented from being destroyed even if the insulating layer is made of a brittle material such as an aerogel sheet.

The 20th embodiment is any one of the first to 19th embodiments, in which the storage section has a cylindrical side wall section, the side wall section has a contact section that contacts the consumable product when the consumable product is stored in the storage section, and a separation section that is adjacent to the contact section in the circumferential direction and spaced apart from the consumable product, and when the consumable product is stored in the storage section, an air flow path is formed between the separation section and the consumable product, which communicates with an end face of the consumable product in the storage section and an opening of the storage section.

According to the 20th embodiment, the air supplied from the opening of the storage section can reach the user's mouth through the air flow path and the end face of the consumable product, so there is no need to provide a separate flow path in the flavor inhaler for introducing the air supplied to the consumable product, and the structure of the flavor inhaler can be simplified.

The gist of the 21st embodiment is that in any one of the 1st to 20th embodiments, a heating section is disposed on the outer periphery of the storage section and configured to heat the consumable product stored in the storage section.

When the consumable product stored in the storage section is heated, there is a risk that the tubular section surrounding the storage section will expand due to the heat from the heating section. According to the 21st embodiment, even if the tubular section expands due to the heat from the heating section, the tubular section can expand into a space in which the tubular section can move, and stress on the tubular section can be suppressed.

The gist of the 22nd embodiment is that in any one of the 1st to 21st embodiments, the holding portion includes a second restricting portion that restricts the movement of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction, and is configured to hold the cylindrical portion so that it can move in the axial direction.

According to the 22nd embodiment, while the cylindrical portion is movable in the axial direction, the axial movement can be restricted by the second restricting portion. Therefore, the cylindrical portion is prevented from moving endlessly in the axial direction, and collision between the cylindrical portion and other members (e.g., a housing or a storage portion) can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a flavor inhaler according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a consumable product; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler taken along the arrows 3-3 in FIG. 1B. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5A-5A of FIG. 4B. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5B-5B of FIG. 4B. FIG. FIG. 5C is the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5B with the consumable placed in a desired location within the chamber. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first holding portion. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heat insulating portion in the XY plane. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the heater cushion. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a second holding portion. FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of a portion A shown in FIG. 12A. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the gasket as viewed from the annular portion side.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

1A is a schematic front view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. In the drawings described in this specification, an X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system may be attached for convenience of explanation. In this coordinate system, the Z axis faces vertically upward, the X-Y plane is arranged to cut the flavor inhaler 100 horizontally, and the Y axis is arranged to extend from the front to the back of the flavor inhaler 100. The Z axis can also be referred to as the insertion direction of the consumable material contained in the chamber 50 of the atomization unit 30 described later, or the axial direction of the cylindrical insulation unit. The X axis can also be referred to as a first direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the Y axis can also be referred to as a second direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the first direction. The X axis can also be referred to as the longitudinal direction of the device on a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the consumable material, or the direction in which the heating unit and the power supply unit are aligned. The Y-axis direction can also be said to be the short side direction of the device on a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the consumable product is inserted.

The flavor inhaler 100 according to this embodiment is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor, for example, by heating a stick-shaped consumable product having a flavor source containing an aerosol source.

As shown in Figs. 1A to 1C, the flavor inhaler 100 has an outer housing 101 (corresponding to an example of a housing), a slide cover 102, and a switch unit 103. The outer housing 101 constitutes the outermost housing of the flavor inhaler 100 and has a size that fits in the user's hand. When using the flavor inhaler 100, the user can hold the flavor inhaler 100 in their hand and inhale the aerosol. The outer housing 101 may be constructed by assembling multiple members. The outer housing 101 can be formed of a resin such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

The outer housing 101 has an opening (not shown) for receiving consumables, and the slide cover 102 is slidably attached to the outer housing 101 to close the opening. Specifically, the slide cover 102 is configured to be movable along the outer surface of the outer housing 101 between a closed position (position shown in Figs. 1A and 1B) in which the opening of the outer housing 101 is closed, and an open position in which the opening is open. For example, a user can manually operate the slide cover 102 to move the slide cover 102 between the closed position and the open position. This allows or restricts access of consumables to the inside of the slide cover 102 and the flavor inhaler 100.

The switch unit 103 is used to switch the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 on and off. For example, a user can insert a consumable material into the flavor inhaler 100 and operate the switch unit 103 to supply power from a power source (not shown) to a heating unit (not shown), thereby heating the consumable material without burning it. The switch unit 103 may be a switch provided outside the outer housing 101, or may be a switch located inside the outer housing 101. When the switch is located inside the outer housing 101, the switch is indirectly pressed by pressing the switch unit 103 on the surface of the outer housing 101. In this embodiment, an example in which the switch of the switch unit 103 is located inside the outer housing 101 will be described.

The flavor inhaler 100 may further have a terminal (not shown). The terminal may be an interface that connects the flavor inhaler 100 to, for example, an external power source. If the power source of the flavor inhaler 100 is a rechargeable battery, connecting the external power source to the terminal allows the external power source to pass a current through the power source and charge the power source. In addition, the flavor inhaler 100 may be configured to transmit data related to the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 to an external device by connecting a data transmission cable to the terminal.

Next, the consumable material used in the flavor inhaler 100 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the consumable material 110. In this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 100 and the consumable material 110 may form a smoking system. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the consumable material 110 has a smokable article 111, a tubular member 114, a hollow filter portion 116, and a filter portion 115. The smokable article 111 is wrapped in a first wrapping paper 112. The tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115 are wrapped in a second wrapping paper 113 that is different from the first wrapping paper 112. The second wrapping paper 113 also wraps a portion of the first wrapping paper 112 that wraps the smokable article 111. This connects the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115 to the smokable article 111. However, the second cigarette paper 113 may be omitted, and the tubular member 114, hollow filter portion 116, and filter portion 115 may be connected to the smokable article 111 using the first cigarette paper 112. A lip release agent 117 is applied to the outer surface of the second cigarette paper 113 near the end portion on the filter portion 115 side to prevent the user's lips from sticking to the second cigarette paper 113. The portion of the consumer product 110 to which the lip release agent 117 is applied functions as the mouthpiece of the consumer product 110.

The smokable article 111 may include a flavor source, such as tobacco, and an aerosol source. The first wrapping paper 112 that wraps the smokable article 111 may be a breathable sheet member. The tubular member 114 may be a paper tube or a hollow filter. In the illustrated example, the consumable product 110 includes the smokable article 111, the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115, but the configuration of the consumable product 110 is not limited to this. For example, the hollow filter portion 116 may be omitted, and the tubular member 114 and the filter portion 115 may be disposed adjacent to each other.

Next, the internal structure of the flavor inhaler 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler 100 in the direction of the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1B. As shown in FIG. 3, an inner housing 10 (corresponding to an example of a housing) is provided inside the outer housing 101 of the flavor inhaler 100. The inner housing 10 is made of resin, for example, and may be formed of polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (polyether ether ketone) or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers, or a metal such as aluminum. From the viewpoint of heat resistance and strength, it is preferable that the inner housing 10 is formed of PEEK. However, the material of the inner housing 10 is not particularly limited. A power supply unit 20 and an atomization unit 30 are provided in the internal space of the inner housing 10. The outer housing 101 may be made of resin, for example, polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers, or may be made of a metal such as aluminum.

The power supply unit 20 has a power supply 21. The power supply 21 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The power supply 21 is electrically connected to the atomization unit 30. This allows the power supply 21 to supply power to the atomization unit 30 so as to appropriately heat the consumable product 110.

As shown in the figure, the atomizing unit 30 has a chamber 50 (corresponding to an example of a storage unit) extending in the insertion direction (Z-axis direction) of the consumable product 110, a heating unit 40 surrounding a part of the chamber 50, a heat insulating unit 32 (corresponding to an example of a cylindrical unit), and a substantially cylindrical insertion guide member 34. The chamber 50 is configured to store the consumable product 110. The heating unit 40 is configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the chamber 50 and heat the consumable product 110 stored in the chamber 50. As shown in the figure, a bottom member 36 may be provided at the bottom of the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may function as a stopper for positioning the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 has an uneven surface on which the consumable product 110 abuts, and may define a space that can supply air to the surface on which the consumable product 110 abuts. The bottom member 36 may be made of, for example, a resin material such as PEEK, metal, glass, ceramic, or the like, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the material constituting the bottom member 36 may be a material having lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the chamber 50. When joining the bottom member 36 to the bottom 56 (see FIG. 4B ) of the chamber 50, an adhesive that may be made of a resin material such as an epoxy resin or an inorganic material may be used. The chamber 50 and the heating unit 40 will be described in detail later.

The heat insulating section 32 is generally cylindrical and is disposed so as to surround the chamber 50. The heat insulating section 32 may include, for example, an aerogel sheet. The insertion guide member 34 is formed of a resin material such as PEEK, PC, or ABS, and is provided between the slide cover 102 in the closed position and the chamber 50. In this embodiment, since the insertion guide member 34 may come into contact with the chamber 50, it is preferable that the insertion guide member 34 is formed of PEEK from the viewpoint of heat resistance. When the slide cover 102 is in the open position, the insertion guide member 34 communicates with the outside of the flavor inhaler 100, and guides the insertion of the consumable product 110 into the chamber 50 by inserting the consumable product 110 into the insertion guide member 34.

Next, the structure of the chamber 50 will be described. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the chamber 50. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 4B-4B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 5A-5A in FIG. 4B. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 5B-5B in FIG. 4B. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chamber 50 and the heating unit 40. As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the chamber 50 may be a cylindrical member including an opening 52 into which the consumable product 110 is inserted and a cylindrical side wall portion 60 that houses the consumable product 110. The chamber 50 is preferably made of a material that is heat resistant and has a small coefficient of thermal expansion, and may be made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, a resin such as PEEK, glass, or ceramic.

4B and 5B, the side wall portion 60 includes a contact portion 62 and a separation portion 66. When the consumable product 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50, the contact portion 62 contacts or presses a part of the consumable product 110, and the separation portion 66 is separated from the consumable product 110. In this specification, the "desired position in the chamber 50" refers to a position where the consumable product 110 is appropriately heated, or the position of the consumable product 110 when the user smokes. The contact portion 62 has an inner surface 62a and an outer surface 62b. The separation portion 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b. As shown in FIG. 6, the heating portion 40 is placed on the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62. It is preferable that the heating portion 40 is placed on the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 without any gaps. The heating portion 40 may include an adhesive layer. In this case, it is preferable that the heating section 40 including the adhesive layer is arranged without any gaps on the outer surface 62b of the contact section 62.

As shown in Figures 4A and 5B, the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 is flat. By having the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 be flat, when the strip-shaped electrode 48 is connected to the heating portion 40 arranged on the outer surface 62b of the contact portion 62 as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to prevent the strip-shaped electrode 48 from bending. As shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62 is flat. Also, as shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the thickness of the contact portion 62 is uniform.

As shown in Figures 4A, 4B, and 5B, the chamber 50 has two contact portions 62 in the circumferential direction of the chamber 50, and the two contact portions 62 face each other so as to be parallel to each other. It is preferable that at least a part of the distance between the inner surfaces 62a of the two contact portions 62 is smaller than the width of the portion of the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50 that is disposed between the contact portions 62.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the inner surface 66a of the spaced portion 66 may have an overall arc-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50. In addition, the spaced portion 66 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the contact portion 62 in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the chamber 50 may have a hole 56a in its bottom 56 so that the bottom member 36 shown in FIG. 3 can pass through and be placed inside the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may be fixed to the inside of the bottom 56 of the chamber 50 by adhesive or the like. The bottom member 36 provided on the bottom 56 may support a part of the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50 so that at least a part of the end face of the consumable product 110 is exposed. The bottom 56 may also support a part of the consumable product 110 so that the exposed end face of the consumable product 110 communicates with a void 67 (see FIG. 7) described below.

As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 preferably has a cylindrical portion 54 between the opening 52 and the side wall portion 60. When the consumable product 110 is positioned at a desired position in the chamber 50, a gap may be formed between the cylindrical portion 54 and the consumable product 110. Also, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 preferably has a first guide portion 58 with a tapered surface 58a that connects the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 54 and the inner surface 62a of the contact portion 62.

6, the heating unit 40 has a heating element 42. The heating element 42 may be, for example, a heating track. The heating element 42 is preferably arranged so as to heat the contact portion 62 without contacting the separation portion 66 of the chamber 50. In other words, the heating element 42 is preferably arranged only on the outer surface of the contact portion 62. The heating element 42 may have a difference in heating capacity between the portion that heats the separation portion 66 of the chamber 50 and the portion that heats the contact portion 62. Specifically, the heating element 42 may be configured to heat the contact portion 62 to a higher temperature than the separation portion 66. For example, the arrangement density of the heating track of the heating element 42 in the contact portion 62 and the separation portion 66 may be adjusted. In addition, the heating element 42 may have approximately the same heating capacity around the entire circumference of the chamber 50 and be wound around the outer periphery of the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit 40 preferably has, in addition to the heating element 42, an electrically insulating member 44 that covers at least one surface of the heating element 42. In this embodiment, the electrical insulation member 44 is arranged to cover both sides of the heating element 42.

7 is a cross-sectional view of the consumable product 110 shown in FIG. 5B when the consumable product 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 7, when the consumable product 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50, the consumable product 110 can be pressed against the contact portion 62 of the chamber 50. On the other hand, a gap 67 is formed between the consumable product 110 and the spaced portion 66. The gap 67 can communicate with the opening 52 of the chamber 50 and the end face of the consumable product 110 positioned in the chamber 50. This allows air flowing in from the opening 52 of the chamber 50 to pass through the gap 67 and flow into the inside of the consumable product 110. In other words, an air flow path (gap 67) is formed between the consumable product 110 and the spaced portion 66.

Next, the holding mode of the heat insulating part 32 in this embodiment will be described in detail. If the heat insulating part 32 surrounding the chamber 50 is completely fixed to the inner housing 10 or the outer housing 101, when an impact from the outside is applied to the flavor inhaler 100, the heat insulating part 32 may be destroyed without being able to buffer the impact. In addition, if the heat insulating part 32 expands due to the heat of the chamber 50 (or the heating part 40), the fixed heat insulating part may buckle due to the thermal expansion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 100 has a first holding part 37 and a second holding part 38 (each corresponding to an example of a holding part) that hold the heat insulating part 32 movably in the axial direction of the chamber 50 or in a first direction perpendicular to this axial direction (for example, the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction). In this specification, an example in which the first holding part 37 and the second holding part 38 hold the heat insulating part 32 movably in the axial direction and the first direction of the chamber 50 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat insulating part 32 may be held movably only in the axial direction or only in the first direction. Additionally, the first retaining portion 37 and the second retaining portion 38 can be formed from an elastomer such as silicone rubber.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first holding part 37 holds the first end 39a on the terminal side (Z-axis negative side) of the heat insulating part 32 so that it can move in the axial direction or the first direction of the chamber 50. The second holding part 38 holds the second end 39b on the slide cover 102 side (Z-axis positive side) of the heat insulating part 32 so that it can move in the axial direction or the first direction of the chamber 50. That is, in this embodiment, the heat insulating part 32 is not completely fixed, and the flavor inhaler 100 has a space for the heat insulating part 32 to move. Therefore, even if the heat insulating part 32 expands due to the heat from the heating part 40, the heat insulating part 32 can expand in this space, and the heat insulating part 32 can be prevented from buckling. In addition, even if an impact is applied to the flavor inhaler 100 from the outside, the heat insulating part 32 can move to cushion the impact, and the heat insulating part 32 can be prevented from being destroyed.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first holding portion 37. As shown in the figure, the bottom member 36 provided inside the bottom 56 of the chamber 50 has a shaft portion 36a that protrudes to the outside of the chamber 50 through a hole 56a in the chamber 50. The flavor inhaler 100 has a substantially cylindrical bottom member cap 72 that receives the shaft portion 36a of the bottom member 36. The bottom member cap 72 has a flange portion 72a at one end on the chamber 50 side.

The heat insulating section 32 has a support material 32a (corresponding to an example of a base) and a heat insulating layer 32b provided on the outer periphery of the support material 32a. Here, the outer periphery of the support material 32a refers to the side of the support material 32a opposite to the side facing the chamber 50. The support material 32a is, for example, approximately cylindrical and is arranged to surround the chamber 50. The support material 32a may be formed of, for example, a resin such as PEEK, a metal such as stainless steel, paper, or glass. Not limited to this, the support material 32a may be formed of any material that can be cylindrical. The heat insulating layer 32b may be, for example, an aerogel sheet. In this embodiment, the heat insulating layer 32b may be fixed to the outer surface of the support material 32a with an adhesive or the like. In addition, the heat insulating layer 32b may be adhered or fixed to the outer surface of the support material 32a via a PI (polyimide) base material having a silicone adhesive layer on both sides. The heat insulating section 32 may further have a heat shrink tube 32c arranged on the outer surface of the heat insulating layer 32b. The shrink tube 32c may be formed of a thermoplastic resin such as PFA or FEP. In this embodiment, the heat shrink tube 32c is used to maintain the state in which the insulating layer 32b is in contact with the support material 32a, but this is not limited to this, and any material that can achieve the same purpose may be used. For example, an elastic tube or the like may be used instead of the heat shrink tube 32c. As the elastic tube, a heat-resistant tape (e.g., PI tape) or a coating agent (e.g., varnish) may be used. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the support material 32a may have a protrusion 33 that protrudes axially from the insulating layer 32b at one end of the insulating portion 32.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the insulating section 32 in the X-Y plane. As shown in Figure 9, the support material 32a, the insulating layer 32b, and the heat shrink tube 32c that constitute the insulating section 32 are generally annular. The support material 32a has an inner diameter D1 and an outer diameter D4. The support material 32a also has a circumferential length L1' of the inner surface. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the insulating section 32 is cylindrical, but is not limited to this and may be any shape, such as a square tube.

8, the first holding portion 37 includes a ring 80 (corresponding to an example of the first restricting portion and the inner first restricting portion) and a heater cushion 74 (corresponding to an example of the first restricting portion and the outer first restricting portion). The ring 80 is located in a position overlapping the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32 in the axial direction and is located inside the support material 32a in the first direction. At least a portion of the heater cushion 74, specifically the peripheral wall portion 75 shown in FIG. 11, is located in a position overlapping the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32 in the axial direction and is located outside the support material 32a in the first direction. The ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 sandwich the heat insulating portion 32 with a gap between them, thereby restricting the movement of the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction and holding the heat insulating portion 32 movable in the first direction. This prevents the heat insulating section 32 from moving endlessly in the first direction, and prevents the heat insulating section 32 from colliding with other components (e.g., the inner housing 10 or the chamber 50).

Next, the details of the ring 80 will be described. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the ring 80. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the ring 80 has an opening 80a into which the bottom member cap 72 is inserted, and can be fixed by being sandwiched between the flange portion 72a of the bottom member cap 72 and the heater cushion 74. As shown in FIG. 10, the ring 80 has a ring body 81 that defines the opening 80a, and at least two (three in the illustrated example) convex portions 82, 83, and 84 that protrude from the ring body 81 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the chamber 50. In the plan view shown in FIG. 10, the convex portions 83 and 84 are provided at positions of -90° and +90° from the convex portion 82 in the circumferential direction, respectively, with respect to the center of the opening 80a of the ring 80. Also, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the ring 80 has a notch portion 85 to form a space into which the electrode 48 of the heating unit 40 extends. By providing the notch 85 in the ring 80, the electrode 48 of the heating unit 40 can extend approximately parallel to the axial direction.

When viewed from the axial direction, i.e., on the plane shown in FIG. 10, the convex portions 82, 83, and 84 respectively have apexes 82a, 83a, and 84a that have shapes corresponding to the inner surface of the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32. When viewed from the axial direction, i.e., on the plane shown in FIG. 10, the diameter of an imaginary circle circumscribing the convex portions 82, 83, and 84 of the ring 80 is diameter D21. In other words, this imaginary circle circumscribing the apexes 82a, 83a, and 84a.

Here, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the diameter D21 of the imaginary circle circumscribing the ring 80 is smaller than the inner diameter D1 of the support material 32a of the insulating section 32 (i.e., it is preferable that D1>D21). That is, when the ring 80 is placed inside the insulating section 32, a gap is provided between the ring 80 and the insulating section 32. As a result, while the insulating section 32 is movable in the first direction, the insulating section 32 comes into contact with the ring 80 by moving in the first direction, and the movement of the insulating section 32 in the first direction can be restricted by the ring 80.

In addition, in this embodiment, the convex portions 82, 83, and 84 of the ring 80 are circumscribed by the imaginary circle, so that the convex portions 82, 83, and 84 can contact the inner surface of the insulating portion 32 when the insulating portion 32 moves in the first direction. That is, the ring 80 does not contact the entire circumference of the inner surface of the insulating portion 32. Therefore, compared to the case where the ring 80 contacts the entire circumference of the inner surface of the insulating portion 32, the transfer of heat from the ring 80 to the insulating portion 32 can be suppressed. Therefore, particularly when the chamber 50 is heated, the ring 80, which is closer to the chamber 50 than the insulating portion 32, is suppressed from transferring heat to the insulating portion 32, and as a result, the heat of the chamber 50 is suppressed from dissipating to the outside.

The difference between the inner diameter D1 and the diameter D21 is preferably 1 mm or less. This allows the ring 80 to be substantially loosely fitted inside the insulating part 32, so that the space required for the insulating part 32 to move can be reduced while the insulating part 32 can move in the first direction. As a result, the size of the flavor inhaler 100 can be prevented from increasing. In addition, the movable range of the insulating part 32 can be reduced, so that the position of the insulating part 32 in the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from being significantly shifted from the designed position, and the performance of the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from deviating from the designed performance.

When the total circumferential length of the apex 82a, apex 83a, and apex 84a of the ring 80 (the length of the portion circumscribing the imaginary circle of the ring 80) is taken as length L2, it is preferable that length L2 is smaller than the circumferential length L1' (see FIG. 9) of the inner surface of the support material 32a of the insulating section 32 (i.e., it is preferable that L1'>L2). That is, it is preferable that the ring 80 does not contact the entire inner surface of the insulating section 32. In this case, it is possible to suppress the transfer of heat from the ring 80 to the insulating section 32, compared to when the ring 80 contacts the entire inner surface of the insulating section 32.

In addition, when the circumferential length of the virtual circle circumscribing the ring 80 shown in FIG. 10 is L1, it is preferable that the length L1 is greater than the length L2, which is the sum of the circumferential lengths of the apexes 82a, 83a, and 84a of the ring 80 (the length of the portion of the ring 80 circumscribing the virtual circle) (i.e., L1>L2). In this case, the length of the portion where the ring 80 approaches the heat insulating section 32 is shorter than when the outer periphery of the ring 80 is circular in the plan view shown in FIG. 10, so that the transfer of heat from the ring 80 to the heat insulating section 32 can be suppressed. Therefore, when the chamber 50 is heated, the ring 80, which is closer to the chamber 50 than the heat insulating section 32, is suppressed from transferring heat to the heat insulating section 32, and as a result, the heat of the chamber 50 is suppressed from dissipating to the outside.

It is more preferable that the length L1 and the length L2 satisfy L2 < 0.5 × L1 . This allows the length of the portion where the ring 80 is close to the inner surface of the heat insulating section 32 to be shorter. As a result, the heat of the ring 80 can be further suppressed from being transmitted to the heat insulating section 32. It is also most preferable that the length L1 and the length L2 satisfy 0.2 × L1 < L2 < 0.4 × L1 . If the length L2 is 0.2 × L1 or less, the ring 80 may be deformed, and the axes (central axes) of the chamber 50 and the heat insulating section 32 may not be aligned. By making the length L2 more than 0.2 × L1 and less than 0.4 × L1 , the axial positions of the chamber 50 and the heat insulating section 32 can be appropriately maintained while the outflow of heat is more efficiently suppressed.

The ring 80 comes into contact with the convex portion 82 when the heat insulating portion 32 moves in an arbitrary first direction, and therefore can restrict the movement of the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction. It is also preferable that the ring 80 restricts the movement in the axial direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Specifically, it is preferable that the ring 80 has a convex portion 83 or a convex portion 84, and when the heat insulating portion 32 moves in the axial direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the arbitrary first direction, the convex portion 83 or the convex portion 84 comes into contact with the heat insulating portion 32 and restricts the movement in the second direction as well. This prevents the heat insulating portion 32 from moving endlessly in the first direction and the second direction, and prevents the heat insulating portion 32 from colliding with other members (e.g., the inner housing 10 or the chamber 50).

In addition, because the ring 80 is located inside the insulating section 32, it is possible to eliminate the space required to provide a member (e.g., a heater cushion 74) that restricts the movement of the insulating section 32 outside the insulating section 32, and the size of the flavor inhaler 100 can be prevented from increasing.

Next, the heater cushion 74 will be described. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the heater cushion 74. The heater cushion 74 can be formed of an elastic material such as rubber. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 11, the heater cushion 74 has a central recess 74a, an annular protrusion 74b, a flat portion 74c, and a peripheral wall portion 75. The central recess 74a is configured to accommodate and support one end of the bottom member cap 72. The annular protrusion 74b defines the central recess 74a and, together with the flange portion 72a of the bottom member cap 72, holds the ring 80 in the axial direction.

The flat portion 74c extends from the annular protrusion 74b toward the outside in the first direction while moving away from the ring 80. The peripheral wall portion 75 extends in the positive direction of the Z axis from the outermost periphery of the flat portion 74c and is located on the outer periphery side of the protrusion 33 of the support material 32a. As shown in FIG. 11, the diameter of a virtual circle inscribed in the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 75 of the heater cushion 74 when viewed from the axial direction is diameter D3. In this embodiment, it is preferable that this diameter D3 is larger than the outer diameter D4 of the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32 (i.e., D3>D4). In other words, when the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32 is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 75 of the heater cushion 74, a gap is provided between the support material 32a and the peripheral wall portion 75. As a result, while the heat insulating portion 32 is movable in the first direction, the heat insulating portion 32 moves in the first direction to come into contact with the peripheral wall portion 75, and the heater cushion 74 can restrict the movement of the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction.

The difference between the diameter D3 and the outer diameter D4 is preferably 1 mm or less. This allows the support material 32a to be substantially loosely fitted inside the peripheral wall portion 75, so that the space required for the movement of the heat insulating portion 32 can be reduced while the heat insulating portion 32 is movable in the first direction. As a result, the size of the flavor inhaler 100 can be prevented from increasing. In addition, the range in which the heat insulating portion 32 can move can be reduced, so that the position of the heat insulating portion 32 in the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from being significantly shifted from the designed position, and the performance of the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from deviating from the designed performance.

By positioning the peripheral wall portion 75 of the heater cushion 74 outside the insulating portion 32, the insulating portion 32 can move in the first direction, and the peripheral wall portion 75 can restrict the movement of the insulating portion 32 in the first direction, even if a member (e.g., ring 80) that restricts the movement of the insulating portion 32 is not provided inside the insulating portion 32. In particular, when the chamber 50 is heated, it is not necessary to provide a member (e.g., ring 80) that restricts the movement of the insulating portion 32 at a position closer to the chamber 50 than the insulating portion 32. Therefore, the transfer of heat to the insulating portion 32 via the member is restricted, and as a result, the heat of the chamber 50 is restricted from dissipating to the outside.

In addition, when the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 are provided as in this embodiment, the movement of the heat insulating part 32 in the first direction can be restricted by both the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74. That is, when the heat insulating part 32 moves in the first direction, both the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 come into contact with the heat insulating part 32 at the same time, and the movement of the heat insulating part 32 can be restricted. Therefore, the impact when the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 come into contact with the heat insulating part 32 is dispersed, and the heat insulating part 32 can be prevented from being destroyed. In this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 100 has the ring 80 and the peripheral wall part 75 of the heater cushion 74, but is not limited to this, and may have only one of them.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ring 80 and the peripheral wall portion 75 of the heater cushion 74 are preferably arranged in a position where they overlap in the axial direction. This allows both the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 to restrict movement of the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction at the same position in the axial direction. Therefore, the impact when the ring 80 and the heater cushion 74 come into contact with the heat insulating portion 32 is dispersed at the same position in the axial direction, and destruction of the heat insulating portion 32 can be suppressed.

Since the diameter D21 of the ring 80 is smaller than the diameter D3 of the imaginary circle of the peripheral wall portion 75, as shown in FIG. 8, a gap S1 in the first direction is formed between the ring 80 and the peripheral wall portion 75 of the heater cushion 74. The protrusion 33 of the support material 32a is accommodated in this gap S1. Therefore, the protrusion 33 of the support material 32a can be held in this gap S1 so as to be movable in the first direction. In other words, the protrusion 33 of the support material 32a is sandwiched between the ring 80 and the peripheral wall portion 75 without being fixed. Therefore, by forming the support material 32a from a material having a predetermined strength, for example, a resin such as PEEK, it is possible to prevent the insulation portion 32 from being destroyed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the peripheral wall portion 75 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the insulating layer 32b of the insulating portion 32. This prevents the peripheral wall portion 75 from directly impacting the insulating layer 32b, so that even if the insulating layer 32b is made of a brittle material such as an aerogel sheet, the insulating layer 32b can be prevented from being destroyed.

The heater cushion 74 may have an end face support portion 76 that can contact the end face of the protruding portion 33 of the support material 32a. As described below, the end face support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74 can cooperate with the gasket 90 of the second holding portion 38 to hold the insulating portion 32 movably in the axial direction.

Figure 12A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second holding portion 38. Figure 12B is an enlarged view of part A shown in Figure 12A. As shown in Figure 12A, in this embodiment, the second holding portion 38 includes a gasket 90 arranged around the cylindrical portion 54 of the chamber 50. The gasket 90 includes an annular portion 92 arranged between the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32 when viewed from the axial direction (Z-axis direction), and a flange portion 90a having an outer diameter larger than that of the annular portion 92. "Between the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32" means a gap between the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction, and "arranged between the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32" means that the annular portion 92 is positioned so as to overlap the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction) and is sandwiched between the chamber 50 and the heat insulating portion 32. The annular portion 92 has an outer peripheral surface 92a that faces the inner surface of the heat insulating portion 32, i.e., the inner surface of the support material 32a.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the gasket 90 seen from the annular portion 92 side. As shown in Figure 13, the diameter of a virtual circle circumscribing the outer circumferential surface 92a of the annular portion 92 is taken as diameter D22. Here, in this embodiment, it is preferable that this diameter D22 is smaller than the inner diameter D1 (see Figure 9) of the support material 32a of the heat insulating portion 32 (i.e., it is preferable that D1>D22). In other words, when the annular portion 92 is disposed inside the heat insulating portion 32, a gap is provided between the annular portion 92 and the heat insulating portion 32. As a result, while the heat insulating portion 32 is movable in the first direction, the heat insulating portion 32 moves in the first direction to come into contact with the outer circumferential surface 92a of the annular portion 92, and the movement of the heat insulating portion 32 in the first direction can be restricted by the annular portion 92. Also, as in this embodiment, when the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the heat insulating portion 32 is annular like the annular portion 92, the annular portion 92 can come into contact with the inner surface of the heat insulating portion 32 over a relatively wide area. This disperses the impact that the annular portion 92 exerts on the insulating portion 32 when the insulating portion 32 comes into contact with the annular portion 92, preventing the insulating portion 32 from being destroyed.

The difference between the inner diameter D1 and the diameter D22 is preferably 1 mm or less. This allows the annular portion 92 of the gasket 90 to be substantially loosely fitted inside the heat insulating portion 32, so that the space required for the heat insulating portion 32 to move can be reduced while the heat insulating portion 32 can move in the first direction. As a result, the size of the flavor inhaler 100 can be prevented from increasing. In addition, the range in which the heat insulating portion 32 can move can be reduced, so that the heat insulating portion 32 in the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from significantly shifting from its designed position, and the performance of the flavor inhaler 100 is prevented from deviating from its designed performance.

As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface 92a of the annular portion 92 includes a tapered surface 92a such that the outer diameter decreases as it approaches the center of the chamber 50 in the axial direction. This makes it easier to insert the annular portion 92 into the insulating portion 32 when the annular portion 92 is disposed inside the insulating portion 32.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12A, the flange portion 90a of the gasket 90 may contact the end surface of the support material 32a of the heat insulating section 32. As shown in FIG. 12B, the support material 32a protrudes slightly toward the flange portion 90a beyond the heat insulating layer 32b. Therefore, when the flange portion 90a contacts the support material 32a, the flange portion 90a is configured not to contact the heat insulating layer 32b. The flange portion 90a of the gasket 90 and the end surface support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74 shown in FIG. 8 can hold the heat insulating section 32 movably in the axial direction and can restrict the axial movement of the heat insulating section 32. Specifically, the gasket 90 and the heater cushion 74 can be positioned so that the axial distance L3 between the flange portion 90a and the end surface support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74 is greater than the axial length L4 of the support material 32a of the heat insulating section 32. That is, in this embodiment, the distance L3 can be set to be greater than the length L4. In the state shown in FIG. 12B, the support material 32a is supported in contact with the end surface support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74 shown in FIG. 8, so a small gap is formed between the support material 32a and the flange portion 90a. This allows the heat insulating portion 32 to move axially between the flange portion 90a of the gasket 90 and the end surface support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74. In addition, the flange portion 90a and the end surface support portion 76 restrict the axial movement of the heat insulating portion 32. This prevents the heat insulating portion 32 from moving endlessly in the axial direction, and prevents the heat insulating portion 32 from colliding with other members (e.g., the inner housing 10 or the chamber 50).

On the other hand, the gasket 90 and the heater cushion 74 may be positioned so that the axial distance between the flange portion 90a and the end face support portion 76 of the heater cushion 74 is substantially the same as the axial length of the support material 32a of the insulation portion 32. In this case, both ends of the support material 32a of the insulation portion 32 contact both the flange portion 90a and the end face support portion 76, respectively. Even in this case, although frictional forces from the flange portion 90a and the end face support portion 76 are applied to the support material 32a, the insulation portion 32 can move in the first direction.

In this embodiment, the ring 80 is disposed inside the first end 39a of the heat insulating part 32, the peripheral wall part 75 of the heater cushion 74 is disposed outside the first end 39a, and the gasket 90 is disposed inside the second end 39b of the heat insulating part 32. This makes it possible to restrict the movement of the heat insulating part 32 in the first direction at two locations, the first end 39a and the second end 39b of the heat insulating part 32. This prevents the heat insulating part 32 from moving endlessly in the first direction at both ends of the heat insulating part 32, and more reliably prevents the heat insulating part 32 from colliding with other members (e.g., the inner housing 10 or the chamber 50). In addition, the impact when the ring 80, the heater cushion 74, or the gasket 90 contact the heat insulating part 32 is dispersed to both ends, and the heat insulating part 32 can be prevented from being destroyed. However, this is not limited to the above, and a member that restricts movement of the insulation section 32 in the first direction may be provided on at least one of the inside and outside of only one of the first end 39a and the second end 39b of the insulation section 32.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, specification, and drawings. Any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical ideas of the present invention as long as it achieves the action and effect of the present invention. For example, the flavor inhaler 100 of this embodiment has a so-called counter-flow type air flow path in which air flowing in from the opening 52 of the chamber 50 is supplied to the end face of the consumable product 110, but is not limited to this, and may have a so-called bottom-flow type air flow path in which air is supplied into the chamber 50 from the bottom 56 of the chamber 50. In addition, the heating element 42 is not limited to a resistance heating type, and may be an induction heating type. In that case, the heating element 42 can heat the chamber 50 by induction heating. In addition, if the consumable product 110 has a susceptor, the heating element 42 can heat the susceptor of the consumable product 110 by induction heating.

10: Inner housing 32: Insulation portion 32a: Support material 32b: Insulation layer 33: Protrusion 37: First holding portion 38: Second holding portion 39a: First end 39b: Second end 40: Heating portion 42: Heating element 50: Chamber 60: Side wall portion 62: Contact portion 66: Separation portion 67: Gap 74: Heater cushion 75: Peripheral wall portion 76: End surface support portion 80: Ring 82: Convex portion 82a: Top portion 83: Convex portion 83a: Top portion 84: Convex portion 84a: Top portion 90: Gasket 90a: Flange portion 92: Annular portion 92a: Outer peripheral surface 100: Flavor inhaler 101: Outer housing 110: Consumable material D1: Inner diameter D2: Diameter D3: Diameter D4 : Outer diameter S1 : Gap

Claims (15)

Housing and
a receiving portion received within the housing and having a first opening into which a consumable product is inserted;
a cylindrical portion having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and surrounding the storage portion, the first end being farther from the first opening than the second end;
a first holding portion that holds the first end of the cylindrical portion;
a second holding portion that holds the second end of the cylindrical portion,
The cylindrical portion has a base and a heat insulating layer provided on an outer circumferential side of the base,
The first holding portion has a flat portion extending in a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction,
the second holding portion has an annular portion disposed between the accommodation portion and the cylindrical portion as viewed in the axial direction, and a flange portion having an outer diameter larger than that of the annular portion,
A flavor inhaler, wherein a distance in the axial direction between the flange portion and the flat portion is greater than a length of the base portion in the axial direction. The flavor inhaler according to claim 1,
The base has a protrusion that protrudes from the insulating layer in the axial direction and constitutes the first end of the tubular portion. The flavor inhaler according to claim 1 or 2,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the base protrudes toward the flange portion beyond the insulating layer. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flavor inhaler, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the annular portion includes a tapered surface whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches a center of the storage portion in the axial direction. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the insulating layer comprises an aerogel. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the container is made of metal. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the cylindrical portion has a resin disposed on an outer surface of the insulating layer. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The first holding portion includes a portion that is positioned to overlap the base in the axial direction and is located inside the base in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A bottom member is provided at a bottom of the storage portion,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the storage portion and the bottom member are formed of separate members. The flavor inhaler according to claim 9,
the bottom member has a shaft portion protruding from the bottom portion of the housing portion,
The flavor inhaler has a cylindrical member that receives the shaft portion. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The storage portion has a second opening formed opposite the first opening. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the storage portion is spaced apart from the cylindrical portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
An induction heating type flavor inhaler. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The flat portion includes a support portion that supports the base. A smoking system comprising a flavor inhaler as described in any one of claims 1 to 14 and a consumable.