JP7763788B2 - Aerosol-generating device for heating smokable material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device configured to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one vaporizable component of the smokable material.

The popularity and use of risk-reducing or risk-modifying devices (also known as vaporizers) has grown rapidly in recent years as an aid to assisting regular smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolizable substances, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products.

A commonly available risk-reducing or risk-modifying device is the substrate-heated aerosol-generating device or heat-not-burn device. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate, typically containing moist tobacco or other suitable aerosolizable material, to temperatures typically ranging from 150°C to 350°C. By heating rather than burning or combusting the aerosol substrate, an aerosol is released that contains the components desired by the user but without the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, aerosols generated by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable material typically do not contain the burnt or bitter taste that can be unpleasant to users due to combustion and burning. Therefore, the substrate does not require sugars and other additives typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapor more palatable to users.

Such devices typically include a heating chamber for heating the aerosol substrate and a power source for providing power to the heating chamber. The power source is usually disposable or rechargeable so that the life of the device is not limited by the power source's single energy storage capacity. The heating chamber is typically required to heat up quickly in a relatively short period of time, which means that it is desirable to be able to provide high power to the heating chamber and to provide that power efficiently.

WO 2016/207407 discloses a device for heating a rod of vapor-forming material, such as tobacco. The device has a housing having a first opening at a first end through which smokable material can pass to be received in and removed from the device during use. The housing has a second opening at a second end opposite the first end. The housing further has a chamber between the first and second openings. At least one heater is disposed within the housing for heating the vapor-forming material removably received in the chamber during use. The chamber has a region of reduced internal diameter toward its distal end, which provides an end stop for the rod of vapor-forming material passing through the first opening and prevents the smokable material from passing directly out through the second opening.

The present invention seeks to provide an alternative to known devices that can simplify manufacture and also allows the heater of the device to optimize heating of the vapor-forming substance portion of the smoking rod.

The present invention provides an aerosol generating device, the device comprising a housing having a first inlet at a first end through which smokable articles can pass to be placed in and removed from the device during use, the housing having a second inlet remote from the first inlet, the housing having a chamber between the first and second inlets, at least one heater disposed within the housing for heating smokable articles removably placed in the chamber during use, the device further comprising a stopping device located within the chamber toward the second inlet, the stopping device configured to stop smokable material passed through the first inlet at a predetermined heated position during use,
a) the stopping device is further configured such that a first opening surface area of the chamber at the stopping device is smaller than a second opening surface area of the chamber upstream of the stopping device, and such that the first opening surface area of the chamber at the stopping device is smaller than a third opening surface area of the chamber downstream of the stopping device; or
b) The stopping device comprises an end face of a rod arranged along the central longitudinal axis of the chamber, with a flow path between the rod and the chamber.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises at least one protrusion on the inner wall of the chamber, and the stopping device comprises a surface of the protrusion, the surface of the protrusion being configured to provide the stop. In a further preferred embodiment, the rod is cylindrical. The flow path around the rod is preferably annular.

In a further preferred embodiment, the rod is removably positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the chamber. For example, the rod may be attached to the housing by a removable connection means such as a press fit or threaded fit.

In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a perforated wall disposed within the chamber substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the chamber, and the stopping device comprises a surface of the perforated wall, the surface of the wall configured to provide the stopping.

In a more preferred embodiment, the perforated wall is disc-shaped.

In a further preferred embodiment, the perforated wall comprises a plurality of through holes. The perforated wall may be, for example, a mesh or a sieve.

In a further preferred embodiment, the perforated wall is removably disposed within the chamber. In a further preferred embodiment, the material of the aperture wall includes one of a metal and a heat-resistant polymer.

In a further preferred embodiment, the protrusion is configured as a circumferential ring protruding from the inner wall of the housing.

In a further preferred embodiment, the protrusions are configured as a series of multiple arc-shaped, discontinuous protrusions.

In a further preferred embodiment, the inner wall is made of metal and the protrusions are embossments on the metal inner wall.

In a more preferred embodiment, the stopping device does not extend axially more than 1-4 mm.

In a further preferred embodiment, the heater is further configured to heat the chamber.

In a further preferred embodiment, the heater is positioned between the stopping device and the first inlet. The present invention provides means configured to maintain a smoking rod inserted into the chamber of the device aligned with the heater positioned around the chamber.

In a further preferred embodiment, the chamber comprises an elongated engagement element that protrudes inwardly to engage the smoking article in use, providing an air gap between the chamber and the smoking article.

The present invention will be better understood through the description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary device configured to heat smokable material in accordance with the present invention. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1A. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary stopping device according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary rod-shaped stopping device according to the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a rod according to the present invention; 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary stopping device in the form of a mesh wall according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a mesh wall according to the present invention;

The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to designate the same or similar features.

As used herein, the term "smokable material" includes materials that, when heated, provide components that vaporize, typically in the form of an aerosol. "Smokable material" includes any tobacco-containing material, and may include, for example, one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. "Smokable material" may also include other non-tobacco products.

"Smokable material" may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, gel, or wax. "Smokable material" may also be, for example, a combination or blend of materials.

A "smokable article" is an article or component that, when in use, includes or contains smokable material that is heated and vaporized during use.

Aerosol-generating devices are known that heat smokable material, with or without burning the smokable material, to vaporize at least one component of the smokable material, typically forming an inhalable aerosol. Such devices are sometimes described as "heat-and-burn" devices, or "tobacco heating products," or "tobacco heating devices," etc. Similarly, there are so-called e-cigarette devices, which typically vaporize smokable material in liquid form. The smokable material may be in the form of, or provided as part of, a rod, cartridge, cassette, or the like that can be inserted into the device. A heater for heating and vaporizing the smokable material may be provided as a "permanent" part of the device.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1A, which includes a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary device 100 configured to heat a smokable article 101 to vaporize one vaporizable material of the smokable material 101. The device 100 comprises a housing 102 having a first inlet 103 at a first end through which the smokable article 101 can pass to be inserted into and removed from the device 100 during use. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the smokable article 101 is provided as part of a rod that can be inserted into the device 100. Insertion is operated by a user of the device 100, for example, holding the rod between their fingers and introducing the rod into the first inlet 103.

The housing 102 further includes a second inlet 104 distal from the first end. In FIG. 1A, the second inlet 104 is located on the side of the device 100 opposite the side on which the first inlet 103 is located. The second inlet 104 may be configured to allow air to be supplied to the device.

The housing 102 further includes a chamber 105 between the first inlet 103 and the second inlet 104. The chamber 105 can be considered its own hollow structure mounted within the housing 102. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the chamber 105 can be longitudinally aligned between the first inlet 103 and the second inlet 104 of the housing 102. The first inlet 103 can be associated with a closure (not shown), which can be opened prior to inserting a smokable article into the chamber. The closure of the second inlet 104 can be designed to provide an opening of adjustable size and/or can completely block the opening in a closed position.

The device 100 further comprises at least one heater 106 disposed within the housing 102 for heating, during use, the smokable article 101 removably housed within the chamber 105. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the heater 106 may be configured to surround the chamber 105. That is, if the chamber 105 is shaped as a longitudinally extending cylinder, the heater 106 may have a shape or ring disposed around a portion of the cylindrical outer wall of the chamber 106. The heater may comprise a thin film heater or a ceramic heater. In an anticipated mode, the heater may form a portion or portions of the wall of the chamber.

It should be understood that the smokable article 101 and/or the rod containing the smokable article 101 are not considered to be part of the device 100, but remain objects that can be introduced into the device 100 for consumption by a user and then removed from the device 100, with the introduction and removal occurring in the direction of the double arrow shown in FIG. 1A.

The apparatus 100 further comprises a stopping device 107 located within the chamber 105 towards or adjacent to the second inlet 104. The distance from the stopping device 107 to the second inlet 104 is less than the distance from the first inlet 103. The stopping device 107 is configured to stop the smokable articles 101 fed through the first inlet 103 at a predetermined heating position during use. Indeed, when a rod of smokable articles 101 is introduced into the first inlet 103 in the direction of double arrow A, the rod first penetrates into the housing 102 and then collides with the stopping device 107 after penetrating the chamber 105. For this reason, the stop device 107 is further configured so that a first opening surface area 108 of the chamber 105 at the stop device 107 is smaller than a second opening surface area 109 upstream of the stop device 107 and a third opening surface area 110 of the chamber 105 downstream of the stop device 107 ("upstream" and "downstream" of the stop device are envisioned in the direction from the second inlet 104 to the first inlet 103). The first surface area 108, the second surface area 109, and the third surface area 110 are symbolically represented by corresponding double arrows in FIG. 1A , which, as previously mentioned, is a representation of a cross section of the apparatus 100. Indeed, as represented in FIG. 1A , these opening surface areas 108, 109, 110 preferably extend in multiple directions in the plane of the chamber. It is clear that the stopping device 107 does not affect the size of the second opening surface area 109 and the third opening surface area 110, nor does it affect, for example, the size of the second inlet 104 of the housing, and therefore does not have any effect on the throughput capacity of the gas flowing as a result of vaporizing material from the smokable article 101. Preferably, the first opening surface area 108 is smaller than the surface of the smokable article 101 presented towards the first opening surface area at the time the smokable article 101 is introduced into the first inlet 103.

The predetermined heating position allows for precise heating of a predetermined zone of the smokable article 101, i.e., the rod shown schematically in FIG. 1A. The predetermined zone is located within the dotted box 112. This allows the manufacturer of the smokable article 101 to design a product in which the position of the smokable article 101 always precisely matches the position of the heater 106 at the insertion point of the smokable article 101, where it contacts the stopping device 107 in the chamber 105. In fact, heating typically extends to the tip of the smoking article 101, due to the presence of a substrate up to the tip. Heat is transferred beyond the predetermined zone by conduction/radiation, one reason being that the chamber 105 may be made of metal.

Referring to FIG. 1B, which shows a cross-sectional view of the chamber 105 along section B-B shown in FIG. 1A, the chamber 105 may also be configured with engagement elements 113 that protrude from an interior wall 115 of the chamber 105 and engage with the smoking article 101 in use. The engagement elements 113 are preferably elongated protruding elements, such as ribs, that are circumferentially distributed to create an air gap 114 between the smoking article 101 and the interior wall 115 of the chamber 105. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, there are three circumferentially distributed engagement elements 113. Also in this embodiment, the heater 106 surrounds the chamber 105.

The heater 106 may be configured to heat the chamber 105 along only a portion of its length, or along its entire length.

The heater 106 is disposed between the stopping device 107 and the first inlet 103. The heater 106 may surround the chamber 105 or form a wall of the chamber 105.

The housing 102 further comprises additional components, shown schematically within box 111, including at least a control circuit and a power source (not shown separately in FIG. 1A ) connected to the heater 106. The control circuit may include a controller, e.g., a microprocessor configuration, configured to control the heating of the smokable material. The power source may be, for example, a battery, which may be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, etc. The battery is electrically coupled to the heater 106 to provide power when needed to heat the smokable article 101 and vaporize the smokable material under the control of the control circuit.

Various exemplary configurations for the stopping device 107 are now presented.

FIG. 2 presents a schematic diagram of an exemplary stopping device 107 according to the present invention. The stopping device 107 comprises at least one protrusion 201 surface on the inner wall 200 of the chamber 105, which surface faces the first inlet 103 and thus the smoking article 101 upon insertion of the smoking article 101. The surface extends to provide an opening surface area 108 that is smaller than the end face area of the smoking article 101. In a preferred embodiment, multiple protrusions 201 may be distributed along a ring on the inner wall 200 that supports multiple surfaces of the stopping device 107. In FIG. 2, two protrusions on either side of the diameter of the chamber 105 are shown in cross section. The total number of protrusions 201 may be, for example, three or four or more, and may be distributed circumferentially to provide a continuous ring. In a longitudinal cross-sectional plane, the protrusions may be rectangular, square, triangular, or rounded, as shown. The protrusions 201 may be formed in the chamber 105 such that the wall thickness of the chamber 105 remains substantially constant. The protrusions 201 are relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture into the chamber 105, especially if the chamber 105 is made from thin metal, for example, by embossing or hydroforming a tube.

In a further preferred embodiment, the protrusion 201 may be configured as a circumferentially continuous ring protruding from the inner wall 200 of the chamber 105. The protrusion may be formed by adding and fixing a separate ring-shaped component at a predetermined position inside the tubular chamber 201.

Figure 3 includes a further schematic diagram of an exemplary stopping device 107 according to the present invention. The stopping device 107 comprises an end face at one end of a rod 300 disposed along the central longitudinal axis 301 of the chamber 105. The end face of the stopping device 107 is configured to provide a stop to an inserted smoking article 101. The rod 300 may be mounted directly to a wall within a housing (not shown in Figure 3). Preferably, the outer cross-section of the stopping device 107 is smaller than the cross-section of the smoking article 101. A lateral or radial gap is also maintained between the chamber 105 and the rod 300. As a result, air can flow from the first inlet 103 and/or the second inlet 104 to the distal end of the smoking article 101.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 4, the rod 300 is cylindrical, and therefore the stopping device 107 is disc-shaped. This preferred embodiment is shown as a schematic cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of the rod 300 along axis A-A in FIG. 3, where the chamber 105 also has a cylindrical wall. The diameter of the smoking article 101 is represented as a dotted circle.

In a more preferred embodiment, the rod 300 is removably positioned along the central longitudinal axis 301 of the chamber 105.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary stopping device 107 in the form of a perforated wall 500 according to the present invention. The perforated wall 500 is substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 301 of the chamber 105. The stopping device 107 comprises a surface of the perforated wall 500 configured to provide a stop to an inserted smoking article 101.

In a preferred embodiment, the perforated wall 500 is a mesh or sieve.

In a preferred embodiment, the perforated wall 500 is disc-shaped, and therefore the stopping device 107 is disc-shaped. The diameter of the perforated wall 500 can be larger than the diameter of the smoking article 101. This preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 as a schematic cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of the perforated wall 500 along axis B-B of FIG. 5, where the chamber 105 also has a cylindrical wall. The perforated wall 500 may comprise a plurality of perforations having fixed or variable dimensions. The perforations may be of regular or irregular shape. The perforated wall 500 is preferably made of a rigid material such as metal or a heat-resistant polymer such as PEEK to prevent deformation of the smoking article upon insertion and ensure a fixed position of the smoking article. The perforated wall 500 may be a wire lattice or mesh material, or a single molded polymer part.

In a further preferred embodiment, the perforated wall 500 is removably positioned along the central longitudinal axis 301 of the chamber 105.

In a further preferred embodiment, the perforated wall 500 comprises:
metal wire or grid,
a heat-resistant polymer wire or grid;
Contains any of the following:

Preferably, the inner walls of the chamber 105 are made of a metal such as stainless steel, copper, aluminum, or titanium.

In an even more preferred embodiment, the stop device 107 does not extend axially more than 1-4 mm.

Claims (12)

1. An aerosol generating device, comprising:
A housing is provided.
the housing has a first entrance at a first end through which smokable articles can pass to be inserted into and removed from the device in use;
the housing has a second inlet spaced from the first inlet;
the housing has a chamber between the first inlet and the second inlet;
at least one heater disposed within the housing for heating, during use, the smokable article removably contained within the chamber;
The device comprises:
further comprising a stopping device located within the chamber toward or adjacent the second inlet, the stopping device configured to stop the smokable articles fed through the first inlet at a predetermined heated position in use ;
the stopping device is further configured such that a first opening surface area of the chamber at the stopping device is smaller than a second opening surface area of the chamber upstream of the stopping device, and such that the first opening surface area of the chamber at the stopping device is smaller than a third opening surface area of the chamber downstream of the stopping device;
and a stop device further comprising at least one protrusion on an inner wall of the chamber, the stop device comprising a surface of the protrusion that contacts an end face of the smokable article, the surface of the protrusion being configured to effect the stop.
Aerosol generator. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a perforated wall disposed within the chamber substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the chamber, the stopping device comprising a surface of the perforated wall, the mesh surface of the wall configured to provide the stopping. The device of claim 2 , wherein the perforated wall is disk-shaped. 4. The device of claim 2 or 3 , wherein the perforated wall is removably disposed within the chamber. The perforated wall is
Metal and heat-resistant polymer wire,
The device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , comprising any one of the following: The device of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is configured as a circumferential ring protruding from the inner wall of the housing. The device of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are configured as a series of multiple arc-shaped, discontinuous protrusions. 8. The device of claim 1 , 6 or 7 , wherein the inner wall is made of metal and the protrusions are embossments on the inner metal wall. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the stopping device extends along the central longitudinal axis of the chamber for a length of at least 1 mm and not more than 4 mm . The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the heater is further configured to heat the chamber. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the heater is disposed between the stopping device and the first inlet. 12. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising an elongate engagement element that projects inwardly to engage a smoking article in use, providing an air gap between the chamber and the smoking article.