JP7835912B2 - Heating assembly and aerosol generating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(Cross-reference to related applications)
This application claims priority from a Chinese patent application, filed on 16 September 2022, with application number 202211132175.9, and the entire contents of that Chinese patent application are incorporated into the text by reference.

This application relates to the field of electron atomization technology, and more particularly to heating assemblies and aerosol generating apparatuses.

Conventional aerosol-generating products produce large amounts of harmful substances during the combustion process. The heated, non-combustion aerosol generator, however, can atomize the aerosol-generating product and produce aerosols simply by heating a specially designed heating assembly to approximately 350°C, significantly reducing harmful substances. Compared to other electronic atomizers, the heated, non-combustion aerosol generator is more popular among consumers because it can control the firing temperature of the aerosol-generating product by controlling the temperature of the heating assembly, thereby forming the aerosol.

Heating assemblies can be divided into two types: central heating assemblies inserted inside the aerosol generating product, and circumferential heating assemblies wrapped around the outside of the aerosol generating product. Currently, both central and circumferential heating systems generally use a method where the entire heating element rises to a constant temperature, simultaneously heating the aerosol generating product along its axial and vertical directions. The problem arising from this is that the heating element cannot be controlled to divide the aerosol generating product along its axial direction (for example, dividing the product into two sections) according to the requirements of the heating element's actual temperature field. In particular, when using undivided, integrated heating for long aerosol generating products, local temperatures can become too high or too low, affecting the taste of the aerosol.

The heating assembly and aerosol generating apparatus provided in this application aim to solve the problem that conventional heating assemblies cannot control the heating element to divide the aerosol generating product along its axial direction (for example, by dividing the aerosol generating product into two sections) in response to the actual temperature field requirements of the heating element. In particular, when using undivided, integrated heating for generating long aerosols, local temperatures can become too high or too low, affecting the taste of the aerosol.

To solve the above technical problems, one technical solution employed by this application is as follows: A heating assembly is provided, comprising a housing structure, a plurality of heating films, and a power supply assembly, wherein the housing structure has a proximal opening, houses an aerosol-generating product through the proximal opening, and is used to heat the aerosol-generating product by emitting infrared radiation when heated; the plurality of heating films are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure and are used to heat the housing structure when energized, wherein each heating film is distributed in a linear manner; and the power supply assembly comprises at least three electrodes, each of which is coupled to a power supply assembly and positioned at the first and/or second ends of the housing structure, with two of the electrodes forming a group and electrically connected to one heating film to supply power to the corresponding heating film.

Here, each of the aforementioned heating films includes at least one heating element.

Here, each heating film includes at least two heating wires connected in parallel.

Here, at least a portion of the two heating wires is curved.

Here, the curve is either a U-shaped or S-shaped curve.

Here, the plurality of heating films include a first heating film and a second heating film, and the power supply assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode, the first and second electrodes being installed at the first end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the first heating film, and the third and fourth electrodes being installed at the second end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the second heating film.

Here, both ends of the multiple heating wires of the first heating film are extended to a position close to the first end of the housing structure and are electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively. The both ends of the multiple heating wires of the second heating film are extended to a position close to the second end of the housing structure and are electrically connected to the third electrode and the fourth electrode, respectively.

Here, each of the first, second, third, and fourth electrodes includes a coupling portion and a connecting portion. The coupling portion is installed at the end of the housing structure and is used to couple with a power supply assembly to supply power to the corresponding heating film. The connecting portion is electrically connected to the coupling portion and extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure away from the coupling portion, and is electrically connected to one end of each heating wire of the adjacent heating film.

Here, the connecting portion is configured as an arc-shaped structure extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure.

Here, each heating film includes a first heating wire and a second heating wire, spaced apart from each other. The first heating wire is a curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, and the second heating wire surrounds the peripheral contour of the first heating wire.

Here, the second heating element includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion connected in sequence. Along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, the first portion is located on one side of the first heating element, the third portion is located on the other side of the first heating element, the first portion is a curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, the third portion is a straight line extending along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure, and the second portion is located on the side where the first heating element approaches the central region of the housing structure, and the second portion is a straight line extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure.

Here, both the first section and the first heating element are U-shaped curves, and the dimensions of each U-shaped structure are the same.

Here, the plurality of heating films include a first heating film and a second heating film, the power supply assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the first electrode is installed at the first end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the first heating film, the second electrode is installed at the second end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the second heating film, and the third electrode and the first electrode or the second electrode are located at the same end of the housing structure and are electrically connected to the first heating film and the second heating film, respectively.

Here, the first electrode and/or the second electrode are arc-shaped structures extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, the third electrode includes a public coupling and a public connection, the public coupling and the first electrode, or the public coupling and the second electrode, are located at the same end of the housing structure and are used to be coupled to a power supply assembly, the public connection is electrically connected to the public connection and extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure away from the public connection, and is electrically connected to the first heating film and the second heating film, respectively.

Here, the multiple heating lines of the first heating film and the multiple heating lines of the second heating film are curves that extend along the longitudinal direction of the containment structure.

Here, the first heating film further includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, the first end of each heating wire in the first heating film is connected to the first connecting portion and electrically connected to the first electrode via a part of the first connecting portion, the second end of each heating wire in the first heating film is connected to the second connecting portion and electrically connected to the third electrode via a part of the second connecting portion, and/or, the second heating film further includes a third connecting portion and a fourth connecting portion, the first end of each heating wire in the second heating film is connected to the second connecting portion and electrically connected to the second electrode via a part of the third connecting portion, the second end of each heating wire in the second heating film is connected to the third connecting portion and electrically connected to the third electrode via a part of the fourth connecting portion.

Here, the containment structure includes a substrate and a radiation layer. The substrate is hollow and tubular and used to contain the aerosol-generating product. The radiation layer is installed on the inner surface of the side wall of the substrate and, when heated, emits infrared radiation to heat the aerosol-generating product. Here, the heating film is installed on the side of the substrate away from the radiation layer.

Here, the containment structure includes a substrate and a radiation layer. The substrate is hollow and tubular and used to contain the aerosol-generating product. The radiation layer is installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the substrate and, when heated, emits infrared radiation to heat the aerosol-generating product. Here, the heating film is installed on the side of the radiation layer away from the substrate.

Here, the containment structure includes a substrate, the substrate is hollow and tubular in shape, and the substrate includes a main body and infrared radiating material dispersed within the main body. The substrate is used to contain an aerosol-generating product and, when heated, emits infrared radiation to heat the aerosol-generating product. Here, the heating film is installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the substrate.

Here, the substrate is a transparent substrate.

To solve the above technical problems, another technical solution employed by this application is as follows: An aerosol generating apparatus is provided, which includes a heating assembly and a power supply assembly, wherein the heating assembly is the heating assembly itself, and the power supply assembly is electrically connected to the heating assembly and used to supply power to the heating assembly.

The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application differ from those of the prior art. This application provides a heating assembly and an aerosol generating apparatus, wherein the heating assembly comprises a containment structure and a plurality of heating films, wherein the plurality of heating films are installed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the containment structure, and the heating films are distributed in a linear manner, heating the containment structure when power is applied, thereby heating the containment structure and emitting infrared rays, and the aerosol generating product contained in the containment structure is heated and atomized using these infrared rays. Here, the infrared heating method has a certain permeability, does not require a medium, has high heating efficiency, can effectively improve the preheating efficiency of the aerosol generating product, and can effectively reduce the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the aerosol generating product, thereby making the baking of the aerosol generating product more uniform and avoiding the problem of the aerosol generating product burning caused by localized high temperatures. Furthermore, by installing a power supply assembly, the power supply assembly includes at least three electrodes, each of which consists of two electrodes forming a group, and is electrically connected to a heating film. Power is supplied to the corresponding heating film via the electrode group, and multiple heating films, spaced apart, independently receive power from the power supply assembly via their corresponding electrode groups. This forms multiple heating regions along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure, enabling segmented heating of the heating assembly along the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the heating assembly controls the heating temperature of different heating regions according to the requirements of the actual temperature field, ensuring the continuous release of aerosols and consistency of the user's texture before and after aspiration, and avoiding localized temperatures that are too high or too low. Furthermore, by installing at least three electrodes for coupling with the power supply assembly at the first and/or second ends of the housing structure, power can be supplied to each of the multiple heating films, enabling the segmented heating function of the heating assembly. Moreover, it eliminates the need for a separate electrode coupled to the power supply in the central region of the housing structure along the longitudinal direction. This effectively avoids the problem of heat conduction to the outside due to contact between electrodes located in the intermediate region of the housing structure and other metals, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the heating assembly. It also ensures temperature consistency between the intermediate region of the housing structure and other neighboring regions, improving the atomization effect of the aerosol-generating product corresponding to the intermediate region of the housing structure, and enhancing the user's suction texture and experience.

This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment of this application. This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating apparatus according to one embodiment of this application. This is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly provided by the first embodiment of this application. This is a perspective view of a heating assembly according to one embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 is a first-view exploded schematic diagram of the heating assembly shown. Figure 4 is a second-view exploded schematic diagram of the heating assembly shown. This is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly according to one specific embodiment of this application. This is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which an aerosol generating product according to one embodiment of this application is housed within a containment structure. This is a schematic diagram of a structure in which an aerosol generating product according to another embodiment of this application is housed within a containment structure. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing multiple heating films and power supply assemblies unfolded along the circumferential direction of the housing structure. Figure 9a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first heating film and the first and second electrodes. This is a schematic diagram of a plurality of heating films and a power supply assembly after deployment according to another embodiment. This is a perspective view of a heating assembly according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the exploded view of the heating assembly shown. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing how multiple heating films and power supply assemblies are unfolded along the circumferential direction of the housing structure. This is a schematic diagram of a plurality of unfolded heating films and a power supply assembly according to another embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly according to a second embodiment of this application. This is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly according to another specific embodiment of this application. This is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly according to the third embodiment of this application.

The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. Clearly, the embodiments described are only a part of, and not all, of, the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments that a person skilled in the art can obtain based on the embodiments of this application without requiring inventive work are all within the scope of protection of this application.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or the number of technical features shown. Accordingly, features defined as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In the description of this application, “multiple” means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (e.g., up, down, left, right, front, back…) are used to interpret the relative positional relationships, motion, etc., between each part in a particular orientation (e.g., shown in the drawings), and if that particular orientation changes, the directional indications change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms “include,” “have,” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may further include steps or units not selectively listed, or may further include other steps or units specific to those processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

As used herein, “embodiments” means that certain features, structures, or characteristics described with reference to an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The occurrence of such phrase in different parts of the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it represent mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiments. The embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments, as will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art.

The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment of this application.

In this embodiment, an aerosol generation system is provided. The aerosol generation system includes an aerosol generating device 1 and an aerosol generating product 2 contained within the aerosol generating device 1. Here, the aerosol generating device 1 is used to heat and atomize the aerosol generating product 2 to form an aerosol for the user to inhale. The aerosol generating device 1 can be specifically used in the technical fields of medicine, beauty, healthcare, and electron atomization. Its specific structure and function can be described in the following embodiments of the aerosol generating device 1. The aerosol generating product 2 may use a solid matrix, which includes one or more powders, granules, fragments, strips, or flakes of plant leaves such as tobacco, herb leaves, tea leaves, or mint leaves. Alternatively, the solid matrix may include additional volatile flavor compounds released when the matrix is heated. Of course, the aerosol generating product may also be a liquid matrix or a paste-like matrix, such as oils and medicinal solutions with added aromatic components.

Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of this application.

This embodiment provides an aerosol generating device 1, which includes a heating assembly 10 and a power supply assembly 20. The heating assembly 10 is used to contain and atomize the aerosol generating product 2 when energized to generate an aerosol. The specific structure and function of the heating assembly 10 can refer to the heating assembly 10 according to any of the following embodiments. The power supply assembly 20 is electrically connected to the heating assembly 10 and is used to supply power to the heating assembly 10. The power supply assembly 20 may specifically be a lithium-ion battery.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly provided by the first embodiment of this application, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heating assembly provided by the embodiment of this application. In the first embodiment, a heating assembly 10 is provided. The heating assembly 10 includes a housing structure 11, a plurality of heating films 12, and a power supply assembly 13.

As shown in Figure 3, the containment structure 11 includes a base 111 and a radiation layer 112. The base 111 is hollow tubular in shape and has a containment cavity 110 and a proximal and distal openings communicating with the containment cavity 110, with the proximal and distal openings facing each other along the longitudinal direction C of the base 111. Hereinafter, the proximal opening is defined as being located at the first end a of the containment structure 11 and the distal opening as being located at the second end b of the containment structure 11. The containment cavity 110 is used to contain the aerosol generating product 2. Specifically, the aerosol generating product 2 is contained in or removed from the containment cavity 110 along the longitudinal direction C of the containment cavity 110 via the proximal opening. Here, the proximal opening is one end close to the suction nozzle of the heating assembly 10. Specifically, the base body 111 may be a hollow tubular structure, and this hollow tubular structure is formed surrounding the housing cavity 110. Specifically, the outer diameter of the base body 111 is uniform along its longitudinal direction C. The shape of the base body 111 may specifically be a hollow cylindrical shape.

Specifically, the substrate 111 may be made of an insulating material; for example, the substrate 111 may be a quartz tube, a ceramic tube, or a mica tube. Preferably, the substrate 111 may be a transparent quartz tube to facilitate infrared transmission. Of course, the substrate 111 can also be made using a non-insulating material, such as a metal like stainless steel or aluminum.

The radiating layer 112 is installed on the inner surface of the side wall of the substrate 111. When heated, it emits infrared radiation, which is used to heat and atomize the aerosol generating product 2 contained in the containment cavity 110. This method of heating the aerosol generating product 2 using infrared radiation does not require a medium because infrared radiation has a certain degree of permeability. It offers high heating efficiency, effectively improves the preheating efficiency of the aerosol generating product 2, reduces the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the product, and thus ensures more uniform baking of the product, avoiding the problem of the product 2 burning due to localized high temperatures. Simultaneously, by installing the radiating layer 112 on the inner surface of the substrate 111, the infrared radiation emitted from the radiating layer 112 can be directly radiated to the aerosol generating product 2 without penetrating the substrate 111, resulting in high utilization of infrared radiation.

Here, the radiating layer 112 can be specifically formed on the entire inner surface of the side wall of the substrate 111 using methods such as silkscreen printing, sputtering, coating, or printing. The radiating layer 112 may specifically be an infrared layer, and the material of the infrared layer includes at least one of high infrared emissivity materials such as perovskite, spinel, carbide, silicide, nitride, oxide, and rare earth materials.

Figures 3 to 5b together show that Figure 5a is a first-view exploded schematic diagram of the heating assembly shown in Figure 4, and Figure 5b is a second-view exploded schematic diagram of the heating assembly shown in Figure 4. Multiple heating films 12 are installed on the side of the substrate 111 away from the radiating layer 112, and are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11. They are used to generate heat to heat the radiating layer 112 when energized, causing the radiating layer 112 to heat and emit infrared radiation. Specifically, the heating films 12 use a resistive material that releases Joule heat when energized, such as a thick-film printed resistive layer, a thin-film printed resistive layer, or a nano-resistive layer.

Here, as shown in Figure 3, when the substrate 111 is an insulating substrate 111, a plurality of heating films 12 are specifically placed on the surface of the substrate 111 away from the radiating layer 112, and the heat generated by the heating films 12 is conducted to the radiating layer 112 via the substrate 111, heating the radiating layer 112. In this embodiment, it will be understood that the heating films 12 are placed directly on the surface of the housing structure 11, that is, the heating films 12 are in direct contact with the surface of the housing structure 11. When the substrate 111 is a non-insulating substrate 111, preferably the substrate 111 is made of a metallic material, for example, stainless steel. As shown in Figure 6, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly 10 according to a specific embodiment of this application. A further high-temperature resistant first insulating layer 113 is formed on the surface of the substrate 111 away from the radiating layer 112. The heating films 12 are specifically placed on the surface of the first insulating layer 113 away from the substrate 111, thereby preventing a short circuit between the heating films 12 and the substrate 111. In this case, the heat generated by the heating film 12 is sequentially conducted through the first insulating layer 113 and the substrate 111 to the radiating layer 112, thereby heating the radiating layer 112. In this embodiment, it is understood that the heating film 12 is placed on the housing structure 11 via the first insulating layer 113, meaning the heating film 12 is indirectly in contact with the surface of the housing structure 11. In a specific embodiment, the first insulating layer 113 can be a glaze layer.

In this embodiment, to improve the heat utilization rate of the heating assembly 10 and further enhance the heating efficiency of the aerosol generating product 2, refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the aerosol generating product 2 provided by this embodiment of the application is housed within the housing structure 11. When the aerosol generating product 2 is housed within the housing cavity 110, the aerosol generating product 2 is in direct contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the housing structure 11 (e.g., the surface of the radiating layer 112). This allows infrared radiation to be emitted into the aerosol generating product 2, heating it, while simultaneously allowing the housing structure 11 (e.g., the radiating layer 112) to conduct heat from the heating film 12 to the aerosol generating product 2. This heat further heats the aerosol generating product 2, improving the heat utilization rate and accelerating atomization efficiency and aerosol generation rate.

Of course, in other embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure in which an aerosol generating product 2 according to another embodiment of this application is housed in a housing structure 11. When the aerosol generating product 2 is housed in a housing cavity 110, the aerosol generating product 2 may be spaced apart from the inner surface of the side wall of the housing structure 11 (e.g., the radiating layer 112) to prevent the aerosol generating product 2 from damaging the radiating layer 112. In this embodiment, it will be understood that the aerosol generating product 2 is heated primarily by infrared radiation. Furthermore, a protective layer may be further coated on the surface of the heating film 12 and/or the radiating layer 112, and the protective layer may specifically be a glaze layer. Here, the thickness of the radiating layer 112 may be 10 to 100 μm. Preferably, the thickness of the radiating layer 112 is 20 to 40 μm. In this embodiment, the radiating layer 112 can be formed using a thick-film printing method. The material of the radiant layer 112 may include one or more of the following: black silicon, cordierite, transition metal oxide spinel, rare earth oxide, ion-co-doped perovskite, silicon carbide, zircon, and boron nitride. Of course, the thickness of the radiant layer 112 may be 1 to 10 μm, preferably 1 to 5 μm. In this embodiment, the radiant layer 112 is specifically a thin-film plating. The material of the radiant layer 112 may be CrC, TiCN, or diamond-like carbon film (DLC).

Figure 9a, along with Figure 9a, is a schematic diagram of the multiple heating films and power supply assemblies shown in Figure 4, unfolded along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. Each heating film 12 includes at least one heating wire. In one specific embodiment, each heating film 12 includes at least two heating wires 121, 122 connected in parallel, each heating wire 121/122 being linear and extending along the longitudinal direction C (see Figure 13 below) or circumferential direction (see Figure 9a) of the housing structure 11. It can be seen that the length dimension of the linear heating wire 121 is much larger than its width dimension.

In one specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 9a, at least one of the two heating lines 121, 122 is curved. Specifically, at least two heating lines 121, 122 of each heating film 12 are both curved. The curves may be U-shaped or S-shaped. Of course, in other specific embodiments, each heating line 121, 122 may be any other curved, irregular line, for example, a combination of S-shaped and U-shaped curves, and this application is not limited thereto.

As shown in Figures 4 and 9a, the power supply assembly 13 includes at least three electrodes. Each of the at least three electrodes is coupled to the power supply assembly 20, and each pair of electrodes forms a group, creating an independent power supply group, which is electrically connected to one of the multiple heating films 12, thereby supplying power to the corresponding heating film 12 via the power supply group. The power and heating time of each power supply group are controlled via the electronic control panel of the aerosol generator 1, and the multiple heating films 12, which are spaced apart, can independently receive power from the power supply assembly 20 via their corresponding power supply groups. This allows for the formation of multiple heating regions in the housing structure 11 along its longitudinal direction C, enabling the heating assembly 10 to achieve segmented heating along its longitudinal direction C. The heating assembly 10 can control the heating temperature of different heating regions according to the requirements of the actual temperature field, ensuring continuous aerosol release and consistency of the user's taste before and after inhalation, and avoiding localized temperatures that are too high or too low. Here, each heating film 12 is connected to two corresponding electrodes. Each electrode can be specifically composed of a highly conductive metallic material such as silver, gold, copper, or an alloy containing gold, silver, and copper.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, at least three electrodes are installed at the first end a and/or second end b of the housing structure 11. Furthermore, by providing at least three electrodes at the first end a and/or second end b of the housing structure 11 for coupling with the power supply assembly 20, power can be supplied to each of the multiple heating films 12, enabling the segmented heating function of the heating assembly 10. Moreover, this eliminates the need for additional electrodes coupled to the power supply in the central region of the housing structure 11 along its longitudinal direction C, effectively avoiding the problem of heat conduction to the outside due to contact with other metals by electrodes located in the central region of the housing structure 11. This reduces the energy consumption of the heating assembly 10, ensures temperature consistency between the central region and other neighboring regions of the housing structure 11, improves the atomization effect of the aerosol generating product 2 corresponding to the central region of the housing structure 11, and enhances the user's inhalation texture and experience.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 to 9a, there are two heating films 12, which are a first heating film 12a and a second heating film 12b. The first heating film 12a and the second heating film 12b are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11, and the first heating film 12a is positioned near the first end a of the housing structure 11. The second heating film 12b is positioned near the second end b of the housing structure 11. Specifically, the first heating film 12a and the second heating film 12b are positioned on both sides of the central cross-section of the housing structure 11 and are distributed symmetrically along the central cross-section. Here, the central cross-section of the housing structure 11 refers to one cross-section of the housing structure 11, and this cross-section passes through the midpoint of the housing structure 11 along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 9a, the first heating film 12a and/or the second heating film 12b include two heating lines installed at intervals. The following description will use the case where the first heating film 12a includes two spaced heating lines, the first heating line 121 and the second heating line 122, as an example. The first heating line 121 is a U-shaped curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11, and the opening direction of each U-shaped structure of the U-shaped curve is parallel to the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11. The second heating line 122 exhibits a gate structure and surrounds the peripheral contour of the first heating line 121.

Specifically, referring to Figure 9b, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first heating film, first electrode, and second electrode in Figure 9a. The second heating wire 122 includes a first portion 122a, a second portion 122b, and a third portion 122c. One end of the first portion 122a is electrically connected to the first electrode 131, and the other end is connected to the second portion 122b. One end of the third portion 122c is electrically connected to the second electrode 132, and the other end is electrically connected to the second portion 122b.

In a specific embodiment, the first portion 122a of the second heating wire 122 is installed on one side of the first heating wire 121 along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11, the third portion 122c of the second heating wire 122 is installed on the other side of the first heating wire 121, and the third portion 122c of the second heating wire 122 extends along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11 toward the first end a of the housing structure 11, and exhibits a linear shape.

The first portion 122a of the second heating element 122 is a U-shaped curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. Specifically, the first portion 122a and the first heating element 121 are located at the same height along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure 11, and both the first portion 122a and the first heating element 121 are U-shaped curves, with the dimensions of each U-shaped structure being the same.

The second portion 122b of the second heating element 122 is located on the side of the first heating element 121 closer to the central region of the housing structure 11, and the second portion 122b extends in a straight line along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11 and is configured as an arc-shaped structure.

The second heating film 12b includes two heating wires spaced apart, and its specific structure is the same as that of the first heating film 12a. Those skilled in the art will understand that the third portion 122c of the second heating wire 122 of the second heating film 12b extends toward the second end b of the housing structure 11.

Referring to Figure 9a, the power supply assembly 13 includes four electrodes, which are the first electrode 131, the second electrode 132, the third electrode 133, and the fourth electrode 134. Here, the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132 are installed at the first end a of the housing structure 11 and are electrically connected to the first heating film 12a. The third electrode 133 and the fourth electrode 134 are installed at the second end b of the housing structure 11 and are electrically connected to the second heating film 12b.

In a specific embodiment, both ends of the first heating wire 121 of the first heating film 12a are extended to a position close to the first end a of the housing structure 11, thereby electrically connecting them to the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132, respectively. Both ends of the second heating wire 122 of the first heating film 12a are also extended to a position close to the first end a of the housing structure 11, thereby electrically connecting them to the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132, respectively. This ensures that multiple heating wires of the first heating film 12a are electrically connected to the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132, respectively.

Both ends of the first heating wire 121 of the second heating film 12b are extended to a position close to the second end b of the housing structure 11, thereby electrically connecting them to the third electrode 133 and the fourth electrode 134, respectively. Both ends of the second heating wire 122 of the second heating film 12b are also extended to a position close to the second end b of the housing structure 11, thereby electrically connecting them to the third electrode 133 and the fourth electrode 134, respectively. This ensures that multiple heating wires of the second heating film 12b are electrically connected to the third electrode 133 and the fourth electrode 134, respectively.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 9a, each of the electrodes—the first electrode 131, the second electrode 132, the third electrode 133, and the fourth electrode 134—includes a coupling portion 135a and a connecting portion 135b. The coupling portion 135a is installed at the end of the housing structure 11 and is used to supply power to the corresponding heating film 12 by being coupled to the power supply assembly 20. Specifically, the coupling portion 135a is configured as an arc-shaped structure extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The coupling portions 135a of two electrodes located at the same end of the housing structure 11 are spaced apart.

Here, the coupling portion 135a connected to the power supply assembly 20 is installed at the end of the housing structure 11. By not installing a coupling portion connected to the power supply assembly 20 in the intermediate region along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11, the problem of heat transfer to the outside due to contact between the coupling portion located in the intermediate region of the housing structure 11 and other metals is effectively avoided. This not only reduces the energy consumption of the heating assembly 10 but also ensures temperature uniformity between the intermediate region of the housing structure 11 and other nearby regions, thereby improving the atomization effect of the aerosol generating product 2 corresponding to the intermediate region of the housing structure 11.

The connecting portion 135b is electrically connected to the coupling portion 135a and protrudes along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11, away from the connected coupling portion 135a, thereby electrically connecting to one end of each heating wire of the adjacent heating film 12.

Of course, in other embodiments, with reference to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of a plurality of heating films and power supply assemblies after deployment provided by another embodiment. The coupling portion 135a of the first electrode 131, the coupling portion 135a of the second electrode 132, the coupling portion 135a of the third electrode 133, and the coupling portion 135a of the fourth electrode 134 may be located at the same end of the housing structure 11. For example, the coupling portion 135a of the first electrode 131, the coupling portion 135a of the second electrode 132, the coupling portion 135a of the third electrode 133, and the coupling portion 135a of the fourth electrode 134 are all located at the second end b of the housing structure 11. In this embodiment, the coupling portion 135b of the first electrode 131 and the coupling portion 135b of the second electrode 132 can extend toward the first end a of the housing structure 11 and are electrically connected to one end of each of the plurality of heating wires of the first heating film 12a. Of course, in this embodiment, both ends of each heating wire of the first heating film 12a are extended along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11, and this application is not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, with reference to Figures 11 to 13, Figure 11 is a perspective view of a heating assembly provided in another embodiment of the present application, Figure 12 is an exploded schematic view of the heating assembly shown in Figure 11, and Figure 13 is a schematic view of the plurality of heating films and power supply assemblies shown in Figure 11 unfolded along the circumferential direction of the housing structure. Another heating assembly 10 is provided, which differs from the heating assembly 10 provided in the first embodiment as follows: The power supply assembly 13 includes a first electrode 136, a second electrode 137, and a third electrode 138.

As shown in Figure 11, the first electrode 136 is installed at the first end a of the housing structure 11 and is electrically connected to the first heating film 12a. Specifically, the first electrode 136 is an arc-shaped structure extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The second electrode 137 is installed at the second end b of the housing structure 11 and is electrically connected to the second heating film 12b. Specifically, the second electrode 137 is an arc-shaped structure extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11.

The third electrode 138 and either the first electrode 136 or the second electrode 137 are located at the same end of the housing structure 11 and are electrically connected to the first heating film 12a and the second heating film 12b, respectively. To understand this, one of the first electrode 136 and the third electrode 138 is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, and the other is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the power supply. Both the first electrode 136 and the second electrode 137 are electrically connected to either the positive or negative terminal of the power supply.

Referring to Figure 13, the third electrode 138 specifically includes a public coupling portion 139a and a public connection portion 139b. The public coupling portion 139a and the first electrode 136 are located at the same end of the housing structure 11, or the public coupling portion 139a and the second electrode 137 are located at the same end of the housing structure 11 and are used to couple with the power supply assembly 20. Specifically, the common coupling portion 139a can be located at the second end b of the housing structure 11. The public connection portion 139b is electrically connected to the public coupling portion 139a and extends along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11 away from the public coupling portion 139a, thereby electrically connecting to the first heating film 12a and the second heating film 12b, respectively. Specifically, the public connection portion 139b extends to a position between the first heating film 12a and the second heating film 12b.

Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the multiple heating lines of the first heating film 12a and the multiple heating lines of the second heating film 12b are curves that extend along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11. For example, the first heating line 121 and the second heating line 122 in the first heating film 12a, and the first heating line 121 and the second heating line 122 in the second heating film 12b are U-shaped curves that extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure 11, and the opening direction of each U-shaped structure of these U-shaped curves is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11.

Specifically, the first heating lines 121 and 2 heating lines 122 in the first heating film 12a are distributed symmetrically along the central axis M in the width direction of the first heating film 12a, and/or, the first heating lines 121 and 2 heating lines 122 in the second heating film 12b are distributed symmetrically along the central axis N in the width direction of the second heating film 12b.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, in the multiple heating wires of the first heating film 12a, the first ends of each heating wire are connected to one another, and then electrically connected to the first electrode 136. The second ends of each heating wire are connected to one another, and then electrically connected to one end of the common connection portion 139b that is away from the common connection portion 139a. For example, the first end of the first heating wire 121 of the first heating film 12a is connected to the first end of the second heating wire 122 of the first heating film 12a. The second end of the first heating wire 121 of the first heating film 12a is connected to the second end of the second heating wire 122 of the first heating film 12a.

Specifically, the first heating film 12a may further include a first connecting portion 123, which extends along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The first end of the first heating wire 121 and the first end of the second heating wire 122 of the first heating film 12a are connected to the first connecting portion 123, and are electrically connected to the first electrode 136 via a portion of the first connecting portion 123 that protrudes toward the first electrode 136.

Specifically, the first heating film 12a may further include a second connecting portion 124, which extends along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The second ends of the first heating wire 121 and the second heating wire 122 of the first heating film 12a are connected to the second connecting portion 124, and are electrically connected to one end of the public connection portion 139b that is away from the common connection portion 139a via a portion of the second connecting portion 124.

Similarly, the second heating film 12b may further include a third connecting portion 125, which extends along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The first ends of the first heating wire 121 and the first ends of the second heating wire 122 of the second heating film 12b are connected to the third connecting portion 125, and are electrically connected to the second electrode 137 via portions of the third connecting portion 125 that protrude toward the second electrode 137.

Specifically, the second heating film 12b may further include a fourth connecting portion 126, which extends along the circumferential direction of the housing structure 11. The second ends of the first heating wire 121 and the second heating wire 122 of the second heating film 12b are connected to the fourth connecting portion 126, and are electrically connected to one end of the public connecting portion 139b away from the common connection portion 139a via a portion of the fourth connecting portion 126. Here, the fourth connecting portion 126 and the second connecting portion 124 are installed adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11.

In another embodiment, referring to Figure 14, Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of heating films and power supply assemblies after deployment, provided in yet another embodiment. The first electrode 136 or the second electrode 137 may also include couplings and connectors. The couplings of the first electrode 136, the couplings of the second electrode 137, and the public coupling 139a of the third electrode 138 may be located at the same end of the housing structure 11. For example, the couplings of the first electrode 136, the couplings of the second electrode 137, and the public coupling 139a of the third electrode 138 are all located at the second end b of the housing structure 11. In this embodiment, the connector of the first electrode 136 extends toward the first end a of the housing structure 11 and can be electrically connected to the first connector 123 of the first heating film 12a.

The heating assembly 10 provided in the two embodiments described above includes a containment structure 11 and a plurality of heating films 12. The plurality of heating films 12 are installed at intervals along the longitudinal direction C of the containment structure 11, and each heating film 12 is distributed in a linear pattern. When power is applied, the containment structure 11 is heated by the plurality of heating films 12, and the containment structure 11 is heated and emits infrared rays. These infrared rays are then used to heat and atomize the aerosol generating product 2 contained within the containment structure 11. Here, because infrared heating has a certain degree of permeability, it does not require a medium, has high heating efficiency, can effectively improve the preheating efficiency of the aerosol generating product 2, and can effectively reduce the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the aerosol generating product 2. This makes the baking of the aerosol generating product 2 more uniform and avoids the problem of the aerosol generating product 2 burning due to localized high temperatures. Furthermore, by installing the power supply assembly 13, the power supply assembly 13 includes at least three electrodes, each of two electrodes forming a group, and is electrically connected to one of the multiple heating films 12, thereby supplying power to the corresponding heating film 12 via the electrode group. As a result, multiple spaced heating films 12 independently receive power from the power supply assembly 20 by their corresponding electrode groups, and multiple heating regions are formed in the housing structure 11 along the longitudinal direction C of the housing structure 11, realizing segmented heating of the heating assembly 10. The heating assembly 10 can control the heating temperature of different heating regions according to the requirements of the actual temperature field, ensuring continuous aerosol release and consistency of taste for the user before and after inhalation, and avoiding localized temperatures that are too high or too low. Furthermore, by positioning at least three electrodes for coupling with the power supply assembly 20 at the first end a and/or second end b of the housing structure 11, power can be supplied to each of the multiple heating films 12. This not only enables segmented heating functionality of the heating assembly 10, but also eliminates the need for a separate electrode to be coupled to the power supply in the central region of the housing structure 11 along its longitudinal direction, effectively avoiding the problem of heat conduction to the outside due to contact between electrodes located in the central region of the housing structure 11 and other metals. This not only reduces the energy consumption of the heating assembly 10, but also ensures temperature consistency between the central region and other nearby regions of the housing structure 11, improving the atomization effect of the aerosol-generating product 2 corresponding to the central region of the housing structure 11, and enhancing the user's inhalation texture and experience.

In the second embodiment, referring to Figure 15, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly 10 provided in the second embodiment of this application. The heating assembly 10 of the second embodiment is provided, and differs from the heating assembly 10 provided in the first embodiment as follows: The radiating layer 112 is installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the substrate 111.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, when the radiating layer 112 is an insulating radiating layer 112, the heating film 12 is specifically placed on the surface of the radiating layer 112 that is away from the substrate 111. The heat generated after the heating film 12 is energized is directly conducted to the radiating layer 112, heating it and generating infrared radiation. This infrared radiation passes through the transparent substrate 111 and enters the containment cavity 110, heating the aerosol generating product 2 contained within the containment cavity 110. In this embodiment, the aerosol generating product 2 may be in direct contact with the transparent substrate 111, thereby directly conducting heat from the substrate 111 to the aerosol generating product 2 and heating it, or the aerosol generating product 2 may be positioned at a distance from the substrate 111.

When the radiating layer 112 is a non-insulating material, Figure 16 shows a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly provided in another specific embodiment of this application. To avoid short-circuiting of the heating film 12, a second insulating layer 114 is provided on the surface of the radiating layer 112 away from the substrate 111, and the second insulating layer 114 is positioned between the radiating layer 112 and the heating film 12.

In the third embodiment, referring to Figure 17, which is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly provided in the third embodiment of this application. Another heating assembly 10 is provided, and the heating assembly 10 of the third embodiment differs from the heating assembly 10 provided in the above embodiments in the following ways: The housing structure 11 includes a base 111, and the heating film 12 is specifically installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the base 111.

The substrate 111 is hollow and tubular, and comprises a main body and infrared emitting material dispersed within the main body. The main body forms a containment cavity 110 and a proximal opening communicating with the containment cavity 110 to accommodate the aerosol-generating product 2. When heated, the substrate 111 irradiates infrared radiation to heat the aerosol-generating product 2. As can be understood, in this embodiment, the substrate 111 itself emits infrared radiation when heated, and no infrared layer is formed on the surface of the substrate 111. The substrate 111 may specifically be a quartz tube.

Of course, to increase the amount of infrared radiation emitted and thus the heating rate, an additional infrared radiation layer can be placed on the surface of the substrate 111. For details, please refer to the above; further explanation is omitted here.

The above describes only a portion of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the scope of the patent. Equivalent devices or equivalent process transformations, or other applications directly or indirectly to the relevant technical fields, that utilize the contents of the specification and drawings of this application are all similarly included within the scope of the patent protection of this application.

Claims (21)

A heating assembly comprising a housing structure, a plurality of heating films, and a power supply assembly,
The containment structure has a proximal opening, and is used to contain an aerosol-generating product through the proximal opening and to heat the aerosol-generating product by emitting infrared radiation when heated.
Multiple heating films are installed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure on both sides of the central cross-section of the housing structure and are used to heat the housing structure when energized, and each heating film is distributed in a linear manner.
The heating assembly is characterized in that the power supply assembly includes at least three electrodes, each of which is coupled to a power supply assembly and positioned at the first and/or second ends of the housing structure, two of the electrodes are electrically connected to one of the heating films as an electrode group to supply power to the corresponding heating films , and the multiple heating films independently receive power from the power supply assembly by the corresponding electrode groups, thereby achieving segmented heating of the heating assembly . The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the aforementioned heating films includes at least one heating wire. The heating assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that each heating film includes at least two heating wires connected in parallel. The heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that at least a portion of the two heating wires is curved. The heating assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the curve is a U-shaped curve or an S-shaped curve. The plurality of heating films include a first heating film and a second heating film.
The heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power supply assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being installed at the first end of the housing structure and each electrically connected to the first heating film, and the third electrode and the fourth electrode being installed at the second end of the housing structure and each electrically connected to the second heating film. Both ends of the multiple heating wires of the first heating film are extended to a position close to the first end of the housing structure and are electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively.
The heating assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that both ends of the plurality of heating wires of the second heating film are extended to a position close to the second end of the housing structure and are electrically connected to the third electrode and the fourth electrode, respectively. Each of the first electrode, second electrode, third electrode, and fourth electrode includes a coupling portion and a connecting portion.
The heating assembly according to claim 7, wherein the coupling portion is installed at the end of the housing structure and is used to couple with a power supply assembly to supply power to the corresponding heating film, the connection portion is electrically connected to the coupling portion and extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure toward away from the coupling portion and is electrically connected to one end of each heating wire of the adjacent heating film. The heating assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the connecting portion is configured as an arc-shaped structure that extends circumferentially along the outer surface of the housing structure, along the cross-section of the housing structure . The heating assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that each heating film includes a first heating wire and a second heating wire installed at intervals, the first heating wire is a curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, and the peripheral contour of the first heating wire is surrounded by the second heating wire. The second heating element includes a first part, a second part, and a third part connected in order, wherein the first part is located on one side of the first heating element along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, the third part is located on the other side of the first heating element, the first part is a curve extending along the circumferential direction of the housing structure, and the third part is a straight line extending along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure.
The heating assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that the second portion is located on the side of the housing structure that approaches the central region of the first heating wire, and the second portion is an arc-shaped structure that extends circumferentially along the cross-section of the housing structure and on the outer surface of the housing structure . The heating assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that both the first portion and the first heating wire are U-shaped curves, and the dimensions of each U-shaped structure are the same. The plurality of heating films include a first heating film and a second heating film.
The heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power supply assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the first electrode being installed at the first end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the first heating film, the second electrode being installed at the second end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the second heating film, and the third electrode and the first electrode, or the third electrode and the second electrode, being located at the same end of the housing structure and electrically connected to the first heating film and the second heating film, respectively. The first electrode and/or the second electrode are arc-shaped structures that extend circumferentially along the cross-section of the housing structure and along the outer surface of the housing structure .
The heating assembly according to claim 13, wherein the third electrode includes a public coupling portion and a public connection portion, the public coupling portion and the first electrode, or the public coupling portion and the second electrode are located at the same end of the housing structure and are used to be coupled to the power supply assembly, the public connection portion is electrically connected to the public coupling portion and extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure toward away from the public coupling portion, and is electrically connected to the first heating film and the second heating film, respectively. The heating assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that the plurality of heating lines of the first heating film and the plurality of heating lines of the second heating film are curves that extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing structure. The first heating film further includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, the first end of each heating wire in the first heating film is connected to the first connecting portion and electrically connected to the first electrode via a part of the first connecting portion, the second end of each heating wire in the first heating film is connected to the second connecting portion and electrically connected to the third electrode via a part of the second connecting portion, and/or
The heating assembly according to claim 15, wherein the second heating film further includes a third connecting portion and a fourth connecting portion, the first end of each heating wire in the second heating film is connected to the third connecting portion and electrically connected to the second electrode via a part of the third connecting portion, and the second end of each heating wire in the second heating film is connected to the fourth connecting portion and electrically connected to the third electrode via a part of the fourth connecting portion. The aforementioned containment structure includes a substrate and a radiation layer,
The aforementioned substrate has a hollow tubular shape and is used to contain aerosol-generating products.
The heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the radiating layer is installed on the inner surface of the side wall of the substrate and, when heated, emits infrared rays to heat the aerosol generating product, and the heating film is installed on the side of the substrate away from the radiating layer. The aforementioned containment structure includes a substrate and a radiation layer.
The aforementioned substrate has a hollow tubular shape and is used to contain aerosol-generating products.
The heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the radiating layer is installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the substrate and, when heated, emits infrared rays to heat the aerosol generating product, and the heating film is installed on the side of the radiating layer away from the substrate. The heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the containment structure includes a substrate, the substrate is hollow and tubular in shape, and the substrate includes a main body and an infrared radiating material dispersed within the main body, the substrate is used to contain an aerosol generating product, and when heated, emits infrared rays to heat the aerosol generating product, and the heating film is installed on the outer surface of the side wall of the substrate. The heating assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that the substrate is a transparent substrate. an aerosol generating apparatus including a heating assembly and a power supply assembly,
The heating assembly is the heating assembly described in any one of the claims 1 to 20.
The aerosol generating apparatus is characterized in that the power supply assembly is electrically connected to the heating assembly and is used to supply power to the heating assembly.