Device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate

Abstract

An apparatus (1) arranged to heat an aerosol-forming substrate to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-forming substrate. The apparatus comprises: a housing (9); the housing having an insertion point (20) at one end, through which a consumable (21) comprising the aerosol-forming substrate can be removably inserted into the apparatus; at least one heater (23) arranged within the housing (9) to heat the aerosol-forming substrate within the consumable (21). The housing comprises a ventilation section around the exterior of the consumable at the insertion point, such that at least one heated and volatilized component from the aerosol-forming substrate can leave the apparatus and / or such that air can enter the apparatus.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of May 12, 2017, the Chinese application number of 201780026927.4 (the international application number of PCT / EP2017 / 061520), and the invention title of "Device for Heating a Suctionable Material", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a device arranged to heat a suctionable material. Background Art

[0003] Articles such as cigarettes, cigars, etc. burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these tobacco-burning articles by manufacturing products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products are so-called heat-not-burn products, also known as tobacco heating products or tobacco heating devices, which release compounds by heating the material but not burning it. The material can be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products or compositions, such as blends, which may or may not contain nicotine. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device arranged to heat a suctionable material to volatilize at least one component of the suctionable material, the device comprising: a housing having an insertion point at one end, a consumable comprising the suctionable material being removably insertable into the device through the insertion point in use; at least one heater arranged within the housing to heat the suctionable material within the consumable, wherein the housing includes a ventilation portion around the outside of the consumable at the insertion point to enable at least one heated and volatilized component from the suctionable material to leave the device and / or to enable air to enter the device.

[0005] In a representative embodiment, the insertion point is formed as a collar, wherein the collar includes a plurality of ridges circumferentially arranged around the insertion point, the ridges extending into the insertion point.

[0006] Providing the ventilation portion to the device enables air to enter the device to cool the heated and volatilized material from the suctionable material and enables part of the heated and volatilized material to escape from the device without being inhaled by the user. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 A perspective view of an example of a device for heating a suctionable material is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 Showing the insertion of the consumableFigure 1 Horizontal cross-sectional view of the device;

[0010] Figure 3 showing the device with no consumable inserted Figure 1 Horizontal cross-sectional view of the device;

[0011] Figure 4 showing Figure 1 Perspective side view of the device, with some external panels missing to show the internal components of the device;

[0012] Figure 5a showing Figure 1 Side view of the internal components of the device;

[0013] Figure 5b showing Figure 1 First perspective view of the internal components of the device;

[0014] Figure 5c showing Figure 1 Second perspective view of the internal components of the device;

[0015] Figure 5d showing Figure 1 End view of the internal components of the device;

[0016] Figure 6 showing Figure 1 End view of an alternative internal component of the device;

[0017] Figure 7 Plan view of the top panel of a device for heating a smokable material;

[0018] Figure 8 showing Figure 7 Side view of the top panel of the device;

[0019] Figure 9 showing Figure 7 Perspective view of the top panel of the device;

[0020] Figure 10 showing the top panel of the device with a consumable inserted Figure 7 Plan view. Detailed Description

[0021] As used herein, the term "drawable material" includes materials that provide volatile components (usually in the form of an aerosol) when heated. "Drawable material" includes any material containing tobacco and can, for example, include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. "Drawable material" can also include other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine depending on the product. "Drawable material" can be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, gel, or wax, etc. "Drawable material" can also be, for example, a combination or mixture of materials.

[0022] Devices for heating drawable material to volatilize at least one component of the drawable material (usually to form an inhalable aerosol without burning or combusting the drawable material) are known. Such devices are sometimes described as "heat-not-burn" devices, or "tobacco heating products", or "tobacco heating devices", etc. Similarly, there are so-called electronic cigarette devices that typically vaporize drawable material in liquid form, which may or may not contain nicotine. The drawable material can be in the form of a rod, cartridge, or cassette that can be inserted into the device, or provided as part of the rod, cartridge, or cassette. The heater for heating and volatilizing the drawable material can be provided as a "permanent" part of the device, or as part of a drawable article or consumable that is discarded and replaced after use. In this context, a "drawable article" is a device, article, or other component that includes or contains drawable material in use, and in use, heats the device, article, or other component to volatilize the drawable material and optionally other components.

[0023] At the outset, reference is made to Figures 1 to 4 , which shows an example of a device 1 arranged to heat drawable material to volatilize at least one component of the drawable material (usually to form an inhalable aerosol). Device 1 is a heating device 1 that releases components by heating but not burning the drawable material.

[0024] The first end 3 is sometimes referred to herein as the mouth end or proximal end 3 of the device 1, and the second end 5 is sometimes referred to herein as the distal end 5 of the device 1. Device 1 has an on / off button 7 to allow the user to turn the device 1 on and off as a whole as needed.

[0025] Device 1 includes a housing 9 for positioning and protecting the various internal components of device 1. In the example shown, housing 9 includes a single-piece sleeve 11 that surrounds the perimeter of device 1, a top panel 17 that generally defines the "top" of device 1, and a bottom panel 19 that generally defines the "bottom" of device 1. In addition to the top panel 17 and the bottom panel 19, in another example, the housing includes a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of opposing side panels.

[0026] The top panel 17 and / or the bottom panel 19 may be removably fixed to the single-piece sleeve 11 to allow easy access to the interior of the device 1, or may be "permanently" fixed to the single-piece sleeve 11, for example to prevent the user from accessing the interior of the device 1. In one example, the panels 17 and 19 are made of a plastic material, including, for example, glass-filled nylon formed by injection molding, and the single-piece sleeve 11 is made of aluminum, although other materials and other manufacturing processes may also be used.

[0027] The top panel 17 of the device 1 has an opening 20 at the mouth end 3 of the device 1. In use, the user can insert and remove a consumable 21 containing a smokable material through the opening 20 into and from the device 1.

[0028] The housing 9 has a heater device 23, a control circuit 25, and a power supply 27 positioned or fixed therein. In this example, the heater device 23, the control circuit 25, and the power supply 27 are laterally adjacent (i.e., adjacent when viewed from the end), and the control circuit 25 is typically located between the heater device 23 and the power supply 27, although other positions are possible.

[0029] The control circuit 25 may include a controller, such as a microprocessor device, which is configured and arranged to control the heating of the smokable material in the consumable 21, as discussed further below.

[0030] The power supply 27 may be, for example, a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel batteries (such as nickel-cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and the like. The battery 27 is electrically coupled to the heater device 23 to supply power when needed and heat the smokable material in the consumable under the control of the control circuit 25 (as discussed, to volatilize the smokable material without causing it to burn).

[0031] The advantage of positioning the power supply 27 laterally near the heater device 23 is that a physically larger power supply 25 can be used without causing the overall length of the device 1 to be too long. As will be understood, a physically larger power supply 25 typically has a higher capacity (i.e., the total electrical energy that can be supplied, usually measured in ampere-hours, etc.), and thus the battery life for the device 1 can be longer.

[0032] In one example, the heater device 23 is typically in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube having a hollow internal heating chamber 29 into which a consumable 21 comprising the material to be vaporized is inserted for heating in use. Different arrangements for the heater device 23 are possible. For example, the heater device 23 may include a single heating element, or may be formed by a plurality of heating elements aligned along the longitudinal axis of the heater device 23. The heating element or each heating element may be annular or tubular, or at least partially annular or partially tubular around its circumference. In one example, the heating element or each heating element may be a thin film heater. In another example, the heating element or each heating element may be made of a ceramic material. Examples of suitable ceramic materials include alumina, aluminum nitride and silicon nitride ceramics, which may be laminated and sintered. Other heating devices are possible, including for example induction heating elements, infrared heater elements that heat by emitting infrared radiation, or resistive heating elements formed by for example resistive electrical windings.

[0033] In a particular example, the heater device 23 is supported by a stainless steel support tube and includes a polyimide heating element. The heater device 23 is sized such that when the consumable 21 is inserted into the device 1, substantially the entire material to be vaporized is heated in use.

[0034] The heating element or each heating element may be arranged such that selected regions of the material to be vaporized can be heated independently, for example successively (over time) or together (simultaneously) as required.

[0035] In this example, the heater device 23 is surrounded along at least a portion of its length by a thermal insulator 31. The insulator 31 helps to reduce the heat passing from the heater device 23 to the exterior of the device 1. This helps to keep the power required by the heater device 23 at a low level as it generally reduces heat losses. The insulator 31 also helps to keep the exterior of the device 1 cool during operation of the heater device 23. In one example, the insulator 31 may be a double walled sleeve that provides a low pressure region between two walls of the sleeve. That is, the insulator 31 may be for example a "vacuum" tube, i.e., a tube that has been at least partially emptied to minimize heat transfer by conduction and / or convection. Other devices for the insulator 31 are possible in addition to or instead of the double walled sleeve, including the use of thermal insulation materials, including for example suitable foam type materials.

[0036] The housing 9 may further include various internal support structures 37 (best seen in Figure 4 ), for supporting all of the internal components, and the heating device 23.

[0037] The device 1 further includes a collar 33 that extends around the opening 20 and projects into the interior of the housing 9 from the opening 20, and a generally tubular chamber 35 located between one end of the collar 33 and the vacuum sleeve 31.

[0038] One end of the chamber 35 is connected to and supported by the collar 33, and the other end of the chamber 35 is connected to and thereby supports one end of the vacuum sleeve 31. Thus, as best seen in Figure 3 , the collar 33, the chamber 35, and the vacuum tube 31 / heater device 23 are coaxially arranged such that, as best seen in Figure 2 , when the consumable 21 is inserted into the device 1, it extends through the collar 33 and the chamber 35 into the heater chamber 29.

[0039] As described above, in this example, the heater device 23 is generally in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube, and this tube is in fluid communication with the opening 20 at the mouth end 3 of the device 1 via the chamber 35 and the collar 33.

[0040] Now referring to Figures 5a to 5d , in this example, the chamber 35 includes a tubular body 35a having a first open end 35b and a second open end 35c. The tubular body 35a includes a first section 35d and a second section 35e. The first section 35d extends from the first open end 35b to approximately halfway along the tubular body 35a, and the second section 35e extends from approximately halfway along the tubular body 35a to the second open end 35c. The first section 35d has a substantially constant inner diameter, and the second section 35e has an inner diameter that tapers gradually towards the second open end 35c.

[0041] The chamber 35 further includes a cooling structure 35f. In this example, the cooling structure 35f includes cooling fins 35f spaced along the tubular body 35a, and each cooling fin 35f is circumferentially arranged around the tubular body 35a.

[0042] The chamber 35 also includes a flange portion 35g around the second open end 35c, and a plurality of projections or clips 35h also arranged around the second open end 35c. Each clip 35h is generally "L"-shaped and includes a first portion 35h1 connected to the flange portion 35g and a second portion 35h2 that is generally perpendicular to the first portion 35h1 and extends in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body 35a. Each second portion 35h2 includes a stepped surface 35i that faces an axis extending along the longitudinal axis of the tubular body 35a, and the stepped surface 35i is slightly curved.

[0043] As in Figure 3Best seen herein, in this example, the chamber 35 is located in the housing 9 between the collar 33 and the vacuum tube 31 / heater 23. More specifically, (i) at the second end 35c, the flange 35g abuts the end of the polyimide tube of the heater device 23, and the clip 35h elastically engages with the polyimide tube via its stepped surface 35i and the outer surface of the clip that matches the interior of the vacuum sleeve 31, and (ii) at the first open end 35b, the chamber 35 is connected to the collar 33 by a ridge 60 that forms part of the collar 33 and extends into the chamber 35. The ridge 60 forms an angle from the first end 62 of the collar 33 towards the second end 63 of the collar along an axis extending along the longitudinal axis of the collar 33 and the chamber 35. The ridge is flush with the inner surface of the chamber 35 to form a snug fit.

[0044] As seen from Figure 2 Best appreciated, the inner diameter of the first section 35d of the hollow chamber 35 is larger than the outer diameter of the consumable 2. Thus, when the consumable 2 is inserted over at least a portion of the length of the hollow chamber 35, an air gap 36 exists between the hollow chamber 35 and the consumable 2. The air gap 36 surrounds the entire periphery of the consumable 21 in this region.

[0045] As in Figure 5c and Figure 5d Best seen herein, at the second open end 35c, the chamber 35 includes a plurality (three in this example) of lobes 35j or ridges circumferentially arranged around the inner surface of the chamber 35 at the periphery of the second open end 35c. Each lobe 35j extends a small distance in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 35 and also extends a small amount radially at the second open end 35c. The lobes 35j together provide a gripping section for gripping the consumable 21 to correctly position and hold the consumable 21 within the chamber 35 when the consumable 21 is within the device 1. Therebetween, the lobes 35j gently compress or squeeze the consumable 21 in this area or areas of the consumable that contact the lobes 35j. The lobes 35j may be composed of an elastic material (or be elastic in some other way) such that the lobes 35j are slightly deformed (e.g., compressed) when the consumable 21 is inserted into the device 1 to better grip the consumable 21, but regain their original shape when the consumable 21 is removed from the device 1. The lobes 35j may be formed integrally with the chamber 35 or may be separate components attached within the chamber 35. The inner diameter surrounding the lobes may be, for example, 5.377 mm.

[0046] In Figure 6In an alternative example shown, the resilient clamping section 35k within the hollow chamber 35 defines a substantially oval aperture 35l that may extend along the longitudinal axis of the hollow chamber 35, and when the consumable 21 is inserted into the device 1, the hollow chamber 35 gently compresses or squeezes that section of the consumable 21 located within the oval aperture 35l such that the cross-section of this section of the consumable 21 deforms from being circular to being oval. In one example, the clamping section 35k is located towards the first open end 35b. In one example, the width of the oval section may be increased or decreased to increase or decrease the insertion / retention force. In another example, small grooves (not shown) may be added to the surface of the oval aperture 35l that will interfere with the consumable 21 rather than the entire surface area of the oval aperture 35l. This will minimize the insertion / removal sensitivity for various consumable components (tobacco, tipping paper, paper tube) passing through the clamping section 35k.

[0047] In another example, the combination of the lobe 35j and the oval clamping section 35k may be used to hold the consumable 21 within the hollow chamber 35. For example, the oval clamping section 35k and the lobe 35j may be longitudinally spaced within the hollow chamber 35 and used respectively to hold the inserted consumable 21 in place, or alternatively, the lobe 35j may be arranged around the surface of the oval clamping section 35k.

[0048] The chamber 35 may be formed of, for example, a plastic material including, for example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0049] Referring again to Figures 2 to 4 , in one example, the heating chamber 29 has a region 38 of decreasing inner diameter towards the distal end 5. This region 38 provides an end stop for the consumable 21 passing through the opening at the mouth end 3. This region 38 of decreasing inner diameter may be provided, for example, by a hollow tube of the type detailed in our co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 185,227, filed on June 26, 2015, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0050] The device 1 may further include a door 39 at the distal end 5 that opens and closes an opening in the rear panel to provide access to the heating chamber 29 such that the heating chamber may be cleaned. Examples of suitable doors are also discussed in more detail in our co-pending application 62 / 185,227.

[0051] Now referring specifically to Figures 7 to 10 , an example of the top panel 17 of the device 1 is shown. The top panel 17 generally forms the front end 3 of the housing 9 of the device. The top panel 17 supports a collar 33 that defines an insertion point in the form of an opening 20 through which the consumable 21 may be removably inserted into the device 1 during use.

[0052] The collar 33 extends around the opening 20 and projects from the opening 20 into the interior of the housing 9. In one example, the collar 33 is integrally formed with the top panel 17 of the housing, such that the collar 33 and the top panel 17 form a single component. In an alternative example, the collar 33 is a separate element from the top panel 17, but can be attached to the top panel 17 by an attachment, such as a locking mechanism, an adhesive, a screw. Other attachments suitable for attaching the collar 33 to the top panel 17 can be used.

[0053] In this example, the collar 33 includes a plurality of ridges 60 that are circumferentially arranged around the perimeter of the opening 20 and project into the opening 20. The ridges 60 occupy space within the opening 20 such that the opening span of the opening 20 at the location of the ridges 60 is smaller than the opening span of the opening 20 at locations without the ridges 60. The ridges 60 are configured to engage the consumable 21 of the insertion device to assist in securing the consumable 21 within the device 1.

[0054] In one example, the ridges 60 are equally spaced apart circumferentially around the perimeter of the opening 20. In one example, there are four ridges 60, and in other examples, there can be more or fewer than four ridges 60.

[0055] Figure 9 A plan view of the top panel 17 of the device with the consumable 21 inserted into the opening 20 is shown. The ridges 60 project into the opening 20 to engage the consumable 21. Open spaces defined by adjacent pairs of the ridges 60 and the consumable 21 form a ventilation path 61 around the exterior of the consumable 21. These ventilation paths 61, as will be described in more detail below, allow hot steam that has escaped from the consumable 21 to leave the device 1 and allow cooling air to flow into the device 1 around the consumable 21. Figure 10 The example in shows four ventilation paths 61 located around the perimeter of the consumable 21 that provide ventilation to the device 1, although there can be more or fewer such ventilation paths 61.

[0056] As described above, the ridges 60 project radially into the opening 20, but as best appreciated from Figure 8 it is also best recognized that they also extend from the top panel 17 into the housing 9. The protrusions of the ridges 60 are angled towards each other such that the distance between the ridges 60 decreases as the ridges 60 extend into the housing. As best seen in Figure 3 the ridges 60 project into the housing such that the collar 33 can be connected to the chamber 35 by the ridges 60, and the ridges 60 extend through the first open end 35b of the chamber 35 and engage the inner wall of the chamber 35.

[0057] Referring again specifically to Figure 2, in one example, the consumable 21 is in the form of a cylindrical rod that has or contains a smokable material 21a at a rear end in a section of the consumable 21 within the heating device 23 when the consumable 21 is inserted into the device 1. The front end of the consumable 21 extends from the device 1 and serves as a mouthpiece assembly 21b that includes one or more of a filter for filtering the aerosol and / or a cooling element 21c for cooling the aerosol. The filter / cooling element 21c is spaced from the smokable material 21a by a space 21d and is also spaced from the end of the mouthpiece assembly 21b by another space 21e. The consumable 21 is wound circumferentially within an outer layer (not shown). In one example, the outer layer of the consumable 21 is permeable to allow some of the heated volatile components from the smokable material to escape from the consumable 21.

[0058] In operation, the heater device 23 will heat the consumable 21 to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material 21a.

[0059] Before entering the user's mouth through the open end of the mouthpiece assembly 21b, the main flow path for the heated volatile components from the smokable material 21a axially passes through the consumable 21, through the space 21d, the filter / cooling element 21c, and another space 21e. However, some of the volatile components may escape from the consumable 21 through its permeable wrapper and enter the space 36 around the consumable 21 in the chamber 35.

[0060] Volatile components that are not desired to flow from the consumable 21 into the chamber 35 are inhaled by the user because those components will not pass through the filter / cooling element 21c and thus are not filtered and not cooled.

[0061] Advantageously, the volume of air around the consumable 21 in the chamber 35 and the finned cooling inner wall of the chamber 35 causes at least some of the volatile components that escape from the consumable 21 through its outer layer to cool and condense on the inner wall of the chamber 35, preventing those volatile components from potentially being inhaled by the user.

[0062] Cooling air that can enter the space 36 around the consumable 21 in the chamber 35 from outside the device 1 via a ventilation path 61 can contribute to this cooling effect, and the ventilation path 61 allows fluid to flow into and out of the device. The ventilation path 61 will be defined between a pair of the plurality of adjacent ridges 60 to provide ventilation around the outside of the consumable 21 at the insertion point.

[0063] In one example, a second ventilation path 61 is provided between a second pair of adjacent ridges for at least one heated volatile component to flow from the consumable 21 at a second location. Thus, ventilation is provided around the outside of the consumable 21 at the insertion point by the first and second ventilation paths 61.

[0064] Moreover, the heat volatilized components escaping from the consumable 21 through its outer wrapping paper do not condense on the inner wall of the chamber 35 and can safely flow out of the device 1 via the ventilation path 61 without being inhaled by the user.

[0065] Both the chamber 35 and the ventilation section contribute to reducing the temperature and the content of the water vapor component released in the heat volatilized components from the puffing material.

[0066] The various embodiments described herein are only used to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as representative samples of the embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein are not considered to be limitations on the scope of the invention defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be used and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. In addition to those specifically described herein, the various embodiments of the present invention may suitably include, consist of, or consist essentially of a suitable combination of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, devices, etc. Further, the present invention may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An apparatus arranged to heat a smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material, the apparatus comprising: A housing; The housing has an insertion point at one end, and in use, a consumable including the smokable material can be removably inserted into the apparatus through the insertion point; At least one heater device, within the housing, to heat but not burn the smokable material within the consumable; A collar that extends around and into an opening through which, in use, a consumable including the smokable material can be inserted to form the insertion point, the collar extending into the interior of the housing from the opening to a generally tubular chamber located between the collar and the heater device; Wherein the housing includes a ventilation portion around the exterior of the consumable at the insertion point to enable at least one heated and volatilized component from the smokable material to leave the apparatus and / or to enable air to enter the apparatus; Wherein the collar includes a plurality of first ridges circumferentially arranged around and extending into the insertion point; Wherein a first ventilation path is defined between a first adjacent pair of the plurality of first ridges, and wherein the ventilation portion is provided by the first ventilation path; Wherein a second ventilation path is defined between a second adjacent pair of the plurality of first ridges, and wherein the ventilation portion is additionally provided by the second ventilation path; Wherein the ventilation portion is configured such that the at least one heated and volatilized component that has entered the chamber around the consumable can leave the apparatus; Wherein the plurality of first ridges extend into the insertion point to reduce the span of the insertion point at the location of the plurality of first ridges; Wherein the plurality of first ridges are configured to engage the consumable received in the apparatus in use; Wherein the heater device is an induction heating element; Wherein the heater device is in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube; Wherein the collar, the chamber, and the heater device are coaxially arranged such that when the consumable is inserted into the apparatus, the consumable extends through the collar and the chamber into the hollow cylindrical tube of the heater device; Wherein the chamber includes a plurality of second ridges circumferentially arranged around the inner surface of the chamber at an end of the chamber opposite the first ridges; Wherein the second ridges provide a clamping section that grips the consumable to correctly position and hold a portion of the consumable within the chamber when the consumable is within the apparatus.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The collar and the chamber are integral.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein The collar can be connected to the chamber.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein The collar is integral with the housing.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein The collar is a different component from the housing.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The collar includes four first ridges.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of first ridges extend into the housing and are angled towards each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, At least a portion of the length of the heater device is surrounded by a thermal insulator.

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