Infrared heater, aerosol generating device, and method of manufacturing infrared heater

Abstract

The application discloses an infrared heater, an aerosol generating device and a preparation method of the infrared heater, wherein the infrared heater comprises an insulating base body with a cavity, an infrared radiation layer deposited on the outer surface of the insulating base body, and an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer by printing and sintering, the insulating base body comprises a high-temperature-resistant material, and the middle region of the infrared radiation layer has a different doping component and resistivity from the end region of the infrared radiation layer. The application can solve the technical problem that the current infrared heater has low temperature at both end regions and high temperature at the middle region, resulting in uneven heating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent relates to the field of novel tobacco technology, and in particular to an infrared heater, an aerosol generating device, and a method for preparing the infrared heater. Background Technology

[0002] Smoking articles such as cigarettes and cigars burn tobacco to produce smoke during use. Efforts have been made to provide alternatives to these tobacco-burning articles by creating products that release compounds without combustion. An example of such products is the so-called heat-not-burn product, which releases compounds by heating tobacco instead of burning it.

[0003] Existing heated tobacco devices primarily generate heat through a heating element, which then conducts the heat to an aerosol-generating matrix within the chamber, causing at least one component to volatilize into an aerosol for the user to inhale. Typically, these devices use an infrared heater as the heating element. While infrared heaters heat up quickly, their low heat transfer efficiency results in slow preheating of the aerosol-generating matrix, making it difficult to effectively heat the internal matrix material. This leads to a poor aerosol taste and unpleasant user experience, thus requiring improvement to the infrared heater. Furthermore, as... Figure 10 As shown, existing infrared heaters have a lower temperature at the ends (157°C) and a higher temperature in the middle (197°C) because the axial heat loss rate at the ends is greater than the radial heat loss rate at the ends. The large temperature difference (more than 40°C) causes the tobacco at the ends to not smoke fully or the tobacco in the middle to release harmful substances due to excessively high temperature. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an infrared heater, an aerosol generating device, and a method for preparing an infrared heater, in order to solve the technical problem of uneven heating caused by low temperatures at both ends and high temperatures in the middle of the current infrared heater.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] On one hand, the present invention provides an infrared heater, comprising:

[0007] An insulating substrate, wherein the insulating substrate is a high-temperature resistant material;

[0008] An infrared radiation layer is provided to generate infrared radiation to radiate the heated aerosol matrix, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol.

[0009] The infrared radiation layer has a first end region, a middle region, and a second end region formed as a single unit;

[0010] characterized in that the composition of the intermediate region is different from the composition of the first end region and / or the composition of the intermediate region is different from the composition of the second end region.

[0011] Further, the resistivity of the intermediate region is different from the resistivity of the first end region and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is different from the resistivity of the second end region, wherein the ratio of the resistivity of the lower resistivity region to the higher resistivity region is 1: (1.10-10).

[0012] Further, the infrared radiation layer is a doped metal oxide film.

[0013] The doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film of the intermediate region is different from the doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film of the first end region and / or the doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film of the intermediate region is different from the doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film of the second end region.

[0014] Further, the doped metal oxide film is a phosphorus-doped metal oxide film, a nitrogen-doped metal oxide film or a mixed metal oxide film.

[0015] Further, the doped metal oxide film comprises one or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of iron trioxide, aluminum trioxide, chromium trioxide, indium trioxide, lanthanum trioxide, cobalt trioxide, nickel trioxide, antimony trioxide, antimony pentoxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, manganese dioxide, cerium dioxide, copper oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and molybdenum trioxide.

[0016] Further, the doping component of the doped metal oxide film of the intermediate region is different from the doping component of the doped metal oxide film of the first end region and / or the doping component of the doped metal oxide film of the intermediate region is different from the doping component of the doped metal oxide film of the second end region.

[0017] Further, the thickness difference between any two of the intermediate region, the first end region and the second end region is less than 100 nm.

[0018] Further, the thickness of the intermediate region of the infrared radiation layer is 200-2000 nm.

[0019] Further, the infrared heater comprises an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, wherein the electrode layer comprises a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer.

[0020] The first electrode layer comprises a first conductive part, which is sequentially coupled to the first end region, the intermediate region and the second end region.

[0021] The second electrode layer comprises a second conductive part, which is coupled to the second end region, the intermediate region and the first end region in sequence;

[0022] When heating the aerosol forming substrate, an electric current flows from the first conductive part to the second conductive part through the infrared radiation layer;

[0023] The intermediate region has a resistivity greater than that of the first end region, and / or a resistivity greater than that of the second end region.

[0024] Further, the infrared heater comprises an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, the electrode layer comprising a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer;

[0025] One end of the first electrode layer is coupled to a first stage of a power supply, and the other end of the first electrode layer is coupled to the first end region;

[0026] One end of the second electrode layer is coupled to a second stage of the power supply, and the other end of the second electrode layer is coupled to the second end region;

[0027] The intermediate region has a resistivity less than that of the first end region, and / or a resistivity less than that of the second end region.

[0028] In a second aspect, the present application provides an aerosol generating device, comprising: a housing assembly and the above-mentioned infrared heater;

[0029] The heater is arranged in the housing assembly;

[0030] The intermediate region has a resistivity different from that of the first end region, and / or a resistivity different from that of the second end region, wherein the ratio of the resistivity of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(2-10).

[0031] In a third aspect, the present application provides an aerosol generating device, comprising: a housing assembly (6) and the above-mentioned infrared heater;

[0032] The heater is arranged in the housing assembly, and a heat insulation pipe is arranged between the heater and the housing assembly;

[0033] The intermediate region has a resistivity different from that of the first end region, and / or a resistivity different from that of the second end region, wherein the ratio of the resistivity of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(1.10-2).

[0034] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a preparation method of an infrared heater, comprising:

[0035] Different components of the infrared radiation layer raw materials are deposited on the outer surface of the insulating substrate of the infrared heater by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma chemical enhanced deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, metal organic decomposition or sol-gel method, to form an infrared radiation layer with different resistivities in the first end region, the middle region and the second end region.

[0036] The insulating substrate can be made of a material that is resistant to high temperature and has high infrared transmittance. The material of the substrate 11 is selected from at least one of the following: germanium single crystal, silicon single crystal, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, sapphire, polycrystalline aluminum oxide, spinel, magnesium oxide, yttrium oxide, quartz, yttrium aluminum garnet, zinc sulfide, zinc selenide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, arsenic trisulfide, and the like. Preferably, the material of the insulating substrate is made of quartz.

[0037] The infrared radiation layer can be made of materials with high infrared emissivity, such as oxides, carbon materials, carbides, nitrides, etc. Specifically, they include:

[0038] Metal oxides and multi-component alloy oxides, including: ferric oxide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, indium oxide, lanthanum oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, antimony oxide, antimony pentoxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, manganese dioxide, cerium dioxide, copper oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, molybdenum trioxide, etc.; it can also be a combination of two or more of the above metal oxides; it can also be a ceramic material with spinel, perovskite, olivine, etc.

[0039] Carbon materials have a high infrared emissivity close to black body characteristics. Carbon materials include: graphite, carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, graphene, diamond-like film, etc.

[0040] Carbides, including: silicon carbide, which has a high emissivity in a wide range of infrared wavelengths (2.3 microns-25 microns), making it a good near-full-band infrared radiation material; in addition, there are tungsten carbide, iron carbide, vanadium carbide, titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, manganese carbide, chromium carbide, niobium carbide, etc., all of which have high infrared emissivity (MeC phase does not have strict chemical composition and chemical formula).

[0041] Nitrides, including: metal nitrides and non-metal nitrides, where metal nitrides include: titanium nitride, titanium carbonitride, aluminum nitride, magnesium nitride, tantalum nitride, vanadium nitride, etc.; non-metal nitrides include: boron nitride, phosphorus pentazide, silicon nitride (Si3N4), etc.

[0042] Other inorganic non-metallic materials include: silicon dioxide, silicates (including phosphosilicates, borosilicates, etc.), titanates, aluminates, phosphates, borides, sulfur compounds, etc.

[0043] Tin oxide (Sn02) is a very important wide band gap (band gap width of 3.7-4.3eV) metal oxide semiconductor material. Common single crystal Sn02 is tetragonal rutile structure, in the Sn02 cell, Sn atom is located in the center of oxygen octahedron, there are 6 O atoms around each Sn atom; similarly, there are 3 Sn atoms connected around each O atom. Polycrystalline Sn02 thin film is composed of grains with tetragonal cassiterite structure or tetragonal rutile structure, and the preferred orientation of the Sn02 thin film grown by thin film process has a close relationship with the crystal structure, surface state, growth temperature and other parameters of the substrate material.

[0044] In antimony-doped tin oxide, Sb atom has 5 valence electrons outside the nucleus, replaces Sn atom with +4 valence in the lattice, and each Sb atom can provide 1 free electron. After Sn02 thin film is doped with Sb, it becomes an n-type semiconductor with electron conduction.

[0045] Under a suitable doping concentration, Sn02:P thin film is a polycrystalline degenerate semiconductor, and P is usually a five-valent donor atom in the Sn02 lattice. The conductivity increases with the increase of P concentration, and when the P concentration reaches a certain value, the conductivity decreases with the increase of P concentration. When P is first doped, P acts as a donor atom to increase the carrier concentration, thereby increasing the conductivity of Sn02:P; when a certain value is reached, further increasing the P concentration increases the ionized impurity concentration and the lattice defect density, and the carrier mobility decreases, thereby causing the conductivity to decrease. The phosphorus atom mol% in the phosphorus-doped tin oxide in the lower-resistance part of the infrared radiation layer is 5% to 9%; preferably, it is 5% to 8.7%; further preferably, it is 6% to 8.7%. The higher resistance part can select mol% outside the corresponding interval.

[0046] The aerosol-generating article is a smoking article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate which generates, by heating, an aerosol which is directly inhalable by a user's mouth into the user's lungs.

[0047] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate is a solid aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming substrate can comprise both solid and liquid components.

[0048] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises nicotine. In some preferred embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises tobacco. For example, the aerosol-forming material can be formed from a sheet of homogenised tobacco.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-forming substrate can comprise aerosol-forming material that does not contain tobacco. For example, the aerosol-forming material can be a non-tobacco plant fibre sheet comprising a nicotine salt and an aerosol former.

[0050] If the aerosol-forming substrate is a solid aerosol-forming substrate, the solid aerosol-forming substrate can comprise one or more of a powder, a granule, a pellet, a shard, a strip, a rod or a sheet, containing one or more of a herbal plant leaf, a tobacco leaf, a tobacco rib, a flat expanded tobacco and a homogenised tobacco.

[0051] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a plug comprising a consolidated sheet of homogenised tobacco material or other aerosol-forming material surrounded by a wrapper.

[0052] In the present patent, aerosol former is used to describe any suitable known compound or mixture of compounds which in use facilitates the formation of an aerosol and which is substantially resistant to thermal degradation at the operating temperature of the aerosol-generating article.

[0053] Suitable aerosol formers are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerol; esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate or glycerol triacetate; and aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or poly-carboxylic acids such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. Preferred aerosol formers are polyhydric alcohols or mixtures thereof such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and most preferably glycerol.

[0054] The aerosol-forming substrate can comprise a single aerosol former. Alternatively, the aerosol-forming substrate can comprise a combination of two or more aerosol formers.

[0055] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate has an aerosol former content of greater than 5% by dry weight. More preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate can have an aerosol former content of between about 5% and about 30% by dry weight. In one embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate has an aerosol former content of about 20% by dry weight.

[0056] Aerosol-forming substrates including homogenised tobacco sheets for use in aerosol-generating articles can be manufactured by existing manufacturing processes in the art such as roll-pressing, slurry and paper-making methods.

[0057] Preferably, the aerosol-forming article is in the form of a cigarette comprising an aerosol-forming substrate, a support element, an aerosol-cooling element and a mouthpiece. Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate, the support element, the aerosol-cooling element and the mouthpiece are substantially cylindrical and have substantially equivalent outer diameters.

[0058] The support element can be located immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate, and can abut the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0059] The support element can be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, the support element can be formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: cellulose acetate; paperboard; crimped paper, such as crimped heat-resistant paper or crimped parchment paper; and polymeric materials, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). In preferred embodiments, the support element is formed from cellulose acetate.

[0060] The support element can comprise a hollow tubular element. In preferred embodiments, the support element comprises a cellulose acetate tube.

[0061] The aerosol-cooling element can be located downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate, for example the aerosol-cooling element can be located immediately downstream of, and can abut, the support element. The aerosol-cooling element can also be located between the support element and a mouthpiece located at the most downstream end of the aerosol-generating article.

[0062] The aerosol-cooling element can have a total surface area of between about 300 square millimetres per millimetre of length and about 1000 square millimetres per millimetre of length. In preferred embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element has a total surface area of about 500 square millimetres per millimetre of length.

[0063] Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element has a low draw resistance. That is, preferably, the aerosol-cooling element provides a low resistance to air passing through the aerosol-generating article. Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element does not substantially affect the draw resistance of the aerosol-generating article.

[0064] The aerosol-cooling element can comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending channels. The plurality of longitudinally extending channels can be defined by a sheet material which has been subjected to one or more of crimping, pleating, gathering and folding to form the channels. The plurality of longitudinally extending channels can be defined by a single sheet material which has been subjected to one or more of crimping, pleating, gathering and folding to form the plurality of channels. Alternatively, the plurality of longitudinally extending channels can be defined by a plurality of sheet materials which have been subjected to one or more of crimping, pleating, gathering and folding to form the plurality of channels.

[0065] In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element can comprise a gathered sheet of material selected from the group consisting of: a metal foil, a polymeric material, and a substantially non-porous paper or paperboard. In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element can comprise a gathered sheet of material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and an aluminium foil. In preferred embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element comprises a gathered sheet of biodegradable material. For example, a gathered sheet of non-porous paper or a gathered sheet of biodegradable polymeric material such as polylactic acid.

[0066] The aerosol-generating article can comprise a mouthpiece located at the mouth end of the aerosol-generating article. The mouthpiece can be located immediately downstream of, and in close proximity to, the aerosol-cooling element. The mouthpiece can comprise a filter. The filter can be formed from one or more suitable filter materials. Many such filter materials are known in the art. In one embodiment, the mouthpiece can comprise a filter formed from cellulose acetate tow.

[0067] The elements of the aerosol-generating article (for example, the aerosol-forming substrate and any other elements of the aerosol-generating article, such as support elements, aerosol-cooling elements and mouthpieces) are surrounded by an outer wrapper. The outer wrapper is formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. Preferably, the outer wrapper is cigarette paper.

[0068] The smoking implement, i.e. the aerosol-generating device, is used to describe a device that interacts with the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol-generating device is a smoking device that interacts with the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that is directly inhalable by a user through the mouth of the user into the lungs of the user. The aerosol-generating device can be a holder for a smoking article.

[0069] The heating mode of the smoking implement utilizes the principle of infrared heating. The infrared heating is mainly peripheral heating, which is a preferred use scenario of the invention, in addition to central heating and the like. The heater is preferably needle-shaped, strip-shaped, leaf-shaped or tube-shaped.

[0070] The aerosol-generating device is a portable or hand-held aerosol-generating device that a user can hold comfortably between the fingers of a single hand. The shape of the aerosol-generating device can be substantially cylindrical. The aerosol-generating device can have a length of between about 70 millimetres and about 120 millimetres.

[0071] The power source can be any suitable power source, such as a DC voltage source, like a battery. In one embodiment, the power source is a lithium-ion battery. Alternatively, the power source can be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lithium-based battery, such as a lithium cobalt, lithium iron phosphate, lithium titanate, or lithium polymer battery. The weight of the power source should ensure that the overall weight of the smoking device can be comfortably held between the fingers of a user's single hand.

[0072] The control element can be a circuit and may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers.

[0073] The present invention provides an infrared heater preparation method and an aerosol generation device, which form an infrared radiation layer on an insulating substrate through a chemical vapor phase. When the infrared radiation layer heats the aerosol formation matrix with infrared radiation, the center temperature of the aerosol formation matrix is ​​high, the heating is uniform, and the preheating time is short.

[0074] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0075] The infrared heater, aerosol generating device, and preparation method of the infrared heater provided in this application achieve comparable heating temperatures at both ends and in the middle of the infrared heating tube by forming an infrared radiation layer with uneven axial resistivity on an insulating substrate. The temperature difference can be controlled within 20°C, or even within 5°C. Attached Figure Description

[0076] The above content of this patent and the following detailed embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are merely examples of the claimed technical solution.

[0077] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an infrared heater in one embodiment;

[0078] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the current direction in the infrared heater;

[0079] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The equivalent circuit diagram of the infrared heater in the image;

[0080] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the infrared heater in another embodiment;

[0081] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The equivalent circuit diagram of the infrared heater in the image;

[0082] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure in one implementation method;

[0083] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure in one implementation method;

[0084] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an infrared radiation layer in one implementation method;

[0085] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the infrared radiation layer deposition process in the implementation method;

[0086] Figure 10 This is a temperature field distribution diagram of an existing infrared heating tube after it is powered on;

[0087] In the diagram: 100-Aerosol generating device; 11-Insulating substrate; 12-Infrared radiation layer; 121-First end region; 122-Middle region; 123-Second end region; 13-First electrode layer; 131-First coupling part; 132-First conductive part; A-Cavity; 14-Second electrode layer; 141-Second coupling part; 142-Second conductive part; 15-First base; 16-Second base; 17-Heat insulation tube; 2-Temperature sensor; 3-Circuit board; 31-Charging interface; 4-Button; 6-Housing assembly; 61-Outer shell assembly; 62-Fixed shell; 621-Front shell; 622-Rear shell; 64-Bottom cover; 641-Air inlet pipe; 7-Power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0088] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0089] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0090] like Figure 1 As shown, the infrared heater of this embodiment includes an insulating substrate 11 with a chamber, an infrared radiation layer deposited on the outer surface of the insulating substrate 11, and an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer by printing and sintering. The chamber A is used to contain an aerosol forming matrix.

[0091] The insulating base 11 can be cylindrical, prismatic or other columnar, or non-columnar (e.g. plate-like). The insulating base 11 is preferably cylindrical, the infrared radiation layer 12 is on the outside of the insulating base 11, and the cavity A is a cylindrical hole through the middle of the insulating base 11, the inner diameter of the hole being slightly larger than the outer diameter of the aerosol forming article, so as to facilitate the placement of the aerosol forming article in the cavity A for heating.

[0092] The insulating base 11 can be made of quartz glass, ceramic, mica or other high-temperature resistant and transparent materials, or other materials with high infrared transmittance, for example, high-temperature resistant materials with an infrared transmittance of 95% or more.

[0093] The infrared radiation layer 12 can be schematically divided into a first end region 121, a middle region 122 and a second end region 123. The middle region 122 of the infrared radiation layer 12 has a different composition from the first end region 121 and the second end region 123, so that the resistivity of the middle region 122 is different from that of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123. Generally, the resistivity ratio of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(1.10-10). In practice, the ratio should be considered comprehensively according to the axial heat loss speed of the end region of the smoking set and the radial heat loss speed of the heater. For cases where the axial heat loss speed of the end region is much greater than the radial heat loss speed of the heater, for example, the ratio can be set to be larger, for example, 1:(2-10). For cases where the axial heat loss speed of the end region is close to the radial heat loss speed of the heater, for example, the ratio can be set to be smaller, for example, 1:(1.10-2).

[0094] In one embodiment, the infrared radiation layer 12 can be a phosphorus-doped tin oxide film. The doping ratio of the middle region 122 to the end region is different. For the region with lower resistivity, the atomic percentage of phosphorus can be 5% to 9%. Correspondingly, for the region with higher resistivity, the atomic percentage of phosphorus can be 1% to 5% or 9% to 12%.

[0095] In another embodiment, the infrared radiation layer 12 can also be a combination of antimony-doped tin oxide film and phosphorus-doped tin oxide film. The middle region 122 and the region with lower resistivity in the end region can be an antimony-doped tin oxide film, and the region with higher resistivity can be a phosphorus-doped tin oxide film.

[0096] In one embodiment, the infrared radiation layer 12 includes an antimony-doped tin oxide film layer.

[0097] In the case of a smoking set as shown in FIG. 1, the insulating base 11 is cylindrical, the infrared radiation layer 12 is on the outside of the insulating base 11, and the cavity A is a cylindrical hole through the middle of the insulating base 11, the inner diameter of the hole being slightly larger than the outer diameter of the aerosol forming article, so as to facilitate the placement of the aerosol forming article in the cavity A for heating. Figures 1-3In one specific embodiment shown, the infrared heater includes an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, the electrode layer including a first electrode layer 13 and a second electrode layer 14.

[0098] The first electrode layer 13 includes a first coupling portion 131 and a first conductive portion 132. The first conductive portion 132 is elongated, with one end of the first conductive portion 132 coupled to the first coupling portion 131, which is connected to one pole of the power supply; the other end of the first conductive portion 132 is sequentially coupled to a first end region 121, a middle region 122, and a second end region 123.

[0099] The second electrode layer 14 includes a second coupling portion 141 and a second conductive portion 142. The second conductive portion 142 is elongated, with one end of the second conductive portion 142 coupled to the second coupling portion 141, and the second coupling portion 141 connected to the other pole of the power supply; the other end of the second conductive portion 142 is sequentially coupled to the second end region 123, the middle region 122 and the first end region 121.

[0100] In the application, the resistivity of the middle region is greater than that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the middle region is greater than that of the second end region.

[0101] like Figure 2 As shown, when the aerosol is heated to form a matrix, current flows from the first conductive part 132 through the infrared radiation layer 12 to the second conductive part 142.

[0102] When the first electrode layer 13 and the second electrode layer 14 are respectively connected to the power supply, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first end region 121, the middle region 122, and the second end region 123 are connected in parallel, and the voltage of each region is basically the same. Therefore, the heating power of each region is inversely proportional to the resistance of that region. Since the resistivity of the middle region is greater than that of the first end region, and the resistivity of the middle region is greater than that of the second end region, when other parameters of the middle region, the first end region, and the second end region are similar, the heating power of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 is higher than that of the middle region 122. This can compensate for the excessive heat loss of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123, so that the temperature of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 can be comparable to that of the middle region 122. According to the non-uniform infrared radiation layer structure proposed in this patent, the temperature difference between the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 and the middle region 122 can be controlled within 20°C. If the manufacturing precision is improved by using processes such as CVD, the temperature difference between the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 and the middle region 122 can be further controlled within 5°C.

[0103] In such Figures 4-5In another specific embodiment shown, the infrared heater includes an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, the electrode layer including a first electrode layer 13 and a second electrode layer 14.

[0104] The first electrode layer is coupled to one stage of the power supply at one end and to the first end region at the other end; the second electrode layer is coupled to the other stage of the power supply at one end and to the second end region at the other end.

[0105] In the application, the resistivity of the middle region is less than that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the middle region is less than that of the second end region.

[0106] When the first electrode layer 13 and the second electrode layer 14 are respectively connected to the power supply, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first end region 221, the middle region 122, and the second end region 123 are connected in series, and the current flowing through each region is basically the same. Therefore, the heating power of each region is proportional to the resistance of that region. Since the resistivity of the middle region is less than that of the first end region, and the resistivity of the middle region is less than that of the second end region, when other parameters of the middle region, the first end region, and the second end region are similar, the heating power of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 is higher than that of the middle region 122. This can compensate for the excessive heat loss of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123, so that the temperature of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 can be comparable to that of the middle region 122. According to the non-uniform infrared radiation layer structure of this patent, the temperature difference between the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 and the middle region 122 can be controlled within 20°C. If the manufacturing precision is improved by using processes such as CVD, the temperature difference between the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 and the middle region 122 can be further controlled within 5°C.

[0107] The middle region of the infrared radiation layer 12 has a substantially the same thickness as the first end region and the second end region, and the thickness of the middle region 122 is 200-2000 nm.

[0108] The infrared radiation layer 12 is deposited on the outer surface of the insulating substrate 11 using physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, organometallic decomposition, or sol-gel methods. The infrared radiation layer 12 is used to generate infrared radiation to heat aerosols, forming a matrix and generating inhalable aerosols.

[0109] The infrared radiation layer 12 receives electric power to generate heat, and in turn generates infrared rays of a certain wavelength, for example, far infrared rays of 8 μm to 15 μm. When the wavelength of the infrared rays matches the absorption wavelength of the aerosol-forming substrate, the energy of the infrared rays is easily absorbed by the aerosol-forming substrate. The wavelength of the infrared rays is not limited to infrared rays of 0.75 μm to 1000 μm.

[0110] Figure 4 、 Figure 5 The aerosol generating device 100 of the present embodiment includes a housing assembly 6 and an infrared heater arranged in the housing assembly 6. The housing assembly 6 includes an outer shell 61, a fixed shell 62 arranged in the outer shell 61, a first base 15 and a second base 16 for fixing the insulating substrate 11, and a bottom cover 64 covering the end of the outer shell 61.

[0111] The bottom cover 64 is provided with an air inlet pipe 641, and the end of the second base 16 away from the first base 15 is connected to the air inlet pipe 641. The first base 15, the insulating substrate 11, the second base 16, and the air inlet pipe 641 are coaxially arranged, and the insulating substrate 11 can be sealed from the first base 15 and the second base 16 by a sealing member. The second base 16 and the air inlet pipe 641 can also be sealed, and the air inlet pipe 641 is in communication with the outside air, so that air enters the infrared heater through the air inlet pipe 641, facilitating smooth air intake when the user inhales.

[0112] The aerosol generating device 100 further includes a main control circuit board 3 and a power supply 7 electrically connected to each other, both of which are arranged in the fixed shell 62. The fixed shell 62 includes a front shell 621 and a rear shell 622, which are fixedly connected. The key 4 is arranged on the outer shell 61, and the key 4 is connected to the power supply 7. By pressing the key 4, the power supply to the infrared radiation layer on the surface of the infrared heater 11 can be turned on or off. The main control circuit board 3 is further provided with a charging interface 31, which is arranged on the bottom cover 64. The user can charge or upgrade the aerosol generating device 100 through the charging interface 31, to ensure the continuous use of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0113] The aerosol generating device 100 further includes a heat insulation pipe 17 arranged in the fixed shell 62. The heat insulation pipe 17 is located on one side of the insulating substrate 11, and is arranged to avoid a large amount of heat being transferred to the outer shell 61 to cause burns. The heat insulation pipe includes a heat insulation material, which can be heat insulation glue, aerogel, aerogel felt, asbestos, aluminum silicate, calcium silicate, diatomite, zirconium oxide, etc. The heat insulation pipe 17 can also be a vacuum heat insulation pipe. An infrared ray reflecting coating can also be formed in the heat insulation pipe 17 to reflect the infrared rays emitted by the infrared radiation layer on the insulating substrate 11 back to the infrared radiation layer, improving the heating efficiency.

[0114] The aerosol-generating device 100 further comprises a temperature sensor 2, such as a NTC temperature sensor, for detecting the real-time temperature of the insulating base 11 and transmitting the detected real-time temperature to the main control circuit board 3, which adjusts the size of the current flowing through the infrared radiation layer according to the real-time temperature. When the NTC temperature sensor detects that the real-time temperature inside the insulating base 11 is low, for example, the temperature inside the insulating base 11 is less than 150℃, the main control circuit board 3 controls the power supply 7 to output a higher voltage to the conductive coating, thereby increasing the current fed into the infrared radiation layer, increasing the heating power of the aerosol-forming substrate, and reducing the waiting time for the user to take the first puff. When the NTC temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the insulating base 11 is 150-200℃, the main control circuit board 3 controls the power supply 7 to output a normal voltage to the conductive coating. When the NTC temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the insulating base 11 is 200-250℃, the main control circuit board 3 controls the power supply 7 to output a lower voltage to the conductive coating. When the NTC temperature sensor detects that the temperature inside the insulating base 11 is 250℃ and above, the main control circuit board 3 controls the power supply 7 to stop outputting voltage to the conductive coating.

[0115] Embodiment 1

[0116] With the structure of the aerosol-generating device and the infrared heater described above, this embodiment introduces a preparation method of the infrared heater.

[0117] The steps of the preparation method of the infrared heater of this embodiment include:

[0118] The raw materials of the infrared radiation layer with different components are deposited on the outer surface of the insulating base of the infrared heater by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma chemical enhanced deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, metal organic decomposition or sol-gel method, respectively, to form an infrared radiation layer with different resistivities in the first end region, the middle region and the second end region.

[0119] Embodiment 2

[0120] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment uses the aerosol-generating device and the infrared heater structure described above, and introduces in detail the preparation method of the infrared heater.

[0121] Step a: mix tin tetrachloride, antimony trichloride, isopropyl alcohol or water to obtain a mixed solution;

[0122] Specifically, tin tetrachloride, antimony trichloride and isopropyl alcohol or aqueous solution are used as raw materials, and two different mixed solutions are prepared: the first one is a high resistivity solution, the concentration of tin tetrachloride is 1 mol / L, and the concentration ratio of Sn:Sb is 9:0.8; the second one is a low resistivity solution, the concentration of tin tetrachloride is 1 mol / L, and the concentration ratio of Sn:Sb is 9:0.4.

[0123] Step b: depositing the mixed solution onto the outer surface of the insulating substrate under high-temperature heating conditions.

[0124] The CVD reaction is as follows:

[0125] SnCl4+O2+H2O→SnO2+HCl↑+CO↑ (1)

[0126] SbCl3+O2+H2O→Sb2O5+HCl↑ (2)

[0127] Since the Sb-doped ions occupy the positions of Sn 4+ ions in part of the SnO2 crystal lattice, the actual reaction of the above reaction (2) is as follows:

[0128] (3)

[0129] The reaction product molecules stay on the surface of the substrate, and the reaction byproduct molecules desorb from the surface of the substrate and are discharged to the outside of the CVD reaction chamber with the gas flow.

[0130] Specifically, the heating temperature of the CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) reaction chamber is set to 650°C, and the heating power is turned on; the insulating substrate 11 is clamped to the plating jig, and the automatic plating mode is turned on; the plating jig is conveyed forward along the online CVD plating conveyor belt; the insulating substrate 11 is heated to the required reaction temperature of 650°C during the conveying process in the CVD plating chamber.

[0131] The CVD plating process uses an online CVD plating device. In application, the CVD plating device is a CVD continuous plating device; the rod-shaped plating jig passes through the insulating substrate 11 and fixes the insulating substrate 11 at a specific position; after the plating jig is clamped on the CVD plating device, the jig can rotate to ensure uniform plating of the outer surface of the insulating substrate 11 during plating; the plating jig is conveyed from one end of the plating device to the other end by the rotation and transmission mechanism on the CVD plating device; as shown in Figure 9 the plating jig also includes a plurality of jig heating units H1-H8 that can work independently to keep the temperature of the entire or partial insulating substrate 11 at the required reaction temperature.

[0132] The suction pump sucks the mixed solution up, atomizes it by the ultrasonic atomizing head, and sprays it to the insulating substrate 11 through the nozzles N1-N11. The nozzles N1-N3 and N9-N11 spray the high-resistivity solution, corresponding to the first end region 121 and the second end region 123; the nozzles N4-N8 spray the low-resistivity solution, corresponding to the middle region 122. Under the condition of high-temperature heating, the solution is uniformly dispersed in the CVD deposition region; when the insulating substrate 11 reaches the atomizing deposition region and the insulating substrate 11 is in the rotating process, the doped tin oxide film is uniformly deposited.

[0133] Referring to Figure 9 During the CVD reaction deposition process, the ultrasonic atomization is continuously performed (as indicated by the arrows in the figure), and the jig heating units H1-H8 work together to keep the temperature of the insulating substrate 11 at the required temperature for the reaction, which is 650°C in the application. After the insulating substrate 11 accumulatively stays for about 400 seconds, the thickness of the first end region 121, the middle region 122, and the second end region 123 of the infrared radiation layer reaches about 1000 nm. Referring to Figure 8 , the middle region of the infrared radiation layer is formed integrally with the end regions of the infrared radiation layer and has substantially the same thickness.

[0134] Finally, the insulating substrate 11 passes through a high-temperature zone, is heated, and then enters a cooling zone, and is gradually cooled to below 300°C, and can be taken out of the furnace and directly continue to cool to room temperature in the atmosphere.

[0135] After the above steps, the preparation of the infrared radiation layer 12 is completed. The resistivity of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 of the prepared infrared radiation layer 12 is about 7×10 -6 Ω·m, and the resistivity of the middle region 122 is about 5×10 -6 Ω·m. After the electrode is prepared, the resistance is about 2 ohms, and the resistivity can be controlled by the doping elements and the content, and the resistance can be controlled by the deposition thickness, the heater size, etc.

[0136] Step c, printing an electrode on the outer surface of the insulating substrate and performing high-temperature sintering to obtain an infrared heater.

[0137] Please understand in combination with Figure 1 , the conductive coating includes a first electrode 13 and a second electrode 14 which are arranged on the insulating substrate 11 in a spaced manner, and the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 are electrically connected with the infrared radiation layer 12 to feed the electric power of a power supply to the infrared radiation layer 12.

[0138] The conductive coating can be a metal coating or a conductive adhesive tape, etc. The metal coating can include silver, gold, palladium, platinum, copper, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, or an alloy material of the above-mentioned metals.

[0139] In the present example, the conductive coating is prepared by thick film printing process. The specific operation steps are as follows:

[0140] First, the insulating substrate 11 on which the infrared radiation layer 12 is deposited is printed with a silver electrode thick film using a printing screen with a customized electrode pattern; the film thickness is about 10-25 μm;

[0141] Then, the insulating substrate 11 on which the thick film silver electrode pattern is printed is placed in a sintering furnace, the sintering temperature is 850-1150 °C, and the sintering time is 3-12 hours;

[0142] Finally, the sintered silver electrode insulating substrate 11 is tested to detect the silver electrode film and the CVD-deposited doped tin oxide film, and the qualified products are selected.

[0143] After the prepared infrared heating tube 12 is installed in the aerosol generating device 100, the actual working condition detection is performed. After the infrared heating tube is powered on, the heating temperature at both ends and the middle is equivalent, and the temperature difference can be controlled within 5 °C.

[0144] Example 3

[0145] The difference between the heater preparation method of the present example and that of Example 2 is in step a, and the remaining steps are the same.

[0146] Step a:

[0147] High resistivity solution preparation:

[0148] After mixing tin tetrachloride, antimony trichloride, isopropyl alcohol or water, a high resistivity solution is obtained. Specifically, using tin tetrachloride, antimony trichloride and isopropyl alcohol or water solution as raw materials, a high resistivity solution with a tin tetrachloride concentration of 1 mol / L and a Sn:Sb concentration ratio of 9:0.8 is prepared.

[0149] Low resistivity solution preparation:

[0150] Using SnCl4·5H2O, concentrated H3PO4, isopropyl alcohol and a small amount of CaCl2 solution as raw materials, water as solution, a low resistivity solution with SnCl4 concentration of 1 mol / L, H3PO4 concentration of 0.03 mol / L, isopropyl alcohol concentration of 0.8 mol / L and CaCl2 concentration of 0.01 mol / L is prepared.

[0151] After the treatment of step b in Example 1, the preparation of the infrared radiation layer 12 is completed, and the resistivity of the first end region 121 and the second end region 123 of the prepared infrared radiation layer 12 is about 7×10 -6 Ω·m, and the resistivity of the middle region 122 is about 2×10 -6 Ω·m.

[0152] After the processing according to step c in the embodiment 1 is continued, the manufactured infrared heating tube 12 is obtained, and after it is installed in the aerosol generating device 100, the actual working condition detection is performed. After the infrared heating tube is powered on, the heating temperatures at both ends and the middle are equivalent, and the temperature difference can be controlled within 5℃.

[0153] It should be noted that the above embodiment is only described by taking one infrared heater as an example. In other examples, the aerosol generating device 100 can include a first infrared heater and a second infrared heater, which are configured to be independently started to achieve segmented heating.

[0154] The structures of the first infrared heater and the second infrared heater can refer to the foregoing, and will not be described here. The first infrared heater and the second infrared heater can be arranged along the axial direction of the chamber A to heat different parts of the axial direction of the aerosol forming substrate, thereby achieving segmented heating. They can also be arranged along the circumferential direction of the chamber A to heat different parts of the circumferential direction of the aerosol forming substrate, thereby achieving segmented heating.

[0155] It should be noted that the specification and drawings of the present application give the preferred embodiments of the present application, but the present application can be implemented in many different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described in the specification. These embodiments are not additional limitations on the content of the present application, and the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosed content of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. Furthermore, the above technical features continue to combine with each other to form various embodiments not listed above, which are considered to be within the scope of the present application. Furthermore, for those skilled in the art, the above description can be improved or changed, and all these improvements and changes should be within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An infrared heater, comprising: An insulating substrate, wherein the insulating substrate is a high-temperature resistant material; An infrared radiation layer is used to generate infrared radiation to radiate and heat the aerosol to form a matrix, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol. The infrared radiation layer (12) has a first end region (121), a middle region (122), and a second end region (123) formed as an integral part. The characteristic is that the components of the intermediate region are different from the components of the first end region, and / or the components of the intermediate region are different from the components of the second end region; The resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the second end region, wherein the resistivity ratio of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(1.10-10). The infrared radiation layer is a doped metal oxide film; The doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film in the intermediate region is different from that in the first end region, and / or the doping ratio of the doped metal oxide film in the intermediate region is different from that in the second end region. The doping composition of the doped metal oxide film in the intermediate region is different from that in the doped metal oxide film in the first end region, and / or the doping composition of the doped metal oxide film in the intermediate region is different from that in the doped metal oxide film in the second end region.

2. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The doped metal oxide film is a phosphorus-doped metal oxide film, a nitrogen-doped metal oxide film, or a mixed metal oxide film.

3. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The doped metal oxide film includes one or more metal oxides selected from ferric oxide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, indium oxide, lanthanum oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, antimony oxide, antimony pentoxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, manganese dioxide, cerium dioxide, copper oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, and molybdenum oxide.

4. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness difference between any two of the intermediate region, the first end region, and the second end region is less than 100 nm.

5. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the intermediate region of the infrared radiation layer is 200-2000 nm.

6. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, the electrode layer including a first electrode layer (13) and a second electrode layer (14). The first electrode layer includes a first conductive portion (132), which is sequentially coupled to the first end region (121), the middle region (122) and the second end region (123). The second electrode layer includes a second conductive portion (142), which is sequentially coupled to the second end region (123), the middle region (122) and the first end region (121). When the aerosol forms a matrix, current flows from the first conductive part through the infrared radiation layer to the second conductive part; The resistivity of the intermediate region is greater than that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is greater than that of the second end region.

7. The infrared heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: Includes an electrode layer formed on the infrared radiation layer, the electrode layer comprising a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer; One end of the first electrode layer is coupled to a primary power supply, and the other end of the first electrode layer is coupled to a first end region. One end of the second electrode layer is coupled to another stage of the power supply, and the other end of the second electrode layer is coupled to the second end region; The resistivity of the intermediate region is less than that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is less than that of the second end region.

8. An aerosol generating apparatus, characterized in that, include: The housing assembly (6) and the infrared heater according to any one of claims 1-7; The heater is disposed within the housing assembly; The resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the second end region, wherein the resistivity ratio of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(2-10).

9. An aerosol generating apparatus, characterized in that, include: The housing assembly (6) and the infrared heater according to any one of claims 1-7; The heater is disposed inside the housing assembly, and a heat insulation pipe is provided between the heater and the housing assembly; The resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the first end region, and / or the resistivity of the intermediate region is different from that of the second end region, wherein the resistivity ratio of the region with lower resistivity to the region with higher resistivity is 1:(1.10-2).

10. A method for preparing an infrared heater according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: Different infrared radiation layer raw materials are deposited on the outer surface of the insulating substrate of the infrared heater by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma chemical enhancement deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, metal-organic decomposition or sol-gel method, respectively, to form an infrared radiation layer with different resistivities in the first end region, the middle region and the second end region.

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