Aerosol-generating device

Abstract

Provided is an aerosol generating device including a supercritical extraction unit that incorporates at least one of tobacco and an aromatic plant as a raw material and extracts an extract component from the raw material through a supercritical fluid, a collection unit that collects the extract component discharged from the supercritical extraction unit as a collection material, an inlet member that is disposed between the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit and serves as a path for introducing the extract component from the supercritical extraction unit into the collection unit, a heating unit that heats at least one of the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit, and a body member in which the supercritical extraction unit, the collection unit, the inlet member, and the heating unit are disposed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an aerosol generation apparatus. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an aerosol generation apparatus including a supercritical extraction unit.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0145686, filed on October 28, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Recently, there has been a growing demand for alternatives to overcome the drawbacks of conventional cigarettes. Specifically, there is a growing demand for electronic cigarettes that deliver tobacco components such as nicotine by heating the cigarette instead of burning it.

[0004] Meanwhile, supercritical fluid extraction, which uses supercritical fluids such as carbon dioxide in a supercritical state to extract the desired components, is widely used in various fields such as plant science, medicine, food, and cosmetics.

[0005] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0006] [Patent Literature]

[0007] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0111224 (September 10, 2021). Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] This disclosure provides a novel aerosol generating apparatus comprising a supercritical extraction unit for supercritical extraction of extractable components such as nicotine, tobacco flavorings, and fragrances from raw materials such as tobacco and spice plants.

[0010] Furthermore, this disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus that eliminates the need for separate spice manufacturing and flavoring processes. Therefore, this disclosure aims to create an eco-friendly aerosol generating apparatus that reduces energy consumption in spice manufacturing processes, thereby reducing carbon emissions.

[0011] In addition, this disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus that allows for the extraction and separation of extractable components such as nicotine, tobacco flavorings, and fragrances directly from raw materials such as tobacco and aromatic plants within the apparatus, and then the extractable components are transported together with an aerosol to provide a fresh and natural aroma.

[0012] Furthermore, this disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus that simplifies the manufacturing process and minimizes equipment requirements.

[0013] Technical solution

[0014] According to a first aspect of the invention, an aerosol generating apparatus includes: a supercritical extraction unit that incorporates at least one of tobacco and aromatic plants as raw materials and extracts extractable components from the raw materials using a supercritical fluid; a collection unit that collects the extractable components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit as a collection material; an inlet component disposed between the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit, and serving as a path for introducing the extractable components from the supercritical extraction unit into the collection unit; a heating unit that heats at least one of the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit; and a body component in which the supercritical extraction unit, the collection unit, the inlet component, and the heating unit are disposed.

[0015] In the aerosol generating device, the extracted component may include at least one of nicotine, tobacco flavoring, and fragrance.

[0016] In the aerosol generating apparatus, the supercritical fluid may include at least one of carbon dioxide, propane, butane, pentane, ethanol, ethylene, fluorinated ethane, fluorinated propane, and fluorinated butane.

[0017] In an aerosol generating device, the collected materials may include an aerosol generating agent that generates aerosols.

[0018] In an aerosol generating apparatus, the aerosol generating agent may include at least one of glycerol and propylene glycol.

[0019] In the aerosol generating device, the tobacco can be tobacco powder.

[0020] In the aerosol generating apparatus, the heating unit may include a first heating unit for heating the supercritical extraction unit and a second heating unit for heating the collection unit. The first heating unit can operate when the extractant is extracted by supercritical fluid, and the second heating unit can operate when the extractant is collected as a collection material.

[0021] In the aerosol generating device, the heating temperatures of the first heating unit and the second heating unit can be different from each other.

[0022] In the aerosol generation device, the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit can be separated from the main body and replaced.

[0023] The aerosol generating apparatus may further include: a supply unit that can be connected to or separated from the supercritical extraction unit, and the supply unit supplies supercritical fluid to the supercritical extraction unit.

[0024] In an aerosol generating device, the main body component may have a slot formed at one end of the main body component, and the extracted components may be released from the collection unit through the slot when used.

[0025] In an aerosol generating apparatus, the body component may have a slot formed at one end of the body component, and the slot may be an area for inserting an aerosol generating article including tobacco.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to this disclosure, a novel aerosol generating apparatus may be provided, which includes a supercritical extraction unit for supercritically extracting extractable components, such as nicotine, tobacco flavorings, and fragrances, from raw materials such as aromatic plants.

[0028] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus can be provided that does not require separate spice manufacturing and flavoring processes. As a result, an aerosol generating apparatus can be provided that reduces carbon emissions by reducing the energy used in spice manufacturing and is manufactured in an eco-friendly manner.

[0029] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus may be provided that allows for the extraction and separation of extractable components such as nicotine, tobacco flavorings, and fragrances directly from raw materials such as tobacco and aromatic plants within the apparatus, and then the extractable components are transported together with the aerosol to provide a fresh and natural aroma.

[0030] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus that simplifies the manufacturing process and minimizes equipment can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of supplying supercritical fluid to a supercritical extraction unit of an aerosol generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of extraction, recovery, and emission of extractable components in an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the aerosol generating article is inserted into the aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Best solution

[0036] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. However, the examples provided in the following description and drawings are intended to aid in understanding the invention, and the embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to these examples. Therefore, the embodiments should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0037] Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, for ease of description, all or some of the components may be enlarged or reduced. Additionally, some components may be omitted or omitted from the illustration.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 The aerosol generating apparatus 100 includes: a supercritical extraction unit 110 that incorporates at least one of tobacco and aromatic plants as raw materials and extracts extractable components from the raw materials using a supercritical fluid; a collection unit 120 that collects the extractable components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit as collection material; an inlet component 130 disposed between the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 and serving as a path for introducing extractable components from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120; a heating unit 140 that heats at least one of the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120; and a body component 150 in which the supercritical extraction unit 110, the collection unit 120, the inlet component 130, and the heating unit 140 are disposed.

[0040] The supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 may be provided with at least one of tobacco and aromatic plants as raw materials, and the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 is supplied with supercritical fluid. Thus, the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 can extract extractable components from at least one of the tobacco and aromatic plants as raw materials. In this case, the supercritical fluid can be supplied to the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 from the supply unit 160, which will be described later.

[0041] The shape of the supercritical extraction unit 110 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be cylindrical. The diameter of the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be the same as or different from the diameter of the collection unit 120. The material forming the supercritical extraction unit 110 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be a thermally conductive material, such as stainless steel. When a thermally conductive material is used to form the supercritical extraction unit 110, sufficient heat can be transferred to the supercritical extraction unit 110 when the thermally conductive material is heated by the first heating unit 141.

[0042] For effective supercritical extraction, the size of the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be larger than the size of the collection unit 120. Here, size can refer to volume. However, the size of the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be the same as or smaller than the size of the collection unit 120, but is not limited thereto.

[0043] The tobacco incorporated into the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be tobacco powder, including pulverized tobacco leaves, pulverized tobacco stems, pulverized reconstituted tobacco, etc. Therefore, powdered tobacco obtained by pulverizing tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, etc., is particularly suitable for small aerosol generating devices 100. In addition, the tobacco powder can have a large surface area to increase the efficiency of supercritical extraction.

[0044] As raw materials for tobacco included in the supercritical extraction unit 110, varieties such as Burley, Oriental, loose leaves, expanded tobacco, and expanded tobacco midribs can be used. Alternatively, two or more tobacco raw materials can be mixed and used as raw materials for tobacco. In this case, the content of each raw material in the mixed tobacco raw materials can be the same or different from each other.

[0045] As aromatic plants included in the supercritical extraction unit 110, at least one of the following can be used: menthol, chamomile, peppermint, cinnamon, peppermint oil, spearmint, lavender, fenugreek, bergamot, salvia, geranium, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, cardamom, nutmeg, celery, master spice, cinnamon, hydrangea, fennel, anise, licorice, magnolia, clove, sandalwood, coriander, ginger, coffee, citrus, lemon, and orange. However, the types of aromatic plants are not limited to the examples mentioned above, and various materials that can play a flavoring role can be used as aromatic plants.

[0046] The extractable components extracted by the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 may include at least one of nicotine, tobacco flavoring agents, and fragrances. For example, when the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 includes tobacco, tobacco components such as nicotine and tobacco flavoring agents can be extracted from the tobacco using a supercritical fluid as extractable components. Alternatively, when the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 includes aromatic plants, fragrances can be extracted from the aromatic plants as extractable components using a supercritical fluid. When the supercritical fluid extraction unit 110 includes both tobacco and aromatic plants, fragrances and tobacco components, such as nicotine and tobacco flavoring agents, can be extracted as extractable components using a supercritical fluid.

[0047] When a supercritical fluid is used to extract the extractable component from the supercritical extraction unit 110, any supercritical fluid suitable for supercritical extraction can be used without limitation, and the supercritical fluid may contain at least one of, for example, carbon dioxide, propane, butane, pentane, ethanol, ethylene, and a propellant. In this application, a propellant refers to a substance that delivers an aerosol generated from raw materials such as nicotine, tobacco flavorings, or fragrances to the user's mouth, and specifically, the propellant may include at least one of fluorinated ethane, fluorinated propane, and fluorinated butane. When fluorinated ethane is used as a propellant, tetrafluoroethane can be used.

[0048] Supercritical fluids exist in a high-pressure, high-temperature state exceeding their critical temperature and critical pressure. For example, when carbon dioxide is used as the supercritical fluid, it is supplied to the supercritical extraction unit 110 in a supercritical state exceeding its critical temperature (approximately 31°C) and critical pressure (approximately 73 atm) to perform supercritical extraction. As another example, when propane is used as the supercritical fluid, it is supplied to the supercritical extraction unit 110 in a supercritical state exceeding its critical temperature (approximately 97°C) and critical pressure (approximately 42 atm) to perform supercritical extraction. As yet another example, when n-butane is used as the supercritical fluid, it is supplied to the supercritical extraction unit 110 in a supercritical state exceeding its critical temperature (approximately 152°C) and critical pressure (approximately 38 atm) to perform supercritical extraction.

[0049] The collected material is placed in the collection unit 120, and the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 are introduced into the collection unit 120. The introduced extracted components can be collected by the collection unit 120 as collected material.

[0050] In this configuration, the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be introduced into the collection unit 120 along with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid. In this configuration, the extracted components in the collection unit 120 can be transferred from the fluid used as the supercritical fluid to the collection material. The fluid used as the supercritical fluid can exist in a supercritical state, even in the collection unit 120, but unlike the supercritical extraction unit 110, this fluid can exist in a non-supercritical state in the collection unit 120.

[0051] The shape of the collecting unit 120 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be cylindrical. The diameter of the collecting unit 120 can be the same as or different from the diameter of the supercritical extraction unit 110. The material forming the collecting unit 120 is also not particularly limited; for example, it can be a thermally conductive material, such as stainless steel. When a thermally conductive material is used to form the collecting unit 120, sufficient heat can be transferred to the collecting unit 120 when the thermally conductive material is heated by the second heating unit 142.

[0052] The collected material may include an aerosol generating agent capable of generating aerosols. The aerosol generating agent may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerol and propylene glycol. The collected material may be impregnated in a filter bundle such as cellulose acetate bundles and disposed together with the filter bundle in the collection unit 120.

[0053] The inlet component 130 is disposed between the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120, and serves as a path for introducing the extracted components from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 by connecting the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120.

[0054] As described above, the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be introduced into the collection unit 120 together with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid. In this case, the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be introduced into the collection unit 120 from the supercritical extraction unit 110 through the inlet component 130 together with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid. The fluid used as the supercritical fluid can exist in a supercritical state, even in the inlet component 130, but unlike the supercritical extraction unit 110, this fluid can exist in a non-supercritical state in the collection unit 120.

[0055] The inlet component 130 may include a door that can be opened and closed. When the door is open, the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 can be connected to each other, and when the door is closed, the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 can be disconnected from each other. Therefore, when the door is open, the extracted component can be introduced from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 along with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid. Furthermore, the door can be closed before and / or after the extracted component is introduced from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 along with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid.

[0056] The inlet component 130 can be used as a path to introduce the extractable component, along with the fluid used as supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 under the pressure of the supercritical fluid. In this case, as described above, when the inlet component 130 includes a door, it can be used as a path to introduce the extractable component, along with the fluid used as supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 when the door is opened by the pressure of the supercritical fluid. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. Even when the inlet component 130 does not include a door, it can be used as a path to introduce the extractable component, along with the fluid used as supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 by the pressure difference between the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120. As another example, when the door is opened by a control unit (not shown), the inlet component 130 can be used as a path to introduce the extractable component, along with the fluid used as supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120.

[0057] The shape of the inlet component 130 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be cylindrical. The diameter of the inlet component 130 can be smaller than the diameter of each of the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120. The material used to form the inlet component 130 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, plastic or metal.

[0058] Heating unit 140 heats at least one of supercritical extraction unit 110 and collection unit 120. This is because supercritical extraction unit 110 may require heating during supercritical extraction, while collection unit 120 may require heating to generate aerosols.

[0059] At least a portion of the heating unit 140 can be embedded in the body component 150. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, the heating unit 140 can be completely embedded in the body component 150, whereas only a portion of the heating unit 140 can be embedded in the body component 150 and exposed on the inner surface of the body component 150. However, the heating unit 140 can be disposed on the inner surface of the body component 150 and surrounded by the body component 150, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] The heating unit 140 may include a first heating unit 141 for heating the supercritical extraction unit 110 and a second heating unit 142 for heating the collection unit 120. The first heating unit 141 can operate when the extractant is extracted by supercritical fluid, and the second heating unit 142 can operate when the extractant is collected as a collection material. That is, the operating times of the first heating unit 141 and the second heating unit 142 may differ from each other. Furthermore, the heating temperatures of the first heating unit 141 and the second heating unit 142 may differ from each other. As mentioned above, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may require heating during supercritical extraction, and the collection unit 120 may require heating to generate aerosols. This is because the heating temperature required for supercritical extraction may differ from the heating temperature required for aerosol generation. Therefore, the operating times, temperatures, etc., of the first heating unit 141 and the second heating unit 142 can be controlled independently.

[0061] For efficient supercritical extraction, the heating temperature of the first heating unit 141 can be from 20°C to 300°C.

[0062] For efficient aerosol generation, the heating temperature of the second heating unit 142 can be from 200°C to 300°C.

[0063] The first heating unit 141 may be arranged in the form of a region surrounding one end of the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the other end. Similarly, the second heating unit 142 may be arranged in the form of a region surrounding one end of the collection unit 120 and the other end. The first heating unit 141 and the second heating unit 142 may be arranged apart from each other by a predetermined distance, or they may be arranged adjacent to each other. However, according to the design, the heating unit 140 may be configured as a single heating unit for heating at least one of the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120.

[0064] The body component 150 may form the appearance of the aerosol generating device 100, and the body component 150 may have a slot g formed at one end of the body component. The supercritical extraction unit 110, the collection unit 120, the inlet component 130, and the heating unit 140 are disposed inside the body component 150. Here, "disposed inside the body component 150" means both being at least partially embedded in the body component 150 and being disposed inside and surrounded by the body component 150.

[0065] During use, the extracted components extracted from the supercritical extraction unit 110 and introduced into the collection unit 120 can be discharged from the collection unit 120 through the inlet g. Figure 1In this process, the extracted components can be discharged in the right direction of the collection unit 120, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow. Therefore, the user can inhale the extracted components, such as nicotine, tobacco flavoring, and spices, discharged through the slot g by inhaling through his or her mouth into one end of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0066] As described above, when the supercritical extraction unit 110 includes tobacco, tobacco components, such as nicotine and tobacco flavorings, can be extracted from the tobacco using a supercritical fluid. During use, the extracted tobacco components, along with the aerosol generated in the collection unit 120, can be transported to the user. In this case, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may include aromatic plants in addition to tobacco; therefore, flavorings can be extracted from the aromatic plants along with the tobacco components using a supercritical fluid. This improves the tobacco flavor. However, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may include aromatic plants but may not include tobacco. Therefore, flavorings can be extracted from the aromatic plants using a supercritical fluid, without extracting tobacco components.

[0067] Alternatively, the slot g can be a region for inserting an aerosol-generating article comprising tobacco. In this case, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may include aromatic plants, and the extractable component supercritically extracted from the aromatic plants may be a fragrance. In other words, the supercritical extraction unit 110 with aromatic plants can extract the fragrance as an extractable component from the aromatic plants using supercritical fluid. Thus, the fragrance introduced into the collection unit 120 through the inlet component 130 is collected as collection material and conveyed together with the aerosol generated in the collection unit 120 to the aerosol-generating article inserted into the slot g, thereby improving the smoking aroma of the tobacco. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, in addition to including aromatic plants, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may, if necessary, also include tobacco, and tobacco components such as nicotine and tobacco flavoring agents may be extracted from the tobacco together with the fragrance using supercritical fluid as extractable components.

[0068] However, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present invention does not necessarily need to be used with an aerosol generating article. For example, when the supercritical extraction unit 110 includes tobacco, tobacco components such as nicotine and tobacco flavorings can be provided to the user solely through the aerosol generating apparatus 100 without the need for a separate aerosol generating article. In other words, when the aerosol generating apparatus 100 includes tobacco, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 can be used alone without the use of an aerosol generating article. However, it goes without saying that the aerosol generating apparatus 100 may be designed to be used with an aerosol generating article.

[0069] As described above, in the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the supercritical extraction unit 110 extracts nicotine, tobacco flavoring agents, and / or fragrances from tobacco and / or aromatic plants. Therefore, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention does not require a separate fragrance manufacturing process or flavoring process. As a result, an environmentally friendly aerosol generating apparatus can be manufactured that reduces the energy used in the fragrance manufacturing process to reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, by directly extracting and separating the extractable components from raw materials such as tobacco and aromatic plants in the apparatus, and then transporting the extracted and separated extractable components together with the aerosol, a fresh and natural flavor can be provided. Moreover, raw materials such as tobacco and aromatic plants can be placed directly in the supercritical extraction unit 110 with minimal processing, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and minimizing equipment size.

[0070] Simultaneously, the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 can be separated from and replaced by the main body component 150. Therefore, when the supercritical extraction unit 110 has extracted and collected a sufficient amount of extractable components from tobacco and aromatic plants, and the concentration of the extracted and collected components becomes very low, the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 can be separated and replaced with new supercritical extraction units and collection units. The supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120 can be separated and replaced integrally with the main body component 150, or they can be separated and replaced separately.

[0071] In this case, the inlet component 130, located between the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120, can also be separated from and replaced by the main body component 150. The inlet component 130 can be separated and replaced integrally with the main body component 150 along with the supercritical extraction unit 110 and the collection unit 120, but it can also be separated and replaced separately. The supercritical extraction unit 110, the collection unit 120, and the inlet component 130 can have a structure that allows them to be connected to each other for integral separation and replacement, but are not limited to this.

[0072] Meanwhile, as will be later Figure 2 As described in the description, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a supply unit 160, which may be connected to or separated from the supercritical extraction unit 110, and supplies supercritical fluid to the supercritical extraction unit. Specifically, the supply unit 160 may include supercritical fluid, and the supercritical fluid may be supplied from the supply unit 160 to the supercritical extraction unit 110 to extract the extractable components.

[0073] However, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present invention may include not only the components described above, but also other components commonly used in aerosol generating apparatuses. For example, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present invention may also include components such as batteries and control units.

[0074] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of supplying supercritical fluid to the supercritical extraction unit of an aerosol generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of extraction, collection, and discharge of extractable components in an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Reference Figure 2 The supply unit 160, which contains supercritical fluid, is connected to the supercritical extraction unit 110. Thus, the supercritical fluid from the supply unit 160 is supplied to the supercritical extraction unit 110.

[0077] Next, refer to Figure 3 In (a), the supply unit 160 is separate from the supercritical extraction unit 110. Furthermore, in the supercritical extraction unit 110, extractable components from raw materials including at least one of tobacco and aromatic plants are extracted using a supercritical fluid. In this case, to improve the supercritical extraction efficiency of the extractable components, the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be heated by the first heating unit 141.

[0078] Next, refer to Figure 3 (b) The extracted components are discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 and introduced into the collection unit 120 through the inlet component 130. In this case, the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 can be introduced into the collection unit 120 together with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid.

[0079] As described above, the inlet component 130 can be used as a path for introducing the extractable component, along with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 by means of the pressure of the supercritical fluid. As another example, the inlet component 130 can be used as a path for introducing the extractable component, along with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid, from the supercritical extraction unit 110 into the collection unit 120 by means of a control unit (not shown).

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 3(c) The extractable components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit 110 are collected by the collection unit 120 as collection material. When the extractable components from the supercritical extraction unit 110 are introduced into the collection unit 120 together with the fluid used as the supercritical fluid, the extractable components in the collection unit 120 can be conveyed as material collected from the fluid used as the supercritical fluid.

[0081] Next, refer to Figure 3 (d) The extracted components are transported together with the aerosol generated in the collection unit 120. In this case, the collection unit 120 can be heated by the second heating unit 142 to generate the aerosol. Therefore, the user inhales through his or her mouth into one end of the aerosol generating device 100 with the slot g, and thus can inhale the extracted components, such as nicotine, tobacco flavoring, and spices, which are discharged through the slot g along with the aerosol.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the aerosol generating article is inserted into the aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Reference Figure 4 The aerosol generating article 200 can be connected to the aerosol generating device 100 and can be specifically inserted into the slot g of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0084] The aerosol generating article 200 includes a tobacco filling unit containing tobacco. In addition, the aerosol generating article 200 may also include other common components, such as a filter unit, a cooling unit, and a mouthpiece unit.

[0085] Figure 4 The aerosol generating article 200 is shown to be positioned adjacent to the collection unit 120, but the aerosol generating article 200 may be positioned at a predetermined distance from the collection unit 120.

[0086] As described above, the supercritical extraction unit 110 may include aromatic plants, and the extractable components extracted from the aromatic plants may be fragrances. In other words, the supercritical extraction unit 110 containing aromatic plants can extract fragrances as extractable components from the aromatic plants using supercritical fluid. Therefore, the fragrances introduced into the collection unit 120 through the inlet component 130 are collected as collection material and, together with the aerosols generated in the collection unit 120, are conveyed to the aerosol generating article 200 inserted into the slot g, thereby improving the smoking aroma of tobacco.

[0087] While the foregoing examples illustrate embodiments of the present invention, these descriptions are intended to aid in understanding the invention and are not intended to limit the embodiments to the above forms. Therefore, the embodiments should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0088] Furthermore, the scope of this invention should be defined by the appended claims and not by the examples. Referring to this application and the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will be able to implement the invention in various forms without departing from the inventive concept. Therefore, any inventive concept within the scope of equivalents or equivalents of the appended claims should be interpreted as being included within the scope of this invention.

[0089] The terms and expressions used herein should be interpreted broadly, not restrictively. Unless otherwise stated, all terms and expressions used in this specification are to be interpreted as meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The expression "comprising" in this specification does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more components in addition to those mentioned.

[0090] In this application, the order of "first," "second," etc., is used to distinguish the various components and does not imply a priority or absolute order between the components. Therefore, a component referred to as a first component in some parts of this application may be referred to as a second component in other parts of this application.

[0091] Unless otherwise stated, the ranges of values ​​given in this document are intended to include boundary values. For example, the expression 1 to 10 can mean 1 or more and 10 or less, which is a range that includes 1 and 10.

[0092] In this application, singular forms include plural forms unless explicitly excluded from the context.

[0093] The various embodiments illustrated in this application can be combined with each other. If the content described in a specific embodiment is not described in other embodiments, it can be applied to other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction.

[0094] [Detailed description of the main components]

[0095] 100: Aerosol Generating Device

[0096] 110: Supercritical fluid extraction unit

[0097] 120: Collection Unit

[0098] 130: Entrance component

[0099] 140: Heating unit

[0100] 141: First heating unit

[0101] 142: Second heating unit

[0102] 150: Body Components

[0103] 160: Supply Unit

[0104] 200: Aerosol-generated products.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating apparatus, the aerosol generating apparatus comprising: A supercritical extraction unit that incorporates at least one of tobacco and aromatic plants as raw materials, and extracts extractable components from the raw materials using a supercritical fluid. A collection unit that collects the extracted components discharged from the supercritical extraction unit as a collection material; An inlet component is disposed between the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit, and the inlet component serves as a path for introducing the extracted components from the supercritical extraction unit into the collection unit; A heating unit that heats at least one of the supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit; as well as The supercritical extraction unit, the collection unit, the inlet component, and the heating unit are disposed within the main body component. The heating unit includes a first heating unit for heating the supercritical extraction unit and a second heating unit for heating the collection unit. The first heating unit operates when the extractable components are extracted using the supercritical fluid, and The second heating unit operates when the extracted components are collected as the collected material.

2. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The extracted components include at least one of nicotine, tobacco flavoring agents, and fragrances.

3. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The supercritical fluid includes at least one of carbon dioxide, propane, butane, pentane, ethanol, ethylene, fluorinated ethane, fluorinated propane, and fluorinated butane.

4. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The collected materials include aerosol generating agents that generate aerosols.

5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The aerosol generating agent includes at least one of glycerol and propylene glycol.

6. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The tobacco in question is tobacco powder.

7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The heating temperatures of the first heating unit and the second heating unit are different from each other.

8. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The supercritical extraction unit and the collection unit are separated from the main body component and replaced.

9. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A supply unit is provided, which is connected to and separate from the supercritical extraction unit, and supplies the supercritical fluid to the supercritical extraction unit.

10. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The body component has a slot formed at one end of the body component, and The extracted components are released from the collection unit through the slot when used.

11. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The body component has a slot formed at one end of the body component, and The slot is an area for inserting an aerosol-generating article containing the tobacco.

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