Heater assembly, aerosol generating device including the heater assembly, and method for manufacturing

Abstract

A heater assembly for heating an aerosol-generating article in a dielectric heating manner includes an oscillation portion generating microwaves, a resonance portion generating an electric field by resonating the microwaves, and a coupler having one end in contact with the oscillation portion and the other end in contact with the resonance portion, the coupler transmits the microwaves generated by the oscillation part to the resonance part; the oscillation portion includes a printed circuit board stacked on the resonance portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments relate to a heater assembly capable of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article by dielectric heating and an aerosol-generating device including the heater assembly. Background Art

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for systems that generate aerosol by heating cigarettes (or "aerosol generating articles") using an aerosol generating device rather than burning the cigarette.

[0003] Recently, a dielectric heating aerosol generating device has been proposed that uses microwaves to heat an aerosol generating article instead of a resistance heating method or an induction heating method. Microwave heating technology refers to a device that can generate heat in a dielectric contained in an aerosol generating article by resonance of microwaves and heat the aerosol generating article by the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0004] In order to improve the usability of such a dielectric heating aerosol generating device, it is necessary to appropriately arrange the components of the oscillating part and the resonating part, and to reduce the size of the device while improving the heating efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0005] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0006] Embodiments provide a miniaturized heater assembly and an aerosol generating device that can heat an aerosol generating article by dielectric heating.

[0007] The embodiment stacks the oscillation part on the resonance part, thereby being able to improve heating efficiency and heat dissipation effect even in a miniaturized device.

[0008] Problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned problems from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Means used to solve problems

[0010] According to one embodiment, a heater component is used to heat an aerosol generating article, and the heater component includes: an oscillating part that generates microwaves, a resonating part that generates an electric field by causing the microwaves to resonate, and a coupler, one end of the coupler is in contact with the oscillating part and the other end is in contact with the resonating part, and the coupler transfers the microwaves generated by the oscillating part to the resonating part; the oscillating part may include a printed circuit board stacked on the resonating part.

[0011] According to one embodiment, an aerosol generating device may include: a housing including an insertion port for inserting an aerosol generating article, and a heater assembly for heating the aerosol generating article inserted through the insertion port; the heater assembly includes: an oscillating portion for generating microwaves, a resonating portion for generating an electric field by causing the microwaves to resonate, and a coupler, one end of the coupler being in contact with the oscillating portion and the other end being in contact with the resonating portion, and the coupler transferring the microwaves generated by the oscillating portion to the resonating portion; the oscillating portion may include a printed circuit board stacked on the resonating portion.

[0012] According to a method for manufacturing a heater component according to one embodiment, the heater component is used to heat an aerosol-generating article, and the method for manufacturing the heater component includes the following steps: providing a resonating portion, connecting the resonating portion and a coupler whose one end is in contact with the resonating portion; and stacking an oscillating portion, the oscillating portion including a printed circuit board in contact with the other end of the coupler and stacked on the resonating portion.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] The heater assembly, the aerosol generating device, and the method of manufacturing the heater assembly according to the embodiment may provide a miniaturized heater assembly and aerosol generating device.

[0015] Also, the embodiments may provide a heater assembly, an aerosol generating device, and a method for manufacturing the heater assembly, which may improve heating efficiency and heat dissipation effects even in a miniaturized device.

[0016] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned effects from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly.

[0022] Figure 6is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7a and Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to yet another embodiment.

[0024] Figure 8a and Figure 8b It is schematically shown Figure 7a FIG. 1 is a diagram of a method for manufacturing a heater assembly.

[0025] Figures 9a to 9c It is schematically shown Figure 7b FIG. 1 is a diagram of a method for manufacturing a heater assembly.

[0026] Fig.10 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the figure numbers, the same or similar components are given the same figure numbers, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] The suffixes "module" and "unit" of the constituent elements used in the following description are only given or used interchangeably in consideration of the convenience of completing the description, and they themselves do not have different meanings or functions from each other.

[0029] In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that the specific description of the related known technology makes the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed in this specification unclear, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the drawings, and it should be understood that all changes, equivalents and substitutes within the ideas and technical scope of this disclosure are included.

[0030] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited to the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components.

[0031] When a certain component is “connected” or “joined” to another component, it should be understood that it can be directly connected or joined to the other component, and other components may exist between the two. On the contrary, when a certain component is “directly connected” or “directly joined” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between the two.

[0032] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, an expression in the singular includes an expression in the plural form.

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment, an aerosol generating device 100 may include: a housing 110 capable of accommodating an aerosol generating article 10 ; and a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 accommodated in the housing 110 .

[0035] The housing 110 may form the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 100, and the components of the aerosol generating device 100 may be arranged in the internal space (or "installation space") of the housing 110. For example, the internal space of the housing 110 may be equipped with a heater assembly 200, a battery, a processor and / or a sensor, but the components arranged in the internal space are not limited thereto.

[0036] An insertion hole 110h may be formed in a region of the housing 110, and at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the interior of the housing 110 through the insertion hole 110h. For example, the insertion hole 110h may be formed in a region of the upper end surface (e.g., the surface facing the z direction) of the housing 110, but the formation position of the insertion hole 110h is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion hole 110h may also be formed in a region of the side surface (e.g., the surface facing the x direction) of the housing 110.

[0037] The heater assembly 200 may be disposed in the inner space of the housing 110 and heat the aerosol generating article 10 inserted through the insertion hole 110h or accommodated inside the housing 110. For example, the heater assembly 200 may be configured to surround at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted or accommodated inside the housing 110 to heat the aerosol generating article 10.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by dielectric heating. The "dielectric heating method" in the present disclosure refers to a method of heating a dielectric as a heat receiving body by using microwaves and / or the resonance of the electric field (or magnetic field) of microwaves. Microwaves, as an energy source for heating the heat receiving body, are generated by high-frequency power, and therefore, microwaves and microwave power can be used interchangeably hereinafter.

[0039] Inside the heater assembly 200, the charges or ions of the dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 may vibrate or rotate due to microwave resonance, and the heat generated in the dielectric due to the frictional heat generated by the charges or ions during the vibration or rotation process may heat the aerosol generating article 10.

[0040] As the aerosol-generating article 10 is heated by the heater assembly 200, an aerosol may be generated from the aerosol-generating article 10. In the present disclosure, "aerosol" may refer to gas particles generated by mixing air and steam generated when the aerosol-generating article 10 is heated.

[0041] The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100 through the aerosol generating article 10 or through an empty space between the aerosol generating article 10 and the insertion hole 110h. The user contacts an area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10 exposed to the outside of the housing 110 with the oral cavity, and may smoke by inhaling the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include: a cover 111, which is movably configured on the housing 110 to open or close the insertion hole 110h. For example, the cover 111 may be slidably coupled to the upper end surface of the housing 110, so that the insertion hole 110h is exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100, or the insertion hole 110h is covered so that the insertion hole 110h cannot be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0043] In one example, the cover 111 may expose the insertion hole 110h to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100 in the first position (or "open position"). If the aerosol generating device 100 is exposed to the outside, the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion hole 110h.

[0044] In another example, the cover 111 may cover the insertion hole 110h at the second position (or "closed position") so that the insertion hole 110h cannot be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100. At this time, when the aerosol generating device 100 is not in use, the cover 111 may prevent external foreign matter from flowing into the interior of the heater assembly 200 through the insertion hole 110h.

[0045] Figure 1 2 and 3 , only the aerosol generating device 100 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 in a solid state is shown, but the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0046] The aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may also generate aerosol by heating the aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state of the aerosol generating article 10 in a non-solid state through the heater assembly 200 .

[0047] According to another embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 and an aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state, and may also include a cartridge (or "vaporizer") for heating the aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance may move to the aerosol generating article 10 through an airflow channel connecting the cartridge and the aerosol generating article 10, and after mixing with the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article 10, pass through the aerosol generating article 10 and pass to the user.

[0048] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0049] Reference Figure 2 The aerosol generating device 100 may include an input unit 102, an output unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a communication unit 105, a memory 106, a battery 107, an interface unit 108, a power conversion unit 109, and a dielectric heating unit 200. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to Figure 2 According to the design of the aerosol generating device 100, the Figure 2 The parts shown may be modified or new parts may be added.

[0050] The input unit 102 may receive user input. For example, the input unit 102 may be configured as a single pressure-type button. As another example, the input unit 120 may be a touch panel including at least one touch sensor. The input unit 120 may transmit an input signal to the processor 101. The processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the user input, or may output a user notification by controlling the output unit 103.

[0051] The output unit 103 may output information about the state of the aerosol generating device 100. The output unit 103 may output the charge / discharge state of the battery 107, the heating state of the dielectric heating unit 200, the insertion state of the aerosol generating article 10, and error information of the aerosol generating device 100. To this end, the output unit 103 may include a display, a haptic motor, and an audio output unit.

[0052] The sensor unit 104 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the surrounding state of the aerosol generating device 100 and send the sensed information to the processor 101. The processor 101 can control the aerosol generating device 100 based on the sensed information to perform various functions such as heating control of the dielectric heating unit 200, smoking restriction, insertion judgment of the aerosol generating article 10, notification display, etc.

[0053] The sensor part 104 may include a temperature sensor, a suction sensor, and an insertion sensing sensor.

[0054] The temperature sensor may sense the temperature inside the dielectric heating portion 200 in a non-contact manner, or may directly acquire the temperature of the resonator by contacting the dielectric heating portion 200. According to an embodiment, the temperature sensor may also sense the temperature of the aerosol generating article 10. In addition, the temperature sensor may be arranged adjacent to the battery 107 to acquire the temperature of the battery 107. The processor 101 may control the power supply to the dielectric heating portion 200 based on the temperature information of the temperature sensor.

[0055] The suction sensor can sense the user's suction. The suction sensor can sense the user's suction based on at least one change in temperature change, flow change, power change, and pressure change. The processor 101 can control the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the suction information of the suction sensor. For example, the processor 101 counts the number of puffs, and when the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs, the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200 can be blocked. As another example, when no puff is sensed to last for more than a preset time, the processor 101 can block the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200.

[0056] The insertion sensing sensor can be arranged in the receiving space ( Figure 4 The insertion sensing sensor may be configured inside the insertion hole 110h or adjacent to the receiving space 220h to be able to sense the insertion and removal of the aerosol generating article 10 received in the insertion hole 110h. For example, the insertion sensing sensor may include an inductive sensor and / or a capacitive sensor. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the insertion port 110h, the processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating portion 200.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 104 may further include a reuse sensing sensor, a motion sensing sensor, a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a cover removal sensing sensor, a position sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor, etc. The functions of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from their names, so a specific description will be omitted.

[0058] The communication unit 105 may include at least one communication module for communicating with an external electronic device. The processor 101 may send information of the aerosol generating device 100 to the external electronic device by controlling the communication unit 105. Alternatively, the processor 101 may receive information from the external electronic device through the communication unit 105 to control the components included in the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the transmission information between the communication unit 105 and the external electronic device may include user authentication information, firmware update information, user smoking pattern information, etc.

[0059] The memory 106 is hardware for storing various data processed in the aerosol generating device 100, and can store data processed in the processor 101 and data to be processed. For example, the memory 106 can store data such as the working time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature curve, and the smoking pattern of the user.

[0060] The battery 107 can supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 to heat the aerosol generating article 10. In addition, the battery 107 can supply power required for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 107 can be a rechargeable battery or a detachable battery.

[0061] The interface unit 108 may include a connection terminal that can be physically connected to an external electronic device. The connection terminal may include at least one of an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector), or a combination thereof. The interface unit 108 may send / receive information or charge with an external electronic device through the connection terminal.

[0062] The power conversion section 109 may convert the DC power received from the battery 107 into AC power. In addition, the power conversion section 109 may provide the converted AC power to the dielectric heating section 200. The power conversion section 109 may be an inverter including at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may convert the DC power into AC power by controlling the ON / OFF of the switching element included in the power conversion section 109. The power conversion section 109 may be configured as a full-bridge or a half-bridge.

[0063] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by dielectric heating. Figure 1 The heater assembly 200 has a corresponding structure.

[0064] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 using microwaves and / or microwave electric fields (hereinafter referred to as microwaves or microwave power if no distinction is necessary). The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by generating microwaves in a resonant structure, rather than by radiating microwaves using an antenna. The resonant structure will refer to Figure 4 This will be described later.

[0065] The dielectric heating unit 200 can output high-frequency microwaves to the resonance unit ( Figure 3The microwave may be a power of an industrial, scientific and medical equipment (ISM) frequency band that is allowed to be used for heating, but is not limited thereto. The resonating portion 220 may be designed by considering the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate in the resonating portion 220.

[0066] The aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the resonance part 220, and the dielectric material in the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by the resonance part 220. For example, the aerosol generating article 10 may include a polar material, and the molecules in the polar material may be polarized inside the resonance part 220. The molecules may vibrate or rotate by the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by friction heat or the like generated in the process. Figure 3 , the dielectric heating unit 200 is described in more detail.

[0067] The processor 101 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The processor 101 can be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or can be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing programs executable by the microprocessor. In addition, it can also be implemented by other forms of hardware.

[0068] The processor 101 can control the direct current supplied by the battery 107 to the power conversion unit 109 and / or the alternating current supplied by the power conversion unit 109 to the dielectric heating unit 200 according to the required power of the dielectric heating unit 200. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a converter that steps up or steps down the direct current, and the processor 101 can adjust the magnitude of the direct current by controlling the converter. In addition, the processor 101 can control the alternating current supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 by adjusting the switching frequency and duty cycle of the switching element included in the power conversion unit 109.

[0069] The processor 101 can control the heating temperature of the aerosol generating article 10 by controlling the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 and the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200. Figure 3 The oscillating unit 210 , the isolating unit 240 , the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 may also be part of the processor 101 .

[0070] The processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating portion 200 based on the temperature profile information stored in the memory 106. In other words, the temperature profile includes information of the target temperature of the dielectric heating portion 200 according to time, and the processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating portion 200 according to time.

[0071] The processor 101 can adjust the frequency of the microwaves to make the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 constant. The processor 101 can track the change of the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 according to the heating of the heated object in real time, and can control the dielectric heating unit 200 to output the microwave frequency according to the changed resonant frequency. In other words, the processor 101 can change the microwave frequency in real time regardless of the temperature curve stored in advance.

[0072] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0073] Reference Figure 3 The dielectric heating unit 200 may include an oscillating unit 210, an isolating unit 240, a power monitoring unit 250, a matching unit 260, a microwave output unit 230, and a resonating unit 220. However, the internal structure of the dielectric heating unit 200 is not limited to Figure 3 According to the design of the dielectric heating unit 200, the Figure 3 The parts shown may be modified or new parts may be added.

[0074] The oscillating part 210 may receive alternating current from the power converting part 109 to generate high frequency microwave power. According to an embodiment, the power converting part 109 may be a configuration included in the oscillating part 210. The microwave power may be selected from 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands included in the ISM frequency band.

[0075] The oscillating part 210 includes a solid-state RF generating device, and microwave power can be generated by the device. The solid-state RF generating device can be implemented by a semiconductor. If the oscillating part 210 is implemented by a semiconductor, there is an advantage that the dielectric heating part 200 can be miniaturized and the device life is increased.

[0076] The oscillating part 210 can output microwave power to the resonating part 220. The oscillating part 210 includes a power amplifier (power amp) that increases or decreases the microwave power, and the power amplifier can adjust the size of the microwave power under the control of the processor 101. For example, the power amplifier can reduce or increase the amplitude of the microwave. As the amplitude of the microwave is adjusted, the microwave power can also be adjusted.

[0077] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on a temperature curve stored in advance. For example, the temperature curve includes target temperature information according to the preheating interval and the smoking interval, and the oscillating portion 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the preheating interval and supply microwave power at a second power smaller than the first power in the smoking interval.

[0078] The isolation part 240 can block the microwave power input from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210. Most of the microwave power output from the oscillation part 210 is absorbed by the heat receiving body, but according to the heating mode of the heat receiving body, a part of the microwave power can be reflected by the heat receiving body to be re-transmitted in the direction of the oscillation part 210. This is because the impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 changes as the polar molecules according to the heating of the heat receiving body are exhausted. "The impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 changes" may have the same meaning as "the resonant frequency of the resonance part 220 changes". When the microwave power reflected from the resonance part 220 is input to the oscillation part 210, not only the oscillation part 210 will fail, but also the desired output performance cannot be exerted. The isolation part 240 does not return the microwave power reflected from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210, but guides it in a predetermined direction and absorbs it. To this end, the isolation part 240 may include a circulator and a dummy load.

[0079] The power monitoring unit 250 may monitor the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 210 and the reflected microwave power reflected from the resonating unit 220 , respectively. The power monitoring unit 250 may send information of the microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 260 .

[0080] The matching part 260 may match the impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 with the impedance from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210 to minimize the reflected microwave power. Impedance matching may have the same meaning as "making the frequency of the oscillation part 210 consistent with the resonant frequency of the resonance part 220". Therefore, the matching part 260 may change the frequency of the oscillation part 210 in order to match the impedance. In other words, the matching part 260 may adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation part 210 to minimize the reflected microwave power. The impedance matching of the matching part 260 may be performed in real time regardless of the temperature profile.

[0081] In addition, the oscillating unit 210, the isolating unit 240, the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 described above can be implemented as a microwave source in the form of a chip as separate components distinguished from the microwave output unit 230 and the resonating unit 220 described later. In addition, according to an embodiment, the oscillating unit 210, the isolating unit 240, the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 described above can also be implemented as a partial component of the processor 101.

[0082] The microwave output unit 230 is used to input microwave power to the resonance unit 220, and may be Figure 3The microwave output unit 230 may be implemented in the form of SMA, SMB, MCX, or MMCX connectors. The microwave output unit 230 transmits the microwave power generated in the microwave source to the resonator 220 by connecting the microwave source in the form of a chip to the resonator 220.

[0083] The resonating part 220 can heat the heated object by forming microwaves in the resonant structure. The resonating part 220 includes a housing space for housing the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be exposed to microwaves for dielectric heating. For example, the aerosol generating article 10 can include a polar material, and the molecules in the polar material can be polarized by microwaves inside the resonating part 220. The molecules can vibrate or rotate through the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by friction heat or the like generated in the process.

[0084] The resonance part 220 includes at least one internal conductor to enable microwaves to be resonated, and the microwaves may be resonated inside the resonance part 220 according to the configuration, thickness, length, etc. of the internal conductor.

[0085] The resonator 220 can be designed in consideration of the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate inside the resonator 220. In order for the microwave to resonate inside the resonator 220, a closed end (short end) with a closed end face and an open end (open end) located in the opposite direction of the closed end and at least one region of the end face being open are required. In addition, the length between the closed end and the open end should be set to an integer multiple of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength. The resonator 220 of the present disclosure selects a length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength to achieve miniaturization of the device. In other words, the length between the closed end and the open end of the resonator 220 can be set to a wavelength length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength.

[0086] The resonating part 220 may include a dielectric storage space. The dielectric storage space is a structure different from the storage space of the aerosol generating article 10, in which a material that can change the overall resonant frequency of the resonating part 220 and miniaturize the resonating part 220 is configured. In one embodiment, the dielectric storage space can accommodate a dielectric with low microwave absorptivity. This is to prevent the phenomenon that the energy that should be transferred to the heated body is transferred to the dielectric and the dielectric itself is heated. Microwave absorptivity can be expressed as a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant. In one embodiment, a dielectric having a loss tangent below a preset size can be accommodated in the dielectric storage space 227, and the preset size can be 1 / 100. For example, the dielectric can be at least any one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene and alumina or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0087] Reference Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may include an oscillation part 210 and a resonance part 220 .

[0088] Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 and the dielectric heating part 200 described above may be one embodiment, and repeated description will be omitted below.

[0089] When powered, the oscillation unit 210 may generate microwaves of a specified frequency band. The microwaves generated at the oscillation unit 210 may be transferred to the resonance unit 220 through the coupler 230 .

[0090] The resonance part 220 may include a housing space 220h of at least one region for housing the aerosol generating article 10, and may heat the aerosol generating article 10 in a dielectric heating manner by resonating the microwaves generated by the oscillation part 210. For example, the glycerin charges contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may vibrate or rotate due to the resonance of the microwaves, and the glycerin generates heat by friction heat generated when the charges vibrate or rotate, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the resonating part 220 may be made of a material having a low microwave absorptivity to prevent the microwaves generated by the oscillating part 210 from being absorbed by the resonating part 220 .

[0092] Below, refer to Figure 5 , the specific structure of the resonance part 220 of the heater assembly 200 will be reviewed.

[0093] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly. Figure 5 Shows the image taken along the A-A' direction Figure 4 A cross section of the heater assembly 200 is shown.

[0094] Reference Figure 5 According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may include an oscillating portion 210, a resonating portion 220, and a coupler 230. The components of the heater assembly 200 may be Figure 4 At least one of the constituent elements of the heater assembly 200 is the same or similar, and a repeated description will be omitted below.

[0095] When an AC voltage is applied, the oscillation part 210 may generate microwaves of a designated frequency band, and the microwaves generated by the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the resonance part 220 through the coupler 230 .

[0096] According to one embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220 to prevent it from being separated from the resonating part 220 during use of the aerosol generating device. In one embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220 in an area of ​​the resonating part 220 in the x direction. The oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220 by a bracket or the like provided in an area of ​​the resonating part 220. Alternatively, the oscillating part 210 may also be fixed to the resonating part 220 by being directly attached to an area of ​​the resonating part 220.

[0097] In the drawings, only an embodiment is shown in which the oscillating part 210 is fixed to one region in the x direction toward the resonating part 220, but the position of the oscillating part 210 is not limited to the embodiment shown. In another embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may also be fixed to another region in the -z direction toward the resonating part 220.

[0098] The resonating portion 220 is configured to surround at least one region of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the inside of the aerosol generating device, and can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by the microwaves generated from the oscillating portion 210. For example, a dielectric material included in the aerosol generating article 10 can generate heat by the electric field generated by the microwaves inside the resonating portion 220, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric material.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating article 10 may include a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12 .

[0100] The tobacco rod 11 contains an aerosol-generating substance and can also be made of a sheet, a strand material, or a tobacco leaf obtained by cutting tobacco sheets into fine pieces. For example, the aerosol-generating substance can include at least one of glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the tobacco rod 11 can contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring agent such as menthol or a humectant can be added to the tobacco rod 11 by spraying it.

[0101] The filter rod 12 may be a cellulose acetate filter. In addition, the shape of the filter rod 12 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 12 may be a cylindrical rod, or a tubular rod having a hollow portion therein. In addition, the filter rod 12 may be an embedded rod. If the filter rod 12 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be made into a different shape.

[0102] At least a portion of the aerosol generating substance contained in the aerosol generating article 10 (for example, glycerin) can be a dielectric having polarity in an electric field, and at least a portion of such aerosol generating substance generates heat by dielectric heating, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the resonance part 220 may include an outer conductor 221 , a first inner conductor 223 , and a second inner conductor 225 .

[0104] The outer conductor 221 may form the overall appearance of the resonance portion 220, and may have a hollow shape with a hollow interior so that the components of the resonance portion 220 may be arranged inside the outer conductor 221. The outer conductor 221 may include a housing space 220h that may house the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the interior of the outer conductor 221 through the housing space 220h.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the outer conductor 221 may include a first surface 221a, a second surface 221b configured to face the first surface 221a, and a side surface 221c surrounding an empty space between the first surface 221a and the second surface 221b. At least a portion of the components of the resonance portion 220 (for example, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225) may be disposed in the inner space of the resonance portion 220 formed by the first surface 221a, the second surface 221b, and the side surface 221c.

[0106] The first inner conductor 223 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending in a direction from the first surface 221 a of the outer conductor 221 toward an inner space of the outer conductor 221 .

[0107] According to one embodiment, one region of the first inner conductor 223 may be in contact with the coupler 230 connected to the oscillation part 210, and the microwave generated at the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 through the coupler 230. For example, the coupler 230 penetrates the outer conductor 221 and one end thereof is in contact with the oscillation part 210, and the other end is in contact with one region of the first inner conductor 223, and the microwave generated at the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 through the coupler 230.

[0108] At this time, for the transmission of microwaves, the coupler 230 may be configured to penetrate the outer conductor 221 without contacting the outer conductor 221 , but the configuration structure of the coupler 230 is not limited thereto as long as the microwaves generated in the oscillation unit 210 can be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 .

[0109] The first region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223 may function as a "first resonator" that generates an electric field through resonance of microwaves. The first region may refer to a space formed by the first surface 221a, the side surface 221c, and the first inner conductor 223 of the outer conductor 221, and the microwaves transmitted through the coupler 230 may resonate inside the first region and generate an electric field.

[0110] As long as the microwaves of the oscillation part 210 can be transmitted to the resonance part 220 , the coupler 230 is not limited to the illustrated form.

[0111] The second inner conductor 225 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending in a direction from the second surface 221b of the outer conductor 221 toward the inner space of the outer conductor 221. The second inner conductor 225 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the first inner conductor 223 by a predetermined distance in the inner space of the outer conductor 221, and a gap 226 may be formed between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225.

[0112] The second region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 may be used as a "second resonator" that generates an electric field through the resonance of microwaves. The second inner conductor 225 may be coupled (e.g., capacitive coupling) to the first inner conductor 223, and when an electric field is generated inside the first region due to the above-mentioned coupling relationship, an induced electric field may also be generated inside the second region. In the present disclosure, "capacitive coupling" may refer to a coupling relationship in which energy can be transferred through capacitance between two conductors.

[0113] For example, when microwaves generated from the oscillation part 210 are transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 , an electric field may be generated inside the first region by resonance, and an induced electric field may be generated inside the second region formed by the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 coupled to the first inner conductor 223 .

[0114] According to one embodiment, the first region and the second region of the resonating part 220 may function as a resonator having a length of ¼ wavelength (λ) of microwaves.

[0115] In one embodiment, when the end surface of the first region is closed by the first surface 221a of the outer conductor 221, one end of the first region (for example, the end in the -z direction) can be formed as a closed end (short end), and when the end surface is open due to the absence of the first surface 221a, the other end of the first region (for example, the end in the z direction) can be formed as an open end. In another example, when the end surface is open, one end of the second region (for example, the end in the -z direction) can be formed as an open end, and when the end surface of the second region is closed due to the second surface 221b of the outer conductor 221, the other end of the second region (for example, the end in the z direction) can be formed as a closed end.

[0116] That is, when viewed on the xz plane, the first region and the second region may include a closed end and an open end and be formed into an overall "ㄈ" shape, and through the above structure, the first region and the second region may be used as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of microwaves.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 may have the same length based on the z-axis, and may be configured such that the first region and the second region are symmetrical to each other, but is not limited thereto.

[0118] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 221 through the accommodating space 220h may be surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 and heated by dielectric heating.

[0119] At least a portion of the electric field generated by the resonance of the microwaves in the first region and / or the second region may propagate toward the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 through the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225, and the aerosol generating article 10 surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 may be heated by the propagated electric field. For example, the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may generate heat by the electric field propagated by the gap 226, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric.

[0120] The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment makes the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 smaller than a specified value, thereby preventing the electric field propagating into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonance part 220 .

[0121] In the present disclosure, the “specified value” may refer to a diameter value at which the electric field begins to leak to the outside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225. For example, when the diameter of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 is greater than the specified value, a portion of the electric field introduced into the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 may leak to the outside of the resonance portion 220.

[0122] On the other hand, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment can prevent the electric field from propagating to the outside of the resonance portion 220 by a structure in which the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 are smaller than a specified value, and as a result, the electric field can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonator 220 without the need for a separate shielding member.

[0123] According to one embodiment, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the resonance part 220 through the accommodation space 220h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol generating article 10 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 .

[0124] When the electric field generated in the first region and the electric field generated in the second region flow into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 through the gap 226, the strongest electric field can be generated in the area around the gap 226 in the inner area of ​​the resonance part 220. In the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment, the tobacco rod 11 including a dielectric that generates heat by an electric field is arranged at a position corresponding to the gap 226 having the strongest electric field, so that the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 200 can be improved.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the resonating portion 220 may further include a closing portion 224, which is located inside the first inner conductor 223 and closes the end surface of the first inner conductor 223 to limit the flow direction of the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10. For example, the closing portion 224 may close the end surface of the first inner conductor 223 to block the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 from flowing toward the -z direction.

[0126] As the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 or the droplets generated when the aerosol is liquefied flows in the -z direction and flows into the aerosol generating device (e.g., Figure 1 On the other hand, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment limits the flow direction of the aerosol by the sealing portion 224, thereby preventing the misoperation or damage of the components of the aerosol generating device caused by the aerosol or droplets.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the resonator 220 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 227 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodation space 227 may refer to an empty space between the outer conductor 221 and the first and second inner conductors 223 and 225, and a dielectric having a low microwave absorptivity may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 227. For example, the dielectric may be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and alumina, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0128] The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment arranges the dielectric inside the dielectric accommodation space 227, so that the same electric field as that of the resonance part 220 not including the dielectric can be generated while reducing the overall size of the resonance part 220, such as . That is, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment can reduce the size of the resonance part 220 by the dielectric arranged inside the dielectric accommodation space 227, thereby reducing the assembly space of the resonance part 220 in the aerosol generating device, resulting in miniaturization of the aerosol generating device.

[0129] On the other hand, the oscillating part 310 may be disposed on one surface of the outer conductor 221 of the resonating part 320. The oscillating part 310 may cover at least a portion or all of one surface of the outer conductor 221, and may also be larger than the size covering one surface of the outer conductor 221. Figure 5 As shown, the oscillating part 310 may be disposed on the side surface 221 c of the outer conductor 221 (eg, +x direction).

[0130] Figure 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0131] according to Figure 6 The heater assembly 300 of the illustrated embodiment may include an oscillating portion 310 that generates microwaves, a resonating portion 320 that resonates the microwaves generated by the oscillating portion 310 to generate an electric field, and a coupler 330 that transfers the microwaves to the resonating portion 320 .

[0132] The resonating part 320 may include: a housing 321 ; a plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b ; and a connecting part 322 connecting the plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b and the housing 321 .

[0133] The coupler 330 may supply microwaves to at least one of the plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b to generate microwave resonance in the resonance portion 320 .

[0134] The resonating portion 320 may surround at least one region of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the inside of the aerosol generating device. The coupler 330 may supply the microwaves generated in the oscillating portion 310 to the resonating portion 320. When the microwaves are supplied to the resonating portion 320, microwave resonance is generated in the resonating portion 320, so that the resonating portion 320 may heat the aerosol generating article 10. For example, the dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 may generate heat due to the electric field generated inside the resonating portion 220 by the microwaves, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated due to the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0135] The housing 321 of the resonance part 320 functions as an “outer conductor.” Since the housing 321 is formed to have a hollow shape with an empty interior, the components of the resonance part 320 can be arranged inside the housing 321 .

[0136] The housing 321 may include: a storage space 320h that can store the aerosol generating article 10; and an opening 321a for inserting the aerosol generating article 10. The opening 321a is connected to the storage space 320h. Since the opening 321a is open to the outside of the housing 321, the storage space 320h is connected to the outside through the opening 321a. Therefore, the aerosol generating article 10 can be inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 through the opening 321a of the housing 321.

[0137] Although the housing 321 shown in the drawings has a square cross-sectional shape, the shape of the housing 321 can be deformed into various shapes. For example, the housing 321 can be deformed into various cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle, an ellipse or a circle. The housing 321 can extend longer in one direction.

[0138] A plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b that can function as “inner conductors” of the resonance unit 320 may be disposed inside the housing 321 .

[0139] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol generating article 10 accommodated in the accommodation space 320h. The plurality of plates 323a, 323b may include: a first plate 323a arranged to surround an area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10; and a second plate 323b arranged to surround another area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10.

[0140] The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to the housing 321 via the connection portion 322. In addition, one end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b among the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to each other via the connection portion 322. Therefore, an end portion closed by the connection portion 322 may be formed at one end of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

[0141] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b are spaced apart from each other, thereby enabling opening. The other ends of the multiple plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from each other, thereby enabling an open end to be formed at the other ends of the multiple plates 323a and 323b.

[0142] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connection portion 322 are connected to each other, so that the resonator assembly can be completed. The shape of the cross section cut along the length direction of the resonator assembly may include a "horseshoe shape".

[0143] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 10. At least a portion of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be bent so as to protrude outward from the center of the aerosol-generating article 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0144] For example, when the aerosol generating article 10 is manufactured into a cylindrical shape, the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 10. The radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be the same as the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article 10. The radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be variously deformed. For example, the radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be greater than or less than the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article 10.

[0145] When a structure in which the plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b are bent in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol-generating article 10 is used, a more uniform electric field can be formed in the resonance portion 320 , and thus the heater assembly 300 can uniformly heat the aerosol-generating article 10 .

[0146] The open ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be disposed toward the opening 321a of the housing 321. The opening 321a of the housing 321 may be spaced apart from the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b in a direction away from the ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0147] The open ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be aligned with the opening 321a of the housing 321. Therefore, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted through the opening 321a of the housing 321 to be located in the accommodation space 320h, a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 located in the accommodation space 320h may be surrounded by the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0148] Two of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be arranged at opposite positions relative to the lengthwise center of the aerosol generating article 10. The embodiment is not limited by the number of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, for example, the number of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be three or more than four.

[0149] The plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 10 (ie, the direction in which the aerosol-generating article 10 extends).

[0150] At least one of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be in contact with the coupler 330 connected to the oscillating portion 310. Specifically, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may be in contact with the coupler 330. When the microwave is transmitted to the first plate 323a through the coupler 330, the resonance of the microwave is formed between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. In addition, the resonance of the microwave is also formed between the first plate 323a and the upper side plate of the housing 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower side plate of the housing 321. Therefore, an electric field can be generated between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting portion 322, between the first plate 323a and the upper side plate of the housing 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower side plate of the housing 321.

[0151] The coupler 330 penetrates the housing 321 so that one end of the coupler 330 can contact the oscillating part 310, and the other end of the coupler 330 can contact an area of ​​the first plate 323a. As the microwave generated in the oscillating part 310 is transferred to the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting part 322 through the coupler 330, an electric field can be generated inside the assembly of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting part 322.

[0152] In addition, according to the structure of the resonating part 320 of the heater assembly 300, a triple resonance mode can be formed in the resonating part 320. A resonance of a transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM mode) of microwaves is formed between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. In addition, a resonance of a TEM mode different from the resonance formed between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b is formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the shell 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the shell 321. Figure 6 The resonating section 320 can resonate in the TEM mode through the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, and thus can be manufactured to be smaller than Figure 5 The size of the resonant portion 220 can only utilize the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic mode (TM) modes.

[0153] Since triple resonance is generated in the resonance portion 320 of the heater assembly 300 , the aerosol-generating article 10 can be heated more efficiently and uniformly.

[0154] The resonator 320 according to the above embodiment may include a closed end (short end) with a closed end surface and an open end (open end) located in the opposite direction of the closed end and with at least one region of the end surface open to have a length (λ / 4) of 1 / 4 of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave.

[0155] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, a closed end is formed in the region of one end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the left region, which is closed by a structure in which one end of a plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connection part 322 are connected to the housing 321. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the region at the other end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the region on the right side is opened to the outside through the opening 321a of the housing 321 to form an open end. With such a structure of the resonance part 320, the resonance part 320 can be used as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of microwaves.

[0156] According to the resonance structure of the resonance part 320 described above, the electric field may not propagate to the outer region of the resonance part 320. Therefore, the heater assembly 300 may prevent the electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 300 even without a separate shielding member to shield the electric field.

[0157] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 is surrounded by the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b, and can be heated by dielectric heating. For example, a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 including a dielectric inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 can be arranged in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b. The dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 generates heat due to the electric field generated in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b, so that the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated.

[0158] In addition, secondary heating of the aerosol generating article 10 can be achieved according to the effect of the electric field generated by the resonance modes formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the shell 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the shell 321.

[0159] When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the interior of the resonance portion 320 through the accommodation space 320h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol generating article 10 may be located between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0160] The length L4 of the tobacco rod 11 can be formed to be longer than the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. Therefore, the front end 11f of the tobacco rod 11 connected to the filter rod 12 is located at a position protruding more than the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b in the direction toward the opening 321a of the housing 321.

[0161] A resonance peak is formed at the other end of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b operating as a resonator, and a stronger electric field than other regions can be generated. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the heater assembly 300, the tobacco rod 11 including a dielectric capable of generating heat due to the electric field is arranged in a manner corresponding to the region with the strongest electric field, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 300.

[0162] Reference Figure 6 , the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be set to be smaller than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the housing 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be located further inside the housing 321 than the opening 321a. That is, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be spaced apart and disposed at a distance L2 from the rear end of the opening 321a.

[0163] The length of the opening 321a from the rear end of the opening 321a connected to the housing 321 to the front end of the opening 321a where the opening 321a is open may be L3. The overall length of the housing 321 along the length direction of the housing 321 may be L. The overall length L of the housing 321 may be determined based on the sum of the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, the length L2 between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the rear end of the opening 321a, and the length L3 of the opening 321a protruding from the housing 321.

[0164] In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, the front end of the opening 321a where the opening 321a is opened is set to protrude from the shell 321 by a length of L3. Since the opening 321a of the shell 321 protrudes from the shell 321, the opening 321a can perform a function of preventing microwaves inside the shell 321 of the resonance part 320 from leaking to the outside of the shell 321.

[0165] The resonance part 320 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodation space 327 may be formed in an empty space between the housing 321 and the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. A dielectric having low microwave absorption may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 327.

[0166] By disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, it is possible to generate an electric field at the same level as the electric field generated in the resonance part without the dielectric while reducing the overall size of the resonance part 320 of the heater assembly 300. That is, by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, the size of the resonance part 320 can be reduced, and the installation space of the resonance part 320 in the aerosol generating device can be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device can be miniaturized.

[0167] Next, referring to FIG. 7 , the specific structure of the resonance portion 310 of the heater assembly 300 will be reviewed.

[0168] Figure 7a and Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to yet another embodiment. Figure 7a and Figure 7b The components can be Figure 6 At least one of the constituent elements of the heater assembly 300 is the same or similar, and a repeated description will be omitted below.

[0169] The heater assembly 300 according to an embodiment may include an oscillating portion 310 disposed on a surface of a resonating portion 320. For example, the oscillating portion 310 may be stacked on one surface (eg, +x direction) of the resonating portion 320. In addition, couplers 330-1 and 330-2 that transmit microwaves generated by the oscillating portion 310 to the resonating portion 320 may be included.

[0170] The coupler 330-1 transfers the microwave generated by the oscillation part 310 to the resonance part 320, and may be configured such that one end thereof contacts the oscillation part 310, and the other end contacts the resonance part 320. As a specific example, one end of the coupler 330-1 may contact the printed circuit board 311 of the oscillation part 310, and the other end of the coupler 330-1 may contact an area of ​​the first plate 323a of the resonance part 320. The couplers 330-1 and 330-2 may extend to the oscillation part 310, and the couplers 330-1 and 330-2 and the oscillation part 310 may be joined by a conductive material (not shown), but are not limited thereto.

[0171] exist Figure 7a and Figure 7b In the figure, the couplers 330-1 and 330-2 are shown as having one end penetrating through the oscillating part 310 and protruding from the surface of the oscillating part 310, however, the shapes of the couplers 330-1 and 330-2 are not limited thereto and may have various shapes.

[0172] Reference Figure 7a The oscillation part 310 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 311 , and the printed circuit board 311 may be disposed on a surface of the resonance part 320 .

[0173] According to an embodiment, the oscillation part 310 may be fixed to the resonance part 320. As a specific example, the oscillation part 310 may be fixed to one surface of the resonance part 320. The oscillation part 310 and the resonance part 320 may be in direct contact.

[0174] The oscillating part 310 is stacked on one surface of the resonating part 320, which can miniaturize the size of the heater assembly 300. Also, by having the above structure, the oscillating part 310 can be in surface contact with the resonating part 320, and the resonating part 320 itself can be used as a heat dissipation device. The resonating part 320 generates less heat, and since the surface of the resonating part 320 is made of metal, it can have an excellent heat dissipation effect.

[0175] The oscillation part 310 may include a printed circuit board 311. The printed circuit board 311 may be in direct contact with the resonance part 320, thereby radiating heat generated from components of the printed circuit board 311 through the resonance part 320.

[0176] The oscillating part 310 may be soldered on the surface of the resonating part 320. As a specific example, the printed circuit board 311 of the oscillating part 310 may be soldered on the surface of the resonating part 320. Soldering is a method of joining different metals together, and components of different metal materials may be bonded and connected by heating and melting solder and then cooling. The solder may melt and cool between the resonating part 320 and the printed circuit board 311, thereby joining the resonating part 320 and the printed circuit board 311.

[0177] When the oscillating part 310 and the resonating part 320 are connected by a connector, the connector is likely to be manufactured in a structure with a space between the components of the oscillating part 310 and the resonating part 320. However, the heater assembly 300 of the embodiment can achieve miniaturization of the aerosol generating device by directly bonding the oscillating part 310 to the resonating part 320.

[0178] The printed circuit board 311 may be formed to be similar in size and shape to the surface of the stacked resonance part 320. However, the size and shape of the printed circuit board 311 may be modified in various ways.

[0179] Reference Figure 7b The oscillation part 310 may further include a heat sink 312. As an example, the heat sink 312 may be stacked between the printed circuit board 311 and the resonance part 320. Thus, the heat sink 312 may be disposed on the surface of the resonance part 320, and the printed circuit board 311 may be disposed on the surface of the heat sink 312.

[0180] The heat sink 312 is located between the printed circuit board 311 and the resonator 320 and is in direct contact with the printed circuit board 311 and the resonator 320 , thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the heat generated by the components of the printed circuit board 311 .

[0181] That is, the heat sink 312 directly contacts the resonance part 320, so even if the heat sink 312 is further included in the heater assembly 300, the size of the heater assembly 300 will not increase significantly, and it is in surface contact with the printed circuit board 311, so that an excellent heat dissipation effect can be exhibited. The oscillation part 310 can be soldered on the surface of the resonance part 320. As a specific example, the heat sink 312 of the oscillation part 310 can be soldered on the surface of the resonance part 320. Soldering is a method of joining different metals together. By heating and melting the solder and then cooling it, parts of different metal materials can be bonded and connected. The solder can be melted and cooled between the resonance part 320 and the heat sink 312, thereby joining the resonance part 320 and the heat sink 312.

[0182] The heat sink 312 may be a weldable metal material. As an embodiment, the heat sink 312 may be made of aluminum having relatively excellent heat dissipation performance and processing performance compared to other metals. In addition, the heat sink 312 may have a surface nickel-plated structure to enable welding. As another example, the heat sink 312 may also be formed of a copper plate.

[0183] The heat dissipation plate 312 may be formed to be similar in size to the printed circuit board 311 and in a surface shape to the printed circuit board 311. However, the size and shape of the heat dissipation plate 312 may be modified in various ways.

[0184] On the other hand, the solder used for soldering may contain at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), bismuth (Bi), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn) and indium (In) or an alloy of the metal. A metal alloy having a relatively lower melting temperature than a single material solder may be used as the solder.

[0185] As an embodiment, the shell 321 of the resonance part 320 may be made of a material that is easy to solder, or may be surface-treated to facilitate soldering. An example of surface treatment may be plating the shell 321 of the resonance part 320 with a material containing gold (Pt), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), or a mixture of these metals. And, in order to facilitate the soldering process, a process of applying flux to the surface of the shell 321 of the resonance part 320 may be added. However, the material and the surface treatment method for the surface treatment may be applied in various ways according to the purpose, but are not limited thereto.

[0186] As described above, by placing the oscillating part 310 directly on the resonating part 320 of the heater assembly 300, the size of the aerosol generating device using dielectric heating can be miniaturized, and the resonating part 320 can effectively dissipate the heat generated by the oscillating part 310 through the above structure.

[0187] Figure 8a and Figure 8b It is schematically shown Figure 7a FIG. 1 is a diagram of a method for manufacturing a heater assembly.

[0188] Figure 8a The form in which the coupler 330 - 1 is attached to the resonating portion 320 of the heater assembly 300 is schematically shown.

[0189] Reference Figure 8a , the coupler 330 - 1 may be configured to protrude from one surface of the housing 321 of the heater assembly 300 (eg: Figure 8a However, the configuration position and shape of the coupler 330-1 are not limited to Figure 8a The shape shown in suffices as long as one end is in contact with the oscillating portion 310 and the other end is in contact with the resonating portion 320 .

[0190] Reference Figure 8b In the heater assembly 300, the printed circuit board 311 may be stacked on one surface of the resonance part 320 from which the coupler 330-1 protrudes. The printed circuit board 311 may contact the housing 321 of the resonance part 320. Also, the printed circuit board 311 may include a hole through which the coupler 330-1 can protrude.

[0191] As an embodiment, the oscillation part 310 may be stacked to cover at least a portion of the surface of the resonance part 320. Figure 8b As shown, since the length and width of the oscillating part 310 are the same as the surface of the resonating part 320, the surface of the resonating part 320 can be completely covered. In the drawings, only an embodiment in which the oscillating part 310 is stacked on one side of the resonating part 320 facing the +x direction is shown, but the embodiment is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0192] Figures 9a to 9c It is schematically shown Figure 7b FIG. 1 is a diagram of a method for manufacturing a heater assembly.

[0193] Figure 9a The coupler 330-2 is schematically shown in a form attached to the resonant portion 320 of the heater assembly 300. Figure 9a , will omit Figure 8a Repeat instructions.

[0194] Reference Figure 9b In the heater assembly 300, the heat dissipation plate 312 may be stacked on one surface of the resonance part 320 from which the coupler 330-2 protrudes. The heat dissipation plate 312 may contact the housing 321 of the resonance part 320. Also, the heat dissipation plate 312 may include a hole through which the coupler 330-2 can protrude.

[0195] Reference Fig.9c , the printed circuit board 311 may be stacked on the surface of the heat dissipation plate 312. That is, the heat dissipation plate 312 is stacked on the surface of the resonance part 320, and the printed circuit board 311 may be sequentially stacked on the surface of the heat dissipation plate 312. The printed circuit board 311 may include a hole through which the coupler 330-2 can protrude.

[0196] And, in order according to Figures 9a to 9c Different from the manufacturing method shown in the figure, the oscillating part 310 in the form of a stacked heat sink 312 and a printed circuit board 311 can also be stacked on the Figure 9a The heater assembly 300 is provided.

[0197] As an embodiment, the oscillation part 310 may be stacked to cover at least a portion of the surface of the resonance part 320. Fig.9c As shown, since the length and width of the oscillating part 310 are the same as the surface of the resonating part 320, the surface of the resonating part 320 can be completely covered. In the drawings, only an embodiment in which the oscillating part 310 is stacked on one side of the resonating part 320 facing the +x direction is shown, but the embodiment is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0198] Fig.10 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0199] Reference Fig.10 The oscillating part 310 is stacked on a surface of one side of the resonating part 320 facing the +x direction, and the surface of the resonating part 320 stacked with the oscillating part 310 may have a width W and a length L1+L2. Also, the length from the rear end portion where the opening 321a of the resonating part 320 is connected to the housing 321 to the front end portion where the opening 321a is opened may be L3.

[0200] As an embodiment, the oscillating part 310 has a width w wider than a width W of the surface of the resonating part 320, and may be stacked in a manner protruding in the y direction. Alternatively, the oscillating part 310 has a length l longer than a length L1+L2 of the surface of the resonating part 320, and may be protruding in the z direction and stacked. The length L1+L2 of the surface of the resonating part 320 described above may refer to a length L1+L2 of an internal space of the housing 321 excluding an opening 321a portion of the housing 321 of the resonating part 320.

[0201] Also, the oscillating part 310 has a wider width w and a longer length l than the width W and length L1+L2 of the surface of the resonating part 320 and can protrude and stack in the y and z directions. Therefore, the printed circuit board 311 of the oscillating part 310 can include more various components.

[0202] Fig.10 An embodiment is shown in which the oscillation part 310 has a width w wider than a width W of a surface of the resonating part 320 on which the oscillation part 310 is stacked, and has a length l longer than a length L1 + L2 of the surface of the resonating part 320 .

[0203] As an embodiment, when the length l of the oscillating portion 310 is longer than the length L1+L2 of the surface of the resonating portion 320, the oscillating portion 310 may be configured to extend in a direction (e.g., -z direction) opposite to the direction (e.g., +z direction) in which the opening 321a into which the aerosol generating article can be inserted is located. Therefore, even if the entire length of the heater assembly 300 is not extended long, the configuration space of the oscillating portion 310 can be ensured without affecting the position of the user inhaling the aerosol generating article, thereby achieving miniaturization of the aerosol generating device.

[0204] That is, refer to Fig.10 , based on the oscillation part 310 being stacked on the surface of the resonator 320 in the +x direction, it corresponds to the case where the length l of the oscillation part 310 is greater than the length L1+L2 of the surface of the resonator 320. In FIG9 , the opening 321a of the resonator 320 is located in the +z direction, and the oscillation part 310 may be configured to extend in the -z direction.

[0205] That is, even if the length l of the oscillating portion 310 is formed to be long, it can be configured so that the user does not feel spatial discomfort when inhaling the aerosol generating article inserted through the opening 321 a of the resonating portion 320 .

[0206] As another example, even if the oscillating portion 310 extends in the +z direction, it may be configured to be shorter than the length L3 from the rear end portion to the front end portion of the opening 321 a .

[0207] As an embodiment, the oscillating part 310 may further include a cover (not shown) to protect the printed circuit board 311. The cover may include a heat dissipation material. The oscillating part 310 includes the cover so that heat generated from components of the printed circuit board 311 can be effectively dissipated.

[0208] As a specific example, the resonator 320 is located at the lower end of the printed circuit board 311, and the cover is located at the upper end of the printed circuit board 311, that is, the resonator 320 and the cover are located at each layer with the printed circuit board 311 between them, so that even in a miniaturized aerosol generating device, an excellent heat dissipation effect can be achieved.

[0209] As another embodiment, a cover for protecting the printed circuit board 311 may be included in the housing ( Figure 1 110), rather than being included in the heater assembly 300. That is, the aerosol generating device may include a housing and a heater assembly 300, wherein the housing includes an insertion port for inserting an aerosol generating article, and the heater assembly 300 is used to heat the aerosol generating article inserted through the insertion port in a dielectric heating manner.

[0210] The heater assembly 300 does not include a separate cover, so the printed circuit board 311 may be in an exposed form, and since the heater assembly 300 is disposed in the inner space of the housing, the cover included in the housing may protect the printed circuit board 311 of the heater assembly 300 .

[0211] On the other hand, regarding the manufacturing method of the heater assembly 300 as described above, according to one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the heater assembly 300 may include: a step of providing a resonating portion 320; a step of connecting the resonating portion 320 and a coupler 330 whose one end is in contact with the resonating portion 320; and a step of stacking an oscillating portion 310 including a printed circuit board 311 in contact with the other end of the coupler 330 and stacked on the resonating portion 320.

[0212] Furthermore, the above description for explaining the components of the heater assembly 300 and the aerosol generating device including the heater assembly can be applied to the method for manufacturing the heater assembly 300 .

[0213] As an embodiment, the step of stacking the printed circuit board 311 on the resonating part 320 may be to provide solder to a surface of the resonating part 320 to bond the resonating part 320 and the oscillating part 310 .

[0214] Any embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or different. The configurations or functions of any embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments may be used or combined.

[0215] For example, it means that the A structure described in a specific embodiment and / or the drawings can be combined with the B structure described in other embodiments and / or the drawings. In other words, it means that even if the combination between the structures is not directly described, it is considered that the combination can be performed unless it is clearly stated that the combination cannot be performed.

[0216] The above detailed description should not be interpreted as limiting in any aspect, but should be regarded as exemplary. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heater assembly for heating an aerosol-generating article by dielectric heating, wherein: The heater assembly comprises: The oscillating part generates microwaves. a resonating part that generates an electric field by causing the microwave to resonate, and a coupler having one end in contact with the oscillating portion and the other end in contact with the resonating portion, and the coupler transmitting the microwave generated by the oscillating portion to the resonating portion; The oscillating portion includes a printed circuit board stacked on the resonating portion.

2. The heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The printed circuit board is soldered to the surface of the resonating part.

3. The heater assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The resonance part further includes a plating layer, and the plating layer covers a surface of the resonance part.

4. The heater assembly according to claim 2, wherein: A solder is included, the solder being located between the resonating portion and the printed circuit board and being used to join the resonating portion and the printed circuit board.

5. The heater assembly of claim 4, wherein: The solder includes at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, lead, tin, bismuth, aluminum, zinc, and indium, or an alloy of the metal.

6. The heater assembly of claim 1, wherein: The resonating portion includes an opening on one side thereof for inserting the aerosol generating article. The length of the oscillating portion is greater than the length of the resonating portion, and the oscillating portion extends in a direction opposite to a direction in which the opening is located.

7. The heater assembly of claim 1, wherein: The printed circuit board has a hole through which the coupler can pass, and the coupler passes through the hole.

8. The heater assembly of claim 7, wherein: The coupler is exposed on a surface of the printed circuit board.

9. The heater assembly of claim 1, wherein: Also included is a cover for protecting the printed circuit board.

10. An aerosol generating device, wherein: include: a housing including an insertion port for inserting an aerosol generating article, and a heater assembly for heating the aerosol generating article inserted through the insertion port; The heater assembly comprises: The oscillating part includes a printed circuit board for generating microwaves, a resonating part that generates an electric field by causing the microwave to resonate, and a coupler having one end in contact with the oscillating portion and the other end in contact with the resonating portion, and the coupler transmitting the microwave generated by the oscillating portion to the resonating portion; The oscillating portion is stacked on the resonating portion.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10, wherein: The housing also includes a cover for protecting the printed circuit board.

12. A method of manufacturing a heater assembly for heating an aerosol generating article, wherein: The manufacturing method of the heater assembly comprises the following steps: Providing a resonant portion, a coupler connecting the resonating part and one end of the coupler being in contact with the resonating part; and A stacked oscillation portion includes a printed circuit board that contacts the other end of the coupler and is stacked on the resonance portion.

13. The method for manufacturing a heater assembly according to claim 12, wherein: In the step of stacking the oscillating portion, the resonating portion and the oscillating portion are joined by providing solder on a surface of the resonating portion.

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