Microwave resonator and aerosol generating device

Abstract

The invention provides a microwave resonator and an aerosol generating device. The microwave resonator comprises an outer conductor; one end of the inner conductor is fixed at the top of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor, the other end of the inner conductor and the bottom of the outer conductor are arranged at an interval, the inner conductor is provided with an accommodating cavity which is exposed at the top of the outer conductor and is used for accommodating an aerosol substrate, and the inner conductor and the outer conductor jointly define a resonant cavity surrounding the accommodating cavity; and one end of the pin is fixed at the bottom of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor, and the other end of the pin extends into the accommodating cavity and is arranged at an interval with the inner conductor. The emitted microwaves can continuously oscillate in the resonant cavity, so that two relatively strong resonant electric fields are formed around the open-circuit end of the inner conductor and the open-circuit end of the contact pin, and the interior and the outer side of the aerosol substrate accommodated in the accommodating cavity are respectively exposed in the two resonant electric fields, so that the interior and the exterior of the aerosol substrate generate heat simultaneously, and a uniform temperature field can be generated; the uniform release of the aerosol is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of heat-not-burn appliances, and in particular, to a microwave resonator and an aerosol generating device. Background Art

[0002] At present, most heat-generating aerosol generating devices use resistance, infrared, or electromagnetic heating. Such an aerosol generating device with this heating method includes at least one heating element. The device supplies power to control the temperature of the heating element, and the heat energy is transferred to the aerosol matrix by means of contact heat transfer so that it reaches the temperature for continuously generating aerosol. However, there is a temperature difference between the heating element and the aerosol matrix, and the coking reaction causes the heating element to be contaminated and difficult to clean, affecting the smoking taste of the aerosol.

[0003] In the related art, a microwave heating appliance is proposed, which uses a 1 / 4 wavelength microwave resonator to send microwave energy into the aerosol matrix through a pin. However, since the electric field intensity in the 1 / 4 wavelength microwave resonator is concentrated at the top of the pin, the electric field distribution inside the aerosol matrix is uneven, and the temperature field uniformity is poor, affecting the smoking taste and the consistency of aerosol release. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a microwave resonator and an aerosol generating device, aiming to solve the problem of poor temperature field uniformity in the microwave resonator in the related art.

[0005] To solve the above technical problem, a first aspect of the present invention provides a microwave resonator, including:

[0006] An outer conductor;

[0007] An inner conductor, one end of which is fixed to the top of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor, and the other end is spaced from the bottom of the outer conductor. The inner conductor is provided with a receiving cavity exposed at the top of the outer conductor for receiving an aerosol matrix, and the inner conductor and the outer conductor jointly define a resonant cavity surrounding the receiving cavity; and,

[0008] A pin, one end of which is fixed to the bottom of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor, and the other end extends into the receiving cavity and is spaced from the inner conductor.

[0009] Optionally, the value range of the spacing distance between the inner conductor and the bottom of the outer conductor is 0.1 mm - 12 mm.

[0010] Optionally, the outer conductor, the inner conductor, and the pin are coaxially arranged.

[0011] Optionally, the outer conductor is columnar, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer conductor includes any one of a rectangle, a circle, and an ellipse.

[0012] Optionally, the inner conductor is tubular, and both ends of the inner conductor communicate to form the accommodation cavity.

[0013] Optionally, the materials of the outer conductor, the inner conductor, and the pin all include metal materials.

[0014] Optionally, a dielectric layer and a first conductive film covering the dielectric layer are provided on the inner wall of the outer conductor and the inner wall of the inner conductor, and the conductivity of the first conductive film is less than or equal to the conductivity of pure aluminum.

[0015] Optionally, the inner conductor and the outer conductor are integrally provided.

[0016] Optionally, a radio frequency connector is provided at the bottom of the outer conductor.

[0017] Optionally, there are a plurality of pins, and the plurality of pins are circumferentially spaced apart.

[0018] Optionally, the material of the pin includes an insulating material, a second conductive film is covered on the outside of the pin, and the second conductive film is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor.

[0019] A second aspect of the present invention provides an aerosol generating device, including:

[0020] A power source;

[0021] The microwave resonator as described in any one of the above, the microwave resonator is used to accommodate the aerosol matrix;

[0022] A radio frequency component, electrically connected to the power source and the microwave resonator;

[0023] A temperature measuring component, arranged in the microwave resonator, the temperature measuring component is used to measure the temperature of the aerosol matrix; and,

[0024] A controller, electrically connected to the radio frequency component, the power source, and the temperature measuring component.

[0025] Compared with related technologies, a microwave resonator and an aerosol generating device in the present invention have the following beneficial effects: One end of the inner conductor in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor and one end of the pin in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor are both short - circuit ends, and one end of the inner conductor spaced from the bottom of the outer conductor and one end of the pin spaced from the inner conductor are both open - circuit ends. This allows microwaves to be conducted through the outer conductor to the open - circuit ends of the inner conductor and the pin and be emitted. The emitted microwaves continuously oscillate in the resonant cavity, thereby forming two strong resonant electric fields around the open - circuit ends of the inner conductor and the pin. The inside of the aerosol matrix accommodated in the accommodation cavity is exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open - circuit end of the pin, and the outside is exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open - circuit end of the inner conductor, enabling the aerosol matrix to generate heat simultaneously inside and outside, thus generating a uniform temperature field and achieving uniform release of the aerosol. In addition, the open - circuit end of the inner conductor is located inside the outer conductor, which can prevent the microwaves emitted from the open - circuit end of the inner conductor from leaking outside the resonant cavity, reducing the loss of microwave energy and avoiding radiation damage to users. Moreover, the inner conductor is higher than the pin, so that the open - circuit end of the pin is surrounded by the inner conductor, preventing the magnetic field formed by the pin from leaking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or related technologies. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of an aerosol generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a cross - sectional view of the microwave resonator and the aerosol matrix during assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the drawings, each reference numeral represents: 10, power supply; 20, microwave resonator; 201, outer conductor; 202, inner conductor; 2021, accommodation cavity; 203, pin; 204, resonant cavity; 205, RF connector; 30, RF component; 40, temperature - measuring component; 50, controller; 60, aerosol matrix. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "circumferential", "radial", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0034] Embodiment:

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , an aerosol generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a power source 10, a microwave resonator 20, a radio frequency component 30, a temperature measuring component 40, and a controller 50. The microwave resonator 20 is used to accommodate an aerosol matrix 60. The radio frequency component 30 is electrically connected to the power source 10 and the microwave resonator 20. The temperature measuring component 40 is disposed in the microwave resonator 20. The controller 50 is electrically connected to the power source 10 and the radio frequency component 30. The power source 10 is used to supply power to the radio frequency component 30. When the radio frequency component 30 is powered on, it sends microwave energy into the microwave resonator 20. The microwave energy resonates in the microwave resonator 20 to heat and atomize the aerosol matrix 60 accommodated in the microwave resonator 20 to generate an aerosol. The temperature measuring component 40 is used to measure the temperature of the aerosol matrix 60. The controller 50 controls the power supplied by the power source 10 to the radio frequency component 30 according to the temperature data transmitted by the temperature measuring component 40 to control the heating temperature of the aerosol matrix 60, thereby realizing the uniform release of the aerosol.

[0036] In some embodiments, the power supply 10 can be a battery pack, which is integrated with a buck-boost circuit and a voltage stabilizing circuit to ensure the power stability provided by the power supply 10; the radio frequency component 30 can be a radio frequency source, which is integrated with a radio frequency oscillation circuit, a radio frequency amplification circuit, a self-excitation circuit, etc. The radio frequency source can emit a certain frequency or frequency band within the range of 100 MHz - 20 GHz; the controller 50 can be a circuit board, which can control the start and stop of the radio frequency source, the microwave frequency, the microwave power, etc.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the microwave resonator 20 includes an outer conductor 201, an inner conductor 202, and a pin 203. One end of the inner conductor 202 is fixed to the top of the outer conductor 201 and is in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor 201, and the other end is spaced from the bottom of the outer conductor 201. The inner conductor 202 is provided with a receiving cavity 2021 exposed at the top of the outer conductor 201 for receiving the aerosol matrix 60, and the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 jointly define a resonant cavity 204 arranged around the receiving cavity 2021; one end of the pin 203 is fixed to the bottom of the outer conductor 201 and is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor 201, and the other end extends into the receiving cavity 2021 and is spaced from the inner conductor 202.

[0038] One end of the inner conductor 202 in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor 201 and one end of the pin 203 in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor 201 are both short-circuit ends, and one end of the inner conductor 202 spaced from the bottom of the outer conductor 201 and one end of the pin 203 spaced from the inner conductor 202 are both open-circuit ends, so that microwaves can be conducted through the outer conductor 201 to the open-circuit end A of the inner conductor 202 and the open-circuit end B of the pin 203 and emitted. The emitted microwaves continuously oscillate in the resonant cavity 204, thereby forming two relatively strong resonant electric fields around the open-circuit end A of the inner conductor 202 and the open-circuit end B of the pin 203. The inside of the aerosol matrix 60 received in the receiving cavity 2021 is exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open-circuit end B of the pin 203, and the outside is exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open-circuit end A of the inner conductor 202, so that the aerosol matrix 60 generates heat simultaneously inside and outside, thereby generating a uniform temperature field and realizing the uniform release of the aerosol. In addition, the open-circuit end A of the inner conductor 202 is located inside the outer conductor 201, which can prevent the microwaves emitted from the open-circuit end A of the inner conductor 202 from leaking out of the resonant cavity 204, reduce the loss of microwave energy and avoid causing radiation damage to users; moreover, the inner conductor 202 is higher than the pin 203, so that the open-circuit end of the pin 203 is surrounded by the inner conductor 202, thereby preventing the magnetic field formed by the pin 203 from leaking.

[0039] It should be noted that the aerosol matrix 60 includes a matrix section, an air inlet section, and a filter section connected in sequence. When the aerosol matrix 60 is accommodated in the accommodation cavity 2021, the matrix section is accommodated in the accommodation cavity 2021, and the filter section is exposed outside the accommodation cavity 2021. At the same time, the open end B of the insertion pin 203 is inserted into the inside of the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60, and the open end A of the inner conductor 202 covers the outside of the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60, so that the inside and outside of the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60 are respectively exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open end B of the insertion pin 203 and the resonant electric field formed by the open end A of the inner conductor 202. The open end A of the inner conductor 202 and the open end B of the insertion pin 203 at least partially coincide in the axial direction to ensure that the open end A of the inner conductor 202 and the open end B of the insertion pin 203 are respectively on the outside and inside of the matrix section when the aerosol matrix 60 is inserted. For example, the open end A of the inner conductor 202 and the open end B of the insertion pin 203 are at the same height.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 3 , in some embodiments, the value range of the spacing distance between the bottom of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 is 0.1 mm - 12 mm, such as 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm, 3 mm, 7 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, etc., so that the spacing distance between the bottom of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 is relatively moderate, which is beneficial to ensuring that the outside of the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60 is exposed to the resonant electric field formed by the open end A of the inner conductor 202, so that the energy generated by the resonant cavity 204 acts on the aerosol matrix 60. Among them, when the spacing distance between the bottom of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 is too small (less than 0.1 mm), it is easy to cause electrical connection between the bottom of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201. When the spacing distance between the bottom of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 is too large (greater than 12 mm), it is not conducive to the outside of the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60 covered by the open end of the inner conductor 202.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 3, the outer conductor 201, the inner conductor 202, and the pin 203 are coaxially arranged, such that the microwave resonator 20 is a coaxial microwave resonator 20, enabling the microwaves conducted by the inner conductor 202 and the pin 203 to act more on the aerosol matrix 60. Thus, by concentrating the microwaves on the aerosol matrix 60, the aerosol matrix 60 can be heated in a shorter time, achieving the rapid generation of aerosol. Among them, the outer conductor 201 is columnar, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer conductor 201 includes any one of a rectangle, a circle, and an ellipse. For example, the outer conductor 201 can be a cylinder, and in this case, the cross-sectional shape of the outer conductor 201 is a circle; the inner conductor 202 is tubular, and both ends of the inner conductor 202 are connected to form a receiving cavity 2021. For example, the inner conductor 202 can be a circular tube, which is beneficial to ensuring the adaptation of the receiving cavity 2021 to the aerosol matrix 60; there is an interference fit between the aerosol matrix 60 and the receiving cavity 2021, such that the inner conductor 202 does not need to be provided with a bottom wall to support the aerosol matrix 60, so that the receiving cavity 2021 can penetrate through one end where the inner conductor 202 and the bottom of the outer conductor 201 are spaced apart, facilitating the receiving cavity 2021 to receive aerosol matrices 60 with different lengths.

[0042] In some embodiments, a plurality of clamping ribs are arranged on the inner wall of the inner conductor 202 at circumferentially spaced intervals. The length of the clamping ribs extends along the length direction of the inner conductor 202. The combined action of the plurality of clamping ribs is beneficial to clamping the aerosol matrix 60 in the receiving cavity 2021. At the same time, a gap can be formed between the aerosol matrix 60 and the inner wall of the inner conductor 202, facilitating air to flow into the intake section of the aerosol matrix 60 to carry away the aerosol.

[0043] The materials of the outer conductor 201, the inner conductor 202, and the pin 203 all include metal materials. The metal materials can be materials with good conductivity such as gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. The higher the conductivity of the metal material, the easier the microwave conduction.

[0044] In some embodiments, a dielectric layer and a first conductive film covering the dielectric layer are provided on the inner wall of the outer conductor 201 and the inner wall of the inner conductor 202. Among them, the dielectric layer can be made of a low-loss (less than 0.01) dielectric material, such as plastic, ceramic, glass, alumina, zirconia, silica, etc. The dielectric layer can effectively increase the frequency of the microwaves in the resonant cavity 204, thereby reducing the size of the resonant cavity 204 without reducing the microwave wavelength, improving the performance of the microwave resonator 20 and realizing its miniaturization. The conductivity of the first conductive film is less than or equal to the conductivity of pure aluminum. Setting the first conductive film can ensure the conductive performance of the inner wall surfaces of the outer conductor 201 and the inner conductor 202, ensuring the continuous oscillation of the microwaves in the resonant cavity 204; the thickness of the first conductive film is determined by the microwave penetration depth at the resonant frequency of the microwave resonator 20, and the thickness of the first conductive film needs to ensure that the microwaves can penetrate the first conductive film to act on the dielectric layer.

[0045] It should be understood that the outer conductor 201 is equivalent to a capacitor, and the inner conductor 202 is equivalent to an inductor. The air and dielectric layer between the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 can affect the capacitance value. Compared with air as the dielectric, the dielectric layer can increase the capacitance value, and thus can better control the size of the resonant cavity 204.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 3 , the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 are integrally arranged, which is convenient for the formation of the cavity of the resonant cavity 204. At the same time, it can ensure good contact between the tops of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201, so as to ensure ohmic contact between the tops of the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201. Among them, the inner conductor 202 and the outer conductor 201 can be made of the same metal material. A radio frequency connector 205 is provided at the bottom of the outer conductor 201, and the radio frequency component 30 is connected into the radio frequency connector 205, so that the radio frequency component 30 is electrically connected to the outer conductor 201, and thus the microwave generated by the radio frequency component 30 can be conducted through the outer conductor 201 to the open ends of the inner conductor 202 and the pin 203.

[0047] In some embodiments, the material of the pin 203 includes insulating materials, which can be ceramics, plastics, quartz, etc.; a second conductive film is coated on the outer side of the pin 203, and the second conductive film is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor 201. Among them, the second conductive film can be formed by coating a metal material with good conductivity such as gold, silver, copper, and aluminum on the outer surface of the pin 203. The pin 203 can be a column, and the cross-sectional shape of the pin 203 can be any one of a circle, a rectangle, and an ellipse; the pin 203 can be solid or hollow, and one end of the pin 203 away from the bottom of the inner conductor 202 can be a tip, and the sharper the tip, the stronger the resonant electric field formed at the open end of the pin 203.

[0048] In some embodiments, there are multiple pins 203, and the multiple pins 203 are circumferentially spaced apart, which can make the resonant electric field more evenly distributed in the matrix section of the aerosol matrix 60, so as to generate a more uniform microwave heating effect on the aerosol matrix 60 and realize the uniform release of the aerosol. For example, the number of pins 203 can be 1-6. When there are four pins 203, the four pins 203 are spaced apart around the central axis of the outer conductor 201.

[0049] In some embodiments, the temperature measurement component 40 includes a thermocouple disposed on the pin 203. The thermocouple is located at one end of the pin 203 away from the bottom of the inner conductor 202. The pin 203 is preferably hollowly arranged, and the wire connecting the thermocouple to the controller 50 can be threaded through the pin 203, thus facilitating wire routing. The thermocouple is used to measure the temperature in the aerosol matrix 60 and transmit the temperature data to the controller 50. The controller 50 adjusts the power supplied by the power supply 10 to the RF component 30 according to the temperature data transmitted by the thermocouple, thereby controlling the heating temperature of the aerosol matrix 60. In other embodiments, the temperature measurement component 40 can also be an infrared sensor, a thermistor sensor, etc.

[0050] The foregoing are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microwave resonator, characterized in that, Comprising: An outer conductor; An inner conductor, one end of which is fixed to the top of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the top of the outer conductor, and the other end is spaced from the bottom of the outer conductor. The inner conductor is provided with a receiving cavity exposed at the top of the outer conductor for receiving an aerosol matrix, and the inner conductor and the outer conductor jointly define a resonant cavity provided around the receiving cavity; and, A pin, one end of which is fixed to the bottom of the outer conductor and is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor, and the other end extends into the receiving cavity and is spaced from the inner conductor.

2. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, wherein The distance between the bottom of the inner conductor and the bottom of the outer conductor ranges from 0.1 mm to 12 mm.

3. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer conductor, the inner conductor and the pin are coaxially arranged.

4. The microwave resonator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer conductor is columnar, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer conductor includes any one of a rectangle, a circle and an ellipse.

5. The microwave resonator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner conductor is tubular, and both ends of the inner conductor are communicated to form the receiving cavity.

6. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The materials of the outer conductor, the inner conductor and the pin all include metal materials.

7. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner walls of the outer conductor and the inner conductor are both provided with a dielectric layer and a first conductive film covering the dielectric layer, and the conductivity of the first conductive film is less than or equal to the conductivity of pure aluminum.

8. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner conductor and the outer conductor are integrally provided.

9. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, A radio frequency connector is provided at the bottom of the outer conductor.

10. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple pins, and the multiple pins are circumferentially spaced apart.

11. The microwave resonator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the pin includes an insulating material, and the outside of the pin is coated with a second conductive film, and the second conductive film is in ohmic contact with the bottom of the outer conductor.

12. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, Comprising: A power supply; The microwave resonator according to any one of claims 1-11, the microwave resonator being used for receiving an aerosol matrix; A radio frequency component electrically connected to the power supply and the microwave resonator; A temperature measuring component provided in the microwave resonator, the temperature measuring component being used for measuring the temperature of the aerosol matrix; And, A controller electrically connected to the radio frequency component, the power supply and the temperature measuring component.

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