Sectional type peripheral heating element, heating smoking set and temperature regulation and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a sectional type peripheral heating element, a heating smoking set and a temperature regulation and control method, the peripheral heating element is used for heating a heating cigarette in the heating smoking set for circumferential heating so as to generate aerosol for smoking, and the peripheral heating element comprises an upper section heating body, a lower section heating body and a heat insulation ring; the upper-section heating body and the lower-section heating body are embedded into the heat insulation ring to be fixed, and the length of the upper-section heating body is smaller than or equal to that of the lower-section heating body. Through the heat insulation ring structure, mutual heat conduction between the upper section heating body and the lower section heating body is prevented; the method that the upper-section heating body and the lower-section heating body are used for heating separately is adopted, namely the two heating bodies work at the same time at the early stage to bake tobacco, the temperature of the upper-section heating body is reduced at the middle and later periods of smoking, and the situation that the O-bar section is excessively baked to generate peculiar smell is avoided; aerosol generated by smoking cannot be condensed when passing through the position of the upper section heating body, and the smoking experience of a user is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent belongs to the technical field of heated smoking articles, and specifically relates to a segmented peripheral heating element, a heated smoking article, and a temperature control method. Background Art

[0002] Circumferential heating: This refers to a cylindrical heat source wrapped around the outer wall of the cigarette for heating. The peripheral heating element generally covers the tobacco segment. According to the current heated cigarette structure, adjacent to the tobacco segment is the O-rod segment, which is generally made of cellulose acetate. During the curing process, the peripheral heating element heats up the O-rod segment due to heat conduction. This accumulated temperature in the O-rod segment can produce a certain odor, reducing the smoking experience.

[0003] If the peripheral heating element is designed so that it does not completely cover the tobacco segment, the 1-2 mm tobacco segment near the O-rod segment will not be baked. In this way, the temperature of the tobacco close to the O-rod segment will be lower, and the tobacco away from the O-rod segment will produce aerosol after heating. The aerosol is transferred from bottom to top to the user's mouth as the user inhales. When the aerosol flows through the unbaked tobacco segment, the temperature here is lower, and the aerosol will partially condense, resulting in a lower smoke concentration and a reduced smoking experience.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a peripheral heating element to avoid temperature accumulation in the O-rod segment and to prevent aerosol condensation from reducing the smoking experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this patent is to provide a segmented peripheral heating element, a heating smoking device and a temperature control method to avoid the temperature accumulation and aerosol condensation of the O-rod segment that reduce the smoking experience.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, this patent adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A segmented peripheral heating element is used to heat heated cigarettes in a circumferentially heated smoking device to generate an aerosol for inhalation. The peripheral heating element includes an upper heating element, a lower heating element and an insulation ring; the upper heating element and the lower heating element are embedded in the insulation ring and fixed, and the length of the upper heating element is less than or equal to the length of the lower heating element.

[0008] Furthermore, the length of the upper heating element is 0.2 to 0.25, 0.25 to 0.30 or 0.30 to 0.35 of the length of the tobacco segment of the heated cigarette;

[0009] Furthermore, the length of the thermal insulation ring is 1-2 mm, 2-3 mm or 3-4 mm.

[0010] Furthermore, the thermal insulation ring includes an upper positioning groove and a lower positioning groove, and the upper heating element and the lower heating element are respectively embedded in the thermal insulation ring through the upper positioning groove and the lower positioning groove.

[0011] Furthermore, the thermal insulation ring is made of a high-temperature resistant low-thermal conductivity material, and the low-thermal conductivity material includes a polymer-based composite material.

[0012] Furthermore, the polymer-based composite material includes one or more combinations of polyetheretherketone, polyimide, ceramics and glass fiber.

[0013] Furthermore, the heating smoking device is provided with an air inlet hole, which is located below the peripheral heating element, thereby forming a heat conduction airflow from bottom to top.

[0014] This patent further provides a heating smoking device, which includes any of the above-mentioned segmented peripheral heating elements.

[0015] Preferably, the heating smoking article comprises a power supply and a control system, wherein the power supply provides energy for the entire system, and the control system is used to control the temperature of the segmented peripheral heating element and the operating functions of the heating smoking article.

[0016] On the other hand, this patent provides a temperature control method for the above-mentioned heated smoking device, comprising:

[0017] Upper high-temperature heating stage: the heating temperature of the upper heating element within the first preset time after starting the heating is 200-250°C, 250-300°C or 300-350°C, wherein the first preset time is from the start of heating to 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total heating time or within 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total number of puffs;

[0018] Upper low-temperature insulation stage: After the upper heating element exceeds the first preset time, the heating temperature is reduced to 100-110°C, 110-120°C, 120-130°C, 130-140°C, 140-150°C or 150-180°C compared to the upper high-temperature heating stage;

[0019] The suction heating temperature of the lower heating element is 200-350℃.

[0020] Furthermore, the first preset time is 1.0 to 1.2 minutes, 1.2 to 1.4 minutes, 1.4 to 1.6 minutes or 1.6 to 1.8 minutes from the start of heating or within the puffing time of the first 3 to 4 or 4 to 5 puffs.

[0021] Furthermore, the temperature control method further comprises:

[0022] Lower high-temperature heating stage: the suction heating temperature of the lower heating element within the second preset time after the start of heating is 250-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C or 320-350°C, and the second preset time is from the start of heating to 20-30s, 30-40s, 40-50s or 50-60s;

[0023] Lower low-temperature heating stage: After the lower heating element exceeds the second preset time, the suction heating temperature is 200-300°C.

[0024] Furthermore, the suction heating temperature of the lower low-temperature heating stage is 200-210°C, 210-220°C, 220-230°C or 230-240°C.

[0025] In this patent, the term "heated cigarette" refers to a smoking article that is an aerosol-generating article and includes an aerosol-forming substrate that generates an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth by heating.

[0026] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate is a solid aerosol-forming substrate.The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise both solid and liquid components.

[0027] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises nicotine.In some preferred embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises tobacco.

[0028] For example, the aerosol-forming material may be formed from a sheet of homogenised tobacco.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a tobacco-free aerosol-forming material.For example, the aerosol-forming material may be a sheet comprising nicotine salt and an aerosol-former.

[0030] If the aerosol-forming substrate is a solid aerosol-forming substrate, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may comprise one or more of a powder, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, rods or sheets containing one or more of herb leaves, tobacco leaves, tobacco ribs, flat tobacco and homogenised tobacco.

[0031] Optionally, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may be disposed on or embedded in a thermally stable carrier. The carrier may be in the form of a powder, granules, pellets, chips, strips, bars, or sheets. The solid aerosol-forming substrate may be disposed on the surface of the carrier in the form of, for example, a sheet, foam, gel, or slurry. The solid aerosol-forming substrate may be placed over the entire surface of the carrier, or alternatively, may be arranged in a pattern to provide uneven flavor delivery during use.

[0032] In this patent, homogenized tobacco material means a material formed by agglomerating particulate tobacco.

[0033] In this patent, sheet refers to a laminar element having a width and length that are substantially greater than its thickness.

[0034] In this patent, gathered is used to describe a sheet that is rolled, folded, or compressed or shrunk substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

[0035] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a gathered textured sheet of homogenised tobacco material.

[0036] In this patent, textured sheet refers to a sheet that has been curled, embossed, embossed, perforated or otherwise deformed. The aerosol-forming substrate can include a textured sheet of a collection of homogenous tobacco material, comprising a plurality of spaced-apart notches, protrusions, perforations or a combination thereof. Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a collection of curled sheets of homogenous tobacco material. The use of the textured sheet of homogenous tobacco material can advantageously promote the aggregation of the homogenous tobacco material sheet to form an aerosol-forming substrate.

[0037] In this patent, a curled sheet is a sheet having a plurality of substantially parallel ridges or folds. Preferably, when the aerosol-generating article is assembled, the substantially parallel ridges or folds extend along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article. This advantageously facilitates the aggregation of the curled sheet of homogenized tobacco material to form an aerosol-forming substrate. However, it will be appreciated that the curled sheet of homogenized tobacco material for inclusion in an aerosol-generating article may alternatively or additionally have a plurality of substantially parallel ridges or folds that, when the aerosol-generating article is assembled, are arranged at an acute angle or an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

[0038] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate may be in the form of a plug comprising the aerosol-forming material circumscribed by paper or other wrapping material.Where the aerosol-forming substrate is in the form of a plug, the entire plug including any wrapping paper is considered to be the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0039] Preferably, the plug comprises a gathered sheet of homogenised tobacco material or other aerosol-forming material surrounded by a wrapper.

[0040] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a single aerosol-forming agent. Alternatively, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a combination of two or more aerosol-forming agents.

[0041] Preferably, suitable aerosol formers are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, polyols such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and glycerol; esters of polyols such as glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, or glycerol triacetate; and aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. Preferred aerosol formers are polyols or mixtures thereof such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and most preferably glycerol.

[0042] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate has an aerosol-forming agent content of greater than 5% by dry weight. More preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate may have an aerosol-forming agent content of between about 5% and about 30% by dry weight. In one embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate has an aerosol-forming agent content of about 20% by dry weight.

[0043] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate comprising the homogenised tobacco sheet for use in an aerosol-generating article may be manufactured by roll-forming, thick pulping and papermaking processes known in the art.

[0044] Preferably, the aerosol-generating article can have the appearance of a traditional cigarette. Cigarette articles, such as cigarettes, and their specifications are generally named based on the length of the cigarette, as described below. "Standard" generally refers to cigarettes with a length in the range of 68 mm to 75 mm, such as about 68 mm to about 72 mm. "Short" or "mini" refers to cigarettes with a length of less than 68 mm. "Extra" generally refers to cigarettes with a length in the range of 75 mm to 91 mm, such as about 79 mm to about 88 mm. "Long" or "Extra" generally refers to cigarettes with a length in the range of 91 mm to 105 mm, such as about 94 mm to about 101 mm. "Extra" generally refers to cigarettes with a length in the range of about 110 mm to about 121 mm. Furthermore, cigarette articles are named based on the circumference of the cigarette, as described below. The term "standard" refers to a cigarette with an outer circumference of approximately 23mm to 25mm, "coarse" refers to a cigarette with an outer circumference of 25mm or more, "thin" refers to a cigarette with an outer circumference of approximately 22mm to 23mm, "slim" refers to a cigarette with an outer circumference of approximately 19mm to 22mm, "superfine" refers to a cigarette with an outer circumference of approximately 16mm to 19mm, and "fine" refers to a cigarette with a circumference of approximately 16mm or less. Thus, oversized and superfine cigarettes have, for example, a length of approximately 83mm and an outer circumference of approximately 17mm. Standard and oversized cigarettes, i.e., cigarettes with a length of 75mm to 91mm and an outer circumference of 23mm to 25mm, are popular with many consumers. Cigarettes of various sizes can also be manufactured with filters of different lengths. Typically, short filters are used for cigarettes with both short length and short circumference. Typically, filter lengths range from 15 mm for "short" and "standard" cigarettes to 30 mm for "extra long" and "super slim" cigarettes. The tipping paper in the longitudinal direction of the filter-tipped cigarette is longer than the filter, for example, 3 to 10 mm.

[0045] Preferably, the aerosol-forming article comprises an aerosol-forming substrate, a support element, an aerosol-cooling element, and a mouthpiece, wherein the O-rod segment of the heated cigarette serves as the support element, the cooling segment of the heated cigarette serves as the aerosol-cooling element, and the filter segment of the heated cigarette serves as the mouthpiece. Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate, the support element, the aerosol-cooling element, and the mouthpiece are generally cylindrical and have substantially similar outer diameters. For example, they have an outer diameter of at least 5 mm. Preferably, they have an outer diameter of between about 5 mm and about 12 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 10 mm, or between about 6 mm and about 8 mm. In a preferred embodiment, they have an outer diameter of 7.2 mm + / - 10%.

[0046] Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate may have a length of between about 5 mm and about 15 mm, for example between about 8 mm and about 12 mm. In one embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate may have a length of about 1 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate has a length of about 12 mm.

[0047] Preferably, the O-rod segment of the heated cigarette, serving as a support element, can be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, the support element can be formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: cellulose acetate; cardboard; curled paper, such as curled heat-resistant paper or curled parchment paper; and polymeric materials, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). In a preferred embodiment, the support element is formed from cellulose acetate.

[0048] Preferably, the support element may comprise a hollow tubular element.In a preferred embodiment, the support element comprises a medium cellulose acetate tube.

[0049] Preferably, the support element may have a length between about 5 mm and about 15 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the support element has a length of about 8 mm.

[0050] Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element may have a total surface area of between about 300 square millimeters per millimeter of length and about 1000 square millimeters per millimeter of length. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-cooling element has a total surface area of about 500 square millimeters per millimeter of length.

[0051] Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element has a low resistance to draw. That is, preferably, the aerosol-cooling element provides low resistance to air passing through the aerosol-generating article. Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element does not substantially affect the resistance to draw of the aerosol-generating article.

[0052] Preferably, the aerosol-cooling element may comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending channels. The plurality of longitudinally extending channels may be defined by a sheet material that has undergone one or more of curling, pleating, gathering and folding to form the channels. The plurality of longitudinally extending channels may be defined by a single sheet that has undergone one or more of curling, pleating, gathering and folding to form the plurality of channels. Alternatively, the plurality of longitudinally extending channels may be defined by a plurality of sheets that have undergone one or more of curling, pleating, gathering and folding to form the plurality of channels.

[0053] In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element may comprise a gathered sheet of material selected from the group consisting of: metal foil, polymeric material, and substantially non-porous paper or cardboard. In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element may comprise a gathered sheet of material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and aluminum foil. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-cooling element comprises a gathered sheet of biodegradable material. For example, a gathered sheet of non-porous paper or a gathered sheet of a biodegradable polymeric material such as polylactic acid.

[0054] In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element may be formed from a gathered sheet of material having a specific surface area of between about 10 mm2 per mg and about 100 mm2 per mg by weight. In some embodiments, the aerosol-cooling element may be formed from a gathered sheet of material having a specific surface area of about 35 mm2 / mg.

[0055] Preferably, the filter segment of the heated cigarette as a mouthpiece can have a length between about 5 mm and about 20 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the mouthpiece has a length of about 14 mm. The mouthpiece can have a length between about 5 mm and about 14 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the mouthpiece has a length of about 7 mm.

[0056] Preferably, the elements of the aerosol-generating article (e.g., the aerosol-forming substrate and any other elements of the aerosol-generating article, such as the support element, the aerosol-cooling element, and the mouthpiece) are surrounded by an outer wrapper. The outer wrapper is formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. Preferably, the outer wrapper is cigarette paper.

[0057] The heated smoking article of this patent serves as an aerosol-generating device, a device that interacts with the aerosol-forming substrate of an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol-generating device is a smoking device that interacts with the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that is directly inhalable into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. The aerosol-generating device can be a holder for a smoking article.

[0058] Preferably, the heated tobacco device is provided with a heating chamber in which the heated cigarette is accommodated. The segmented peripheral heating element forms at least a part of the heating chamber and serves as a heat source to provide heat so that the heated cigarette generates an aerosol that can be smoked.

[0059] In some embodiments, an aerosol generating system may include an aerosol generating device and one or more aerosol generating articles, wherein the aerosol generating device is configured with a corresponding number of heating chambers to accommodate the aerosol generating articles.

[0060] Preferably, the heated smoking article, as the aerosol generating device, can be a portable or handheld aerosol generating device that a user can comfortably hold between the fingers of a single hand. The aerosol generating device can be substantially cylindrical in shape. The aerosol generating device can have a length between about 70 mm and about 120 mm.

[0061] Preferably, the control system of the heated smoking article can be a simple switch. Alternatively, the control system can be an electric circuit and can include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers.

[0062] Preferably, the power source for the heated smoking article can be any suitable power source, such as a DC voltage source, such as a battery. In one embodiment, the power source is a lithium-ion battery. Alternatively, the power source can be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lithium-based battery, such as a lithium-cobalt, lithium iron phosphate, lithium titanate, or lithium polymer battery.

[0063] This patent provides a segmented peripheral heating element, a heated smoking device, and a temperature control method. Through an insulating ring structure, the mutual heat conduction between the upper heating element and the lower heating element is prevented; and a method of heating the upper heating element and the lower heating element separately is adopted, that is, the two heating elements work simultaneously to bake tobacco in the early stage, and the temperature of the upper heating element is lowered in the middle and late stages of smoking to avoid the O-rod segment from being over-baked and producing odor, so that the heating temperature of the heated smoking device is more compatible with the heated cigarette. At the same time, because of continuous heating, the aerosol generated by the inhalation will not be condensed when passing through the position of the upper heating element, the smoke concentration will not be reduced, and the user's smoking experience is better. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] The above content of this patent and the following specific embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are only examples of the technical solutions claimed.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the design of the heated smoking device in this patent;

[0066] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a heated cigarette in this patent;

[0067] Figure 3 This is a front view of the segmented peripheral heating element in this patent;

[0068] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the segmented peripheral heating element in this patent;

[0069] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the segmented peripheral heating element of this patent;

[0070] Figure 6A schematic diagram of the thermal insulation ring in this patent;

[0071] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the thermal insulation ring in this patent;

[0072] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the upper heating element in this patent;

[0073] Figure 9 This is a front view of the upper heating element in this patent;

[0074] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the puffing time-temperature relationship of the upper heating element in this patent;

[0075] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the number of suction ports and temperature of the upper heating element in this patent.

[0076] The description of the accompanying drawings is as follows:

[0077] Heated cigarettes: 1

[0078] Filter segments: 11

[0079] O rod segment: 12

[0080] Tobacco segment: 13

[0081] Upper heating element: 21

[0082] Heating element lead: 211

[0083] Positioning bayonet: 212

[0084] Thermal insulation ring: 22

[0085] Upper positioning groove: 221

[0086] Lower positioning groove: 222

[0087] Lower heating element: 23

[0088] Air Inlet: 24

[0089] Power: 25

[0090] Control system: 26 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] The detailed features and advantages of this patent are described in detail below in the specific implementation method. The content is sufficient to enable any technical personnel in this field to understand the technical content of this patent and implement it accordingly. Based on the description, claims and drawings disclosed in this specification, technical personnel in this field can easily understand the relevant purposes and advantages of this patent.

[0092] This specification also uses several compound terms to describe devices, elements, equipment, etc. that include more than one function, or to give additional functions to a corresponding device, element, equipment, etc. Those skilled in the art understand that such compound terms can be implemented with a single or multiple devices, elements, equipment, etc., as long as they are reasonable under the rules of interpretation of this patent terminology.

[0093] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in the subsequent drawings. In this specification and claims, various terms will be mentioned. Unless otherwise indicated, these terms shall be defined to have the following meanings:

[0094] The terms "include" or "have" have the same meaning as "contain", and also include other forms of the term, such as the gerund form and the singular form in English, meaning including but not limited to, and are not intended to exclude, for example, other elements, components, integers or steps;

[0095] All other terms used herein that are not specifically defined in this patent are intended to have the general meanings understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which they belong, and in particular, ordinary technicians in the field can directly and unambiguously determine the meaning of how to implement the technical solution of this patent after reading the claims, description and drawings of this patent.

[0096] Even if there are incomplete descriptions, omissions or ambiguities in the grammar, text, punctuation, graphics, symbols, etc. in the claims, description and drawings of this patent, ordinary technicians in this field can still reach the only correct understanding by reading the claims, description and drawings as a whole without excessive reasoning or experimentation, and effectively exclude various incorrect understandings that are not aimed at achieving the purpose of this patent.

[0097] Ordinary technical personnel in the relevant field will give priority to reading the patent claims, specifications and drawings to reasonably interpret the terms; secondly, they will choose to refer to the relevant definitions in other documents published by the applicant before the application date to reasonably interpret the terms; thirdly, they will choose to reasonably interpret the terms by referring to the references cited in this patent; finally, they will choose to reasonably interpret the terms by combining the technical dictionaries, technical manuals, reference books, textbooks, national or industry technical standards, etc. commonly used by technical personnel in the relevant technical field.

[0098] The entire contents of all references cited in this application are incorporated into this specification by reference to the extent that they do not conflict with the contents disclosed in this application. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that products (devices, elements, equipment, compounds, compositions, materials, etc.) and methods (processes, steps, conditions, parameters, equipment and test methods, equipment, etc.) other than those specifically described in this specification can be applied to the implementation of the invention fully disclosed in this specification without resorting to excessive experimentation. This patent intends to cover all functional equivalents known in the art of the methods, equipment, equipment elements, materials, processes and technologies specifically described in this specification. All references cited include:

[0099] Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, compiled by Marks et al., published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. (11th edition, and other versions before the filing date of this application); DeGarmo's Materials and Processes in Manufacturing, compiled by DeGarmo et al., published by Wiley (13th edition, and other versions before the filing date of this application); Machinery's Handbook, compiled by Oberg et al., published by Industrial Press Inc. (32nd edition, and other versions before the filing date of this application); Mechanical Design Handbook, edited by Cheng Daxian, published by Chemical Industry Press (6th edition, and other versions before the filing date of this application); Modern Mechanical Design Handbook, edited by Wen Bangchun, published by Machinery Industry Press (6th edition, and other versions before the filing date of this application).

[0100] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. Although specific structures and arrangements are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other structures and arrangements may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may also be used in a variety of other applications.

[0101] like Figure 1-9 As shown, this patent provides a segmented peripheral heating element and a heating smoking device. The peripheral heating element is used to heat the heated cigarette 1 in the circumferentially heated heating smoking device to generate an aerosol for inhalation. The peripheral heating element includes an upper heating body 21, a lower heating body 23 and an insulation ring 22; the upper heating body 21 and the lower heating body 23 are embedded in the insulation ring 22 and fixed, and the length of the upper heating body 21 is less than or equal to the length of the lower heating body 23.

[0102] Although there are introductions to segmented heating technology, which can make the temperatures of the upper and lower parts of the heating element different, the heating element base generally conducts heat very quickly. Therefore, when the length of the heating element is short, the overall temperature of the heating element will tend to be consistent, and it is not easy to form a temperature gradient distribution, and it is impossible to avoid the high temperature heating of the O-rod segment. The present application innovatively introduces a heat insulation ring 22 structure to prevent the mutual heat conduction between the upper heating element 21 and the lower heating element 23; and adopts a method of heating the upper heating element 21 and the lower heating element 23 separately, that is, the two heating elements work simultaneously to bake tobacco in the early stage, and reduce the temperature of the upper heating element in the middle and late stages of smoking, and finally form a gradient distribution of smoking heating temperature. In this way, the O-rod segment is prevented from being over-baked and producing odor, making the heating temperature of the heated smoking device more compatible with the heated cigarette 1. At the same time, because the aerosol generated by the inhalation will not be condensed when passing through the position of the upper heating element 21 during continuous heating, the smoke concentration will not be reduced, and the user's smoking experience is better.

[0103] In one embodiment, the heated smoking device includes a heating element with a temperature gradient (i.e., a segmented peripheral heating element), an air inlet 24, a power supply 25, and a control system 26. The heating element is used to heat and bake the tobacco segment 13. The air inlet 24 is located below the peripheral heating element so that the external airflow can enter the tobacco segment 13 from bottom to top when the user inhales to facilitate the generation of aerosol, and the airflow can further serve as a heat conduction airflow to improve the heating efficiency. The power supply 25 provides energy for the entire system, and the control system 26 is used to control the temperature of the heating element and the operating function of the heated smoking device.

[0104] In one embodiment, the heated smoking article, serving as the aerosol-generating device, can be a portable or handheld aerosol-generating device that can be comfortably held between the fingers of a single hand. The aerosol-generating device can be substantially cylindrical in shape. The aerosol-generating device can have a length between approximately 70 mm and approximately 120 mm. In one specific embodiment, the heated smoking article comprises a heating chamber, in which the heated cigarette is housed. The segmented peripheral heating element forms at least a portion of the heating chamber and serves as a heat source to provide heat to the heated cigarette, thereby generating a smokeable aerosol.

[0105] In one embodiment, the control system 26 may be a simple switch. Alternatively, the control system 26 may be an electrical circuit and may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers.

[0106] In one embodiment, power source 25 can be any suitable power source, such as a DC voltage source, such as a battery. In one embodiment, the power source is a lithium-ion battery. Alternatively, the power source can be a nickel metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery, or a lithium-based battery, such as lithium cobalt, lithium iron phosphate, lithium titanate, or a lithium polymer battery.

[0107] In one embodiment, a heated cigarette 1 generally consists of a tobacco segment 13, an O-rod segment 12, a cooling segment, and a filter segment. The cooling segment and filter segment can be combined to form a filter segment 11. The tobacco segment 13 is generally a tobacco sheet made of tobacco raw material; the O-rod segment 12 is a hollow O-rod made of acetate fiber tow, which supports the tobacco segment 13. The cooling segment can have various structures, such as perforated paper tubes and cooling fixtures, to lower smoke temperatures and prevent burns. The filter segment is generally made of acetate fiber tow and is used to filter the smoke.

[0108] In one embodiment, a plurality of heating elements can be arranged in an axial array along the heated cigarette 1, and an insulating ring 22 can be provided between each heating element to prevent heat conduction between different heating elements. For example, two heating elements are arranged, so that the first upper heating element, the first insulating ring, the first lower heating element, the second insulating ring, the second upper heating element, the third insulating ring and the second lower heating element are arranged in sequence along the direction from the filter section 11 to the tobacco section 13 of the heated cigarette 1. The heating elements are connected by insulating rings, and the temperature of different heating elements can be controlled individually. Due to the effect of the insulating rings, a temperature gradient can be formed between different heating elements. By controlling the temperature of different heating elements as the smoking process progresses, the generation of uncomfortable odors can be effectively reduced.

[0109] In one embodiment, the upper heating element 21 and the lower heating element 23 differ only in their positions, and their structures are the same. For example, the upper heating element includes a heating element lead 211 and a positioning bracket 212. The heating element lead 211 is connected to the control system 26 and the power supply 25, so that the upper heating element generates heat in a controlled manner. The positioning bracket 212 can be a U-shaped groove formed by a subtractive design. The positioning bracket 212 cooperates with the upper positioning groove 221 to fix the upper heating element 21 in the heat insulating ring 22.

[0110] In one embodiment, the heat insulating ring 22 is designed to be a high temperature resistant low thermal conductivity material, which may be a polymer-based composite material, such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PI (polyimide), ceramic, glass fiber, etc.

[0111] In one embodiment, the length of the upper heating element 21 is 0.2 to 0.25, 0.25 to 0.30, or 0.30 to 0.35 of the length of the tobacco segment 13 of the heated cigarette 1. The lengths of the multiple heating elements can be the same or different. Generally speaking, the length of the upper heating element 21 near the O-rod segment 12 can be designed to be shorter, such as 1 / 3 or 1 / 4 of the length of the tobacco segment 13. In this way, the temperature of this heating element can be lowered separately during the second half of the puff, thereby preventing the O-rod segment 12 from overheating and generating odor. At the same time, due to the shorter length of the heating element, lowering its temperature has less impact on the overall temperature of the tobacco segment 13, thus preventing a decrease in smoke concentration due to an excessive decrease in the temperature of the tobacco segment 13.

[0112] In one embodiment, the length of the thermal insulation ring 22 is 1-2 mm, 2-3 mm or 3-4 mm.

[0113] In one embodiment, a positioning clip is designed between the heating element and the insulation ring 22 to facilitate the installation and fixation of the heating element. In a specific embodiment, the positioning clip is an upper positioning groove 221 and a lower positioning groove 222. The upper heating element 21 and the lower heating element 23 are respectively embedded in the insulation ring 22 through the upper positioning groove 221 and the lower positioning groove 222.

[0114] This patent further provides a method for controlling the temperature of a heated smoking device, including:

[0115] Upper high-temperature heating stage: the heating temperature of the upper heating element within the first preset time after starting the heating is 200-250°C, 250-300°C or 300-350°C, wherein the first preset time is from the start of heating to 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total heating time or within 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total number of puffs;

[0116] Upper low-temperature insulation stage: After the first preset time has passed, the suction heating temperature of the upper heating element 21 is reduced to 100-110°C, 110-120°C, 120-130°C, 130-140°C, 140-150°C or 150-180°C relative to the upper high-temperature heating stage;

[0117] The suction heating temperature of the lower heating element 23 is 200-350°C.

[0118] Generally, the puffing time of a heated cigarette is 5 minutes or 14 puffs, whichever comes first. Therefore, the time from the start of heating to 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total heating time can be understood as the first 1-2.5 minutes from the start of heating, and 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total number of puffs can be understood as the first 3-7 puffs from the start of heating.

[0119] In a specific embodiment, the first preset time is preferably within 1.0-1.2 minutes, 1.2-1.4 minutes, 1.4-1.6 minutes or 1.6-1.8 minutes from the start of heating to the total heating time or within the puffing time of the first 3-4 or 4-5 puffs.

[0120] When designing the temperature control, the high-temperature heating time of the upper heating element 21 can be designed to be positively correlated with the length of the upper heating element 21, because the longer the length of the upper heating element 21, the longer the length of the tobacco segment 13 it wraps. Therefore, if you want to fully bake this part of the tobacco, it takes longer. During the heating process of this patent, it is designed that the upper heating element 21 and the lower heating element 23 simultaneously increase the temperature to bake the tobacco in the early stage of smoking. After heating for a period of time, the area of the tobacco segment 13 wrapped by the upper heating element 21 has been almost baked. At this time, the upper heating element 21 begins to cool down and enters the upper low-temperature insulation stage. The temperature is preferably maintained at 100-150°C, so that the temperature transmitted to the O-rod segment 12 will not be too high, and it can also ensure that the aerosol will not condense due to excessive temperature drop of the tobacco segment 13. The lower heating element still heats the tobacco according to the preset working temperature. Because there is an insulating ring 22 between the two heating elements, a more obvious temperature difference will be formed between the two heating elements.

[0121] In one embodiment, the method for controlling the temperature of a heated smoking device further includes:

[0122] Lower high-temperature heating stage: the suction heating temperature of the lower heating element 23 within the second preset time after the start of suction is 250-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C or 320-350°C, and the second preset time is from the start of heating to 20-30s, 30-40s, 40-50s or 50-60s;

[0123] Lower low-temperature heating stage: After the second preset time has passed, the suction heating temperature of the lower heating element 23 is 200-300°C.

[0124] In one embodiment, the suction heating temperature of the lower low-temperature heating stage is 200-210°C, 210-220°C, 220-230°C or 230-240°C.

[0125] like Figure 10-11 As shown, the upper heating element 21 is generally designed to be 1 / 3 of the length of the tobacco segment 13, and the lower heating element 23 is designed to be 2 / 3 of the length of the tobacco segment 13; then the upper heating element 21 is in a normal high-temperature heating state (i.e., the upper high-temperature heating stage) during the first 1 / 3 of the total puff time (t1) or the first 1 / 3 of the total number of puffs (n1) (n2), and the heating temperature T1 is generally between 200-350°C, especially between 200-300°C, and is in the upper low-temperature insulation stage during the last 2 / 3 of the time, and the insulation temperature T2 is generally between 100-200°C, especially between 100-150°C. The lower heating element 23 is always in a normal high-temperature heating state, and its heating temperature T3 can be equal to or slightly higher than T1. The lower heating temperature T3 is generally between 200-350°C, and most of the time the temperature is between 200-300°C. The temperature can change over time. In one embodiment, in the first 30 seconds or 1 minute, the temperature T3 is relatively high, generally at 250°C-350°C, to accelerate the temperature increase of the tobacco from room temperature. Subsequently, the heating temperature begins to decrease, generally maintained at 200-300°C, preferably at 200-245°C.

[0126] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment / embodiment is included in at least one embodiment / embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment / an embodiment" throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / arrangement, but rather to a variety of possible embodiments / arrangements. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments / arrangements, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure.

[0127] Similarly, it should be understood that in the above description of exemplary embodiments / embodiments of this patent, various features of this patent are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment / embodiment or its drawings and description for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure and aiding understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, except for explicitly stated contrary guidance or obvious technical contradiction or exclusion, the description method of this patent should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than expressly stated in each claim. Instead, the claims reflect that the inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single aforementioned disclosed embodiment / embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing independently as a separate embodiment / embodiment of this patent.

[0128] Furthermore, while some embodiments / implementations described herein include but do not include certain features included in other embodiments / implementations, combinations of features from different embodiments / implementations are intended to be within the scope of this patent and to form different embodiments / implementations, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any claimed embodiment / implementation can be used in any combination.

[0129] The terms and expressions used in this specification are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and in the use of these terms and expressions, there is no intention to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it should be recognized that various variations are possible within the scope of the protection claimed in this patent. It should therefore be understood that although this patent has been specifically disclosed through preferred embodiments, exemplary embodiments, and optional features, those skilled in the art may adopt variations or modifications of the concepts disclosed in this specification, and such variations and modifications are therefore considered to be within the scope of this patent as defined by the appended claims. The specific embodiments given in this specification are examples of useful embodiments of this patent, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations of the devices, device components, and method steps disclosed in this specification can be used to implement this patent.

[0130] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments fully discloses the general features of this patent so that others can easily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments for various applications by applying knowledge within the technical scope of the art without undue experimentation and without departing from the general concept of this patent. Therefore, based on the teachings and guidance given herein, it is intended that such adaptations and modifications be included within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the words or terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and are not intended to be limiting, and thus the words or terms of this specification will be interpreted by those skilled in the art based on the above teachings and guidance.

[0131] Additionally, the scope of this patent should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A segmented peripheral heating element, characterized in that: The peripheral heating element is used to heat the heated cigarette in a circumferentially heated smoking device to generate an aerosol for inhalation. The peripheral heating element includes an upper heating element, a lower heating element and an insulation ring; the upper heating element and the lower heating element are embedded in the insulation ring and fixed, and the length of the upper heating element is less than or equal to the length of the lower heating element.

2. The segmented peripheral heating element according to claim 1, characterized in that The length of the upper heating element is 0.2 to 0.25, 0.25 to 0.30 or 0.30 to 0.35 of the length of the tobacco segment of the heated cigarette; The length of the heat insulation ring is 1-2 mm, 2-3 mm or 3-4 mm.

3. The segmented peripheral heating element according to claim 1, characterized in that The thermal insulation ring comprises an upper positioning groove and a lower positioning groove, and the upper heating element and the lower heating element are respectively embedded in the thermal insulation ring through the upper positioning groove and the lower positioning groove.

4. The segmented peripheral heating element according to claim 1, characterized in that The heat-insulating ring is made of a high-temperature-resistant low-thermal-conductivity material, and the low-thermal-conductivity material includes a polymer-based composite material.

5. The segmented peripheral heating element according to claim 4, characterized in that The polymer-based composite material includes one or more combinations of polyetheretherketone, polyimide, ceramics and glass fiber.

6. The segmented peripheral heating element according to claim 1, characterized in that The heating smoking device is provided with an air inlet hole, and the air inlet hole is located below the peripheral heating element, thereby forming a heat conduction airflow from bottom to top.

7. A heated smoking device, characterized in that: The heated smoking device comprises the segmented peripheral heating element according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A temperature control method for a heated smoking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: include: Upper high-temperature heating stage: the heating temperature of the upper heating element within the first preset time after starting the heating is 200-250°C, 250-300°C or 300-350°C, wherein the first preset time is from the start of heating to 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total heating time or within 20-25%, 25-30%, 30-45% or 45-50% of the total number of puffs; Upper low-temperature insulation stage: after the first preset time has passed, the heating temperature of the upper heating element is reduced to 100-110°C, 110-120°C, 120-130°C, 130-140°C, 140-150°C or 150-180°C relative to the upper high-temperature heating stage; The suction heating temperature of the lower heating element is 200-350°C.

9. The temperature control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first preset time is 1.0 to 1.2 minutes, 1.2 to 1.4 minutes, 1.4 to 1.6 minutes or 1.6 to 1.8 minutes from the start of heating to the total heating time or within the puff time of the first 3 to 4 or 4 to 5 puffs; The temperature control method further comprises: Lower high-temperature heating stage: the suction heating temperature of the lower heating element within the second preset time after the start of heating is 250-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C or 320-350°C, and the second preset time is from the start of heating to 20-30s, 30-40s, 40-50s or 50-60s; Lower low-temperature heating stage: after the second preset time, the suction heating temperature of the lower heating element is 200-300°C.

10. The temperature control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The heating temperature of the lower low-temperature heating stage is 200-210°C, 210-220°C, 220-230°C or 230-240°C.

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