Dielectric heated aerosol-generating device with coaxial electrode arrangement

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device (120) for dielectrically heating an aerosol-forming substrate (110) is provided. The apparatus (120) comprises an oscillating circuit (150) comprising a switching unit and a feedback loop connected across the switching unit, where the feedback loop comprises an electrode arrangement. The electrode arrangement forms a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol-forming substrate. The electrode arrangement includes a first electrode coaxially aligned with a second electrode.

Description

[0001] This disclosure relates to aerosol generation apparatus, and more particularly to an aerosol generation apparatus configured to heat an aerosol forming matrix by dielectric heating. This disclosure also relates to a dielectric heating circuit for a dielectric-heated aerosol generation apparatus and aerosol generation system.

[0002] Known electrically operated aerosol generation systems typically heat the aerosol forming matrix by one or more of the following methods: conducting heat from a heating element to the aerosol forming matrix, radiating heat from a heating element to the aerosol forming matrix, or drawing heated air through the aerosol forming matrix. Most commonly, heating is achieved by passing an electric current through a resistive heating element, generating Joule heating on the heating element. Induction heating systems have also been proposed, in which Joule heating occurs due to eddy currents induced in the sensor heating element.

[0003] One problem with these heating mechanisms is that they produce uneven heating of the aerosol-forming matrix. The portion of the aerosol-forming matrix closest to the heating element is heated faster or to a higher temperature than the portion farther away from the heating element.

[0004] Systems for dielectric heating of aerosol-forming matrices have been proposed, which advantageously provide uniform heating of the aerosol-forming matrix. However, known dielectric heating systems are less efficient than induction heating systems and require complex circuitry to achieve the necessary voltages and frequencies for dielectric heating of the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0005] The goal is to provide a system that can more efficiently heat aerosols to form a matrix using a dielectric method, while still being achievable in a compact or handheld system.

[0006] According to this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus is provided, which includes any one or more of the following features.

[0007] The aerosol generating apparatus may include an oscillating circuit. The oscillating circuit may include a switching unit and a feedback loop connected across the switching unit. The feedback loop may include two electrical contacts configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol forming matrix. The aerosol generating apparatus may also include any of the features described below, either alone or in combination with any other features of this disclosure.

[0008] As used herein, the term "aerosol generating apparatus" refers to an apparatus that interacts with an article comprising an aerosol forming matrix to generate an aerosol.

[0009] As used herein, the term "aerosol-forming matrix" refers to a matrix capable of releasing volatile compounds that can form aerosols. These volatile compounds can be released by heating the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0010] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generation apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol-forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit comprising a switching unit configured for inverting operation and a feedback loop connected across the switching unit. The feedback loop includes two electrical contacts configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol-forming matrix. The feedback loop is configured to perform resonant oscillation operation. The feedback loop is configured to provide a 180° phase shift between the output signal of the switching unit and the input switching signal of the switching unit.

[0011] The oscillating circuit of this disclosure enables more efficient dielectric heating of the aerosol-forming matrix by promoting coupling of the load capacitor electrodes within the feedback loop of the oscillating circuit. The resonant oscillation operation of the feedback loop generates a high-peak voltage across the load capacitor at high frequencies to deliver power to the aerosol-forming matrix within the electrode arrangement, while maintaining the power supply voltage across the switching unit, thereby minimizing switching losses. The oscillating circuit of this disclosure can be configured to self-oscillate; that is, the oscillating circuit itself controls the phase of the external power applied to it.

[0012] When the switching unit is configured for inverting operation, the feedback unit is configured to provide a 180° phase shift between the output signal of the switching unit and the input switching signal of the switching unit. This allows for effective resonant oscillation operation.

[0013] In some instances, the feedback loop also includes an electrode arrangement coupled between two electrical contacts. In some instances, the electrode arrangement is coupled to, or configured to be coupled to, a resonant cavity for accommodating an aerosol-forming matrix to be dielectrically heated via the electrode arrangement.

[0014] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit comprising a switching unit and a feedback loop connected to the switching unit. The feedback loop includes a first inductor having no more than five turns. The first inductor is connected in series with one of two electrical contacts configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol forming matrix.

[0015] At the operating frequency of the oscillation circuit, the first inductor in the feedback loop is configured to deliver a 90° phase shift between the output signal of the switching unit and the input switching signal of the switching unit. Another 90° phase shift can be provided by a capacitive element, as described in further detail below. By providing an inductor with no more than five turns, the phase shift required for effective resonant oscillation operation can be achieved, while minimizing the presence of parasitic inductance and capacitance in the feedback loop, which adversely affect the efficient dielectric heating of the aerosol-forming matrix and cause additional power losses that do not contribute to dielectric heating.

[0016] In one example, the first inductor comprises no more than three turns. In a preferred example, the inductor has fewer than three turns, and preferably no more than one turn. In some examples, the first inductor may have fewer than one turn, such as a half-turn or an Ω-shaped inductor. In one example, the diameter of the (multiple) turns of the first inductor is less than 15 mm and more than 3 mm, preferably less than 12 mm and more than 5 mm.

[0017] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit. The oscillating circuit includes a switching unit and a feedback loop connected across the switching unit. The feedback loop includes a first inductor, two electrical contacts connected in series with a second inductor, the two electrical contacts being configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for heating the aerosol forming matrix.

[0018] Providing a first inductor coupled to a first side of the load capacitor and a second inductor coupled to a second side of the load capacitor enables the generation of a more symmetrical voltage across the load capacitor, while also providing a 90° phase shift for effective resonant oscillation operation.

[0019] In some instances, the second inductor may include the same number of turns as the first inductor to facilitate symmetrical generation of the voltage across the load capacitor. In some instances, the turns(s) in the second inductor have the same diameter as the turns in the first inductor.

[0020] In some instances, the first and second inductors are inductively coupled to form a mutual inductance. To achieve a high peak voltage across the load capacitor, a high inductance is required in the feedback loop. However, a high inductance also limits the maximum oscillation frequency achievable in the feedback loop, and thus limits the power that can be delivered to the load capacitor. Inductively coupling the first and second inductors produces a slightly distributed inductor with amplified effective inductance. Therefore, utilizing the inductive coupling between the first and second inductors allows the use of inductors with lower inductance values ​​to mitigate the limitation on the achievable oscillation frequency in the feedback loop, while still providing highly effective inductance to amplify the peak voltage generated across the load capacitor.

[0021] In this example, the mutual inductive coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor can be between 40% and 70% (or have an inductive coupling coefficient of 0.4 to 0.7), and is preferably greater than 50% (or have an inductive coupling coefficient greater than 0.5).

[0022] In the example, the mutual inductive coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor can be achieved by bringing the first inductor and the second inductor into close proximity. In an alternative example, the mutual inductive coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor is achieved by using a magnetic core extending through both the first inductor and the second inductor. Using a magnetic core can promote a stronger inductive coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor than the inductive coupling achievable solely based on close proximity.

[0023] In this example, the coil axis of the first inductor is arranged parallel to and offset relative to the coil axis of the second inductor to minimize capacitive coupling between the first and second inductors. In this example, the first and second inductors are formed as planar inductors.

[0024] In this example, the coil axis of the first inductor is arranged to be coaxially aligned with the coil axis of the second inductor.

[0025] In this example, the planar extension of the first inductor intersects with the second inductor.

[0026] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generation apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol-forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit. The oscillating circuit includes a switching unit and a feedback loop connected to the switching unit. The feedback loop includes a first inductor and a series connection of two electrical contacts configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for heating the aerosol-forming matrix. The oscillating circuit also includes a delay element configured to impede the switching speed of the switching unit. Specifically, the delay element can delay a switching signal received by the switching unit.

[0027] An oscillating circuit that includes a delay element is sometimes called a delay-line oscillator. A delay-line oscillator is a form of electronic oscillator that uses a delay line or delay element as its primary timing element. A delay-line oscillator can be configured to oscillate by inverting the output of the delay line or delay element and feeding that signal back to the input of the delay line or delay element with appropriate amplification.

[0028] Delay elements can be implemented using physical delay lines, such as LC networks or transmission lines. In some instances, capacitors and inductors can be distributed along the length of the delay element. In some instances, delay elements comprise cascades of logic gates used to generate gate delays. Oscillating circuits using physical delay elements can be much more accurate in timing. It is also easier to make such oscillating circuits oscillate in the desired mode.

[0029] In this example, the oscillation circuit is configured to operate at frequencies between 100MHz and 2.5GHz, and preferably between 500MHz and 1.5GHz.

[0030] During operation, the oscillation frequency in the feedback loop will increase towards a certain resonant frequency based on the passive nature of the components in the feedback loop. However, when the oscillation frequency increases beyond a certain threshold, the feedback loop begins to lose its inductive properties, which provide the necessary phase shift for effective resonant oscillation operation. Furthermore, when the oscillation frequency exceeds a certain threshold, the impedance of the feedback loop increases, thereby reducing the dielectric heating efficiency in the load capacitor. By providing a delay element configured to impede the switching speed of the switching unit, the maximum oscillation frequency can be limited to a frequency range where the feedback loop exhibits inductive behavior and has low impedance for efficient dielectric heating.

[0031] In some instances, the bias unit is coupled to the input terminal of the switching unit via a delay element. In some instances, the delay element is coupled to ground via a capacitor.

[0032] In this example, the first inductor and two electrical contacts for coupling with the load capacitor form a resonant circuit. In such examples, the delay element can be configured such that the oscillation frequency of the oscillating circuit is limited to below the parallel resonant frequency f of the resonant circuit. PAR (Also known as the anti-resonant frequency) but higher than the series resonant frequency f of the resonant circuit. SER The frequency of (or resonant frequency).

[0033] In the example, the time delay applied by the delay element is at the parallel resonant frequency f of the resonant circuit. PAR The cycle is between 5% and 35%.

[0034] In the example, the time delay applied by the delay element is at the parallel resonant frequency f.PAR The period and series resonant frequency f SER The difference between the periods is between 35% and 90%, preferably at the parallel resonant frequency f. PAR The period and series resonant frequency f SER The difference between the periods is between 50% and 85%.

[0035] In the example, the delay element is configured to apply a time delay between 50 and 500 picoseconds, preferably between 150 and 350 picoseconds, and more preferably between 200 and 300 picoseconds.

[0036] In this example, the delay element includes a low-pass filter.

[0037] In some instances, the delay element exhibits inductive behavior. Advantageously, an inductive delay element can provide the desired time delay without affecting the waveform of oscillations in the circuit. In some instances, the delay element comprises a zigzag conductive element. In some instances, the zigzag conductive element comprises between two and twelve zigzag branches, preferably between three and ten zigzag branches, more preferably three zigzag branches. In some instances, the zigzag conductive element comprises one of an Ω-shaped coil, a single planar coil, a flat inductor, a wavy line, a zigzag line, or a sawtooth line.

[0038] In one example, the oscillating circuit also includes an electrode arrangement fixedly interconnected to two electrical contacts to form a load capacitor, the load capacitor including or configured to removably receive an aerosol-forming matrix. This allows an article including the aerosol-forming matrix to be directly inserted into a heated area or cavity within the electrode arrangement that is close to the electrode arrangement.

[0039] In alternative examples, the oscillating circuit further includes an electrode arrangement removably interconnected to two electrical contacts to form a load capacitor, the load capacitor including or configured to removably receive an aerosol-forming matrix. In such examples, the electrode arrangement may form part of an article of manufacture including the aerosol-forming matrix. In other examples, the electrode arrangement may be removable to facilitate easy insertion of an article of manufacture including the aerosol-forming matrix into a heater region on or within the electrode arrangement prior to connection to the oscillating circuit.

[0040] In one example, the oscillating circuit is configured such that, during operation, the peak AC voltage across the two electrical contacts is greater than the supply voltage of the oscillating circuit. In some examples, the oscillating circuit is configured such that, during operation, the peak AC voltage across the two electrical contacts is greater than five times the supply voltage of the oscillating circuit. Advantageously, providing a voltage higher than the supply voltage across the load capacitor enables more power to be delivered to the aerosol forming matrix with lower switching losses in the switching unit, and thus directly affects the efficiency of the aerosol generating apparatus. In examples of this disclosure, this can be achieved without using any transformer by relying solely on resonant oscillation operation within the feedback loop. In one example, the peak AC voltage across the two electrical contacts at the operating frequency of the oscillating circuit is 50V to 500V, more preferably 100V to 400V, and even more preferably 120V to 350V, wherein the DC supply voltage to the oscillating circuit is between 6V and 15V.

[0041] In this example, the impedance of the feedback loop at the operating frequency is matched with the impedance of the switching unit, which improves the efficiency of the oscillation circuit.

[0042] In this example, the feedback loop is suspended between the power supply to the oscillating circuit and ground. This means there is no direct connection between the feedback loop and the power supply voltage or ground—for example, there is at least one electrical component (e.g., a resistor or capacitor) that creates a non-negligible potential difference between the feedback loop and the power supply and ground in the oscillating circuit. This reduces the effects of noise and ground, resulting in more predictable operation in the feedback loop.

[0043] In some examples, the feedback loop is connected across the output and bias terminals of the switching unit. In others, the output terminals of the switching unit are coupled to the supply voltage via an RF choke. The choke is used to block high-frequency AC current while allowing DC and low-frequency AC current to pass through.

[0044] In this example, the feedback loop is configured to operate as an inductive load at the operating frequency of the oscillating circuit to provide a phase shift of approximately 90°. As described above, this can be achieved by providing one or more inductors in series with a load capacitor in the feedback loop. In this example, the feedback loop also includes a capacitive element that provides a 90° phase shift at the operating frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this example, the capacitive element includes a capacitor connected to ground. The combination of the inductive load and the capacitive element in the feedback loop provides a 180° phase shift, which, combined with the inverting switching unit, provides effective resonant oscillation operation for dielectric heating.

[0045] In this example, the oscillation circuit also includes a capacitor connected between the output terminal of the switching unit and ground, the capacitor having a capacitance value greater than the maximum intrinsic capacitance of the switching unit. This reduces the impact of changes in the intrinsic properties of the switching unit due to factors such as temperature and operating frequency on the operation of the feedback loop.

[0046] In some examples, the feedback loop includes a resonant circuit comprising two electrical contacts such that, during operation, the load capacitor is part of the resonant circuit. In some examples, the resonant circuit comprises a parallel resonant circuit, a series resonant circuit, or a combination of both. In some examples, the feedback loop includes a parallel resonant circuit that is electrically stimulated during use by the output signal of a switching unit. In such examples, the output signal of the switching unit may be a switching voltage across a transistor. In some examples, the impedance of the resonant circuit at the operating frequency of the oscillating circuit is between 0.5Ω and 8Ω, preferably between 1Ω and 5Ω, and more preferably between 1.5Ω and 3Ω.

[0047] In some examples, the switching device comprises a single transistor. In some examples, the transistor may be a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), and a feedback loop may be connected between the collector or emitter and the base of the BJT. In other examples, the transistor may be a field-effect transistor (FET), and a feedback loop may be connected between the drain or source and the gate of the FET.

[0048] In the example, the oscillating circuit is configured such that the ratio of dielectric heating losses in the load capacitor to switching losses in the switching unit is greater than 11:9, preferably greater than 13:7. Current dielectric heaters typically have a heating efficiency of around 50%. However, dielectric-heated aerosol generating devices incorporating the above-described features (e.g., including appropriate feedback loops and delay elements) can achieve heating efficiencies of up to 70%, comparable to induction heating systems known in the art.

[0049] The electrode arrangement includes a first electrode and a second electrode. In operation, the second electrode has the opposite polarity to the first electrode. In some instances, the first and second electrodes can be planar electrodes configured to heat an aerosol-forming matrix located between the first and second electrode plates. In some instances, the first and second electrode plates can be slightly bent or rounded at their edges to create a smoother electric field distribution around the boundaries of the electrode plates. In some instances, the electrode plates can be curved. The curved electrode plates can have a radius of 15 mm or greater.

[0050] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit and an electrode arrangement coupled to the oscillating circuit. The electrode arrangement forms a load capacitor for heating the aerosol forming matrix. The electrode arrangement includes a first electrode that intersects with a second electrode.

[0051] The term interdigitated electrode refers to an electrode arrangement comprising a first electrode having a first polarity and a second electrode having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein at least a portion of the first electrode separates the two portions of the second electrode. Using interdigitated electrodes allows for more uniform electric field generation, which can be used to avoid hot spots in the aerosol-forming matrix. The electrode arrangement can take any form, provided that an electric field can be generated across the aerosol-forming matrix in the vicinity of the electrode arrangement.

[0052] In some examples, the electrode arrangement can form a plate for heating an aerosol-forming matrix located on the surface of the electrode arrangement. In some examples, the plate includes a first electrode and a second electrode that at least partially intersects with the first electrode. In some examples, the first electrode may include a first plurality of electrode portions, and the second electrode may include a second plurality of electrode portions, wherein each of the first plurality of electrode portions is separated by one of the second plurality of electrode portions.

[0053] In some instances, the electrode arrangement may include a first plate and a second plate, wherein the electrode arrangement is configured to heat an aerosol forming matrix located between the first plate and the second plate. In some instances, the first plate includes a first electrode and a second electrode that at least partially intersects with the first electrode. In some instances, the second plate may also include a first electrode and a second electrode that at least partially intersects with the first electrode. In some instances, the first electrode may include a first plurality of electrode portions, and the second electrode may include a second plurality of electrode portions, wherein each of the first plurality of electrode portions is separated by one of the second plurality of electrode portions.

[0054] In other instances, the electrode arrangement may be cylindrical and define a central cavity for heating an aerosol-forming matrix located within the cavity.

[0055] In one example, the electrode arrangement may include a first electrode and a second electrode, each comprising a cylindrical segment configured to intersect with a cylindrical segment of another electrode around a cylindrical axis. In some examples, the first electrode includes a first plurality of cylindrical segments, and the second electrode includes a second plurality of cylindrical segments, wherein each of the first plurality of cylindrical segments is positioned around a cylindrical axis and separated by one of the second plurality of cylindrical segments.

[0056] In another example, the first electrode includes a first plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode includes a second plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, wherein each of the first plurality of electrode rings is separated by one of the second plurality of electrode rings.

[0057] In some instances, the first electrode includes a plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode includes a strip or pin extending through the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings.

[0058] In some instances, the first electrode comprises a first plurality of electrode strips or pins, and the second electrode comprises a second plurality of electrode strips or pins, wherein each of the first plurality of electrode strips or pins and the second plurality of electrode strips or pins is alternately positioned in a grid to form an electrode array. Such instances can generate a highly uniform electric field through the aerosol-forming matrix and are particularly suitable for dielectrically heating the liquid aerosol-forming matrix in a reservoir. In some instances, the density of the electrode array can provide a wicking effect on the liquid aerosol-forming matrix to draw more liquid aerosol-forming matrix from the reservoir into the electrode array during aerosol generation.

[0059] In some instances, the distance between the first and second electrodes can vary across the electrode arrangement. This can further facilitate a more uniform electric field distribution across the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0060] According to an example of this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus is provided for dielectrically heating an aerosol forming matrix. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit and an electrode arrangement coupled to the oscillating circuit. The electrode arrangement forms a load capacitor for heating the aerosol forming matrix. The electrode arrangement includes a first electrode coaxially aligned with a second electrode.

[0061] Advantageously, using coaxially aligned electrodes can provide a more uniform electric field through the aerosol-forming matrix located within the electrode arrangement, and thus provide more uniform dielectric heating.

[0062] In one example, the first electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin located within the hollow center of the first electrode. In such examples, an article comprising an aerosol-forming matrix may be inserted into the electrode arrangement between the first and second electrodes. In some examples, the tubular body of the first electrode may include one or more openings. These openings allow aerosols generated by dielectric heating to escape from the electrode arrangement into a gas flow channel.

[0063] In another example, the first electrode includes a tubular body with a hollow center, and the second electrode includes a tubular body with a hollow center, wherein the second electrode is located within the hollow center of the first electrode. In this example, the tubular body of the second electrode includes one or more openings. Such examples allow the inner electrode to define a central airflow path for the generated aerosol to escape from the electrode arrangement.

[0064] In one example, the first electrode comprises a plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin extending through the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings. In such examples, the gaps between the electrode rings allow aerosols to escape from the electrode arrangement into the gas flow channel.

[0065] In some instances where either or both of the first and second electrodes comprise multiple electrode portions, the aerosol generating apparatus can be configured to provide partial or segmented heating of the aerosol-forming matrix by selectively energizing one or more of the multiple electrode portions. This allows the aerosol generating apparatus to switch between different electric field distribution modes between the first and second electrodes to adjust the heating distribution profile across the aerosol-forming matrix. This segmented heating method can be used to compensate for the electrode arrangement (and other components of the aerosol generating apparatus) and the geometry and heat transfer properties of the aerosol-forming matrix to avoid localized overheating or underheating within the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0066] In some instances, the electrode arrangement described above can be coupled to a forced oscillation circuit, wherein the power maintaining the oscillating motion is regulated externally.

[0067] In the example, the oscillating circuit also includes one of a variable capacitor, a variable inductor, a voltage regulator, or a transistor voltage biasing element.

[0068] In one example, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature indicating the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix within or near the load capacitor. In another example, the temperature sensor may be a contact sensor configured to directly measure the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix or a component in or near the aerosol-forming matrix. In yet another example, the temperature sensor may be a non-contact sensor configured to capture thermal radiation from the aerosol-forming matrix or a component in or near the aerosol-forming matrix. In this example, the non-contact temperature sensor is configured to capture thermal radiation from components that amplify or homogenize thermal radiation and have higher thermal conductivity than the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0069] In one example, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes an electric field sensor configured to measure the strength of the electric field near the aerosol forming matrix.

[0070] In an example where the oscillation circuit includes a first inductor and a second inductor with shared mutual inductance coupling, the aerosol generating device may also include a magnetic field sensor configured to measure the strength of the magnetic field near the first inductor and the second inductor.

[0071] In some instances, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a frequency sensing device configured to measure the frequency of an alternating electric field detected across the electrode assembly. In some examples, the frequency sensing device includes a resonant cavity (or resonator) located within or near the electrode arrangement.

[0072] In one example, the aerosol generating apparatus can be configured to control the power delivered to the aerosol forming matrix based on a measured frequency of the alternating electric field detected across the electrode assembly. In another example, the aerosol generating apparatus can be configured to control the power delivered to the aerosol forming matrix based on a detected temperature of the aerosol forming matrix. For example, after a preheating stage, the temperature generated by the oscillating circuit via dielectric heating within or on the matrix located in the heating zone of the load capacitor can be in the range of 80°C to 365°C, more preferably 80°C to 320°C, and even more preferably 100°C to 240°C, and even more preferably 180°C to 220°C. Preferably, the temperature of the matrix is ​​maintained below the temperature at which pyrolysis may occur in the material composition of the aerosol forming matrix. Preferably, the temperature causes one or more active ingredients of the matrix to evaporate simultaneously or sequentially and subsequently aerosolize during the heating process, for example, a heating process lasting for a single aspiration or inhalation (e.g., a heating process in the range of 0.5 seconds to 10 seconds), or a heating process lasting for multiple aspirations or inhalations (e.g., a heating process lasting for more than 10 seconds and less than 10 minutes, or preferably more than 30 seconds and less than 6 minutes). In some instances, the controller or oscillating circuit of the aerosol generating device can be configured such that it controls or sets the temperature to a range between 80°C and 365°C, more preferably between 80°C and 320°C, or even more preferably between 180°C and 220°C, via open-loop or closed-loop control.

[0073] In some instances, the configuration and size of the oscillating circuit are selected to passively limit the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix to between 80°C and 365°C, more preferably between 80°C and 320°C, or even more preferably between 180°C and 220°C, without the use of active temperature control.

[0074] This disclosure also provides an aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol generation apparatus according to any of the above embodiments and an article comprising an aerosol forming matrix. The article is arranged relative to an electrode arrangement to achieve dielectric heating of the aerosol forming matrix.

[0075] According to a seventh aspect, this disclosure provides a dielectric heating circuit for an aerosol generation apparatus. The circuit includes a low-dielectric-constant carrier material comprising a first electrode configured to form part of a load capacitor, a second electrode configured to form another part of the load capacitor, and a first inductor electrically coupled to the first electrode. The low-dielectric-constant carrier material is configured to receive an aerosol-forming matrix between or near the first and second electrodes for dielectric heating. Dielectric constant can also be referred to as the relative permittivity of a material. As used herein, the term low dielectric constant or low relative permittivity refers to a property of a material measured at room temperature, preferably at extremely low frequencies (VLF) below 1 kHz (e.g., as defined in International Standard IEC 62631-2-1:2018).

[0076] In alternative examples, the carrier material may not be a low-dielectric material, but may include a flexible PCB configured to surround a heating chamber formed of a rigid, low-dielectric, high-temperature resistant, non-conductive material. This utilizes a cost-effective PCB as the carrier material, which can surround the element forming the heating chamber to thereby isolate the PCB from the heating chamber. The PCB can be attached to the heating chamber using an adhesive (e.g., transparent tape) around the PCB. To reduce the amount of PCB substrate material that can be dielectrically heated, the section between the first and second electrodes can be cut to form an opening. In some examples, both the carrier material and the heating chamber can be formed of a low-dielectric material.

[0077] Providing dielectric heating circuit components on low-dielectric-carrier materials can facilitate the simple and large-scale manufacturing of dielectric heating circuits for dielectric-heated aerosol generation devices.

[0078] In one example, a low dielectric constant carrier material is formed or configured to form a cavity for receiving an aerosol-forming matrix between a first electrode and a second electrode for dielectric heating.

[0079] In one example, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes a flexible portion configured to be bent or rolled up, such that a cavity is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. In another example, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes a flexible printed circuit board (“flexible PCB”) or a combination of rigid and flexible PCBs. The low-dielectric-constant carrier material may include one or more conductive layers forming at least one of the first or second electrodes. The low-dielectric-constant carrier material may include one or more conductive layers forming a first inductor. The one or more conductive layers may be made of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or another conductive material. The one or more conductive layers may have a thickness ranging from 5 mm to 100 mm, more preferably from 12 mm to 70 mm, more preferably from 18 mm to 35 mm, and more preferably about 35 mm. For the conductor layers forming the first inductor and the electrical interconnects, the track or trace width is preferably ranging from 0.5 mm to 8 mm, more preferably from 1.5 mm to 6 mm.

[0080] In examples, the low dielectric constant carrier material may include one or more of polyimide, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), FR4, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or liquid crystal polymer (LCP). The low dielectric constant carrier material may have a thickness between 5 mm and 150 mm, and preferably in the range of about 25 mm, 35 mm, or 50 mm, and the outer cover layer is, for example, 30 mm.

[0081] In one example, the flexible portion of the heating circuit can be bent or folded such that the first and second electrodes are positioned opposite each other in a parallel or parallel-tilted planar manner to form a planar heating zone between them. In another embodiment, the section of the heating circuit where the first and second electrodes are located can be rolled up to form a cylindrical heating zone inside the rolled-up cylindrical heater circuit, thereby arranging the first and second electrodes as cylindrical segments or flat strip elements surrounding the cylindrical heating zone. The cylindrical diameter of the rolled-up heating circuit can be in the range of 6 mm to 14 mm to accommodate aerosol-formed articles therein. The width of the planar extension of the rolled-up heating circuit can be in the range of 18.85 mm to 44 mm plus about 5 mm to 10 mm, for example, to provide overlapping strips that can be used to attach tubular ends to the cylindrical heater.

[0082] In the example, the first and second electrodes may have lengths such that they completely or partially cover the length of the low dielectric constant carrier material, for example, along the insertion direction, in the range of 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0083] In the example, the first electrode and the second electrode each comprise cylindrical segments configured to be opposite each other around a cylindrical axis when the flexible low dielectric constant substrate is bent or rolled up.

[0084] In one example, the first electrode includes a hollow center with an inner diameter, and the second electrode has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first electrode, such that the second electrode can fit within the hollow center of the first electrode when the flexible low-dielectric substrate is bent or rolled up.

[0085] In the example, the first and second electrodes are configured to cross each other when the flexible, low-dielectric-constant substrate is bent or rolled up.

[0086] In one example, the low dielectric constant carrier material may include a single dielectric layer and a single conductive layer. In another example, the low dielectric constant carrier material may include multiple dielectric or conductive layers. Multilayer examples may include double-sided flexible PCBs, or four (4)-layer flexible PCBs, or adhesive-free polyimide double-sided copper-clad laminates.

[0087] In some instances, the flexible low-dielectric-constant substrate includes an insulating layer located between the heating zone and a conductive layer forming one or more of the first and second electrodes. The insulating layer provides electrical insulation to the first or second electrode to prevent electric shock and dielectric breakdown, and also protects the heating zone from contact between the aerosol-forming article and the first and second electrodes. The insulating layer may have a low dielectric constant to avoid dielectric heating losses within the insulating layer. Preferably, the insulating layer is designed to be thick enough to provide sufficient electric field strength and voltage breakdown, thin enough to avoid excessive parasitic heating of the material, and has a low dielectric constant at the intended operating frequency of the dielectric-heated aerosol generating apparatus. Preferably, the dielectric constant of the insulating layer is below 3.2 at the operating frequency of the dielectric-heated aerosol generating apparatus, more preferably below 3. In examples, the insulating layer may have a thickness ranging from 25 mm to 70 mm.

[0088] In this example, the total thickness of the heating circuit is less than 500 mm, more preferably less than 400 mm.

[0089] In some instances, regions of the low-dielectric-constant carrier material (one or more inductors) can be reinforced (e.g., with additional reinforcing layers) to form a rigid or semi-rigid PCB structure. In some instances, sections of the low-dielectric-constant carrier material including the first and second electrodes can be formed to be more flexible than sections including the first inductor.

[0090] In another example, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes a quartz body. The quartz body may include a hollowed-out portion defining a cavity for receiving an aerosol-forming matrix between a first electrode and a second electrode for dielectric heating. In this example, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes an optical measuring device for measuring aerosol diffusion to achieve suction detection. Advantageously, the quartz carrier material may provide a transparent protective layer for the optical measuring device. The optical measuring device may include an optical emitter or light source and an optical receiver or photosensitive device. In this example, the walls of the quartz carrier material may include optical channels having a different refractive index than quartz to act as waveguides or light guides. In this example, the waveguide may be embedded in the quartz carrier material, for example, as a channel, conduit, or aperture, and may be filled with a transparent material having a different refractive index than quartz. The light guide can be used to guide light toward and away from the cavity for illumination or measurement purposes.

[0091] In examples, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material may include materials having a low dielectric constant (low relative permittivity), high-temperature resistance (approximately 400°C), non-conductive properties, and preferably food-grade microwave safety, such as plastics, ceramics, or glass. A portion of the low-dielectric-constant carrier material, including a first electrode and a second electrode, may be structurally shaped to form a space or cavity that can be used as a heating chamber. Dielectric heating elements (e.g., electrode pairs forming a load capacitor) and / or inductors may be placed on the surface of the low-dielectric-constant carrier material or embedded within it. In other examples, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material may be a relatively soft, flexible material to thereby allow the heating chamber to be formed in a flexible, foldable, or rollable manner. The relatively soft, flexible material is, for example, a thin layer (e.g., less than 200 μm) of a low-dielectric (e.g., low relative permittivity) high-temperature resistant polymer such as polyimide (e.g., Kapton), PEI (polyetherimide), or more preferably PEEK (polyetheretherketone). This enables low dielectric constant carrier materials to be formed into heater modules / elements or at least a portion thereof using printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing technology.

[0092] In some instances, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes low-dielectric microwave ceramic, which can form a heating chamber and can also be used as a substrate for the first and second electrodes as well as an inductor. In some instances, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material includes one or more temperature sensors for measuring thermal radiation. In some instances, the one or more temperature sensors may include one or more temperature sensing tracks made of a material with temperature-dependent resistance, configured to measure the temperature inside or adjacent to a load capacitor formed by the first and second electrodes. In this regard, resistance temperature detector (RTD) technology can be used and integrated into the low-dielectric-constant carrier material. The conductor tracks can be formed based on known printing techniques (e.g., flexible PCB manufacturing techniques). In some instances, the one or more temperature sensing tracks are formed of PT100 or PT1000 sensing material. In some instances, a first portion of the temperature sensing track may be made of a first material, and a second portion of the temperature sensing track may be formed of a second material having a lower temperature-dependent resistivity—e.g., a lower temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR)—compared to the first material. For example, the second material may include one of copper or aluminum. The second material may have a larger cross-section compared to the first material. The first material can be made of a high TCR material such as steel or other alloys. In some instances, the first portion of the temperature sensing track can be the temperature sensing portion of the temperature sensing track. In some instances, the temperature sensing track can be disposed on the surface of a low dielectric constant carrier material near the load capacitor. In other instances, the temperature sensing track can be embedded in the low dielectric constant carrier material near the load capacitor. In some instances, the temperature sensing track can be disposed on the low dielectric constant carrier material below the first electrode or the second electrode, or both. In examples, the low dielectric constant carrier material includes one or more time-of-flight sensors for the presence of the measuring rod.

[0093] The aforementioned low-dielectric-constant carrier material may further include a second inductor electrically interconnected to the second electrode. The second inductor may be configured to form mutual inductive coupling with the first inductor. In some instances, the second inductor may be disposed on the side of the low-dielectric-constant carrier material opposite to the first inductor. In some instances, the low-dielectric-constant carrier material may include a magnetic core extending through the low-dielectric-constant carrier material through the first and second inductors to facilitate stronger mutual inductive coupling. The first and second inductors may include any of the features described above regarding inductors.

[0094] The aforementioned low dielectric constant carrier material may also include any other components of the aforementioned oscillation circuit, including but not limited to feedback loops, switching units, delay elements, and / or other components of the bias unit.

[0095] The low dielectric constant carrier material may include additional functional or structural layers, such as a metallic layer that can act as both a thermal and reflective layer and an electromagnetic shielding layer. Preferably, the thermal and reflective layer covers the entire surface extension of the first and second electrodes. In another variation, an additional sensing layer may be provided to integrate a temperature sensor for measuring signals, interconnect tracks, and sensor power supply lines.

[0096] It should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, the features of the above-described embodiments of this disclosure are complementary to each other, and thus the features of different embodiments can be readily implemented in the oscillation circuits of other embodiments. Other optional embodiments of this disclosure are described below.

[0097] Example Ex1. An aerosol generating apparatus for dielectrically heating an aerosol forming matrix, the apparatus comprising an oscillating circuit.

[0098] Ex2. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex1, wherein the oscillation circuit includes: Switching unit; and A feedback loop connected to the switching unit includes two electrical contacts configured to interconnect with an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0099] Ex5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex2, wherein the switching unit is configured for inverting operation, wherein the feedback loop is configured to perform resonant oscillation operation, and is configured to provide a 180° phase shift between the output signal of the switching unit and the input switching signal of the switching unit.

[0100] Ex6. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex5, wherein the feedback loop includes a capacitor element that provides a 90-degree phase shift to a signal from the feedback loop.

[0101] Ex7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex6, wherein the capacitor element includes a capacitor connected to ground.

[0102] Ex8. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex7, wherein the feedback loop having the two electrical contacts is configured to operate as an inductive load at the operating frequency of the oscillation circuit.

[0103] Ex9. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex8, wherein the feedback loop includes a resonant circuit, the resonant circuit including the two electrical contacts, the resonant circuit providing a 90-degree phase shift circuit at the operating frequency of the oscillation circuit.

[0104] Ex10. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex9, wherein the resonant circuit includes a parallel resonant circuit, a series resonant circuit, or a combination thereof.

[0105] Ex11. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex9, wherein the feedback loop includes a parallel resonant circuit having the two electrical contacts connected in parallel with an inductor, the parallel resonant circuit being electrically stimulated by the output signal of the switching unit.

[0106] Ex12. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex11, wherein the output signal of the switching unit is a switching voltage across the transistor.

[0107] Ex13. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex12, wherein the feedback loop is suspended between the power supply and ground.

[0108] Ex14. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex13, wherein the switching device comprises a single transistor.

[0109] Ex15. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex14, wherein the transistor is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), and the feedback loop is connected between the collector or emitter and the base of the BJT.

[0110] Ex16. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex14, wherein the transistor is a field-effect transistor (FET), and the feedback loop is connected between the drain or source and the gate of the FET.

[0111] Ex17. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex15 or 16 further includes a capacitor connected between the base or gate of the transistor and electrical ground.

[0112] Ex18. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex17, further comprising an RF choke inductor between the output terminal of the switching unit and the power supply voltage of the oscillation circuit.

[0113] Ex19. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding Ex, wherein the oscillating circuit is self-oscillating.

[0114] Ex20. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex19, wherein the feedback loop does not include a transformer.

[0115] Ex21. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding Ex, wherein the oscillation circuit is configured such that the ratio of dielectric heating loss in the load capacitor to switching loss in the switching unit is greater than 11:9, preferably greater than 13:7.

[0116] Ex22. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding Ex, wherein the oscillation circuit is configured to operate at a frequency between 100 MHz and 2.5 GHz.

[0117] Ex23. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex22, further comprising a capacitor connected between the output terminal of the switching unit and ground, the capacitor having a capacitance value greater than the intrinsic capacitance of the switching unit.

[0118] Ex24. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex23, wherein the oscillating circuit is configured such that, during operation, the peak AC voltage across the two electrical contacts is greater than the power supply voltage of the oscillating circuit.

[0119] Ex25. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex24, wherein the oscillating circuit is configured such that, during operation, the peak AC voltage across the two electrical contacts is greater than five times the power supply voltage of the oscillating circuit.

[0120] Ex26. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex25, wherein the oscillation circuit further includes a delay element configured to impede the switching speed of the switching unit.

[0121] Ex27. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex26, wherein the two electrical contacts form a resonant circuit, wherein the delay element is configured such that the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit is lower than the parallel resonant frequency fPAR of the resonant circuit and higher than the series resonant frequency fSER of the resonant circuit.

[0122] Ex28. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex27, wherein the time delay caused by the delay element is between 5% and 35% of the period of the parallel resonant frequency fPAR of the resonant circuit.

[0123] Ex29. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim Ex27, wherein the time delay caused by the delay element is between 35% and 90% of the difference between the period of the parallel resonant frequency fPAR and the period of the series resonant frequency fSER, preferably between 50% and 85% of the difference between the period of the parallel resonant frequency fPAR and the period of the series resonant frequency fSER of the resonant circuit.

[0124] Ex30. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex26 to Ex29, wherein the delay element is configured to apply a time delay between 50 and 500 picoseconds, preferably between 150 and 350 picoseconds, and more preferably between 200 and 300 picoseconds.

[0125] Ex31. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex26 to Ex30, wherein the delay element includes a low-pass filter.

[0126] Ex32. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex26 to Ex30, wherein the delay element comprises a tortuous conductive element.

[0127] Ex33. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex32, wherein the tortuous conductive element comprises tortuous branches between two and twelve, preferably between three and ten, and more preferably three tortuous branches.

[0128] Ex34. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex32 or Ex33, wherein the tortuous conductive element comprises one of an Ω-shaped coil, a single planar coil, a flat inductor, a wavy line, a zigzag line, or a sawtooth line.

[0129] Ex35. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex34, wherein the feedback loop includes a first inductor connected in series with one of the two electrical contacts.

[0130] Ex36. The aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex35, wherein the first inductor comprises no more than five turns.

[0131] Ex37. According to any of the Ex36 aerosol generating apparatuses, wherein the first inductor comprises no more than three turns.

[0132] Ex38. According to any of the aerosol generating apparatuses of Ex37, wherein the first inductor comprises no more than one turn.

[0133] Ex39. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex35 to Ex38, wherein the feedback loop further includes a second inductor, wherein the two electrical contacts are connected in series between the first inductor and the second inductor.

[0134] Ex40. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex39, wherein the second inductor comprises the same number of turns as the first inductor.

[0135] Ex41. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex39 to Ex40, wherein the coil axis of the first inductor is arranged to be parallel to and offset relative to the coil axis of the second inductor.

[0136] Ex42. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex39 to Ex41, wherein the first inductor and the second inductor are formed as planar inductors.

[0137] Ex43. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex39 to Ex41, wherein the coil axis of the first inductor is arranged to be coaxially aligned with the coil axis of the second inductor.

[0138] Ex44. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex39 to Ex43, wherein the feedback loop is configured such that mutual inductive coupling is formed between the first inductor and the second inductor.

[0139] Ex45. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex44, wherein the mutual inductive coupling is between 40% and 70%, and optionally between 50% and 60%.

[0140] Ex46. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex44 to Ex45, wherein the mutual inductive coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor is achieved without a magnetic core.

[0141] Ex47. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex44 to Ex45, further comprising a magnetic core extending through the first inductor and the second inductor to provide the mutual inductive coupling.

[0142] Ex48. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex47, wherein the feedback loop has substantially the same impedance as the switching unit.

[0143] Ex49. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex48, further comprising the electrode arrangement fixedly interconnected to the two electrical contacts and forming the load capacitor, the load capacitor including or configured to removably receive the aerosol generating matrix.

[0144] Ex50. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex2 to Ex48, further comprising the electrode arrangement removably interconnected to the two electrical contacts to form the load capacitor, the load capacitor including or configured to removably receive the aerosol generating matrix.

[0145] Ex51. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex49 or Ex50, wherein the electrode arrangement includes a first electrode coaxially aligned with a second electrode.

[0146] Ex52. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex51, wherein the first electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin located within the hollow center of the first electrode.

[0147] Ex53. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex52, wherein the tubular body of the first electrode includes one or more openings.

[0148] Ex54. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex51 to Ex53, wherein the first electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, and the second electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, wherein the second electrode is located within the hollow center of the first electrode.

[0149] Ex55. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex54, wherein the tubular body of the second electrode includes one or more openings.

[0150] Ex56. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex51 to Ex53, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin extending through the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings.

[0151] Ex57. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex56, wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize one or more of the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0152] Ex58. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex57, wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize each of the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0153] Ex59. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex49 or Ex50, wherein the electrode arrangement includes a first electrode that intersects with a second electrode.

[0154] Ex60. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex59, wherein the electrode arrangement forms a flat plate.

[0155] Ex61. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex59 to Ex60, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode each comprise a plurality of electrode portions, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises: A first plate, the first plate including a first electrode portion that intersects with the second electrode portion; and The second plate includes a first electrode portion that intersects with the second electrode portion.

[0156] Ex62. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex59 to Ex61, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode each include a cylindrical segment configured to intersect with a cylindrical segment of the other electrode around a cylindrical axis.

[0157] Ex63. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex62, wherein the first electrode comprises a first plurality of cylindrical segments, and the second electrode comprises a second plurality of cylindrical segments, wherein each of the first plurality of cylindrical segments is positioned about the cylindrical axis and is separated by one of the second plurality of cylindrical segments.

[0158] Ex64. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex63, wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize one or more of the first plurality of cylindrical segments for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0159] Ex65. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex64, wherein the apparatus is further configured to independently energize one or more of the second plurality of cylindrical segments for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0160] Ex66. An aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of Ex59 to Ex61, wherein the first electrode includes a first plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode includes a second plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, wherein each of the first plurality of electrode rings is separated by one of the second plurality of electrode rings.

[0161] Ex67. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex66, wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize one or more of the first plurality of electrode rings for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0162] Ex68. An aerosol generating apparatus according to Ex67, wherein the apparatus is further configured to independently energize one or more of the second plurality of electrode rings for providing segmented dielectric heating.

[0163] Ex69. An aerosol generation system, comprising: According to any of the aforementioned Ex aerosol generating apparatus; and A load capacitor, the load capacitor comprising an aerosol forming matrix.

[0164] Ex70. A dielectric heating circuit for an aerosol generating device, the circuit comprising: A first electrode, configured to form a first portion of a load capacitor; A second electrode, configured to form a second portion of the load capacitor; and A first inductor, which is electrically coupled to the first electrode. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the first inductor are located on a low dielectric constant carrier material, wherein the low dielectric constant carrier material is configured to removably receive an aerosol forming matrix for dielectric heating between or adjacent to the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0165] Ex71. A method for manufacturing a dielectric heater for an aerosol generating apparatus, the method comprising: A first electrode is provided on a flexible low-dielectric substrate and configured to form part of a load capacitor C1; A second electrode, configured to form another portion of the load capacitor C1, is provided on the low-dielectric substrate; Electrically couple the planar inductor L1 to the first electrode; and The low-dielectric substrate is bent or rolled up such that the first electrode and the second electrode are at least partially facing each other.

[0166] Any of the features of the above-described oscillating circuit can be set on a single low-dielectric-constant carrier material. Attached Figure Description

[0167] The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic illustration of a dielectric-heated aerosol generation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 It is according to the embodiments of this disclosure for use Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the oscillation circuit in a dielectric-heated aerosol generation system; Figure 3a -b is a schematic diagram showing an oscillating circuit with two different phase-shifting elements (one phase-shifting element is exemplarily implemented as a resonant circuit and the other phase-shifting element is exemplarily implemented as a capacitive element) to achieve a 180-degree phase shift; Figure 3c This is a schematic diagram of an oscillating circuit that uses two different phase-shifting elements to achieve a 180-degree phase shift (one phase-shifting element is exemplarily implemented as a resonant cavity with parallel resonant properties, and the other phase-shifting element is exemplarily implemented as a capacitive element). Figure 4 An oscillation circuit diagram according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 5 AF illustrates how, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a quartz analog or quartz equivalent circuit can be derived as a non-limiting example of a parallel resonant circuit; Figure 6 The frequency analyzer curves of the parallel resonant circuit are shown, illustrating the effect of the switching frequency on the phase shift and impedance of the parallel resonant circuit. Figure 7A -C is used according to embodiments of this disclosure for Figures 2 to 4 An equidistant diagram of shared mutual inductance coupled inductor pairs in an oscillating circuit; Figure 8 AD is a method for use according to embodiments of this disclosure. Figures 2 to 4 A schematic diagram showing the equidistant arrangement of flat interdigitated electrodes in an oscillating circuit; Figure 9 The illustration shows an embodiment of the present disclosure of a device configured to dielectrically heat an aerosol forming matrix 110 for use in the present disclosure. Figures 2 to 4 A schematic diagram showing the equidistant arrangement of tubular interdigitated electrodes in an oscillating circuit; Figure 10 A schematic illustration of an interdigitated electrode arrangement with varying electrode spacing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 11 AD shows a device configured to dielectrically heat an aerosol-forming matrix 110 for use in... Figures 2 to 4 A schematic diagram showing the equidistant arrangement of tubular interdigitated electrodes in an oscillating circuit; Figure 12 AD is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement with variable polarity control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 13a -c is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement for dielectrically heating a liquid aerosol forming matrix according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode arrangement being configured to serve as both a heater and a wicking element. Figure 14 AC is used according to embodiments of this disclosure for Figures 2 to 4 An equidistant diagram showing the arrangement of coaxial electrodes in an oscillating circuit. Figure 15 This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and an inductor formed on a low-dielectric flexible substrate according to embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 16A This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and two inductively coupled inductors formed on a low-dielectric flexible substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 16B According to embodiments of this disclosure Figure 16AA schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement, which includes a temperature sensing system for measuring the temperature at different locations within the electrode arrangement. Figure 16C This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement provided on a flexible carrier material for mounting around a low-dielectric chamber including a matrix for dielectric heating, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 17 This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and two inductively coupled inductors formed on a quartz glass substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 18 This is a schematic illustration of a temperature sensing system for detecting the temperature of an aerosol-forming matrix positioned together with an electrode arrangement, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 19 This is a schematic illustration of an alternative temperature sensing system for detecting the temperature of an aerosol-forming matrix positioned together with an electrode arrangement, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 20 It is a schematic diagram of a control system that utilizes a temperature sensing system to control the power delivered to the aerosol forming matrix based on the detected temperature of the aerosol forming matrix. Figure 21 It is according to the embodiments of this disclosure for use Figure 1 Alternative schematic diagram of the oscillating circuit in the aerosol generation system; Figure 22 This is a schematic illustration of a control system utilizing a frequency sensing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control system being used to control the power delivered to the aerosol forming matrix based on the frequency of an alternating electric field detected across the electrode assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0168] Figure 1 This is a schematic illustration of a dielectric-heated aerosol generation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. System 100 includes: an article 105 comprising an aerosol forming matrix 110, and an aerosol generation apparatus 120 for heating the aerosol forming matrix 110. The aerosol generation apparatus 120 includes a first electrode 130 and a second electrode 135 separated by a cavity 140 for receiving the article 105. The cavity 140 and the article 105 are sized such that when received in the cavity 140, the aerosol forming matrix 110 contacts or is adjacent to both the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135. Furthermore, the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 form part of a feedback loop of an oscillating circuit 150 via a first electrical contact 160 and a second electrical contact 165.

[0169] In other examples, the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 may form part of an article 105 including an aerosol-forming matrix 110. In such an embodiment, the cavity size between the first electrical contact 160 and the second electrical contact 165 is set such that when the aerosol-forming article 105 is accommodated within the cavity 140, an electrical connection is formed between the first electrode 130 and the first electrical contact 160, and between the second electrode 135 and the second electrical contact 165.

[0170] In some embodiments, the width of the article 105 including the aerosol-forming matrix 110 is slightly larger than the distance between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135, such that the distal end of the aerosol-forming matrix 110 is slightly compressed between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135. In some embodiments, the article 105 in its initial uncompressed form has a width 5-30% larger than the distance between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135. This can reduce or prevent air accumulation between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 when the aerosol-forming article 105 is received in the cavity 140, and reduce the distance between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 for dielectric heating, thereby improving the load capacitor C. L The accuracy of any measurement or determination of the dielectric properties of the aerosol forming matrix 110 performed by the aerosol generating apparatus 120.

[0171] The aerosol forming matrix 110 may comprise tobacco-based or non-tobacco-based materials (containing aerosol forming materials and one or more active agents or ingredients such as nicotine, pharmaceuticals, plant-derived materials, flavorings), a liquid matrix having one or more active agents or ingredients, or a combination thereof. The aerosol forming matrix 110 may also be a liquid aerosol forming matrix, and thus the aerosol forming article 105 may be in the form of a tube, capsule, or liquid container, and the electrodes 130, 135 may be configured as wicking elements or capillary elements for liquid transfer. For example, it is possible for the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 to form a capillary structure that is part of or extends into the internal volume of the aerosol forming article 105, which can heat and evaporate the liquid aerosol forming matrix 110 located within the internal volume. For example, the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 can be embodied as parallel plates arranged apart to form capillary channels by a distance, for example, between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, depending on the desired capillary strength or rise. The first and second electrodes can be arranged as two matrices or arrays of needle-like, strip-like, or tabular electrodes of opposite polarity, inserted between each other to form a capillary structure therebetween, for example, having an average distance between adjacent needle-like electrodes, said average distance being between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, depending on the desired capillary strength or rise. In another variation, the wicking element can be a separate element inserted between the two electrodes 130, 135 (e.g., flat or slightly curved electrodes 130, 135).

[0172] The aerosol generating device 120 also includes a power supply 170 and a controller 180 electrically coupled to the oscillation circuit 150. In this embodiment, the power supply 170 may be, for example, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery having one or more lithium-ion battery cells, and the aerosol generating device 120 includes a power connector that enables the aerosol generating device 120 to be connected to an AC power source for recharging the power supply. Providing the aerosol generating device 120 with a power supply such as a battery allows the aerosol generating device 120 to be portable and used outdoors or in locations where AC power is unavailable.

[0173] In use, when the user activates the aerosol generating device 120, power is supplied from the power supply device 170 to the oscillating circuit 150. In this embodiment, the aerosol generating device 120 is activated by the user pressing an activation button (not shown) that can be disposed on the outer surface of the aerosol generating device 120. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the aerosol generating device 120 may be activated in another manner, such as when a puff sensor disposed on the mouthpiece detects that the user is inhaling on the mouthpiece (not shown) or when the user is holding the aerosol generating device 120. When power is supplied to the oscillating circuit 150, the oscillating circuit 150 generates an alternating electric field across the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 to dielectrically heat the aerosol forming matrix 110 in the cavity 140, thereby releasing volatile compounds.

[0174] The aerosol generation system 100 is also configured to measure the dielectric properties of the aerosol-forming article 105 or the aerosol-forming matrix 110 using electrodes 130, 135 for dielectric heating of the aerosol-forming matrix 110. In some instances, the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 may be used to perform dielectric measurements during or separately from the heating process. In this embodiment, the aerosol generation system 100 may be configured to determine the presence of the aerosol-forming article 105 between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135. The aerosol generation system may be configured to measure dielectric properties, such as instantaneous values, time evolution, or changes in dielectric properties, for example, to determine whether the aerosol-forming article 105 meets a specific criterion or is a reliable matrix. In this example, the aerosol generation system is also configured to control the heating of the aerosol-forming matrix 110 based on the measured dielectric properties of the aerosol-forming article 105.

[0175] Figure 2 It is according to the embodiments of this disclosure for use Figure 1 A schematic illustration of an oscillation circuit 250 in an aerosol generation system 100. The oscillation circuit 250 includes a switching unit 260 interconnected with a resonator feedback loop 270 for providing a self-oscillating signal to the switching unit 260. The switching unit 260 includes a single transistor, such as a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) or a field-effect transistor (FET).

[0176] The oscillation circuit 250 may further include a choke coil 280 that acts on the input of the feedback loop 270 to provide a stimulation signal, such as a stimulation voltage. The oscillation circuit also includes a bias unit 290 that acts on the feedback loop 270 to provide a variable or controllable bias signal (such as a bias voltage) for setting operating conditions. In the illustrated variant, the feedback signal can be described as a voltage. The output voltage U of the switching unit 260... OUTCoupled to feedback loop 270, thereby presenting voltage U IN A feedback switching signal in the form of a feedback loop 270 is provided to the switching unit 260. The configuration of the feedback loop 270 causes the output signal (e.g., the voltage U of the switching unit 260) to be... OUT It can undergo a phase transition, and at the input U of the switching unit 260 IN The phase is reversed at the point of contact for resonant oscillation. In other configurations, the current can be used as a feedback signal, where the switching unit 260 includes a BJT.

[0177] Feedback loop 270 is configured to self-oscillate and will oscillate at or near a given resonant frequency determined by the values ​​of the passive components of feedback loop 270. Feedback loop 270 is configured to provide output U from switching unit 260. OUT Enter U IN A 180° phase shift is used for oscillation, and in addition, transistor T is configured for inverting operation.

[0178] like Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown, the feedback loop 270 includes a resonant circuit 272, which includes a load capacitor C. L The feedback loop 270 also includes a capacitor 274 that provides a second 90-degree phase shift or quarter-wavelength offset to the feedback signal, such that the feedback signal arriving at the input of the switching unit 260 is inverted and phase-shifted by 180 degrees. The switching unit 260 itself is configured for inverting switching operation to provide a second 90-degree phase shift or quarter-wavelength offset to the input U of the switching unit 260. IN With output U OUT It provides a 180-degree phase shift between them.

[0179] The resonant circuit 272 includes a first electrode 130 and a second electrode 135, which together form a load capacitor C. L When the aerosol forming matrix 110 is located between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135, it forms a load capacitor C. L Part of it. Importantly, the load capacitor C... L It is formed in the feedback loop 270 and not at a separate output or portion of the separate circuit system connected to the switching unit 260. This allows for the crossing of the load capacitor C. L The electrodes generate a high-frequency oscillating voltage (which is necessary for sufficient and efficient dielectric heating of the aerosol forming matrix 110) without having an additional output or circuitry leading to the already resonant feedback loop 270 (which would introduce unnecessary losses and circuit complexity). The resonant circuit 272 may include a series resonator circuit or a parallel resonator circuit, examples of which are described in more detail below.

[0180] In an alternative embodiment, the resonant circuit 272 may include a resonant cavity 272, such as Figure 3c As shown in the diagram. The resonant circuit 272 including the resonant cavity may have an internal volume configured to receive the aerosol forming matrix 110, for example, having an opening for insertion into the aerosol forming matrix 110. In an example, the resonant circuit 272 including the resonant cavity may be configured as follows: / 4 resonator. The resonant circuit 272, including the resonant cavity, can be configured to behave like an RLC circuit. The inductor L and capacitor C are arranged in parallel with each other to have a frequency that can be excited by the switching unit 260 to achieve parallel resonance or near-parallel resonance. The resonant circuit 272, including the cavity, can be coupled to the feedback loop 270 using one or more of capacitive coupling, inductive antenna coupling (magnetic coupling), direct electrical coupling, or window coupling (e.g., coupling with a loop).

[0181] The resonant circuit 272, including the resonant cavity, can have any shape, but is preferably cylindrical or cuboid. In one embodiment, the resonant cavity can be configured as an open-loop resonator.

[0182] Figure 4 An oscillating circuit 350 according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The oscillating circuit 350 includes circuits having an intrinsic capacitance C. i A switching unit 260 in the form of a transistor T is provided. Furthermore, the transistor T is configured for inverting operation, for example, as an inverting common-source FET, MOSFET, or common-emitter BJT. The source terminal of the transistor T can be coupled to a DC power supply via a choke coil 280. A feedback loop 270 extends between the gate terminal and the source terminal of the transistor T. The feedback loop 270 includes a resonant circuit 272, which includes a load capacitor C. L The load capacitor has a first electrode 130 and a second electrode 135 separated by an aerosol forming matrix 110. In the illustrated variant, the resonator circuit 272 also extends via a delay line D. L and connected in series to delay line D L Capacitor C2 is connected to ground. Circuit 350 also includes a delay line D. L Bias unit 290 coupled to the gate terminal of transistor T. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the bias unit 290 is electrically connected between the delay line DL and the capacitor C2, which slightly isolates the bias unit 290 from the high oscillation frequency of the feedback loop 270.

[0183] Delay line D LThis is a time-delay element, such as an element with inductive behavior, used to slow down the arriving voltage wave from feedback loop 270 during the oscillation period. This allows resonant circuit 272 to be tuned to the desired switching and oscillation frequency to shift the oscillation frequency away from the natural resonant frequency given by resonant circuit 272. This ensures that oscillation circuit 350 remains within a predefined frequency operating range to provide the necessary anti-phase or 90° phase-shifted feedback, and also ensures that the feedback loop has low impedance to provide high gain, as described in more detail below.

[0184] The oscillation circuit 350 is shown as having an arrangement on the load capacitor C L Electrical contacts 160 and 165 are located on both sides of the electrode. In some embodiments, the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 may be removable from the oscillation circuit 350 or may form part of the aerosol forming article 110. In such an embodiment, the electrical contacts 160 and 165 provide an electrical connection between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 and the feedback loop 270. The load capacitor C... L In embodiments where the aerosol forming matrix 110 is fixed within the feedback loop 270, for example, such that it can be inserted into and removed from the cavity formed between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135, the electrical contacts 160, 165 provide electrical connections from the first and second electrodes to the next component (e.g., inductors L1 and L2) in the feedback loop 270.

[0185] Regarding the power supply voltage, a DC power supply voltage is provided, preferably within a range suitable for battery operation using one or more standard battery cells. Preferably, the DC power supply voltage is below 14V. For example, it is possible to operate the oscillating circuit 350 on a single battery cell, such as an 18650 battery cell (Li-ion) or a similar battery cell (which provides 3.2V to 3.9V). However, more preferably, the voltage of an exemplary 3.5V to 7V battery cell used for the power supply can be boosted, for example, by a DC-DC converter (e.g., a boost circuit) or a voltage multiplier. Alternatively or additionally, two or more battery cells can be used in series, or other configurations or arrangements that allow for increased voltage from one or more battery cells can be used. It is also possible to have a controllable output voltage (e.g., a DC-DC converter, a voltage regulator) to control the heating temperature by changing the DC supply voltage, or to boost the voltage (e.g., boost to 10-12V) to obtain maximum power during the preheating phase to accelerate the preheating phase, with the goal of rapidly reaching the aerosolization temperature. Controlling the DC power supply voltage is one way to make it possible to rapidly change the heating power even though the oscillating circuit 350 is oscillating freely.

[0186] Capacitor C1 is arranged in parallel with transistor T, and therefore in parallel with the inherent capacitor of transistor T (e.g., a field-effect transistor). This contributes to less voltage-dependent oscillations and frequencies, stabilizes oscillations, and also improves overall dielectric heating efficiency. The capacitance of capacitor C1 is chosen to be greater than the maximum inherent capacitance C of transistor T under operating conditions. i This makes the effect of inherent transistor variations based on frequency, temperature, etc., on the feedback loop 270 much smaller or negligible. For example, in a non-limiting embodiment, the value can be in the range of 2pF to 100pF, more preferably in the range of 5pF to 50pF.

[0187] Capacitor element 274 includes capacitor C2 disposed at the output or end of resonant circuit 272. In one embodiment, capacitor element 274 includes more than one capacitor. As described above, capacitor element 274 has the function of providing a 90° phase shift to the feedback voltage of feedback loop 270 with minimal losses or other undesirable effects, and therefore it needs to have a high quality factor or Q factor, preferably above 1000 at 100MHz. Compared to C1, the capacitance value of C2 of capacitor element 274 should be relatively high, for example, in the range of 500pF to 100nF, more preferably in the range of 1nF to 50nF, which results in low impedance of capacitor element 274. In one embodiment, capacitor element 274 can be implemented as an RC network to provide a 90° phase shift, for example using a network of two single-resistor capacitors, having two capacitors in the feedback loop, each capacitor connected to ground via a resistor.

[0188] Resonant circuit 272, together with capacitor element 274, provides power from output U OUT Enter U IN The transistor T (e.g., FET) is configured for inverting operation, thereby providing another 180° phase shift and voltage gain. This results in a phase shift across the load capacitor C. L The resonance or near-resonance oscillation of electrodes 130 and 135 and the voltage U amplified compared to the DC power supply voltage. L When near resonant operation, the resonant circuit 272 behaves inductively, exhibiting a high Q factor. Furthermore, the feedback loop 270 is impedance-matched to transistor T to provide high gain, thereby causing a gain across the load capacitor C. L The increased voltage. Moreover, preferably, this gain is achieved without using passive components that amplify additional voltage or current (such as tapped inductors or transformers located in the circuit forming feedback loop 270), because such passive components are difficult and detrimental to operate and design at frequencies greater than 50 MHz.

[0189] The combination of capacitor C1, the feedback loop with resonant circuit 272, and capacitor element 274 can also be described as generating a bandpass filter or a Pi or π network with a 180° phase shift. In the illustrated embodiment, the resonant circuit 272 of the feedback loop 270 is not connected to ground but is suspended, with its ends at each capacitor C1 and C2. This eliminates the direct ground connection at either end of the resonant circuit 272, thereby reducing the effects of stray elements and ground for more predictable operation.

[0190] At the operating frequency, including the load capacitor C L The resonant circuit 272 acts as an inductive load providing the first 90° phase shift (also known as a quarter-wavelength phase shift), and the capacitive element 274, which includes a high-quality factor capacitor C2 connected to ground, provides the second 90° phase shift or quarter-wavelength phase shift.

[0191] The oscillator circuit 350 can be described or characterized as a Pierce oscillator circuit with a modified feedback loop 270, wherein the physical quartz element is replaced by a quartz analog or quartz electrical equivalent circuit to provide inverted feedback to the switching unit 260, which also operates in inverted mode. In some embodiments, the oscillator circuit 272 can be configured based on other resonant feedback loop oscillator circuits, such as, but not limited to, using a Colpitts or Hartley type oscillator (using an inverting transistor T).

[0192] Figure 5 A to Figure 5 F illustrates how a variation of the parallel resonator circuit PRC can be used to derive a quartz analog or quartz equivalent circuit, which can be used as an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the resonant circuit 272. The quartz analog or quartz equivalent circuit can have parallel resonance at a given frequency. This can be viewed as a circuit with two branches, one representing mechanical oscillation and the other representing electrical behavior, such as... Figure 5 A and Figure 5 As shown in B, the mechanical oscillation is caused by a load capacitor C. L and inductor L TOT The first branch is represented by [the first branch]. The electrical oscillation is formed by [a component] arranged in parallel with the first branch, having a capacitor C. E The second branch is represented. This configuration causes two capacitors C to... L and C E The series connection (visible around the loop formed by the two branches) makes C E This will reduce the total capacitance of the equivalent circuit. Furthermore, this circuit provides an inductive phase shift of approximately 90° within a defined frequency range.

[0193] Now for reference Figure 5C, One branch of the parallel resonator circuit PRC includes an inductor L connected in series with the first branch. TOT and load capacitor C L .like Figure 5 As shown in D, L can be used... TOT Decomposed into load capacitor C L Two inductors, L1 and L2, on either side are used to improve this branch, providing a decomposed inductor or decomposed coil design as well as across the load capacitor C. L voltage U L A more symmetrical application of the capacitor C improves the dielectric heating efficiency. To provide parallel resonance, due to the capacitor C... E For C L The minimum capacitance effect, the capacitor C of the second branch E Inductors (such as) can be used Figure 5 (as shown in F) Replace.

[0194] From Figure 5 In a non-limiting example of the resonant circuit of D, starting with inductors L1 and L2, inductors L1 and L2 can be magnetically coupled to form mutual inductance M, thereby forming a parallel circuit branch or a second branch of the resonant circuit 272, such as... Figure 5 As shown in E, mutual magnetic coupling can be achieved by bringing the two inductors L1 and L2 very close together, with the winding axes of the coils aligned; or by using mutual magnetic cores; or both. This has the advantages of providing a parallel resonator circuit PRC without using additional wires for the second branch, and without requiring additional windings or separate magnetic cores for the second inductor arranged in parallel. This also allows for and promotes inductive coupling and voltage U between the two inductors L1 and L2. L At load capacitor C L A balanced, symmetrical arrangement. Two branches (where the first branch L1-C) L -L2 and L with inductor L E The second branch (representing the symmetry of two mutual inductance values) in either direction contributes to the load capacitor C. L The symmetrical balance of the voltage on the electrodes thus reduces the voltage across the load capacitor C. L The loss generated at the point. This principle of decomposing the inductor can also be called decomposing the coil resonator.

[0195] The resonant circuit 272 can also be like Figure 5 The implementation shown in F, wherein the mutual inductance M (seen twice due to reciprocity) is composed of a single inductive element (e.g., inductor L). E )replace.

[0196] The values ​​of the components in this resonant circuit 272 are preferably selected within the following exemplary and non-limiting ranges. TOTIt can be in the range of 10nH to 50nH, more preferably between 15nH and 40nH, which is equivalent to L1 plus L2, L E The value can be in the range of 7nH to 30nH, more preferably between 10nH and 20nH, and the value of the load capacitor can be in the range of 0.5pF to 5pF, more preferably between 1pF and 3pF.

[0197] The resonant circuit 272 can be configured to provide another type of tank circuit with a 90° phase shift over a given frequency range. In one embodiment, the resonant circuit 272 can be implemented as a series resonant circuit having a load capacitor C connected in series with one or more inductive elements. L It is configured to provide an inductive response or a 90-degree phase shift within a given frequency range suitable for dielectric heating.

[0198] To generate the desired dielectric loss in the load capacitor CL, a high frequency is required. The dielectric loss will be related to the frequency of the voltage applied to the load capacitor CL (in this case, the oscillation frequency f of the oscillating circuit). s The switching frequency f increases slightly proportionally. However, the higher the switching frequency f... s This causes significant switching losses in transistors. When using very high switching frequencies (e.g., 1 GHz or higher), expensive circuit designs are necessary to make the circuit operational (e.g., GaAn transistors, GHz-type circuit designs, etc.).

[0199] To compensate for the lower switching frequency, the load capacitor C can be bypassed. L Provides a higher oscillation AC voltage U L (e.g., measured by RMS or peak voltage) to deliver the necessary power to the load capacitor C L When it is necessary to increase the switching frequency f s With increasing the load capacitor C L To achieve a balance between the voltages on the load capacitor C, which may include the aerosol forming matrix 110, in order to increase the heating power (and thus increase the load capacitor C). L Dielectric loss P in L At this time, increasing the voltage has a stronger effect on the heating power than increasing the frequency, because voltage and power have a quadratic relationship. Load capacitor C L The dielectric loss also depends on the distance between the two electrodes 130 and 135, which affects the electric field strength E across the aerosol-forming matrix 110. F .

[0200] For mobile, portable designs of human-operated dielectric heaters, serious concerns exist regarding voltage insulation and potential dielectric breakdown due to contamination of the matrix material S of the aerosol-forming matrix 110 and its generally heterogeneous nature. Therefore, for handheld and human-operated portable devices, there are safety considerations regarding the switching frequency f. S and electric field strength E F The operating range. The electric field strength depends on the field applied to capacitor C. L voltage U L And the maximum distance d between the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135.

[0201] Preferably, the switching frequency is limited to a certain range, first ensuring that it crosses the load capacitor C. L Sufficient power loss P L Furthermore, it avoids excessive switching losses. Limit f s The value allows for the use of simple circuit designs, such as, but not limited to, LDMOS or other standard transistors for RF circuits. Preferably, the switching frequency should be in the range of 100MHz to 1.2GHz, more preferably 150MHz to 1GHz, and even more preferably 200MHz to 900MHz. Meanwhile, considering impurities and heterogeneous matrix designs, the use of thin electrodes (e.g., but not limited to 1mm-10mm) that can be positioned close to each other, potential exposure or close proximity to the human body, and potential improper human manipulation, the maximum electric field strength between the electrodes of the load capacitor CL should be limited to a reasonable value that allows for simple electrical insulation materials and designs. Preferably, the average electric field strength across the electrodes of the load capacitor is at most 120V / mm, more preferably at most 100V / mm, and even more preferably at most 80V / mm.

[0202] Preferably, during nominal heating operation (excluding the start-up or heating phase, which may be less efficient and lasts less than 30 seconds), the heating efficiency should be at least 60% (desired power loss P). L Compared to all other losses, other losses can include switching losses of transistor T, losses caused by the bias circuit and choke, inductor-resistance losses of inductors L1 and L2, capacitive-resistance losses from capacitors C1 and C2, and resistive losses of electrodes E1 and E2 and the circuit. As an example, the total power could be 10W, while the effective power or heating loss P... LThe power should be 6W or higher, where non-heating losses or other heating losses in the matrix 110 not caused by the first electrode 130 and the second electrode 135 are 4W or less. For a handheld device, power losses exceeding 6-7W are not desirable. Preferably, the aerosol generating device is configured such that losses are less than 5W during nominal heating operation or any other operation lasting more than 30 seconds. The average dielectric heating power density provided by the aerosol generating device can be in the range of 1W / cm³ to 25W / cm³ per volume of aerosol forming matrix material over a time period of less than 15 minutes, preferably between 1.5W / cm³ and 15W / cm³.

[0203] During the initial start-up phase, the average dielectric heating power density can be controlled or set to operate within a range of 7 W / cm³ to 25 W / cm³. During the nominal (maintenance) heating phase, the average dielectric heating power density can be controlled or set to operate within a range of 1 W / cm³ to 7 W / cm³. Preferably, during the start-up phase, the average dielectric heating power density is controlled or set to operate within a range of 8 W / cm³ to 20 W / cm³. Preferably, during the nominal heating phase, the average dielectric heating power density is controlled or set to operate within a range of 1 W / cm³ to 5 W / cm³.

[0204] In order to in U IN with U OUT With appropriate anti-phase effect and a 180° phase shift in feedback loop 270, oscillator circuit 350 must remain within the frequency operating range where the behavior of feedback loop 270 is highly inductive. In examples including parallel resonator circuits (PRC), the series resonant frequency f SER (Resonant frequency) is relatively close to the parallel resonant frequency f PAR (Anti-resonance frequency). If the oscillation frequency f of the PRC S Exceeding the parallel resonant frequency f PAR If this happens, the feedback loop 270 will operate capacitively and will not provide the necessary phase reversal to the feedback loop 270. Furthermore, the equivalent impedance of the circuit will increase to an excessive level for efficient dielectric heating because the oscillation circuit 350 will be unable to provide high signal gain.

[0205] The oscillation in feedback loop 270 will naturally approach the parallel resonant (anti-resonant) frequency of resonant circuit 272. However, the delay line D... L The addition of can introduce a slight time delay that limits the oscillation frequency to below the parallel resonant frequency. Figure 6Frequency analyzer curves for an exemplary resonant circuit 272 are shown, specifically for a parallel resonant circuit PRC, illustrating the relationship between the oscillation frequencies (with series resonance at 855 MHz and parallel resonance at 1.246 GHz), the phase shift across the PRC (a relatively flat 90° inductance frequency response between the two resonant frequencies), and the effective impedance of the PRC. More specifically, from Figure 6 It can be seen that when the parallel resonant frequency f is reached... PAR Previously, the 90° phase shift began to decrease. At the parallel resonant frequency f... PAR Subsequently, the phase shift response drops below 0°, exhibiting capacitive behavior, and the impedance becomes very high, for example, 2.4kΩ. The ideal operating frequency range is closer to the series resonant frequency f. SER The phase shift remains 90°, and the impedance response is low. The impedance of the resonant circuit at the operating frequency of the oscillating circuit can be between 0.5Ω and 10Ω, preferably between 1Ω and 5Ω, and more preferably between 1.5Ω and 3Ω. The parallel resonant frequency f PAR It can be higher than 1GHz, for example, from 1GHz to 1.5GHz, while the actual switching frequency fs can be lower than 1GHz, and this lower switching frequency is caused by the delay line DL.

[0206] Ideally, the oscillation frequency f S It should be set below the parallel resonant frequency f. PAR But higher than the series resonant frequency f SER This is to ensure that two conditions are met: firstly, (i) the resonant circuit behaves inductively to provide a 90° phase shift, and secondly, (ii) the impedance of the resonant circuit (and therefore the feedback loop 270) is low, such as... Figure 6 As shown in the diagram. For example, the feedback loop at the oscillation frequency f of the oscillation circuit. S The resulting impedance can be in the range of approximately 100 mΩ to 2 Ω. Preferably, the delay line DL is configured such that the oscillation frequency f S Distance from series resonant frequency f SER The parallel resonant frequency f of the distance PAR More recently, this maintains a low resonant circuit impedance when operating within a frequency range that provides a 90° phase shift in the resonant circuit. The time delay caused by the delay line DL needs to be relatively short because the series resonance and parallel resonance of the parallel oscillator circuit PRC are close to each other relative to the total frequency range. Preferably, the delay acting on the feedback loop 270 caused by the delay line DL should be at the parallel resonant frequency f. PAR The period is within 5% to 35%, provided that the above two conditions (i) and (ii) are met. In the embodiment, the delay caused by the delay line DL on the feedback loop 270 is at the parallel resonant frequency f. PAR The period and series resonant frequency fSER The difference between the periods is within 35% to 90%, provided that the above two conditions (i) and (ii) are met, more preferably within 50% to 85%. For example, with Figure 6 The diagram illustrates this, and as a non-limiting numerical example, we assume the parallel resonant frequency is 1.25 GHz, thus having a period of 800 picoseconds, and the series resonant frequency is 855 MHz, thus having a period of 1169 picoseconds. Then f... PAR and f SER There is a difference of 369 ps between the periods. The time delay caused by the delay line DL can be within the above range, for example, f. PAR with f SER The period difference between them is 70%, which is 258 ps, thus ensuring that the feedback loop 270 has the desired inductive behavior and low impedance necessary to provide high gain anti-phase feedback.

[0207] Preferably, the delay line is implemented as a zigzag conductive element with inductive behavior predominant, such as a zigzag element having two (2) to twelve (12) zigzag branches, more preferably three (3) to eight (8) zigzag branches. Such an implementation exhibits minimal stray inductive and capacitive behavior. Various delay line structures can be used to provide the desired functionality, such as Ω-shaped coils, single planar coils, flat inductors, wavy lines, zigzag lines, or sawtooth lines. It is also possible to provide the desired delay line functionality through specific transmission line designs. For example, it is possible for the physical elements of the delay line DL to be implemented as conductors in a printed circuit board, such as as a microstrip patch antenna. In some embodiments, a low-pass filter can be used as the delay line DL; however, this will affect the shape of the oscillating voltage, whereas a delay line DL providing a short time delay through inductive effects will not affect the waveform. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the delay line DL is placed between the feedback loop output of the resonant circuit 272 and the capacitor element 274, but other arrangements are also possible.

[0208] Figure 7A -C is used according to embodiments of this disclosure for Figures 2 to 4 An equidistant diagram of a decomposed coil resonator with mutual inductive coupling in an oscillating circuit. Figure 7A In this example, the two inductors L1 and L2 are each formed as a single winding, such as a single toroidal coil. The central axes of the windings of each coil are substantially coincident with each other, and the planes formed by each single-winding inductor are parallel to each other and also very close to each other. This establishes mutual inductance between inductors L1 and L2 without the need for a magnetic core M. CIf necessary, the mutual inductance M can be further increased to achieve the desired inductance level by adding a magnetic core Mc that passes through or at least partially passes through each winding of L1 and L2. In this regard, the distance between the two planes arranging the windings can be increased to minimize the capacitive effect between them. Preferably, the windings of inductors L1 and L2 are wound in the same direction around a coincident winding central axis, or in the presence of a core M... C In the case of core M C Alternatively, they can be wound around a central axis. In this way, the magnetic flux generated by both coils L1 and L2 is enhanced, rather than canceled out. In other words, the two inductors L1 and L2 are positioned around the magnetic core M. C Alternatively, a continuous winding coil around the central axis of the winding without using a core, wherein two winding regions form two inductor coils L1 and L2.

[0209] Figure 7B An alternative decomposed coil resonator arrangement is shown, in which an Ω-shaped loop is used instead of a full-length loop for L1 and L2. Other winding shapes are also possible while providing essentially the same functionality.

[0210] In some instances, it is possible to use inductor coils L1 and L2 with smaller diameters, but with a number of loops or turns. Preferably, the number of turns in each inductor coil L1 and L2 does not exceed five (5). To further reduce the capacitive coupling between L1 and L2, Figure 7B The inductors L1 and L2 of the decomposed coil resonator are arranged as Ω-shaped planar coils, single-winding or dual-winding coils, both on the same surface or plane, and therefore not aligned parallel to each other. This is desirable because the capacitive effect between the two inductors L1 and L2 could provide undesirable additional dielectric losses. In this embodiment, through core M... C The magnetic coupling is achieved via a U-shaped core, in which each leg passes through the center of each planar coil L1, L2.

[0211] Figure 7A and Figure 7B Both show an embodiment of the resonant circuit 272 as a complete parallel resonant circuit PRC, formed by the second branch created by the mutual inductance M between inductors L1 and L2.

[0212] It is also possible that this can be achieved through simple proximity of the two inductor coils L1 and L2, without the use of a magnetic core M. C (like Figure 7C As shown in the figure, or by winding the coils of inductors L1 and L2 together, a mutual inductance M between L1 and L2 is generated. Figure 7C The electrode arrangement includes parallel electrode plates E1 and E2 with curved edges to reduce hot spots in the electric field formed around the boundaries of the electrode plates.

[0213] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An electrode arrangement including a pair of parallel-aligned electrode plates 130, 135 is shown; however, other electrode arrangements are also possible.

[0214] Figure 8 AD is a method for use according to embodiments of this disclosure. Figures 2 to 4 A schematic illustration of a flat, interdigitated electrode arrangement in an oscillating circuit. Using interdigitated electrodes allows for a more uniform electric field generation, which can be used to avoid hot spots in the matrix caused by aerosol formation. Figure 8 A illustrates an electrode arrangement comprising two electrodes. The first electrode includes one or more extensions, and the second electrode includes one or more corresponding recesses for receiving the one or more extensions of the first electrode. In some other instances, both the first and second electrodes each include a combination of extensions and recesses configured to align with corresponding recesses and extensions in an opposing electrode.

[0215] Figure 8 B and Figure 8 C illustrates an electrode arrangement comprising multiple electrodes for each polarity, wherein each electrode is positioned adjacent to an electrode of the opposite polarity.

[0216] However, the shape and geometry of the electrode can vary, and it is preferred that the edges and corners of the electrode are rounded, for example, having a radius in the range of about 0.15 mm to 2.5 mm, in order to “soften” the peak of the electric field at the edges and corners.

[0217] like Figure 8 As shown in Figure D, it is possible to fabricate an interdigitated electrode arrangement for a one-sided flat aerosol forming matrix 110. However, this can be achieved by providing electrodes on the opposite side of the aerosol forming matrix 110 that are similar to... Figure 8 The second electrode arrangement, identical to that shown in D, is used to improve dielectric heating. The electrodes of the second electrode arrangement can be configured to align with the electrodes of the first electrode arrangement, which have opposite polarities.

[0218] Alternatively, such as Figure 9 As shown, the interdigitated electrode arrangement may include a first electrode and a second electrode, which are configured to intersect each other around a cylindrical axis to form a tubular structure. In this embodiment, there are two pairs of three-finger electrodes. Preferably, the tubular structure may have a diameter between 5 mm and 9 mm. The tangential distance between electrodes of opposite polarities may be between 0.5 mm and 3 mm, preferably between 0.7 mm and 12.2 mm.

[0219] Figure 10An embodiment is shown in which the distance between electrodes of opposite polarity varies between different regions of the electrode arrangement. This can facilitate modification of the electric field intensity in different regions of the electrode arrangement, thereby modifying the heating power delivered to different regions of the aerosol forming matrix 110 heated using the electrode arrangement to provide segmented, zoned, or partial heating.

[0220] Figure 11 AB shows an aerosol-forming matrix 110 configured to dielectrically heat an aerosol-forming matrix 110 positioned in a central cavity formed by an electrode arrangement for use in... Figure 2 The diagram shows the equidistant and schematic arrangement of the tubular interdigitated electrodes in the oscillating circuit of Figure 3. Figure 11 The electrode arrangement in AB comprises a series of axially aligned electrode strips positioned adjacent to electrode strips of opposite polarity. In such an embodiment, the aerosol-forming matrix 110 is not directly positioned between the opposing electrodes, but is still heated by the presence of an alternating electric field in its vicinity. Stronger and more uniform heating of the aerosol-forming matrix 110 can be achieved using... Figure 11 This is achieved using the electrode arrangement shown in B, which is configured such that the electric field between the relatively polar electrodes across the aerosol forming matrix 110 is strongest. Figure 11 The CD shows how to get from Figure 11 The electrode arrangement of AB has multiple electrode portions electrically connected to achieve an interdigitated configuration.

[0221] Figure 12 AD is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement with variable polarity control according to embodiments of the present disclosure. By using an analog signal demultiplexer or analog signal switch or equivalent circuitry, it is possible to selectively connect one or more pairs of electrodes to an oscillating feedback loop to supply power to the load capacitor C. L Segmented heating is delivered. In the illustrated embodiment, adjacent electrodes can be switched to have the same polarity, or opposite electrodes can be switched and reconfigured to have the same polarity. This allows the oscillation circuit to switch between different electric field distribution modes between the electrodes to adjust the heating distribution curve across the aerosol forming matrix 110. Figure 12 A to Figure 12In the embodiment shown in B, the electrodes form cylindrical segments that can be arranged around a cylindrical cavity for different electric field modes. This principle also applies to other numbers of electrode pairs (e.g., two (2) pairs, three (3) pairs, or four (4) pairs, etc.) and to segmented, partitioned, or partial heating of a region or volume of the aerosol forming matrix 110. Analog signal switches or demultiplexers can be implemented electronically, mechanically, or electromechanically. For example, semiconductor-based or solid-state switches or demultiplexers can be based on JFET switches or bidirectional parallel arrangements of CMOS switches (combining PMOS and NMOS). Electromechanical switches or demultiplexers can be based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), such as using RFMEMS switching technology, and mechanical switches or demultiplexers can be based on relays, such as RF microrelays. In some embodiments, more than one oscillation circuit can be used. For example, a separate oscillation circuit can be provided for each pair of electrodes in the electrode arrangement.

[0222] Figure 12D Showing from Figure 12 The electrodes of the system C's electrode arrangement can be independently energized to provide segmented, zoned, or partial heating of the cylindrical substrate 110. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four (4) opposing electrodes, each pair of adjacent electrodes being configured to be connected to an oscillating circuit 150, 250, 350, or another type of oscillating circuit. This allows for the selective heating of segmental regions or zones of the cylindrical substrate 110 using a heating zone HZ, with the heating zone movable by 90 degrees for each electrode pair. The size of the heating zone can be modified by changing the geometry of the electrodes or the number of electrode pairs in the electrode arrangement.

[0223] for Figure 12DThe configuration shown, as well as other configurations intended for heating cylindrical consumables, including the aerosol-forming article 105 of the aerosol-forming matrix 110, can form a hollow cylinder with an internal hollow cylindrical volume. This aerosol-forming article geometry can be advantageous because lower dielectric losses occur in regions located further away from the two electrode plates E1 and E2 with opposite polarities. The internal hollow cylinder can have a diameter in the range of 20% to 80% smaller than the outer diameter of the aerosol-forming article 105, more preferably in the range of 25% to 60% smaller than the outer diameter of the aerosol-forming article 105, and even more preferably in the range of 25% to 45% smaller than the outer diameter of the aerosol-forming article 105. In one embodiment, the inner core of the cylindrical aerosol-forming article 105 can be filled with an aerosol-forming material or filler material having a higher dielectric constant than the aerosol-forming material of the outer cylindrical portion. In some embodiments, the core of the aerosol forming article 105 may have a high content of an aerosol forming carrier liquid with a high dielectric constant, such as glycerol or polypropylene glycol (PPG). Such an arrangement can increase dielectric loss in the core region for further aerosol generation, or provide a filler material that can generate additional heat through dielectric loss, which can propagate from the core to the outer cylindrical portion laterally.

[0224] Another possible variation is to provide penetrating pins, strips, or blades, centrally arranged within the heating chamber, in conjunction with the aerosol forming apparatus 100. The penetrating pins, strips, or blades can be made of or coated with a material having a high dielectric constant. The penetrating pins, strips, or blades can be configured and arranged such that they substantially penetrate the central axis of the aerosol forming matrix 110 when the aerosol forming article 105 is inserted into the chamber. Preferably, the material selected for the pins, strips, blades, or their coating should have a high dielectric constant (e.g., above 20), be non-conductive, and possess good thermal radiation properties and thermal stability, such as, but not limited to, high-entropy or high-dielectric ceramics. Such pins, strips, or blades can act as passive heaters, heating up in an oscillating electric field, thereby improving the heating performance in the center of the cylindrical aerosol forming article 105.

[0225] Figures 13A to 13C-c show alternative electrode arrangements for dielectrically heating liquid aerosol forming matrices, which serve as both heater assemblies and wicking elements. Figure 13aThe arrangement includes a reservoir for containing a liquid aerosol forming matrix 110 and multiple electrode plates positioned adjacent to electrode plates of opposite polarity. The arrangement functions by generating an alternating electric field across adjacent electrode plates, thereby dielectrically heating the liquid aerosol forming matrix located between adjacent electrodes. The distance between adjacent electrode plates can be selected such that the channel between adjacent electrode plates has a capillary effect that draws the liquid aerosol forming matrix into the channel. Figure 13b -c illustrates a similar electrode arrangement using an interlocked array of electrode needles instead of electrode plates. Blades, tabs, strips, or cylinders can also be used instead of needles. Figure 13c As can be seen more clearly, the interlocking electrode needle array is configured such that adjacent electrode needles have opposite polarities. This electrode arrangement is particularly suitable for providing uniform heating of the aerosol-forming matrix and avoiding localized overheating of the matrix, which could lead to the formation of poor-quality aerosols. Figure 13a Similar to the embodiments in the previous one, the distance between adjacent electrode needles in the electrode array can be selected so that the region between adjacent electrode needles has a capillary effect, thereby drawing the liquid aerosol forming matrix into the electrode array.

[0226] Figure 14 An embodiment of the present disclosure is shown for use with Figure 2 The diagram shows the equidistant arrangement of coaxial electrodes in the oscillating circuit of Figure 3. Figure 14 The electrode arrangement A includes a first electrode tube, pin, or strip E1 and a second electrode tube E2 having a larger diameter than the first electrode tube, pin, or strip E1. The electrode arrangement is configured such that, when coaxially aligned, the aerosol-forming matrix can be located between the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2. Aerosols generated from the aerosol-forming matrix 110 can escape in a direction parallel to the rotation or cylindrical axis of the matrix, or they can escape laterally from the cylindrical second electrode E2. However, it is also possible that the first electrode E1 may include one or more openings leading to a central airflow channel extending through the center of the first electrode E1, thereby allowing the generated aerosols to escape laterally via the centrally arranged electrode arrangement.

[0227] exist Figure 14 In another embodiment shown in B, the first electrode E1 may be in the form of a strip located within the tubular electrode E2. In a variation, to allow the generated aerosol to escape laterally through the electrode arrangement, the second electrode E2 may be similar to... Figure 14 In electrode A, the first electrode E1 includes one or more openings. Alternatively, the tubular electrode E2 may not extend entirely around the first electrode E1, thereby creating another area for the generated aerosol to escape laterally from the electrode arrangement. Figure 14In the electrode arrangement shown in B, the tubular electrode E2 comprises two electrode portions separated by a gap that allows for segmented or partitioned heating along the length of the aerosol-forming matrix 110 located between electrodes E1 and E2. The two electrode portions of the tubular electrode E2 may share the same polarity, or they may be independently energized using an analog signal demultiplexer 1110 or by selectively applying signals from different oscillators 150, 250, 350 to provide segmented, partitioned, or partial heating of the aerosol-forming matrix located between the first electrode E1 and the tubular electrode E2.

[0228] Figure 14 C illustrates another electrode arrangement in which the tubular or strip-shaped electrode E2 comprises a plurality of electrode strips axially aligned with each other and coaxially aligned with the first electrode E1. Figure 14 The electrode arrangement shown in B is similar, and a separation gap can be provided between each of the multiple electrode strips to allow the generated aerosol to escape from the electrode arrangement. The multiple electrode strips of the tubular electrode E2 can oscillate independently to provide segmented, partitioned, or partial heating of the aerosol forming matrix 110 located between the first electrode E1 and the tubular or strip electrode E2. Figure 14 C also illustrates how the electrode arrangement can be integrated with the aerosol generating device. A DC power supply 1090 is coupled to an oscillating circuit 1100 directly connected to the first electrode E1. To enable the multiple electrode strips of the tubular electrode E2 to be independently energized, the multiple electrode strips can be connected to the oscillating circuit 1100 via an analog signal demultiplexer or analog signal switch 1110 and a microprocessor 1120.

[0229] Figure 15 This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and inductor formed on a low-dielectric-constant flexible carrier material according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The arrangement includes a first electrode 1130 and a second electrode 1135 formed on a flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145. The flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 may include polyimide or other flexible, electrically insulating, high-temperature, and low-dielectric materials. In some embodiments, the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 comprises a polyimide with a dielectric constant less than 3.0, which can be produced by modifying its structure to reduce the dielectric constant or by using a low-dielectric filler. For example, the intrinsic structure of the polyimide can be modified using one or more of fluorinated groups, nonplanar large conjugated structures, alicyclic structures, or by adding low-dielectric fillers such as fluorinated graphene or mica.

[0230] Although Figure 15The embodiments illustrate an interdigitated electrode arrangement similar to the interdigitated electrode arrangement described above, but other electrode arrangements may also be used. Furthermore, the first electrode 1130 and the second electrode 1135 do not need to be positioned, oriented, or arranged with any fixed separation distance from each other on the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145. In some embodiments, the first electrode 1130 and the second electrode 1135 are disposed in a first position on the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 (in the first position, the first electrode 1130 and the second electrode 1135 are not aligned), and then the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 is bent or rolled up to move the first electrode 1130 and the second electrode 1135 to a second position (in the second position, the first electrode and the second electrode are aligned). The flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 also includes a first inductor L1 electrically coupled to the first electrode 1130 via a first electrical contact 1160. Although Figure 15 Not shown, but the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 may also include a second inductor L2 electrically coupled to the second electrode 1135 via a second electrical contact 1160. The second inductor L2 may be disposed on the side of the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1145 opposite to the first inductor L1. A load capacitor C is provided on a single flexible carrier material. L The electrode arrangement and other components of the oscillation circuit feedback loop can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce parasitic effects in the oscillation circuit.

[0231] Figure 16A This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and two inductively coupled inductors L1 and L2 formed on a low-dielectric-constant flexible carrier material 1245 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to... Figure 15 The arrangement includes a first electrode 1230 and a second electrode 1235 formed on a flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1245. The flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1245 also includes a first inductor L1 electrically coupled to the first electrode 1230 and a second inductor L2 electrically coupled to the second electrode 1235. The second inductor L2 is disposed on the side of the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1245 opposite to the first inductor L1 and aligned with the first inductor L1. In the illustrated embodiment, the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 have an Ω shape. The low-dielectric-constant flexible carrier material 1245 also includes a through-hole passing through both the first center and the second center of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2. Utilizing this through-hole, the magnetic core M... CThe inductors can be positioned to extend through the center of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2, thereby enhancing their mutual inductive coupling. To facilitate close positioning of the two Ω-shaped inductors L1 and L2, an interconnect can be extended through a via or other means to the opposite side of the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1245. In this embodiment, electrodes 1230 and 1235 can be placed on one side of the low-dielectric-constant flexible substrate 1245, and this portion of the substrate can be rolled up to a certain radius such that the corresponding ends will match, while inductors L1 and L2 are arranged on opposite sides of the substrate for alignment and inductive coupling, thereby generating mutual inductance. This facilitates the formation of a cylindrical heating cavity with an integrated electrical insulation layer. In some embodiments, another electrical insulation is provided to cover the metal layer forming the electrodes, interconnects, and one or more inductors. Such electrical insulation may comprise an additional layer of flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material, or may be created by completely embedding a conductive structure within the flexible low-dielectric-constant carrier material 1245.

[0232] The low dielectric constant flexible carrier material 1245 may also include a temperature sensor 1250, which is configured to detect the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix located between the first electrode 1230 and the second electrode 1235. Figure 16B An embodiment is shown in which the temperature sensor 1250 includes a temperature sensing track extending between a first electrode 1230 and a second electrode 1235. The temperature sensing track includes a first portion 1250a and a second portion 1250b. The first portion 1250a is formed of PT1000, and the second portion 1250b is formed of PT100. The first portion 1250a and the second portion 1250b are each coupled to measurement terminals 1255a and 1255b via return lines. The return lines may be formed of copper.

[0233] Figure 16C An embodiment is shown in which the flexible carrier material 1245 is not a low-dielectric material but comprises a flexible PCB configured to surround a heating chamber 1260 formed of a rigid, low-dielectric, high-temperature resistant, non-conductive material 1265. The flexible carrier material 1245 includes a first electrode E1 and a second electrode E2, which are configured to be positioned on opposite sides of the heating chamber 1260 when the flexible carrier material 1245 is surrounded by the heating chamber 1260. In this example, each of the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 may include multiple electrodes to form multiple electrode pairs around the heating chamber 1260.

[0234] In some embodiments, the low-dielectric-constant flexible carrier materials 1145, 1245 described above may include additional components or sections of the oscillating circuit described above, including switching unit transistor T, and other passive components such as capacitors C1, C2, delay lines DL, and sensors (optical, magnetic, electric fields), or circuitry space for mounting such components. In this respect, most or all components of the oscillating circuit (including switching transistors, resonant circuits, and capacitive elements) may be placed on the same low-dielectric-constant flexible carrier material 1245, for example, as surface mount elements, to enable high-volume manufacturing and testing.

[0235] exist Figure 15 In the electrode arrangement of both Figure 16 and Figure 16, the second inductor L2 can be offset relative to the first inductor L1 on the opposite side of the low dielectric constant flexible carrier material to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the two inductors L1 and L2.

[0236] Another way to physically achieve the above electrode arrangement is to use quartz glass (fused silica or fused silicon dioxide) as the substrate material and to place the electrodes on the surface of the quartz glass using a deposition process. Figure 17 This is a schematic illustration of an electrode arrangement and two inductively coupled inductors L1 and L2 formed on a quartz glass substrate 1345 having an overall cylindrical shape, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0237] In the illustrated embodiment, a first electrode 1330 and a second electrode 1335 are disposed on the outer surface of a cylindrical quartz glass substrate 1345, wherein the inner cylindrical portion defines a cavity 1340 for receiving an article 1305 comprising an aerosol-forming matrix 1310. Similar to the embodiment described above with respect to FIG. 16, a first inductor L1 and a second inductor L2 are positioned on opposite sides of the quartz glass substrate 1345, wherein the magnetic core M... C The extension passes through the center of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2, thereby strengthening the mutual inductive coupling between them.

[0238] In an alternative embodiment, the first electrode 1330 and the second electrode 1335 may be positioned on the inner surfaces of two opposing quartz glass surfaces, wherein the aerosol forming matrix 1310 may be inserted therebetween.

[0239] exist Figure 17 In one embodiment, cavity 1340 is formed of a quartz glass substrate 1345, which provides an effective transparent protective layer for an optical measurement device 1350 (e.g., an optical coupler) disposed on the surface of the quartz glass substrate 1345 for measuring aerosol diffusion to achieve suction detection. One or more temperature sensors may be disposed on the quartz glass substrate 1345 for measuring thermal radiation. Figure 17In the embodiment shown, the temperature sensing track 1360 is embedded within the heating region of the quartz glass substrate 1345. In other embodiments, the temperature sensing track 1360 may be disposed across the inner surface of the cavity 1340. The temperature sensing track 1360 may include the same features described with respect to the temperature sensing track 1250 in FIG. 16b.

[0240] One or more time-of-flight sensors may be disposed on the quartz glass substrate 1345 for the presence of a measuring rod. The optical measuring device 1350 may include an optical emitter or light source 1354 and an optical receiver or photosensor 1353. The walls of the quartz glass substrate 1345 may include optical channels having a different refractive index than the quartz glass to act as waveguides or light guides 1351 and 1352. Waveguides 1351 and 1352 may be embedded in the quartz glass substrate 1345 (e.g., as channels, conduits, or holes) and may be filled with a transparent material having a different refractive index than the quartz glass substrate 1345. Light guides 1351 and 1352 may be used to direct light toward and away from the cavity 1340 for illumination or measurement purposes.

[0241] Quartz glass provides optical transmission into the ultraviolet and infrared spectra and advantageously exhibits low thermal expansion, thus enabling it to withstand repeated heating cycles without damage or degradation. The smooth surfaces achievable with quartz glass provide a cleanable surface for cavity 1340 that also reduces contaminant buildup. Furthermore, quartz glass possesses excellent thermal insulation properties, allowing for the provision of thermal insulation around cavity 1340 to concentrate heat within the aerosol forming matrix 1310.

[0242] Advantageously, quartz glass has a lower dielectric constant (also known as relative dielectric constant) compared to other glass materials, thereby reducing the degree of parasitic heating from the electric field generated by the dielectric heating circuit.

[0243] Quartz glass can also be machined or otherwise processed to form different shapes and arrangements. Additional features that benefit the electrode arrangement, such as ribs, grooves, and channels for optimizing airflow through the aerosol generation device, can be formed directly into the glass structure. In some embodiments, the upstream air inlet originates from ribs and grooves arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the heating chamber including the electrode arrangement. In such embodiments, it is possible to provide a heating chamber defined by glass walls, thereby allowing external sensing of parameters (temperature, airflow, suction, etc.) using optical devices such as the optical measuring device 1350. This allows for easy cleaning and reduces contaminant deposition on the inner surface, and also allows for integration of the inductor's sensing core and windings.

[0244] Figure 18This is a schematic illustration of a temperature sensing system for detecting the temperature of an aerosol forming matrix 110 located within an electrode arrangement, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system includes a thermal sensor 1850 communicatively coupled to a controller 1880. As described above, the thermal sensor 1850 is configured to detect, in a non-contact manner, the temperature of the aerosol forming matrix 110 located between the electrodes of the electrode arrangement and subjected to dielectric heating.

[0245] In this embodiment, the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix is ​​measured or approximated by a temperature sensing system. The measured or approximate temperature value can be fed into a temperature control loop unit configured to control the power supplied to the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0246] like Figure 18 As shown, one way to measure temperature is by using a non-contact sensor, such as a near-infrared sensor (NIR), to capture thermal radiation from the aerosol forming matrix 110 or from the plate / device 1890 of the aerosol forming matrix 110 material, which amplifies or homogenizes thermal radiation and has greater thermal conductivity than the aerosol forming matrix 110.

[0247] In other embodiments, the thermal sensor 1850 may include a sensor that penetrates or is physically coupled to the surface of the aerosol-forming matrix, such as... Figure 19 As shown in the image.

[0248] Another way to capture the value indicating the temperature of the aerosol forming matrix 110 is by measuring the temperature of the insulating / substrate material on which the electrode arrangement is placed, for example by measuring the temperature of the low dielectric constant flexible carrier material 1245.

[0249] For example, as mentioned above... Figure 15 As shown in Figure 16, the carrier material used to mount the opposing electrodes E1 and E2 can be polyimide, PEEK, or another high-temperature plastic material. The electrodes can be embedded in or placed on the surface of such a carrier material. Although the dielectric constant (or relative dielectric constant) of such a material may be lower than that of the aerosol-forming matrix 110, it is still dielectric and will therefore follow a heating curve substantially proportional to the heating curve of the aerosol-forming matrix. This allows the temperature sensing system to be based on the load capacitor C. L The measured temperature of the carrier material placed on it determines the value indicating the temperature of the aerosol formation matrix. This can be done using a semiconductor temperature sensor placed directly on the carrier material and measured using wiring (or another communication coupling) to the controller / microprocessor 1880.

[0250] Now for reference Figure 19In some embodiments, the temperature of the carrier material can be measured in the region between two electrodes E1 and E2 of opposite polarity, wherein the temperature sensor 1950 is placed on the carrier material for mounting both electrodes E1 and E2. In some embodiments, a separate element having a dielectric value similar to that of the aerosol forming matrix 110 is provided, wherein the temperature sensor is used to measure a value indicating the temperature of the aerosol forming matrix.

[0251] The temperature sensor is configured to measure temperatures around 100-250°C and may include one or more of the following: thermocouples, thermistors, resistance-based temperature detectors (RTDs, PT100), thermal elements, and fiber optic temperature sensors. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor includes one or more non-contact sensors, such as NIR sensors.

[0252] In some embodiments, the temperature sensing system may be configured to measure the temperature of the electrodes or the temperature of the air inside the cavity. However, since these are not dielectric, they will become hot based on the fact that heat transfer from the aerosol-forming matrix follows substantially different temperature distribution curves. The controller may receive the measured temperature of the air surrounding the electrodes or the aerosol-forming matrix and calculate or infer a value indicating the matrix temperature, for example using one or more of the following: formulas, correspondence tables, lookup tables, regression curves, and / or a trained artificial intelligence network.

[0253] Figure 20 This is a schematic illustration of a control system utilizing a temperature sensing system 1510, which controls the power delivered to the aerosol forming matrix 110 based on a detected aerosol forming matrix temperature. As described above, the control system includes a controller 1520 configured to receive aerosol forming matrix temperature data from the temperature sensing device 1510. If the controller 1520 determines that the aerosol forming matrix temperature exceeds a predetermined upper limit threshold, the controller 1520 uses a DC / DC cutoff 1550 to cut off power from the power supply device 1530 to the oscillation circuit 1540, allowing a fixed and variable temperature to be delivered to the aerosol forming matrix.

[0254] In an alternative embodiment, controller 1520 may be configured to use pulse width modulation (PWM) based on the measured or estimated temperature-changing switching duty cycle of oscillator circuit 1540, which is the on-time relative to the off-time.

[0255] As an alternative to cutting off the power supply to the oscillator circuit 1540, the bias voltage can be manipulated to keep the transistor outside the oscillation range. The bias voltage or DC voltage, or the DC supply voltage, can be increased or decreased to increase or decrease the voltage delivered to the load capacitor C. L The heating power is adjusted until the measured temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix reaches the target temperature or is within the target temperature range.

[0256] In an alternative embodiment, the feedback loop of the oscillation circuit 1540 can be interrupted, for example, by electrical or mechanical means.

[0257] In some embodiments, the control system is configured to control the power delivered to the aerosol-forming matrix in two phases: a first phase in which the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix rises slowly as quickly as possible (also referred to as the preheating or preheating phase), and a second phase in which the aerosol-forming matrix is ​​maintained at the target aerosolization temperature.

[0258] The first stage is performed by maximizing the DC power supply voltage to, for example, 10V to 12V. Once the target aerosolization temperature is reached, for example, in the range of 150°C to 250°C, more preferably 150°C to 220°C, the heating power is reduced by lowering the power supply voltage to, for example, a lower value of approximately 6.4V to 7.6V. During the gradual rise time of the first stage of temperature control, the total power consumption can be 10W to 15W, preferably with an efficiency of at least 65%, and the temperature can be controlled to 150°C to 220°C upon reaching the aerosolization temperature of the aerosol forming agent, for example, to achieve constant aerosol delivery over a given process duration.

[0259] During the aerosolization of the aerosol-forming matrix, the DC power supply current typically changes because the dielectric constant of the aerosol-forming matrix decreases. Therefore, the dielectric constant can be used as a value to indicate the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix.

[0260] In some embodiments, a trained artificial intelligence network is used to determine the temperature of the aerosol-forming matrix based on one or more of the heating chamber temperature, DC power supply voltage, or DC power supply current.

[0261] It should be understood that many of the embodiments described above do not rely on the use of a self-oscillating circuit, and therefore can use, for example... Figure 21 The forced oscillation circuit shown is implemented while still providing the described functionality and advantages. Specifically, the oscillation unit can be coupled to a switching unit or buffer to convert the DC supply voltage into an AC signal fed to a resonant or quasi-resonant load circuit including a load capacitor.

[0262] In embodiments, the switching unit comprises a single transistor architecture, a half-bridge architecture, or a full-bridge architecture. In such embodiments, zero-current switching technology can be used to reduce or minimize switching losses using parallel or series resonant circuits or tank circuits. In embodiments, the oscillation unit is implemented as a stripline oscillator.

[0263] Heating and depletion of the aerosol-forming matrix cause a change in the resonant frequency due to the decrease in dielectric constant and therefore capacitance [farad], since the load capacitor CL is the part of the resonant circuit 272 that can oscillate at or near the resonant frequency.

[0264] In one embodiment, a frequency sensor is used to correlate different power consumption patterns (e.g., DC current fed from the power source via power analysis) with oscillation frequencies specific to a particular oscillation circuit and aerosol-forming matrix type. The control system can then use the power consumption values ​​(DC power supply current, voltage, both) as parameters indicating the reduction in matrix consumption.

[0265] Figure 22 This is a schematic illustration of a control system utilizing a frequency sensing system according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the control system being used to control the power delivered to an aerosol-forming matrix based on the frequency of an alternating electric field detected or estimated across an electrode assembly. The system includes a resonant cavity (or resonator, such as a quarter-wavelength resonator) having a peak resonant frequency higher than the switching frequency of an oscillating feedback loop. The resonant cavity is fabricated, for example, by using impurities or mechanical defects to provide a wide range of frequency responses exhibiting variation between different frequencies, such that the operating range of frequencies is covered by the resonant response. In one embodiment, the resonator includes a quarter-wavelength coaxial cavity resonator with an inner conductor. The resonator includes an insulator doped with impurities. The resonator is located within a load capacitor C. L At a location within the generated electric field, for example, at the load capacitor C L The outer area or the area of ​​the heating chamber that will not obstruct the formation of the aerosol matrix.

[0266] The resonator is connected to the rectifier via a direct electrical coupler to generate a DC signal. The generated DC signal is fed to a resistor / impedance for measurement by a voltage measuring device. The voltage measurement is then transmitted to a controller / microprocessor for calibration / further processing.

[0267] In an alternative embodiment, the system may utilize one or more of a resonant antenna, microstrip, and waveguide for high-frequency sensing.

[0268] The embodiments described above are merely exemplary embodiments, and various other embodiments according to this disclosure are also conceivable.

[0269] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise stated, all figures representing quantities, quantities, percentages, etc., should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. Furthermore, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points, and include any intermediate ranges that may or may not be specifically listed herein. Therefore, in this context, the figure A is understood to be 5% of A ± A.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating apparatus for dielectrically heating an aerosol-forming matrix, the apparatus comprising: An oscillation circuit, the oscillation circuit comprising: Switching unit; and A feedback loop is connected across the switching unit, the feedback loop including an electrode arrangement forming a load capacitor for dielectrically heating the aerosol forming matrix, the electrode arrangement including a first electrode coaxially aligned with a second electrode.

2. The aerosol generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is fixedly coupled within the feedback loop to form the load capacitor, the load capacitor comprising or configured to removably receive the aerosol forming matrix.

3. The aerosol generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is removably coupled within the feedback loop to form the load capacitor, the load capacitor comprising or configured to removably receive the aerosol forming matrix.

4. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin located within the hollow center of the first electrode.

5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tubular body of the first electrode includes one or more openings.

6. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, and the second electrode comprises a tubular body having a hollow center, wherein the second electrode is located within the hollow center of the first electrode.

7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tubular body of the second electrode includes one or more openings.

8. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of axially aligned electrode rings, and the second electrode comprises a strip or pin extending through the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings.

9. The aerosol generating apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize one or more of the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings to provide segmented dielectric heating, and optionally wherein the apparatus is configured to independently energize each of the plurality of axially aligned electrode rings to provide segmented dielectric heating.

10. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feedback loop includes a first inductor connected in series with the electrode arrangement.

11. The aerosol generating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the feedback loop further comprises a second inductor, wherein the electrodes are arranged in series between the first inductor and the second inductor.

12. The aerosol generating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the oscillation circuit is configured such that mutual inductive coupling is formed between the first inductor and the second inductor.

13. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the oscillation circuit is configured to self-oscillate.

14. An aerosol generation system, comprising: Aerosol generating apparatus according to any of the preceding claims; as well as An aerosol forming matrix is ​​positioned within or adjacent to the electrode arrangement.

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