A heating component and an aerosol generator

Abstract

This application discloses a heating assembly and an aerosol generator. The heating assembly includes a feed column and a radiator. The feed column is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator radiates heat based on the electrical energy. The feed column has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed column is a radio frequency (RF) feed port for connecting an RF source. The radiator is connected to the feed column, and a heating cavity is provided in the radiator for placing the medium to be heated. The radiator also includes at least one gap communicating with the heating cavity, and the gap extends circumferentially along the radiator. This heating assembly can improve the uniformity of radiative heating, improve the heating effect, and increase energy utilization efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of radio frequency heating technology, and in particular to a heating component and an aerosol generating device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electronic technology, related applications have gradually become more widespread. Aerosol generators, also known as electronic cigarettes or electronic smoking devices, are a new type of electronic device that simulates the smoking experience by heating a medium to produce smoke.

[0003] In related technologies, some aerosol generators use radio frequency heating technology for heating. Their heating components typically employ a resonant cavity structure with a central pin to heat the medium. However, in practical applications, it has been found that this method, due to the central pin, is prone to uneven electric field distribution, resulting in poor heating uniformity and negatively impacting the user experience of the aerosol generator.

[0004] In summary, the problems with the relevant technologies urgently need to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to at least partially solve one of the technical problems existing in the related art.

[0006] Therefore, one object of the embodiments of this application is to provide a heating component and an aerosol generating device.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application include:

[0008] On one hand, embodiments of this application provide a heating assembly, including:

[0009] A power supply column and a radiator; the power supply column is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator is used to radiate heat according to the electrical energy;

[0010] The feed post has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed post is an RF feed port for connecting to an RF source;

[0011] The radiator is connected to the feed post, and a heating cavity is provided in the radiator for placing the medium to be heated; the radiator also includes at least one gap that is connected to the heating cavity and extends along the circumference of the radiator.

[0012] In addition, the heating assembly according to the above embodiments of this application may also have the following additional technical features:

[0013] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the number of gaps is multiple, each gap is spaced apart along the axial direction of the radiator, and each gap extends circumferentially along the radiator.

[0014] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the width of each of the gaps is within 1-2 mm.

[0015] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the distance between two adjacent gaps is within 2-3 mm.

[0016] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the radiator has a complementary structure on the inner wall near the feed post and the gap, and / or the feed post has a complementary structure on the inner wall facing the heating cavity and near the gap, the complementary structure being used to enhance the electric field distribution in the heating cavity near the feed post.

[0017] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the complementary structure is a depression with a concave spherical cap surface.

[0018] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the recess connects the hollow structure of the power supply column and the heating cavity.

[0019] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the radius of the depression is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0020] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, both ends of the radiator are open ends; or, the first end of the radiator is a closed end and the second end of the radiator is an open end, wherein the first end of the radiator is the end closer to the radio frequency feed port and the second end of the radiator is the end farther away from the radio frequency feed port.

[0021] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the center of the hollow structure, the center of the heating cavity, and the center of the complementary structure are aligned on the same straight line along the axial projection of the radiator.

[0022] Furthermore, the heating assembly also includes a shielding element disposed on the outer periphery of the feed column and the radiator.

[0023] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an aerosol generating device, comprising:

[0024] The radio frequency source and the aforementioned heating component; the radio frequency source is connected to the radio frequency feed port of the feed post.

[0025] The advantages and beneficial effects of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application:

[0026] This application discloses a heating assembly and an aerosol generator. The heating assembly includes a feed column and a radiator. The feed column is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator radiates heat based on the electrical energy. The feed column has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed column is a radio frequency (RF) feed port for connecting an RF source. The radiator is connected to the feed column, and a heating cavity is provided in the radiator for placing the medium to be heated. The radiator also includes at least one gap communicating with the heating cavity, and the gap extends circumferentially along the radiator. This heating assembly can improve the uniformity of radiative heating, improve the heating effect, and increase energy utilization efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the following description is provided with accompanying drawings of the relevant technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings described below are only for the purpose of clearly illustrating some embodiments of the technical solutions of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a heating assembly provided in an embodiment of this application during use;

[0029] Figure 2 A side view of a heating assembly (without shielding) provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0030] Figure 3 A top view of a heating assembly (without shielding) provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 4 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction;

[0032] Figure 5 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the BB direction;

[0033] Figure 6 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the CC direction;

[0034] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the return loss of the heating component provided in the embodiments of this application in the Bluetooth band is shown;

[0035] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the electric field distribution of the heating component provided in the embodiments of this application across the entire Bluetooth frequency band is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The described embodiments should not be considered as limitations on the present application, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0037] In the following description, references are made to “some embodiments,” which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it is understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] With the development of electronic technology, related applications have gradually become more widespread. Aerosol generators, also known as electronic cigarettes or electronic smoking devices, are a new type of electronic device that simulates the smoking experience by heating a medium to produce smoke.

[0041] In related technologies, some aerosol generators use radio frequency heating technology for heating. Their heating components typically employ a resonant cavity structure with a central pin to heat the medium. However, in practical applications, it has been found that this method, due to the central pin, is prone to uneven electric field distribution, resulting in poor heating uniformity and negatively impacting the user experience of the aerosol generator.

[0042] In view of this, this application provides a heating assembly and an aerosol generator. The heating assembly includes a feed column and a radiator. The feed column is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator is used to radiate heat based on the electrical energy. The feed column has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed column is a radio frequency (RF) feed port for connecting an RF source. The radiator is connected to the feed column, and a heating cavity is provided in the radiator for placing the medium to be heated. The radiator also includes at least one gap communicating with the heating cavity, and the gap extends circumferentially along the radiator. This heating assembly can improve the uniformity of radiative heating, improve the heating effect, and increase energy utilization efficiency.

[0043] The following, with reference to the specific accompanying drawings, provides a detailed description of a heating component and an aerosol generating device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0044] This application provides a heating component that can be applied in the field of radio frequency heating technology. Specifically, please refer to... Figure 1 The heating assembly provided in this embodiment mainly includes:

[0045] A power supply column 1 and a radiator 2; the power supply column 1 is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator 2 is used to radiate heat according to the electrical energy;

[0046] The feed post 1 has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed post 1 is an RF feed port 3 for connecting to an RF source;

[0047] The radiator 2 is connected to the feed post 1. The radiator 2 is provided with a heating cavity for placing the medium 4 to be heated. The radiator 2 also includes at least one gap that is connected to the heating cavity and extends circumferentially along the radiator 2.

[0048] In this embodiment of the application, a heating component is provided, which mainly includes a power supply column 1 and a radiator 2. The power supply column 1 can be used to introduce electrical energy into the heating component, and it can be connected to an external power source, such as a radio frequency source. The radiator 2 can generate heat based on the electrical energy introduced by the power supply column 1 and radiate the heat outward.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a heating assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the feed post 1 is a hollow structure, with one end serving as an RF feed port 3 for connecting to an RF source. The hollow structure of the feed post 1 reduces its own outward radiation, improves energy utilization efficiency, and enhances the uniformity of the overall RF radiation field. Specifically, if the feed post 1 were solid, it would function as a half-wave antenna, radiating electromagnetic waves outward; with a hollow structure, the electromagnetic field reflects back and forth within the hollow structure during feeding, similar to a circular waveguide confining the electromagnetic field.

[0050] In this embodiment, the radiator 2 and the feed post 1 are connected. A heating cavity is provided inside the radiator 2, and the heating medium 4 can be placed in the heating cavity. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the heating medium 4 can be, but is not limited to, atomizing media such as cigars, slender cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and plant extracts. In this embodiment, the radiator 2 also includes at least one gap communicating with the heating cavity. These gaps can be used to optimize the electric field distribution of the radiator 2. Specifically, the gap is provided on the radiator 2, and the conductors on both sides of the gap can form a capacitor structure with the gap. The capacitor exhibits low impedance characteristics under a high-frequency AC electric field and has a certain filtering effect. During the heating process, radio frequency energy will generate an electric field concentration phenomenon in the region corresponding to the gap in the heating cavity. This is because high-frequency current is easier to pass through the capacitor, while low-frequency current is blocked. The high-frequency electric field is concentrated near the gap, which increases the electromagnetic energy density in this region and can effectively improve the heating effect. In this embodiment, the number of gaps can be one or more, such as two or more, and this application does not limit this.

[0051] Specifically, in some embodiments, the heating assembly provided in this application may have multiple gaps on the radiator 2, and these gaps may be spaced apart along the axial direction of the radiator 2 and extend circumferentially along the radiator 2, wherein the arc length of the gap extending circumferentially may be a major arc. When multiple gaps are provided on the radiator 2, a multi-layered electric field distribution can be provided, and each gap can form a structure of multiple parallel capacitor plates, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of energy radiation and reducing the probability of uneven heating. For example, referring to… Figure 2 , Figure 2The illustration shows a side view of a heating assembly (without shielding) provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the radiator 2 of the heating assembly can be provided with multiple layers of gaps 7, which communicate with the heating cavity and can be obtained by cutting grooves. Furthermore, the distance between each adjacent gap 7 can be the same, thus providing a multi-layered uniform electric field distribution and reducing the resonant frequency within a limited size. Specifically, in this embodiment, the specific number of gaps 7 is not limited. For each gap 7, its width L1 can be set within 1-2 mm, and the distance L2 between two adjacent gaps 7 can be set within 2-3 mm. The specific values ​​are also not limited in this application.

[0052] In some embodiments, the heating assembly provided in this application may include a complementary structure 5. This complementary structure 5 may be disposed on the inner wall of the radiator near the feed post 1 and the gap 7, and / or on the inner wall of the feed post 1 facing the heating cavity and near the gap 7, to enhance the electric field distribution within the heating cavity near the feed post 1. The complementary structure 5 may be a recess, i.e., a groove formed in the inner wall of the radiator 2 and / or on the side wall of the feed post 1 facing the heating cavity.

[0053] Specifically, in some embodiments, the complementary structure 5 can be a recess with a concave spherical cap surface. For example, the concave surface of the recess can be a hemispherical surface, thus facilitating the adjustment of the recess radius to change the electric field distribution and intensity in that region. For example, the radius of the recess can be less than or equal to 0.5 mm. When the recess radius is small, it can be a hollow structure that is not connected to the feed column and the heating cavity; when the recess radius is large, it can be a hollow structure that connects to the feed column and the heating cavity. Please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 This illustration shows a top view of a heating assembly (without shielding) provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the complementary structure 5 can connect the hollow structure 11 of the feed column and the heating cavity 21. When connected, this increases the coupling of the gap to the layered structure (i.e., the two parts of the radiator along the width direction of the gap). (Refer to...) Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 5 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the BB direction. Figure 6 An embodiment provided in this application is shown. Figure 3A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the CC direction. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the middle, the complementary structure 5 connects the hollow structure of the power supply column 1 and the heating cavity.

[0054] In this embodiment, the complementary structure 5 on the inner wall of the radiator 2 and / or the inner wall of the feed column 1 facing the heating cavity serves to further improve the uniformity of the electric field distribution. Without the complementary structure 5, the radiator 2 can form a concentrated electric field distribution in the slits at the far feed column 1, but the uniformity of the electric field distribution near the feed column 1 is generally poor. By providing the complementary structure 5 on the sidewall of the feed column 1, the electric field near the feed column 1 can be drawn in, thus making the overall electric field distribution uniform.

[0055] In some embodiments, the heating assembly provided in this application may have open ends for both ends of the radiator 2; while in other embodiments, the end of the radiator 2 closer to the RF feed port 3 (denoted as the first end) may be a closed end, and the end farther from the RF feed port 3 (denoted as the second end) may be an open end. Setting the first end of the radiator 2 as a closed end facilitates the placement and fixing of the medium to be heated 4 in the heating cavity, and further confines the electric field within the heating cavity, which is beneficial for improving energy utilization efficiency and heating effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, in the heating assembly provided in this application, the center of the hollow structure 11, the center of the heating cavity 21, and the center of the complementary structure 5 are aligned on the same straight line along the axial projection of the radiator 2. This maintains the uniformity of the electric field distribution within the heating cavity 21, allowing the heating medium 4 to be placed as close as possible to the center of the heating cavity 21 when it is placed, thus achieving a better heating effect.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the heating assembly may also include a shield 6, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the feed column 1 and the radiator 2. The shield 6 may be a hollow cylindrical device, which can reduce electromagnetic leakage and improve energy utilization efficiency.

[0058] In this embodiment of the application, an aerosol generating device is also provided, including a radio frequency source and the aforementioned heating component; the radio frequency source is connected to the radio frequency feed port 3 of the feed post 1.

[0059] In this embodiment of the application, an aerosol generating device is provided. The aerosol generating device can use the aforementioned heating component. In addition to the heating component, the device may also include a radio frequency source for inputting radio frequency signals to the radio frequency feed port 3 of the feed post 1 of the heating component.

[0060] In addition, the aerosol generator may also include other components such as a battery, control circuit, airflow detection component, sensors, and switches. The battery provides the power required by the radio frequency source; common types include built-in batteries and replaceable batteries. The control circuit manages the charging and discharging of the battery, the heating component, and the overall operating status of the device, and provides various safety functions (such as overheat protection and short-circuit protection). The airflow detection component detects whether the user is performing a suction action. Sensors and switches are primarily responsible for detecting various operating conditions of the device and controlling its operating status; this application does not impose any limitations on these aspects.

[0061] In a specific application, the power supply and radio frequency (RF) source of the aerosol generator are connected, and the DC signal is converted into a high-power RF electromagnetic wave signal by the RF source. The high-power RF electromagnetic wave signal is input to the RF feed port 3 of the heating component. The radiator 2 couples with the medium to be heated 4, generating an electric field distribution; through the high-frequency electromagnetic field, based on the dielectric heating principle, the medium to be heated 4 generates heat and produces aerosol within 0.5 to 5 seconds.

[0062] To verify the heating effect of the heating component provided in the embodiments of this application, relevant tests were conducted using the heating component. Specifically, please refer to... Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the return loss of the heating component provided in this embodiment of the application in the Bluetooth band is shown. The Bluetooth band ranges from 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz. It can be seen that in this band, the return loss of the heating component provided in this embodiment of the application is better than the -10 dB industrial requirement of a typical single-port antenna, and the amplitude difference across the entire band is ≤1.1 dB. The return loss is calculated using the following inversion formula:

[0063]

[0064] Calculating the lowest and highest points yields:

[0065]

[0066] In the formula, S 11 For return loss (dB), P 反 P represents the reflected power (W) at RF feed port 3. 入Let W be the incident power at the RF feed port 3. Based on the above formula, the ratio of reflected power to incident power at the highest and lowest points of the Bluetooth band is less than 0.01%. This can be considered as the entire Bluetooth band, with almost no energy reflected back to the RF feed port 3, meaning almost all energy is radiated out by the radiator 2, and the port efficiency across the entire Bluetooth band is close to 100%. Therefore, the heating component provided in this embodiment can largely avoid changes in the output frequency of the RF source due to the narrowband resonant frequency of the radiator 2 itself, or changes in the input power due to changes in heating conditions such as the heating medium 4.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the electric field distribution of the heating component provided in this embodiment of the application across the entire Bluetooth frequency band is shown. Based on a scanning frequency of 2.4–2.5 GHz and a feed power of 18 W at the RF feed port 3, it can be seen that the electric field distribution does not change significantly across the entire Bluetooth frequency band, and a high electric field distribution is generated in layers. Except for the top layer, the heating effect of the heated medium is basically uniform.

[0068] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "another embodiment," or "some embodiments," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0069] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A heating assembly, characterized in that, include: A power supply column and a radiator; the power supply column is used to receive electrical energy, and the radiator is used to radiate heat according to the electrical energy; The feed post has a hollow structure, and one end of the feed post is an RF feed port for connecting to an RF source; The radiator is connected to the feed post, and a heating cavity is provided in the radiator for placing the medium to be heated; the radiator also includes at least one gap that is connected to the heating cavity, and the gap extends circumferentially along the radiator.

2. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of gaps is multiple, and each gap is spaced apart along the axial direction of the radiator, and each gap extends circumferentially along the radiator.

3. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of each of the gaps is within 1-2 mm.

4. A heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distance between two adjacent gaps is within 2-3 mm.

5. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiator has a complementary structure on the inner wall near the feed post and the gap, and / or the feed post has a complementary structure on the inner wall facing the heating cavity and near the gap, the complementary structure being used to enhance the electric field distribution in the heating cavity near the feed post.

6. A heating assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The complementary structure is a concave shape with an inwardly concave spherical cap surface.

7. A heating assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The recess connects the hollow structure of the power supply column and the heating cavity.

8. A heating assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The radius of the depression is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

9. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both ends of the radiator are open; or, the first end of the radiator is closed and the second end of the radiator is open, wherein the first end of the radiator is close to the radio frequency feed port and the second end of the radiator is away from the radio frequency feed port.

10. A heating assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The center of the hollow structure, the center of the heating cavity, and the center of the complementary structure are aligned on the same straight line when projected along the axial direction of the radiator.

11. A heating assembly according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The heating assembly also includes a shielding element disposed on the outer periphery of the feed column and the radiator.

12. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, include: The radio frequency source and a heating component as described in any one of claims 1-11; the radio frequency source is connected to the radio frequency feed port of the feed post.

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