A heating element assembly

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of heating devices, specifically relating to a heating element assembly and an aerosol generating device. The heating element assembly includes: two or more heating units arranged side-by-side; a cavity for receiving the aerosol-generated product at the center of the heating element assembly; and two or more heating units arranged around the cavity for receiving the aerosol-generated product, with the heating units insulated from each other. By controlling the start and stop times of each heating unit, the circumferential heating element assembly of this utility model can achieve the effect of circumferential segmented heating of the aerosol-generated product, ensuring that the aerosol is released more evenly throughout the entire inhalation cycle. This solves the problem of insufficient smoke volume in the later stages of conventional aerosol-generated products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of heating devices, specifically relating to a heating element assembly and an aerosol generating device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, heating elements in aerosol generating devices are mainly divided into two types: central heating and circumferential heating. Central heating generally results in better flavor, but lower tobacco core carbonization and inefficient tobacco utilization. Circumferential heating generally results in higher tobacco core carbonization, but it is bulky, has a slow heating rate, complex production processes, and is only suitable for slim cigarettes. Existing circumferential heating elements only have upper and lower segmented heating control, leading to complex production of both the heating element and the aerosol generating product. Both the aerosol generating product and the aerosol generating device are bulky, making them inconvenient for customers to use and carry.

[0003] To address the above problems, this utility model is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0004] The first aspect of this utility model provides a heating element assembly, the heating element assembly comprising: two or more heating units arranged side by side;

[0005] The heating element assembly has an aerosol-generating product receiving cavity at its center.

[0006] Two or more heating units are arranged around the cavity containing the aerosol-generated product, and the heating units are insulated from each other.

[0007] Preferably, the two or more heating units are combined to form a hollow columnar structure;

[0008] Alternatively, the heating element assembly may include a heating unit fixing member, the heating unit fixing member having a heating unit mounting position, the heating unit being disposed in the heating unit mounting position and combined with the heating unit fixing member to form a hollow columnar structure;

[0009] Alternatively, the heating element assembly may include a hollow columnar structure heating unit fixing member, wherein the heating unit is disposed in the side wall or a groove on the side wall of the heating unit fixing member.

[0010] The hollow part of the aforementioned hollow columnar structure is the cavity for containing the aerosol-generated product.

[0011] This utility model includes the following solutions:

[0012] Option 1: Two or more heating units are combined to form a hollow columnar structure. In this case, the heating units can be fixed together by high-temperature resistant insulating adhesive. Option 1 does not require heating unit fixing components.

[0013] Option 2: The heating element assembly includes a heating unit fixing component, and two or more heating units are combined with the heating unit fixing component to form a hollow columnar structure. The heating unit fixing component has a heating unit mounting position. The heating unit fixing component is used to support and fix the heating unit.

[0014] Option 3: The heating element assembly includes a hollow columnar heating unit fixing component, and the heating unit is set on the inner or outer wall surface of the heating unit fixing component by means of bonding, snap-fit, etc.

[0015] Option 4: The heating element assembly includes a hollow columnar heating unit fixing component with a groove on its inner wall. The heating unit is disposed in this groove by means of bonding, snap-fitting, or other methods.

[0016] Preferably, the columnar structure is a cylindrical structure. Of course, the columnar structure can also be a cuboid or other columnar structure to accommodate aerosol-generated products of the same shape.

[0017] Preferably, the heating unit is selected from one or more of the following: heating element, heating mesh, or heating wire.

[0018] Preferably, the heating unit is provided with a smooth protective layer to prevent tar residue from corroding the heating unit.

[0019] More preferably, the protective layer is an insulating protective layer.

[0020] Preferably, the heating element assembly further includes: several pairs of wires; which are used to connect each heating unit to an external circuit.

[0021] Preferably, each heating unit is individually connected to an external circuit via the aforementioned wire. The external circuit can independently activate each heating unit for heating, thereby enabling individual control of each heating unit.

[0022] Of course, external circuits can also achieve programmed control of two or more heating units through a certain program. For example, two or more heating units can be activated sequentially according to a certain program.

[0023] Preferably, the heating unit fixing component is a bracket, and the heating units are spaced apart from each other by the intervals of the bracket to reduce the heat transfer between the heating units.

[0024] More preferably, the ratio of the circumferential edge length of the interval segment of the bracket to the circumferential edge length of the heating unit is 0.1-10.

[0025] Preferably, the heating units are the same or different in shape from each other.

[0026] More preferably, the heating units are arc-shaped sheet structures that are the same or different from each other.

[0027] The specific shape of the arc-shaped sheet structure can be arbitrary, such as symmetrical or asymmetrical. The key is that the heating units, when combined, essentially form a hollow cylindrical structure. Alternatively, the heating units and the heating plate support, when combined, essentially form a hollow cylindrical structure.

[0028] For example, the heating element can be a regular or irregular arc shape. For instance, the near-lip end of the arc has a smaller area, while the middle and far-lip ends have larger areas. This allows for more thorough heating of the far-lip end of the substance being heated, while preventing the near-lip end from becoming too hot and burning the mouth.

[0029] Preferably, the heating element is made of conductive ceramics, metal sheets, metal mesh, metal alloy printed circuits, etc. Of course, the heating element can also be made of any other suitable material that is both conductive and heat-conducting.

[0030] Preferably, the heating element support is made of a high-temperature resistant insulating material, such as ceramic, glass, high-temperature resistant polymer, or metal sheet with insulating material.

[0031] The second aspect of this utility model provides a use of the heating element assembly described in any one of the first aspects, wherein the multi-piece heating element assembly is used to adapt to short and thick aerosol-generating products for circumferential heating.

[0032] The third aspect of this utility model provides a method for preparing the heating element assembly described in the first aspect. When the heating unit is a heating plate with an arc-shaped sheet structure, and the heating plate is a ceramic sheet printed with a metal heating wire, the preparation method includes the following steps:

[0033] Use injection molding to prepare wet molds for two or more heating elements;

[0034] Metal heating wires are printed on each heating element wet mold, and then sintered to obtain two or more heating elements;

[0035] Then, the heating elements are combined, or the heating elements and the heating unit fixing parts are combined, to form the heating element assembly.

[0036] When the heating element is entirely a conductive ceramic sheet, it is prepared by adding metal powder and glass phase material powder to the matrix powder. The specific preparation method is as follows:

[0037] Ingredients: Weigh the matrix powder, metal powder, and high-temperature binder powder, and mix them evenly;

[0038] Abrasive: The above-mixed raw material powder is fed into an abrasive mill for grinding;

[0039] Drying and forming: After the ground raw materials are dried, a molding agent is added and mixed evenly. The mixture is then formed into a blank by means of dry pressing, casting, or extrusion through a mold.

[0040] Sintering and forming: The blank is transferred to a sintering furnace for atmospheric or hot pressing and sintering, and then cooled in the furnace to obtain the heating element.

[0041] When the heating element is made entirely of stainless steel, the preparation method is as follows:

[0042] Stainless steel sheet → degreasing → water washing → etching → water washing → drying → screen printing → drying → water immersion → etching the required shape → water washing → ink removal → water washing → acid washing → water washing → electrolytic polishing → water washing → hot water washing → drying; thus obtaining the heating element.

[0043] The fourth aspect of this utility model provides a circumferentially segmented heating aerosol generating device, including a heating element assembly as described in any one of the first aspects, wherein the heating element assembly is connected to a control system, and the control system controls the heating element assembly to operate in one of the following ways:

[0044] (1) Start adjacent heating units sequentially at set time intervals;

[0045] (2) Simultaneously activate all heating units;

[0046] (3) Start at least one heating unit, and start the remaining heating units simultaneously after a set time interval.

[0047] Of course, the start-up and shutdown times of each heating element can also be arbitrarily controlled as needed.

[0048] The above technical solutions can be freely combined, provided they do not contradict each other.

[0049] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0050] 1. This utility model provides a circumferential heating element assembly composed of two or more heating units. By controlling the start and stop times of each heating unit, the aerosol-generating product can be heated laterally in segments, ensuring that the aerosol is released more evenly throughout the entire inhalation cycle. This solves the problem of insufficient smoke volume in the later stages of conventional aerosol-generating products.

[0051] 2. In particular, the circumferential heating element assembly of this utility model, composed of two or more heating elements, has a simpler manufacturing method, specifically reflected in:

[0052] Each heating element of this invention is basically an arc-shaped sheet. Heating circuits can be directly printed on the wet mold of the heating element, and then sintered to form the final product.

[0053] Conventional hollow cylindrical heating elements require the wet molding of the hollow cylindrical heating element to be sintered to obtain the initial mold of the heating element. The heating circuit is first printed on a flexible ceramic blank, and then the flexible ceramic blank is rolled onto the initial mold of the cylindrical heating element. The second sintering finally forms the hollow cylindrical heating element.

[0054] 3. Cylindrical heating elements commonly used for circumferential heating are typically elongated and slender, suitable for heating elongated aerosol-generated products. However, elongated cylindrical heating elements are easier to design with upper and lower segmented heating sections, but not so easy to design with circumferential segmentation.

[0055] Compared to the original single cylindrical heating element, the heating element assembly of this invention features a circumferentially segmented design, allowing for a short and stout overall shape. This shortens the overall length of the heating element, facilitating production and processing. It can be adapted to the structure of short and stout aerosol generating products, simultaneously reducing the size of both the aerosol generating product and the aerosol generating device, making it easier for customers to carry.

[0056] 4. The heating unit fixing component can not only support and fix multiple heating units, but also reduce heat transfer between adjacent heating units, preventing the temperature of inactive heating units from rising. Thus, the aerosol-generating product portion near inactive heating units does not reach the temperature required to generate aerosols, and therefore will not produce aerosols. Therefore, the circumferential heating element assembly of this invention has a more significant effect on the circumferential segmented heating of aerosol-generating products. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the heating element assembly in Example 1.

[0058] Figure 2 These are three views of the heating element assembly from Example 1. Figure 2 2a is the top view, 2b is the front view, and 2c is the bottom view.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the heating element assembly in Example 3.

[0060] Figure 4 These are three views of the heating element assembly in Example 3. Figure 4 4a is the top view, 4b is the front view, and 4c is the bottom view.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a side view of the heating element assembly in Example 3.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device that includes the heating element assembly of Embodiment 3.

[0063] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0064] 1. Heating unit, 2. Heating unit fixing component, 3. Wire, 4. Aerosol generation product, 5. Heating element assembly, 6. Button, 7. Circuit board, 8. Battery cell. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0066] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they are performed in accordance with the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the field or according to the product instructions. Materials or equipment whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be obtained by purchase.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the word “comprising” as used in this specification means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say an element is “connected” to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element. Furthermore, the term “connected” as used herein can include wireless connections.

[0068] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. The terms "inner", "upper", "lower", etc., indicate the orientation or state relationship based on the orientation or state relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model.

[0069] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "equipped with" 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. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0070] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0071] Example 1

[0072] like Figures 1-2 A multi-piece heating element assembly 5, the heating element assembly 5 comprising: two identical arc-shaped heating units 1 arranged side by side, and a heating unit fixing member 2.

[0073] The two heating units 1 and the heating unit fixing member 2 are combined to form a hollow cylindrical structure with a bottom.

[0074] In this embodiment, the heating unit 1 is a regularly shaped arc-shaped heating element with a symmetrical structure. The heating unit fixing member 2 is a heating element bracket with two heating unit mounting positions, which is used to support and fix the heating element.

[0075] The heating element support is essentially a cup-shaped structure, with several air passages at the bottom and two spaced grooves on the cup wall that match the shape of the heating element. These grooves serve as mounting positions for the heating units. The height of the heating element is less than the overall height of the cup wall, the purpose of which is to ensure that the heating element is held and fixed in place by the heating element support on all four sides. Simultaneously, this ensures that the heating elements are completely separated from each other by the heating element support, reducing heat transfer between them.

[0076] The ratio of the circumferential edge length of the spacer segment of the heating element support to the circumferential edge length of the heating unit is 0.2. In alternative embodiments, this ratio may be varied depending on the circumstances.

[0077] The heating element assembly 5 further includes two pairs of wires 3. The wires 3 serve as conductive leads. Each heating element is individually connected to an external circuit via a pair of wires 3. The external circuit is used to connect to a control system to individually activate each heating element for heating, thereby enabling individual control of each heating element.

[0078] In this embodiment, the heating element is made of ceramic material with metal heating wires printed on its inner surface. Adjacent heating elements are insulated from each other by a heating element support. In alternative embodiments, the heating element material may also be selected from conductive ceramics, metal sheets, metal mesh, metal alloy printed circuits, etc.

[0079] In this embodiment, the heating element support is made of a high-temperature resistant polymer material, PEEK (polyetheretherketone). In alternative embodiments, the heating element support can also be made of ceramic, glass, a high-temperature resistant polymer, or a metal sheet with insulating material.

[0080] In an alternative embodiment, the heating element can be an irregularly shaped arc. For example, the near-lip end of the arc has a smaller area, while the middle and far-lip ends have larger areas. This allows for more thorough heating of the far-lip end of the substance to be heated, while preventing the near-lip end from becoming too hot and burning the mouth.

[0081] In an alternative embodiment, the two heating elements can also have different shapes, as long as a heating element bracket that is compatible with them is designed.

[0082] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the multi-piece heating element assembly 5 mentioned above.

[0083] Figure 2 These are three views of the multi-piece heating element assembly 5 described above. Figure 2 2a is the top view, 2b is the front view, and 2c is the bottom view.

[0084] Example 2

[0085] This embodiment provides a method for preparing the multi-chip heating element assembly 5 described in Embodiment 1, including the following steps:

[0086] The heating element bracket is prepared by injection molding process;

[0087] Two arc-shaped heating element wet molds were prepared using injection molding.

[0088] Metal heating wires are printed on the inner surface of each heating element wet mold, and then sintered to obtain two shaped heating elements;

[0089] Then, the two heating elements are fixed in the two grooves of the heating element bracket and connected with the wire 3 to form the multi-piece heating element assembly 5. The fixing method can be interference fit, snap-fit, or bonding with a high-temperature resistant adhesive.

[0090] The specific operating conditions for the injection molding, sintering, printing, and other processes in this utility model are conventional designs in the field, and those skilled in the art can implement them by referring to existing technologies.

[0091] Example 3

[0092] like Figures 3-5A multi-piece heating element assembly 5 differs from Embodiment 1 in that: the heating element assembly 5 includes: three identical arc-shaped heating elements arranged side by side; and three spaced grooves on the cup wall of the heating element support that match the shape of the heating elements. The heating element assembly 5 includes three pairs of wires 3.

[0093] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the multi-piece heating element assembly 5 mentioned above.

[0094] Figure 4 These are three views of the multi-piece heating element assembly 5 described above. Figure 4 4a is the top view, 4b is the front view, and 4c is the bottom view.

[0095] Figure 5 This is a side view of the multi-plate heating element assembly 5 described above.

[0096] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus including the multi-piece heating element assembly 5 of this embodiment. The aerosol generating apparatus includes: an aerosol generating product 4, a heating element assembly 55, a button 6, a circuit board 7, and a battery cell 8. The multi-piece heating element assembly 5 performs circumferential transverse segmented heating on the aerosol generating product 4.

[0097] The multi-plate heating element assembly 5 described above operates in three ways:

[0098] Working mode 1: Adjacent heating elements are activated sequentially in a clockwise direction at certain intervals, with only one heating element activated at a time;

[0099] Operating mode 2: First, control two adjacent heating elements to start heating, and after a certain period of time, start the third heating element to start heating;

[0100] Operating mode 3: Control the three heating elements to start heating simultaneously.

[0101] Example 4

[0102] A heating element assembly differs from Embodiment 1 in that the heating element assembly 5 includes three identical arc-shaped heating elements arranged side by side. The three arc-shaped heating elements are combined to form a hollow columnar structure. The hollow columnar structure contains a cavity for receiving the aerosol-generated product. This embodiment of the heating element assembly does not include a heating unit fixing component. The heating elements in this embodiment are conductive ceramic sheets. An insulating layer is provided on the surface of the conductive ceramic sheets to achieve insulation between adjacent conductive ceramic sheets.

[0103] In an alternative embodiment, an insulating layer may be provided only at the interface where two adjacent conductive ceramic sheets contact each other.

[0104] In an alternative embodiment, the three arc-shaped heating elements can also have different shapes, as long as they are combined to form a hollow columnar structure.

[0105] The heating element assembly in this embodiment is prepared by the following method:

[0106] Step 1, Ingredients: Weigh the matrix powder, metal powder, and high-temperature binder phase powder, and mix them evenly;

[0107] Step 2, Abrasive: Grind the above-mixed raw material powder in an abrasive mill;

[0108] Step 3, Drying and forming the blank: After the ground raw material is dried, a molding agent is added and mixed evenly. The blank is then formed by pressing, casting, or extrusion through a mold.

[0109] Step 4, sintering and shaping: The blank is transferred to a sintering furnace for atmospheric or hot pressing and sintering, and then cooled in the furnace to obtain three arc-shaped heating elements.

[0110] Step 5: Apply an insulating layer to the three arc-shaped heating elements, then bond them together to form a hollow columnar structure, and weld the wires on to obtain the heating element assembly.

[0111] The specific operating conditions for the above-mentioned steps, such as batching, grinding, drying, and sintering, are conventional designs in this field, and those skilled in the art can implement them by referring to existing technologies.

[0112] Example 5

[0113] A heating element assembly differs from Embodiment 1 in that the heating element assembly 5 includes: three arc-shaped heating elements of different shapes arranged side by side and a hollow cylindrical heating unit fixing member.

[0114] The arc-shaped heating element is bonded or secured in a groove on the inner wall of the heating unit fixing component. The heating unit fixing component is formed by injection molding. In this embodiment, the heating element is a stainless steel sheet. The arc-shaped heating elements are insulated from each other by the heating unit fixing component.

[0115] The heating element assembly in this embodiment is prepared by the following method:

[0116] Step 1: Etch stainless steel to obtain three arc-shaped heating elements of different shapes. The process route is as follows:

[0117] Stainless steel sheet → degreasing → water washing → etching → water washing → drying → screen printing → drying → water immersion → etching the required shape → water washing → ink removal → water washing → acid pickling → water washing → electrolytic polishing → water washing → hot water washing → drying.

[0118] Step 2: Attach three arc-shaped heating elements of different shapes to the corresponding grooves on the inner wall of the heating unit fixing component, and weld the wires to obtain the heating element assembly.

[0119] The specific operating conditions in the process route of step 1 above are conventional designs in this field, and those skilled in the art can implement them by referring to existing technologies.

[0120] Example 6

[0121] A heating element assembly differs from Embodiment 1 in that the heating element assembly 5 includes: three arc-shaped heating elements of different shapes arranged side by side and a hollow cylindrical heating unit fixing member.

[0122] The arc-shaped heating element is bonded to the inner wall surface of the hollow cylindrical heating unit fixing member. The arc-shaped heating elements are insulated from each other by the hollow cylindrical heating unit fixing member.

[0123] In an alternative embodiment, the arc-shaped heating element can be replaced with a heating mesh or heating wire. The heating mesh or heating wire is coated with a smooth protective layer to prevent corrosion from tar residue.

Claims

1. A heating element assembly, characterized in that, The heating element assembly includes two or more heating units arranged side by side; The heating element assembly has an aerosol-generating product receiving cavity at its center. Two or more heating units are arranged around the cavity containing the aerosol-generated product, and the heating units are insulated from each other.

2. The heating element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two or more heating units are combined to form a hollow columnar structure; Alternatively, the heating element assembly may include a heating unit fixing member, the heating unit fixing member having a heating unit mounting position, the heating unit being disposed in the heating unit mounting position and combined with the heating unit fixing member to form a hollow columnar structure; Alternatively, the heating element assembly may include a hollow columnar structure heating unit fixing member, wherein the heating unit is disposed in the side wall or a groove on the side wall of the heating unit fixing member.

3. The heating element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating unit is selected from one or more of the following: heating element, heating mesh, or heating wire.

4. The heating element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating element assembly also includes: several pairs of wires; which are used to connect each heating unit to an external circuit.

5. The heating element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating unit fixing component is a bracket, and the heating units are spaced apart from each other by the intervals of the bracket.

6. The heating element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating units may have the same or different shapes from each other.

7. The heating element assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heating units are arc-shaped sheet structures that are the same or different from each other, and the columnar structure is a cylindrical structure.

Images