Heating element and aerosol-generating apparatus

Abstract

A heating element (20) and an aerosol-generating apparatus are provided. The heating element includes a heating cylinder (21), and a heating member. The heating cylinder has one end open and the other end closed, a side wall (211) and a bottom wall (212) of the heating cylinder enclose to form a receiving chamber (221), the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet, and the receiving chamber is configured to accommodate an aerosol-generating article (40); the heating member is disposed on the side wall; a support protruding portion (114) facing the receiving chamber is arranged on the bottom wall and / or the side wall; and the support protruding portion is configured to support the aerosol-generating article, thereby forming a gas intake chamber between the aerosol-generating article and the bottom wall; and the side wall is provided with a contact protruding portion (141a) and a recessed portion; and the contact protruding portion is arranged facing the receiving chamber, the contact protruding portion is configured to be in heat-conducting contact with an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the recessed portion is configured to form a gas intake channel together with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the aerosol outlet is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber through the gas intake channel. The heating element can directly heat the aerosol-generating article through direct contact heating and hot gas flow heating, the heat utilization rate of the heating element is improved and heat loss of the aerosol-generating apparatus is reduced.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority to the following patent applications, and the entirety of each of the following patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein: the Chinese Patent Application No.: CN 2024219046010, filed on August 7, 2024, and titled Aerosol-Generating Apparatus and Aerosol-Generating System; the Chinese Patent Application No.: CN 2024221417856, filed on August 30, 2024, and titled Heating Element and Aerosol-Generating Apparatus; the Chinese Patent Application No.: CN 2024221367518, filed on August 30, 2024, and titled Heating Element and Aerosol-Generating Apparatus; the Chinese Patent Application No.: CN 2024221309762, filed on August 30, 2024, and titled Heating Structure and Vaporizing Device; and the Chinese Patent Application No.: CN 2024226355714, filed on October 30, 2024, titled Vaporizing Device and Vaporizing Apparatus. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of aerosol generation, and in particular to a heating element and an aerosol-generating apparatus.BACKGROUND ART

[0003] An aerosol-generating apparatus usually has a receiving chamber, and an aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving chamber. The heating element is in contact with the aerosol-generating article to heat it through direct contact to generate aerosol.

[0004] In the prior art, hot gas flow is used to improve the heating uniformity of the aerosol-generating article. External cold air enters the aerosol-generating apparatus through a gas intake, and is heated by the heating element to form hot gas flow, which then enters the aerosol-generating article from a bottom of the receiving chamber. After heating, the aerosol-generating article generates aerosol, which then flows out through an aerosol outlet. The heating element is usually installed at a bottom of the aerosol-generating article. Heat generated by the heating element is transferred upward or downward in the aerosol-generating apparatus. A large portion of the heat transferred downward cannot be utilized by the aerosol-generating article, resulting in significant heat loss in the aerosol-generating apparatus.SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure provides a heating element and an aerosol-generating apparatus, so as to solve the technical problems of significant heat loss in existing aerosol-generating apparatuses.

[0006] According to a first aspect, an embodiment provides a heating element, including: a heating cylinder, where the heating cylinder has one end open and the other end closed, a side wall and a bottom wall of the heating cylinder enclose to form a receiving chamber, the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet, and the receiving chamber is configured to accommodate an aerosol-generating article; a heating member, where the heating member is disposed on the side wall; a support protruding portion facing the receiving chamber is arranged on the bottom wall and / or the side wall; and the support protruding portion is configured to support the aerosol-generating article, thereby forming a gas intake chamber between the aerosol-generating article and the bottom wall; and the side wall is provided with a contact protruding portion and a recessed portion; and the contact protruding portion is arranged facing the receiving chamber, the contact protruding portion is configured to be in heat-conducting contact with an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the recessed portion is configured to form a gas intake channel together with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the aerosol outlet is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber through the gas intake channel.

[0007] In one embodiment, the side wall is sequentially provided with a first contact region and a second contact region in an insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article; and the first contact region or the second contact region is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner, or a contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is different from a contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first contact region has an annular first clearance groove, and the first clearance groove is configured to make the first contact region spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner; and a minimum inner diameter of the first contact region is greater than a minimum inner diameter of the second contact region; or the second contact region has an annular second clearance groove, and the second clearance groove is configured to make the second contact region spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner; and the minimum inner diameter of the second contact region is greater than the minimum inner diameter of the first contact region.

[0009] In one embodiment, the contact protruding portion includes a first contact portion disposed in the first contact region, the first contact portion is a plurality of first protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the first contact region, and the plurality of first protrusions are spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the receiving chamber; and the first protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

[0010] In one embodiment, the contact protruding portion includes a second contact portion disposed in the second contact region, the second contact portion is a plurality of second protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the second contact region, and the plurality of second protrusions are spaced apart on the receiving chamber in a circumferential direction; and the second protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

[0011] In one embodiment, the contact protruding portion further includes a first contact portion disposed in the first contact region, the first contact portion is a plurality of first protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the first contact region, and the plurality of first protrusions are spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the receiving chamber; and the first protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article; a contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is greater than a contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, a contact area between each second protrusion and the aerosol-generating article is smaller than a contact area between each first protrusion and the aerosol-generating article, or a total contact area between all second protrusions and the aerosol-generating article is smaller than a total contact area between all first protrusions and the aerosol-generating article; or the contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is smaller than the contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, a contact area between each second protrusion and the aerosol-generating article is greater than a contact area between each first protrusion and the aerosol-generating article, or a total contact area between all second protrusions and the aerosol-generating article is greater than a total contact area between all first protrusions and the aerosol-generating article.

[0012] In one embodiment, the side wall is provided with a first heating zone and a second heating zone in the insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article, and the gas intake channel is configured to enable gas flow to enter the aerosol-generating article after passing through the first heating zone and the second heating zone in sequence; and the heating member includes a first heating member and a second heating member, the first heating member is disposed in the first heating zone of the heating cylinder, and the second heating member is disposed in the second heating zone of the heating cylinder.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first heating member and the second heating member are both resistive heating elements, and the first heating member and the second heating member are connected in parallel.

[0014] In one embodiment, the side wall is provided with a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, and a third electrical contact; the first heating member and the second heating member each have two electrical terminals; the two electrical terminals of the first heating member are electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the third electrical contact, respectively, the two electrical terminals of the second heating member are electrically connected to the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact, respectively, the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are configured to be electrically connected to a same electrode of an external power supply, and the third electrical contact is configured to be electrically connected to the other electrode of the external power supply.

[0015] In one embodiment, the bottom wall is provided with a support protruding portion facing the receiving chamber; the side wall is provided with a first region and a second region in an axial direction of the heating cylinder, the first region is located on a side away from the bottom wall, and the second region is located on a side near the bottom wall; and the heating member is fixed to the side wall in the second region.

[0016] In one embodiment, one or a plurality of the heating members are provided, and the heating members form at least one layer of heating ring in a circumferential direction of the side wall; and when the plurality of the heating members are provided, and the plurality of the heating members are connected in parallel, and the plurality of the heating members are distributed in the axial direction of the heating cylinder.

[0017] In one embodiment, one heating member is provided, and the heating member forms one layer of heating ring in the circumferential direction of the side wall; and connecting electrodes are respectively fixed to opposite ends of the heating member in the circumferential direction of the side wall, and the connecting electrodes are configured to be electrically connected to a power supply.

[0018] In one embodiment, connecting members are arranged between the heating member and the connecting electrode, the connecting members and the connecting electrodes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the connecting members are connected to both the heating member and the connecting electrodes in the axial direction of the heating cylinder; and either of the two connecting members is configured to enable current to flow into the heating member from an end edge of the heating member through the connecting electrode, and the other of the two connecting members is configured to enable the current on the heating member to flow to the connecting electrodes from the end edge.

[0019] According to a second aspect, an embodiment provides an aerosol-generating apparatus, including: an apparatus body having an aerosol outlet into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted; and the heating element described in any of the above embodiment, where the heating element is installed in the apparatus body, the bottom wall is spaced apart from the apparatus body, the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet, and the aerosol outlet is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber through the gas intake channel.

[0020] In one embodiment, the apparatus body includes: a mounting base, where the heating element is mounted in the mounting base; and a reflective heat-insulating layer, where the reflective heat-insulating layer is disposed between the mounting base and the heating element, and surrounds an outer surface of the heating element.

[0021] The present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: For the heating element and the aerosol-generating apparatus described above, when the heating element transfer the heat, on the one hand, the contact protruding portion on the side wall of the heating cylinder is in heat-conducting contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article to heat the aerosol-generating article through direct contact heating. On the other hand, external cold air enters the gas intake channel formed by the recesses on the side wall of the heating cylinder and the aerosol-generating article, the heating cylinder can heat gas flow in the gas intake channel to form hot gas flow, and the hot gas flow then enters the aerosol-generating article from the gas intake chamber on an axial end of the aerosol-generating article to heat the aerosol-generating article, such that the heating element can directly heat the aerosol-generating article through direct contact heating and hot gas flow heating, the heat utilization rate of the heating element is improved and heat loss of the aerosol-generating apparatus is reduced. Moreover, since the heating element is installed in the apparatus body, and the bottom wall of the heating cylinder is spaced apart from the apparatus body, heat transferred downward from the heating cylinder to the receiving chamber is reduced, thereby reducing heat loss of the aerosol-generating apparatus.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of an aerosol-generating apparatus with an aerosol-generating article inserted according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view of an aerosol-generating apparatus with an aerosol-generating article inserted according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view in an A-A direction in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view in a B-B direction in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an internal structure of a heating cylinder according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an aerosol-generating apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a frame assembly and a heating element according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating element according to one embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating element according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of FIG. 8 from another angle. FIG. 11 is an overall schematic structural diagram of a heating element according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the heating element in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a sectional structure of a heating cylinder according to still another embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a heating cylinder according to one embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of the heating cylinder in FIG. 14 from another angle. FIG. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating member in an unfolded state according to one embodiment. FIG. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating member in an unfolded state according to another embodiment. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a heating cylinder according to another embodiment. FIG. 19 is a sectional view of an aerosol-generating apparatus according to another embodiment. FIG. 20 is an exploded view of a vaporizing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 21 is a sectional view of a vaporizing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 22 is a partial enlarged view of Area A in FIG. 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are labeled with associated similar element labels. In the following embodiments, more details are described to facilitate clearer understanding of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art can readily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different cases, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, and methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present disclosure are not shown or described in the specification, with the aim of preventing the important part of the present disclosure from being overwhelmed by excessive description, and for those skilled in the art, it is unnecessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can gain a thorough understanding of the related operations according to the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the field.

[0024] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. Furthermore, the steps or actions stated in the methods can also be sequentially exchanged or adjusted in terms of sequence in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, various sequences in the specification and drawings are merely for clear description of an embodiment, and are not intended to be a necessary sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0025] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", are only used to distinguish the described objects, and do not have any sequence or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "coupling" mentioned herein include direct and indirect connection (coupling), unless otherwise specified.

[0026] Some embodiments of a heating element and an aerosol-generating apparatus are illustrated in FIGs. 1-5.

[0027] The aerosol-generating apparatus in the embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated in FIGs. 1-4. The aerosol-generating apparatus includes an apparatus body and a heating element 20 (also referred to as a heating assembly), the apparatus body is provided with an aerosol outlet 101 for aerosol to flow out, and the aerosol outlet 101 is further configured to allow an aerosol-generating article 40 to be inserted into the aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0028] The heating element 20 is installed in the apparatus body, and the heating element 20 includes a heating cylinder 21 having one end open and the other end closed, and an opening of the heating cylinder 21 faces an aerosol outlet 101. The heating cylinder 21 is generally a cylindrical structure, the heating cylinder 21 has a bottom wall 212 and a side wall 211, the bottom wall 212 and the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 enclose to form a receiving chamber, the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet 101, and the receiving chamber is configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article 40. The aerosol-generating article 40 may be inserted into the receiving chamber from the aerosol outlet 101, enabling the installation of the aerosol-generating article 40 in the aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0029] The bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21 is spaced apart in an axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, which can reduce heat transferred from the heating cylinder 21 in a direction away from the apparatus body. Therefore, most of the heat generated by the heating cylinder 21 is utilized by the aerosol-generating article 40, which improves the heat utilization rate of the heating element 20 and reduces heat loss of the aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0030] In some embodiments, referring to FIGs. 3 and 4, the heating cylinder 21 is suspended inside the apparatus body, an outward flange 213 is formed at an opening end of the heating cylinder 21, the outward flange 213 is connected to the side walls 211 of the heating cylinder 21, and the outward flange 213 extends towards a radial outer side of the heating cylinder 21 to form a radial outer flange. The outward flange 213 of the heating cylinder 21 can abut against the apparatus body in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, thereby fixing a position of the heating cylinder 21 in the apparatus body.

[0031] In one embodiment, the apparatus body includes a housing 10, a heat-insulating cylinder 14 and a sealing member 12a; and the housing 10 has a cavity, the aerosol outlet 101 is formed on the housing 10, and the aerosol outlet 101 is in fluid communication with the cavity. The heat-insulating cylinder 14, the heating element 20 and the sealing member 12a are all located in the cavity. The heat-insulating cylinder 14 may be supported and installed in the cavity through a support portion disposed on the housing 10, the heat-insulating cylinder 14 is provided with openings at both ends in an axial direction of the heat-insulating cylinder, the opening at one end is sealed by a plug 15, and the opening at the other end is sealingly engaged with a sealing member 12a. In another embodiment, the heat-insulating cylinder 14 may be provided with an opening at one end and a closed end at the other end in an axial direction, and the opening end is sealingly engaged with the sealing member 12a.

[0032] The heating cylinder 21 is located inside the heat-insulating cylinder 14, and is coaxially arranged with the heat-insulating cylinder 14. The bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21 and the plug 15 are spaced apart in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, and the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 and a cylinder wall of the heat-insulating cylinder 14 are also spaced apart, such that heat transfer to the heat-insulating cylinder 14 due to direct contact between the heating cylinder 21 and the heat-insulating cylinder 14 is reduced. A communication channel 121 coaxially arranged with the heat-insulating cylinder 14 is formed on the sealing member 12a, such that the receiving chamber can be in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet 101 through the communication channel 121.

[0033] In one embodiment, referring to FIGs. 3 and 4, a support portion extending toward an interior of the heat-insulating cylinder 14 is disposed on a cylindrical wall of the heat-insulating cylinder 14. The support portion may include a support arm 141, one end of the support arm 141 is connected to the cylindrical wall of the heat-insulating cylinder 14, and the other end thereof is suspended inside the heat-insulating cylinder 14. The support arm 141 is an annular structure, and the outward flange 213 of the heating cylinder 21 is supported on the support arm 141. The sealing member 12a has a portion extending into the interior of the heat-insulating cylinder 14, and the sealing member 12a may abut against the outward flange 213 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, in this way, the heating cylinder 21 is clamped and fixed in the heat-insulating cylinder 14 by the support arm 141 and the sealing member 12a, to achieve fixation of a position of the heating cylinder 21 in the heat-insulating cylinder 14. Further, the sealing member 12a abuts against the outward flange 213 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21 to achieve sealing between the sealing member 12a and the heating cylinder 21. In this way, the heating cylinder 21 is suspended inside the heat-insulating cylinder 14, which can reduce a contact area between the heating cylinder 21 and the heat-insulating cylinder 14, and reduce an amount of heat transferred from the heating cylinder 21, due to direct contact the heat-insulating cylinder, away from the receiving chamber and toward the aerosol-generating apparatus. As a result, heat loss is reduced and the heat utilization rate of the aerosol-generating apparatus is improved.

[0034] Of course, in other embodiments, the apparatus body includes a housing 10, the housing 10 has a cavity, and the heating cylinder 21 is located in the cavity, the bottom wall 212 and the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 are spaced apart from the housing 10, the support arm extending toward the interior of the cavity may be disposed on the housing 10, and a necked-down portion is formed on an outer side surface of the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21. The support arm cooperates with the necked-down portion to suspend and fix the heating cylinder 21 in the housing 10, which can also reduce an amount of heat transferred from the heating cylinder 21, due to direct contact the heat-insulating cylinder, away from the receiving chamber and toward the bottom of the aerosol-generating apparatus. As a result, heat loss is reduced and the heat utilization rate of the aerosol-generating apparatus is improved.

[0035] In one embodiment, still referring to FIGs. 2-4, the housing 10 may be provided with a positioning ring 11 at the aerosol outlet 101, and the sealing member 12a is clamped between the heat-insulating cylinder 14 and the positioning ring 11 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, thereby fixing positions of the sealing member 12a and the positioning ring 11 in the housing 10. The positioning ring 11 and the sealing member 12a enclose to form an annular groove. The apparatus body further includes a clamping member 13, the clamping member 13 is an annular structure, the clamping member 13 is installed in the annular groove, and the clamping member 13 is made of a rubber material. The clamping member 13 is provided with protrusions 131 that face radially inward, and the protrusions 131 are evenly spaced in a circumferential direction of the clamping member 13. The aerosol-generating article 40 can enter the housing 10 from the aerosol outlet 101, pass through the communication channel 121 in the sealing member 12a and enter the receiving chamber formed by the heating cylinder 21. After the aerosol-generating article 40 enters the receiving chamber, the clamping member 13 can elastically abut against an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 through the protrusions 131 in an axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, thereby preventing the aerosol-generating article 40 from detaching from the receiving chamber.

[0036] In some embodiments, referring to FIGs. 3-5, the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 has contact protruding portion protruding inwardly toward the receiving chamber, and a recess 2113 is formed on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21. After the aerosol-generating article 40 is installed in the receiving chamber, the contact protruding portion can be in heat-conducting contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 to transfer heat from the heating cylinder 21 to the aerosol-generating article 40, thereby heating the aerosol-generating article 40 through direct contact. After the contact protruding portion is in contact with the aerosol-generating article 40, the recess 2113 on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 can enclose the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 to form a gas intake channel 31 in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet 101, external cold air entering the housing 10 from the aerosol outlet 101 enter the gas intake channels 31 through gaps between adjacent protrusions 131 on the clamping member 13 and annular gaps between the sealing member 12a and the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0037] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, the contact protruding portion on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 includes a contact rib 2112. The contact rib 2112 extends in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, a length of the contact rib 2112 is equal to or slightly less than a size of the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21. A plurality of the contact ribs 2112 may be provided, two adjacent contact ribs 2112 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the heating cylinder 21, the recess 2113 is formed between the two adjacent contact ribs 2112 on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21, the recesses 2113 form grooves extending in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, the recesses 2113 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the heating cylinder 21, and the gas intake channels 31 formed by enclosing the recesses 2113 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 and are also evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the heating cylinder 21, such that the aerosol-generating article 40 and the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 enclose to form a plurality of the gas intake channels 31 that extend in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21 and are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the heating cylinder, which is conductive to reducing flow resistance of the gas flow in the gas intake channels 31, reducing an inhalation resistance of the aerosol-generating apparatus, and facilitating uniform distribution of the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0038] In another embodiment, the contact protruding portion on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 may also include circular dot-shaped protruding portions, and a plurality of the circular dot-shaped protruding portions are provided. Two adjacent circular dot-shaped protruding portions are evenly spaced in the circumferential and axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, and the recess 2113 on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 is formed between the two adjacent circular dot-shaped protruding portions. The recesses 2113 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 enclose to form the gas intake channels 31, such that the gas intake channels 31 can be extended in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, further reducing flow resistance of the gas flow in the gas intake channels 31 and decreasing inhalation resistance.

[0039] In some other embodiments, the contact protruding portion on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 may further include wavy strip-shaped structures or other irregular shapes, as long as the contact protruding portion can contact the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, and the recesses 2113 formed between two adjacent contact protruding portions and the aerosol-generating article 40 enclose to form the gas intake channels 31 in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet 101.

[0040] The side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 are provided with a contact protruding portion and a recess 2113, the contact protruding portion is in heat-conducting contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, and the recess 2113 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 enclose to form the gas intake channels 31. On the one hand, heat from the heating cylinder 21 can be transferred to the aerosol-generating article 40 through direct contact between the contact protruding portion and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, so as to heat the aerosol-generating article 40. On the other hand, when the external cold air flows through the gas intake channel 31, heat is transferred to the gas flow in the gas intake channels 31 to form hot gas flow through the contact between the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 and the gas flow in the gas intake channel 31, to facilitate the subsequent heating of the aerosol-generating article 40 through the hot gas flow to improve heating uniformity of the aerosol-generating article 40. By heating the aerosol-generating article 40 through direct contact heating and hot gas flow heating, the heat utilization rate of the vaporizing heating element 20 is effectively improved, thereby reducing heat loss and lowering energy consumption of the aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0041] In some embodiments, in order to increase the contact area between the aerosol-generating article 40 and the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 and thereby improve heat transfer efficiency between the heating cylinder 21 and the aerosol-generating article 40, the contact protruding portion may be embedded into the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0042] For example, in one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, the contact ribs 2112 have a thickness extending in the circumferential direction of the heating cylinder 21. The thickness of the contact ribs 2112 can be gradually reduced in a radial direction of the heating cylinder 21 from the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 toward the receiving chamber to facilitate embedding of the contact ribs 2112 into the aerosol-generating article 40. On the one hand, the contact area between the contact ribs 2112 and the aerosol-generating article 40 can be increased, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency between the heating cylinder 21 and the aerosol-generating article 40; on the other hand, the contact ribs 2112 can be embedded into the aerosol-generating article 40 to reduce the possibility of the aerosol-generating article 40 detaching from the receiving chamber.

[0043] Further, in one embodiment, the contact ribs may be arranged in a direction from the opening end to the closed end of the heating cylinder 21 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder, the thickness of the contact ribs 2112 may be gradually increased from the opening end of the heating cylinder 21 to the closed end in the axial direction of the heating cylinder, such that the contact ribs 2112 are wedged tightly into the aerosol-generating article 40 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, the contact area between the aerosol-generating article 40 and the heating cylinder 21 is further increased, the heat transfer efficiency is further improved, and the possibility of the aerosol-generating article 40 detaching from the receiving chamber is further reduced.

[0044] In another embodiment, the contact protruding portion may be formed as dot-shaped protruding portions having a shape similar to a cone, and the dot-shaped protruding portions have tips located radially inward in the radial direction of the heating cylinder 21, and the contact protruding portion may be embedded into the aerosol-generating article 40 through the tips of the dot-shaped protruding portions to increase the contact area between the contact protruding portion and the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0045] In order to ensure that the hot gas flow formed in the gas intake channel 31 can heat the aerosol-generating article 40, support protruding portions facing the receiving chamber may be arranged on the bottom wall 212 and / or the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21. The support protruding portions support the aerosol-generating article 40 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, to prevent the aerosol-generating article 40 from contacting the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21, such that a gas intake chamber 32 in fluid communication with the gas intake channel 31 is formed between the aerosol-generating article 40 and the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21, the hot gas flow in the gas intake channel 31 can enter the gas intake chamber 32, and then enter the aerosol-generating article 40 from an axial end of the aerosol-generating article 40 to heat the aerosol-generating article 40. The aerosol generated by heating can exit through the aerosol outlet 101 and be discharged from an opposite end of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0046] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5, the support protruding portions may be arranged on the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21, a plurality of the support protruding portions are provided, two adjacent support protruding portions are spaced apart on the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21 to form a communication gap 2122 between the two adjacent support protruding portions, and the gas intake channel 31 are in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber 32 through the communication gaps 2122.

[0047] For example, in one embodiment, still referring to FIG. 5, each support protruding portion may include support ribs 2121, the support ribs 2121 extend in the radial direction of the heating cylinder 21, and dimensions of the support ribs 2121 in the radial direction of the heating cylinder 21 are smaller than radial dimensions of the receiving chamber, such that the gas intake chamber 32 is formed between the bottom wall 212 and the aerosol-generating article 40 where no support ribs 2121 are provided. The communication gap 2122 is formed between the two adjacent support ribs 2121, and the gas intake channels 31 are in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber 32 through the communication gaps 2122.

[0048] Further, in one embodiment, still referring to FIG. 5, a number of the support ribs 2121 may be set to be equal to a number of the contact ribs 2112, and the support ribs 2121 are connected to the contact ribs 2112 one by one, so as to ensure that the communication gaps 2122 are in direct communication with the gas intake channels 31 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21, which can, on the one hand, reduce the resistance of the hot gas flow entering the gas intake chamber 32 from the gas intake channel 31, thereby lowering the inhalation resistance.

[0049] In another embodiment, the support protruding portions may include cylindrical dot-shaped protruding portions, which are located on the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21 to support an axial end face of the aerosol-generating article 40. One communication gap 2122 are formed between two adjacent cylindrical dot-shaped protruding portions, and the gas intake chamber 32 is also formed between the bottom wall 212 without the cylindrical dot-shaped protruding portions and the aerosol-generating article 40. In this way, the communication gaps 2122 enable communication between the gas intake channels 31 and the gas intake chambers 32.

[0050] Of course, in other embodiments, some of the support protruding portions may be arranged on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21. For example, each support protruding portion includes a support rib 2121; the support ribs 2121 are spaced apart from the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21, and the support ribs 2121 are connected to the contact ribs 2112. One communication gap 2122 is formed between two adjacent support ribs 2121, and the aerosol-generating article 40 is supported through the support ribs 2121 to form the gas intake chamber 32 between the bottom wall 212 of the heating cylinder 21 and the aerosol-generating article 40. The gas intake channel 31 is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber 32 through the communication gaps 2122.

[0051] In the embodiments where the gas intake channel 31 are in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber 32 through the communication gaps 2122 between the two support protruding portions, the hot gas flow in the gas intake channel 31 can enter the gas intake chamber 32 through the communication gaps 2122, then enter the aerosol-generating article 40 from the end of the aerosol-generating article 40 to heat the aerosol-generating article 40, and retain a portion of the hot gas flow through the gas intake chamber 32 to ensure the continuity of aerosol generation of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0052] In one embodiment, the heating element 20 includes a heating member for generating heat; the heating member may be disposed on the side wall 211, the heating member may be any heating component capable of generating heat, such as a heating film, a heating circuit, a heating sheet, or a heating mesh. By way of example, the heating element 20 may include a heating film adhered to an outer circumferential surface of the heating cylinder 21. The heating film generates heat after being energized, and the heat film transfers the heat to the gas flow and the aerosol-generating article 40 through the heating cylinder 21.

[0053] In one embodiment, referring to FIGs. 3-5, the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 or the entire heating cylinder is formed of a conductive ceramic structure, that is, at least a portion of the heating cylinder 21 is made of a conductive ceramic material. The heating cylinder 21 can generate heat when being energized, which facilitates the manufacturing of the heating element 20 and helps ensure structural consistency between the heating element 20 and the entire aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0054] In some embodiments, the heating element 20 includes an external lead wire 22. A positive electrode connection portion (not shown in the figure) and a negative electrode connection portion (not shown in the figure) that are connected to the external lead wire 22 are arranged on the outer circumferential surface or the heating film of the heating cylinder 21. The heating cylinder 21 or the heating film is electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown in the figure) of the apparatus body through the external lead wire 22, so as to control the heating of the heating element 20 through the circuit board.

[0055] In one embodiment, a plurality of the external lead wires 22 may be provided, and a plurality of the electrode connection portion positive and the negative electrode connection portions may be spaced apart on the corresponding heating cylinder 21 or the heating film. By separately controlling the power supply of different external lead wires 22, zoned heating of the heating cylinder 21 or the heating film can be achieved.

[0056] Further, a number of positive electrode connection portions may be two, three, or four or more, the plurality of the positive electrode connection portions are spaced apart in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21. The positive electrode connection portion and the negative electrode connection portions are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21. A number of the external lead wires 22 are equal to a total number of the positive electrode connection portion and the negative electrode connection portions. Each positive electrode connection portion and each negative electrode connection portion are connected to one external lead wire 22. By controlling the power supply between two adjacent positive electrode connection portion and negative electrode connection portion at different position in the axial direction, heating can be achieved in an area between the energized the positive electrode connection portion and the negative electrode connection portion on the heating cylinder 21. Heating of different heating zones can be controlled in sequence in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 21 to ensure continuity of aerosol generation, and help ensure the taste of aerosol at each state of aerosol generation.

[0057] Of course, in other embodiments, one positive electrode connection portion and one negative electrode connection portions may be provided, as long as the heating member 20a can achieve heating to heat the aerosol-generating article 40 and the gas flow.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a structure of the heating element 20 is the same as that of the heating element 20 in any of the foregoing embodiments of the aerosol-generating apparatus, which will not be repeated herein.

[0059] Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an aerosol-generating system. Referring to FIGs. 1-4, the aerosol-generating system includes an aerosol-generating apparatus as described in any of the foregoing embodiments and an aerosol-generating article 40. The aerosol-generating article 40 is a cylindrical rod-shaped structure, and an end portion of the aerosol-generating article 40 containing an aerosol-generating substrate is located in the receiving chamber of the heating cylinder 21. An outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 is in contact with contact protruding portions on the side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21, such that the aerosol-generating article 40 is heated by the contact protruding portions directly contacting the aerosol-generating article 40. In addition, external cold air may enter the gas intake channels 31 formed by side wall 211 of the heating cylinder 21 and the aerosol-generating article 40 from the aerosol outlet 101. The heating cylinder 21 is capable of heating gas flow in the gas intake channels 31 through the side wall 211, thereby forming hot gas flow. The hot gas flow flows through the gas intake channel 31 into the gas intake chamber 32, and then enters an interior of the aerosol-generating article 40 from the end portion of the aerosol-generating article 40, thereby heating the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0060] Some other embodiments of the heating element and the corresponding aerosol-generating apparatus are illustrated in FIGs. 6-9.

[0061] In one embodiment, another aerosol-generating apparatus is provided. Referring to FIG. 6, the aerosol-generating apparatus includes a heating element 22a as described in any of the embodiments below (corresponding to the heating element 20 in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-5).

[0062] In addition, in one embodiment, the aerosol-generating apparatus may further include a bracket assembly 21a, an outer shell 30a, and a power supply assembly 40a, and other structures. The bracket assembly 21a is installed inside the outer shell 30a, and the heating element 22a may be installed inside the bracket assembly 21a. The power supply assembly 40a is configured to supply power to the heating element 22a.

[0063] The bracket assembly 21a may be understood as a combination of related components for installation of the heating element 22a, such as the heat-insulating cylinder 14, the sealing member 12a, the plug 15, and the clamping member 13, in the foregoing embodiments shown in FIGs. 1-5. The outer shell 30a may correspond to the housing 10 described in the foregoing embodiments. That is to say, the combination of the bracket assembly 21a, the outer shell 30a, and the power supply assembly 40a may be understood as the apparatus body described in the foregoing embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that whether the structure is referred to as the apparatus body, or as the bracket assembly 21a, the outer shell 30a, and the power supply assembly 40a, it is merely a different way of expressing or dividing the related structures, the structures and function remains thereof are the same, therefore, which will not be described further herein.

[0064] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGs .7-9, the aerosol-generating apparatus includes a bracket assembly 21a and a heating element 22a. When an aerosol-generating article 40 is inserted into the bracket assembly 21a and the heating element 22a, a gap between the bracket assembly 21a and the aerosol-generating article 40 forms a first gas intake channel 211a. The heating element 22a is mounted on the bracket assembly 21a. A receiving chamber 221 is formed in the heating element 22a, the receiving chamber 221 configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article 40. One end of the receiving chamber 221 is provided with an opening 2211, and the opening 2211 is configured to enable the aerosol-generating article 40 to be inserted into and removed from the receiving chamber 221. When the aerosol-generating article 40 is inserted into the receiving chamber 221, a gap between a chamber wall of the receiving chamber 221 and the aerosol-generating article 40 forms a second gas intake channel 2212 (corresponding to a combination of the gas intake channel 31 and the gas intake chamber 32 described in the foregoing embodiments). Therefore, when the aerosol-generating article 40 is inserted into the receiving chamber 221, external cold air can flow into the heating element 22a through the gap between the aerosol-generating article 40 and the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 221. The second gas intake channel 2212 is in fluid communication with the first gas intake channel 211a and the receiving chamber 221. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13, when a user inhales the aerosol-generating article 40, external gas flow can enter an interior of the aerosol-generating article 40 disposed inside the receiving chamber 221 through the first gas intake channel 211a and the second gas intake channel 2212.

[0065] As shown in FIGs. 8 and 9, the heating element 22a generates heat to heat the gas flow flowing into the heating element 22a, that is, the gas flow in the second gas intake channel 2212 is heated to form hot gas flow, such that the hot gas flow heats the aerosol-generating article 40. The heating element 22a includes a side wall 222 (corresponding to the side wall 211 in the foregoing embodiments) surrounding a periphery side along the opening 2211 and a bottom wall 223 disposed opposite to the opening 2211 (corresponding to the bottom wall 212 in the foregoing embodiments). The side wall 222 may be an annular side wall 222, and the bottom wall 223 and the side wall 222 enclose to form the receiving chamber 221.

[0066] The side wall 222 includes a first contact region 2221 near the opening 2211 and a second contact region 2222 away from the opening 2211, that is, the side wall 222 is sequentially provided with the first contact region 2221 and the second contact region 2222 in an insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0067] When the aerosol-generating article 40 is installed inside the heating element 22a, the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface (also referred to as a side surface) of the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner, that is, the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 is completely non-contact with the aerosol-generating article 40. When the first contact region 2221 is spaced apart from the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner, the second contact region 2222 is in contact with the aerosol-generating article 40; when the second contact region 2222 is spaced apart from the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner, the first contact region 2221 is in contact with the aerosol-generating article 40, a portion of the side wall 222 of the heating element 22a in contact with the aerosol-generating article 40 can limit a position of the aerosol-generating article 40 and is configured to provide contact heat transfer to the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0068] Alternatively, when the aerosol-generating article 40 is installed inside the heating element 22a, both the first contact region 2221 and the second contact region 2222 are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, and a contact area between the first contact region 2221 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 is different from a contact area between the second contact region 2222 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0069] In the heating element 22a of the present disclosure, by configuring that the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 of the side wall 222 of the heating element 22a is completely spaced apart from the aerosol-generating article 40, or that the contact areas between the first contact region 2221 and the second contact region 2222, and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 are different, the heating element 22a can minimize the contact area the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, thereby reducing the possibility that the user inhales unwanted gas.

[0070] When the first contact region 2221 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner, or the contact area of the first contact region 2221 is smaller than the contact area of the second contact region 2222, a small amount of unwanted gas may be generated on a bottom side of the aerosol-generating article 40 due to contact between the second contact region 2222 of the side wall 222 and the aerosol-generating article 40, a position where the unwanted gas is generated is at a relatively long distance from an inhalation location at a top side of the aerosol-generating article 40, the unwanted gas is more easily filtered by a grass leaf-based substrate in the aerosol-generating article 40, thereby reducing the possibility that the user inhales unwanted gas.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the first contact region 2221 has an annular first clearance groove 2221a, the first clearance groove 2221a is configured to make the first contact region 2221 spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner. Specifically, an overall structure of the first contact region 2221 may be farther away from a central axis of the heating element 22a in a radial direction relative to the second contact region 2222, therefore, the annular first clearance groove 2221a is formed on a side of the first contact region 2221 facing the central axis of the heating element 22a. Therefore, a minimum inner diameter of the first contact region 2221 is greater than that of the second contact region 2222.

[0072] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the second contact region 2222 has an annular second clearance groove 2222a, the second clearance groove 2222a is configured to make the second contact region 2222 spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 in a non-contact manner. Specifically, an overall structure of the second contact region 2222 may be farther away from a central axis of the heating element 22a in a radial direction relative to the first contact region 2221, therefore, the annular second clearance groove 2222a is formed on a side of the second contact region 2222 facing the central axis of the heating element 22a. Therefore, a minimum inner diameter of the first contact region 2221 is less than that of the second contact region 2222.

[0073] By configuring the first contact region 2221 as an annular first clearance groove 2221a, or configuring the second contact region 2222 as an annular second clearance groove 2222a, and the aerosol-generating article 40 as a cylindrical structure, the annular first clearance groove 2221a or the annual second clearance groove 2222a may be spaced around an outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article 40, such that a gap is formed between the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 and the aerosol-generating article 40, the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 does not contact the aerosol-generating article 40 at all, preventing the generation of unwanted gases caused by contact between the first contact region 2221 or the second contact region 2222 and the aerosol-generating article 40, and reducing the possibility of the heating element 22a generating the unwanted gas.

[0074] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the contact protruding portion includes a first contact portion 2221b disposed in the first contact region 2221. The first contact portion 2221b is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, and the first contact portion 2221b may be configured to limit a position of the aerosol-generating article 40, and to contact and transfer heat to the aerosol-generating article 40. In order to improve heat transfer efficiency, the heating element 22a may be made of a high thermal conductivity material, such as aluminum alloy, copper, or silicon carbide.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the first contact portion 2221b is a plurality of first protrusions 2221c (corresponding to the contact ribs 2112 described in the foregoing embodiments) arranged in the first contact region 2221 of the side wall 222. The plurality of first protrusions 2221c are spaced apart on the receiving chamber 221 in a circumferential direction, and preferably, the plurality of first protrusions 2221c are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. One end of each first protrusion 2221c near the central axis of the heating element 22a is configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40. Preferably, a contact surface between each first protrusion 2221c and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 is an arc-shaped surface. The arc-shaped surface can better fit the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, such that the first protrusions 2221c and the aerosol-generating article 40 are in surface contact. Compared with point contact, the surface contact helps prevent localized excessive heat generation on the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0076] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the contact protruding portion includes a second contact portion 2222b disposed in the second contact region 2222. The second contact portion 2222b is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, and the second contact portion 2222b may be configured to limit a position of the aerosol-generating article 40, and to contact and transfer heat to the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0077] In one embodiment, the second contact portion 2222b is a plurality of second protrusions 2222c (corresponding to the contact ribs 2112 described in the foregoing embodiments) arranged in the first contact region 2222 of the side wall 222. The plurality of second protrusions 2222c are spaced apart on the receiving chamber 221 in a circumferential direction, and preferably, the plurality of second protrusions 2222c are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. One end of each second protrusion 2222c near the central axis of the heating element 22a is configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40. Preferably, a contact surface between each second protrusion 2222c and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 is an arc-shaped surface. The arc-shaped surface can better fit the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, such that the second protrusions 2222c and the aerosol-generating article 40 are in surface contact. Compared with point contact, the surface contact helps prevent localized excessive heat generation on the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0078] The first protrusions 2221c and / or the second protrusions 2222c may be elongated structures, which that a length extension size is much greater than both a width size and a height size. The elongated structures may extend from a side near the opening 2211 to a side away from the opening 2211.

[0079] In one embodiment, when both the first contact region 2221 and the second contact region 2222 are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, the contact area between the first contact region 2221 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 may be greater than the contact area between the second contact region 2222 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, the contact area between each second protrusion 2222c and the aerosol-generating article 40 is smaller than the contact area of each first protrusion 2221c and the aerosol-generating article 40, or a total contact area between all second protrusions 2222c and the aerosol-generating article 40 is smaller than a total contact area between all first protrusions 2221c and the aerosol-generating article 40; and alternatively, when both the first contact region 2221 and the second contact region 2222 are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, the contact area between the first contact region 2221 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 may be smaller than the contact area between the second contact region 2222 and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, the contact area between each second protrusion 2222c and the aerosol-generating article 40 is greater than the contact area of each first protrusion 2221c and the aerosol-generating article 40, or a total contact area between all second protrusions 2222c and the aerosol-generating article 40 is greater than a total contact area between all first protrusions 2221c and the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0080] As shown in FIGs. 7-9, the second gas intake channel 2212 includes a second channel 2212a and a third channel 2212b. The second channel 2212a is formed by the cooperation between the first contact region 2221 and the aerosol-generating article 40. The third channel 2212b is formed by the cooperation between the second contact region 2222 and the aerosol-generating article 40. A combination of the second channel 2212a and the third channel 2212b corresponds to the gas intake channels 31 described in the foregoing embodiments. When the first contact region 2221 is provided with the first clearance groove 2221a, the second channel 2212a is formed by the cooperation of the first clearance groove 2221a and the aerosol-generating article 40. When the first contact region 2221 is provided with the first contact portion 2221b, the second channel 2212a is formed by the cooperation between the first contact portion 2221b and the aerosol-generating article 40. For example, the second channel 2212a may be formed by a space between adjacent first protrusions 2221c in cooperation with the aerosol-generating article 40. When the second contact region 2222 is provided with the second clearance groove 2222a, the third channel 2212b is formed by the cooperation of the second clearance groove 2222a and the aerosol-generating article 40. When the second contact region 2222 is provided with the second contact portion 2222b, the third channel 2212b is formed by the cooperation between the second contact portion 2222b and the aerosol-generating article 40. For example, the third channel 2212b may be formed by a space between adjacent two second protrusions 2222c in cooperation with the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0081] Gas flow may enter the third channel 2212b downward through the first gas intake channel 211a and the second channel 2212a. The gas flow is preheated into hot gas flow in the second channel 2212a, and the hot gas flow can be further heated upon entering the third channel 2212b.

[0082] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGs. 8 and 9, a support protruding portion 224 (also referred to as a support portion) is arranged on the bottom wall 223 and / or the second contact region 2222 of the side wall 222. The support protruding portion 224 is configured to contact a bottom surface of the aerosol-generating article 40, so as to support the bottom surface of the aerosol-generating article 40. As shown in FIGs. 7-9, the second gas intake channel 2212 further includes a gas intake chamber 2212c. When the aerosol-generating article 40 is inserted into the receiving chamber 221 and abuts against the support protruding portion 224, the gas intake chamber 2212c (also referred to as a first channel) is formed between the bottom wall 223 and the aerosol-generating article 40, and external cold air, after entering a heating element 22a, can flow into the aerosol-generating article 40 through the second channel 2212a, the third channel 2212b, and the gas intake chamber 2212c. The configuration of the gas intake channels can make the hot gas flow not only heated in the second gas intake channel 2212, but also preheat the aerosol-generating article 40 by the hot gas flow, thereby improving energy utilization rate.

[0083] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the heating element 22a includes a heating cylinder 225 (also referred to as a base body) and a heating member 226. The heating cylinder 225 includes a bottom wall 223 and a side wall 222. The heating member 226 may also be disposed on the bottom wall 223 of the heating cylinder 225 to heat the gas flow in the gas intake chamber 2212c. By disposing the heating element on the bottom wall 223 of the heating cylinder 225, it is ensured that the hot gas flow reaches a required temperature before entering the aerosol-generating article 40, such that the hot gas flow can fully heat the aerosol-generating article 40. The heating member 226 may be, for example, a heating film, a heating mesh, a heating sheet, a heating circuit, and a heating wire, and the present disclosure does not limit the form of the heating member 226.

[0084] Some further embodiments of the heating element may refer to FIGs. 11 and 12.

[0085] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGs. 11 and 12, the heating element 100 includes a heating cylinder 110 (also referred to as a heat-conducting base) and a heating member 120 (also referred to as a heating assembly) disposed on the heating cylinder 110.

[0086] Referring to FIGs. 11 and 12, the heating cylinder 110 may be understood as a structural member capable of heating a heating segment of an aerosol-generating article (also referred to as an aerosol-generating substrate). The heating segment of the aerosol-generating article refers to a portion of the aerosol substrate that contains an aerosol-generating material and is capable of generating aerosol. The heating cylinder 110 has a receiving chamber 111 (also referred to as a heating chamber) and an opening 112 (also referred to as a mounting port). The receiving chamber 111 is configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article, and the opening 112 is configured to allow the aerosol-generating article to be inserted into the receiving chamber 111.

[0087] In some embodiments, the heating cylinder 110 may be made of aluminum alloy, copper, aluminum nitride, or other high thermal conductivity materials, so as to better transfer heat generated by the heating member 120 to the aerosol-generating article. The specification of the receiving chamber 111 may be configured to match the heating segment of the aerosol-generating article, and the opening 112 allows the heating segment of the aerosol-generating article to be inserted into the receiving chamber 111. In other embodiments, the receiving chamber 111 may also be configured to allow other portions of the aerosol-generating article to be inserted.

[0088] In order to solve the problem of excessively high aerosol temperature generated by heating the aerosol-generating article, referring to FIGs. 11 and 12, the heating cylinder 110 is provided with a first heating zone and a second heating zone in the insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article. The heating member 120 includes a first heating member 121a and a second heating member 122. The first heating member 121a is disposed in the first heating zone of the heating cylinder 110, and the second heating member 122 is disposed in the second heating zone of the heating cylinder 110. That is, the first heating zone is heated by the first heating member 121a, and the second heating zone is heated by the second heating member 122, forming a zoned heating structure. In addition, the heating cylinder 110 has a gas intake channel 113 for enabling the gas flow to enter the aerosol-generating article after passing through the first heating zone and the second heating zone in sequence. By way of example, the gas intake channel 113 includes at least one gas flow groove 1131. The gas flow groove 1131 is formed on a chamber wall of the receiving chamber 111 and is in fluid communication with the opening 112. The gas flow groove 1131 is configured to enabling the gas flow to enter the aerosol-generating article after passing through the first heating zone and the second heating zone in sequence.

[0089] In this way, a plurality of options can be provided for heating to generate hot gas flow, which is convenient for application according to different usage requirements. For example, during a preheating stage of the aerosol-generating article, heating is primarily performed by the first heating member 121a to rapidly generate aerosol. After heating for a period of time, the second heating member 122 serves as a primary heating source, such that aerosol generated in a region of the aerosol-generating article corresponding to the second heating member 122 needs to pass through a region of the aerosol-generating article corresponding to the first heating member 121a before being discharged, which helps reduce a discharge temperature of the aerosol and solve the problem of an excessively high aerosol temperature, thereby preventing the user from being scalded by the aerosol or a mouthpiece during inhalation. It also facilitates thorough heating of the aerosol-generating substrate in the aerosol-generating article, thereby improving the effect of aerosol generation.

[0090] By way of example, referring to FIGs. 11-12, the first heating zone is disposed on a side of the heating cylinder 110 near the opening 112, the second heating zone is disposed on a side of the heating cylinder 110 away from the opening 112, and the second heating zone and the first heating zone are spaced apart from each other.

[0091] A plurality of the gas flow grooves 1131 are spaced on an inner wall of the receiving chamber 111 in a circumferential direction of the receiving chamber 111, and the gas flow grooves 1131 are arranged in an axial direction of the receiving chamber 111. Each gas flow groove has a portion located in the first heating zone and another portion located in the second heating zone. The gas flow grooves 1131 are in fluid communication with the opening 112, that is, the opening 112 also serves as a gas flow inlet of the gas flow grooves 1131, such that the gas flow enters the gas flow grooves 1131 and pass through the first heating zone and the second heating zone in sequence.

[0092] It can be understood that portions of the gas flow grooves 1131 located on a chamber side wall of the receiving chamber 111 correspond to recessed regions on a side wall of the heating cylinder 110, and regions between adjacent recessed regions correspond to the contact protruding portions on the side wall of the heating cylinder 110.

[0093] In other embodiments, the gas flow grooves 1131 may be arranged in other ways, such as being arranged in a spiral shape to pass through both the first heating zone and the second heating zone, as long as the configuration can meet the usage and design requirements. For the gas flow inlets of the gas flow grooves 1131, a gas intake port in fluid communication with the gas flow grooves 1131 may be formed on in the heating cylinder 110 as a gas flow inlet, and the gas intake port may be disposed in the first heating zone or on a side of the first heating zone away from the second heating zone.

[0094] In order to enable the hot gas flow in the gas flow grooves 1131 to enter the aerosol-generating article, in one embodiment, referring to FIG. 12, a support protruding portion 114 (also referred to as a support protrusion) is formed at an end of the receiving chamber 111 away from the opening 112. The support protruding portion 114 is configured to support an end face of the aerosol-generating article, and a gas intake chamber 1132 (also referred to as a gas intake gap) is formed between the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 111 away from the opening 112 and the aerosol-generating article. The gas intake chamber 1132 is in fluid communication with the gas flow grooves 1131, such that the hot gas flow heated in the gas flow grooves 1131 can flow through the gas intake chamber 1132 and enter the aerosol-generating article.

[0095] By way of example, referring to FIG. 12, the support protruding portions 114 are arranged at a junction between a peripheral wall and an end wall of the receiving chamber 111. It can be understood that the support protruding portions 114 are arranged on the peripheral wall of the receiving chamber 111, a plurality of the support protruding portions 114 are arranged, and each of the support protruding portions corresponds to the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 111 located between the gas flow grooves 1131, and the support protruding portions 114 jointly provide circumferential support to the aerosol-generating article in the receiving chamber 111, facilitating stable fixation of the aerosol-generating article in the receiving chamber 111. The peripheral wall of the receiving chamber 111 corresponds to an inner surface of the side wall 211 in the foregoing embodiments corresponding to FIGs. 1-5, and the end wall of the receiving chamber 111 corresponds to an inner surface of the bottom wall 212 in the foregoing embodiments corresponding to FIGs. 1-5.

[0096] In other examples, a number, shape, and position of the support protruding portions 114 may be adjusted flexibly according to the usage requirements, so long as a position of the aerosol-generating article can be limited in such a way that a gas intake chamber 1132 is formed between the end face of the aerosol-generating substrate and the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 111 away from the opening 112.

[0097] In one embodiment, the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 are both resistive heating elements, and the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 are connected in parallel. The use of resistive heating elements enables the adjustment of heating power by controlling an input current, and the connection in parallel of the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 enables independent operation or simultaneous operation of the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122, thereby improving the heating flexibility.

[0098] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 11, the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 are resistive heating circuits, which not only offer high energy density, are convenient for heating, but also allow for ease of integration. By way of example, both the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 are arranged in an arc shape on the outer circumferential wall of the heating cylinder 110. In other embodiments, the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 may also be arranged inside the heating cylinder 110 or on the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 111.

[0099] When the resistive heating circuit is adopted, in some embodiments, the resistive heating circuit fabricated using thick-film printing may be used. The resistive heating circuit fabricated using the thick-film printing can adapt to a surface profile of the heating cylinder 110, is tolerant of high temperatures and is highly compatible with the heating requirements of the heating element 100. By way of example, the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 may be thick-film resistive heating circuit printed onto a metal substrate, a material of the printed substrate of the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 may be metal, but surfaces of the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 need to be provided with an insulating layer, that is, the heating cylinder 110 may be made of a metal material having an insulating layer on a surface. The first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 may be resistive heating circuits fabricated by the ceramic thick-film printing, and a material of the printed substrate of the first heating-generating element 121 and the second heating-generating element 122 may be made of ceramic.

[0100] In other embodiments, the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 may also be electric heating wires, resistance wires, electric heating tubes, or other resistive heating members.

[0101] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 11, the heating cylinder 110 is provided with a first electrical contact 123, a second electrical contact 124, and a third electrical contact 125. The first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 each have two electrical terminals. The two electrical terminals of the first heating member 121a are electrically connected to the first electrical contact 123 and the third electrical contact 125, respectively, the two electrical terminals of the second heating member 122 are electrically connected to the second electrical contact 124 and the third electrical contact 125, respectively, the first electrical contact 123 and the second electrical contact 124 are configured to be electrically connected to a same electrode of an external power supply, and the third electrical contact 125 is configured to be electrically connected to the other electrode of the external power supply. The first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122 share the third electrical contact 125, thereby saving materials and reducing costs while achieving a parallel connection.

[0102] By way of example, referring to FIG. 11, the first electrical contact 123, the second electrical contact 124, and the third electrical contact 125 are all pads, and are arranged on a portion of the heating cylinder 110 located between the first heating member 121a and the second heating member 122. Each pad is connected to the corresponding first heating member 121a or the second heating member 122 through a conductor, and the conductor may be made of silver, copper, or other conductive materials.

[0103] Some further embodiments of the heating element may refer to FIGs. 13-18.

[0104] In one embodiment, referring to FIGs. 13-18, a heating element (also referred to as a heating structure) is provided, including a heating cylinder 10b (also referred to as a heat-conducting cylinder), and a heating member 20a (also referred to as a heating member).

[0105] Referring to FIGs. 13-16, an inner chamber of the heating cylinder 10b (corresponding to the receiving chamber in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5) is configured to accommodate an aerosol-generating article (also referred to as an aerosol-generating substrate). An inner wall of the heating cylinder 10b is provided with contact protruding portions 141a (also referred to as first protruding portions), and a recessed structure is formed between adjacent contact protruding portions 141a (corresponding to the recesses in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5). A bottom wall 11a (also referred to as a cylinder bottom) of the heating cylinder 10b is provided with support protrusions 142 (also referred to as second protrusions). The contact protruding portions 141a are configured to form a gas intake channel (also referred to as a first gas flow channel) between a side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b and the aerosol-generating article. The support protrusions 142 are configured to form a gas intake chamber (also referred to as a second gas flow channel) between a bottom wall 11a and the aerosol-generating article. The gas intake channel is in fluid communication with an external environment and the gas intake chamber, respectively.

[0106] The side wall 12 (also referred to as a cylinder body) of the heating cylinder 10b is provided with a first region 101b and a second region 102 in an axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b. The first region 101b is located on a side away from the bottom wall 11a, and the second region 102 is located on a side near the bottom wall 11a. The heating member 20a is fixed to the side wall 12 in the second region 102. For example, the heating member 20a may be fixed to the side wall 12 using thick-film printing.

[0107] The thick-film printing may be a metal thick-film printing or a ceramic thick-film printing. The heating member 20a is configured to generate heat after being energized and to transfer the generated heat to the heating cylinder 10b. After receiving the heat, the heating cylinder 10b, on the one hand, may directly heat a side wall of the aerosol-generating article 40, and on the other hand, may heat gas flow passing through the gas intake channel, such that the heated gas flow flows into an interior of the aerosol-generating article 40 through the gas intake chamber, thereby indirectly heating the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0108] In the heating element in the foregoing embodiments, when the aerosol-generating article 40 is inhaled, external cold air can pass through the gas intake channel and the gas intake chamber in sequence, and then enter the aerosol-generating article 40 from a bottom of the aerosol-generating article 40. The gas flow channel formed by the heating element (a general term of the gas intake channel and the gas intake chamber) is a gas flow channel formed inside the heating cylinder 10b. When the gas flow channel is formed inside the heating cylinder 10b, a gas flow path can be shortened or simplified, which helps reduce power consumption and improve the energy utilization rate of the heating element. The side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b is provided with the first region 101b and the second region 102. The heating member 20a is fixed to the side wall 12 in the second region 102, that is, the heating member 20a provides heat to the heating cylinder 10b at a localized position, thereby controlling heat delivered to the aerosol-generating article 40 to solve the problem of burning mount.

[0109] The first region 101b is located on the side away from the bottom wall 11a, and the second region 102 is located on the side near the bottom wall 11a. In this way, the heating member 20a is located relatively near a bottom side of the aerosol-generating article 40. When a bottom segment of the aerosol-generating article 40 is heated, water vapor generated in the aerosol-generating article 40 can continue to flow toward a top side of the aerosol-generating article 40, such that the temperature will be reduced to some extent during the flow, a cooling effect is achieved and the problem of burning mouth is alleviated.

[0110] After the bottom segment of the aerosol-generating article 40 is heated to release aerosol, a segment of the aerosol-generating article 40 near a top, which has not been heated or not been fully heated, can filter the aerosol released from the bottom segment of the aerosol-generating article 40, such that final aerosol released from the top of the aerosol-generating article 40 contains few impurities and particulate matter, and a taste of inhaling aerosol is improved.

[0111] When heating the aerosol-generating article 40, the heating element heats the aerosol-generating article 40 gradually from the bottom upward, enabling the aerosol-generating article 40 to continuously release the aerosol, and avoiding the problem that the aerosol-generating article 40 is heated in an integral manner but the aerosol release is exhausted after only a few puffs. The heating member 20a is located in the second region 102 of the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b near the bottom wall 11a. Since an area of the heating member 20a is reduced, and the heating member 20a is located farther from a cylinder opening 13a, heat transfer from the heating cylinder 10b to an external environment can be reduced, and heat loss can also be decreased.

[0112] It should be noted that the bottom of the aerosol-generating article 40 refers to an end face located near the bottom wall 11a of the aerosol-generating article 40, and the top of the aerosol-generating article 40 refers to an end face located outside the heating element and far away from the bottom wall 11a. The user inhales the aerosol from the top of the aerosol-generating article 40. When the aerosol-generating article 40 is heated by the heating element, the aerosol released from the bottom segment of the aerosol-generating article 40 will continue to flow toward the top side as the user inhales.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 16, the first region 101b and the second region 102 arranged on the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b are regions having a same or similar areas. Specifically, for example, the first region 101b may correspond to a region formed by an upper half of the side wall 12, and the second region 102 may correspond to a region formed by a lower half of the side wall 12, and the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b is unfolded into a rectangular shape. When the side wall 12 is unfolded, both the first region 101b and the second region 102 are also rectangular. A length of the first region 101b and a length of the second region 102 are approximately equal to a length of the unfolded side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b, and a sum of widths of the first region 101b and the second region 102 is approximately equal to a width of the unfolded side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b. Length mentioned herein refers to dimensions in a horizontal direction, and width refers to dimensions in a vertical direction. In other embodiments, proportions occupied by the first region 101b and the second region 102 on the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b may also be different. For example, the first region 101b may occupy 3 / 4 of a circumferential surface area of the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b, and the second region 102 may occupy 1 / 4 of the circumferential surface area of the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b. The specific area or shape of the first region 101b and the second region 102 on the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b is not limited herein, but can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0114] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the contact protruding portions 141a are strip-shaped protrusions on the inner wall of the heating cylinder 10b, and the support protrusions 142 may be block-shaped, strip-shaped, or other protruding structures. The contact protruding portion 141 extends to the support protrusions 142 in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b. Each contact protruding portion 141 and each support protrusion 142 are integrally connected to form an L-shaped support strip 14. A plurality of the L-shaped support strips 14a are arranged inside the heating cylinder 10b, and the plurality of the L-shaped support strips 14a are arranged in an array about an axis of the heating cylinder 10b. A gas flow groove 15 is formed between adjacent L-shaped support strips 14a, and the plurality of the L-shaped support strips 14a correspondingly form a plurality of the gas flow grooves 15a distributed in an array about the axis of the heating cylinder 10b.

[0115] When the user inhales the aerosol-generating article 40, external gas flow flows through the gas flow grooves 15a between the inner wall of the heating cylinder 10b and the aerosol-generating article 40 into the gas flow grooves 15a between the bottom wall 11a and the bottom of the aerosol-generating article 40, and then flows from the bottom of the aerosol-generating article 40 to the top of the aerosol-generating article 40. In other embodiments, the contact protruding portion 141 and the support protrusion 142 may be two relatively independent components. A number of the contact protruding portions 141a and a number of the support protrusions 142 may be the same or different, a shape of the contact protruding portions 141a and a shape of the support protrusions 142 may be the same or different. No specific limitation is made herein, as long as the contact protruding portion 141 and the support protrusion 142 can implement their respective functions.

[0116] In some embodiments, a single heating member 20a is provided, and the heating member 20a forms at least one layer of heating ring in a circumferential direction of the side wall 12. The heating member 20a may be in the form of a sheet, a mesh, or a wire. A sheet-shaped resistive heating circuit is taken as an example to describe specific layout of the heating member 20a. The heating member 20a may be spirally distributed and fixed on a circumferential surface of the side wall 12, or bent and distributed on the circumferential surface of the side wall 12. The heating rings formed by the heating member 20a may be one layer, two layers, or three layers, which can be set according to actual needs.

[0117] Specifically, the heating member 20a forms one layer of heating ring in the circumferential direction of the side wall 12, and connecting electrodes 21 is fixed to opposite ends of the heating member 20a in the circumferential direction of the side wall12, and the connecting electrodes 21 are configured to be electrically connected to a power supply. In this case, either of the two connecting electrodes 21 on the heating member 20a may be configured to be electrically connected to a positive electrode of the power supply through a lead wire, the other of the two connecting electrodes 21 on the heating member 20a may be configured to be electrically connected to a negative electrode of the power supply through a lead wire. A shape of the side wall 12 of the heating cylinder 10b is adapted to a shape of the aerosol-generating article 40. Taking a cylindrical aerosol-generating article 40 as an example, the heating cylinder 10b is also cylindrical. The heating ring formed by the heating member 20a on the circumferential surface of the side wall 12 is approximately a complete annular structure. However, since the two ends of the heating member 20a need to be electrically connected to the connecting electrodes 21, the heating member 20a cannot form a completed annual structure. When the heating member 20a forms one layer of heating ring in the circumferential direction of the side wall 12, a structure of the heating member 20a is simple and easy to manufacture, and the heating member 20a has a small heating area, which is not prone to burning mouth.

[0118] More specifically, a connecting member 22a is arranged between the heating member 20a and the connecting electrode 21b. The connecting members 22a and the connecting electrodes 21 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and each connecting member 22a is connected to both the heating member 20a and the connecting electrode 21b in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b. When no connecting member 22a is provided, and an end of the heating member 20a is directly connected to the connecting electrode 21b, for example, the end of the heating member 20a overlaps the connecting electrode 21b, a temperature at an overlapping region of the heating member 20a and the connecting electrode 21b may decrease, therefore, it is impossible to provide a relatively uniform heating at different positions on the circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 at the same axial location. For another example, when the connecting electrode 21b is directly connected to an end edge of the heating member 20a in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b, current may follow a shortest path, which will cause the current to fail to flow through and heat some segment at the end of the heating member 20a, therefore, it is impossible to provide a relatively uniform heating at different positions on the circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 at the same axial location. When the connecting member 22a is arranged between the heating member 20a and the connecting electrode 21b, the connecting member 22a is electrically connected to both the end edge of the heating member 20a and the connecting electrode 21b in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b, in which case, the connecting member 22a serves as a lead wire, such that the current flows through the entire heating member 20a as much as possible to ensuring the heating effect of the heating element. Specifically, the connecting member 22a is a silver paste layer, in this way, the connecting member 22a has a very low resistance and generates very little heat, thereby minimizing the impact on a temperature field inside the heating cylinder 10b.

[0119] Preferably, either of the two connecting members 22a is configured to enable the current to flow into the heating member 20a from the end edge of the heating member 20a through the connecting electrode 21b, and the other of the two connecting members 22a is configured to enable the current on the heating member 20a flow to the connecting electrode 21b from the end edge. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the heating member 20a, the connecting electrode 21b, and the connecting member 22a are all in the form of rectangular sheet. Taking the region marked "A" with a dashed box in FIG. 16 as an example, edges on left sides of the heating member 20a, the connecting electrode 21b, and the connecting member 22a may be aligned, such that the current in the connecting electrode 21b may flow to the heating member 20a from the left edge of the heating member 20a through the connecting member 22a, or the current in the heating member 20a may flow to the connecting electrode 21b from the left edge of the heating member 20a. In this way, the current can flow through the entire heating member 20a, and the entire heating member 20a can generate heat uniformly and to provide a relatively uniform heating at different positions on the circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 at the same axial location. Specific shapes and positions of the heating member 20a, the connecting electrode 21b, and the connecting member 22a described herein are merely for illustrative purposes to help better understanding of the technical solutions and technical effects of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0120] In some embodiments, a plurality of the heating members 20 are provided, and the plurality of the heating members 20 are connected in parallel. When the plurality of the heating members 20 are connected in parallel, it is easier to control them flexibly, the heating members 20 can be controlled flexibly, such that various heating modes can be provided to produce better heating effect in combination with the heating requirements of the aerosol-generating article 40.

[0121] Specifically, the plurality of the heating members 20 are distributed in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b, and the heating members 20 form at least one layer of heating ring in the circumferential direction of the side wall 12. The plurality of the heating members 20 are distributed in the axial direction of the heating cylinder 10b, and the heating members 20 are in the form of heating rings on the side wall 12, it is possible to ensure uniform heating effect in different positions of the circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 40 in the same axial direction. In addition, the aerosol-generating article 40 can be heated more accurately in the axial direction heating cylinder 10b.

[0122] More specifically, two heating members 20 are provided. For ease of description, any one of the two heating members 20 is referred to as a first heating member 201, and the other of the two heating members 20 is referred to as a second heating member 202. A number of heating rings formed by the first heating member 201 and the second heating member 202 may be the same or different. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the first heating member 201 is bent on the circumferential surface of the side wall 12 to form two layers of heating rings, and the second heating member 202 is bent on the circumferential surface of the side wall 12 to form one layer of heating ring. Ends of the first heating member 201 and the second heating member 202 that are far from each other are respectively provided with a connecting electrode 21b, and ends of the first heating member 201 and the second heating member 202 that are near each other are provided with a common electrode 23, in which case, the connecting electrode 21b is configured to be electrically connected to either the positive electrode or the negative terminal of the power supply, and the common electrode 23 is configured to be electrically connected to the other of the positive electrode or the negative terminal of the power supply of the power supply.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 18, more preferably, in one embodiment, a mounting groove 16 is formed on the side wall 12 in the second region 102, and the heating member 20a is fixed in the mounting groove 16. When the heating member 20a has a heating ring structure, the mounting groove 16 is an annular mounting groove. By arranging the mounting groove 16 on the side wall 12 in the second region 102, it may, on the one hand, reduce a thickness of the side wall 12 in the region, such that the heat generated by the heating member 20a is more concentrated on the side wall 12 in the second region 102 to heat the bottom segment of the aerosol-generating article 40. On the other hand, a mounting position of the heating member 20a is clearly defined by the mounting groove 16, facilitating the consistency of the heating elements produced in a batch.

[0124] In order to ensure the thermal conductivity effect of the heating cylinder 10b, a thermal conductivity of the heating cylinder 10b is not less than 10 W / (m•K). When the heating cylinder 10b needs a higher rate of heat transfer, a material with higher thermal conductivity may be selected, such as aluminum alloys, copper, and aluminum nitride.

[0125] For the heating element in the embodiments of the present disclosure described above, a gas flow channel is formed inside the heating cylinder 10b, such that the gas flow in the heating element follows a relatively short path, which helps reduce power consumption and improve the energy efficiency of the heating element. In addition, since the gas flow channel is formed in the heating cylinder 10b, it is convenient to clean the heating element, that is, cleaning only requires removal of the aerosol-generating article 40 to clean the interior of the heating cylinder 10b. The heating member 20a is fixed to the side wall 12 near the second region 102 of the bottom wall 11a. Since the heating member 20a is located in a lower segment of the heating cylinder 10b and is far from the cylinder opening 13a of the heating cylinder 10b, the heat transferred from the heating cylinder 10b to the external environment can be reduced, and heat loss is thus minimized. The lower segment of the heating cylinder 10b corresponds to a lower segment of the aerosol-generating article 40 (that is, a segment near the bottom of the aerosol-generating article 40), the aerosol-generating article 40 can be heated to ensure the release of aerosol, avoiding the problem of burning mouth due to excessive heating area.

[0126] Some further embodiments of the aerosol-generating apparatus are illustrated in FIGs. 19-21.

[0127] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 19, an aerosol-generating apparatus 100a is provided, which includes a vaporizing device 101a, a housing 102a (also referred to as an outer shell, corresponding to the housing 10 in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5), and a power supply assembly 103. The vaporizing device 101a and the power supply assembly 103 are both arranged in the housing 102a. The power supply assembly 103 is configured to supply power to the vaporizing device 101a. An aerosol-generating article 40 is placed in the vaporizing device 101a. When being energized, the vaporizing device 101a heats the aerosol-generating article 40 to generate aerosol.

[0128] Referring to FIGs. 19 and 20, the vaporizing device 101a includes a mounting base 10a, a heating element 20, and a reflective heat-insulating layer 30. The heating element 20 is disposed inside the mounting base 10a, and the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is disposed between the heating element 20 and the mounting base 10a, and surrounds an outer surface of the heating element 20. The power supply assembly 103 is configured to supply power to the heating element 20.

[0129] By adopting the above technical solution, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is disposed between the mounting base 10a and the heating element 20, and the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is configured to surround the outer surface of the heating element 20, such that the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 can reflect heat radiation emitted by the heating element 20 after the heating element 20 is energized, thereby preventing heat generated by the heating element 20 from being transferred to the mounting base 10a. The reflective heat-insulating layer 30 does not retain heat itself, exhibits good heat insulation effect, and is cost-effective and space-saving. Therefore, the vaporizing device 101a provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure has good heat insulation effect, and is cost-effective and space-saving.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 21, the mounting base 10a includes a sleeve 11b and a base 12b (corresponding to the plug 15 in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5). The base 12b is sealingly connected to one end of the sleeve 11b, and is enclosed together with the sleeve 11b to form a receiving space 13b, the other end of the sleeve 11b is provided with a port 14b that is in fluid communication with the receiving space 13b, and the heating element 20 is disposed in the receiving space 13b. The sleeve 11b is sleeved on a periphery of the heating element 20, an opening 212b of the heating element 20 is arranged to face away from the base 12b, that is, the opening 212b of the heating element 20 is arranged facing the port 14b, and corresponds to the port 14b. The aerosol-generating article 40 may be inserted into a receiving chamber 211b through the port 14b and the opening 212b in sequence.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 21, the vaporizing device 101a further includes a connecting assembly 40b. The connecting assembly 40b is connected between the mounting base 10a and one end of the heating element 20 having the opening 212b, such that the heating element 20 is suspended inside the mounting base 10a. A gap 50 is formed between the heating element 20 and the mounting base 10a. Specifically, the connecting assembly 40b is connected between an inner wall of the sleeve 11b and an end of the heating cylinder 21 having the opening 212b. In this way, on the one hand, a contact area between the heating cylinder 21 and the mounting base 10a is reduced, thereby reducing heat energy loss; on the other hand, the gap 50 is formed between the heating cylinder 21 and the mounting base 10a, and the gap 50 is filled with gas, such that the heat energy loss is further reduced due to poor thermal conductivity of the gas.

[0132] In one embodiment, a width of the gap 50 is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm. In specific implementation, the width of the gap 50 may be set to 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.5 mm, and the like.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 21, the sleeve 11b includes a first cylinder body 111a (corresponding to the sealing member 12a in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5) and a second cylinder body 112a (corresponding to the heat-insulating cylinder 14 in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5) that are coaxially arranged. The first cylinder body 111a and the base 12b are connected to opposite ends of the second cylinder body 112a, respectively. The connecting assembly 40b includes a first connecting member 41 (corresponding to the portion of the sealing member 12a that extends into the heat-insulating cylinder 14 in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5) and a second connecting member 42 (corresponding to the supporting arm 141 in the foregoing embodiments illustrated in FIGs. 1-5). The first connecting member 41 is connected to one end or an inner side of the first cylinder body 111a and extends into the second cylinder body 112a. The second connecting member 42 is connected to one end or an inner side of the second cylinder body 112a. The heating element 20 is connected between the first connecting member 41 and the second connecting member 42, and is suspended inside the second cylinder body 112a. The suspended configuration of the heating element 20 is conducive to reducing heat energy loss. In specific implementation, the end of the heating cylinder 21 having the opening 212b is connected between the first connecting member 41 and the second connecting member 42.

[0134] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 21-22, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is coated on an inner surface of the mounting base 10a. More specifically, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is coated on the inner side of the second cylinder body 112a and the side of the base 12b facing the accommodating space 13b. Of course, in specific application, as one alternative embodiment, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 may also be coated on an outer surface of the heating element 20. It should be noted that in this alternative embodiment, the heating member is sandwiched between the heating cylinder and the reflective heat-insulating layer. As another alternative embodiment, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 may be coated on both the inner surface of the mounting base 10a and the outer surface of the heating element 20, or the gap 50 between the heating element 20 and the mounting base 10a may be omitted, with the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 sandwiched between the heating element 20 and the mounting base 10a.

[0135] In one embodiment, a thickness of the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is less than or equal to 0.2 mm, thereby saving material and reducing costs. Specifically, the thickness of the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 may be 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.2 mm, and the like.

[0136] In one embodiment, the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 is a reflective heat-insulating film made of a low-emissivity material, to improve the performance of the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 in reflecting thermal radiation. The reflective heat heat-insulating layer 30 includes any one of an aluminum layer, a silver layer, a stainless steel layer, or a ceramic layer.

[0137] By arranging the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 between the heating element 20 and the mounting base 10a and configuring the reflective heat-insulating layer 30 to surround the outer surface of the heating element 20, the aerosol-generating apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is conducive to improving the heat insulation effect of the aerosol-generating apparatus 100a, reducing the cost of the aerosol-generating apparatus 100a, and avoiding an excessive volume of the aerosol-generating apparatus 100a.

Claims

1. A heating element, comprising: a heating cylinder, wherein the heating cylinder has one end open and the other end closed, a side wall and a bottom wall of the heating cylinder enclose to form a receiving chamber, the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with an aerosol outlet, and the receiving chamber is configured to accommodate an aerosol-generating article; a heating member, wherein the heating member is disposed on the side wall; a support protruding portion facing the receiving chamber is arranged on the bottom wall or the side wall; and the support protruding portion is configured to support the aerosol-generating article, thereby forming a gas intake chamber between the aerosol-generating article and the bottom wall; and the side wall is provided with a contact protruding portion and a recessed portion; and the contact protruding portion is arranged facing the receiving chamber, the contact protruding portion is configured to be in heat-conducting contact with an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the recessed portion is configured to form a gas intake channel together with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, and the aerosol outlet is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber through the gas intake channel.

2. The heating element according to claim 1, wherein the side wall is sequentially provided with a first contact region and a second contact region in an insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article; and the first contact region or the second contact region is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner, or a contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is different from a contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

3. The heating element according to claim 2, wherein the first contact region has an annular first clearance groove, and the first clearance groove is configured to make the first contact region spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner; and a minimum inner diameter of the first contact region is greater than a minimum inner diameter of the second contact region; or the second contact region has an annular second clearance groove, and the second clearance groove is configured to make the second contact region spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article in a non-contact manner; and the minimum inner diameter of the second contact region is greater than the minimum inner diameter of the first contact region.

4. The heating element according to claim 2, wherein the contact protruding portion comprises a first contact portion disposed in the first contact region, the first contact portion is a plurality of first protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the first contact region, and the plurality of first protrusions are spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the receiving chamber; and the first protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

5. The heating element according to claim 2, wherein the contact protruding portion comprises a second contact portion disposed in the second contact region, the second contact portion is a plurality of second protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the second contact region, and the plurality of second protrusions are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the receiving chamber; and the second protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article.

6. The heating element according to claim 5, wherein the contact protruding portion further comprises a first contact portion disposed in the first contact region, the first contact portion is a plurality of first protrusions arranged on an inner wall of the first contact region, and the plurality of first protrusions are spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the receiving chamber; and the first protrusions are configured to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article; a contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is greater than a contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, a contact area between each second protrusion and the aerosol-generating article is smaller than a contact area between each first protrusion and the aerosol-generating article, or a total contact area between all second protrusions and the aerosol-generating article is smaller than a total contact area between all first protrusions and the aerosol-generating article; or the contact area between the first contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article is smaller than the contact area between the second contact region and the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article, the contact area between each second protrusion and the aerosol-generating article is greater than the contact area between each first protrusion and the aerosol-generating article, or a total contact area between all second protrusions and the aerosol-generating article is greater than the total contact area between all first protrusions and the aerosol-generating article.

7. The heating element according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the side wall is provided with a first heating zone and a second heating zone in the insertion direction of the aerosol-generating article, and the gas intake channel is configured to enable gas flow to enter the aerosol-generating article after passing through the first heating zone and the second heating zone in sequence; and the heating member comprises a first heating member and a second heating member, the first heating member is disposed in the first heating zone of the heating cylinder, and the second heating member is disposed in the second heating zone of the heating cylinder.

8. The heating element according to claim 7, wherein the first heating member and the second heating member are both resistive heating elements, and the first heating member and the second heating member are connected in parallel.

9. The heating element according to claim 8, wherein the side wall is provided with a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, and a third electrical contact; the first heating member and the second heating member each have two electrical terminals; the two electrical terminals of the first heating member are electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the third electrical contact, respectively, the two electrical terminals of the second heating member are electrically connected to the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact, respectively, the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are configured to be electrically connected to a same electrode of an external power supply, and the third electrical contact is configured to be electrically connected to the other electrode of the external power supply.

10. The heating element according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the bottom wall is provided with a support protruding portion facing the receiving chamber; the side wall is provided with a first region and a second region in an axial direction of the heating cylinder; the first region is located on a side away from the bottom wall, and the second region is located on a side near the bottom wall; and the heating member is fixed to the side wall in the second region.

11. The heating element according to claim 10, wherein one or a plurality of the heating members are provided, and the heating members form at least one layer of heating ring in a circumferential direction of the side wall; and when the plurality of the heating members are provided, and the plurality of the heating members are connected in parallel, and the plurality of the heating members are distributed in the axial direction of the heating cylinder.

12. The heating element according to claim 11, wherein one heating member is provided, and the heating member forms one layer of heating ring in the circumferential direction of the side wall; and connecting electrodes are respectively fixed to opposite ends of the heating member in the circumferential direction of the side wall, and the connecting electrodes are configured to be electrically connected to a power supply.

13. The heating element according to claim 12, wherein connecting members are arranged between the heating member and the connecting electrode, the connecting members and the connecting electrodes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the connecting members are connected to both the heating member and the connecting electrodes in the axial direction of the heating cylinder; and either of the two connecting members is configured to enable current to flow into the heating member from an end edge of the heating member through the connecting electrodes, and the other of the two connecting members is configured to enable the current on the heating member to flow to the connecting electrodes from the end edge.

14. An aerosol-generating apparatus, comprising: an apparatus body having an aerosol outlet into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted; and the heating element of any one of the claims 1-13, wherein the heating element is installed in the apparatus body, the bottom wall is spaced apart from the apparatus body, the receiving chamber is in fluid communication with the aerosol outlet, and the aerosol outlet is in fluid communication with the gas intake chamber through the gas intake channel.

15. The aerosol-generating apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus body comprises: a mounting base, wherein the heating element is mounted in the mounting base; and a reflective heat-insulating layer, wherein the reflective heat-insulating layer is disposed between the mounting base and the heating element, and surrounds an outer surface of the heating element.

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