Aerosol product and aerosol generating system
The aerosol article integrates a self-heating heating component within a protective layer, addressing device configuration and maintenance issues by enabling uniform heating and atomization, thus reducing costs and complexity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUMBLE GRACE LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-17
AI Technical Summary
Conventional aerosol articles require integrated heating elements in aerosol-generating devices, leading to increased configuration costs, operational complexity, and maintenance issues due to residue accumulation.
An aerosol article with a self-heating capability, featuring a heating component integrated within a protective layer, constrained by a fixing component, which generates heat under an electromagnetic field, allowing for central and circumferential heating modes, and includes an air channel for aerosol discharge.
Enables cost-effective, self-heating aerosol generation without device-integrated heating elements, reducing maintenance needs and ensuring uniform heating and atomization, while facilitating stable article structure and manufacturing.
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Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority of the Chinese Utility Model Patent Application No. 202323438038.0, entitled "AEROSOL ARTICLE AND AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM", filed on December 14, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0002] This application relates to the field of aerosol technology, and more specifically to an aerosol article and an aerosol-generating system.BACKGROUND
[0003] Presently, most aerosol articles available on the market are used as consumables for aerosol-generating devices. In operation, an aerosol article is typically mounted on the device, such that a heating element configured in the device is inserted into the interior of the aerosol article or wrapped around its exterior. The heating element directly contacts and heats the aerosol article, enabling the aerosol article to generate aerosol without combustion. Since the heating element is integrated into the aerosol-generating device, this increases configuration costs of the device to some extent and complicates its operation and maintenance. For instance, residues produced during heating tend to accumulate and adhere to the heating element, necessitating regular cleaning and maintenance of the heating element.SUMMARY
[0004] The main technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide an aerosol article and an aerosol-generating system, where the aerosol article is capable of self-heating to achieve the objective of fully and uniformly heating an aerosol-generating substrate for atomization.
[0005] One embodiment provides an aerosol article including a protective layer, an aerosol substrate, a fixing component, and a heating component. The aerosol substrate is disposed inside a substrate cavity enclosed by the protective layer.
[0006] The fixing component is arranged inside the protective layer and connected to the heating component, and configured to constrain at least part of the heating component within the substrate cavity so that the heating component is in contact with the aerosol substrate. The heating component is configured to generate heat under an action of an electromagnetic field to heat the aerosol substrate.
[0007] An air channel that communicates an interior of the substrate cavity with an exterior of the substrate cavity is provided on the fixing component, and / or formed between the fixing component and the protective layer.
[0008] In one embodiment, the fixing component is provided with a recessed part disposed at a middle part of the fixing component, and one end of the heating component is embedded in the recessed part.
[0009] In one embodiment, the heating component is sheet-shaped, the recessed part is a strip-shaped groove extending radially along the substrate cavity, and the heating component is inserted into the strip-shaped groove.
[0010] In one embodiment, the heating component includes a plurality of heating elements arranged around an axis of the substrate cavity; the heating elements extend axially along the substrate cavity and are inserted into the aerosol substrate; and the heating elements are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the substrate cavity.
[0011] In one embodiment, a quantity of the heating elements is set to an odd number greater than or equal to 3.
[0012] In one embodiment, a ratio of an area of a circle enclosed by the heating elements to a cross-sectional area of the substrate cavity ranges from 1:1 to 1:1.5.
[0013] In one embodiment, the heating component further includes an insulating shaping ring, and the heating elements are fixed to the insulating shaping ring; and the recessed part is an annular groove, and the insulating shaping ring is inserted into the annular groove.
[0014] In one embodiment, the aerosol article further includes a filter component, which is arranged at an end of the protective layer remote from the aerosol substrate.
[0015] In one embodiment, a length of the heating component in an axial direction of the substrate cavity ranges from 10 mm to 20 mm.
[0016] In one embodiment, a quantity of fixing components is two; and in the axial direction of the substrate cavity, the two fixing components are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the substrate cavity, and two ends of the heating component are respectively connected to the corresponding fixing components.
[0017] In one embodiment, the aerosol article further includes a limiting element, which includes a breathable film structure or a porous structure; and in the axial direction of the substrate cavity, the limiting element and the fixing component are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the substrate cavity.
[0018] According to a second aspect, one embodiment provides an aerosol-generating system including a smoking set and the aerosol article according to the first aspect. The smoking set includes a coil configured to apply an alternating magnetic field to the heating component.
[0019] The aerosol article according to the above embodiments includes a protective layer, an aerosol substrate disposed inside a substrate cavity enclosed by the protective layer, a fixing component arranged inside the protective layer, and a heating component constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity by the fixing component. The heating component is configured to generate heat under an action of an electromagnetic field to heat the aerosol substrate and produce aerosol. An air channel that communicates an interior with an exterior of the substrate cavity is formed on the fixing component or between the fixing component and the protective layer.
[0020] Firstly, integrating the heating component inside the article endows the article with a self-heating function, which solves a series of problems arising from the application of conventional articles. Secondly, the selective arrangement of the heating component enables the internal structure of the article to support heating modes such as central heating and circumferential heating. Thirdly, the fixing component constrains and limits the positional relationship and distribution form between the heating component and the aerosol substrate, thereby enhancing the overall structural stability of the article and facilitating its manufacturing and forming.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an outline structure of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of an aerosol article according to one embodiment, with an aerosol substrate omitted. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram (1) of an aerosol-generating segment of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram (2) of an aerosol-generating segment of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a heating component of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a fixing component of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram (1) of structural distribution of an air channel of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram (2) of structural distribution of an air channel of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram (3) of structural distribution of an air channel of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an aerosol article according to one embodiment. FIG. 11 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the aerosol article in FIG. 10, with the aerosol substrate omitted. FIG. 12 is a perspective structural schematic diagram of the aerosol article in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system according to one embodiment.
[0022] In the figures: 10. Protective layer; 10A. Substrate cavity; 10B. Cooling cavity; 10C. Filtering cavity; 20. Aerosol substrate; 30. Heating component; 31. Heating element; 32. Insulating shaping ring; 40. Fixing component; 40A. Air channel; 40B. Abutment surface; 40C. Air guide surface; 40D. Recessed part; 41. First fixing component; 42. Second fixing component; 50. Filter component; 60. Smoking set; 61. Coil; 70. Aerosol article.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0023] This application will be further described in detail below through specific implementations in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different implementations are assigned associated similar element numbers. In the following implementations, many detailed descriptions are provided to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of these features may be omitted under different circumstances, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to this application are not shown or described in the specification; and this is to prevent the core part of this application from being overshadowed by excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, as they can fully understand the relevant operations based on the descriptions in the specification and general technical knowledge in the field.
[0024] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification may be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. Meanwhile, the steps or actions in the method descriptions may also be reordered or adjusted in a manner that is clear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are only for clearly describing a specific embodiment and do not imply a mandatory order, unless it is otherwise specified that a certain order must be followed.
[0025] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application include both direct and indirect connections.
[0026] Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9. An embodiment of this application provides an aerosol article including a protective layer 10, an aerosol substrate 20, a heating component 30, and a fixing component 40. The heating component 30 includes a plurality of heating elements 31, and the plurality of heating elements 31 are constrained and fixed inside the protective layer 10 by the fixing component 40 in a structure roughly forming a cage shape. Details are described as follows.
[0027] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The protective layer 10 may be configured as a hollow tubular structure made of materials with high heat resistance and mechanical strength, e.g., paper materials dedicated for cigarette rods, polyamide ester materials, such as a straight paper tube. On the one hand, the protective layer 10 ensures that the aerosol article has a preset and stable profile or structural shape; on the other hand, provides structural assembly space for the aerosol substrate 20, the heating component 30, the fixing component 30, and other components, thereby serving the functions of structural protection, heat insulation, and shape retention in the aerosol article.
[0028] For ease of distinction and description, the internal tubular space of the protective layer 10 is divided along its length direction into a substrate cavity 10A, a cooling cavity 10B, and a filtering cavity 10C, which are distributed in sequential communication. It may be understood that the substrate cavity 10A, the cooling cavity 10B, and the filtering cavity 10C are equivalent to the structural space enclosed by the protective layer 10. It should be noted that the bold dashed lines in FIG. 2 represent boundaries between adjacent cavities.
[0029] The substrate cavity 10A is mainly used for accommodating the aerosol substrate 20, the heating component 30, and other components. Alternatively, it may be understood that the structural space occupied by the aerosol substrate 20 and other components inside the protective layer 10 is the substrate cavity 10A. The cooling cavity 10B is mainly used for cooling high-temperature aerosol generated from the aerosol substrate 20. The cooling cavity 10B may be a completely empty structural space inside the protective layer 10, or a cooling medium may be disposed within the cooling cavity 10B. A filter component 50, e.g., filter cotton, activated carbon, ceramic particles, etc., is disposed inside the filtering cavity 10C. In other words, the structural space occupied by the filter component 50 inside the protective layer 10 is the filtering cavity 10C, which can filter harmful substances or impurities in the aerosol by virtue of the filtering cavity 10C.
[0030] In some embodiments, the cooling cavity 10B and the filtering cavity 10C may be omitted, or either one of the cooling cavity 10B and the filtering cavity 10C may be provided. For example, the internal space of the protective layer 10 may serve as the substrate cavity 10A, and based on the structural combination of the protective layer 10, the aerosol substrate 20, and other components, the aerosol article can be configured into a rod structure. For another example, by providing either the cooling cavity 10B or the filtering cavity 10C, the aerosol article can be configured into a rod structure with a cooling function or a filtering function.
[0031] In some embodiments, the filter component 50 may alternatively be a functional component relatively independent of the protective layer 10 or a functional component used in conjunction with the article. It may be understood that by arranging the filter component 50 at the end of the protective layer 10 remote from the aerosol substrate 20, e.g., via plug-in connection, peripheral wrapping connection, etc., the article can be provided with a filtering function or the aerosol output by the article can be filtered.
[0032] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The aerosol substrate 20 refers to a relevant material capable of generating or releasing usable aerosol when heated to a preset temperature without combustion, including but not limited to medicinal materials, spices, tobacco, etc. The aerosol substrate 20 may be filled into the substrate cavity 10A in the form of fillers such as particles, filaments, strips, e.g., cut tobacco, tobacco leaves, tobacco particles, etc., or may be a paste material with a fixed form such as tobacco paste disposed in the substrate cavity 10A.
[0033] Please refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. The heating component 30 is mainly used for heating and atomizing the aerosol substrate 20 when the aerosol article is in use, so that the aerosol substrate 20 generates aerosol without combustion. The plurality of heating elements 31 in the heating component 30 are made of materials capable of generating an eddy current heating effect in an alternating magnetic field environment, such as ferromagnetic pure metals or alloy conductor materials like iron, or inorganic non-metallic conductor materials such as ceramics and carbon fibers subjected to ferromagnetic magnetization treatment. Each heating element 31 is a structure with a preset length along the axial direction of the substrate cavity 10A, e.g., strip-shaped, columnar, etc., and the plurality of heating elements 31 are arranged inside the protective layer 10 at intervals around the axis of the substrate cavity 10A, with at least part of each heating element 31 being located inside the substrate cavity 10A.
[0034] On the one hand, by means of the plurality of heating elements 31, the overall profile of the heating component 30 is presented in the form of a roughly cage-like structure inside the aerosol article. On the other hand, the length of the heating element 31 may span the entire aerosol substrate 20 or most of the aerosol substrate 20, for example, in some embodiments, the length of the heating element 31 may be controlled within the range of 10 mm to 20 mm, so that the aerosol substrate 20 is kept in contact with the heating element 31 as much as possible, thereby ensuring that the aerosol substrate 20 can be heated fully as much as possible.
[0035] In some embodiments, a ratio of an area of a circle enclosed by the plurality of heating elements 31 to a cross-sectional area of the substrate cavity 10A is set to 1:1 to 1:1.5.
[0036] For example, please refer to FIG. 3. Within a reference plane perpendicular to the axis of the substrate cavity 10A, projections of the plurality of heating elements 31 in the reference plane are roughly arranged along a circular trajectory, or projections of the heating elements 31 may be connected to form a circle. The ratio of the area of the circle to the projected area of the substrate cavity 10A in the reference plane is 1:1 (i.e., equal).
[0037] Thus, it is equivalent to that the plurality of heating elements 31 are arranged around the periphery of the aerosol substrate 20 in a manner of being as close as possible to or attached to the inner peripheral wall of the protective layer 10, i.e., the peripheral wall of the substrate cavity 10A. The heat generated by the heating elements 31 can be gradually transferred from the outer periphery of the aerosol substrate 20 to the center, forming a circumferential heating effect on the aerosol substrate 20.
[0038] For example, please refer to FIG. 4. The area of the circle enclosed by the plurality of heating elements 31 is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the substrate cavity 10A. For instance, the ratio of the area of the circle formed by connecting the projections of the heating elements 31 in the reference plane to the projected area of the substrate cavity 10A in the reference plane is 1:1.5.
[0039] In this case, it is equivalent to that the heating elements 31 are disposed to penetrate the interior of the aerosol substrate 20 along their length direction or along the axial direction of the substrate cavity 10A. The heat generated by the heating elements 31 may be transferred toward the outer periphery of the aerosol substrate 20 or toward the axial region of the aerosol substrate 20, thereby achieving a circumferential heating and central heating effect on the aerosol substrate 20.
[0040] In some embodiments, the plurality of heating elements 31 may alternatively be arranged to form a multi-layer cage-like structure or be spaced apart and evenly disposed inside the protective layer 10 according to the contour shape of the substrate cavity 10A, which can also realize sufficient and uniform heating of the aerosol substrate 20.
[0041] Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 to FIG. 9. The fixing component 40 is disposed inside the protective layer 10, for example, arranged inside the protective layer 10 in a manner that at least part of it abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the protective layer 10. The heating component 30, specifically, the heating elements 31, is connected to the fixing component 40 via means such as clamping, abutting, or plugging. Meanwhile, the fixing component 40 is provided with an air channel 40A extending through it along the axial direction of the substrate cavity 10A. Alternatively, after the fixing component 40 is installed inside the protective layer 10, an air channel 40A is formed between the fixing component 40 and the protective layer 10.
[0042] In some embodiments, the entire fixing component 40 or a part thereof, e.g., the portion in contact with and connected to the heating component 30, may be made of high-temperature-resistant non-metallic materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or ceramics, to prevent the fixing component 40 from generating heat due to eddy currents in an alternating electromagnetic field environment.
[0043] On the one hand, by virtue of the connection between the fixing component 40 and the heating component 30, the fixing component 40 can not only constrain and fix at least part of the heating component 30 within the substrate cavity 10A, but also maintain the cylindrical structure formed by the plurality of heating elements 30 inside the protective layer 10. On the other hand, the air channel 10A connects the interior and the exterior of the substrate cavity 10A, providing structural support for the aerosol or the aerosol to be discharged from the substrate cavity 10A along with the air flow.
[0044] It should be noted that the "interior" and the "exterior" of the substrate cavity 10A are defined relative to the protective layer 10. The interior of the substrate cavity 10A refers to its own structural space, while the exterior of the substrate cavity 10A may be the structural space of the cooling cavity 10B or filtering cavity 10C in communication with it, or the external space of the protective layer 10.
[0045] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4. A quantity of fixing components 40 is set to two. The two fixing components 40 are arranged at two opposite ends of the substrate cavity 10A along the axial direction of the substrate cavity 10A and connected to the heating component 30, e.g., the heating elements 31. For ease of distinction and description, the fixing component 40 disposed inside the protective layer 10 and located at the end of the substrate cavity 10A adjacent to the cooling cavity 10B or within the cooling cavity 10B is defined as a first fixing component 41, and the fixing component 40 disposed inside the protective layer 10 and located at the end of the substrate cavity 10A remote from the cooling cavity 10B is defined as a second fixing component 42.
[0046] By using the first fixing component 41 and the second fixing component 42 to form a limiting structure at the opposite ends of the substrate cavity 10A, the heating component 30, e.g., the heating element 31, and the aerosol substrate 20 may be constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity 10A. This not only ensures that the heating element 31 remains in contact with the aerosol substrate 20, but also prevents the heating component 30 and the aerosol substrate 20 from detaching from the protective layer 10, e.g., preventing particles of the aerosol substrate 20 from leaking to the exterior of the protective layer 10 or into the cooling cavity 10B.
[0047] In some embodiments, a limiting element (not shown in the figures) may alternatively be provided on the protective layer 10. By cooperating with one of the first fixing component 41 and the second fixing component 42, the limiting element constrains and limits the heating component 30 and the aerosol substrate 20 within the substrate cavity 10A. In other words, only one of the first fixing component 41 and the second fixing component 42 may be provided.
[0048] For example, the limiting element may be a breathable film structure disposed at the end of the substrate cavity 10A remote from the cooling cavity 10B, e.g., the lower port of the substrate cavity 10A or the protective layer 10. By cooperating with the first fixing component 41, the limiting element can constrain the aerosol substrate 20 and the heating component 30 within the substrate cavity 10A in a substantially packaged manner, while ensuring that a portion of the substrate cavity 10A of the aerosol article, which may be understood as the aerosol-generating segment of the aerosol article, has good air permeability or ventilation performance.
[0049] For another example, the limiting element may alternatively be a breathable film structure, or a porous structure disposed at the end of the substrate cavity 10A adjacent to the cooling cavity 10B or inside the cooling cavity 10B. By cooperating with the second fixing component 42, the limiting element can also constrain and limit the aerosol substrate 20 and the heating component 30 within the substrate cavity 10A while ensuring that the aerosol-generating segment of the aerosol article has good air permeability.
[0050] Alternatively, in some embodiments, both the fixing component 40 and the limiting element disposed at the end of the substrate cavity 10A remote from the cooling cavity 10B may be omitted.
[0051] First, by integrating or incorporating the heating component 30 into the structural system of the aerosol article, the article is endowed with the function of self-heating and automatically generating aerosol in an alternating electromagnetic field environment. Thus, it is not necessary to equip the aerosol-generating device, e.g., heat-not-burn smoking sets, used in conjunction with the aerosol article with a heating element. This not only creates conditions for reducing the configuration, use, and maintenance costs of the aerosol device, but also reduces contamination of the aerosol-generating device.
[0052] Second, by using the fixing component 40 to constrain and limit the heating component 30 and the aerosol substrate 20 inside the protective layer 10, it can not only prevent the aerosol substrate 20 or the heating component 30 from detaching from the substrate cavity 10A, so as to establish a stable contact relationship between the aerosol substrate 20 and the heating component 30 to achieve sufficient heating and atomization of the aerosol substrate 20; but also facilitate the integral processing, manufacturing, and forming of the aerosol article, effectively enhancing the structural stability of the aerosol article or the aerosol-generating segment.
[0053] Third, by virtue of the cage-like structure formed by the plurality of heating elements 31 inside the substrate cavity 10A, the heating elements 31 can be evenly distributed at different positions of the aerosol substrate 20. This can not only effectively increase the contact area between the aerosol substrate 20 and the heating component 30, which is conducive to the uniform heating and atomization of the aerosol substrate 20; but also, by adjusting the quantity and arrangement of the heating elements 31, the internal structure of the aerosol article can be configured into different structural forms or heating modes such as central heating and circumferential heating to meet different application requirements.
[0054] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIG. 2 to FIG. 4. The quantity of heating elements 31 in the heating component 30 is set to an odd number greater than or equal to 3, such as 3, 5, 7 or other larger odd numbers. The plurality of heating elements 31 in an odd number are evenly arranged at intervals around the axis of the substrate cavity 10A, which can also be understood as that the plurality of heating elements 31 in an odd number are evenly arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the aerosol article.
[0055] According to the principle of electromagnetic induction, compared with the problem that an even number of heating elements 31 tend to cause abnormally high temperatures in local regions inside the article due to overlapping magnetic fields, arranging an odd number of heating elements 31 at intervals along the circumferential direction of the aerosol article can play a role in triangulating magnetic lines of force of the electromagnetic field. This can make thermal field distribution inside the protective layer 10 or the substrate cavity 10A more uniform, which is conducive to the sufficient and uniform heating and atomization of the aerosol substrate 20.
[0056] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 5. The heating component 30 further includes an insulating shaping ring 32. The insulating shaping ring 32 is roughly an annular structure arranged around the axis of the substrate cavity 10A, such as an O-shape, a regular polygon or other geometric shapes. The plurality of heating elements 31 are fixedly connected to the insulating shaping ring 32. For example, two ends of each heating element 31 along the axial direction of the substrate cavity 10A are respectively fixedly connected to one insulating shaping ring 32 at the corresponding end. For another example, the middle positions of the lengths of the plurality of heating elements 31 are respectively fixedly connected to the insulating shaping ring 32.
[0057] Thus, the heating component 30 can be assembled into a cage-like structure by means of the insulating shaping ring 32, so that the heating component 30 can be installed inside the protective layer 10 as an integrated structure. In addition, the structural connection between the insulating shaping ring 32 and the fixing component 40 enables the convenient and efficient manufacturing and forming of the aerosol article. In specific implementation, the insulating shaping ring 32 may be an annular structure made of a material different from that of the heating element 31, such as an insulating material with good heat insulation performance. By virtue of the heat insulation performance of the insulating shaping ring 32, it is possible to prevent the fixing component 40 from melting due to the heat transfer from the heating element 31 to the fixing component 40.
[0058] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 6 in conjunction with FIG. 2 to FIG. 4. The fixing component 40 is provided with a recessed portion 40D for connecting to the heating component 30 to fix the relative position between the heating component 30 and the fixing component 40. The recessed portion 40D is disposed in the middle of the fixing component 40, and one end of the heating component 30, e.g., the insulating shaping ring 32, is embedded in the recessed portion 40D. For example, one end of the heating component 30 is inserted and fixed in the recessed portion 40D in an interference fit manner.
[0059] By virtue of the structural matching relationship between the recessed portion 40D and the end portion of the heating component 30, e.g., the insulating shaping ring 32, the heating component 30 is constrained and fixed. This can ensure that the position of the heating component 30 inside the article does not shift during the manufacturing and use of the aerosol article, thereby helping to enhance the structural stability of the aerosol article, e.g., the aerosol-generating segment, and facilitating the uniform and sufficient heating and atomization of the aerosol substrate 20.
[0060] For example, please refer to FIG. 6. The recessed portion 40D of the first fixing component 41 may be an annular groove adapted to the insulating shaping ring 42. It should be noted that the structure of the recessed portion 40D of the second fixing component 42 may be set with reference to the recessed portion 40D of the first fixing component 41, and the annular groove is adapted to the contour shape of the insulating shaping ring 32. During the assembly of the heating component 30 and the fixing component 40, the insulating shaping ring 32 can be inserted into the annular groove.
[0061] During the production of the aerosol article, the heating component 30 may be pre-assembled with the first fixing component 41, and then the assembly of the two may be inserted into the protective layer 10 such that the heating elements 31 are positioned within the substrate cavity 10A. Subsequently, the aerosol substrate 20 is filled into the substrate cavity 10A. Finally, the second fixing component 42 is inserted into the protective layer 10, and the heating component 30 and the aerosol substrate 20 are ultimately constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity 10A by means of the recessed portion 40D of the second fixing component 42.
[0062] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the plurality of heating elements 31 are arranged around the periphery of the aerosol substrate 20, the recessed portion 40D may be an annular step structure formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fixing component 40, i.e., the first fixing component 41 and / or the second fixing component 42. The insulating shaping ring 32 can be sleeved onto the annular step structure, thereby achieving structural connection between the fixing component 40 and the heating component 30. In this case, the entire heating component 30 can be constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity 10A in a manner of being closely attached to the inner circumferential wall of the protective layer 10, to realize circumferential heating of the aerosol substrate 20.
[0063] In some embodiments, the insulating shaping ring 32 is omitted from the heating component 30, and the recessed portion 40D of the second fixing component 42 adopts a perforated structure corresponding one-to-one to the end portions of the heating elements 31. Correspondingly, the recessed portion 40D of the first fixing component 41 may adopt a perforated structure, a blind hole structure, or an annular groove. During the production of the aerosol article, the first fixing component 41 may first be inserted and fixed into the protective layer 10 in an interference fit manner, e.g., at the end of the substrate cavity 10A adjacent to the cooling cavity 10B. Then, the aerosol substrate 20 is filled into the substrate cavity 10A, followed by inserting and fixing the second fixing component 42 at the end of the substrate cavity 10A remote from the cooling cavity 10B. Finally, by means of the perforated structure of the second fixing component 42, the heating elements 31 are inserted one by one into the substrate cavity 10B, such that the end portions of the heating elements 31 abut against the first fixing component 41 or are clamped and fixed at the recessed portion 40D of the first fixing component 41, thereby completing the assembly and forming of the aerosol article.
[0064] Certainly, depending on the quantity and specific structure of the fixing components 40, or the matching relationship between the fixing component 40 and the limiting element, the heating component 30 may alternatively be constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity 10A by other suitable methods to finally produce the aerosol article, which will not be elaborated herein.
[0065] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 7. The fixing component 40, e.g., the first fixing component 41 or the second fixing component 42, is generally a cylindrical structure whose outer circumferential wall abuts against the inner circumferential wall of the protective layer 10 or the cavity wall of the substrate cavity 10A. That is to say, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing component 40 serves as an abutment surface 40B, which is enclosed around the geometric center line of the fixing component 40, and the fixing component 40 is disposed inside the protective layer 10 in a manner where the abutment surface 40B abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the protective layer 10. In some embodiments, the fixing component 40 may be inserted into the protective layer 10 in an interference fit manner.
[0066] Correspondingly, the air channel 40A is arranged to extend through the fixing component 40 along the axis direction of the substrate cavity 10A, i.e., the axial direction, or along the direction of the geometric center line of the fixing component 40. For ease of distinction and description, the air channel 40A of this structural form is defined as a first air channel. A plurality of first air channels may be provided and evenly arranged on the fixing component 40. Meanwhile, the recessed portion 40D may be a groove structure, e.g., an annular groove, or a perforated structure extending through at least one axial end face of the fixing component 40, or an annular step structure disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the fixing component 40.
[0067] Thus, by virtue of the fixing component 40, it is possible not only to constrain and limit the heating component 30 within the substrate cavity 10A, but also to provide a substantially packaging effect on the aerosol substrate 20, preventing the aerosol substrate 20 from leaking out of the substrate cavity 10A. Meanwhile, the first air channels may provide structural support for the discharge of aerosol from the substrate cavity 10A.
[0068] In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 4, FIG. 6, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9. The entire fixing component 40, e.g., the first fixing component 41 or the second fixing component 42, may alternatively be configured as a gear-shaped structure, so that after the fixing component 40 is assembled into the protective layer 10, the air channels 40A are formed between the fixing component 40 and the protective layer 10.
[0069] In some embodiments, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing component 40 may be divided into an abutment surface 40B and an air guide surface 40C. The abutment surface 40B and the air guide surface 40C are connected head-to-tail and enclosed around the geometric center line of the fixing component 40 in an alternating arrangement. The fixing component 40 is disposed inside the protective layer 10 in a manner where the abutment surface 40B abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the protective layer 10, while a preset distance is maintained between the air guide surface 40C and the inner circumferential surface of the protective layer 10. By means of the structural form where the abutment surface 40B abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the protective layer 10, a plurality of air channels 40A distributed around the axis of the substrate cavity 10A are formed between the air guide surface 40C and the inner circumferential surface of the protective layer 10. For ease of distinction and description, an air channel 40A of this structural form is defined as a second air channel.
[0070] In some embodiments, the first air channels may also be provided on the fixing component 40 at the same time. The cooperation between the first air channels and the second air channels ensures that air flow can uniformly enter and exit the substrate cavity 10A.
[0071] Please refer to FIG. 10 to FIG. 12 in conjunction with FIG. 6 to FIG. 9. An embodiment of this application further provides an aerosol article, which is mainly different from the aerosol articles of the embodiments in that the heating component 30 is a single sheet-shaped structure or columnar structure, and is constrained and fixed inside the protective layer 10 by the fixing component 40.
[0072] In some embodiments, the heating component 30 is a sheet-shaped structure, a solid columnar structure, or a hollow tubular columnar structure with a preset length along the axis direction of the substrate cavity 10A. The heating component 30 is arranged roughly along the axis of the substrate cavity 10A. A recessed portion 40D adapted to the end portion structure of the heating component 30 is provided on the first fixing component 41 or the second fixing component 42. For example, the recessed portion 40D of the first fixing component 41 is located at the central position of the first fixing component 41 and is a strip-shaped groove extending radially along the substrate cavity 10A, and the corresponding end of the heating component 30 is inserted into the strip-shaped groove.
[0073] By means of the fixing component 40 alone or cooperation between the fixing component 40 and the limiting element, the heating component 30 is constrained and fixed within the substrate cavity 10A. Depending on the selection and arrangement of the specific structural form of the heating component 30, the aerosol substrate 20 can be heated and atomized in heating modes such as central heating and circumferential heating. In some embodiments, the length of the sheet-shaped heating component 30 may be controlled within the range of 10 mm to 20 mm, so that the heating component 30 can span the entire length or most of the length of the aerosol substrate 20 (or the aerosol-generating segment of the article), to achieve sufficient heating of the aerosol substrate 20.
[0074] As for other structural configurations and the resulting technical effects of the aerosol article, references may be made to the embodiments, which will not be elaborated herein.
[0075] Please refer to FIG. 13 in conjunction with FIG. 1 to FIG. 12. An embodiment of this application further provides an aerosol-generating system, which includes a smoking set 60 and the aerosol article 70 according to any of the aforementioned embodiments. The smoking set 60 may be implemented with reference to the prior art. For example, the smoking set 60 may be assembled from a housing, a battery cell and a controller disposed inside the housing, and a control switch exposed outside the housing. The smoking set 60 is provided with a receiving position, e.g., a jack structure, and a coil 61 is disposed inside the smoking set 60, which may be arranged around the receiving position.
[0076] In application, at least part of the aerosol article 70, e.g., the aerosol-generating segment of the aerosol article 70, may be inserted into the receiving position, so that the aerosol article 70 is placed in the alternating magnetic field environment provided by the coil 61. This causes the heating component 30 in the aerosol article 70 to generate eddy currents under the action of the alternating electromagnetic field, thereby heating and atomizing the aerosol substrate 20 and enabling the aerosol article to produce usable aerosol.
[0077] With respect to the aerosol article 70, in the case where an air inlet is provided on the smoking set 60, during inhalation, air can enter from the bottom end of the article, i.e., the end of the substrate cavity 10A remote from the cooling cavity 10B or the filter component 50. The air mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol substrate 20 in the substrate cavity 10A, then enters the cooling cavity 10B for cooling, and is filtered while flowing through the filtering cavity 10C, so that the aerosol is finally available for inhalation.
[0078] In the case where the air inlet is provided on the aerosol article 70, e.g., at the cooling cavity 10B, during inhalation, air can enter from the side portion of the aerosol article 70. The air mixes with the aerosol generated in the substrate cavity 10A in the cooling cavity 10B, is cooled, then flows out of the filtering cavity 10C, and is finally available for inhalation. Alternatively, air inlets may be provided on both the smoking set 60 and the aerosol article 70 to enhance the cooling effect of the aerosol.
Claims
1. An aerosol article comprising: a protective layer; an aerosol substrate, wherein the aerosol substrate is disposed in a substrate cavity enclosed by the protective layer; a fixing component; and a heating component, wherein the heating component is configured to generate heat under an action of an electromagnetic field to heat the aerosol substrate; the fixing component is disposed inside the protective layer and connected to the heating component, and is configured to constrain at least part of the heating component within the substrate cavity so that the heating component is in contact with the aerosol substrate; and the fixing component is provided with an air channel that communicates an interior of the substrate cavity with an exterior of the substrate cavity, and / or an air channel that communicates the interior of the substrate cavity with the exterior of the substrate cavity is formed between the fixing component and the protective layer.
2. The aerosol article according to claim 1, wherein the fixing component is provided with a recessed part disposed at a middle part of the fixing component, and one end of the heating component is embedded in the recessed part.
3. The aerosol article according to claim 2, wherein the heating component is sheet-shaped, the recessed part is a strip-shaped groove extending radially along the substrate cavity, and the heating component is inserted into the strip-shaped groove.
4. The aerosol article according to claim 2, wherein the heating component comprises a plurality of heating elements arranged around an axis of the substrate cavity; the heating elements extend axially along the substrate cavity and are inserted into the aerosol substrate; and the heating elements are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the substrate cavity.
5. The aerosol article according to claim 4, wherein a quantity of the heating elements is set to an odd number greater than or equal to 3.
6. The aerosol article according to claim 4, wherein a ratio of an area of a circle enclosed by the heating elements to a cross-sectional area of the substrate cavity is 1:1 to 1:1.5.
7. The aerosol article according to claim 4, wherein the heating component further comprises an insulating shaping ring, and the heating elements are fixed to the insulating shaping ring; and the recessed part is an annular groove, and the insulating shaping ring is inserted into the annular groove.
8. The aerosol article according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol article further comprises a filter component, and the filter component is disposed at an end of the protective layer remote from the aerosol substrate.
9. The aerosol article according to claim 1, wherein a length of the heating component in an axial direction of the substrate cavity ranges from 10 mm to 20 mm.
10. The aerosol article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a quantity of fixing components is two; and in the axial direction of the substrate cavity, the two fixing components are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the substrate cavity, and two ends of the heating component are respectively connected to the corresponding fixing components.
11. The aerosol article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aerosol article further comprises a limiting element, and the limiting element comprises a breathable film structure or a porous structure; and in the axial direction of the substrate cavity, the limiting element and the fixing component are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the substrate cavity.
12. An aerosol-generating system, comprising a smoking set and the aerosol article according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the smoking set comprises a coil, and the coil is configured to apply an alternating magnetic field to the heating component.