Inhaler

Abstract

To provide an improved inhaler that enables an intermittent, inhalation- or pull-synchronous operation.SOLUTION: The present disclosure relates to an inhaler component for producing a steam-air mixture or / and condensation aerosol in an intermittent and inhalation- or pull-synchronous manner. The inhaler component comprises: a chamber 21 arranged in a case 3; an air inlet opening 26 for the supply of air from the surroundings to the chamber 21; an electrical heating element for evaporating a constant portion of a liquid material, where the steam produced mixes in the chamber 21 with the air supplied through the air inlet opening 26, thereby producing the steam-air mixture or / and condensation aerosol; and a wick having a capillary structure, where the wick forms a composite 22 with the heating element and automatically supplies the heating element with the liquid material freshly after completion of one evaporation process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inhaler component for generating a vapor-air mixture and / or a condensation aerosol intermittently and synchronously with inhalation or inspiration, comprising a case, a chamber arranged in the case, an air inlet for supplying air from the surroundings into the chamber, an electric heating element for vaporizing a quantity of liquid material, the vapor generated being mixed in the chamber with air supplied from the air inlet to generate the vapor-air mixture and / or the condensation aerosol, and a wick having a capillary structure, which wick forms a complex with the heating element, such that new liquid material is automatically supplied to the heating element after one vaporization process is completed. [Background technology]

[0002] The inhalers concerned by the present invention are inhalers which allow intermittent inhalation or puff-synchronous operation. Such an operation mode arises when the liquid material is heated and vaporized during or only during puffs. The heating element is substantially immobilized between each puff or puff. Usually, the heating element is activated or energized in a manual manner, for example by means of a switch, simultaneously with the start of puff or puff, although automatic activation by a suitable sensor and an electronic circuit takes precedence. In the latter case, the inhalers in question also include those which are activated by puff or puff.

[0003] In the present patent application, the term "inhaler" relates to medical and non-medical inhalers. It also relates to inhalers for administering medicines and substances not designated as medicines. The term also relates to smoking devices and tobacco substitutes, for example those covered by the European Patent Classification A24F47 / 00B, insofar as they are designated for administering a vapour-air mixture and / or a condensation aerosol to the user. Furthermore, the term "inhaler" does not impose any conditions as to how the vapour-air mixture and / or the condensation aerosol produced is delivered to the user or his / her body. The vapour-air mixture and / or the condensation aerosol may be inhaled into the lungs or - without inhalation into the lungs - only to the oral cavity. Finally, the concept of "inhaler" includes both devices in which direct inhalation into the lungs is achieved in just one step ("classical inhalers"), and also devices which - as in the case of cigarettes - require at least two steps, namely first an inhalation step into the mouth (inhalation volume: approx. 20-80 mL) and then - after placing the inhaler - an inhalation step into the lungs ("inhalation inhalers"). In classical inhalers, the air mass flow rate through the inhaler is significantly higher compared to inhalation inhalers, at approx. 100-750 mL / s compared to 10-40 mL / s for inhalation inhalers. In contrast, the flow resistance or inhalation resistance of inhalation inhalers is usually significantly higher than in classical inhalers.

[0004] (Definition of the concept) Vaporization Energy: The sum of the sensible and latent heat transferred to a liquid material that actually vaporizes. Evaporation capacity: Energy emitted per unit time Specific vaporization capacity: The vaporization capacity per mass unit of the liquid material being vaporized. Vaporizer efficiency: The quotient of the energy of vaporization and the energy generated by the heating element. A number of inhalers and electrical smoking devices have been proposed for some time which utilise electrical energy to vaporise medicinal substances and / or flavourings, and prepare the generated vapour and / or generated condensed aerosol, in some cases, suitable for inhalation by a user.

[0005] British Patent No. 25,575-1911 (Elwin Kendal Hill) describes an inhaler with an electric vaporizer for vaporizing the medicament. The vaporizer consists of a plate 38 and a perforated cover 39. In the space between the plate 38 and the cover 39, an absorbent material 40 for absorbing the medicament and an electric heating element 41, for example in the form of a resistance wire, are arranged on the one hand. The liquid medicament is automatically supplied from a reservoir 30 to the absorbent material 40 and to the heating element 41 via a corresponding number of wicks 45. The air drawn in during inhalation flows through a cone-shaped passage 36, so that the airflow converges at the vaporizer, so that the vaporized medicament is entrained in the airflow. The vaporizer plate 38 is held in place by a spacing sleeve 44.

[0006] A disadvantage of this arrangement is, among other things, the complexity of the carburetor and its bracket, as well as the attachment of the wick to the carburetor. The large number of parts and the complex design make the inhaler expensive to manufacture and difficult to assemble.

[0007] Its significant disadvantage is, for example, the relatively small ratio of the vapor outlet area to the vaporizer volume. This is due, on the one hand, to the specific geometric dimensions of the vaporizer, but also, on the other hand, to the fact that the absorbent material 40 and the electric heating element 41 are substantially covered by the plate 38 and the cover 39. These covers are necessary in the design in order to keep the absorbent material 40 and the electric heating element 41 from disintegrating. The vapor generated inside the vaporizer can only escape to the outside through the holes in the cover 39. This can result in a critical heat flux already being reached inside the vaporizer, even when the vaporization capacity is not very large compared to the others, and therefore such an arrangement seems unsuitable for intermittent suction or synchronous operation, which essentially requires a large specific vaporization capacity and at the same time a high vaporizer efficiency.

[0008] A further disadvantage is that, despite the various precautions taken to prevent the liquid drug from leaking out of the reservoir 30, it is not possible by design to completely eliminate the possibility of such leakage, especially if the reservoir 30 is overfilled, for example due to an incorrect operation. Finally, it can also be assessed as dangerous that the liquid drug in the reservoir 30 is in fact unprotected and exposed to the ambient air, which may lead to oxidation of the drug and / or changes in its composition due to evaporation effects.

[0009] U.S. Patent No. 2,057,353 (Clinton L. Whittemore) describes a vaporizer unit for a medical device, which comprises a vessel A for containing a liquid drug x, electrical conductors 1 and 2 protruding inside the vessel through the bottom of the vessel, a hot wire 3 connected to the electrical conductors, and a wick D extending from the hot wire 3 to the bottom of the vessel around which the hot wire 3 is wound. The vessel has an air inlet 4 and a vapor outlet hole 5, both of which are formed with a dome-like recess on the inside to prevent the drug from flowing out of the vessel.

[0010] The disadvantage of this construction is the complex and expensive process of making the connection between the heating element and the core. Prior to the assembly operation, the core must be wound with a heating wire. This procedure is very complicated, especially since the dimensional dimensions of the components to be joined are usually quite small. It is also difficult to ensure that all the turns of the heating wire are in close contact with the core. Localized lifting can lead to overheating of the heating wire in that area, which accelerates the deterioration of the resistance material. The same problem occurs in the area where the heating wire is connected to the conductors 1 and 2.

[0011] Yet another disadvantage is that the outer surface of the core D is partially obscured by the heating element 3 being wrapped around it. To this extent, this wrapping represents a kind of obstacle for the vapour emerging from the core. Such obstruction of the vapour flow can lead to similar consequences as already explained in detail above in relation to GB 25,575-1911. In addition, the vapour generated can come into contact, at least in part, with the hot heat rays on exit, which can lead to thermal decomposition of the drug x.

[0012] Another disadvantage is that the wick D is held in place only by a relatively thin heating wire 3. Simply shaking the wick D changes its position, significantly changing the flow and mixture ratio between the air drawn in through the hole 4 and the vapor flowing out of the wick D, which may interfere with the generation of aerosol. This device is only operable in an upright or slightly tilted position, and despite various design measures, the possibility of the drug x leaking out of the container A cannot be completely eliminated. Finally, the drug x in the container A is essentially freely exposed to the ambient air, which is also considered to be a significant disadvantage.

[0013] French Patent No. 960,469 (M. Eugene Vacheron) describes an inhalation device with an electric vaporizer. The device has an electric cartridge heater 4, 5, 6 and a wick 16, which is saturated with the storage liquid stored in a container 1. The cartridge heater is located outside the container 1 and is therefore not directly connected to the wick. These special design conditions make the device thermally inert and suggest that it is probably suitable for continuous operation of the vaporizer, although intermittent operation synchronized with inhalation or puffing would be impossible to achieve.

[0014] Canadian Patent No. 2,309,376 (Matsuyama Futoshi) describes a vaporizer or nebulizer for medical applications, consisting of a vessel 1 containing a liquid preparation and a rod-shaped porous material 3 attached inside the vessel 1 (FIG. 3). The rod-shaped porous material 3 is immersed at one end in the liquid preparation, while the other end extends freely upwards outside the vessel 1. The vessel 1 and the rod-shaped porous material 3 are arranged inside a barrel-shaped container 5, which on the one hand holds the vessel 1 in place and on the other hand contains an electric heater 6 that surrounds the upper end part of the rod-shaped porous material 3 at a distance therefrom, preferably within the range of 0.8-2.5 mm. Due to the capillary attraction inside the rod-shaped porous material 3, the liquid preparation is sucked upwards, where it is finally vaporized by the electric heater 6. At that time, the medicinal ingredients contained in the liquid preparation are sprayed and overflow from the barrel-shaped container 5 through the hole 9 into the room, so that the user can inhale it. The liquid preparation is made of an aqueous solution in which a concentrated medicinal ingredient is dissolved or dispersed. This aqueous solution is preferably made of water or a mixture of water and ethanol. This concentrated medicinal ingredient is obtained from the leaves of banaba (Lagerstroemia Speciosa) and contains up to 15% by mass of corosolic acid. This concentrated medicinal ingredient is said to have the effect of lowering blood sugar levels. The content of this concentrated medicinal ingredient in the aqueous solution is 0.5 to 3.0% by mass (calculated as corosolic acid).

[0015] The vaporizer is designed for continuous operation. The electric heater 6 is arranged at a certain distance from the porous material 3 and therefore does not form a complex with it. This gap between them represents a high resistance to heat conduction. It would be impossible to realize intermittent operation with a correspondingly high specific vaporization capacity unless the heat is transferred by thermal radiation. For this, the electric heater 6 would have to be heated very quickly to very high temperatures. The liquid preparation would vaporize first in the peripheral area opposite the electric heater and would flow out through the aforementioned gap to the surroundings. Regardless of the practical feasibility of this concept, the vapor generated in any case could come into contact with the red-hot surface of the electric heater 6, which would result in at least a partial pyrolysis of the liquid pharmaceutical concentrate.

[0016] US Patent No. 6,155,268 (Takeuchi Manabu) describes an aroma generating device (Fig. 1) which, in addition to comprising a chamber 121 with an air inlet 18 and a mouthpiece opening 22 or mouthpiece 16 with a gas passage 20 formed therethrough, also has a liquid container 32 for containing a liquid aroma 34, and finally a capillary tube 36, the first end of which is immersed in the liquid in the container 32 and the second end of which is connected to the gas passage 20 and also has a heating element 42. The liquid aroma 34 flows toward the heating element 42 due to the capillary attraction acting on the inside of the capillary tube 36, where it is vaporized and flows out of the opening 36b as an upper air current and enters the gas passage 20. The air flow entering the chamber 121 from the outside through the inlet 18 passes through the aperture stops 24, 24a and is converged at the capillary opening 36b, which is said to create favorable conditions for complete mixing between the vapor and the inhaled air or for aerosol generation.

[0017] In each alternative embodiment (Figures 8-13) various panel-like heating elements are proposed. In yet another embodiment (Figures 14 and 15), the inside of the capillary is filled with a porous structure 302 which, in one variant, can protrude from the capillary, in which case the heating element 425 may be located at the end of the protruding porous structure.

[0018] This arrangement again suffers from the relatively complex structure of the vaporization unit, which in this case consists of a capillary tube and a heating element. It requires the interconnection of both microcomponents, as well as the connection of the heating element to a power supply, which in the concrete case is impossible to achieve without the use of several electric wires. Unfortunately, the specification does not provide any more precise information on this matter.

[0019] 14 and 15, the same as already explained for GB 25,575.1911, the ratio of the vapor outlet area to the vaporizer volume is particularly small, because the porous structure 302 is substantially covered by the jacket 301 and the heating element 425. This means that the critical heat flux can be reached even when the vaporization capacity is not very large, which makes it possible to question the operational reliability of this arrangement in the first place, especially when intermittent operation synchronous with suction or intake is required.

[0020] Two variants of the liquid container 32 have been proposed. In a first variant (FIG. 1), the liquid container is a fixed component of the aroma generating device. It can be refilled through a single filling opening. However, such refilling entails risks for the environment, especially if the liquid fragrance contains medicines or poisons, such as nicotine, and if the refilling is carried out by the user himself. In an alternative variant (FIG. 8), the liquid container is configured as a replaceable container. Its connection method is not disclosed in detail. A replaceable container always entails a risk of ingestion by small children, with potentially fatal consequences, especially if the liquid fragrance contains medicines or poisons, such as nicotine.

[0021] The arrangement shown in FIG. 8 also shows a replaceable mouthpiece 161, which has a hollow cylindrical projection that lines most of the inner wall of the chamber 121 and extends almost to the mouth of the capillary 371. Condensate residues that form inside the chamber 121 mainly accumulate on the inner surface of this hollow cylindrical projection, which can be removed together with the mouthpiece. The problem is that this inner surface has a limited capacity to accommodate condensate. The mouthpiece must be replaced at short intervals, especially when the liquid fragrance contains a high content of low-boiling components with high vapor pressure, such as ethanol and / or water. Otherwise, droplets will form on the inner surface of the mouthpiece under the influence of surface tension, and their volume will continue to increase until the adhesive force is no longer sufficient to hold the droplets, and they will merge into a large pool. This accumulation can impair the functioning of the device and can also pose a risk to the user and to the environment, insofar as such accumulation contains residual medicines or toxic substances, such as nicotine, etc. However, the possibility of having the user remove the condensate from the device themselves already poses a risk to the environment in itself.

[0022] U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874 and 4,947,875 (Johnny L. Brooks et al.) disclose a method for manufacturing a ferroelectric device having a surface area of ​​at least 1 m. 2 A product for releasing or administering medicine and / or aroma is described that includes a replaceable unit 12 that contains an electrical resistance heating element 18 of 0.8 mg / g, which is loaded with an aerosol-generating substance. The electrical resistance heating element 18 is preferably made of a porous or fibrous material, such as carbon fiber, that is impregnated with a liquid aerosol-generating agent. The product also includes a draw-activated electronic control unit 14 for controlling the current flow through the electrical resistance heating element 18, such that at least 0.8 mg of aerosol or medicine can be administered per draw, and where the replaceable unit 12 together with the resistance heating element 18 can be used for a total of at least 10 draws before the replaceable unit 12 together with the resistance heating element 18 must be replaced with a new one.

[0023] In this product, the entire amount of the liquid material to be vaporized is already present in a pre-stored form inside the resistance heating element 18. No liquid supply by means of a wick is provided there. This results in the disadvantage that, for example, the aerosol-generating substance or the medicine and / or possibly the added fragrance, which is to be released during the upcoming inhalation, is accelerated in thermal decomposition due to the fact that it has already been heated several times before. Another disadvantage is that this multiple pre-heating requires additional electrical energy that does not contribute to the actual vaporization or aerosol generation. As a result, the vaporizer efficiency is significantly reduced. Another disadvantage is that in the case of mixtures of various aerosol-generating substances, medicines and fragrances, the individual substances having different boiling points, the chemical composition of the generated aerosol and its organoleptic and pharmacological effects change with each inhalation, so that more low-boiling components are vaporized during the first inhalation and more high-boiling substances are released during the last inhalation. The replaceable unit 12, which is relatively expensive to manufacture, and the heating element 18, requires replacement after only about 10 puffs, making the product expensive to use.

[0024] Nos. 5,060,671 and 5,095,921 (Mary E. Counts, D. Bruce Losee, et al.) describe a product 30 (FIG. 4) in which an aroma releasing medium 111 is heated by a number of electric heating elements 110 to deliver an inhalable aroma in the form of a vapor or aerosol. The product contains a number of pre-dosed amounts of the aroma releasing medium 111 which are heated in sequence for each inhalation. The aroma releasing medium 111 is applied to the surface of each heating element 110 in pre-dosed amounts, preferably as a coating, covering or thin film, and may also include an aerosol-generating material. The adhesion of the aroma releasing medium 111 on the surface of each heating element 110 may be improved by a fixative such as pectin. The electric heating elements 110, with respective doses of aroma releasing medium 111 applied to their surfaces, are preferably disposed within a replaceable unit 11 which is connected via electrical contact pins to a reusable unit 31. The reusable unit 31 contains an electronic control circuit 32 along with an electrical energy source 121. A similar product is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,322,075 (Seetharama C. Deevi et al.).

[0025] Although this product eliminates some of the disadvantages of the products described above (US Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874 and 4,947,875), the structure of the replaceable unit 11 seems to be much more complicated, since in this specific case a large number of heating elements are provided together with their electrical contacts. Moreover, taking into account that this complex replaceable unit 11 allows only 15 puffs at most (see Figs. 7A-7K), it is clear that the use of such a product will be expensive. Besides that, in this specific case, the aroma releasing medium 111 is present as a relatively large thin film, which is exposed to a wide variety of atmospheric influences (such as oxidation), among others, during storage of the replaceable unit 11. To prevent these influences, it may be necessary to provide costly packaging to protect the medium 111 from the atmosphere and to limit its exposure to the atmosphere as much as possible. US Pat. Nos. 5,060,671 and 5,095,921 do not address this point of view.

[0026] US 2005 / 0268911 (Steven D. Cross et al.) describes a device for generating and releasing multiple doses of condensation aerosol for inhalation of high-purity drugs, very similar to the products according to the above-mentioned US 5,060,671 and 5,095,921, which in the simplest case (Fig. 1a) consists of an air passage 10 with an inlet and an outlet, a number of carriers 28 arranged inside the air passage, each carrying a defined dose of a substance / drug, and a device for vaporizing each of the discretely arranged doses. The air flow flowing through the inlet is directed to the carriers 28, where the condensation aerosol is finally generated. Each carrier 28 contains an electric resistance heating element - preferably made of a metal foil 78 made of stainless steel. These metal foil heating elements 78 are preferably attached to a platinum surface (FIG. 4).The disadvantages of the products according to US Pat. Nos. 5,060,671 and 5,095,921 also apply to the device according to US Pat. No. 2005 / 0268911.

[0027] US Patents 5,505,214 and 5,865,185 (Alfred L. Collins et al.) describe an electric smoking device consisting of a replaceable unit 21 and a reusable part 20 (US Patent 5,505,214: FIG. 4). The replaceable unit 21 contains tobacco aroma 27, which is supported on the surface of a carrier 36. The reusable part 20 contains a number of heating elements 23, which are supplied with current or energy from an electrical energy source, such as a rechargeable battery, via an electronic control circuit. When the replaceable unit 21 is fitted into the reusable part 20, the carriers 36 are positioned above the respective heating elements 23. During inhalation or puffing, the control circuit activates the individual heating elements one by one, which heats the carriers 36 in portions, causing the tobacco aroma 27 to vaporize and possibly be released as an aerosol. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the reusable part 20 has eight heating elements 23, thereby allowing eight puffs or inhalations, similar to those of a single cigarette. The replaceable unit 21 is then replaced with a new unit.

[0028] Compared to the products according to US Patents 5,060,671 and 5,095,921, the smoking devices according to US Patents 5,505,214 and 5,865,185 have the advantage that the respective heating elements 23 are fixedly arranged inside the reusable part 20, and therefore can be used repeatedly. No electrical contact is required between the replaceable unit 21 and the reusable part 20. However, in addition to the respective heating elements 23, the carrier 36 must be heated, and the heat required for this reduces the vaporizer efficiency, which is a disadvantage compared to the products according to US Patents 5,060,671 and 5,095,921. The other disadvantages of the products described in US Patents 5,060,671 and 5,095,921 already explained above can be said to apply exactly in their respective meanings.

[0029] US 4,735,217 (Donald L. Gerth et al.) describes a dispensing unit for dispensing vaporized medicine in the form of aerosolized particles that are inhaled into the lungs. The dispensing unit, in one exemplary embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5), consists of a foil Nichrome® heating element segment 72 (length x width x thickness: 1 x 1 / 8 x 0.001 inches) connected in series with a battery 65 and an airflow or inhalation activated switch (60, 69). The medicine to be vaporized, e.g. nicotine, is present as a solid pellet 40 and is in contact with the heating element 72. Alternatively, the medicine to be vaporized may be applied directly to the heating element surface in the form of a coating or film.

[0030] Some of the disadvantages of this dosing unit have already been mentioned in part in US Patent No. 4,922,901. To this is added the fact that the heat transfer from the heating element to the pellets is very unfavorable. Only a very small part of the heat generated in the peripheral area of ​​the heating element 72 is available for the pellets, so that the majority of the heating element 72 is heated but remains unused. A fundamental disadvantage is the use of solid materials to form the pellets, which generally must first be melted before they can be vaporized, which further worsens the energy balance.

[0031] EP 1,736,065 (Hon Lik) describes an "electronic cigarette" for spraying a nicotine solution, which essentially consists of a container 11 for containing the liquid to be sprayed and an atomizer 9. Inside the atomizer 9, an atomization chamber 10 is located, which is formed by an atomization chamber wall 25. Inside the atomization chamber 10, an electric heating element 26 is arranged, for example in the form of an electric resistance heating wire or a PTC ceramic. The atomizer or atomizer wall 25 is further provided with a number of outlets 24, 30 which are directed towards the heating element 26. The container 11 incorporates a porous body 28 - for example made of synthetic fibers or a foam material - which is saturated with the liquid to be sprayed. The atomization chamber wall 25 is likewise surrounded by a porous body 27 - for example made of foamed nickel or metal felt - which is in contact with the porous body 28 via a bulge 36. The liquid to be sprayed is allowed to permeate by capillary attraction into this porous body 27, which also forms the outer cylinder of the sprayer 9. The sprayer also has one piezoelectric element 23.

[0032] This "electronic cigarette" is activated by inhalation. During inhalation, a negative pressure is generated inside the atomization chamber 10, since the atomization chamber 10 is in communication with the mouthpiece 15. This causes air to flow from the surroundings into the atomization chamber through the outlets 24, 30. Due to the high flow rate inside the outlets 24, 30, the liquid is sucked out of the porous body 27 and torn off in the form of droplets by the air flow (Venturi effect). The nicotine-containing liquid enters the atomization chamber 10, where it is ultrasonically atomized by means of the piezoelectric element 23. The heating element 26 is said to provide an additional atomization or vaporization of the nicotine solution. In another alternative variant of this configuration, atomization is provided by the heating element 26 alone.

[0033] The above arrangement is functionally similar to the smoking device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,374 (Brian C. Chard et al.). In both cases, the disadvantage is that the dosage of the liquid to be sprayed or the aerosol produced depends on the user's inhalation, as in the case of cigarettes, which is undesirable for medical or therapeutic applications. In addition, ultrasonic spraying generally involves aerosol particles that are much larger than the normal size of condensed aerosols. These large particles do not reach the alveoli, but are absorbed in the lungs before the alveoli, which has a very negative effect on the absorption kinetics and delivery efficiency of the active ingredient in the bloodstream in the case of systemically acting drugs such as nicotine. Moreover, in the case of alternative variants of the configuration, particularly in which the ultrasonic atomization described above is not performed, it is questionable whether an electric heating element, with a structure similar to that of an incandescent light bulb filament, is even capable of transferring the heating energy required for vaporization during puffing to the liquid material. This could only be achieved by thermal radiation, which would require bringing the heating element to a known red-hot temperature. Such high temperatures are essentially associated with various dangers and disadvantages, in particular the risk of thermal decomposition of the liquid to be or already atomized. Finally, the fact that the container containing the highly toxic nicotine solution is open at one end and removable from the "electronic cigarette" can be assessed as a high safety risk. This risk is already recognized but has not yet been eliminated in part because, in the developed configuration - as disclosed in German Utility Model No. 202006013439 - the container consists of a hermetically sealed cartridge, which can nevertheless still be removed from the "electronic cigarette", posing a risk of accidental ingestion, for example by small children.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that although some of the documents just mentioned do not belong to the technical fields mentioned at the beginning, they are included because they at least describe a broad range of background art and, to that extent, are worthy of consideration. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0035] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to overcome the various disadvantages of the arrangements known from the prior art, as mentioned above. In particular, the object of the present invention is to configure an inhaler component of the type described at the beginning in such a way that the high specific vaporization capacity required for intermittent inhalation or synchronous operation with inhalation can be realized with a high vaporizer efficiency, while the required power and energy consumption can be covered by an energy store of approximately the size of an average mobile phone battery. The emergence of a critical heat flux inside the wick is avoided, while the liquid material is treated as gently as possible, i.e. it can be vaporized without substantial thermal decomposition.

[0036] Furthermore, the mode of operation of the vaporizer components shall be user-friendly and reliable, and nevertheless be able to be manufactured at the lowest possible cost. This specifically means that the penetration of the liquid material into the composite shall be as fast as possible, so that there is practically no waiting time to be observed between each inhalation or puff. The inhaler components shall be able to operate regardless of their position. The liquid material shall include liquid condensate residues, so that the risk of them escaping into the environment or impairing the functioning of the inhaler components is minimized. The composite shall be able to be manufactured at the lowest possible cost. The inhaler components shall be ergonomically designed to be user-friendly and simply operated.

[0037] Furthermore, it is possible to influence within certain limits the properties of the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol, in particular the particle size distribution of the generated condensation aerosol and its organoleptic effect.

[0038] Finally, the inhaler components are constructed in two types with different basic specifications so that they can be used in both classical inhalers and in suction inhalers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0039] The above-mentioned object is achieved by forming the composite into a planar composite, arranging at least one heated portion of the composite in a contactless manner inside the chamber, and further by substantially exposing the capillary structure of the wick located in the heated portion on at least one side of the planar composite. In one example of the developed configuration of the invention, the capillary structure of the wick located in the heated portion is substantially exposed on both sides of the planar composite. Due to the substantially exposed capillary structure of the wick located in the heated portion, the generated vapor flows out of the wick unhindered, which can increase the evaporation capacity or avoid the critical heat flux in the wick.

[0040] (Explanation of concepts) By "planar composite" is meant that the heating element and the wick are arranged in the same plane and / or in parallel planes and are joined to each other. Capillary transport of liquid material within the planar composite is mainly along the plane.

[0041] "Non-contact" means that it does not contact the chamber walls or other structural elements of the inhaler component, and by being placed in the chamber in a non-contact manner, the composite is heated to a point where the thermal conduction losses in this portion of the composite are significantly reduced and the liquid material stored within the wick can vaporize.

[0042] The term "chamber" is intended to include various passages, and thus includes tubular passages, where the open ends may form, for example, air intakes.

[0043] The planar composite has a thickness of less than 0.6 mm in a preferred embodiment and less than 0.3 mm in a highly preferred embodiment. Such thicknesses result in the heat introduced into the planar region being able to flow efficiently by thermal conduction, i.e. with a small temperature gradient, towards the exposed wick surface or capillary structures, where the heat-induced evaporation of the liquid material is initiated. Besides, the vapor already generated inside the wick can reach the exposed wick surface more easily. These conditions allow a further increase in the evaporation capacity, while at the same time contributing to a very careful handling of the liquid material before it is evaporated. It should be noted that this is not just a question of sizing, but is an important feature of the invention. The inventor himself was surprised when he found in experiments that a planar core with a thickness of <300 μm and an exposed core surface still exhibits a wicking action along the surface.

[0044] Whether the composite is constructed as a sheet, foil, strip or tape, they are all considered to be in accordance with the present invention. Such surface configurations allow the practical use of manufacturing methods that allow for very economical mass production.

[0045] The planar composite includes, according to the invention, one of the following structures: cloth, open-pore fiber structure, open-pore sintered structure, open-pore foam, open-pore deposition structure. These structures are particularly suitable for realizing a core with a high porosity. The high porosity ensures that most of the heat generated by the heating element is utilized for the vaporization of the liquid material present in the pores, so that a high vaporizer efficiency can be achieved. With these structures, in particular, a porosity of more than 50% can be realized. The open-pore fiber structure can be, for example, made of a fleece, which can be optionally consolidated and additionally sintered to improve the cohesion. The open-pore sintered structure can be made of a granular, fibrous or flake-shaped sintered composite, produced, for example, by tape casting. The open-pore deposition structure can be produced, for example, by CVD, PVD or flame spraying. The open-pore foam is essentially commercially available, and is also available in thin microporous versions.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sheet-like composite has at least two layers, which may be at least one of the following structures: a sheet, a foil, a paper, a cloth, an open-pored fiber structure, an open-pored sintered structure, an open-pored foam, and an open-pored deposition structure. In this case, a certain layer may be assigned to the heating element and the other layer to the core. For example, the heating element may be formed by an electric resistance heating element made of a metal foil. However, it is also possible for a layer to assume both the function of the heating element and the function of the core, for example, a metal wire cloth which, on the one hand, contributes to the heating by electric resistance and, on the other hand, exerts a capillary action on the liquid material. The individual layers are preferably, but not necessarily, joined to one another by a heat treatment, such as sintering or welding. For example, the composite may be configured as a sintered composite made of a stainless steel foil and one or more layers of stainless steel wire cloth (for example steel AISI 304 or AISI 316). Instead of stainless steel, it is possible, for example, to use heat-conducting alloys, in particular NiCr and CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal"), which have a higher specific electrical resistance compared to stainless steel. The heat treatment achieves a material bond between the layers, so that the layers remain in contact with each other even under adverse conditions, for example during heating by a heating element and the thermal expansion induced by this. If the contact between the layers is lost, voids would result, which would impede capillary connections on the one hand and heat transfer from the heating element to the liquid material on the other hand.

[0047] In another similar configuration of the invention, it is proposed to configure the composite in a linear manner and to place at least one heated part of the composite in a contactless manner inside a chamber so that the capillary structure of the wick located in this heated part is substantially exposed. The capillary structure of the wick is exposed in this heated part so that the generated vapor can flow out of the wick unhindered, which makes it possible to increase the vaporization capacity or to avoid the critical heat flux inside the wick. The capillary transport of the liquid material inside the linear composite takes place mainly in the longitudinal direction of the linear composite. The concepts "contactless manner" and "chamber" have already been explained above.

[0048] The linear composite has a thickness according to the following formula:

number

[0049] It is preferred that the thickness of the core is less than 1.0 mm, as defined by (A represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the composite). Such a thickness results in that the heat introduced linearly can flow by thermal conduction efficiently - i.e. with a small temperature gradient - towards the exposed core surface, where the heat causes the liquid material to evaporate. In addition, the vapor already generated inside the core can reach the exposed core surface more easily. These conditions make it possible to further increase the evaporation capacity.

[0050] The linear composites according to the invention include at least one of wires, yarns, open-pored sintered structures, open-pored foams, and open-pored deposited structures, which are particularly suitable for realizing linear composites with high porosity and sufficient mechanical stability.

[0051] In a preferred configuration of the surface or linear composite, the heating element is at least partially integrated into the core. This arrangement has the advantageous effect that heat is generated and released directly inside the core and is transferred there directly to the liquid material to be vaporized. For example, the heating element can consist of an electrically conductive thin film made of platinum, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten or tantalum, which is applied to the surface of the core by a PVD or CVD method. The core in this case consists of a non-conductive material, for example quartz glass. In a technically easier to manufacture configuration of the invention, the core itself consists at least partially of an electrically resistive material, for example carbon, an electrically conductive or semiconductive ceramic or a PTC (phenylthiocarbamide) material. It is very advantageous if the electrically resistive material is metallic. Metals have a high ductility compared to the aforementioned materials. This property proves to be advantageous in that the composite is exposed to alternating thermal loads during operation, which induce thermal expansions. Metals are able to compensate for such thermal expansions better. Furthermore, metals have a higher impact toughness than others, which proves to be an advantage when inhaler components are exposed to impacts. Examples of suitable metallic resistance materials are special steels such as AISI 304 or AISI 316, as well as heat transfer alloys, in particular NiCr alloys and CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal") with DIN material numbers 2.4658, 2.4867, 2.4869, 2.4872, 1.4843, 1.4860, 1.4725, 1.4765, 1.4767, etc.

[0052] In yet another preferred configuration of the areal or linear composite, the joint between the heating element and the core is arranged to extend or extend over the entire width or length of the core. In this case, it is not important whether the heating element is used as such - i.e. heated - over its entire width or length or only in places. This is determined by the position of the respective electrical contact of the heating element. If this contact is only made at the outer end of the heating element, the heating element does not necessarily have to contribute to the evaporation of the liquid material over its entire width or length. For example, the heating element may be in contact in places with various structural components that substantially dissipate the heat generated inside the heating element, so that the liquid material inside the core is not actually heated, at least in this part. However, this heat that flows out may have to be considered as a loss in the energy balance. This configuration allows the application of various manufacturing methods that offer significant cost advantages over the prior art and at the same time make mass production economical for the first time. For example, planar composites can be obtained in large batches from a large planar blank by suitable separation methods such as punching or laser cutting. Advantageously, linear composites can be obtained from endless material. The concept of "endless material" also includes finite length material, as long as its length is several times the length of the linear composite.

[0053] As already explained above, a high porosity of the core or composite is desirable in terms of the efficient use of the thermal energy introduced by the heating element. This porosity can be further increased by subjecting the composite or a semi-finished product in the process, for example a large blank, to an etching treatment. For example, a sintered composite consisting of a stainless steel foil and one or more layers of stainless steel wire cloth (for example steel AISI 304 or AISI 316, etc.) can be suitably treated in an aqueous pickling bath consisting of 50% nitric acid and 13% hydrofluoric acid, which, as a side effect, also affects the electrical resistance of the heating element or composite, in particular increasing the electrical resistance.

[0054] In addition, the surface of the composite or its intermediate product may be activated according to the invention, including by cleaning the surface, which improves the wetting of the composite material wetted by the liquid material and thus leads to a more rapid penetration of the core. For example, for the sintered composite consisting of a stainless steel foil and one or more layers of stainless steel wire cloth as described above by way of example, a treatment in 20% phosphoric acid is very suitable to achieve the above-mentioned effect.

[0055] In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wick is configured as a self-flowing arterial wick. This type of wick is used, inter alia, inside heat pipes and is described in detail in the relevant literature, see for example ISBN 0080419038. Such a wick may, for example, consist of a bundle of passages or capillaries - so-called "arteria" meaning arteries - surrounded by or formed from a very fine porous structure. The flow resistance of a bundle of passages or capillaries to the flow of the liquid material is much lower than that of a homogeneous porous structure with a comparable capillary action or with a comparable capillary attraction (capillary rise height), which allows the penetration of the liquid material into the wick to be significantly accelerated.

[0056] In one variant, the core is perforated in the thickness direction. This can be achieved, for example, by means of a laser, which has the following effects: on the one hand, the porosity is further increased; on the other hand, the flow resistance in the thickness direction is reduced. This latter effect is achieved by the perforations acting as a means for releasing the pressure of the liquid material inside the core, which increases during evaporation, particularly when an alternating wick is used. This avoids the risk of the liquid material being pushed back again to the source of the liquid material through the alternating wick by the vapor generated inside the core, which would cause a slight interruption in the supply of the liquid material.

[0057] It is furthermore considered according to the invention that the planar composite is substantially flat and the inlets are slotted passages oriented parallel to the planar surface of the composite. Similarly, it is also considered according to the invention that the linear composite is substantially straight and the inlets are slotted passages oriented parallel to the straight composite. This geometrically simple arrangement not only allows very favourable mixing conditions between the incoming air and the vapours exiting the wick, but also allows these mixing conditions to be easily varied by changing the position of the slotted passages or / and the slot height, thereby influencing to some extent the characteristics of the generated aerosol, in particular the size of the generated aerosol particles.

[0058] According to the invention, the composite extends through the chamber so as to bridge it and is supported at its two end portions on two electrically conductive plate-like contacts, with which the heating element is electrically contacted. Considering the particularly small size of the composite and its mechanical sensitivity, as well as the fact that the components are exposed to various forces acting as a result of thermal expansion as well as the forces of the air flow into the chamber, it becomes clear that the arrangement just described shows a high degree of stability and at the same time allows simple fixing and contacting in terms of production technology of the composite. The electrical contacts of the heating element are made of welds or sintered parts in one preferred embodiment of the invention. The welds can be made by spot welding, resistance welding, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, bonding or other suitable welding solutions. It is very advantageous for welding or sintering if the respective plate-like contacts are made of the same material as the heating element or a similar material. In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electrical contacts of the heating element are made of adhesive parts using an electrically conductive adhesive, for example a silver-containing adhesive based on epoxy compounds. In this case, it becomes possible in principle to manufacture the plate-like contacts from any and all electrical contact materials, provided that the material is compatible with the adhesive used. Alternatively, these plate-like contacts may be formed by several circuit boards or one single common circuit board. In order to improve the heat removal, preference is given to copper thick-film circuit boards, the thickness of which is in the range of 100-500 μm. Naturally, the invention is not limited to the contacting methods indicated above. For example, the electrical contact could alternatively be achieved by mechanical clamping. In one example of an expanded configuration of the invention, the plate-like contacts protrude from the outer surface of the case in the form of two plug-in contacts. Both plug-in contacts are adapted to supply the heating element with the necessary electrical energy.

[0059] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, one end of the composite projects into a capillary gap, the flow resistance of which is smaller than that of the wick. The wick is supplied with liquid material from this capillary gap. Due to the flow resistance of the capillary gap being smaller than that of the wick, the liquid material reaches the vaporization zone inside the composite more quickly. In addition, the time required for the liquid material to completely penetrate the wick again after it has vaporized is also reduced. This time corresponds to the minimum waiting time that must be observed between each inhalation or puff. If this waiting time is not observed, a reduction in the amount of vapor or the amount of medicinal drug released may result. In addition, the composite may be heated in places without liquid material, which may lead to local overheating that may damage the composite or reduce its lifespan. In another development of the invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​the capillary gap is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the composite. This has the effect that the liquid material partially bypasses the wick and thus reaches the vaporization zone inside the composite more quickly. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrical contact of the composite heating element is made inside this capillary gap, thereby achieving a space-saving arrangement.

[0060] Another preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an inhaler component having a liquid container with an openable closure containing a liquid material arranged in or connected to the case, whereby the liquid container cannot be removed from the case or separated from the case, and furthermore the liquid material in the liquid container can be in capillary connection with the capillary gap by manually opening the openable closure. The liquid container cannot be removed from the inhaler component by the user when the liquid material is used up, which can be evaluated as a safety advantage, especially when the container contains medicines or poisons, such as nicotine. The case of the inhaler component is too large for children to swallow it. Refilling of the liquid container is not provided for, rather the inhaler component together with the liquid container forms a disposable product that must be properly disposed of after the liquid material is used up. The liquid material is stored in a sealed manner inside the liquid container. The possibility of air or UV light entering is substantially eliminated. In addition, the liquid container may also contain a protective gas, such as argon, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, which protects the liquid material from oxidation as well. The releasable closure of the liquid container is cleverly opened only immediately before the inhaler component is used, so that the liquid material can penetrate through the capillary gap to the core. The releasable closure is designed to be easily opened by hand, without the aid of special aids.

[0061] In a first variant, the liquid container is permanently connected to the case in a rigid manner or forms part of the case itself. The liquid container may be configured as a separate part that is inseparably connected to the case, for example by gluing or welding. In a development of this first variant, a reservoir is provided adjacent to the liquid container, separated from the liquid container by a releasable closure, and communicating with the capillary gap. This reservoir is used to receive at least a portion of the liquid material from the liquid container when the closure is opened, and to ensure a capillary connection with the capillary gap. The releasable closure is preferably opened by a pin with a first end facing the releasable closure and a second end projecting in a protruding manner from the outer surface of the case in the sealed state, the second end of the pin being supported so as to be axially displaceable inside the case by the action of a pressing force. The pressing force is transferred from the pin to the releasable closure, so that the releasable closure is finally torn along a reference breaking position. The pressing force can be generated, for example, by pressing with a finger. Another very advantageous embodiment of the invention relates to an inhaler having, in addition to the inhaler component just described, a reusable inhaler part which can be connected to the inhaler component, in which during the connection between the two, the second end of the pin is connected to the reusable inhaler part and cooperates with it like a kind of tappet, so that the above-mentioned pressing force is generated. In other words, the connection between the inhaler component and the reusable inhaler part and the opening of the liquid container are simultaneously performed with a single operation.

[0062] According to the invention, the reservoir communicates with the chamber through a vent passage, which allows air to enter the reservoir and thus provides pressure compensation, so that every time liquid material enters the capillary gap, an equal volume of air is drawn in to replace the liquid material that has left. It is important that the vent passage is connected to the chamber and does not communicate with the outside atmosphere, because otherwise the suction pressure during aspiration would be superimposed on the capillary flow, and the liquid material would be sucked out of the liquid container in a straw-like manner.

[0063] In a second variant, the liquid container is arranged in the case so that it can be displaced manually along a displacement axis between two stop positions, and in the first stop position it cooperates with a locking device which cannot be unlocked, and in the second stop position it cooperates with an opening means for opening the releasable closure. The removal of the liquid container from the case is essentially prevented by the locking device, i.e. the liquid container cannot be removed from the case as in the first variant - this has the same safety advantages as already explained above. In a development of this second variant, the opening means has a first barb constituted by a capillary gap, which in the second stop position penetrates the releasable closure and thus establishes a capillary connection with the liquid material. Alternatively, a ventilation passage is also provided, the first end of which communicates with the chamber and the second end of which is configured as a second barb adapted to pierce the releasable closure in the second stop position, i.e. the first and second barbs jointly form the opening means. The effect of this arrangement is similar to that of the connection between the fountain pen and the ink cartridge. Naturally, the first and second barbs can be combined into a single common barb. A locking device that cannot be unlocked can simply be configured, for example, by a protrusion formed by the case or the mouthpiece, against which the liquid container strikes in the first stop position. Finally, this second variant configuration also relates to an inhaler component having a mouthpiece with a mouthpiece passage through which the user receives the vapour-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol administered, wherein, according to the invention, the displacement axis is oriented at least approximately parallel to the central axis of the mouthpiece passage and, at least in the first stop position, one end portion of the liquid container protrudes outside the case and is positioned next to the mouthpiece.The user can simply displace the displaceable liquid container to the second stop position by pressing down on this protruding end of the liquid container. The mouthpiece and the liquid container protrude from the case on the same end face side of the inhaler component, which makes the inhaler component easier to handle and at the same time more ergonomic to use.

[0064] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a buffer reservoir, itself consisting of a number of capillaries, may be provided, which is in communication with the capillary gap and is adapted to receive the liquid material from the capillary gap and, when necessary, to release the liquid material stored for buffering again via the capillary gap to the wick, regardless of the circumstances. This allows the inhaler component to be operated in any and all circumstances, at least as long as the liquid material is stored in reserve in the buffer reservoir. The capillaries may consist, for example, of slots, holes or a porous material, with care being taken that the capillary action or capillary attraction (capillary rise height) of the capillaries is smaller than that of the wick, since otherwise no capillary flow will occur.

[0065] Instead of the liquid container described above, the inhaler component may also incorporate a liquid reservoir made of an open-pored elastic material, saturated with liquid material, in which case, according to the invention, the composite is sandwiched between one of the two plate-like contacts - as already described above - and the liquid reservoir, so that the wick is in capillary connection with the liquid material inside the liquid reservoir. This open-pored elastic material may be made, for example, of a fiber material or a foam material. The liquid material is automatically drawn from the liquid reservoir into the wick and permeates it. A prerequisite for this is that the capillary action or capillary attraction of the wick (capillary rise height) is greater than that of the liquid reservoir. The sandwiching allows for a structurally simple and cost-effectively manufactured arrangement to be realized.

[0066] In one embodiment of the inventive development, the inhaler component incorporates a condensate coupling device for receiving and storing the condensate residues formed during the production of the vapor-air mixture and / or the condensation aerosol. A significant amount of condensate residues may occur, especially if the liquid material to be vaporized contains a high content of low-boiling components with a high vapor pressure, such as, for example, ethanol and / or water. Such a high content of low-boiling components is advantageous and even essential in the case of the inhaler component according to the invention, among other reasons: on the one hand, such a content reduces the viscosity of the liquid material, which allows it to penetrate the wick more quickly. This effect proves to be very advantageous in the composite according to the invention, due to the low thickness of the composite and the particularly small average pore size of the wick as a result. On the other hand, the low-boiling components allow the medicament and other additives contained in the liquid material to be vaporized easily, which reduces the amount of evaporation residues produced and also reduces the thermal decomposition of the liquid material. In order to be able to utilize these positive effects satisfactorily, the mass content of low-boiling components should be significantly greater than 50%. As a result, it is expected that during operation of the inhaler components according to the invention, significant amounts of condensate residues will be generated, which must be adequately bound.

[0067] In the present invention, this condensate binding device consists of a wick with open pores, arranged at a certain distance from but in close proximity to the exposed capillary structure located in the aforementioned part of the wick. This wick with open pores acts in principle like a sponge insofar as it is adapted to receive condensate deposits generated from the vapor phase inside its pores. Even large amounts of condensate can be bound without problems. This wick with open pores prevents the accumulation of freely mobile condensate inside the inhaler components, in particular inside the chamber, which may impair the functioning of the inhaler components and may also pose a risk to the user and the environment if the accumulated condensate contains remnants of medicines or toxic substances such as nicotine. In particular, by arranging the open-pored wicking body in the immediate vicinity of the vapor generation zone, i.e. in the region of high vapor density, the condensate residues are absorbed in such a high concentration and therefore in such an efficient manner that they do not even have a chance to dissipate into the surrounding area. It is very advantageous if the open-pored wicking body directly covers the exposed capillary structure located in the above-mentioned part of the wick, since it is in this zone that the highest vapor density is expected. In another advantageous configuration of the invention, the open-pored wicking body has two parts or parts that are arranged at a distance from each other, and the composite is arranged at least in places between these two parts or parts. In addition, it is also considered according to the invention that the open-pored wicking body is arranged inside the chamber so that it fills up a large part of the chamber. This allows a very large absorption capacity for liquid condensate residues to be achieved with a compact structure. Additionally, the open-pored wicking body is advantageously made of a shape-stable material that is adapted to substantially maintain its shape even after it has been saturated with condensate residues.To check whether a material in particular exhibits form stability, it is sufficient to soak the material in an ethanol-water solution and test the form stability after a residence time of three days. This form stability ensures that the flow ratios in the chamber, particularly around the composite, and thus the conditions for the formation of the steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosols remain constant. For example, the open-pored suction body may be made of rigid foam materials, such as metal or ceramic foams, of porous sintered compacts, of porous fillers or bulk materials that do not exhibit a tendency to foam, for example bulk materials of desiccant granules, or of porous fiber composites made of natural or chemical fibers that are bonded together, for example by heat or with the aid of a binder. It is also important that the material is sufficiently chemically inert to the condensation residues.

[0068] According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the open-hole wick with wicking capacity is substantially surrounded by the case and is inseparably connected thereto, thereby preventing the open-hole wick with wicking capacity from coming into direct contact with the environment and at the same time making it impossible to remove it from the case without destroying the inhaler component by applying extreme force. This protective measure proves to be advantageous, in particular when the condensate contains medicinal residues and / or toxic substances such as nicotine. The inhaler component together with the open-hole wick with wicking capacity form a disposable product that must be properly disposed of after a certain expiry date has been reached.

[0069] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a two-stage condensate precipitation device is provided, in which the first stage is constituted by a suction body with open pores and suction capacity, and the second stage is constituted by a radiator through which the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol can flow. This embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable for use in inhalation inhalers. The radiator is adapted to cool the steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol flowing through it, and in the process removes further condensate from the steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol. The radiator may be formed, for example, by a perforated body that is substantially permeable to the particles of the generated condensation aerosol, through which a throughflow can occur. In addition to cooling, the perforated body ensures thorough mixing of the steam-air mixture or condensation aerosol flowing through it, so that the properties of the steam-air mixture or condensation aerosol are homogenized, for example so that concentration peaks are reduced. The porous body typically consists of a material with a large pore size, for example a foam material with open pores, a porous bulking agent with coarse pores or a fleecy fiber material. Examples of fleecy fiber materials include synthetic fiber fleeces made from polyolefin fibers (PE, PP) or polyester fibers. The porous body may also consist of a heat exchanger material. If the surface area, i.e. the heat exchange area, is large, a large amount of heat can be absorbed quickly with practically no flow losses. Typical heat exchanger materials are bulk materials made of metal wool, metal chips, metal cloth, wire knit, metal fiber fleece, open-pore metal foam, metal or ceramic granules. Finally, the heat radiator may be multi-staged by combining different porous materials. Of course, the invention is not limited to the heat radiator materials listed here. This cooling and homogenization can significantly improve the organoleptic properties of the steam-air mixture and / or the condensed aerosol ingested by the user.

[0070] In one highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the heat radiator is formed by a tobacco filler, which, in addition to cooling / condensation and homogenization, also brings about the aromatization of the vapor-air mixture or condensation aerosol flowing through the tobacco filler, which is particularly suitable when the liquid material contains nicotine as a pharmaceutical. In laboratory tests using prototypes operating on the principle of a suction inhaler and pharmaceutical preparations containing nicotine as liquid material, further advantageous effects were identified. For example, the inhalability of vapor-air mixtures and condensation aerosols containing nicotine could be improved, which is undoubtedly due in part to the above effects. However, there are hypotheses that other auxiliary mechanisms of action are involved - in particular the diffusion and adsorption processes for aprotic free nicotine may need to be studied in more detail. The packing density of the tobacco filler is limited because, on the one hand, the filler must be as permeable as possible to the aerosol particles flowing through it, and, on the other hand, the flow resistance induced must not exceed that of the tobacco. The tobacco filler may be formed from tobacco cuts for pipe tobacco, for hand-rolling tobacco, for filling filter cigarettes, from rolled tobacco cuts as in cigarettes, or from tobacco of a comparable or similar shape. In particular, the tobacco is dried and fermented tobacco, tobacco leaf reformed as in paper, tobacco leaf which has been rapidly evaporated with dry ice or the like to increase its volume, or a mixture thereof. The tobacco may further be flavored with flavoring liquids, spices, aromas, or / and perfumes. The use of the tobacco filler as a heat radiator may also make it attractive and / or easy to switch from tobacco products to the inhaler component according to the invention. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the volume of the tobacco filler is 3 cm 3 Independent laboratory tests have demonstrated that only at minimum volumes exceeding this amount can the tobacco filler achieve the above-mentioned effects in a manner satisfactory to the consumer.

[0071] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the inhaler component has a mouthpiece opening formed by a mouthpiece, the mouthpiece opening communicating with the chamber through which the user receives the administered vapor-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol, wherein during the inhalation process, between the intake port and the mouthpiece opening, a flow towards the mouthpiece opening is formed, the flow passing at least in places through the composite. In accordance with the invention, it is also possible to arrange at least one air bypass opening downstream of the composite through which air is fed into the flow from the surroundings, and to make the effective flow cross-sectional area of ​​the air bypass opening at least 0.5 cm. 2 It is intended that such an arrangement allows the inhaler component to be used also in classical inhalers, which require, as a prerequisite, essentially the lowest possible flow resistance. The additional air flowing in through this air bypass opening ("bypass air") does not itself pass through the composite and thus does not directly influence the formation or the properties of the steam-air mixture and / or the condensed aerosol. However, if a constant air intake is required as a prerequisite, this bypass air has an indirect effect in that the amount of air flowing in through the intake ("primary air") is reduced. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of primary air as desired. A reduction in the amount of primary air leads, among other things, to an increase in the size of the aerosol particles produced. At the same time, the amount of condensate residue produced will in any case also increase, which can, however, be countered by the arrangement of a condensate coupling device - as explained above. By configuring this air bypass opening according to the invention with two bypass openings arranged in opposite housing parts, a further reduction in the amount of primary air is achieved in combination with a further reduction in the flow resistance.

[0072] In addition, according to the invention, two guide vanes are arranged adjacent to both bypass openings, which are directed towards the mouthpiece opening and towards each other and which form with their free ends a nozzle-like merging opening through which the generated vapour-air mixture and / or condensate aerosol leaves the chamber and is subsequently mixed with the air entering through the bypass opening. Both guide vanes have the effect of substantially concealing the chamber from the outside, so that the infiltration of e.g. rainwater or saliva into the chamber is significantly reduced. In addition, the exchange of air between the chamber and the surroundings is also limited, so that the natural evaporation of the liquid material components in the core is reduced. Such evaporation has proven to be disadvantageous in that it can cause the composition of the liquid material to change, particularly if the inhaler component is not used for a long period of time, and in the case of medicinal products, the dosage can deviate from the target value.

[0073] In addition, it is also considered according to the invention to arrange a flow homogenizer downstream of the air bypass opening, the flow resistance of which is less than 1 mbar at an air mass flow rate of 250 mL / s. Both the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensed aerosol and also the bypass air flowing in through the air bypass opening flow through this flow homogenizer, whereby both flow components are mixed and homogenized. The peak values ​​of concentration are reduced, and the homogenized mixture flowing out of the mouthpiece opening is more inhalable for the user. The flow homogenizer can be made of a fleece or foam material, for example, which is suitable for generating sufficient turbulence and vortex flows without exceeding the above-mentioned limit values ​​of flow resistance. Only in this way can the configuration of the invention just described be used for classical inhalers.

[0074] In one of the configuration options of the invention, several composites with different heat capacities are arranged adjacent to each other. In another configuration option of the invention, several composites with heating elements with different characteristics are arranged adjacent to each other. In yet another configuration option of the invention, several composites with electric heating elements with different control methods are arranged adjacent to each other. In yet another configuration option of the invention, several composites are arranged adjacent to each other, and liquid materials with different compositions are assigned to each composite for vaporization thereof, by supplying the wick of each composite from a different liquid material source. The above configuration options, which can be arbitrarily combined with each other, make it possible to configure the vaporization process as variable both spatially and temporally. This variability makes it possible to approximately mimic even the complex conditions in the distillation zone of a tobacco.

[0075] In one special embodiment of the invention, a number of adjacent composites are arranged in which the heating elements are electrical resistance heating elements, which are connected in series according to the invention. This special embodiment has proven to be very advantageous when the heating elements are made of any metallic resistance material, such as special steel or heat-conducting alloys, since the series connection and the associated increased resistance limit the heat flow to a degree that can still be well controlled by electronic control and by energy storage. The increased resistance also makes it possible to throttle the power density inside the composite as required, so that a stable vaporization can be guaranteed in any case.

[0076] Some useful and advantageous embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and will be explained in more detail in the following description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0077] [Figure 1]1A to 1C show a first embodiment of an inhaler according to the invention configured as a suction inhaler, viewed from different angles; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1 with the reusable inhaler part and the replaceable inhaler component separated. [Diagram 3] 1A-1D are views of the reusable inhaler parts from various angles. [Figure 4] 1A-1D are views of the reusable inhaler components from various angles with the battery cover removed and the circuit cover also removed. [Diagram 5] 1A-1D are views of the reusable inhaler components from various angles with the battery cover removed and the circuit cover also removed. [Figure 6] 1A-1D are views of the replaceable inhaler components from various angles. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 shows a replaceable inhaler component with the liquid container and mouthpiece separated therefrom. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a view of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1 with the circuit cover removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhaler of FIG. 8 taken at the height of the surface composite, with the cut surface appropriately aligned for portions away from the composite. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler with the circuit cover attached taken along line AA in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1 taken at the level of the planar composite. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of detail a of FIG. [Figure 12a] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of detail b of FIG. [Figure 13a] FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of detail a. [Figure 13b] FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of detail a. [Figure 14a] 1A-1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a planar composite. [Figure 14b]1A-1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a planar composite. [Figure 15a] 1A-1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a planar composite. [Figure 15b] 1A-1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a planar composite. [Figure 15c] 1A-1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a planar composite. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram of a modified configuration of detail b of FIG. 12 in which three linear composites are arranged adjacent to each other. [Figure 16a] FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-section of an individual linear composite shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 17] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of detail c of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of detail d of FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler with the circuit cover attached taken along line BB in FIG. 9. [Figure 20] 12 is a cross-sectional view of the replaceable inhaler component, including the suggested liquid container, taken along line CC in FIGS. 7 and 11. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 shows a view from the same angle as FIG. 9 of a second embodiment of an inhaler according to the invention, configured as a classical inhaler. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler shown in FIG. 21 with the circuit cover attached, taken along line DD in FIG. 21. [Diagram 23] 22A-22D are views of the replaceable inhaler component of the inhaler shown in FIG. 21 from two different angles. [Figure 24a] FIG. 1 shows a replaceable inhaler component with an alternative liquid container system. [Figure 24b] FIG. 2 shows a replacement inhaler component with a replacement liquid container system, with a cutaway around the liquid container. [Diagram 25] FIG. 24b is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler taken along line EE of FIG. 24b. [Figure 26]FIG. 13 shows a replaceable inhaler component with yet another alternative liquid container system. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the inhaler component shown in FIG. 26 taken at the level of the planar composite. [Figure 28] 27 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid reservoir shown in FIG. 26 taken perpendicular to the planar composite. [Figure 29] 1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and a side view of a replaceable inhaler component in which two planar composites are arranged adjacent to each other, taken at the height of the planar composites. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0078] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an inhaler according to the invention, which in this particular example is configured as a suction inhaler, the shape and size of which are designed so that the user can handle it easily and comfortably. In terms of volume, the inhaler is approximately half the size of a cigarette packet. The inhaler shown as an example essentially consists of two parts, in particular an inhaler part 1 and an inhaler component 2. The inhaler component 2 consists of a case 3 and has, among other things, a liquid container 4 and a mouthpiece 5, such as a tobacco pipe. The liquid container 4 contains a liquid material which is vaporized inside the inhaler component 2 and converted into an inhalable vapor-air mixture or / and condensation aerosol. The vapor-air mixture or / and condensation aerosol produced is administered to the user via the mouthpiece 5. As liquid material, essentially all kinds of substances and preparations come into consideration which can be vaporized under ambient conditions substantially without residue. This condition is already met if the respective substance or respective preparation is present in a diluted form, for example dissolved in water or / and ethanol, and this solution evaporates substantially without residue. By sufficiently high dilution in a readily volatile solvent such as ethanol and / or water, it is possible to fulfil the above-mentioned condition even for substances which would otherwise be difficult to evaporate, and thus to avoid or greatly reduce the thermal decomposition of the liquid material.

[0079] The liquid material preferably contains a medicinal product. The aerosol particles produced by condensation usually have a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of less than 2 μm, which allows them to reach the alveoli. The inhaler according to the invention is particularly suitable for administering systemically acting medicinal products, for example those whose main therapeutic effect is in the central nervous system. An example of this is nicotine, which has a boiling point of 246° C. The medicinal product-containing aerosol particles are deposited mainly in the alveoli, where the medicinal product is rapidly transferred to the blood circulation. In the case of nicotine, the nicotine reaches its target organ, i.e. the central nervous system, in a focused and concentrated manner already about 7 to 10 seconds after inhalation. Naturally, the inhaler that is the subject of the invention may also be operated without a medicinal product - in the form of non-medical application - using, for example, only aromatizing agents.

[0080] The inhaler part 1 incorporates at least one energy store and one electrical circuit, as will be explained in more detail below, where the energy store is protected by a battery cover 6 and the circuit by a circuit cover 7.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 2, the inhaler part 1 and the inhaler component 2 are designed to be detachable from each other in this specific embodiment. The detachable connection is constituted by a snap-in connection consisting of two snap hooks 8 and two locking lugs 9 cooperating therewith. This arrangement makes the inhaler part 1 reusable, which is essentially advantageous since, firstly, the inhaler part 1 does not come into contact with the liquid material, i.e. is not contaminated by it, and secondly, it contains various components whose life span is longer than that of the individual components of the inhaler component 2. After the liquid material in the liquid container 4 has been used up, the user disposes of the entire inhaler component 2 and replaces it with a new inhaler component 2. To this extent, the inhaler component 2 is a replaceable disposable product. Since condensate residues are constantly generated and accumulated inside the case 3 of the inhaler component 2 during the production of the steam-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol, it is advisable to ensure that the disposal is carried out properly, especially when the liquid material contains a medicinal product. There is always a residual liquid material remaining in the liquid container 4. Of course, it is also possible in principle to design the inhaler part 1 and the inhaler component 2 as one piece, i.e. inseparable from each other. However, this embodiment would not be economical, since all the parts and components of the inhaler, i.e. the entire inhaler, would then be configured as a disposable product for one-time use. Of course, this embodiment is also included in the subject matter of the present invention, but the entire inhaler would be considered as an inhaler component.

[0082] In figures 3 to 5 the reusable inhaler part 1 is shown from various angles with and without the cover. The reusable inhaler part 1 is essentially made up of three housing parts: a battery cover 6, a circuit cover 7 and a carrier case 10 arranged between them. For weight reasons, the three housing parts are preferably made of plastic. The carrier case 10 accommodates the electric circuit 11 and the energy accumulator 12 and also has a partition 13 which separates the circuit 11 and the energy accumulator 12 from one another. The electric circuit 11 is configured in this embodiment as a one-piece mounted circuit board and is attached, for example by gluing, to the surface of the partition 13. The energy accumulator 12 is preferably made up of a rechargeable battery of the flat type, for example a lithium-ion or lithium-polymer accumulator. Currently, this accumulator type is the largest in terms of available energy density and energy flow and has been widely adopted for some time, primarily due to its widespread use in mobile phones. The current supply from the battery 12 to this printed circuit board 11 is effected via two flat contacts 14 soldered to the rear side of the printed circuit board 11 - see also FIG. 10. These flat contacts 14 protrude through two slightly larger windows 15 in the bulkhead 13. The battery 12 has two corresponding contacts (not shown) which are pressed against the flat contacts 14 to establish an electrical contact which can then be disconnected again. The pressing force required for this purpose is preferably generated by a leaf spring (not shown) which is arranged between the battery 12 and the battery cover 6. The battery cover 6 is detachably connected to the carrier case 10 - in this embodiment by means of a bolted fastening (see FIG. 1). Naturally, the battery cover 6 could instead also be constructed as a lockable sliding cover. The circuit cover 7 is preferably detachably connected to the carrier case 10, for example by gluing or welding, thereby making it possible to resist manipulation of the circuit 11 by unauthorized persons.In the unlikely event of any fault in the circuitry, the entire inhaler part 1 must be replaced, except for the battery 12. The other components and properties of the reusable inhaler part 1 are described in more detail below.

[0083] In figures 6 and 7 the replaceable inhaler component 2 is shown from different angles. As already mentioned, the replaceable inhaler component 2 is essentially constituted by a case 3 and comprises, among other things, a liquid container 4 and a tobacco-pipe-like mouthpiece 5. The liquid container 4 and the mouthpiece 5 are inseparably connected to the case 3. From the viewpoint of production technology, it is advantageous to manufacture the liquid container 4 and the mouthpiece 5 as separate parts and only subsequently join them to the case 3, for example by gluing or welding - see figure 7. It is of course fundamentally conceivable to construct the liquid container 4 and / or the mouthpiece 5 in one piece with the case 3. For weight reasons the case 3, the liquid container 4 and the mouthpiece 5 are preferably made of plastic, in which case the properties of the liquid material 16 must be taken into account when selecting the material for the liquid container 4. If liquid material 16 contains, for example, nicotine, the plastics described in US Pat. Nos. 5,167,242 (James E. Turner et al.) and 6,790,496 (Gustav Levander et al.) may be used.

[0084] The liquid container 4 is preferably filled with the liquid material 16 through a filling hole 17 under a protective gas atmosphere, such as argon or nitrogen. The end face of the liquid container 4 is provided with a flap-like releasable closure 18, which is opened by the user by pressing it before using the inhaler component 2. The releasable closure 18 will be explained in more detail below. The liquid container 4 is never completely filled with the liquid material 16. If it were to be completely filled, it would no longer be possible to press and open the releasable flap-like closure 18, which always has a certain degree of elasticity due to the incompressibility of the liquid material 16. After filling, the filling hole 17 is hermetically sealed by a sealing cap 19. The sealing cap 19 can be, for example, glued or welded onto the hole, whereby heat input into the liquid material 16 must be avoided as much as possible. Alternatively, the filling hole 17 may be configured as a capillary hole, and the filling of the liquid material 16 may take place via a single injection needle. In this case, the sealing cap 19 may be omitted, and the capillary hole itself may close in an airtight manner. The further components and properties of the replaceable inhaler component 2 will be explained in more detail below.

[0085] In figure 8 the inhaler according to figure 1 is shown with the circuit cover 7 removed. Figure 8 shows, among other things, the snap-in connection consisting of two snap hooks 8 and corresponding locking lugs 9 in the coupled and locked state, where the snap hooks 8 are configured as protrusions of the case 3, whereas the locking lugs 9 are formed by contact elements 20. The contact elements 20 are adhesively attached to the carrier case 10 of the reusable inhaler part 1 and serve further functions which will be explained in more detail later.

[0086] Figures 9 to 13 provide more information about the internal appearance of the inhaler and its basic mode of operation. As shown in these figures, a chamber 21 is formed inside the case 3 of the replaceable inhaler component 2. As best shown in Figure 11, a sheet-like composite 22 according to the invention extends through this chamber 21 in a bridging and thus contactless manner. This sheet-like composite 22 has a flat foil-like or strip-like shape and consists of a heating element and a wick. The capillary structure of the wick is suitable for the uptake of the liquid material 16. The heating element and the wick can be constructed in many different ways and joined together. Specific examples of embodiments are described in more detail below. The sheet-like composite 22 rests at its two end portions on two electrically conductive plate-like contacts 23 and is also electrically contacted on the other surfaces. The contact is preferably made by surface bonding with a conductive adhesive, for example from Epoxy Technology (www.epotek.com), or by welding. In the case of welding, care must be taken to avoid disturbing the core or its capillary structure as much as possible. If necessary, the welding should be limited to spots. The choice of material for the plate contact 23 has already been indicated above.

[0087] The area between the plate-like contacts 23 on both sides clearly defines the heated portion of the planar composite 22, which in this embodiment is arranged in a contactless manner inside the chamber 21. This arrangement in a contactless manner results in zero heat conduction loss in the thickness direction of the planar composite 22. This allows this portion to be heated until the liquid material 16 stored inside the wick reaches its boiling point and vaporizes. The capillary structure of the wick located in this portion is substantially exposed on at least one side of the planar composite according to the present invention. This side is preferably the side 24 of the planar composite 22 opposite the plate-like contacts 23, as will be further clarified later in the course of describing a specific embodiment of this composite. Thus, the vapor generated during the evaporation of the liquid material can flow out of the exposed capillary structure of the wick over a wide area and substantially unhindered. In a second configuration of the sheet composite, which will also be described later with the aid of some examples, the capillary structure located in the aforementioned part of the wick is additionally substantially exposed on the opposite side 25 of the sheet composite 22 to this side 24, so that the evaporation surface is doubled compared to the first example described above, and thus the maximum achievable evaporation capacity is also doubled, which is defined as the capacity up to which the critical heat flux first appears inside the wick.

[0088] In addition, the case 3 forms an air inlet 26 for supplying air from the periphery into the chamber 21. The air is mixed with the steam exiting the exposed capillary structure of the wick inside the chamber 21, in the process generating a steam-air mixture and / or a condensed aerosol. The air inlet 26 is configured as a slotted passage. The slotted passage is oriented parallel to the surface composite 22. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the slotted passage is slightly offset laterally with respect to the surface composite 22, in particular on the side of the surface composite where the capillary structure of the wick is substantially exposed. This arrangement achieves that the exposed capillary structure of the wick is completely flooded with the air entering the chamber 21 through the slotted passage 26, creating homogeneous mixing conditions. Assuming steady suction characteristics (suction volume, suction time), changing the slot height of the slotted passages 26 allows the flow velocity of the incoming air to be changed, which can affect within certain limits the dynamics of the aerosol generation and, therefore, the properties of the generated aerosol. A decrease in the flow velocity allows the average size of the aerosol particles to be increased. The geometric position of the slotted passages 26 with respect to the surface composite 22 also influences the aerosol generation.

[0089] 13a and 13b show an alternative arrangement of the air inlet 26, which in the example shown in FIG. 13a is formed by two slot-like passages 26 arranged on opposite sides of the surface composite 22. The air flowing into the chamber 21 flows on both sides of the surface composite 22. In the example shown in FIG. 13b, the slot-like passage 26 is arranged centered with respect to the surface composite. In this case, the surface composite 22 is located in the same plane as the slot-like passage, and the air flowing in directly hits the surface composite 22, but is divided into two parts by the surface composite, so that it flows on both sides of the composite as in the previous example. The arrangement shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b is particularly suitable for variants of the surface composite 22 in which the capillary structure of the wick is exposed on both sides, since in that case the steam escapes from both sides 24 and 25 of the surface composite 22. However, this arrangement is also suitable for variants of the planar composite 22 in which the capillary structure is exposed on only one side, insofar as the first air flow portion which generates the aerosol is weakened by the second air flow portion which, as it were, flows passively around the composite, thereby again making it possible to influence the properties of the aerosol generated.

[0090] The air inlet 26, configured as a slot-like passage, takes in air from a plenum chamber 27, which is used to distribute the air uniformly through the slot-like passage 26, so that essentially the same flow conditions are present throughout the slot-like passage. A flow restriction 28 is arranged upstream of the plenum chamber 27. The flow restriction 28 has the purpose of generating a flow resistance similar to that of a cigarette, so that the user obtains a sensation similar to that of taking a puff of a cigarette during inhalation. This flow resistance is in particular located in the range of 12-16 mbar at a mass flow rate of 1.05 liters per minute and should have a linear characteristic as far as possible. The flow restriction 28 may consist of a sintered body, for example made of metal or plastic, with open pores through which the air can flow. In prototypes, various porous plastic mouldings, for example from the company Porex (www.porex.com), have proven to be suitable. In the embodiment shown, the plenum chamber 27 is part of the replaceable inhaler component 2 and the flow restrictor 28 is part of the reusable inhaler part 1. Essentially, the plenum chamber 27 and the flow restrictor 28 could be located inside the replaceable inhaler component 2 or alternatively both could be located inside the reusable inhaler part 1.

[0091] FIG. 10 shows how the air then flows upstream of the flow restrictor 28. The arrows indicate this flow. As shown, the flow restrictor 28 takes in air from a lateral passage 29 which opens into the chamber between the printed circuit board 11 and the circuit cover 7. The actual supply of air from the surroundings is made through a supply port 30 formed by the circuit cover 7. This supply port 30 is located on the end face of the inhaler opposite to the mouthpiece 5. This position ensures that it is protected as much as possible from the ingress of rainwater.

[0092] In Figures 14a, 14b and 15a, 15b, 15c, specific examples of the configuration of the sheet composite 22 are shown in cross-section, where "cross-section" is to be understood as a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the composite (see Figure 9). In particular, Figures 14a and 14b show an embodiment in which the capillary structure is exposed on only one side, whereas Figures 15a to 15c show an embodiment in which the core capillary structure is exposed on both sides of the sheet composite. In the embodiment shown in Figure 14a, the sheet composite 22 consists of four layers, in particular a metal foil 31 and three metal wire cloths 32 fused thereon by sintering. The metal consists of special steel (for example AISI 304 or AISI 316) or of a heat-conducting alloy - in particular selected from the group of NiCr alloys or CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal"). If special steels are used, preference is given to those with a low carbon content (e.g. AISI 304L or AISI 316L), since these are less susceptible to intergranular corrosion. The metal foil 31 can be ordered in special steel specifications, for example, from Record Metall-Folien GmbH (www.recordmetall.de). Wire cloth can be ordered, for example, from Haver & Boecker (www.haverboecker.com) or Sporl KG (www.spoerl.de). The four layers are bonded to one another by a sintering process. The sintering process is preferably carried out in a vacuum or under hydrogen protective gas. Such sintering processes are state of the art and are routinely carried out, for example, by GKN Sinter Metal Filters GmbH (www.gkn-filters.com) as well as by Sporl KG (www.spoerl.de). The sintering process is preferably carried out using large blanks, i.e. not by sintering individual planar composites, but by using large blanks, for example in a 200x200 mm format. After sintering, the large blanks are laser cut or punched. By milling, individual composite bodies are obtained which are subsequently optionally etched in an acid bath.

[0093] Table 1 shows the specifications of the planar composite 22 used in the prototype as a specific example. [Table 1]

[0094] The composite span length corresponds to the length that the composite 22 extends in the chamber 21 without contacting anything, which in the illustrated embodiment corresponds to the distance between the two plate-like contacts 23. The composite span length and the composite width have opposite effects on the resulting resistance of the heating element. The etching rate is defined as the total mass loss achieved by etching. The first wire cloth layer is placed directly on the metal foil 31. The third wire cloth layer forms the top layer and at the same time the exposed capillary structure of the planar composite 22. The planar composite 22 is preferably supported on the respective planar contacts 23 with the metal foil 31 side down. The electrical contact of the metal foil 31 is preferably made via a planar adhesive between the metal foil 31 and the respective conductive plate-like contacts 23. In principle this contact could also be made by welding. For the sheet composite 22 thus contacted, with the dimensions listed in Table 1, a composite width of 2 mm and an etching rate of 35%, the heating element resistance will be approximately 310 mOhms. If a heat transfer alloy is used instead of special steel, the heating element resistance can be significantly increased, specifically by a factor of 1.8 when using DIN material number 2.4872 (NiCr20AISi) compared to AISI 304 / AISI 316, and by a factor of 2.0 when using DIN material number 1.4765 (CrAl255). Thus, a sheet composite with a composite width of 5 mm, DIN material number 2.4872 specifications, and otherwise the same dimensions as above, will have a heating element resistance of approximately 225 mOhms. If the energy supply is based on a lithium polymer battery with a rated or open circuit voltage of 3.7 V and an effective voltage under load of about 3.1 V, the current flowing through the planar composite calculated according to Ohm's law is 10 A (at 310 mOhms) and 13.8 A (at 225 mOhms). Such amperages can be drawn without problems from today's lithium polymer batteries. In a further calculation step, the rated electrical power output, which at the same time represents the maximum possible thermal power output, is calculated to be 31 W (at 310 mOhms) and 42.7 W (at 225 mOhms).As will be explained in more detail below, this output can be optionally reduced by an electrical circuit 11.

[0095] Based on the above-mentioned specifications of the specific example of the planar composite, in which the width of the composite is 5 mm and the etching rate is 35%, the pore volume located in the span width portion (evaporation portion) of the planar composite 22 is about 7.5 μL. The liquid material 16 to be vaporized is filled in this volume, which is equal to the amount of liquid material that can be vaporized maximally per puff or inhale (intermittent inhalation action). If the liquid material contains, for example, nicotine at a typical concentration of 1.5% by volume as a medicine, the maximum dosage of nicotine released per vaporization or inhale is theoretically 110 μg, but if this is converted to 10 inhalations, the total dosage is 1.1 mg. In practice, for various reasons, the maximum achievable dosage is slightly lower than this calculated value. However, what is important is the fact that the inhaler according to the present invention can administer the nicotine content of today's cigarettes (0.1 to 1.0 mg) without any problems. It is also important to note that the dosage of the active ingredient can be reduced at will, whether by lowering the concentration of the active ingredient in the liquid material, by choosing a narrower width for the complex, or by throttling the supplied heat power by the electric circuit 11. The last mentioned measure also serves as a measure against the thermal decomposition of the liquid material 16, since it does not heat the complex 22 to such a high temperature.

[0096] It should be noted that both the metal foil 31 and the metal wire cloth 32 fused to the foil by sintering contribute to the heating by electrical resistance. In this sense, an electrical resistance heating element can be understood as a parallel connection of these individual resistors. Similarly, the capillary action of the wick is explained by the cooperation between the wire cloth 32 and the metal foil 31, but a certain capillary effect can already be achieved by combining only one layer of wire cloth with the metal foil 31. Naturally, the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specifications. Instead of the metal wire cloth 32, it would be possible to arrange other metallic structures with open pores on the metal foil 31, or it would be possible to arrange cloth made of a non-conductive material, such as quartz glass, or other structures with open pores on the metal foil 31 or frit it on its surface.

[0097] In Fig. 14b, a second exemplary embodiment of a sheet composite 22 with exposed capillary structures on only one side is shown. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of Fig. 14a only in that instead of the two outer wire cloth layers, a fiber composite in the form of a fleece 33 is provided which is fused onto the first wire cloth layer 32 by sintering. Such a fleece 33 can be produced in special steel versions, for example by GKN Sinter Metals Filter GmbH (www.gkn-filters.com), according to customer specifications. The fleece 33 preferably has a thickness of 100-300 μm and a porosity of >70%. The surface area of ​​the fleece 33 which forms the exposed capillary structures of the core is significantly larger than that of the wire cloth 32, which has an advantageous effect on the evaporation process. Naturally, the fleece 33 may also be manufactured from a heat-conducting alloy - in particular from the group of NiCr alloys or CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal") - but for this purpose it is only necessary that the coarse fibers forming the fleece 33 are produced with the above-mentioned material specifications. After sintering, the sheet composite 22 can again optionally be subjected to an etching process.

[0098] FIG. 15a shows another embodiment of a planar composite 22 with exposed capillary structures on both sides. The planar composite consists of an open-pored sintered structure formed by a homogeneous granular, fibrous or flaky sintered composite 34, as shown. The production of thin-walled porous sintered composites has been known for some time. US Pat. No. 3,433,632 (Raymond J. Elbert) describes a method for producing thin-walled porous metal plates, e.g. with a thickness of 75 μm or more and a pore size between 1 and 50 μm. Powders made of nickel and special steel (AISI 304) were processed. Porosities of up to 60% have been achieved, but in other variants with multi-layer structures, porosities of up to 90% have been achieved (in any case only in the top layer). A similar method is described in US Pat. No. 6,652,804 (Peter Neumann et al.). JP 2004-332069 (Tsujimoto et al., Mitsubishi Materials Corp.) describes a further improved and developed method for producing a thin-walled porous sintered metallic composite, preferably with a thickness in the range of 50-300 μm, which is characterized by the addition of a removable filler, specifically acrylic resin beads, to the metal powder to be processed. The acrylic resin beads are for space retention, and prior to the actual sintering step, they are sublimated substantially without residue during a heat treatment in a vacuum at about 500° C., leaving behind voids that are maintained during and after the sintering step. In this way, sheet-like composites made of special steel of AISI 316L specification, typically with a porosity of 70-90%, were produced. The Institute of Energies at the Jülich Research Centre (IEF, www.fz-juelich.de / ief / ief-1) also has the capability to produce thin porous metal foils up to 500 μm thick, based on the so-called doctor blade tape casting method, similar to the process described in JP 2004-332069.

[0099] Basically, all the above mentioned methods may be applied to produce the planar sintered composite 22, 34 according to the invention, but preference is given to the method according to JP 2004-332069, because of the high porosity achieved. The only thing that has to be taken care of is that the average pore size inside the homogeneous sintered composite is as much as possible >10 μm, in order to ensure that the liquid material 16 penetrates the core sufficiently quickly. The grain size of the metal powder and the acrylic resin beads to be processed is adjusted to meet this condition. The thickness range of 50-300 μm given as an example in the method described in JP 2004-332069 covers a very favorable thickness range for the planar composite 22.

[0100] In addition to machining special steels, the above-described method is also suitable for machining powdered heat conducting alloys as well as powdered ceramic resistance materials.

[0101] FIG. 15b shows a development or modification of the planar composite according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 15a, in which the planar composite 22 has a number of channels or alternators 35 arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the composite, the advantageous effects of which have already been explained above. To produce these channels 35, it is necessary to adapt the above-mentioned manufacturing method by placing in the slurry obtained by tape casting filaments that can be removed by oxidation, sublimation or chemical decomposition, for example sublimable acrylic filaments. These filaments are only there to secure a place, and their removal leaves behind voids that form the channels 35. It is best to make the process proceed in three stages: first a first foil layer is poured; on top of it is placed a layer of filaments oriented parallel to one another that will later form the alternators 35; and finally a second foil layer is poured, which at the same time forms the top layer. Before placing the filaments, they are stretched over an auxiliary frame in order to facilitate handling. In this modified embodiment, the grain size of the metal powder and possibly the acrylic beads to be processed is preferably in the range of 1-10 μm, whereas the preferred range for the diameter of the filaments is 20-150 μm. After the tape casting and sintering process, in an optional subsequent process step, the planar sintered bond 22, 34 is perforated in the thickness direction, so that a number of holes 36 are formed. The perforation can be carried out, for example, by means of a laser. The perforation pattern should be as irregular as possible. In other words, a regular pattern would in the unfavorable case result in all the holes 36 being located between the alternators 35 and not intersecting with them. In that case, the advantageous effect of the perforation process would be only partially realized, as already explained above.

[0102] To further increase the porosity and electrical resistance, the composite according to the embodiment shown in Figures 15a and 15b can be optionally etched after sintering. The attachment and contact of the planar sintered composite 22, 34 onto the plate-like contact 23 is preferably achieved by welding. Adhesion is only possible if the adhesive used has a sufficient paste-like or semi-fluid consistency. Otherwise, the adhesive may penetrate into the pore structure of the composite and thus interfere with the capillary action of the core. In some cases, it may be advantageous to exclude the adhesive area from the composite drilling process.

[0103] Finally, in FIG. 15c, yet another embodiment of a sheet-like composite 22 with exposed capillary structures on both sides is shown. As shown there, the sheet-like composite 22 consists of an open-pored foam 37 made of an electrically resistive material. Methods for producing foam-like composites have been known for some time. For example, US Pat. No. 3,111,396 (Burton B. Ball) already describes a method for producing metal, ceramic and graphite foams. This method relies on the impregnation of a porous organic structure with a slurry containing a foamable material, followed by decomposition of the organic structure during a heat treatment. Foams were thereby produced, among others, from nickel and nickel-based alloys. For the sheet-like composite 22 according to the invention, a thin foil-like foam with a thickness in the range of 100-500 μm, a preferred pore size in the range of 20-150 μm and a porosity of >70% is required. Such foamed materials can be ordered from Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (www.mmc.co.jp) in special steel specifications (e.g. AISI 316L). Here, a standard foamed material with a thickness of 0.5 mm, a pore size in the range of 50-150 μm and a porosity of about 90% is assumed, which may be compressed by rolling to any thickness up to about 100 μm. The compressed material may then be optionally sintered. The compression naturally reduces the porosity, but if necessary, the porosity can be increased again during the final etching process. The process on which this standardized foamed material is produced does indeed include a slurry treatment, but it differs from the process according to the above-mentioned US Pat. No. 3,111,396 in that the actual foaming is achieved by means of a foaming or foaming agent added to the slurry. Of course, heat-transfer alloys can also be processed - in particular from the group of NiCr alloys and CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal"). The composite sheet 22 can consist of only one foam layer or of several foam layers fused together by sintering.To improve the stability and strength of the sheet composite 22, the foam 37 can optionally be fused by sintering onto a thin support layer 38, for example a wire cloth made of special steel or any heat-conducting alloy. With regard to the attachment and contact of the foam 37 onto the respective plate contact 23, the same applies as already explained in connection with the embodiment according to Figures 15a and 15b.

[0104] All the above-mentioned embodiments of the areal composite 22 are, if I may say, merely examples. The invention is in no way limited to these examples. For example, the areal foam material could be fused by sintering onto a metal foil. Alternatively, a porous deposit with open pores could be applied onto a metal foil - for example according to German Patent No. 1,950,439 (Peter Batzies et al.). Finally, the areal composite could of course be made from non-metallic materials such as carbon or graphite fibres, for example in the form of cloths and fleeces, or from quartz glass, for example in the form of granular or fibrous sintered composites, in which case electrical resistance heating could be provided by a thin conductive film applied to the glass surface. Quartz glass is characterised by good resistance to chemicals and thermal shocks.

[0105] 16 and 16a show a specific embodiment of the linear composite 39, in which three linear composites 39a, 39b, 39c (reference number 39c is not shown) are provided, which are arranged parallel to one another. By providing a plurality of linear composites, as opposed to a single linear composite, the vaporization area can be significantly increased, even if the total cross-sectional area is the same. The properties of the individual composites do not necessarily have to be the same. For example, it is possible to assign different heat capacities and / or different heating element properties to each of the composites 39a, 39b, 39c. The resulting effects have already been presented above.

[0106] Each linear composite is in this embodiment configured as a wire-shaped sintered composite with an open-pored sintered structure 34. The wire-shaped sintered composites 39a, 39b, 39c are supported in recesses 108 on the respective plate-shaped contacts 23, thereby positioning the wire-shaped sintered composites. Electrical contact is established in this embodiment by a drop hammer-shaped plunger 40 which presses the wire-shaped sintered composites 39a, 39b, 39c against the plate-shaped contacts 23 (see arrows in FIG. 16a). The wire-shaped sintered composites 39a, 39b, 39c are preferably produced using an extrusion method, for example according to Austrian Patent No. 6,393,173 (Ralph E. Shackleford et al.), which describes a method for producing special steel wires with a wire diameter of 0.3 to 2.0 mm. In any case, this diameter range covers the preferred diameter range for the linear composites according to the invention. The manufacturing method is based in particular on the extrusion of a mixture of a metal powder, a binder and a plasticizer, and on the sintering of the extrudate. The metal powder can be in the form of granules, fibers or flakes. In order to obtain porous sintered composites with open pores, the method must be adapted. This is done by mixing the mixture with a removable filler, for example sublimable acrylic beads. The acrylic beads are used for space retention and sublimate practically without residues during a heat treatment at about 500° C. prior to the actual sintering step, leaving behind voids. If necessary, the type and amount of binder and plasticizer must be adapted to the filler added. The particle size of the metal powder and acrylic resin beads being processed is adjusted so that the resulting homogeneous sintered composite has an average pore size of >10 μm as far as possible, thereby ensuring that the liquid material 16 penetrates the core quickly enough.Naturally, instead of special steel powder, powder made of heat-conducting alloys - in particular selected from the group of NiCr alloys and CrFeAl alloys ("Kanthal") - may also be extruded and sintered according to this method.

[0107] Generally speaking, the composites 22 and 39 should be cleaned and the capillary surfaces activated before they are assembled. These measures improve the wetting of the composites wetted by the liquid material 16 and, therefore, lead to a more rapid penetration of the core. In the case of special steels, treatment with, for example, a 20% phosphoric acid solution is sufficient to achieve the above-mentioned effect.

[0108] In the following, the method of supplying the liquid material 16 to the composites 22, 39 will be explained in detail. The following explanation applies equally to the linear and the planar composites, even if only the linear composite 39 or the planar composite 22 embodiment is shown. As shown in Figures 12a and 17, as well as Figures 16 and 16a, one end of the composites 22, 39 protrudes into one capillary gap 41. The wick of the composite is supplied with the liquid material 16 from this capillary gap 41, which, as can be seen from these figures, has a larger cross-sectional area than the wick of the composites 22, 39. This has the effect that the liquid material 16 flows mainly through the effective open cross-section of the capillary gap 41 towards the vaporization zone, which allows a more rapid penetration of the wick and thus a shorter waiting time between each inhale or inhale. This effect is intended to extend at least up to the point where the capillary gap 41 opens into the chamber 21. From this point onwards, only the core of the composite 22, 39 takes over the transport of the liquid. At its base, this capillary gap 41 is formed by one of the two plate-like contacts 23 and an upper part 42 resting on it in a planar manner, by forming in this upper part 42 and in the plate-like contact 23, respectively, a corresponding recess which forms the capillary gap 41 - see Figs. 12a and 17. It should be noted that to form the capillary gap 41, only one recess may be required, whether it is in the upper part 42 or in the plate-like contact 23. In any case, it is advantageous to have this recess in the plate-like contact 23 when the planar composite 22 is used, since in that case it can be used at the same time as an aid in the positioning of the composite 22.The upper member 42 is preferably joined to the plate-like contact 23 by gluing, and is also made of a material with good wettability that can be well wetted by the liquid material 16, preferably a light metal or a wettable plastic, the wettability of which, including its adhesive properties, can be significantly improved by surface activation, for example by plasma treatment using oxygen as process gas.

[0109] The further upstream side of the capillary gap 41 is formed by two thin plates 43 arranged parallel to each other at a distance (see FIG. 17), one plate being joined to the upper part 42 and the other plate to the plate-like contact 23, preferably by adhesive. The plates 43 can be stamped, for example, from a stainless steel strip. As best shown in FIGS. 18-20, the plates 43 forming the capillary gap 41 project at projections 44 into a reservoir 45. This reservoir 45 is directly connected to the liquid container 4 and is separated from it only by a flap-like releasable closure 18. This releasable closure 18 is intended to be opened with the aid of a pin 46. This pin 46 is supported axially displaceably in the case 3, preferably made of stainless steel. A first end 47 of the pin 46 is directed towards the releasable closure 18. The second end 48 protrudes in a protruding manner from the outer surface of the case 3 when the closure 18 is still in the sealed state. This second end 48 of the pin 46 is connected to one of the two contact elements 20 of the inhaler part 1 and cooperates with it in a sort of tappet manner, so that in the process of connecting the inhaler component 2 to the inhaler part 1, this contact element 20 is pressed against the second end 48 of the pin 46, thereby forcing the pin 46 into the case 3. This pressing force exerted by the contact element 20 is transmitted from the pin 46 to the releasable closure 18. The releasable closure 18 has a weakened material portion 49 on its periphery, which is dimensioned in such a way that when a pressing force is exerted on it by the pin 46, it tears open over a wide area of ​​its periphery as if at a reference breaking point, while forming a hinge 50 on one side. This allows the releasable closure 18 to open like a flap. The pin 46 has a portion 51 of enlarged cross-section near the first end 47 which acts as a kind of stop to prevent the pin from slipping out of the case 3 or being removed.

[0110] The supply of the liquid material 16 to the composite 22, 39 will be described below together. In Fig. 18 and Fig. 20, the flow situation is indicated by arrows. If, in the process of connecting the inhaler component 2 to the reusable inhaler part 1, the flap-like closure 18 is opened via the pin 46, the reservoir 45 is consequently flooded with the liquid material 16 under the influence of gravity. In Fig. 19, the liquid levels before and after the flow-down are indicated. The capillary gap 41 sucks up the liquid material 16 via the projection 44 and supplies it to the composite 22, 39, so that the liquid material 16 finally penetrates the wick completely. The projection 44 formed by the respective plate 43 prevents the formation of air bubbles in the junction area of ​​the capillary gap 41, which could interfere with the capillary connection. In addition, a ventilation passage 52 is formed inside the plate-like contact 23, connecting the reservoir 45 with the chamber 21. The function of this ventilation channel 52 has already been explained above. It is preferable for the ventilation channel 52 to join the chamber 21 at a point upstream of the composites 22, 39, since in this region of the chamber 21 little condensation build-up is to be expected, which could, for example, block the ventilation channel 52 or pass through it into the reservoir 45 and contaminate the liquid material 16 stored therein. Finally, a buffer reservoir 53 is incorporated inside the upper part 42 - see also Figs. 11 and 17 - the effect of which has also been explained above. This buffer reservoir 53 consists in this specific embodiment of several parallel slots 54 made inside the upper part 42. These slots 54 communicate on the one hand with the capillary gap 41 via holes 55, and on the other hand with the chamber 21 via a ventilation gap 56. Due to the capillary action of these slots 54, the liquid material 16 flows from the reservoir 45 through the capillary gap 41, through the holes 55 and into the slots 54, where it is temporarily stored so that it can be sucked out again by the wick when required.

[0111] 9-12 further show a condensate coupling device, which consists of two suction bodies or sponges 57 with open pores and suction capacity, arranged in the chamber 21. The effect of this condensate coupling device and its necessity for the inhaler component according to the invention have already been explained in detail above. Both sponges 57 are designed as plates and are arranged parallel to each other at a certain distance, so that both sides of the composite body 22 are covered by both sponges 57. A channel 58 is formed between the sponges 57, in which the vapor-air mixture and / or the condensation aerosol are generated. The main components of the condensate residue are deposited on the respective wall parts 59 of the sponges 57 forming this channel 58 and are immediately sucked up by the open pore structure of the sponges. The sponges 57 are attached, for example by gluing, to two opposite walls of the chamber 21 and fill the majority of the chamber 21, preferably made of a material that exhibits high porosity and shape stability and is as microporous as possible. That is, if a material with large pores is used, the capillary attraction of the sponge material is not sufficient to hold the liquid condensate in case of sudden movement or acceleration of the inhaler component 2, and some of the condensate will be thrown off from the sponge 57. Fiber composites made of natural or synthetic fibers bonded together by heat or by using some kind of binder have been found to be very suitable as sponge materials. Filtrona Richmond Inc. (www.filtronaporoustechnologies.com) is a company that specializes in the manufacture of such fiber composites, and processes cellulose acetate fibers bonded with triacetin as well as polyolefin and polyester fibers bonded by heat.

[0112] Each sponge 57 is arranged at a certain distance from the upper part 42 and from the plate-like contact 23 connected to the upper part 42 so as to form a certain gap 60. This gap 60 ensures that the ventilation passages 52 and the ventilation gaps 56 can communicate with the chamber 21 without any obstruction. The sponges 57 are dimensioned so that their pore volume can accommodate the expected amount of condensate residues. The amount of condensate depends primarily on the content of low boiling point components with high vapor pressure in the liquid material 16, but also on the air mass flow rate passing through the inlet 26 or the channel 58. The lower the air mass flow rate passing through, the less vapor the air can absorb before it becomes saturated.

[0113] As shown in Figs. 9-10 and 12, downstream of the composite 22, behind these sponges 57, a radiator 61 is arranged, which in this specific embodiment consists of a porous filling material 61 through whose pores the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensed aerosol flows. The essential effect of this radiator or filling material 61 has already been explained in detail above. The filling material 61 is located inside a filling chamber 62, which is bounded on the inlet side by a perforated wall 63, on the outlet side by the mouthpiece 5 and on the lateral sides by the walls of the case 3 and the liquid container 4. The perforated wall 63 supports the filling material 61 and at the same time reinforces the case 3. The perforated wall 63 is arranged at a certain distance from the sponge 57 - see Fig. 12. This allows the steam-air mixture and / or condensed aerosols leaving the flow passages 58 to be distributed uniformly over the entire cross section of the filling material 61 before it reaches the perforated wall 63, thereby achieving a uniform flow through the filling material 61. In order to prevent the filling material 61 from escaping through the holes in the perforated wall 63, a first wire cloth 64 is arranged between the filling material 61 and the perforated wall 63. The filling material 61 is limited on the mouthpiece side by a second wire cloth 65, which prevents the filling material from entering the mouthpiece passage 66 and even the mouth of the user. Between the second wire cloth 65 and the mouthpiece passage 66 of the mouthpiece, a front chamber 67 is formed in order to ensure a uniform flow through the filling material 61 also in its distal portion. Advantageously, the second wire cloth 65 is attached directly to the mouthpiece 5, for example fused thereto. In the assembly process, the first wire cloth 64 is first placed on the perforated wall 63. A predetermined amount of the filling material 61 is then introduced into the filling chamber 62, preferably in several stages, and the filling material 61 is compressed intermediately between each partial filling, so that a uniform filling density can be achieved.Alternatively, the filling material 61 could already be prepackaged outside the inhaler component 2, for example in a paper tube whose cross-sectional shape is adapted to the filling chamber 62, and this packaging could then be fitted into the filling chamber 62. Such a packaging could be economically obtained from an endless strand. Finally, the mouthpiece 5 is assembled and the filling chamber 62 is sealed.

[0114] The filling material may consist, for example, of any heat exchanger material. It has been found to be very advantageous to use tobacco as the filling material 61, especially when the liquid material 16 contains nicotine. In a prototype, a hand-rolled tobacco cigarette was used, with a filling volume of about 7 cm. 3 have achieved outstanding results in terms of the organoleptic properties of the administered vapor-air mixture or condensation aerosol. The cigarette may be further flavored by adding, in addition, aromatic additives such as tobacco extract, tobacco aroma oil, menthol, coffee extract, tobacco smoke condensate, or volatile aromatic components of tobacco smoke condensate, and essential oils. Naturally, the invention is not limited to the selection made here.

[0115] The flow resistance with which the filling material 61 opposes the flow of the steam-air mixture or the condensed aerosol is determined by the packing density of the filling material 61. This packing density is adjusted to the flow resistance of the flow restriction 28 in such a way that this resulting flow resistance lies in the stated range of 12-16 mbar at an air mass flow rate of 1.05 liters per minute. Basically, it is also possible to completely dispense with the flow restriction 28 and to generate the desired flow resistance solely by the filling material 61 by correspondingly increasing its packing density. However, it should be noted that in general, any filter effect is not desired and the aerosol particles generated in the chamber 21 should be able to pass through the filling material 61 with as little loss as possible. Besides, this alternative variant without the flow restriction 28 has an effect on the detection of the start of suction by the sensor, which will be explained in more detail later. If the filling material 61 contains tobacco and / or fragrance, the inhaler component 2 must be stored in an airtight package until it is used to prevent the fragrance from escaping. Also, even after the inhaler component 2 is connected to the inhaler part 1, it is still possible to substantially eliminate the possibility of the fragrance escaping as well as the evaporation and leakage of the components of the liquid material 16 stored inside the wick by closing the mouthpiece passage 66, for example with a cap or plug (not shown).

[0116] 21-22 show a second embodiment of the inhaler according to the invention, and in FIG. 23 show replaceable inhaler components for this inhaler. The inhaler is constructed in this embodiment as a classical inhaler, the structure of which is largely based on the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9-10, but differs from the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9-10 in that the amount of air that can pass through is significantly higher, which allows direct inhalation into the lungs in a one-stage inhalation manner. This inhaler differs from the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9-10 in particular in that neither the flow restriction 28 nor the second porous body 61 with open holes is omitted, and the cross section of the mouthpiece passage 66 is significantly enlarged. This results in a decisive reduction in the flow resistance. Another important difference is that the main part of the air passing through does not pass through the composite 22, 39, but rather enters the interior of the inhaler only downstream of it. For this purpose, on the downstream side of the composite 22, 39, facing the case 3, two bypass openings 68 are arranged, the total opening cross section of which is significantly larger than the cross section of the intake 26. Adjacent to both bypass openings 68, two guide vanes 69, formed by the case 3, are arranged, which are directed towards the mouthpiece passage 66 and towards each other, and with their respective free ends or tips 70 form a nozzle-like merging opening 71 through which the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensate aerosol leaves the chamber 21 and subsequently mixes with the air entering through the respective bypass openings 68. The effect of the guide vanes 69 has already been explained above. To improve the mixing of the steam-air mixture and / or condensate aerosol with the bypass air entering through both bypass openings 68, a flow homogenizer 72 can be optionally arranged inside the mouthpiece passage 66 - see FIG. 22. The flow homogenizer 72 may be fabricated, for example, from a fleecy synthetic fiber material.Freudenberg Vliesstoffe KG (www.freudenberg-filter.com) sells such a material in the form of mats / panels under the name Viledon® filter mats. The material is tailored to the customer's specifications. In particular, the material properties are adjusted so that the end product is sufficiently permeable to the particles of the condensation aerosol generated while at the same time the flow resistance lies within the criteria already specified above. These mats / panels are manufactured from polyolefin (PE, PP) or polyester fibres and can be further processed by die-cutting.

[0117] In figures 24-25 a replaceable inhaler component 2 of an inhaler according to the invention is shown with an alternative liquid container system. In this embodiment, the replaceable inhaler component 2 is an inhaler component used in classical inhalers, but the alternative liquid container system shown can be used in the same way in inhaler components of suction inhalers as described above. As shown in these figures, the liquid container 4 is arranged in the case 3 so that it can be displaced manually between two stop positions along a displacement axis Y. In figure 24b the liquid container 4 is shown in a first stop position, which at the same time defines the initial position of the liquid container. This first stop position is defined as the position in which a projection 73 formed by the mouthpiece 5 cooperates with a tenon 74 formed by the liquid container 4. This projection 73 prevents the liquid container 4, possibly containing a medicine and / or a poison, from being removed from the inhaler component 2. The tenon 74 fits into a corresponding groove 75 in the case 3, thereby simultaneously preventing the liquid container 4 from rotating. In the illustrated configuration, one end of the liquid container 4 projects out of the case 3 and is located next to the mouthpiece 5. The user can simply displace the displaceable liquid container 4 to the second stop position by pressing down on the projecting end of the liquid container 4. The liquid container 4 is then displaced by a stroke s. The second stop is formed by the upper part 42 and the plate-like contact 23 connected thereto. The vent hole 76 and the vent passage 77 are adapted to prevent the formation of an obstructing air cushion during this displacement process. The liquid container 4 has two holes 78, 79 on the end face facing the second stop, which are sealed on the inside of the container by a foil seal 80. The arrangement of the capillary gap 41 is substantially the same as that already described above. Again, each plate 43 forms one protrusion as a first spine 81 .The first spike 81 is positioned so as to coincide with the first hole 78 and passes through it in the second stop position. At the same time, the bevelled tip of the first spike 81 breaks through the foil seal 80 and comes into contact with the liquid material 16, so that a capillary connection with the capillary gap 41 is finally established. The capillary connection with the ventilation passage 52 is established accordingly. However, in this specific embodiment, the ventilation passage 52 is integrated into the upper part 42, unlike the arrangement described above, and, like the capillary gap 41, at the end facing the liquid container 4, a projection or second spike 82 is formed which is positioned so as to coincide with the second hole 79 in the liquid container 4 and passes through it in the second stop position. The second end of this ventilation passage is again in communication with the chamber 21 (not shown). The supply of liquid material 16 to the composite 22, 39 functions exactly as already described above. In the delivery state of the inhaler component 2, the liquid container 4 is in its initial position, i.e. in the first stop position. Just before the inhaler component 2 is used, the liquid container 4 is preferably displaced to the second stop position and connected to the capillary gap 41. To exclude the possibility of premature unintended connection, the liquid container 4 is fixed in its initial position. This can be done, for example, by using a semicircular locking tab 109, which is connected to the liquid container 4 on the one hand and to the case 3 on the other hand, respectively, via a microjoint 83, as shown in FIG. 24b. A rigid connection is then established between the liquid container 4 and the case 3 by the locking tab 109. This fixed state of the liquid container 4 can be released by manually applying pressure to the locking tab 109, for example by twisting it several times, thus breaking off the micro-joint 83. Alternatively, the liquid container 4 may simply be fixed with an adhesive tape (not shown). The choice of material for the liquid container 4 has already been mentioned above and the same applies to this particular embodiment.

[0118] 26-27 show a replaceable inhaler component 2 of an inhaler according to the invention with yet another alternative liquid reservoir system. In this embodiment, even though the replaceable inhaler component 2 is an inhaler component used in classical inhalers, the alternative liquid reservoir system shown can be used just as well in inhaler components of suction inhalers as described above. In this embodiment, a foam material 84 with open pores is contained inside the liquid reservoir, impregnated with a liquid material 16. The composite 22, 39 is sandwiched between this foam material 84 and one of the two plate-like contacts 23, so that the wick is in capillary connection with the liquid material 16. The foam material 84 is held in a cartridge case 85 and forms together with it a replaceable cartridge 86. The cartridge 86 is fitted into a corresponding recess 87 in the case 3. The recess 87 is hermetically sealed from the outside by a cover 88.

[0119] The cover 88 is fixed to the case 3 via a snap-in connection 89. This fastening also applies a pressing force from the cover 88 to the cartridge 86 towards the composite 22, 39. As shown in detail in FIG. 28, the composite 22, 39 rests on a ridge 90 of the plate-like contact 23. This ridge 90, together with the pressing force acting on the cartridge, causes a compression of the foam material 84 - see compression stroke h. This compression effect ensures that a small amount of liquid material 16 is forced out of the foam material 84 into the composite in the contact area, in an amount sufficient to ensure a capillary connection between the newly inserted cartridge 86 and the wick. The side of the cartridge case 85 facing the cover 88 is perforated. These ventilation holes 91 communicate with the chamber 21 via a recess 92 in the cover 88, thereby providing a pressure compensation between the chamber 21 and the liquid material 16 bound in the pores of the foam material 84. The foam material 84 preferably consists of a microporous polyether-PUR foam material, which may additionally be compacted. In the prototype, a foam material called "Jet 6" from the manufacturer Fritz Nauer AG (www.foampartner.com) was successfully used, which was compacted two to three times. The liquid reservoir system just described has the disadvantage that the cartridge 86 can be removed from the inhaler component 2. This naturally entails various risks, for example the risk that a child may swallow the relatively small cartridge 86. This makes the liquid reservoir system unsuitable for the storage of medicines or / and poisons, for example nicotine.

[0120] Further general components of the inhaler according to the invention will be described in more detail below, which are present in all embodiments. As shown in Figures 6, 9 and 19, each plate contact 23 of the replaceable inhaler component 2 protrudes from the outer surface of the case 3 in the form of two plug-in contacts 93. In the course of coupling of the inhaler component 2 with the inhaler part 1, these plug-in contacts 93 are brought into electrical contact with the respective corresponding spring contacts 94, via which electrical energy is supplied to the heating element for vaporizing the liquid material 16. The spring contacts 94 are part of the contact element 20 and are preferably joined to the contact element 20 by welding - see also Figures 4-5. The contact element 20 is preferably made of any metallic contact material and may be manufactured, for example, by Ami Doduco GmbH (www.amidoduco.com). If, for the reasons already mentioned, a material similar to or the same as that of the heating element is used for each plate contact 23, for example special steel, the electrical conductivity of this material is insufficient, so that it is necessary to coat at least the plate contact 23 in the area of ​​the plug-in contacts 93 with a conductive layer of gold, silver, palladium and / or nickel, for example by electroplating, so that the electrical contact resistance is significantly reduced. Each contact element 20 receives electrical energy from two electric wires 95 which connect the contact element 20 to the printed circuit board 11 - see Figs. 4-5. Both electric wires 95 are preferably attached by soldering. To summarize, it is pointed out again that these contact elements 20 perform three different tasks. Firstly, the contact elements 20 transmit the electrical energy from the printed circuit board 11 to the plate contacts 23, as just explained. Secondly, the contact elements form a locking projection 9 on the side which cooperates with a snap hook 8 on the case 3, thereby realising a snap-in connection between the inhaler component 2 and the inhaler part 1. And thirdly, one of the two contact elements 20 forms a stopper for a pin 46, by means of which the connected pin 46 cooperates like a kind of tappet with which the liquid container 4 is opened.However, the last obligation applies only to certain variants of the inhaler and its liquid container system.

[0121] To couple the inhaler component 2 to the inhaler part 1 in an accurate alignment, a positioning device is provided, which consists of a centering projection 96 arranged on the carrier case 10 and a cooperating centering recess 97 arranged on the case 3 - see figures 3, 6, 10 and 12. The centering projection 96 has two vent holes 98 for venting the centering recess 97 during the coupling process.

[0122] In FIG. 29, a replaceable inhaler component 2 of an inhaler according to the invention is shown, which differs from the inhaler components shown in the previous figures in that it comprises two adjacently arranged planar composites 22a and 22b. Each planar composite 22a and 22b may have a structure as already described in detail in FIGS. 14-15, for example. These planar composites 22a and 22b or each resistive heating element are electrically connected to each other in series. If the individual resistors used in each of the composites 22a and 22b are of the same size, this series connection doubles the resulting heat generation due to the electrical resistance, even if the span width of the composite is the same. The advantageous effect of this increased resistance has already been described in detail above. In principle, the heat generation due to the electrical resistance of the composite can also be increased by increasing the span width of the composite. However, this may have a detrimental effect on the penetration time, which is the time required for the liquid material 16 to completely penetrate the core again after vaporization, and may result in a drastic increase in the penetration time. For example, if two composites 22a and 22b are connected in series, each with a composite width of 4 mm and an etching rate of 25%, given the composite dimensions in Table 1, the resistance of the heating element is calculated to be about 275 mOhm. With this resistance, it is recommended to further reduce the composite span width, for example to 12 mm, with a view to shortening the penetration time, which would reduce the resistance of the heating element to about 235 mOhm. Another option is to have both composites 22a and 22b have different resistances, which is most easily achieved by assigning different composite widths to both composites. This allows for spatial variability in the vaporization process. A further option is to have both composites 22a and 22b supplied with liquid material from different sources. The last two optional configurations still allow targeted influence on the aerosol generation process and ultimately on the properties of the condensation aerosol generated.For example, it allows one to closely mimic, both spatially and temporally, the vaporization process in the distillation zone of a tobacco.

[0123] The composites 22a and 22b are again supported at their respective end portions on electrically conductive plate-like contacts, and the respective heating elements are in electrical contact with the contacts. In contrast to the embodiment described above, one side of the plate-like contacts is divided into two contact elements 23a and 23b, which are electrically insulated from each other. The first planar composite 22a is supported at one end portion on the contact element 23a, and the second planar composite 22b is supported at one end portion on the contact element 23b. On the opposite side, both composites 22a and 22b are supported at their respective end portions on a common plate-like contact 23c. Both composites 22a and 22b are electrically connected to each other by this plate-like contact 23c. The actual electrical series connection is provided by this plate-like contact 23c, while the supply of electrical energy to both composites 22a and 22b is effected via the respective contact elements 23a and 23b. The electrical connection to the reusable inhaler part 1 is again effected by means of plug-in contacts 93, the arrangement of which is identical to the connection of the embodiments shown in the previous figures, see figures 6, 9 and 19. In order to be able to maintain this connection, in the illustrated embodiment, the contact element 23a is designed to extend laterally through the case 3 to the opposite side of the inhaler component 2 at a connecting web 110. As shown in figure 29, this connecting web 110 extends below the slot-like passage 26. Alternatively, the electrical connection can be effected by an electric wire, instead of this connecting web 110. Alternatively, both plug-in contacts 93 could equally well be routed out of the case on the same side, but would then, as would seem natural here, be recommended to do so on the side on which the contact elements 23a and 23b are located. Finally, it should still be mentioned that the respective plate contacts or contact elements 23a, 23b and 23c may be formed by several circuit boards or by one common circuit board. To improve heat removal, preference is given to thick copper film circuit boards, the thickness of which is in the range of 100-500 μm.Particularly in the region of the capillary gap 41 , good heat removal must be ensured in order to prevent any possible boiling of the liquid material 16 in the capillary gap 41 .

[0124] The sensor 99, 100 constitutes an important component of the inhaler according to the invention - see figures 8, 18 and 21-22. This sensor 99, 100 has the task of detecting the start of inhalation or puffing, which causes the electrical circuit 11 to start supplying electrical energy to the heating elements of the composite 22, 39, so that the liquid material 16 starts to vaporize. It is advantageous to use at least two types of sensors. In the embodiment shown in figure 8, the sensor consists of a pressure sensor 99, which is glued inside the carrier case 10 and whose electrical terminals or pins 101 are soldered directly onto the printed circuit board 11. This pressure sensor 99 communicates with the plenum chamber 27 through a bore 102 and measures or monitors the negative pressure in the plenum chamber 27 - see figure 18. A suitable pressure sensor 99 is, for example, the type CPCL04GC from the manufacturer Honeywell Inc. (www.honeywell.com) with a measuring range of ±10 mbar. This sensor essentially consists of a zero-point calibrated and temperature-compensated Wheatstone bridge, which is preferably connected to the printed circuit board 11 as follows: By grounding the negative output of the sensor via a high-ohmic resistor with a defined resistance value, for example 2.2 MΩ, the output signal or measurement signal of the pressure sensor 99 is only slightly distorted, or in other words the offset of the Wheatstone bridge is calibrated to a defined value. By this distortion or by this offset a switching threshold is preset, which corresponds to a specific pressure threshold value. The measurement signal thus processed is applied to the input of a precision operational amplifier 103 connected as a comparator in the circuit, for example a precision operational amplifier of the type LTC1049CS8 from Linear Technology Inc. (www.linear.com). This arrangement of the circuit provides an output signal which represents in digital form the onset of intake very quickly and accurately.The pressure sensor 99 is particularly suitable for use in suction inhalers, insofar as a flow restrictor 28 is arranged upstream of the plenum chamber 27. During the suction process, a negative pressure typically ranging from 0 to 50 mbar is generated inside the plenum chamber 27 relative to the surroundings. The pressure characteristic then resembles a bell-shaped curve. By presetting a pressure threshold as described above and constantly comparing it with the actual measured pressure, the start of suction can be easily detected. The start of suction can be defined as the first time this pressure threshold is exceeded. A value ranging from 0.2 to 5 mbar is preferably selected as this pressure threshold. The smaller the selected pressure threshold, the earlier the suction detection system will respond. The lower limit is derived from the parameters of the pressure sensor and the operational amplifier used at the time.

[0125] If no flow restrictor 28 is provided inside the inhaler, a negative pressure prevails inside the plenum chamber 27. This condition is given in the embodiment shown in figures 21-22. The classical inhaler shown operates approximately under atmospheric conditions and allows direct inhalation into the lungs in a one-stage inhalation system. In this case, it is expedient to use a flow sensor 100 to detect the start of inhalation. In the embodiment shown in figures 21-22, this flow sensor 100 is arranged inside the transverse passage 29, and its terminals or pins 101 are again soldered directly onto the printed circuit board 11. Above all, a thermistor 100 of the type GR015 from the manufacturer Betatherm Corporation (www.betatherm.com) is suitable as the flow sensor 100. This thermistor 100 is connected to a Wheatstone bridge (not shown) on the printed circuit board 11. The Wheatstone bridge has a second thermistor of the same type for temperature compensation, calibrated to a predefined offset threshold by means of a precision resistor. The Wheatstone output signal is then applied to the input of an operational amplifier 103, which is again connected in the circuit as a comparator. When in equilibrium, both thermistors are at the same temperature level - typically in the range of 80-200°C due to dissipative power. Now, when the user starts to inhale, air will immediately flow through the transverse passage 29. This air cools the thermistor 100, increasing its resistance. This change in resistance is processed by the Wheatstone bridge. At the moment of zero crossing of the output signal of the Wheatstone bridge, the comparator 103 is switched to output a digital signal indicating the start of inhalation.

[0126] The signals output by these sensors 99, 100 and their respective circuits are preferably further processed in an integrated circuit 104 - see Figs. 8 and 21 - which may be a microprocessor. The integrated circuit 104 performs most of the processing of all the electrical signals of the inhaler and performs various control functions important for the operation of the inhaler, which will be explained in detail below. The supply of electrical energy to the heating elements of the complexes 22, 39 is one of the main control functions. The electrical energy is provided by an energy store 12. Based on the current state of the art, lithium polymer and lithium ion batteries are particularly recommended as the energy store 12 due to their high energy and power density. If the heating element is metallic, it will suffice to use a single lithium polymer or lithium ion battery with an open circuit or rated voltage of 3.7V. The energy supply and the control of the power supply to the heating elements of the complex 22, 39 can be easily achieved by chopping the battery voltage with a variable duty factor over the duration of the energy supply and applying the resulting effective voltage to the heating elements. The resulting effective voltage is a rectangular signal with a variable duty cycle. The amplitude of this rectangular signal corresponds to the battery voltage, if we ignore at first a small voltage loss. The actual chopping is preferably performed by means of a power MOSFET 105, for example of the type IRF6635 from the manufacturer International Rectifier (www.irf.com), suitable for carrying very high currents with a minimum on-resistance between drain and source. In this case, the gate of the power MOSFET 105 is controlled by the integrated circuit 104. Apart from that, another very simple control strategy, which has also proven suitable in prototypes according to the invention, divides the energy supply time into two periods: a heating period followed by a vaporization period. In the operation of the inhaler, which is performed intermittently or synchronously with inhalation, the energy supply time corresponds to the time of one inhalation or one inhalation.In the case of an inhalation inhaler, the average inhalation time can be assumed to be, for example, about 2.1 seconds (±0.4 seconds). In the case of a cigarette, the inhalation time is also approximately this value. Considering that, even after the energy supply is stopped, re-evaporation still occurs to a certain extent due to the heat still stored in the complex 22, 39, it seems expedient to select the energy supply time somewhat shorter, for example, within the range of 1.5 to 1.8 seconds. For a classical inhaler, it may be advantageous to shorten the energy supply time even further in order to increase the rate of drug absorption in the alveoli. In particular, an inhalation inhaler has the advantage over a classical inhaler that the drug is located, so to speak, at the forefront of the air column inhaled into the lungs, which allows the drug to penetrate more easily into the alveoli. In contrast to this, in a classical inhaler, the drug is passed on to the inside of the inhaled air column. In this case, it must be taken into account that the terminal part of the inhaled air column is only used to fill the so-called "functional dead space" of the respiratory system (approximately 150-200 mL). In any case, the medicinal substances in this dead space do not reach the alveoli any more and, in so far as this is concerned, it is a loss for a rapid systemic medicinal effect. Taking into account also the fact that there are significant individual differences in the inhalation time, i.e., it varies between approximately 1.5 and 3 seconds, it seems advisable to choose a value of <1.5 seconds for the energy supply time for classical inhalers. During the first of the two periods mentioned above - the heating period - the complexes 22, 39 are heated by the heating element together with the liquid material 16 stored inside the wick. When the temperature of the complexes 22, 39 approximately reaches the boiling point range of the low-boiling point components of the liquid material 16, the liquid material 16 starts to vaporize. This heating period must therefore be as short as possible. To this extent, it is reasonable that during this period the battery voltage is delivered to the heating element without chopping, i.e. with a duty factor or duty cycle of 100%. The duration of the heating period depends, inter alia, on the dimensions of the composites 22, 39 and on the amount and composition of the liquid material 16 to be vaporized, but should ideally be <0.5 seconds. In the second period that follows - the vaporization period - this duty factor is substantially withdrawn, so that the actual vaporization of the liquid material 16 takes place.During this second period, the supplied energy is primarily used to vaporize the liquid material 16 and secondarily to compensate for energy losses. By appropriately selecting the power supply rate, the vaporization capacity and therefore the amount of vaporized liquid material 16 per suction or inhalation can be controlled within certain limits. The upper limit is set at the point when the critical heat flux occurs as well as the point when localized drying and overheating of the wick occurs. Conversely, by withdrawing or reducing the power supply rate, the thermal decomposition of the liquid material 16 can be countered.

[0127] The control strategy just described can be optionally expanded and made more sophisticated. For example, it may be useful to take into account the battery state in the control strategy, since the battery voltage drops significantly, especially under load, as the battery discharges and ages. This effect can be countered by increasing the duty factor. In order to be able to carry out such corrections even during the heating period, it is advisable to not use a duty factor of 100% as proposed above for the battery voltage of a new charged battery, but rather, for example, only 80%, so that there is still sufficient margin for adaptation.

[0128] Further auxiliary functions are required to control the energy supply to the heating element of the complex 22, 39. For example, it should not be possible to resume the energy supply immediately after the end of the vaporization cycle. Instead, a certain waiting time should be observed, so that the liquid material 16 has enough time to completely re-impregnate the wick. The minimum necessary waiting time depends on the viscosity of the liquid material as well as on the respective complex parameters. It has been demonstrated by prototypes and confirmed by calculations that, with a suitable design, complete impregnation of the wick can be achieved in less than 10 seconds. Such a mandatory waiting time should be acceptable to most users, especially for cigarettes, since the interval between puffs is an average of 25 seconds. It is advisable to observe such a waiting time as well after the connection of a new inhaler component 2 with the inhaler part 1. Another auxiliary function is that the energy supply to the heating element is immediately interrupted if the user prematurely stops puffing or inhaling. This prevents the generation of unwanted vapor in the chamber 21.

[0129] A further control function of the integrated circuit 104 is the user interface, i.e. the communication with the user. The sensors 99, 100 for detecting the start of inhalation or inhalation are input interfaces and as such are essential. Moreover, in one very simple configuration of the user interface, the input interface does not include any other elements apart from the sensors, not even an on-off switch, making the inhaler extremely easy to use. Of course, the elimination of the on-off switch requires that the internal current consumption of the electrical circuit 11 is accordingly low, which must be taken into account during the construction of the wiring diagram. For example, the circuit 11 can be switched into an extremely energy-saving sleep mode as long as no inhaler component 2 is connected to the inhaler part 1. As output interface, two light-emitting diodes 106 can be used, for example, the first of which indicates the charge state of the battery 12 and the second of which indicates the imminent need to change the inhaler component 2. The monitoring of the time to replace the inhaler component 2 is preferably carried out by a counter which counts the number of puffs or inhalations. In the process of replacing the inhaler component 2, this counter is reset to zero (reset), making use of the fact that the resistance of the heating element momentarily becomes infinite. In a slightly more complex configuration, instead of the light-emitting diode 106, a display (not shown) can be integrated into the circuit cover 7. This display can show the battery charge state, the imminent time to replace the inhaler component 2, as well as various other operating states and information, such as information about the total dose of medicine delivered within a given time. In the case of nicotine, this makes it possible to very objectively determine the degree of the user's nicotine dependence and to see the actual achievements in the gradual process of quitting smoking. Finally, the display can provide assistance to the user in the form of a user guide when using the inhaler.As output interfaces, furthermore, sound, vibration and / or light alarms may be provided, which assist the user in ensuring that the respective medicine is dispensed at the right time and in the required dosage. Finally, a further data interface may be provided, for example in the form of a USB or Bluetooth interface, via which it is possible, in particular, to import firmware or software updates, to carry out various diagnostic functions and, in particular, to read out information regarding the administered medicine dosage. This last function allows the treating physician to accurately and objectively record and evaluate the administered medicine dosage over time and its progression over time, and to administer the corresponding medical treatment.

[0130] A further control function that may be optionally provided concerns the identification of the inhaler component 2 used, the identification of the user and the recognition of inhaler abuse in relation thereto. The identification of the inhaler component 2, including the type of complex and the liquid material 16 contained therein, can be easily carried out by measuring the resistance of the heating element. However, this approach has certain limitations due to the need to assign to each pharmaceutical preparation a certain type of complex with a defined heating element resistance. A slightly more complex approach provides for an ID chip (not shown) to be arranged inside the inhaler component 2, which allows the inhaler component 2 to be unambiguously identified. The use of such a chip allows for an unambiguous identification of every individual inhaler component 2 manufactured and sold. This chip is preferably arranged on one of both plate contacts 23, which is then very advantageously formed by a circuit board. The information stored in the chip is read out by an integrated circuit 104, which in this case preferably consists of a microprocessor. This microprocessor 104 selects the appropriate operating parameters for the inhaler component 2 in use based on the information read out. Furthermore, the microprocessor 104 blocks or disables by suitable means the respective inhaler component 2 when it is due for replacement, so that it cannot be used for any further inhalation or inhalation. This measure serves, among other things, to avoid abuse of the inhaler component 2. Such abuse occurs, for example, when a user tries to use the inhaler component 2 well beyond the replacement period by, for example, forcibly opening the liquid container 4 and refilling it with liquid material 16 himself. For nicotine, the lethal dose (LD50) is 0.5-1.0 mg per kg of body weight. It is possible to imagine how such abuse can be dangerous for the user and for the environment.Such risks of abuse, as well as the environmental danger of discarded used inhaler components 2, can be further reduced by making the inhaler components 2 available for sale on a deposit basis. Identification of the user helps to exclude the possibility of the inhaler being used by unauthorized third parties, which in turn prevents theft. Identification of the user may be achieved, for example, by entering a code via a touch screen or by biometric methods using a fingerprint.

[0131] Yet another control function that the integrated circuit 104 can perform concerns the cell management and charging management of the battery 12. Since integrated circuits for this purpose are already available on the market, this control function may also be performed in a separate integrated circuit instead of the integrated circuit 104. The charging current is supplied via a charging connector 107 arranged on the end face of the inhaler part 1 opposite the mouthpiece 5 - see figures 3 and 8. This charging connector 107 may at the same time be a diagnostic connector, so that the resistance of the electric circuit 11 of the complex 22, 39 as well as the heating element can be tested with the aid of an external analysis device to determine possible faults.

[0132] Any expert in the field can apply known techniques to transfer the various control functions described above onto a single wiring diagram, so this will not be described further within the scope of this document.

[0133] Finally, the functionality and operation of the inhaler according to the invention will be summarized once again. The user prepares the new inhaler component 2 for use by connecting it to the reusable inhaler part 1 via the snap-in connections 8, 9. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the liquid container 4 is opened by means of a pin 46 which cooperates with the contact element 20 in synchronism with the connection to the inhaler part 1 (see Fig. 19). In contrast, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 24a and 24b, the liquid container 4 is opened by the user by pushing the liquid container 4 into the case 3 (see the direction of the arrow). In both cases, the end of the capillary gap 41, configured as a protrusion 44 (Fig. 19) or as a first spike 81 (Fig. 25), becomes wetted with the liquid material 16. The capillary gap 41 exerts a capillary attraction on the liquid material 16 that wets it, so that the capillary gap 41 is immediately flooded with the liquid material 16. This liquid material 16 reaches the composite 22, 39 (see FIG. 11). Each composite 22, 39 consists of a wick and an electric heating element. The wick is also immediately saturated with the liquid material 16 due to the capillary attraction inside the wick. At the same time, the buffer reservoir 53, which consists of several capillaries 54, is also flooded with the liquid material 16. This buffer reservoir 53 allows the inhaler to work regardless of its position. The time from opening the liquid container 4 to the complete wick penetration is equal to the waiting time required by the user, which in any case is less than 10 seconds if the design is properly performed. The inhaler is now in a standby state, ready for operation at any time. The user inhales through the mouthpiece 5 in the case of a suction inhaler according to the invention (FIGS. 9-10) in the same way as with a cigarette, or in the case of a classical inhaler according to the invention (FIGS. 21-22) by direct inhalation into the lungs. The sensors 99, 100 (FIGS. 8 and 21) detect the start of inhalation or puffing, and the integrated circuit 104 responds by supplying electrical energy to the heating elements of the composite 22, 39 according to a predefined control strategy. As a result, the composite 22, 39 is instantly heated and the liquid material 16 inside the wick is vaporized.The generated vapour leaves the composite 22, 39 through the core surface exposed over a large area of ​​the composite 22, 39 and is mixed in the chamber 21 with the air entering the chamber 21 through the air inlet 26. This mixing with the air cools the vapour and results in a condensed aerosol (Figs. 9-10 and 21-22). Any excess condensate that does not contribute to the generation of the condensed aerosol or vapour-air mixture is absorbed and bound by the sponge 57 located inside the chamber 21. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 9-10 (a suction inhaler), the generated vapour-air mixture and / or condensate aerosol flows through a filler material 61 to improve its organoleptic properties before passing through the mouthpiece passage 66 and finally into the mouth of the user. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 21-22 (classical inhaler), the generated vapor-air mixture or / and condensate aerosol leaves the chamber 21 through the confluence opening 71 formed by the guide vane 69, merges with the bypass air entering through the bypass opening 68, flows through a flow homogenizer 72 optionally arranged inside the mouthpiece passage 66, and finally enters the oral cavity as well. After a waiting time of a few seconds, the liquid material 16 completely penetrates the core of the composite 22, 39 again and the inhaler is ready for the next inhalation. If the liquid container 4 contains, for example, 2.5 mL of usable liquid material 16 and this liquid material contains nicotine as a medicine, typically in a concentration of 1.5%, such an inhaler component can perform 380 puffs or inhalations, assuming that 100 μg of nicotine is vaporized per inhalation. 380 puffs correspond to approximately 38 cigarettes. If only 50 μg of vaporized nicotine was provided per puff, the number of puffs achievable would increase to 760, the equivalent of approximately four packs of cigarettes.

[0134] Finally, a specific example of the preparation of the liquid material 16 vaporized in a prototype designed for an inhalation inhaler according to the invention is given, based on the example of the use of nicotine as a pharmaceutical agent. The condensation aerosol generated and administered is substantially equivalent to conventional cigarette smoke in terms of pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and organoleptic properties. All the components listed in the table are also found in cigarette smoke. [Table 2]

[0135] For completeness, it should be further noted that inhalers according to the present invention may incorporate a variety of additional functions that expand the inhaler into a multi-function or hybrid device beyond its original scope, such as, for example, a clock, portable data storage device, autoplay (including dictation), personal digital assistant functionality, navigation aid (GPS), mobile phone, and photography. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1 Inhaler parts 2 Inhaler Components 3 Cases 4 Liquid container 5 Mouthpiece 6 Battery cover 7 Circuit Cover 8 Snap Hook 9 Locking protrusion 10 Carrier Case 11 Electric circuits, printed circuit boards 12 Energy storage; battery 13 Bulkhead 14 Flat contacts 15. Windows 16 Liquid materials; pharmaceutical preparations 17 Filling Hole 18 Openable Seal 19 Seal cap 20 Contact elements 21 Chamber 22 Planar composite 23 Plate contact 24 First surface of a planar complex 25 Second surface of a planar complex 26 Air intake; slotted passage 27 Plenum Chamber 28 Flow restriction 29 Side passage 30 Supply port 31 Foil; Metal foil 32 Cloth; Metal wire cloth 33 Fibre structure with open pores; fleece 34 Open-pored sintered structures; granular, fibrous, or flake-like sintered composites 35th aisle; Alteria 36 holes 37 Open-pore foam 38 Support layer 39 Linear Complex 40 Plunger 41 Capillary gap 42 Upper member 43 board 44 Protrusion 45 Reservoir 46 pin 47 First end 48 Second end 49 Weakened material area 50 Hinge 51 Cross-sectional expansion 52 Ventilation passage 53 Buffer Reservoir 54 Capillary; Slot 55 holes 56 Ventilation gap 57 A suction body having open pores and suction capacity; a sponge 58 Flow Passage 59 Wall section 60 gap 61 Heat sinks; filling materials; tobacco fillers 62 Filling room 63 Perforated wall 64 No. 1 Wire Cloth 65 No. 2 Wire Cloth 66 Mouthpiece passage 67 Front room 68 Bypass opening 69 Guide vane 70 Guide vane tip 71 Merging opening 72 Flow Homogenizer 73 Unreleasable locking device; protrusion 74 Tenon 75 Groove 76 Vent Hole 77 Vent Passage 78 1st hole 79 2nd hole 80 Foil Seal 81 First spinous part 82 Second spinous part 83 Micro Joint 84 Liquid reservoir; foam material with open holes 85 Cartridge Case 86 Cartridge 87 Recess 88 Cover 89 Snap-in connections 90 Ridge 91 Ventilation hole 92 Recess 93 Pluggable Contacts 94 Spring Contacts 95 Electric wire 96 Centering protrusion 97 Centering recess 98 Vent Hole 99 Pressure Sensors 100 Flow sensor, thermistor 101 Electrical terminal; pin 102 Bore 103 Operational amplifier; comparator 104 Integrated circuits; Microprocessors 105 Power MOSFET 106 Light Emitting Diode 107 Charging connector 108 Recess 109 Locking tab 110 Connected Web

Claims

1. 1. An inhaler component for generating a vapor-air mixture and / or a condensation aerosol intermittently and synchronously with inhalation or inspiration, comprising: One case (3) and A chamber (21) disposed within the case (3); an air inlet (26) for supplying air from the surroundings into the chamber (21); an electric heating element for vaporizing a quantity of liquid material (16), the vapor generated being mixed in the chamber (21) with air supplied through the air inlet (26) to generate the vapor-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol; 1. An inhaler component comprising a wick having a capillary structure, said wick forming a composite (22) with said heating element, said wick being adapted to automatically supply fresh liquid material (16) to said heating element after each vaporization step, An inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22) is constructed in a planar shape to form a planar composite, at least one heated portion of the composite (22) is arranged in the chamber (21) in a contactless manner, and the capillary structure of the wick located in said portion is substantially exposed at least on one side (24) of the planar composite.

2. Inhaler component according to claim 1, An inhaler component, characterized in that the capillary structure of said wick located in said portion is substantially exposed on both sides (24, 25) of said surface composite (22).

3. Inhaler component according to claim 1 or 2, An inhaler component, characterized in that the thickness of the composite (22) is less than 0.6 mm.

4. Inhaler component according to claim 1 or 2, An inhaler component, characterized in that the thickness of the composite (22) is less than 0.3 mm.

5. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 2. An inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22) is configured in the form of a sheet, foil, strip or tape.

6. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22) has any one of the following structures: a cloth, a fibrous structure having open pores, a sintered structure having open pores, a foam having open pores, and a deposition structure having open pores.

7. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, An inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22) has at least two layers.

8. An inhaler component according to claim 7, 1. An inhaler component, characterized in that each of said layers comprises at least one of the following structures: a sheet, a foil (31), a paper, a cloth (32), an open-pore fibrous structure (33), an open-pore sintered structure (34), an open-pore foam (37), an open-pore deposited structure.

9. 9. An inhaler component according to claim 8, An inhaler component, wherein said layers are bonded together by a heat treatment process.

10. 1. An inhaler component for generating a vapor-air mixture and / or a condensation aerosol intermittently and synchronously with inhalation or inspiration, comprising: One case (3) and A chamber (21) disposed within the case (3); an air inlet (26) for supplying air from the surroundings into the chamber (21); an electric heating element for vaporizing a quantity of liquid material (16), the vapor generated being mixed in said chamber (21) with air supplied through said air inlet (26) to generate said vapor-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol; 1. An inhaler component comprising a wick having a capillary structure, said wick forming a composite (39) with said heating element, said heating element being automatically supplied with new liquid material (16) after vaporization, An inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (39) is configured linearly and at least one heated portion of the composite is arranged in the chamber (21) in a contactless manner so that the capillary structure of the wick located in said portion is substantially exposed.

11. 11. An inhaler component according to claim 10, characterised in that the thickness of the composite is less than 1.0 mm.

12. An inhaler component according to claim 10 or 11, The inhaler component, wherein the composite has at least one of the following structures: wire, yarn, open-pore sintered structure (34), open-pore foam, and open-pore deposited structure.

13. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 12, An inhaler component, characterized in that the heating element is at least partially embedded within the wick.

14. An inhaler component according to claim 13, An inhaler component, characterized in that said wick is at least partially made of an electrically resistive material.

15. An inhaler component according to claim 14, An inhaler component, characterized in that the electrically resistive material is metallic.

16. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 15, An inhaler component, wherein the junction between the heating element and the wick spans and extends across the entire width and length of the wick.

17. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 16, An inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22, 39) is subjected to an etching treatment.

18. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 17, An inhaler component, characterized in that the complex (22, 39) has an activated surface.

19. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 18, An inhaler component, characterized in that the wick is configured as a self-flowing alternating wick.

20. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 19, An inhaler component, characterized in that holes are drilled in the thickness direction of the core.

21. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 1. An inhaler component, characterized in that the surface composite (22) is configured substantially flat, the air inlet is configured as a slot-like passage (26), and further characterized in that the slot-like passage (26) is oriented parallel to the flat surface of the composite.

22. An inhaler component according to claim 10 or 11, 1. An inhaler component, characterized in that the linear composite (39) is configured substantially linearly, the inlet is configured as a slot-like passage (26), and further characterized in that the slot-like passage (26) is oriented parallel to the linear composite (39).

23. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 22, The inhaler component is characterized in that the composite (22, 39) extends through and bridges the chamber (21) and is supported at its two end portions on two conductive plate-like contacts (23), and further in that the heating element is in electrical contact with each of the contacts (23).

24. 24. An inhaler component according to claim 23, An inhaler component, characterized in that the electrical contact of the heating element consists of a welded or sintered part.

25. 24. An inhaler component according to claim 23, 11. An inhaler component, characterized in that the electrical contact of the heating element is made of an adhesive that is made of a conductive adhesive.

26. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 23 to 25, An inhaler component, characterized in that each of said plate-like contacts (23) projects from the outer surface of said case (3) in the form of two plug-in contacts (93).

27. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 25, An inhaler component, characterized in that one end of said composite (22, 39) projects into one capillary gap (41) having a flow resistance smaller than that of said core.

28. 28. An inhaler component according to claim 27, An inhaler component, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of ​​said capillary gap (41) is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​said composite (22, 39).

29. 29. An inhaler component according to claim 27 or 28, 13. An inhaler component, characterized in that the heating element of the composite (22, 39) located inside the capillary gap (41) is in electrical contact.

30. 30. The inhaler component according to any one of claims 27 to 29, comprising a liquid container (4) containing the liquid material (16) arranged inside or connected to the case (3) with a releasable closure (18), 13. An inhaler component, comprising: a liquid container (4) which cannot be removed from the case (3) or separated from the case (3); and a liquid material (16) in the liquid container (4) can be connected to the capillary gap (41) by manually opening the openable closure (18).

31. 31. An inhaler component according to claim 30, An inhaler component, characterized in that the liquid container (4) is rigidly and permanently joined to the case (3) or itself forms part of the case (3).

32. 32. An inhaler component according to claim 31, An inhaler component characterized by a reservoir (45) adjacent to said liquid container (4) and separated from said liquid container (4) by said releasable closure (18), said reservoir (45) communicating with said capillary gap (41).

33. 33. An inhaler component according to claim 32, 1. An inhaler component characterized by a pin (46) supported so as to be axially displaceable within said case (3), a first end (47) of which is directed towards said releasable closure (18) and a second end (48) of which projects like a protrusion from an outer surface of said case (3) when said closure (18) is in a sealed state.

34. An inhaler comprising an inhaler component according to claim 33 and a reusable inhaler part (1) connectable to said inhaler component (2), an inhaler, characterized in that during coupling, said second end (48) of said pin is connected to said reusable inhaler part (1) and cooperates therewith like a kind of tappet.

35. 34. An inhaler component according to claim 33, An inhaler component, characterized in that said reservoir (45) communicates with said chamber (21) through one ventilation passage (52).

36. 31. An inhaler component according to claim 30, 1. An inhaler component, comprising: a liquid container (4) arranged in the case (3) such that it can be displaced by manual manipulation between two stop positions along a displacement axis Y; the liquid container (4) cooperates with a locking device (73) which cannot be unlocked in a first stop position; and further, the liquid container (4) cooperates with an opening means (81, 82) for opening the openable closure portion (18) in a second stop position.

37. 37. An inhaler component according to claim 36, 13. An inhaler component, characterized in that the opening means (81, 82) has a first spine (81) defined by the capillary gap (41), which in the second stop position penetrates the openable closure (18) and thereby establishes a capillary connection with the liquid material (16).

38. 38. An inhaler component according to claim 37, an inhaler component characterized by a vent passageway (52), a first end of which communicates with said chamber (21) and a second end of which is configured as a second barb (82) that pierces said openable closure portion (18) in said second stop position.

39. 37. An inhaler component according to claim 36, 11. An inhaler component, characterized in that the non-releasable locking device consists of a protrusion (73) against which the liquid container (4) abuts in the first stop position.

40. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 36 to 39, comprising a mouthpiece (5) provided with a mouthpiece passage (66) through which a user receives a vapour-air mixture and / or a condensation aerosol administered, an inhaler component, characterized in that the displacement axis Y is oriented approximately parallel to a central axis of the mouthpiece passage (66), and one end of the liquid container (4) protrudes outside the case (3) and is positioned adjacent to the mouthpiece (5), at least in the first stop position.

41. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 27 to 33 and 35 to 40, An inhaler component characterized by a buffer reservoir (53) in communication with said capillary gap (41), itself consisting of a plurality of capillaries (54).

42. 24. An inhaler component according to claim 23, comprising a liquid reservoir (84) made of an open-pored elastic material and saturated with said liquid material (16), an inhaler component, characterized in that the composite (22, 39) is sandwiched between one of the plate-like contacts (23) and the liquid reservoir (84), thereby capillary connecting the wick to the liquid material (16) in the liquid reservoir (84).

43. 24. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising a condensate coupling device for receiving and storing the steam-air mixture and / or condensate residues formed during the generation of the condensation aerosol, An inhaler component, characterized in that the condensate binding device consists of a wick (57) having open pores and wicking capacity, the wick (57) being positioned at a distance from but in close proximity to exposed capillary structures located in the portion of the wick.

44. 44. An inhaler component according to claim 43, an inhaler component, characterized in that said open-pored wick (57) having wicking capacity covers exposed capillary structures located in said portion of said wick.

45. An inhaler component according to claim 43 or 44, An inhaler component, characterized in that the suction body (57) having an open hole and suction capacity has two members or parts arranged at a certain distance from each other, and the composite (22, 39) is arranged at least in places between both the members or parts.

46. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 43 to 45, an inhaler component, characterized in that a suction body (57) having the open holes and suction capacity is disposed in the chamber (21) and fills a majority of the chamber (21).

47. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 43 to 46, said open-pored wick (57) having wicking capacity is made of a material exhibiting shape stability such that it substantially maintains its shape even after being completely saturated with said condensate residues.

48. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 43 to 47, an inhaler component, characterized in that a suction body (57) having an open hole and suction capacity is substantially surrounded by the case (3) and is joined to the case (3) in such a way that it cannot be separated therefrom.

49. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 43 to 48, An inhaler component characterized by a two-stage condensate deposition device, the first stage consisting of a suction body (57) having suction capacity and the open holes, and the second stage consisting of a radiator through which the generated steam-air mixture and / or condensed aerosol can flow.

50. 50. An inhaler component according to claim 49, An inhaler component, characterized in that the heat radiator (61) is formed by a single tobacco filler (61).

51. 51. An inhaler component according to claim 50, The volume of the tobacco filler (61) is 3 cm 3 13. An inhaler component comprising:

52. 24. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising a mouthpiece opening formed by a mouthpiece (5) communicating with the chamber (21) and through which a user receives a vapour-air mixture and / or condensation aerosol administered, wherein during the inhalation process, between the air inlet (26) and the mouthpiece opening, a flow towards the mouthpiece opening is formed, the flow passing at least in parts through the composite (22, 39), At least one air bypass opening (68) is disposed downstream of the composite (22, 39) through which additional air may be added from the periphery into the flow, the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the air bypass opening (68) being at least 0.5 cm 2 13. An inhaler component comprising:

53. 53. An inhaler component according to claim 52, 2. An inhaler component, characterized in that the air bypass opening comprises two bypass openings (68) arranged in opposite case parts.

54. 54. An inhaler component according to claim 53, an inhaler component, characterized in that two guide vanes (69) are arranged adjacent to both bypass openings (68), both guide vanes (69) are directed towards the mouthpiece opening and towards each other, and their free ends form a nozzle-like confluence opening (71), through which the generated vapour-air mixture and / or condensate aerosol flows out of the chamber (21) and subsequently mixes with the air flowing in from both bypass openings (68).

55. 53. An inhaler component according to claim 52, 2. An inhaler component, characterized in that a flow homogenizer (72) is arranged downstream of the air bypass opening (68), the flow homogenizer having a flow resistance of less than 1 mbar at an air mass flow of 250 mL / s.

56. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, An inhaler component characterized by a plurality of adjacently arranged composites (39a, 39b, 39c) having different heat capacities.

57. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, An inhaler component, characterized by a plurality of adjacently arranged composites (39a, 39b, 39c) having different heating element properties.

58. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, An inhaler component characterized by multiple adjacently arranged composites of electric heating elements with different operation control methods.

59. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, 1. An inhaler component comprising a plurality of adjacently arranged composites, to each of which a liquid material of a different composition is assigned for vaporizing them.

60. 24. An inhaler component according to any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising a plurality of adjacently arranged composites (22a, 22b), each heating element consisting of an electrical resistance heating element, characterised in that the respective resistive heating elements are connected in series with one another.

61. An inhaler comprising one inhaler component (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 33 and 35 to 60.

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