Aerosol-generating device

Abstract

To provide an aerosol-generating device with improved safety and / or reliability.SOLUTION: An aerosol-generating device includes: a tubular heating chamber for heating aerosol-generating material contained within the chamber; an insulating tube at least partially sleeved around the tubular heating member; and at least one annular support for supporting the heating chamber within the insulating tube. At least a portion of the inner annular support is mounted within the insulating tube, and the heating chamber is at least partially mounted within the annular support.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Background Art

[0001] The popularity and use of risk reduction devices or risk modification devices (also known as vaporizers) have grown rapidly in recent years as an aid to help habitual smokers who wish to quit smoking conventional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and roll-your-own tobacco. In contrast to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products, various devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolizable substances.

[0002] Generally available risk reduction devices or risk modification devices are heated substrate aerosol generating devices or heat-not-burn devices. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate, typically containing moist leaf tobacco or other suitable aerosolizable material, to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 300°C. By heating rather than burning or igniting the aerosol substrate, an aerosol is released that contains the components desired by the user but does not contain the toxic and carcinogenic by-products associated with burning and combustion. Further, the aerosol generated by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable material typically does not contain the burnt or bitter taste associated with burning and combustion that can be unpleasant for the user. Thus, the substrate does not require sugars and other additives typically added to such materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to the user.

[0003] In such an aerosol generating device, the aerosol substrate has to be heated by a heater, and some heat leakage from the heater to the rest of the aerosol generating device is inevitable. This heat can damage other components such as the power supply of the heater or electronic devices sensitive to heat. In some cases, when components not designed to be heated reach too high a temperature, it can pose a risk of fire or explosion and even be dangerous. Furthermore, as a result of this heat leakage, the outer surface of the device becomes too hot for the user to comfortably hold by hand, and if left uncontrolled, it can even pose a danger to the user's skin.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device with improved safety and / or reliability while maintaining and improving the various advantages associated with such heat-not-burn devices.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first aspect, there is provided an aerosol generating device comprising a heater assembly and a frame configured to hold the heater assembly, the heater assembly comprising a tubular heating chamber for heating an aerosol generating material housed in a heating chamber, a heat insulating tube provided at least partially in a sleeve shape around the tubular heating chamber, and at least one annular support for supporting the heating chamber within the heat insulating tube, at least a part of the annular support being attached within the heat insulating tube, the heating chamber being at least partially attached within the annular support, the annular support being disposed at one end of the heat insulating tube and configured to be attached to the frame.

[0006] By having an annular support attached in this way, the aerosol generating device can provide effective heating to the aerosol generating material housed in the chamber while suppressing heat leakage from the chamber. The annular support holds the heating chamber within the heat insulating tube and the heater assembly relative to the frame, and transfers heat from the heating chamber to the rest of the device, particularly to the surface of the device, in order to enhance the safety and reliability of the device. It provides a reliable structure for both reducing the level of heat transferred.

[0007] In particular, the annular support may comprise one or more protrusions extending into the heat insulating tube for engaging the outer surface of the heating chamber. The protrusions may provide a region with a reduced surface area so as to reduce the connection points between the annular support and the heating chamber. By minimizing the required physical direct contact between the annular support and the heating chamber, heat transfer from the heating chamber to the support and ultimately to the rest of the device can be further reduced.

[0008] Preferably, the heating chamber is at least partially attached to the portion of the annular support that is attached within the heat insulating tube. In such a case, the annular support can provide a single portion that is inserted between the heat insulating tube and the heating chamber to support the heating chamber within the heat insulating tube, and the same support portion contacts both the heat insulating tube and the heating chamber.

[0009] Preferably, the heater assembly may include annular supports at each end of the heat insulating tube. More preferably, the heater assembly does not include any annular supports between the annular supports at each end of the heat insulating tube. As a result, the possibility of heat conduction to the rest of the device, particularly to the outer housing, can be reduced. This forms a relatively free space between the heat insulating tube and the outer housing, providing more efficient heat insulation against the heat that may be transferred from the annular support to the outer surface of the heat insulating tube. Also, since the annular support is also arranged at the end of the heater assembly, such a zone is not heated as much as the more central zone of the heating chamber, thus limiting heat transfer.

[0010] In a possible mode, the inner annular support may have a C-shaped cross-section. By having an annular cross-section that does not form a complete, i.e., closed, circumferential line, the required material can be reduced, thereby further reducing heat transfer and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0011] In particular, at least one annular support of the device defined above may be an outer annular support that engages the outer surface of the heat-insulating tube. The at least one outer annular support provides a structure for engaging the outer surface of the heat-insulating tube, and the outer annular support may support the heat-insulating tube as a whole within the device. For example, the outer annular support may provide support for holding the heat-insulating tube against a casing or frame within the device. In addition, the outer annular support may provide a form of direct or indirect connection between the components inside the heat-insulating tube, such as a heating chamber, and the outer surface of the heat-insulating tube.

[0012] The outer annular support may have the same or a similar structure as other annular supports. Optionally, the outer annular support includes a first support component and a second support component, the first support component engages a portion of the outer surface of the heat-insulating tube, the second support component engages a portion of the outer surface of the heating chamber within the heat-insulating tube, and the first support component and the second support component may engage each other at one or more contact points. By forming the outer annular support from two or more separate components that engage at the contact points, heat transfer from the heating chamber to the heat-insulating tube can be reduced. The contact points may be designed to reduce or minimize heat transfer between the two components. The contact points can be any of a point, a line, an arc, or a portion in an annular form. That is, the first support component and the second support component may engage each other along the contact line.

[0013] In particular, at least one annular support may be an inner annular support that contacts the heat-insulating tube only on its inner surface. The inner annular support can provide a structure that reduces heat transfer from the chamber to the outside of the tube by engaging the heat-insulating tube on the inner surface of the tube. This arrangement can also increase the potential gap between the heat-insulating tube and the outer housing.

[0014] In particular, the device may comprise a first annular support at a first end of the heat-insulating tube and a second annular support at a second end of the heat-insulating tube. The device may comprise an inner annular support at a first end of the heat-insulating tube and an outer annular support at a second end of the heat-insulating tube. The device may comprise at least one outer annular support at each end of the heat-insulating tube. The device may comprise at least one inner annular support at each end of the heat-insulating tube. By providing annular supports (inner, outer, etc.) at the ends of the heat-insulating tube as described above, more reliable structural support for the heating chamber and the heat-insulating tube can be provided while minimizing heat transfer to the rest of the device.

[0015] Preferably, at least one annular support may comprise a connecting member for fixing the heater assembly to the frame. By having a connecting member attached to or formed as part of the annular support, direct contact between other components of the heater assembly (such as the heating chamber or the heat-insulating tube) and the frame can be avoided.

[0016] The connecting member can take any suitable form, but preferably, the connecting member can comprise an opening arranged to receive one or more pins provided on the frame. The one or more openings can connect the annular support to the frame via a slot connection, and the pins provided on the frame can be inserted into the openings. The slot connection itself can be a permanent connection, or after inserting the pins into the openings, the connection can be made permanent with an adhesive or the like. It should be noted that since the opening can be present on the frame and the connecting member on the annular support can be an opening arranged to receive the pins, the arrangement of the opening and the pins can be reversed. Alternatively, the annular support can comprise a mixture of openings and pins for engaging with the pins and openings provided on the frame.

[0017] The heating chamber can provide heat to the aerosol-generating material housed therein by any suitable means. Generally, the heat can be provided by resistive heating, inductive heating, or contact heating. Typically, the aerosol-generating device can comprise a thin-film heater wound around the outer surface of a tubular heating chamber. The thin-film heater can provide a flexible yet effective heat source that can be applied to the tubular heating chamber in a safe and reliable manner.

[0018] The tubular heating chamber can comprise an open end for receiving the aerosol-generating material or a consumable containing the aerosol-generating material into the chamber, and a closed end forming a terminal base on the side opposite the open end. In other words, the tubular heating chamber generally has the form of a hollow cylinder, with one end open to provide an opening through which the user can insert the aerosol-generating material, but is sealed to provide a substantially enclosed volume in which the heat provided to the heating chamber is contained. When the aerosol-generating material is inserted into the heating chamber, the open end of the heating chamber can be restricted or closed depending on the arrangement of the aerosol-generating material. In some examples, the consumable containing the aerosol-generating material can be provided in a generally cylindrical form that matches the internal volume of the heating chamber.

[0019] Typically, at least one annular support may be formed from polyetheretherketone (PEEK). PEEK is a material with excellent heat resistance and is ideal for use in components placed near a heat source. When PEEK is used in a component that directly contacts a heating component (e.g., a heating chamber), it suppresses heat conduction to other components within the device.

[0020] Here, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an exemplary aerosol generating device will be described by way of example.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] In FIG. 1A, an exemplary aerosol generating device 1 is generally shown in an assembled configuration. The device 1 includes an outer housing 2 having a bottom portion and an upper portion. An opening 3 is provided in the upper portion of the housing 2 through which a consumable for generating an aerosol can be inserted into the device 1.

[0023] Inside the housing 2, the vapor generating device 1 includes a battery 4 and a heater assembly 10. FIG. 1B shows an exemplary device 1 excluding the outer housing 2. The battery 4 is operably connected to the heater assembly 10 such that the heater assembly 10 provides electrical heating using the power supplied from the battery 4. The device 1 generally includes means that enable a user to control the supply of power from the battery 4 to the heater assembly 10 and other components of the device. For example, in some examples, the device 1 includes a switch operable to manually adjust the level of power supplied from the battery 4. In other examples, the device 1 includes a puff detector operable to detect when the user has taken a puff from the device 1, and power is supplied to the heater assembly 10 in response to the timing of the user's puff. The battery 4, the heater assembly 10, and various other components of the device 1 are held in predetermined positions within the housing 2 by a support structure 5.

[0024] In use, the user holds the device 1 by the housing 2 and places a consumable that generates an aerosol that can be smoked on or near the heater assembly of the device 1 through the opening 3. Then, the device 1 is operated to turn on the power supply from the battery 4 to the heater assembly 10 by a switch or by the user's puffing operation in order to heat the consumable at or near the heater assembly 10. The consumable is heated by the heat generated by the heating assembly 10, and vapor that forms an aerosol is released. Then, the user can inhale the aerosol through either the consumable itself or the opening 3 of the device 1.

[0025] As discussed above, the heater assembly 10 may generate heat, often at high temperatures, to vaporize or aerosolize consumables within the device 1. The heater assembly 10 may typically reach temperatures of about 150° C. to about 300° C. The present invention reduces heat leakage from the heater assembly 10 to the housing 2 and other components of the device through careful design of the heater assembly 10 and its surrounding structural components.

[0026] 2A, an exemplary heating assembly 10 is generally shown in an assembled configuration. The heating assembly 10 includes an insulated tube 11, a heating chamber 12, and an annular support 20 that holds the heating chamber 12 within the insulated tube 11 and holds the heater assembly relative to a support structure 5.

[0027] The thermal insulation tube 11 is elongated and surrounds the heating chamber 12. The thermal insulation tube 11 is a housing for the device 1. 1 and 2. The tube 11 has an opening at one end that aligns with opening 3 of device 1 when assembled within the heating chamber 12. In this example, the tube 11 is open at both ends, but in other examples, the tube 11 may have a closed end opposite the open end. The insulating tube 11 is positioned to insulate and contain heat generated in the heating chamber 12, thereby allowing the heat to be delivered to the material contained in the heating chamber 12 more efficiently and also reducing exposure of other components of the device 1 to the heat generated in the heating chamber 12.

[0028] Heating chamber 12 is tubular and elongated and is arranged to receive a consumable that generates a smokable aerosol within its interior volume. Tubular heating chamber 12 has an open end 13 that aligns with both opening 3 and the open end of insulated tube 11 when assembled within the housing of device 1. Thus, when the device is fully assembled, the interior volume of heating chamber 12 is accessible through opening 3 and the open end of tube 11.

[0029] The thin film heater 14 is wound around the heating chamber 12 and arranged to supply heat in the heating chamber 12. Specifically, the heater 14 is wound around at least a part of the circumference of the sheath of the tubular chamber 12 and arranged to supply heat to the internal volume of the chamber 12. FIG. 2B shows an exemplary heating assembly 10 with the heater 14 visible on the outer surface of the chamber 12. In this example, the thin film heater 14 comprises a thin film circuit having a resistive heating element 15. The circuit comprising the heating element 15 is arranged to increase the ratio of the surface area covered by the heating element 15 across the surface of the chamber 12. As described above, the heating chamber 12 and the heater 14 are particularly connected to the power supply 4 when assembled within the device 1.

[0030] The heating chamber 12 includes a thermally conductive material such as metal to conduct heat from the heater 14 to the chamber 12.

[0031] The thin film heater 14 can be wound around and held on the outer surface of the heating chamber by a shrink wrap made of polyimide. In other examples, the thin film heater 14 can be attached to the outer surface of the heating chamber by other means, such as using a temperature-resistant adhesive.

[0032] The tubular heating chamber 12 is held within the insulating tube 11 by annular supports 20 provided at each of the two ends of the tube 11 in this example. By "annular" it means that the support 20 has a generally annular cross-section and an outer shape of a generally circular cross-section with a central opening. The outer shape of the cross-section generally conforms to the cross-sectional shape of the insulating tube and / or the cross-sectional shape of the heating chamber. The outer shape of the cross-section of the support 20 can be a complete circle or ellipse, or the outer shape of the cross-section can be a C-shape meaning that the outer shape of the cross-section has a break at one or more points along the circumference.

[0033] In this exemplary heating assembly 10, two annular supports 20 are present, one at each end of the heat-insulating tube 11. Each annular support 20 includes a plurality of protrusions 21 that extend into the heat-insulating tube 11 and engage the outer surface of the heating chamber 12. In this example, the heating chamber 12 is held within the tube 11 by the protrusions 21 that engage the heating chamber 12 at the outer surfaces at both ends of the chamber 12. The protrusions 21 can be annular or partially annular. In the examples of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the annular support 20 is shown at the end of the tube 11, but in other examples, the heater assembly 10 includes an annular support 20 disposed along the central length of the heat-insulating tube 11 such that the support 20 is completely surrounded by the heat-insulating tube 11.

[0034] By using the annular support 20 to hold the heating chamber 12 within the heat-insulating tube 11, an annular gap is formed between the outer surface of the heating chamber 12 and the inner surface of the heat-insulating tube 11. Thus, in addition to the heat-insulating properties of the tube 11, the gap provides a further heat-insulating layer that reduces the amount of heat transferred from the chamber 12 to the rest of the device 1. Therefore, the annular support 20 provides a structural support for securely holding the heating chamber 12 within the heat-insulating tube 11 and also provides further heat insulating properties. Further, the arrangement of the annular support 20 allows the outer surface of the heater assembly 10 to be covered very minimally, thereby allowing the large outer surface of the heat-insulating tube to be surrounded by the void of the outer housing 2.

[0035] The annular support 20 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is arranged to engage the inner surface of the heat-insulating tube 11 and also engage the outer surface of the heating chamber 12. In other examples, the annular support 20 can be provided to engage different portions of the components of the heater assembly 10. FIGS. 3A - 3C show various different arrangements and configurations of the annular support 20.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3A, in an exemplary heating assembly 10, annular supports 20 are provided at each end of the heat insulating tube 11. In this example, one of the annular supports 20 is an outer annular support 23 that engages the outer surface of the heat insulating tube 11. In this particular example, a portion of the outer annular support 23 is disposed outside the heat insulating tube 11. As shown in the figure, the outer annular support 23 is disposed at the upper end of the heat insulating tube 11. The "upper end" means the end of the heat insulating tube 11 where the open end of the heating chamber 12 is located. In use, a consumable for generating an aerosol is at least partially inserted into the chamber 12 through the upper end of the heat insulating tube 11. The annular support 20 at the lower end of the tube 11, i.e., the end of the heat insulating tube that is opposite the upper end, is an inner annular support 24 that contacts only the heat insulating tube 11 on its inner surface.

[0037] The outer annular support 23 can be modular and can comprise two components, namely, a first support component 23a and a second support component 23b. As shown in FIG. 3A, the first support component 23a contacts the outer surface of the heating chamber 12 to fix the chamber in a predetermined position. In this example, the chamber 12 is held by the first support component 23a at the edge of the upper end of the heating chamber 12. In other examples, the first support component 23a can be arranged to hold the chamber 12 in a different manner, such as by holding the chamber on the inner surface of the chamber 12 or by holding the chamber 12 at a defined distance from the edge of the upper end of the chamber 12.

[0038] The second support component 23b engages the first support component 23a and also engages the outer surface of the heat insulating tube 11. The second component 23b is provided with an annular flange 27 that aids in the insertion of the consumable into the chamber 12 during use. The flange 27 can also be utilized to provide a connection to a support structure or other components of the device 1. The annular flange 27 can extend generally axially so as to form a tubular extension aligned with the tubular heating chamber 12.

[0039] The first support component 23a and the second support component 23b engage with each other at one or more contact points so as to be fixed relative to each other. Thereby, the outer annular support 23 holds the heating chamber 12 with respect to the heat insulating tube 11. In order to minimize the direct physical contact between the first component 23a and the second component 23b, and thus to minimize heat conduction, the total surface area of the contact points is minimized. In this way, in order to further enhance the heat insulation property, the conduction of heat from the heating chamber 12 to the heat insulating tube 11 can be suppressed. From the cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 3A, it can be seen that the first component 23a and the second component 23b preferably contact only at a reduced surface and only at small contact points. The contact points can be arranged around the circumference of the tube as discrete contact points, or as one or more arcuate lines or continuous lines.

[0040] As shown in this example, the inner annular support 24 is provided at the lower end of the heat insulating tube and includes an annular protrusion 21 extending into the heat insulating tube. The protrusion 21 of the inner annular support 24 holds the heating chamber 12 at a predetermined position within the heat insulating tube 11.

[0041] The inner annular support 24 includes an outer collar 28. The outer collar 28 extends outward from the protrusion 21 and axially projects beyond the heat insulating tube so as to enable the heater assembly to be attached to the frame 26. The inner support 24 is preferably provided with a connecting member 25 for attaching the heater assembly 10 to the frame 26 within the device 1. Such a connecting member can extend from the collar 28, for example, in the radial direction in this example. The frame 26 can be a part of or attached to a support structure 5 that holds some components (such as a battery, a control circuit board, a sensor, etc.) within the device 1. The attachment of the heater assembly 10 into the frame 26 is shown in FIG. 4 and will be described in detail later. In this example, the connecting member 25 is provided on the inner annular support 24, but in other examples, the connecting member 25 is provided on the outer annular support 23 instead of or in combination with the connecting member 25 on the inner annular support 24.

[0042] As described above, the example shown in FIG. 3A includes an outer annular support 23 at the upper ends of the heating chamber 12 and the heat insulating tube 11, and an inner annular support 24 at the lower ends of the heating chamber 12 and the heat insulating tube 11. Other examples with alternative arrangements and configurations of the inner and outer annular supports are also possible. For example, FIG. 3B shows an exemplary heating assembly 10 including two outer annular supports 23. Each of the annular supports disposed at both ends of the heat insulating tube 11 holds the heating chamber 12 from the outside of the heat insulating tube 11. Similarly, the example shown in FIG. 3C includes two inner annular supports 24. The inner annular support 24 extends into the heat insulating tube 11 and holds the heating assembly 12 from the inside of the heat insulating tube 11. In this example, the inner annular support 24 provided at the upper end of the heat insulating tube 11 is composed of two components, similar to the outer annular support 23 in FIG. 3A. The first component 24a of the inner annular support 24 engages with the heating chamber, and the second component 24b of the inner annular support does not contact other components of the heater assembly 10. The first and second components engage along the contact points, similar to those of the outer annular support 23 in FIG. 3A, to minimize heat conduction.

[0043] As described above, some or all of the annular support 20 of the heater assembly 10 may be provided with a connecting member 25 for fixing the assembly 10 to the frame 26. The connecting member 25 typically comprises one or more openings each arranged to receive a fixing pin from the frame 26. Thus, the connecting member 25 is arranged to fix the heater assembly 10 to the frame 5 by a slot and hole connection. As shown in FIG. 4, when assembling the device 1, the heater assembly 10 is arranged to align with the geometry of the frame 26 and the two parts are connected by inserting the pins of the frame 26 into the openings 25 provided in the support 20. The intended insertion movement is shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4. When inserted into the predetermined position, the connection between the pins of the frame 5 and the openings 25 of the heater assembly 10 becomes sufficiently firm and strong to hold the assembly 10 against the frame 5. The frame 5 can be assembled together with the other components of the device 1 to realize, for example, the device shown in FIG. 1A. In the present invention, the frame 26 is preferably an element independent of the outer housing in order to reduce the thermal and mechanical constraints on the housing. However, in the second-best mode, the frame can be an integral internal part of the outer housing.

[0044] As can be understood from the above, the present invention can provide a heater assembly having an annular support that can provide improved heat insulation between the heating chamber and the rest of the device, thereby significantly improving the heating performance. The ability to confine most of the generated heat within the heating chamber and / or the heat insulating tube contributes significantly to improving the heating efficiency and also to enhancing the safety of the entire device. A device equipped with a heating assembly as described above has a significantly reduced heat leakage through the device due to the improved heat insulation ability, which means that the components inside the device are safer It means that it becomes difficult to be damaged and the outer casing of the device can be maintained at a low temperature comfortable for the user to hold. According to the present invention, an aerosol generating device with improved heating performance and the above advantages is realized, while still providing the excellent heating function and vapor supply function of such a device.

[0045] Definitions and alternative embodiments From the above description, it will be understood that many of the features of the above embodiments perform independent functions having independent advantages. Thus, for the embodiments of the present invention defined in the claims, each of these independent features can be independently selected to be included, omitted, or not included.

[0046] The term "heater" should be understood to mean any device for outputting sufficient thermal energy to form an aerosol from an aerosol substrate. The transfer of thermal energy from the heater 14 to the aerosol substrate can be by conduction, convection, radiation, or any combination of these means. As a non-limiting example, a conductive heater may be in direct contact with and press against the aerosol substrate, or in contact with a separate component such as a heating chamber, and the separate component itself may cause heating of the aerosol substrate by conduction, convection, and / or radiation.

[0047] The heater may be driven electrically, by combustion, or by any other suitable means. Electrically driven heaters may include resistive track elements (optionally including insulating packaging), induction heating systems (e.g., including electromagnets and high-frequency oscillators), etc. The heater 14 may be disposed around the outside of the aerosol substrate, may penetrate partway or completely into the aerosol substrate, or may be any combination thereof. For example, instead of the heater in the above-described embodiment, the aerosol generating device may include a blade-type heater extending into the aerosol substrate in a heating chamber.

[0048] The aerosol substrate contains tobacco, for example in a dried or cured form, and may optionally have additional components that provide an effect for flavor or a smoother or otherwise more satisfying effect. In some examples, an aerosol substrate such as tobacco may be treated with a vaporizing agent. The vaporizing agent may improve the generation of vapor from the aerosol substrate. The vaporizing agent may include, for example, a polyol such as glycerol, or a glycol such as propylene glycol. Optionally, the aerosol substrate may not even contain tobacco or nicotine, but instead may contain natural or synthetically derived components for providing flavoring, volatility, improved smoothness, and / or other satisfying effects. The aerosol substrate may be provided as a solid or paste-type material in shredded, pelletized, powdered, granular, strip or sheet form, optionally in combinations thereof. Similarly, the aerosol substrate may be a liquid or a gel. In fact, in some examples, both a solid portion and a liquid / gel portion may be included.

[0049] Therefore, the aerosol generating device 1 can be equally referred to as a "heated tobacco device", a "heat-not-burn tobacco device", a "device for vaporizing tobacco products", etc., and is construed as a device suitable for realizing these effects. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices designed to vaporize any aerosol substrate.

[0050] The aerosol generating device 1 may be configured to receive the aerosol substrate within a pre-packaged substrate carrier. The substrate carrier may generally be similar to a cigarette having a tubular region with an aerosol substrate configured in a suitable form. Some designs may also include a filter, a vapor collection region, a cooling region, and other structures. An outer layer of paper or another flexible planar material such as foil may also be provided to, for example, contain the aerosol substrate within a predetermined It may be held in position to further enhance the similarity with a cigarette or the like. The substrate carrier may be contained within the heating chamber 12 or may be longer than the heating chamber 12. In such an example, the aerosol may be provided directly from the substrate carrier that functions as the mouthpiece of the aerosol generating device.

[0051] As used herein, the term "volatile" means a substance that can be easily changed from a solid or liquid state to a gaseous state. By way of non-limiting example, a volatile substance can have a boiling or sublimation temperature near room temperature at ambient atmospheric pressure. Thus, "volatilize" or "volatilise" shall be construed to mean to cause (a material) to volatilize and / or to evaporate or disperse into the vapour.

[0052] As used herein, the term "vapour" (or "vapor") means: (i) the form in which a liquid is naturally converted by the action of sufficient heat, or (ii) particles of liquid / moisture that float in the atmosphere and appear as a cloud of steam / smoke, or (iii) a fluid that fills a space like a gas and can be liquefied only by pressure when below its critical temperature.

[0053] Consistent with this definition, the term "vaporise" (or "vaporize") means: (i) to change into or cause a change into vapour, and (ii) when particles change their physical state (i.e., from a liquid or solid to a gaseous state).

[0054] As used herein, the term "aerosol" shall mean a particulate system dispersed in air or gas, such as a mist, fog or smoke. Accordingly, the term "aerosolise" (or "aerosolize") shall mean to make into an aerosol and / or to disperse as an aerosol. It should be noted that the meaning of aerosol / aerosolising is consistent with each of volatilising, spraying and vaporising as defined above. To avoid doubt, aerosol is used to consistently describe a mist or droplet containing sprayed, volatilised or vaporised particles. An aerosol also includes a mist or droplet containing any combination of sprayed, volatilised or vaporised particles.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising a heater assembly and a frame configured to hold the heater assembly, wherein the heater assembly comprises a tubular heating chamber for heating an aerosol generating material housed within a chamber, a heat insulating tube provided at least partially in a sleeve shape around the tubular heating chamber, at least one annular support for supporting the heating chamber within the heat insulating tube, at least a part of the annular support being attached within the heat insulating tube, the heating chamber being at least partially attached within the annular support, the annular support being disposed at one end of the heat insulating tube and configured to be attached to the frame, the at least one annular support An aerosol generating device comprising.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the annular support comprises one or more protrusions extending into the heat insulating tube for engaging an outer surface of the heating chamber.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heater assembly comprises annular supports at each end of the heat insulating tube.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the heater assembly does not include any annular support between the annular supports at each end of the heat insulating tube.

5. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one annular support is an outer annular support that engages an outer surface of the heat insulating tube.

6. The outer annular support comprises a first support component and a second support component, the first support component engages a part of the outer surface of the heat insulating tube, the second support component engages a part of the outer surface of the heating chamber within the heat insulating tube, The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the first support component and the second support component engage each other at one or more contact points.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6, wherein the first support component and the second support component engage each other along a contact line.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one annular support is an inner annular support that contacts only the heat insulating tube at its inner surface.

9. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a first annular support at a first end of the heat insulating tube and a second annular support at a second end of the heat insulating tube.

10. The aerosol generating device according to a combination of any one of claims 5 to 8, comprising an inner annular support at a first end of the heat insulating tube and an outer annular support at a second end of the heat insulating tube.

11. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, comprising at least one outer annular support at each end of the heat insulating tube.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8, comprising at least one inner annular support at each end of the heat insulating tube.

13. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least one annular support comprises a connecting member for fixing the heater assembly to the frame.

14. The aerosol generating device according to claim 13, wherein the connecting member comprises an opening arranged to receive one or more pins provided on the frame.

15. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a thin film heater wound around the outer surface of the tubular heating chamber.

Images