Aerosol generating system and aerosol generating article

Abstract

An aerosol generating system according to various embodiments includes an aerosol generating device and an aerosol-generating article contained within the medium containing portion, the aerosol generating device including a housing including a first housing end and a second housing end opposite the first housing end, an outside air inflow unit detachably coupled to the first housing end of the housing, a medium containing portion disposed within the housing and including a first wall and a second wall opposite the first wall, a heating unit disposed outside the first and second walls of the medium containing portion to heat the aerosol-generating article contained in the medium containing portion, and an airflow path tube fluidly connecting the medium containing portion and the second housing end of the housing, the outside air inflow unit including perforations that allow fluid outside the aerosol generating device to flow into the inside.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The following embodiments relate to aerosol generating systems and aerosol generating articles. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the shortcomings of traditional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for devices that generate aerosols by electrically heating cigarette sticks (e.g., cigarette-type electronic cigarettes). As a result, active research has been conducted on electrically heated aerosol generating devices and cigarette sticks (or aerosol generating articles) that are applied thereto. For example, Published Patent Application No. 10-2017-0132823 discloses a non-combustion type flavor inhaler, a flavor source unit, and an atomization unit. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] An object of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol generating system that has a rich amount of atomization by cooling the aerosol generated inside the device using inflowing outside air.

[0004] An object of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol-generating article that can both be used as a medium for chewing tobacco or heated tobacco. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An aerosol generating system according to various embodiments includes an aerosol generating device and an aerosol-generating article housed inside the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device including a housing including a first housing end and a second housing end opposite the first housing end, an outside air inflow unit removably coupled to the first housing end of the housing, a medium accommodating portion disposed inside the housing and including a first wall and a second wall opposite the first wall, a heating unit disposed outside the first and second walls of the medium accommodating portion and configured to heat the aerosol-generating article housed in the medium accommodating portion, and an airflow path tube fluidly connecting the medium accommodating portion and the second housing end of the housing, the outside air inflow unit including perforations allowing air outside the aerosol generating device to be flowed into the inside of the medium accommodating portion.

[0006] In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article can include a medium portion and an outer skin portion surrounding an outer surface of the medium containing portion, and can include a first surface in contact with the inner surface of the first wall and a second surface in contact with the inner surface of the second wall when contained in the medium containing portion.

[0007] In an embodiment, the heating unit may further include a susceptor surrounding at least two sides of the medium-containing portion, and an induction coil for inducing a variable magnetic field in the susceptor.

[0008] In one embodiment, the heating unit is capable of contacting an exterior surface of a first wall and an exterior surface of a second wall of the medium containing section to directly heat the aerosol-generating article contained in the medium containing section.

[0009] In one embodiment, the width between the first wall and the second wall of the medium containing portion of the aerosol generating device may be smaller than or the same as the width between the first surface and the second surface of the aerosol generating article.

[0010] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a mouthpiece unit, and may include a first airflow path fluidly connecting the mouthpiece unit and the medium containing portion, and a second airflow path fluidly connecting the first airflow path and the outside of the aerosol generating device.

[0011] In one embodiment, the outside air inflow unit may allow air flowing in through the perforations to move along the second airflow path when a user inhales through the mouthpiece unit, thereby lowering the temperature of the aerosol.

[0012] The aerosol-generating article according to various embodiments includes a medium portion including a first surface, a second surface formed opposite to the first surface, and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, and includes a first medium surface, a second medium surface formed opposite to the first medium surface, and one or more medium side surfaces perpendicular to the first medium surface and the second medium surface, and an outer skin portion surrounding the first medium surface, the second medium surface, and the medium side surfaces of the medium portion and made of a porous material, and can be inserted into the medium storage portion of the aerosol generating device described in claim 1 and transferred via an aerosol generated by heating, or inserted into the user's mouth and transferred directly.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first and second sides of the aerosol-generating article may be identical in shape and area.

[0014] In one embodiment, the area of ​​the first surface and the second surface is greater than the area of ​​the side surface. Effect of the Invention

[0015] An aerosol generating system according to an embodiment can achieve a rich amount of atomization by cooling the aerosol generated inside the device using the introduced outside air.

[0016] The aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment can all be used as a medium for chewing tobacco or heated tobacco.

[0017] The effects of the aerosol generating system and aerosol generating article according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and different effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is an exploded perspective view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The terms used in the embodiments are selected from general terms currently widely used while taking into consideration the functions in the present invention, but these may change depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers working in this field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in specific cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings are described in detail in the corresponding description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings that the terms have and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0020] Throughout the specification, when any part "includes" any component, this does not exclude other components, but means that the other components are further included, unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Furthermore, the terms "unit", "module", etc. described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be realized in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0021] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an element in a sequence, it modifies the entire element and not each individual member of the sequence. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0022] In the following embodiments, the term "aerosol-generating article" refers to an article that contains a medium and through which an aerosol passes, thereby transferring the medium. A representative example of an aerosol-generating article is a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0023] In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means a direction away from the mouth of the user, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means a direction toward the mouth of the user. The terms upstream and downstream are used to describe the relative positions of elements that make up an aerosol-generating article.

[0024] In the following embodiments, the term "puff" refers to inhalation by a user, where inhalation refers to drawing in air through the user's mouth or nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

[0025] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating an aerosol-generating article contained within an interior space.

[0026] The aerosol generating device includes a heater, which in one embodiment may be an electrically resistive heater, for example the heater may include an electrically conductive track, such that the heater heats up when an electric current is passed through the electrically conductive track.

[0027] The heater may comprise a tube-type heating element, a plate-type heating element, a needle-type heating element, or a rod-type heating element, and will heat the interior or exterior of the aerosol-generating article depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0028] Aerosol-generating articles include tobacco rods and filter rods. The tobacco rods may be manufactured in sheets, strands, or shredded tobacco sheets. The tobacco rods may also be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, but not limited to, the thermally conductive material may be a metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

[0029] The filter rod may be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

[0030] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates the aerosol using a cartridge that holds the aerosol generating substance.

[0031] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed or assembled integrally with the body and fixed so as not to be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, without being limited thereto, the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

[0032] The cartridge may hold an aerosol generating material having any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, a gel state, etc. The aerosol generating material includes a liquid phase composition. For example, the liquid phase composition may be a liquid that includes a tobacco-containing material that includes a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid that includes a non-tobacco material.

[0033] The cartridge is operated by an electric signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body to convert the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material are mixed with air.

[0034] In further embodiments, the aerosol generating device may heat the liquid phase composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may be transmitted through the cigarette to the user, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid phase composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage may be configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0035] In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method, where the ultrasonic vibration method means a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

[0036] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator, and can atomize the aerosol generating material by generating short-period vibrations through the vibrator. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be, but is not limited to, about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz.

[0037] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick for absorbing the aerosol generating material, for example, the wick may be disposed to surround at least a region of the transducer or may be disposed in contact with at least a region of the transducer.

[0038] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer are transferred to the aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick can be converted to a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0039] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating material absorbed into the core may be reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating material may be broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but is not limited to this.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0041] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil applies a magnetic field to the susceptor. A magnetic field is formed inside the coil by supplying power from the aerosol generating device to the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field. The susceptor is located inside the coil and generates heat when a magnetic field is applied, thereby heating the aerosol product. Alternatively, the susceptor may be disposed inside the aerosol product.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further comprise a cradle.

[0043] The aerosol generating device may be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device, or a heater may heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0044] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the implementation of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0046] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment.

[0047] The aerosol generating device 100 includes a control unit 110, a detection unit 120, an output unit 130, a battery 140, a heater 150, a user input unit 160, a memory 170, and a communication unit 180. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. That is, a person having ordinary skill in the technical field according to this embodiment can understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0048] The detection unit 120 detects the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the state around the aerosol generating device 100, and transmits the detected information to the control unit 110. Based on the detected information, the control unit 110 can control the aerosol generating device 100 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 150, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol generating article (e.g., an aerosol generating article, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying notifications, etc.

[0049] The detection unit 120 includes at least one of a temperature sensor 122, an insertion detection sensor 124, and a puff sensor 126, but is not limited to these.

[0050] The temperature sensor 122 detects the temperature to which the heater 150 (or the aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 100 may include a separate temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heater 150, or the heater 150 itself may function as the temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 122 may be disposed in the vicinity of the battery 140 to monitor the temperature of the battery 140.

[0051] The insertion detection sensor 124 detects the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and may detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol-generating article.

[0052] The puff sensor 126 detects a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, for example, the puff sensor 126 may detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

[0053] The detection unit 120 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (illuminance) sensor, in addition to the above-mentioned sensors 122 to 126. A person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of the angle sensor from its name, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] The output unit 130 outputs and provides information regarding the status of the aerosol generating device 100 to a user. The output unit 130 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 132, a haptic unit 134, and an audio output unit 136. When the display unit 132 and the touchpad are layered to form a touch screen, the display unit 132 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

[0055] The display unit 132 visually provides a user with information related to the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 100 means various information such as the charging / discharging state of the battery 140 of the aerosol generating device 100, the preheating state of the heater 150, the insertion / removal state of an aerosol generating article, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 100 is restricted (e.g., detection of an abnormal article), and the display unit 132 can output the information to the outside. The display unit 132 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an induced light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. Also, the display unit 132 may be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0056] The haptic unit 134 converts an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus to tactilely provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the haptic unit 134 includes a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0057] The acoustic output unit 136 audibly provides the user with information relating to the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the acoustic output unit 136 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0058] The battery 140 supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 supplies power so that the heater 150 can heat. The battery 140 may also supply power necessary for the operation of other components (e.g., the detection unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180) provided in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0059] The heater 150 heats the aerosol-generating material by receiving power from the battery 140. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to the heater 150. In addition, when the aerosol-generating device 100 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 100 further includes a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 140 into an AC power supply.

[0060] The control unit 110, the detection unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180 can function by receiving power from the battery 140. Although not shown in FIG 1, the power conversion circuit may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, which converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to each component.

[0061] In one embodiment, the heater 150 can be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials are metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, the heater 150 can be implemented as, but not limited to, a metallic hot wire, a metallic hot plate having an electrically conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0062] In another embodiment, heater 150 may be an inductively heated heater, for example, heater 150 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol generating material.

[0063] In one embodiment, heater 150 includes multiple heaters. For example, heater 150 includes a first heater for heating the aerosol-generating article and a second heater for heating the liquid phase.

[0064] The user input unit 160 can receive information input by a user and output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 160 can be a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact type electrostatic capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 can further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and can connect to other external devices through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 140.

[0065] The memory 170 is hardware for storing various data processed in the aerosol generating device 100, and can store data processed by the control unit 110 and data to be processed. The memory 170 includes at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 170 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data on the smoking pattern of the user.

[0066] The communication unit 180 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 180 includes a short-range communication unit 182 and a wireless communication unit 184.

[0067] The short-range wireless communication unit 182 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an IrDA (infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like.

[0068] The wireless communication unit 184 includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 184 may identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 100 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0069] The control unit 110 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, the control unit 110 includes at least one processor. The processor may be realized by an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs can understand that the processor may be realized by other forms of hardware.

[0070] The control unit 110 can control the temperature of the heater 150 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 140 to the heater 150. For example, the control unit 110 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 140 and the heater 150. In a different example, a heating direct circuit may control the power supply to the heater 150 in response to a control command from the control unit 110.

[0071] The control unit 110 analyzes the result detected by the detection unit 120 and controls the process to be executed thereafter. For example, the control unit 110 can control the power supplied to the heater 150 so as to start or end the operation of the heater 150 based on the result detected by the detection unit 120. As another example, the control unit 110 can control the amount of power supplied to the heater 150 and the time for which the power is supplied based on the result detected by the detection unit 120 so that the heater 150 can heat up to a predetermined temperature or maintain an appropriate temperature.

[0072] The control unit 110 controls the output unit 130 based on the result detected by the detection unit 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted via the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the control unit 110 can notify the user via at least one of the display unit 132, the haptic unit 134, and the audio output unit 136 that the aerosol generating device 100 will soon be shut down.

[0073] In one embodiment, the control unit 110 can control the time and / or amount of power supplied to the heater 150 depending on the state of the aerosol-generating article detected by the detection unit 120. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is in an overly humid state, the control unit 110 can control the time of power supply to the induction coil to increase the preheating time compared to when the aerosol-generating article is in a normal state.

[0074] An embodiment may also be realized in the form of a recording medium including computer executable instructions such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer readable medium may be any solvable medium that can be accessed by a computer, including all volatile and non-volatile media, and separate and non-separate media. Also, a computer readable medium includes all computer storage media and communication media. A computer storage medium includes all volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media implemented by any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. A communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery medium.

[0075] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an aerosol generation system 10 according to one embodiment, Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system 10 according to one embodiment, and Figure 2C is an exploded perspective view of an aerosol generation system 10 according to one embodiment.

[0076] 2A , an aerosol generating system 10 according to an embodiment includes an aerosol generating device 200 and an aerosol generating article 400. In an embodiment, the aerosol generating article 400 may be disposed inside the aerosol generating device 200. In an embodiment, the aerosol generating article 400 may form an aerosol by heating inside the aerosol generating device 200. The configurations of the aerosol generating device 200 and the aerosol generating article 400 included in the aerosol generating system 10 will be described in detail below.

[0077] 2A to 2C, the aerosol generating device 200 includes a housing 210, an outside air inlet unit 220, a medium containing section 230, a heating unit 240, an airflow path tube 250, a mouthpiece unit 260, a display unit 270, a battery 280, and a control section 290.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the housing 210 includes a first housing end 210a and a second housing end 210b. The first housing end 210a of the housing 210 includes a surface that is coupled to the outside air inlet unit 220. The second housing end 210b of the housing 210 is formed on the opposite side of the first housing end 210a.

[0079] The external air inlet unit 220 according to an embodiment may be coupled to the first housing end 210a of the housing 210. In an embodiment, the external air inlet unit 220 may be detachably coupled to the housing 210. In an embodiment, the external air inlet unit 220 includes a first inlet end 220a in contact with the first housing end 210a of the housing 210 and a second inlet end 220b formed on the opposite side of the first inlet end 220a. In an embodiment, the external air inlet unit 220 may further include a side inlet surface 220c formed between the first inlet end 220a and the second inlet end 220b. In an embodiment, the external air inlet unit 220 includes perforations 222. In an embodiment, the perforations 222 may be formed in at least one of the side inlet surfaces 220c of the external air inlet unit 220. In an embodiment, an external fluid of the aerosol-generating device 200 is introduced into the aerosol-generating device 200 through the perforations 222.

[0080] The medium accommodation portion 230 according to an embodiment may include a space in which the aerosol-generating article 400 is accommodated. In an embodiment, the medium accommodation portion 230 may be disposed inside the housing 210. In an embodiment, the medium accommodation portion 230 includes a first wall 230a and a second wall 230b opposite to the first wall 230a. In an embodiment, the medium accommodation portion 230 accommodates the aerosol-generating article 400. In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 accommodated inside the medium accommodation portion 230 is accommodated so as to be aligned inside the medium accommodation portion 230.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the heating unit 240 heats the aerosol-generating article 400 accommodated inside the medium accommodation portion 230. The aerosol-generating article 400 heated by the heating unit 240 may form an aerosol. In an embodiment, the heating unit 240 may be disposed in contact with the outer surfaces of the first wall 230a and the second wall 230b of the medium accommodation portion 230. In an embodiment, the heating unit 240 may be disposed in contact with the outer surfaces of the first wall 230a and the second wall 230b of the medium accommodation portion 230 to directly heat the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the medium accommodation portion 230 using conduction heat. In an embodiment, the heating unit 240 may be disposed in contact with the outer surfaces of the first wall 230a and the second wall 230b to minimize loss of heat generated by the heating unit 240.

[0082] In one embodiment, the heating unit 240 may generate heat by conductive heating, inductive heating, convective heating, microwave heating, laser heating, optical heating, dielectric heating, etc. In one embodiment, the heat generation method of the heating unit 240 is not limited to the above examples and may further include heating methods conceived by those skilled in the art.

[0083] The airflow path tube 250 according to an embodiment may fluidly connect the second end 210b of the housing 210 and the medium containing portion 230. In an embodiment, the length and width of the airflow path tube 250 may adjust the resistance to inhalation experienced by a user when using the aerosol generation system 10. The longer the length and the narrower the width of the airflow path tube 250, the greater the resistance to inhalation. The shorter the length and the wider the width of the airflow path tube 250, the less the resistance to inhalation. In an embodiment, the airflow path tube 250 may have a width narrower than the width Wd of the medium containing portion 230.

[0084] The mouthpiece unit 260 according to an embodiment may be disposed in contact with the second end 220b of the outside air inlet unit 220. In an embodiment, the mouthpiece unit 260 is a part that comes into direct contact with the mouth of a user, and the user can inhale the aerosol generated inside the aerosol generating system 10 through the mouthpiece unit 260.

[0085] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 200 may include at least two airflow paths, including a first airflow path f1 and a second airflow path f2, referring to Figure 2B.

[0086] In one embodiment, the first airflow path f1 may fluidly connect at least the medium receiving portion 230, the outside air inlet unit 220, and the mouthpiece unit 260. The aerosol generated by heating the medium receiving portion 230 flows to the mouthpiece unit 260 through the outside air inlet unit 220. In one embodiment, the first airflow path f1 may further fluidly connect the airflow path tube 250. The fluid flowing in through a through hole (not shown) of the second end portion 210b of the housing 210 passes through the aerosol-generating article 400 contained in the medium receiving portion 230, and then passes through the outside air inlet unit 220 and the mouthpiece unit 260. In one embodiment, the flow of the fluid through the first airflow path f1 corresponds to a main flow that transfers the aerosol of the aerosol generating system 10 to the mouth of the user.

[0087] In one embodiment, the second airflow path f2 includes a flow of external fluid flowing through the perforations 222 of the external air inlet unit 220. In one embodiment, the temperature of the fluid flowing through the second airflow path f2 is lower than the temperature of the fluid flowing through the first airflow path f1. In one embodiment, the fluid flowing through the second airflow path f2 may include external fluid around the aerosol generation system 10. In one embodiment, the second airflow path f2 may be perpendicular to the first airflow path f2. In one embodiment, the second airflow path f2 forms an oblique angle with the first airflow path f2.

[0088] In one embodiment, the external fluid flowing in through the second airflow path f2 is mixed with the fluid flowing through the first airflow path f1 inside the external air inflow unit 220. The fluid flowing through the second airflow path f2 may cool the fluid flowing through the first airflow path f1, causing a change in the phase of the fluid. If the fluid flowing through the first airflow path f1 is liquid, condensation occurs and the aerosol increases. If the fluid flowing through the first airflow path f1 is gas (changing from gas to solid state), sublimation may increase the aerosol. Therefore, the amount of aerosol flowing inside the mouthpiece unit 260 increases. In one embodiment, the results of the sensory evaluation of the amount of aerosol generated when a user inhales aerosol using the aerosol generating system 10, that is, the level of atomization, are as shown in Table 1. For the conventional electronic cigarette, the evaluators showed an average satisfaction level of about 4 points out of 7 points. On the other hand, the satisfaction level of the evaluators for the aerosol generating system 10 according to one embodiment was about 4.7 points, showing a significant difference. The total number of samples for sensory evaluation was 13.

[0089] [Table 1]

[0090] In one embodiment, the display unit 270 (e.g., the display unit 132 in FIG. 1) can visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 200 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 200 means various information such as the charging / discharging state of the battery 280 of the aerosol generating device 200, the pre-heating state of the heating unit 240, the insertion / removal state of the aerosol generating article 400, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 200 is restricted (e.g., detection of an abnormal article), and the display unit 270 outputs the information to the outside. The display unit 270 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. Also, the display unit 270 may be an LED light emitting element.

[0091] In one embodiment, the battery 280 (e.g., the battery 140 in FIG. 1) supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 200. For example, the battery 280 supplies power to enable the heating unit 240 to heat, and supplies power necessary for the control unit 290 (e.g., the control unit 110 in FIG. 1) to operate. The battery 280 can also supply power necessary for the display unit 270, the sensor (e.g., the detection unit 120 in FIG. 1), the motor, and the like installed in the aerosol generating device 200 to operate.

[0092] In one embodiment, the control unit 290 (for example, the control unit 110 in FIG. 1) generally controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 200. For example, the control unit 290 may control the power supplied from the battery 280 to the heating unit 240. The control unit 290 may also control the operation of not only the battery 280 and the heating unit 240 but also other components included in the aerosol generating device 200. The control unit 290 may also check the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 200 and determine whether the aerosol generating device 200 is in an operable state. The control unit 290 according to one embodiment includes a printed circuit board 292 and a PCB frame 294. The printed circuit board 292 may be mounted inside the PCB frame 294 (see FIG. 2C).

[0093] The aerosol generating system 10 including the induction heating type heating unit 340 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 3. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 300 (e.g., the aerosol generating device 200) may include all of the components according to the above-described embodiment. Components common to the aerosol generating device 200 according to the above-described embodiment have been described in detail with reference to Figs. 2A to 2C, and therefore will not be described below.

[0094] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment (eg, the aerosol generation system 10 of FIG. 2A).

[0095] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 300 includes a medium containing portion 330 and a heating unit 340 .

[0096] The medium containing portion 330 according to an embodiment includes a space in which the aerosol-generating article 400 is contained. In an embodiment, the medium containing portion 330 may be disposed inside a housing (e.g., the housing 210 of FIG. 2A and / or FIG. 2C). In an embodiment, the medium containing portion 330 includes a first wall 330a and a second wall 330b opposite the first wall 330a. In an embodiment, the medium containing portion 330 contains the aerosol-generating article 400. In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 contained inside the medium containing portion 330 may be contained in line with the inside of the medium containing portion 330.

[0097] The heating unit 340 according to an embodiment heats the aerosol-generating article 400 accommodated in the medium accommodation portion 330. The aerosol-generating article 400 heated by the heating unit 340 may form an aerosol. In an embodiment, the heating unit 340 may be disposed in contact with the outer surfaces of the first wall 330a and the second wall 330b of the medium accommodation portion 330. In an embodiment, the heating unit 340 may be disposed spaced apart from the outer surfaces of the first wall 330a and the second wall 330b of the medium accommodation portion 330 with a gap therebetween. The heating unit 340 according to an embodiment includes an induction coil 342 and a susceptor 344. The heating unit 340 heats the aerosol-generating article 400 using an induction heating method. For example, the heating unit 340 may heat the aerosol-generating article 400 using the susceptor 344 that is heated by generating heat through a variable magnetic field applied by the induction coil 342. In one embodiment, the induction coil 342 can be wound along the exterior wall of the medium containment portion 330 in which the aerosol-generating article 400 is contained to induce a variable magnetic field.

[0098] In an embodiment, the susceptor 344 may be disposed in contact with an outer surface of the first wall 330a and an outer surface of the second wall 330b of the medium-accommodating portion 330. In an embodiment, the susceptor 344 is disposed in contact with the outer surfaces of the first wall 330a and the second wall 330b, thereby minimizing loss of heat generated in the heating unit 340.

[0099] In one embodiment, the susceptor 344 may be disposed on an exterior surface of the aerosol-generating article 400. When the susceptor 344 is disposed to surround the exterior surface of the aerosol-generating article 400, the heating unit 340 of the aerosol-generating apparatus 300 does not include the susceptor 344.

[0100] The following describes an aerosol-generating article 400 housed inside the aerosol generating system 10 with reference to Figures 4A and 4B. Figure 4A is a perspective view of the aerosol-generating article 400 according to one embodiment. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating article 400 according to one embodiment.

[0101] In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 includes a medium portion 410 and a skin portion 420. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 includes a first surface 400a and a second surface 400b formed on the opposite side of the first surface 400a. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 is accommodated in a medium accommodation portion (e.g., the medium accommodation portion 230 in Figs. 2A-2C and / or the medium accommodation portion 330 in Fig. 3) of an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 200 in Figs. 2A-2C and / or the aerosol-generating device 300 in Fig. 3), with the first surface 400a in contact with the inner surface of the first wall (e.g., the first wall 230a in Figs. 2A-2C or the first wall 330a in Fig. 3) and the second surface 400b in contact with the inner surface of the second wall (e.g., the second wall 230b in Figs. 2A-2C or the second wall 330b in Fig. 3). The two sides 400a and 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 are disposed in contact with the inner surfaces of the first wall 230a; 330a and the second wall 230b; 330b of the medium containing portion 230; 330, thereby minimizing heat loss. In one embodiment, the width between the first wall 230a; 330a and the second wall 230b; 330b of the medium containing portion 230; 330 (e.g., the width Wd in FIG. 2B) may be smaller than or equal to the width Wa between the first side 400a and the second side 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400. Due to the difference between the width Wd of the medium containing portion 230; 330 and the width of the aerosol-generating article 400, the aerosol-generating article 400 may be more firmly accommodated within the medium containing portion 230; 330.

[0102] In one embodiment, the medium portion 410 includes a first medium surface 410a, a second medium surface 410b formed on the opposite side of the first medium surface 410a, and one or more medium side surfaces 410c perpendicular to the first medium surface 410a and the second medium surface 410b.

[0103] In one embodiment, the outer skin 420 surrounds at least one of the first medium surface 410a, the second medium surface 410b, and the medium side surface 410c of the medium portion 410. In one embodiment, the outer skin 420 may be made of a porous material.

[0104] In one embodiment, the shape and area of ​​the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be the same. In one embodiment, the shape of the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be triangular. In one embodiment, the shape of the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be rectangular. In one embodiment, the shape of the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be pentagonal. In one embodiment, the shape of the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be hexagonal. In one embodiment, the shape of the first surface 400a and the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be circular.

[0105] In one embodiment, the area of ​​each of the first surface 400a and / or the second surface 400b of the aerosol-generating article 400 may be greater than the area of ​​the side surface 400c, i.e., the aerosol-generating article 400 may have a wide, unfolded, planar shape.

[0106] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and a person having ordinary skill in the art may apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from that described, and / or the components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a form different from that described, or may be replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents to achieve appropriate results.

[0107] Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment, but should be defined by the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generation system comprising: An aerosol generating device; an aerosol-generating article contained inside the aerosol-generating device; Including, The aerosol generating device comprises: a housing including a first housing end and a second housing end opposite the first housing end; an outside air inlet unit detachably coupled to the first housing end of the housing; a medium containing portion disposed within the housing and including a first wall and a second wall opposing the first wall; a heating unit disposed outside the first wall and the second wall of the medium containing section and configured to heat an aerosol-generating article contained in the medium containing section; an airflow path tube fluidly connecting the medium containing portion and the second housing end of the housing; Including, The outside air inflow unit includes a hole that allows outside air to flow into the inside of the aerosol generating system.

2. The aerosol-generating article comprises: A medium portion; a skin surrounding an exterior surface of the medium containing portion; Including, 2. The aerosol generating system of claim 1, comprising a first surface that contacts the inner surface of the first wall and a second surface that contacts the inner surface of the second wall when contained in the medium containing portion.

3. The heating unit includes a susceptor surrounding at least two sides of the medium containing portion; an induction coil for inducing a variable magnetic field in the susceptor; 3. The aerosol generating system of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising:

4. 3. The aerosol generating system of claim 1, wherein the heating unit contacts an outer surface of the first wall and an outer surface of the second wall of the medium containing section to directly heat the aerosol-generating article contained in the medium containing section.

5. 3. The aerosol generating system of claim 2, wherein a width between the first wall and the second wall of the medium containing portion of the aerosol generating device is smaller than or equal to a width between the first surface and the second surface of the aerosol generating article.

6. The aerosol generating device further comprises a mouthpiece unit, a first airflow path fluidly connecting the mouthpiece unit and the medium containing portion; a second airflow path fluidly connecting the first airflow path and an exterior of the aerosol generating device; 2. The aerosol generating system of claim 1 , comprising:

7. The aerosol generating system of claim 6, wherein when a user inhales through the mouthpiece unit, the air flowing in through the perforation moves along the second airflow path to lower the temperature of the aerosol.

8. 1. An aerosol-generating article comprising: a first surface, a second surface formed opposite the first surface, and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface; a medium portion including a first medium surface, a second medium surface formed on an opposite side to the first medium surface, and one or more medium side surfaces perpendicular to the first medium surface and the second medium surface; an outer skin portion that surrounds the first medium surface, the second medium surface, and the medium side surface of the medium portion and is made of a porous material; Including, An aerosol generating article that can be selectively transferred either by being inserted into the medium containing portion of the aerosol generating device described in claim 1 and being transferred via an aerosol generated by heating, or by being inserted into the user's mouth and being transferred directly.

9. 9. The aerosol-generating article of claim 8, wherein the first and second surfaces of the article have the same shape and area.

10. 10. The aerosol-generating article of claim 9, wherein an area of ​​the first surface and the second surface is greater than an area of ​​the side surface.

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