Heating assembly and aerosol generating device including the same

Abstract

Provided are a heating assembly capable of efficiently heating a susceptor included in an aerosol generating article, and an aerosol generating device including the heating assembly.SOLUTION: The heating assembly 120 includes an accommodation portion 121 for accommodating an aerosol generation article that can be heated by an induced magnetic field, a spiral coil 122 disposed outside the accommodation portion to generate an induced magnetic field toward the accommodation portion, and a first support portion disposed at one side inside the accommodation portion to support an outer surface of the aerosol generation article and to space the outer surface of the aerosol generation article accommodated in the accommodation portion from an inner wall of the accommodation portion. The spiral coil may be wound to form a plate shape covering a portion of the outer wall of the accommodation portion, and a winding center of the spiral coil may be disposed at one point of the outer wall of the accommodation portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device including the same, and more particularly to a heating assembly that can efficiently heat a susceptor included in an aerosol product and an aerosol generating device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for technologies that provide an alternative to the conventional method of delivering aerosols by burning cigarettes, such as aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols by heating and atomizing aerosol-generating materials within a cigarette or cartridge, rather than by burning a cigarette.

[0003] Recently, an aerosol generating device capable of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-producing material has been proposed as an alternative to the method of supplying an aerosol by burning a cigarette. For example, an aerosol generating device refers to a device capable of generating an aerosol by heating a liquid or solid aerosol-producing material to a predetermined temperature using a heater.

[0004] Research into aerosol generating devices is gradually increasing because they can improve smoking convenience for users, such as allowing users to smoke without additional equipment such as a lighter and allowing users to smoke as much as they want. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A conventional induction heating aerosol generator includes a susceptor and a coil, and the susceptor is heated by a magnetic field generated by the coil, thereby transferring thermal energy to the aerosol product.

[0006] Recently, there has been active research into a method of heating an aluminum susceptor included in an aerosol product without disposing a separate susceptor in the aerosol generator. However, because the shape of the coil used in conventional induction heating aerosol generators is not suitable for heating an aluminum susceptor included in an aerosol product, a new coil shape is required to efficiently heat the aerosol product.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a heating assembly including a coil shaped to be able to efficiently heat a susceptor included in an aerosol product, and an aerosol generating device including the same.

[0008] Another problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device including the same in which components are separated from each other so as to form a space within the heating assembly in which airflow can move.

[0009] The problems to be solved through the embodiments are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Embodiments may embody a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device including the same.

[0011] A heating assembly according to one embodiment includes a storage section for storing an aerosol product that can be heated by an induction magnetic field, a spiral coil arranged outside the storage section to generate an induction magnetic field toward the storage section, and a first support section arranged on one side of the interior of the storage section to support the outer surface of the aerosol product and separate the outer surface of the aerosol product stored in the storage section from the inner wall of the storage section, and the spiral coil is wound to form a plate shape that covers a portion of the outer wall of the storage section, and the center around which the spiral coil is wound may be located at one point on the outer wall of the storage section.

[0012] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment may include a heating assembly according to one embodiment, a housing for containing the heating assembly, and a battery for powering the heating assembly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The heating assembly according to the embodiment and the aerosol generating device including the same can efficiently heat the susceptor included in the aerosol product.

[0014] Furthermore, the heating assembly and the aerosol generating device including the same according to the embodiment allow airflow to move smoothly inside the heating assembly.

[0015] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to those described above, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment with an aerosol product inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a spiral coil of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating the direction of magnetic lines of force generated by a spiral coil of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the AA direction. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a heating assembly according to one embodiment with an aerosol product inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line BB. [Figure 8]7 is a perspective view showing a part of the container shown in FIG. 6 through a cross section in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a plan view showing a shape in which an aerosol product is contained in a part of the container shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 7 is a perspective view of another part of the container shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 11] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly shown in FIG. 6 taken along the CC direction. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the heating assembly shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol product. [Figure 14] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a coil of a conventional aerosol generating device. [Figure 15] 1 is a diagram illustrating the direction of magnetic field lines generated by a coil of a conventional aerosol generating device. [Figure 16] 10 is a graph showing the results of an experiment for comparing the heating performance of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment and a conventional aerosol generating device. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The terms used in the examples are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration their functions in the present invention. However, this may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0018] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain element, this does not mean that it excludes other elements and that it may further include other elements, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "unit" and "module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0019] 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 element in the sequence. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0020] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that electrically heats a cigarette contained in the interior space to generate the aerosol.

[0021] The aerosol generating device may include a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and the heater may be heated when an electric current is passed through the conductive track.

[0022] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the interior or exterior of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0023] Cigarettes may include a tobacco rod and a filter rod. The tobacco rod may be made in either a sheet or strand form, and the tobacco sheet may be made from shredded tobacco. The tobacco rod may also be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be a metal foil, such as, but not limited to, aluminum foil.

[0024] The filter rod may also 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 out specific components contained in the aerosol.

[0025] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

[0026] The aerosol generating device may include a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating material and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed with the body or assembled 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 while the cartridge is coupled to the body.

[0027] The cartridge may hold an aerosol-forming material in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel state. The aerosol-forming material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0028] The cartridge is activated by an electrical 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, thereby generating an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas mixture of vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material and air.

[0029] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to the user through the cigarette. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to allow the aerosol to be delivered to the user through the cigarette.

[0030] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0031] 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 are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is, but is not limited to, about 100 kHz to 3.5 MHz.

[0032] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the wick may be positioned to surround at least a region of the transducer or to contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0033] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator can be transferred to the aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick can be converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the vibrator, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0034] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating material absorbed into the core is reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating material is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0035] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device using induction heating.

[0036] The aerosol generating device may include a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field can be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is also a magnetic material that generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied. When the susceptor is located inside the coil and generates heat when a magnetic field is applied, the aerosol product can be heated. Alternatively, the susceptor may be located inside the aerosol product.

[0037] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

[0038] The aerosol generating device may be configured as a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge the battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied in a form that can be implemented by the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic representation of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment with an aerosol product inserted therein.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment may include a housing 110 and a display 150.

[0043] The housing 110 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 100 and may include an internal space (or "arrangement space") in which components of the aerosol generating device 100 are arranged. Although the housing 110 is illustrated as having a quadrangular prism shape in the drawings, the shape of the housing 110 is not limited thereto. For example, the housing 110 may have an overall cylindrical shape or a polygonal prism shape (e.g., a triangular prism shape).

[0044] Components for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-producing article 200 inserted into the housing 110 may be disposed in the interior space of the housing 110, but are not limited to such components. The housing 110 may also function to protect the components.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the housing 110 may include a mounting hole 110m into which a portion of the container 121 for containing the aerosol product 200 is mounted. The container 121 may be supported by the mounting hole 110m of the housing 110.

[0046] The container 121 disposed in the interior space of the housing 110 may include an opening 121h through which the aerosol product is inserted into the container 121. At least a portion of the aerosol product 200 may be inserted or contained in the container 121 through the opening 121h.

[0047] The aerosol producing product 200 inserted or contained within the container 121 can be heated within the container 121, resulting in the generation of an aerosol. A user can inhale the aerosol emitted from the aerosol producing product 200.

[0048] The display 150 displays visual information and may be disposed such that at least a portion of the display 150 is exposed to the outside of the housing 110. The aerosol generating device 100 may provide a variety of visual information to the user via the display 150.

[0049] For example, the aerosol generating device 100 may provide information regarding whether or not a user has performed a puffing action and / or information regarding the remaining number of puffs of the inserted aerosol product 200 through the display 150, but the information provided through the display 150 may be modified in various ways.

[0050] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 2, an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment may include a housing 110, a heating assembly 120, a battery 130, a printed circuit board 140, a display 150, and a frame 160.

[0052] The aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol product 200 using an induction heating method. The induction heating method refers to a method of generating heat from a magnetic material by applying an alternating magnetic field. In this case, the alternating magnetic field is also referred to as an "induction magnetic field."

[0053] When an alternating magnetic field is applied to a magnetic material, energy loss due to eddy current loss and hysteresis loss may occur in the magnetic material. The lost energy may be released from the magnetic material as heat energy. The larger the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field, the more heat energy may be released from the magnetic material.

[0054] At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment is identical to or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 100 shown in FIG. 1, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted below.

[0055] The housing 110 may house a heating assembly 120 , a battery 130 , a printed circuit board 140 , a display 150 , and a frame 160 .

[0056] The housing 110 may include a base portion 111 to prevent components accommodated in the housing 110 from spilling out of the housing 110 .

[0057] The base portion 111 is disposed at an end of the housing 110 opposite to the end where an opening (e.g., opening 121h in FIG. 1) is located. The base portion 111 closes the accommodation space of the housing 110 and can support components disposed in the internal space of the housing 110. For example, the base portion 111 can contact the frame 160 and support the frame 160.

[0058] The heating assembly 120 may include a housing 121 and a helical coil 122 .

[0059] The storage section 121 may store at least a portion of the aerosol product 200. The storage section 121 may include an opening (not shown) for storing the aerosol product 200 in the aerosol generation device 100. The opening of the storage section 121 may be open toward the outside of the aerosol generation device 100. The aerosol product 200 may be stored in the heating assembly 120 through the opening of the storage section 121 in a direction from the outside of the storage section 121 toward the inside of the storage section 121.

[0060] The heating assembly 120 can heat the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121. Specifically, the spiral coil 122 of the heating assembly 120 can be disposed outside the container 121 and generate an induction magnetic field toward the container 121.

[0061] The aerosol product 200 accommodated in the accommodation section 121 includes a susceptor therein. The susceptor generates heat inductively due to an induced magnetic field, thereby heating the aerosol product 200.

[0062] The spiral coil 122 may be disposed outside the housing 121 and generate an induction magnetic field. The spiral coil 122 may be supplied with power from a battery 130. When power is supplied to the spiral coil 122, a magnetic field may be formed toward the inside of the housing 121.

[0063] When an alternating current is applied to the spiral coil 122, the direction of the magnetic field formed inside the receiving part 121 may change periodically. When the susceptor is exposed to the magnetic field formed by the spiral coil 122, the susceptor may generate heat.

[0064] The temperature of the heated susceptor can be changed by changing the amplitude or frequency of the magnetic field formed by the helical coil 122. A control unit (not shown) controls the power supplied to the helical coil 122 to adjust the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field formed by the helical coil 122, thereby controlling the temperature of the susceptor.

[0065] As an example, the spiral coil 122 may include, but is not limited to, copper. The spiral coil 122 may include any one of silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), or an alloy containing at least one of these, so as to have low resistivity and thus allow a high current to flow.

[0066] The battery 130 supplies power used for operation of the aerosol generation device 100. For example, the battery 130 may supply power so that an alternating current is applied to the heating assembly 120 and may supply power necessary for operation of the control unit. The battery 130 may also supply power necessary for operation of the display 150, a sensor (not shown), a motor (not shown), and the like provided in the aerosol generation device 100.

[0067] The printed circuit board (PCB) 140 may include a control unit. The control unit controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. Specifically, the control unit controls the operation of the battery 130 and the heating assembly 120 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 100.

[0068] The control unit can also check the state of each of the components of the aerosol generation device 100 and determine whether the aerosol generation device 100 is in an operable state.

[0069] The control unit may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented by an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the control unit may also be implemented by other types of hardware.

[0070] The frame 160 can support components disposed in the interior space of the housing 110. For example, the frame 160 can contact at least one surface of the battery 130 and the printed circuit board 140 and support them. The frame 160 also includes a groove (not shown) at one end. At least a portion of the receiving portion 121 can be inserted into the groove, allowing the frame 160 to support the receiving portion 121.

[0071] 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining a spiral coil of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0072] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a spiral coil of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the direction of magnetic field lines generated by the spiral coil of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0073] 3 and 4, the spiral coil 122 is wound in a plate shape that covers a portion of the outer wall of the receiving portion 121. The center of the spiral coil 122 may be located at one point on the outer wall of the receiving portion 121 (see FIG. 2 for the receiving portion 121, which is not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0074] "The helical coil 122 covers a part of the outer wall of the accommodating section 121" means an arrangement structure in which the helical coil 122 is arranged so that the inner surface of the helical coil 122 (hereinafter referred to as the "inner surface of the helical coil") faces the outer wall of the accommodating section 121. Therefore, "the helical coil 122 covers a part of the outer wall of the accommodating section 121" may include both a structure in which the helical coil 122 contacts the outer wall of the accommodating section 121 and a structure in which the helical coil 122 is separated from the outer wall of the accommodating section 121.

[0075] The "outer wall of the storage section 121" means the outer wall of the storage section 121 facing away from the center of the storage section 121 in the radial direction of the storage section 121, and the "inner wall of the storage section 121" means the inner wall of the storage section 121 facing the aerosol product 200 stored in the storage section 121 in the radial direction of the storage section 121. These expressions may be used with the same meaning hereinafter.

[0076] The helical axis of the helical coil 122 is also a direction that crosses the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 121. In this case, the "longitudinal direction" refers to the z-axis direction shown in FIG. 1, that is, the direction extending longitudinally in one direction of the receiving portion 121. The "longitudinal direction" also refers to the direction in which the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the receiving portion 121. The "longitudinal direction" may be used in the same sense hereinafter.

[0077] When the outer wall of the accommodation portion 121 includes a curved wall, the spiral coil 122 has a plate shape that is curved along the outer wall of the accommodation portion 121. In other words, the cross section of the spiral coil 122 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the accommodation portion 121 has an arc shape.

[0078] The spiral coil 122 may have a circular shape based on the center around which the spiral coil 122 is wound. However, the shape of the spiral coil 122 is not limited thereto, and may be modified as needed. For example, the spiral coil may have a rectangular shape based on the center around which the spiral coil is wound.

[0079] The spiral coil 122 may include an insertion hole 122h at the center around which the spiral coil 122 is wound. The spiral coil 122 may be coupled to the receiving portion 121 through the insertion hole 122h and supported by the receiving portion 121.

[0080] The spiral coil 122 can generate a magnetic field in which magnetic field lines M move in and out around the spiral axis of the spiral coil 122 depending on the direction of the current. That is, the magnetic field lines M move in and out of the container 121 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container 121, and the magnetic field lines M can pass through the inside of the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 200.

[0081] Unlike the coils included in conventional induction heating type aerosol generating devices, the direction of the magnetic field lines M is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 200, so the density of the magnetic field lines M passing through the susceptor included in the aerosol product 200 is increased, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the susceptor.

[0082] In particular, if the susceptor contained in the aerosol product 200 extends in an arc direction from the inside of the aerosol product 200 or has a flat sheet shape, the magnetic field lines M pass through a wide area of ​​the sheet, so that the susceptor can be heated to a sufficient temperature.

[0083] A plurality of spiral coils 122 may be arranged. At least one pair of the plurality of spiral coils 122 may be electrically connected. Since each of the plurality of spiral coils 122 forms a pair, an even number of spiral coils 122 may be arranged.

[0084] 3 and 4, the two spiral coils 122 are electrically connected to form a pair. The spiral coils 122 include a first spiral coil 122a and a second spiral coil 122b.

[0085] The first spiral coil 122a and the second spiral coil 122b may be electrically connected to each other by a spiral connector 122c. The spiral connector 122c may connect an edge of the first spiral coil 122a to an edge of the second spiral coil 122b. The pair of electrically connected spiral coils 122 may be formed from a single conductor.

[0086] Both ends of the conductor forming the pair of spiral coils 122 extend longitudinally along the outer wall of the receiving portion 121 at the center where the spiral coils 122 are wound, and can be connected to a battery (for example, the battery 130 in FIG. 2).

[0087] For example, one end of the first spiral coil 122a and one end of the second spiral coil 122b are electrically connected by a spiral connecting portion 122c, forming a pair of spiral coils 122 made of a single conductor. The other end 122ae of the first spiral coil 122a and the other end 122be of the second spiral coil 122b form one end and the other end of the pair of spiral coils 122, respectively, and may be connected to a battery.

[0088] The first spiral coil 122a and the second spiral coil 122b may have the same size and shape and may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the receiving portion 121. However, without being limited thereto, the number, size, and shape of the spiral coils 122 may be modified as necessary.

[0089] For example, in one example in which four spiral coils 122 are arranged outside the accommodating portion 121, the four spiral coils 122 may be arranged at equal intervals from each other along the outer wall of the accommodating portion 121 in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion 121.

[0090] According to another example in which four spiral coils 122 are arranged outside the accommodating portion 121, one pair of spiral coils may be arranged along the outer wall of the accommodating portion 121 in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion, and another pair of spiral coils may be arranged spaced apart from the pair of spiral coils in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion 121. In this case, the other pair of spiral coils may be arranged between the pair of spiral coils in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion 121.

[0091] When multiple spiral coils 122 are arranged in pairs electrically connected to each other, it is necessary to precisely control the direction of the AC current applied to each spiral coil 122 so that the magnetic fields generated by the multiple spiral coils 122 do not intersect and cancel each other out.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the multiple spiral coils 122 are electrically connected and the winding direction of each of the multiple spiral coils 122 is set so that AC current flows in the same direction in the multiple spiral coils 122, so separate control of each of the multiple spiral coils 122 is not required.

[0093] As described above, the magnetic force lines M can move in and out of the helical axis of the helical coil 122 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the housing portion 121.

[0094] Because the magnetic flux density is high at the helical axis of the helical coil 122, the portion of the aerosol production article 200 in contact with the helical axis of the helical coil 122 may be heated to a relatively high temperature compared to other portions.

[0095] As a result, when multiple spiral coils 122 are arranged, the centers around which the spiral coils 122 are wound are positioned at multiple points on the outer wall of the storage section 121, so that the aerosol product 200 stored in the storage section 121 can be heated uniformly.

[0096] The heating assembly 120 will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0097] 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining a heating assembly according to one embodiment.

[0098] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device shown in Figure 1 taken along the line AA. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the heating assembly shown in Figure 5 with the aerosol production article inserted therein.

[0099] 5 and 6, an aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment may include a housing 110 and a heating assembly 120. The heating assembly 120 may include a receiving portion 121, a helical coil 122, an end support portion 124, and a second support portion 125.

[0100] The housing 110 may include a coupling groove 110c, and the receiving part 121 may include a coupling part 121c that is received in the coupling groove 110c. The receiving part 121 may be fixed to the housing 110 within the housing 110 due to a coupling structure between the coupling groove 110c and the coupling part 121c.

[0101] The coupling groove 110c may be formed by a protruding portion of the inner wall of the housing 110. The coupling portion 121c may be formed by a protruding portion of the outer wall of the receiving portion 121.

[0102] 5, a coupling groove 110c may be formed by a portion of the inner wall of the housing 110 protruding in the -z direction. A coupling portion 121c may be formed by a portion of the outer wall of the receiving portion 121 protruding in the x direction. The structures and shapes of the coupling groove 110c and the coupling portion 121c may be modified in various ways.

[0103] The receiving portion 121 is attached to the attachment hole 110m of the housing 110. The receiving portion 121 can be fixed to the housing 110 by being supported by the attachment hole 110m.

[0104] The container 121 may include an opening 121h through which the aerosol product product is inserted. At least a portion of the aerosol product product 200 may be inserted or contained inside the container 121 through the opening 121h.

[0105] The storage section 121 is positioned between the aerosol product 200 stored in the storage section 121 and the spiral coil 122, and can block the heat generated in the aerosol product 200 from transferring to the outside.

[0106] The receiving part 121 may include a heat insulating material that prevents heat generated in the aerosol product 200 from being released to the outside of the receiving part 121. For example, the receiving part 121 may include a heat insulating material with excellent heat insulating properties, such as ceramic or glass fiber. The heat insulating material of the receiving part 121 may be variously modified.

[0107] The container 121 has a cylindrical shape that surrounds at least a part of the outer wall of the container 121. For example, the container 121 has a cylindrical shape similar to the outer shape of the aerosol product 200.

[0108] The container 121 may improve the heating efficiency of the heating assembly 120 by concentrating the heat generated in the susceptor of the aerosol product 200 on the aerosol product 200. In addition, the container 121 may shorten the preheating time of the aerosol generating device 100 and reduce power consumption.

[0109] The accommodation portion 121 may include a protrusion 121p protruding outward. The protrusion 121p may be inserted into an insertion hole (for example, the insertion hole 122h in FIG. 3) of the spiral coil 122 disposed outside the accommodation portion 121. Therefore, the spiral coil 122 may be supported by the accommodation portion 121 so as not to move.

[0110] The shape of the protrusions 121p may correspond to the shape of the insertion holes 122h. The number of protrusions 121p is also the same as the number of spiral coils 122.

[0111] The spiral coil 122 is disposed outside the container 121 and can generate an induction magnetic field toward the container 121. The susceptor included in the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121 can generate heat by induction with the induction magnetic field, thereby heating the aerosol product 200.

[0112] While the helical coil 122 applies an induction magnetic field toward the receiving portion 121, heat may also be generated from the helical coil 122 itself. In this case, if the receiving portion 121 comes into contact with the helical coil 122, the heat generated from the helical coil 122 may be directly transferred to the receiving portion 121. In order to reduce heat transfer between the helical coil 122 and the receiving portion 121, the receiving portion 121 and the helical coil 122 need to be spaced apart from each other.

[0113] The housing 121 may include a contact portion 121t in at least one region of the outer wall to space the spiral coil 122 from the outer wall of the housing 121. The contact portion 121t may protrude outward in the radial direction of the housing 121.

[0114] A plurality of contact portions 121t may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121. The plurality of contact portions 121t may be arranged spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121. Each of the contact portions 121t may extend longitudinally in the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 121. The embodiments are not limited by the shape of the contact portions 121t shown in the drawings. For example, the contact portions 121t may have a protruding shape with a circular or elliptical cross section.

[0115] The contact portion 121t contacts the inner surface of the spiral coil 122 facing the accommodating portion 121. The contact portion 121t can support the spiral coil 122 so that the spiral coil 122 does not move in the radial direction of the accommodating portion. A region of the inner surface of the spiral coil 122 that does not contact the contact portion 121t can be spaced apart from the outer wall of the accommodating portion 121.

[0116] The first support portion (not shown), the end support portion 124, and the second support portion 125 are arranged inside the storage portion 121 to support at least one region of the aerosol product item 200 and can separate the aerosol product item 200 stored in the storage portion 121 from the storage portion 121.

[0117] The first support portion, the end support portion 124, and the second support portion 125 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0118] 7 to 10 are views for explaining a support part of a heating assembly according to an embodiment.

[0119] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly shown in Fig. 6 taken along the line BB. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a portion of the container shown in Fig. 6 through a cross section taken along a line transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the shape of the portion of the container shown in Fig. 8 containing an aerosol product. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another portion of the container shown in Fig. 6.

[0120] In this case, the 'cross section cut in the BB direction' means a cross section cut by a plane rotated 45° counterclockwise from the xz plane with respect to the z axis.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 7, a heating assembly 120 according to an embodiment may include a receiving portion 121, a spiral coil 122, a first support portion 123, an end support portion 124, a second support portion 125, and an airflow passage 126.

[0122] The first support portion 123 is arranged on one side of the interior of the accommodating portion 121, supports the outer surface of the aerosol product 200, and can separate the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 accommodated in the accommodating portion 121 from the inner wall of the accommodating portion 121.

[0123] In this case, the "one side" of the interior of the storage unit 121 is a part of the storage unit 121 that corresponds to one end of the aerosol product stored in the storage unit 121. The "other side" of the interior of the storage unit 121 is another part of the storage unit 121 where an opening open to the outside (e.g., opening 121h in FIG. 5) is located.

[0124] In this context, the "outer surface of the aerosol production article 200" refers to the surface of the aerosol production article 200 facing in the radial direction.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 8, the first support portion 123 may include a first support member 123s that supports the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 and a first inlet passage 123i that transfers air inside the receiving portion 121 to one end of the aerosol product 200 received in the receiving portion 121.

[0126] When the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121 comes into contact with the first support 123s, the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 can be supported by the first support 123s so as not to move in the radial direction of the container 121.

[0127] There may be a plurality of first supports 123s to stably support the aerosol product 200. Although four first supports 123s are shown in Figure 8, the embodiment is not limited by the number of first supports.

[0128] The first supports 123s may be arranged at regular or irregular intervals along the inner wall of the receiving portion 121 in the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121.

[0129] The first support 123s may have a shape that protrudes from the inner wall of the containing section 121 toward the center of the containing section 121. Since the aerosol product product 200 is supported by the first support 123s, the outer surface of the aerosol product product 200 contained in the containing section 121 may be spaced apart from the inner wall of the containing section 121 between the first support 123s.

[0130] The separated space may form an air passage together with the first inflow passage 123i.

[0131] Air inside the receiving part 121 may flow into the first inlet passage 123i of the first support part 123. The air moving along the first inlet passage 123i may reach one end of the aerosol product.

[0132] The first support portion 123 may further include a guide portion 123g that protrudes toward the center of the receiving portion 121 as it approaches one side of the receiving portion 121 to guide the insertion of the aerosol product 200 into the receiving portion 121.

[0133] To explain the process in which the aerosol product 200 is accommodated in the accommodation unit 121, the end of the aerosol product 200 comes into contact with the guide unit 123g and may be deformed by the inclined surface of the guide unit 123g that protrudes toward the center of the accommodation unit 121. The inclined surface of the guide unit 123g can deform the end of the aerosol product 200 while gently guiding the movement of the aerosol product 200.

[0134] The guide portion 123g is formed on the upper portion of the first support 123s, and the guide portion 123g and the first support 123s may be integrally formed. In this case, the "upper portion" refers to a portion located in the +z direction.

[0135] The aerosol product 200 that has moved along the inclined surface of the guide portion 123g is inserted into the first support 123s. When the aerosol product 200 is completely inserted into the storage portion 121, the outer surface of one end of the aerosol product 200 can be stably supported by the first support 123s of the storage portion 121.

[0136] The end support portion 124 is arranged on one side of the interior of the storage portion 121 to support the end surface of one end of the aerosol product product 200 and can separate the end surface of one end of the aerosol product product 200 stored in the storage portion 121 from the bottom wall of the storage portion 121.

[0137] In this case, the "bottom wall of the storage section 121" means the wall facing the +z direction inside the storage section 121, and the internal wall of the storage section 121 that faces the aerosol product 200 stored in the storage section 121 in the longitudinal direction of the storage section 121.

[0138] When the end surface of one end of the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121 comes into contact with the end support portion 124, the end of the aerosol product 200 can be supported by the end support portion 124 so as not to move in the longitudinal direction of the container 121.

[0139] In order for the aerosol product 200 to not come into contact with the bottom wall on one side of the storage section 121 but to be supported by the end support section 124, the end support section 124 may have a shape that protrudes from the inner wall of the storage section 121 toward the center of the storage section 121.

[0140] In FIG. 8, the end support portion 124 protrudes further from the inner wall of the accommodating portion 121 of the first support 123s toward the center of the accommodating portion 121, but the embodiment is not limited by the degree of protrusion of the end support portion.

[0141] There may be multiple end supports 124 to stably support the aerosol product 200. As shown in Figure 9, four end supports 124 are illustrated, but the embodiment is not limited by the number of end supports.

[0142] The end support portions 124 may be arranged at equal intervals along the inner wall of the receiving portion 121 in the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121 .

[0143] The end support portion 124 may be disposed in one region of the first inflow passage 123i. For example, the end support portion 124 may be disposed between two first supports 123s and spaced apart from each other at equal intervals.

[0144] Since one end of the aerosol product 200 is separated from the bottom wall of the storage section 121 by the end support section 124, air moving along the first inlet passage 123i can be transmitted to one end of the aerosol product 200 and flow into the interior of the aerosol product 200.

[0145] 8 and 9 can support the aerosol product 200 only in the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 121. The shape of the end support portion 124 can be modified in various ways.

[0146] For example, the upper portion of the end support 124 may protrude to the same extent as the first support 123s protrudes from the inner wall of the receiving portion 121 toward the center of the receiving portion 121. This allows the outer surface and end surface of the aerosol product 200 to come into contact with the end support. The aerosol product 200 may be supported by the end support so as not to move in the radial and longitudinal directions of the receiving portion 121.

[0147] The second support portion 125 is arranged on the other side of the interior of the storage portion 121 and supports the outer surface of the aerosol product 200, thereby separating the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 stored in the storage portion 121 from the inner wall of the storage portion 121.

[0148] The second support part 125 may include a second support 125s that supports the outer surface of the aerosol product 200, and a second inlet passage 125i that transfers the outside air of the receiving part 121 to the inside of the receiving part 121.

[0149] When the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 contained in the container 121 comes into contact with the second support 125s, the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 can be supported by the second support 125s so as not to move in the radial direction of the container 121.

[0150] The first support part 123 is arranged on one side of the interior of the storage part 121 and the second support part 125 is arranged on the other side of the interior of the storage part 121, so that the aerosol product 200 accommodated in the storage part 121 can be stably supported by the first support part 123s and the second support part 125s, which are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the storage part 121.

[0151] In addition, there may be a plurality of first supports 123s to stably support the aerosol product 200. Although eight second supports 125s are shown in Figure 10, the embodiment is not limited by the number of second supports 125s.

[0152] The second supports 125s may be arranged at equal intervals along the inner wall of the receiving portion 121 in the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121.

[0153] The second support 125s may have a shape that protrudes from the inner wall of the storage section 121 toward the center of the storage section 121. Since the aerosol product product 200 is supported by the second support 125s, the outer surface of the aerosol product product 200 stored in the storage section 121 may be spaced apart from the inner wall of the storage section 121 between the second support 125s.

[0154] The above-mentioned separated space can form an air passage together with the second inlet passage 125i.

[0155] The outside air of the receiving part 121 may be introduced into the second inlet passage 125i of the second support part 125. The air that moves along the second inlet passage 125i may reach the inside of the receiving part 121.

[0156] The outer surface of the aerosol product 200 accommodated in the accommodation unit 121 may be separated from the inner wall of the accommodation unit 121 by the first support unit 123 and the second support unit 125. The space formed by separating the outer surface of the accommodated aerosol product 200 from the inner wall of the accommodation unit 121 may form an airflow passage through which air inside the accommodation unit 121 moves along the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 to one end of the aerosol product.

[0157] The airflow passage 126 will now be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0158] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly shown in FIG. 6 taken along the CC direction.

[0159] In this case, "a cross section cut in the CC direction" means a cross section including the airflow path. "Arrows shown in FIG. 11" indicate the air flow.

[0160] Referring to FIG. 11, the airflow passage 126 may be connected to a first inflow passage 123i located on one side of the receiving portion 121 and a second inflow passage 125i located on the other side of the receiving portion 121.

[0161] When a user touches the mouth of the aerosol product 200 and performs a puffing action, a pressure difference occurs between the outside and the internal space of the aerosol generating device (not shown), and external air can flow into the second inlet passage 125i of the second support part 125.

[0162] The air passing through the second inlet passage 125i can reach the air flow passage 126 between the inner wall of the receiving part 121 and the outer surface of the aerosol product 200. The air moving along the air flow passage 126 can be introduced into the first inlet passage 123i of the first support part 123.

[0163] The air flowing into the first inlet passage 123i can reach one end of the aerosol product 200 accommodated in the accommodation part 121. Since one end of the aerosol product 200 is separated from the bottom wall of the accommodation part 121 by the end support part 124, the air can flow into the aerosol product 200 by passing through the first inlet passage 123i in a U-shape.

[0164] The air flowing into the aerosol producing product 200 may generate an aerosol by mixing with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol producing product 200. A user may inhale the aerosol generated in the container 121 by puffing the aerosol producing product 200.

[0165] As a result, the air outside the heating assembly 120 can move along the second inlet passage 125i, the air flow passage 126, and the first inlet passage 123i toward one end of the aerosol production article 200. That is, the air outside the heating assembly 120 can move along the outer surface of the aerosol production article 200 in the longitudinal direction of the container 121.

[0166] A plurality of first supports (not shown) arranged on one side of the accommodating portion 121, a plurality of second supports (not shown) arranged on the other side of the accommodating portion 121, and a plurality of end support portions (not shown) may be aligned and arranged at corresponding positions based on the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion 121 so as to face each other along the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion 121.

[0167] Due to the above-described arrangement of the first support (not shown), the second support (not shown), and the end support (not shown), the first inflow passage 123i and the second inflow passage 125i may be connected in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion 121. As a result, air may flow in the z direction inside the accommodating portion 121.

[0168] In this case, being "connected in the longitudinal direction" means that the first inflow passage 123i and the second inflow passage 125i are arranged in a connected alignment along the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 121.

[0169] Air can move smoothly within the heating assembly 120 through the second inlet passage 125i, the air flow passage 126, and the first inlet passage 123i.

[0170] On the other hand, if the distance by which the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 contained in the storage section 121 is separated from the inner wall of the storage section 121 becomes greater, the distance between the spiral coil 122 arranged outside the storage section 121 and the susceptor of the aerosol product 200 becomes greater, and the heating efficiency of the aerosol product 200 decreases.

[0171] When the distance at which the outer surface of the aerosol product item 200 contained in the storage section 121 is separated from the inner wall of the storage section 121 becomes shorter, the storage section 121 is also heated by the heat generated in the susceptor of the aerosol product item 200, and the efficiency of blocking heat from being released to the outside of the storage section 121 (hereinafter referred to as the ``insulating efficiency of the storage section 121'') decreases.

[0172] That is, proper distances between the components constituting the heating assembly 120 are important. Hereinafter, the distances between the components of the heating assembly 120 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0173] FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the heating assembly shown in FIG.

[0174] Referring to FIG. 12, a heating assembly 120 according to one embodiment may include a housing 121, a spiral coil 122, and an airflow passage 126.

[0175] The distance between the susceptor of the aerosol production article 200 and the housing 121 can affect the insulating efficiency of the housing 121 .

[0176] Additionally, the distance between the susceptor of the aerosol product article 200 and the helical coil 122 can affect the heating efficiency of the aerosol product article 200 .

[0177] The distance d1 from the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 to the inner wall of the storage section 121 in the radial direction of the storage section 121 is a minimum of 0.2 mm and a maximum of 3 mm, taking into consideration the insulating efficiency of the storage section 121 and the smooth movement of the cracking air currents present inside the storage section 121.

[0178] The distance d2 from the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 to the inner surface of the spiral coil 122 facing the storage section 121 in the radial direction of the storage section 121 includes the distance d1 from the outer surface of the aerosol product 200 to the inner wall of the storage section 121, so if we take into account the above-mentioned factors as well as the heating efficiency of the aerosol product 200, the thickness of the storage section 121 itself, the distance between the outer wall of the storage section 121 and the spiral coil 122, etc., it can be up to 3 mm.

[0179] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing an example of an aerosol product.

[0180] Referring to Figure 13, an aerosol product 200 includes a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220. Although Figure 13 illustrates the filter rod 220 as a single segment, it is not limited thereto; that is, the filter rod 220 may be comprised of multiple segments.

[0181] For example, the filter rod 220 may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a predetermined component contained in the aerosol, and optionally, the filter rod 220 may further include at least one segment that performs another function.

[0182] The aerosol product 200 may be packaged using at least one wrapper 240. The wrapper 240 may have at least one hole formed therein through which external air can enter or internal gas can escape. As an example, the aerosol product 200 may be packaged using a single wrapper 240. As another example, the aerosol product 200 may be packaged by overlapping two or more wrappers 240. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be packaged using a first wrapper 241, and the filter rod 220 may be packaged using wrappers 242, 243, and 244. The entire aerosol product 200 may then be repackaged using a single wrapper 245. If the filter rod 220 is composed of multiple segments, each segment may be packaged using a wrapper 242, 243, or 244.

[0183] The tobacco rod 210 includes an aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited to these. The tobacco rod 210 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, may also be added to the tobacco rod 210 by spraying it onto the tobacco rod 210.

[0184] The tobacco rod 210 can be made in a variety of ways. For example, the tobacco rod 210 can be made in the form of a sheet or a strand.

[0185] Alternatively, the tobacco rod 210 may be made from shredded tobacco, where the tobacco sheet is cut into small pieces.

[0186] The tobacco rod 210 may include a susceptor that generates heat by a magnetic field. The susceptor may include metal or carbon. The susceptor may include at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). The susceptor may also include at least one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloy, metal film, ceramic such as zirconia, transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), and metalloid such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P).

[0187] The susceptor included in the tobacco rod 210 may have various forms. For example, the susceptor may have a sheet form and surround the exterior of the tobacco rod 210. In another example, the susceptor may have a strand or particulate form, and multiple susceptors may be dispersed and disposed within the tobacco rod 210.

[0188] The tobacco rod 210 is also surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may uniformly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210, improving the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod 210 and thereby improving the flavor of the aerosol generated from the tobacco rod 210. The thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may also function as a susceptor that is heated by an external magnetic field.

[0189] The filter rod 220 is also a cellulose acetate filter. However, the shape of the filter rod 220 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 220 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod with a hollow interior. The filter rod 220 may also be a recessed rod. If the filter rod 220 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

[0190] The filter rod 220 may be manufactured to generate a flavor. For example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod 220, and separate fibers coated with the flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter rod 220.

[0191] The filter rod 220 may also include at least one capsule 230. The capsule 230 may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 230 may be a structure that encases a liquid containing a flavoring agent with a coating. The capsule 230 may have, but is not limited to, a spherical or cylindrical shape.

[0192] If the filter rod 220 includes a segment for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment may be made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the cooling segment may be made of, but is not limited to, pure polylactic acid. Alternatively, the cooling segment may be made of a cellulose acetate filter with multiple holes formed therein. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above examples and may be any material capable of performing the function of cooling the aerosol.

[0193] Although not shown in the drawings, the aerosol production product 200 may further include a front end plug. The front end plug may be located on one side of the tobacco rod 210 opposite the filter rod 220. The front end plug may prevent the tobacco rod 210 from detaching to the outside and may prevent the liquefied aerosol from the tobacco rod 210 from flowing into the aerosol generating device (100 in FIG. 1).

[0194] Experimental example: Comparison of heating performance of aerosol generators

[0195] An experiment was conducted to compare the heating performance of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment and a conventional aerosol generating device.

[0196] In the experiment, an aerosol product including a sheet-type susceptor was used, and the sheet-type susceptor was made of aluminum foil, which was placed so as to surround the tobacco rod of the aerosol product.

[0197] 14 and 15 are diagrams for explaining the coil of a conventional induction heating type aerosol generating device used in the comparative example.

[0198] Figure 14 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a coil of a conventional aerosol generation device, and Figure 15 is a diagram for explaining the direction of magnetic field lines generated by the coil of a conventional induction heating type aerosol generation device.

[0199] 14 and 15, the coil 22 included in the conventional induction heating type aerosol generator is generally realized as a solenoid made by tightly and uniformly winding a conductive wire into a long cylindrical shape. An accommodating space for inserting the aerosol product 200 may be formed inside the solenoid.

[0200] The coil 22 included in the conventional induction heating type aerosol generator can generate a magnetic field in the form of magnetic field lines M entering and exiting inside the solenoid depending on the direction of current. That is, the magnetic field lines M enter and exit in the longitudinal direction of the accommodation space, and the magnetic field lines M can pass through the accommodated aerosol product 200 in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 200. Here, the longitudinal direction of the accommodation space refers to the direction in which the length of the accommodation space extends or the direction in which the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the accommodation space. Furthermore, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 200 refers to the direction in which the length of the aerosol product 200 extends or the direction in which the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the aerosol generator.

[0201] Because the direction of the magnetic field lines M is the same as the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 200, the density of the magnetic field lines M passing through the susceptor included in the aerosol product 200 is reduced, which may prevent the susceptor from emitting sufficient heat energy. In particular, if the susceptor included in the aerosol product 200 is in the form of a sheet surrounding the aerosol product 200, the magnetic field lines M hardly pass through a large area of ​​the sheet. This results in a problem that the susceptor is not heated sufficiently, and the aerosol product 200 cannot be heated efficiently.

[0202] An aerosol product was heated using an aerosol generator including a solenoid as shown in Fig. 14 (hereinafter referred to as a comparative example) and an aerosol generator including a spiral coil 122 as shown in Fig. 2 (hereinafter referred to as an example), and the temperature change of the aluminum foil of the aerosol product was measured over time. An alternating current under the same conditions was applied to the solenoid of the comparative example and the spiral coil of the example.

[0203] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the results of an experiment for comparing the heating performance of the aerosol generation device according to one embodiment and a conventional aerosol generation device.

[0204] FIG. 16 shows a graph of the temperature change over time of the aluminum foil of the aerosol product heated in the example and comparative example according to the above experiment.

[0205] 16, it was confirmed that in the example, the aluminum foil of the aerosol product was heated in a temperature range of about 200°C to 250°C except for the preheating section, while in the comparative example, the aluminum foil of the aerosol product was heated in a temperature range of about 50°C to 100°C. Considering that aerosol-generating substances (such as glycerin) contained in general aerosol products have a vaporization temperature of about 140°C to 250°C, it was confirmed that normal aerosol generation was difficult in the comparative example.

[0206] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0207] The aerosol generating device 1700 may include a control unit 1710, a sensing unit 1720, an output unit 1730, a battery 1740, a heater 1750, a user input unit 1760, a memory 1770, and a communication unit 1780. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1700 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 17. That is, a person skilled in the art related to this embodiment would understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 17 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1700.

[0208] The sensing unit 1720 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 1700 or the state around the aerosol generating device 1700 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 1710. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 1710 can control the aerosol generating device 1700 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 1750, restricting smoking, determining whether to insert an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.), and displaying notifications.

[0209] The sensing unit 1720 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 1722, an insertion sensor 1724, and a puff sensor 1726, but is not limited thereto.

[0210] The temperature sensor 1722 may sense the temperature to which the heater 1750 (or the aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 1700 may include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 1750, or the heater 1750 itself may function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 1722 may be disposed around the battery 1740 to monitor the temperature of the battery 1740.

[0211] The insertion detection sensor 1724 may detect the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 1724 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 change in signal due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article.

[0212] The puff sensor 1726 may sense a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, such as a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, or a pressure change.

[0213] The sensing unit 1720 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-described sensors 1722 to 1726. The function and structure of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by a person skilled in the art from its name, and therefore detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0214] The output unit 1730 may output and provide to a user information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 1700. The output unit 1730 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 1732, a haptic unit 1733, and an audio output unit 1736. When the display unit 1732 and the touchpad have a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 1732 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0215] The display unit 1732 visually provides a user with information related to the aerosol generating device 1700. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 1700 may include various information such as the charge / discharge status of the battery 1740 of the aerosol generating device 1700, the preheating status of the heater 1750, the insertion / removal status of an aerosol product, or a status that restricts the use of the aerosol generating device 1700 (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 1732 can output the information to the outside. The display unit 1732 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. The display unit 1732 may also be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0216] The haptic unit 1733 converts an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus to tactilely provide the user with information related to the aerosol generating device 1700. For example, the haptic unit 1733 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0217] The acoustic output unit 1736 audibly provides the user with information related to the aerosol generation device 1700. For example, the acoustic output unit 1736 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0218] The battery 1740 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1700. The battery 1740 can supply power so that the heater 1750 can be heated. The battery 1740 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1700 (e.g., the sensing unit 1720, the output unit 1730, the user input unit 1760, the memory 1770, and the communication unit 1780). The battery 1740 can be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 1740 can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited to this.

[0219] The heater 1750 can heat the aerosol-generating material by receiving power from the battery 1740. Although not shown in Fig. 17, the aerosol-generating device 1700 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 1740 and supplies it to the heater 1750. Furthermore, when the aerosol-generating device 1700 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 1700 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of the battery 1740 into AC power.

[0220] The control unit 1710, the sensing unit 1720, the output unit 1730, the user input unit 1760, the memory 1770, and the communication unit 1780 can perform their functions by receiving power from the battery 1740. Although not shown in FIG. 17 , the device may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 1740 and supplies it to each component.

[0221] In one embodiment, heater 1750 may be made of any suitable electrically resistive material, including, but not limited to, metals or metal alloys such as titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Heater 1750 may also be embodied by, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with a conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0222] In another embodiment, heater 1750 is an inductive heater. For example, heater 1750 can include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0223] The user input unit 1760 receives information input by a user or outputs information to a user. For example, the user input unit 1760 may be, but is not limited to, a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (e.g., a touchpad using a contact capacitance method, a pressure resistive film method, an infrared sensing method, a surface ultrasonic conduction method, an integral tension measurement method, a piezoelectric effect method, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. Although not shown in FIG. 17 , the aerosol generating device 1700 may further include a connection interface such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and may connect to another external device via the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 1740.

[0224] The memory 1770 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 1700 and may store data that has been processed by the control unit 1710 and data to be processed by the control unit 1710. The memory 1770 may include at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card-type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), 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 1770 may store data related to the operating time of the aerosol generating device 1700, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0225] The communication unit 1780 may include at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 1780 may include a short-range communication unit 1782 and a wireless communication unit 1784.

[0226] The short-range wireless communication unit 1782 may include, 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, etc.

[0227] The wireless communication unit 1784 may include, 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 1784 may use subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 1700 within the communication network.

[0228] The control unit 1710 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1700. In one embodiment, the control unit 1710 can include at least one processor. The processor can be implemented by an array of multiple logic gates, and can be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present embodiment can also be implemented by other types of hardware.

[0229] The control unit 1710 can control the temperature of the heater 1750 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 1740 to the heater 1750. For example, the control unit 1710 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 1740 and the heater 1750. In another example, a heating direct circuit may control the power supply to the heater 1750 in response to a control command from the control unit 1710.

[0230] The controller 1710 may analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 1720 and control subsequent processing. For example, the controller 1710 may control the power supplied to the heater 1750 so that the operation of the heater 1750 is started or stopped based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 1720. As another example, the controller 1710 may control the amount of power and the time for which the power is supplied to the heater 1750 so that the heater 1750 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 1720.

[0231] The control unit 1710 can control the output unit 1730 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1720. For example, when the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 1726 reaches a preset number, the control unit 1710 notifies the user through at least one of the display unit 1732, the haptic unit 1733, and the audio output unit 1736 that the aerosol generating device 1700 will soon be shut down.

[0232] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as a program module executed by a computer. Computer-readable media are any available media that can be accessed by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, and separate and non-separate media. Computer-readable media may also include both computer recording media and communication media. Computer recording media include both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal, such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and include any information delivery media.

[0233] The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents of the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. a container for containing an aerosol product that can be heated by an induction magnetic field; a spiral coil disposed outside the housing to generate an induction magnetic field toward the housing; a first support portion disposed on one side of the inside of the container portion to support an outer surface of the aerosol product product and space the outer surface of the aerosol product product contained in the container portion from an inner wall of the container portion; the spiral coil is wound to form a plate shape that covers a part of the outer wall of the accommodating portion, and the center of the spiral coil is located at one point on the outer wall of the accommodating portion; the housing portion includes a contact portion that protrudes radially outward from an outer wall of the housing portion and that contacts an inner surface of the spiral coil, A heating assembly, wherein a region of the inner surface of the spiral coil that is not in contact with the contact portion is spaced apart from an outer wall of the housing portion.

2. At least a portion of the outer wall of the housing includes a curved wall; The heating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spiral coil is a plate-like member curved along the outer wall of the housing portion.

3. The heating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spiral coil is a plurality of spiral coils, and at least one pair of the plurality of spiral coils is electrically connected.

4. The heating assembly of claim 3 , wherein the number of spiral coils is even.

5. 10. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the container includes a thermal insulating material that blocks heat generated by the aerosol product from radiating outside the container.

6. the spiral coil includes an insertion hole at the center; The heating assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion includes a protrusion that protrudes outward and is inserted into the insertion hole.

7. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the first support portion includes a first support that supports the outer surface of the aerosol product product and a first inlet passage that transfers air inside the container portion to one end of the aerosol product product contained in the container portion.

8. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the first support portion includes a guide portion that protrudes toward the center of the container portion as it approaches the one side of the container portion to guide the insertion of the aerosol product into the container portion.

9. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, further comprising an end support portion disposed on one side of the interior of the storage portion to support one end of the aerosol product product and space the one end of the aerosol product product stored in the storage portion from the bottom wall of the storage portion.

10. a second support portion disposed on the other side of the inside of the container portion to support the outer surface of the aerosol product product and space the outer surface of the aerosol product product contained in the container portion from the inner wall of the container portion; 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the second support portion includes a second support for supporting the outer surface of the aerosol product and a second inlet passage for transmitting outside air from the container portion to the interior of the container portion.

11. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the container is spaced from the outer surface of the aerosol product contained in the container, forming an airflow passage for air to move along the outer surface of the aerosol product to one end of the aerosol product.

12. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the distance from the outer surface of the aerosol product contained in the container to the inner wall of the container in the radial direction of the container is between 0.2 mm and 3 mm.

13. 2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the distance from the outer surface of the aerosol product contained in the container to the inner surface of the spiral coil radially opposite the container is at most 3 mm.

14. The heating assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a housing for containing the heating assembly; a battery for powering the heating assembly.

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