Insulated device for heating smoking material

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel apparatus configured to heat a smoking material in order to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Solution] The device includes an insulating region having a central region 20, which is reduced to a lower pressure than the outside of the insulating material 18.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to heating of a smoking material.

Background Art

[0002] Smoking products such as cigarettes and cigars generate tobacco smoke by burning tobacco during use. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these smoking products by manufacturing products that release certain compounds without generating tobacco smoke. An example of such a product is a so-called heat-not-burn smoking product that heats tobacco but does not burn it and releases compounds.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides an apparatus configured to heat a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, the apparatus including a heat insulating material region having a central region, the central region being depressurized to a pressure lower than that outside the heat insulating material.

[0004] The heat insulating material may be located between the smoking material heating chamber and the outside of the apparatus to reduce heat loss from the heated smoking material.

[0005] The heat insulating material may be coaxially located around the heating chamber.

[0006] The smoking material heating chamber may be a substantially tubular heating chamber, and the heat insulating material may be located around a surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the tubular heating chamber.

[0007] The heat insulating material may be a body portion consisting of a substantially tubular heat insulating material located around the heating chamber.

[0008] The smoking material heating chamber may be located between the heat insulating material and the heater.

[0009] The heater may be located between the smoking material heating chamber and the heat insulating material.

[0010] The insulation material may be located on the outside of the heater.

[0011] The heater may be coaxially positioned around the heating chamber, and the insulation may be coaxially positioned around the heater.

[0012] The thermal insulation material may include an infrared radiation reflector to reduce the propagation of infrared radiation through the thermal insulation material.

[0013] The insulation material may also include the exterior walls surrounding the central area.

[0014] The inner surface of the wall may include an infrared radiation reflective coating to reflect infrared radiation within the central region.

[0015] The wall may include a layer of stainless steel at least approximately 100 microns thick.

[0016] The wall sections on both sides of the central region may be connected by a connecting wall, which leads to an indirect path between the wall sections on both sides of the central region.

[0017] The pressure within the central region may be approximately 0.1 to 0.001 millibars.

[0018] The heat transfer coefficient of insulation is approximately 1.10 W / (m²) when the temperature of the insulation is in the range of 100°C to 250°C, such as 150°C to 250°C. 2 K) ~ 1.40W / (m 2 K) It's fine.

[0019] The central region may be made of a porous material.

[0020] The wall portions on both sides of the insulated area may converge toward a sealed gas outlet.

[0021] These wall sections may converge to the end regions of the insulation material.

[0022] The thickness of the heat insulating material may be less than about 1 mm.

[0023] The thickness of the heat insulating material may be less than about 0.1 mm.

[0024] The thickness of the heat insulating material may be about 1 mm to 0.001 mm.

[0025] The device of the present invention may be configured to heat the smoking material using an electric heater.

[0026] The device of the present invention may be configured to heat the smoking material without burning the smoking material.

[0027] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device including an infrared heater and configured to heat a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material.

[0028] The infrared heater may be a halogen infrared heater.

[0029] For illustrative purposes only, some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a partially cutaway view of a device configured to heat a smoking material to release aromatic compounds and / or nicotine from the smoking material. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a partially cutaway view of a device configured to heat a smoking material, and the smoking material is provided around a long ceramic heater divided into a radially extending heating section. [Figure 3] It is an exploded view showing a partially cutaway view of a device configured to heat a smoking material, and the smoking material is provided around a long ceramic heater divided into a radially extending heating section. [Figure 4]This is a perspective view showing a cutaway portion of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the smoking material placed around a long infrared heater. [Figure 5] This is an exploded view showing a portion of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the smoking material placed around a long infrared heater. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing part of a device configured to heat smoking material, where the smoking material is placed around multiple longitudinally extended heating sections spaced apart around a central longitudinal axis. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a part of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the smoking material placed between a pair of upright heating plates. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the device, and also shows the external housing. [Figure 9] This is an exploded view of a part of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the smoking material area located between a pair of upright heating plates. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing how to activate the heating area and how to open and close the heating chamber valve while puffing. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the gas flow through a device configured to heat smoking material. [Figure 12] This graph shows heating patterns that can be used to heat smoking material using a heater. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram showing a tobacco material compressor configured to compress the tobacco material during heating. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram showing a tobacco expander, which is designed to expand the tobacco while the user is puffing. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart showing how to compress the tobacco material during heating and expand it for puffing. [Figure 16] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum-insulated section configured to prevent heat loss from heated smoking material. [Figure 17]Another schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum-insulated section configured to prevent heat loss from heated smoking material. [Figure 18] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermally resistant thermal bridge that follows an indirect path from a high-temperature insulated wall to a low-temperature insulated wall. [Figure 19] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heat shield and thermal transparency windows, which are movable relative to the body made of smoking material, thereby allowing thermal energy to be selectively transferred to different sections of the smoking material through the windows. [Figure 20] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the heating chamber sealed by a check valve. [Figure 21] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a device configured to heat smoking material, with the heater located outside the heating chamber and inside the insulation. [Figure 22] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of high-vacuum insulation material configured to insulate a device configured to heat smoking material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] As used herein, the term “smoking material” includes any material that provides volatile components when heated, and includes any tobacco-containing material, which may include, for example, one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, re-tobacco, or tobacco substitutes.

[0032] The apparatus 1 for heating smoking material includes an energy source 2, a heater 3, and a heating chamber 4. The energy source 2 may include a battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel battery, an alkaline battery, and / or similar, which is electrically coupled to the heater 3 and supplies electrical energy to the heater 3 as needed. The heating chamber 4 is configured to contain the smoking material 5, and the smoking material 5 can be heated in the heating chamber 4. For example, the heating chamber 4 may be positioned adjacent to the heater 3 so that the thermal energy from the heater 3 heats the smoking material 5 within it, causing the aromatic compounds and nicotine in the smoking material 5 to volatilize without burning the smoking material 5. A mouthpiece 6 is provided through which the user of the apparatus 1 can inhale the volatilized compounds when using the apparatus 1. The smoking material 5 may include a tobacco blend.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the heater 3 may include a long, substantially cylindrical heater 3, and the heating chamber 4 is located around a circumferential surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the heater 3. The heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5 are layers extending coaxially around the heater 3. However, as will be apparent from what is described below, other shapes and structures of heater 3 and heating chamber 4 can also be used.

[0034] The housing 7 may include components of the device 1, such as an energy source 2 and a heater 3. As shown in Figure 1, the housing 7 may be a substantially cylindrical tube, with the energy source 2 located at its first end 8 and the heater 3 and heating chamber 4 located at its opposite second end 9. The energy source 2 and heater 3 extend along the longitudinal axis of the housing 7. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the energy source 2 and heater 3 can be aligned along the central longitudinal axis of the housing 7 in a configuration where their ends face each other, with one end face of the energy source 2 facing one end face of the heater 3. The length of the housing 7 may be about 130 mm, the length of the energy source may be about 59 mm, and the length of the heater 3 and heating chamber 4 may be about 50 mm. The diameter of the housing 7 may be about 15 mm to about 18 mm. For example, the diameter of the first end 8 of the housing may be 18 mm, and the diameter of the mouthpiece 6 at the second end 9 of the housing may be 15 mm. The diameter of heater 3 may be approximately 2.0 mm to approximately 6.0 mm. The diameter of heater 3 may also be, for example, approximately 4.0 mm to approximately 4.5 mm or approximately 2.0 mm to approximately 3.0 mm. Alternatively, heaters with diameters outside these ranges may be used. The depth of heating chamber 4 may be approximately 5 mm, and the outer diameter of the outward-facing surface of heating chamber 4 may be approximately 10 mm. The diameter of energy source 2 is approximately 14.0 mm to approximately 15.0 mm, for example, 14.6 mm.

[0035] An insulating material may be placed between the energy source 2 and the heater 3 to prevent heat from directly transferring from one to the other. The mouthpiece 6 may be positioned at the second end 9 of the housing 7 adjacent to the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5. The housing 7 is suitable for the user to grasp when using the device 1 so that the user can inhale the volatile smoking material compounds from the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1.

[0036] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the heater 3 may include a ceramic heater 3. The ceramic heater 3 may include, for example, laminated and fired basic ceramics of alumina and / or silicon nitride. Separately, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the heater 3 may include an infrared (IR) heater 3, such as a halogen IR lamp 3. The IR heater 3 may be small in size, and therefore its use can reduce the overall size of the apparatus 1. For example, the size of the IR heater is less than 20% to 30% of that of a ceramic heater 3 with equivalent heating output. The IR heater 3 also has low thermal inertia and therefore can react to the operating factor and heat the smoking material 5 very quickly. The IR heater 3 may be configured to emit IR electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from about 700 nm to 4.5 μm.

[0037] As described above and shown in Figure 1, the heater 3 may be located in the central region of the housing 7, and the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 may be located around the longitudinally extending surface of the heater 3. In this configuration, the thermal energy released by the heater 3 moves radially from the outside of the longitudinally extending surface of the heater 3 into the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5.

[0038] The heater 3 may selectively include multiple separate heating regions 10. The heating regions 10 may be able to operate independently of each other, thereby allowing different regions 10 to be operated at different times to heat the smoking material 5. The heating regions 10 may be arranged within the heater 3 in any shape and dimensional arrangement. However, in the example shown in the figure, the heating regions 10 are arranged within the heater 3 in a shape and dimensional arrangement such that different heating regions within the heating regions 10 primarily and independently heat different areas of the smoking material 5.

[0039] Referring to Figure 2, for example, the heater 3 may include multiple axially aligned heating regions 10. Each region 10 may include an individual element of the heater 3. The heating regions 10 may all be aligned with each other along the longitudinal axis of the heater 3, and thus multiple individual heating regions can be provided along the length of the heater 3. Each heating region 10 may include a heating cylinder 10 having an effective length significantly shorter than the overall length of the heater 3. The configuration and features of the cylinder 10 are described below as heating discs, each disc having a depth equal to the length of the cylinder. The heating discs 10 are arranged along the length of the heater 3 with their radial surfaces facing each other. The radially extending surface of each disc 10 may touch the radially extending surface of its adjacent disc 10. Separately, an insulating material or heat reflective layer may be located between the radially extending surfaces of the discs 10, so that the thermal energy emitted from any of the discs 10 does not substantially heat the adjacent discs 10, but instead moves mainly from outside the circumferential surface of the discs 10 into the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5. Each disk 10 may have substantially the same dimensions as the other disks 10.

[0040] When a specific part of the heating region 10 is activated in this way, it supplies thermal energy to the smoking material 5 located radially around the heating region 10, but substantially the rest of the smoking material 5 is not heated. Referring to Figure 2, for example, the heated area of ​​the smoking material 5 may be a ring of smoking material 5 located around the activated heating disc 10. The smoking material 5 may be heated in independent sections, for example, in a ring where each section corresponds to a piece of smoking material 5 located directly around a specific part of the heating region 10, and the ring as a whole has a significantly smaller bulk and volume than a body made up of smoking material 5.

[0041] Furthermore, or separately with reference to Figure 6, the heater 3 may include a plurality of elongated longitudinally extending heating regions 10 positioned at different locations around the central longitudinal axis of the heater 3. Although shown with different lengths in Figure 6, the longitudinally extending heating regions 10 may each be substantially the same length so as to substantially extend along the entire length of the heater 3. Each heating region 10 may include, for example, an IR heating filament 10. A body made of an insulating or heat-reflective material may be selectively provided along the central longitudinal axis of the heater 3 so that the thermal energy emitted by each heating region 10 moves mainly from outside the heater 3 into the heating chamber 4, and thus heats the smoking material 5. The distance between the central longitudinal axis of the heater 3 and each heating region 10 may be substantially equal. The heating regions 10 may selectively be contained in a substantially infrared and / or thermally transparent tube or other housing that forms a longitudinally extending surface of the heater 3. The heating regions 10 may be fixed in place relative to other heating regions 10 inside the tube.

[0042] When a specific heating region 10 is activated in this way, that heating region 10 supplies thermal energy to the adjacent smoking material 5, while the rest of the smoking material 5 remains substantially unheated. The heated sections of the smoking material 5 may include longitudinal sections of the smoking material 5 that are parallel to the heating region 10 extending in the longitudinal direction and are directly adjacent to it. Thus, as in the example described above, the smoking material 5 can be heated in independent sections.

[0043] Furthermore, as will be explained below, each heating region 10 can be operated individually and selectively.

[0044] The smoking material 5 may be contained in a cartridge 11 that can be inserted into the heating chamber 4. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the cartridge 11 can be a tube 11 of smoking material that can be inserted around the heater 3, so that the inner surface of the smoking material tube 11 faces the longitudinally extending surface of the heater 3. The smoking material tube 11 may be hollow. The diameter of the hollow center of the tube 11 is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the heater 3, so that the tube 11 fits snugly around the heater 3. The length of the cartridge 11 may be approximately equal to the length of the heater 3 so that the heater 3 can heat the cartridge 11 along its entire length.

[0045] The housing 7 of the device 1 may include an opening into which a cartridge 11 can be inserted into a heating chamber 4. The opening may include, for example, a ring-shaped opening located at the second end 9 of the housing, so that the cartridge 11 slides into the opening and is pushed directly into the heating chamber 4. The opening is preferably closed when the device 1 is in use to heat the tobacco material 5. Separately, the section of the second end 9 of the housing 7 can be removed from the device 1 to allow the tobacco material 5 to be inserted into the heating chamber 4. This is illustrated in Figure 9. The device 1 may also include a user-operated tobacco material discharge unit, such as an internal mechanism configured to selectively slide used tobacco material 5 away from and / or push it out of the heater 3. The used tobacco material 5 may be pushed back in, for example, through the opening in the housing 7. A new cartridge 11 can then be inserted as needed.

[0046] In a different heater structure 3, the heater 3 includes a spirally formed heater 3. The spirally formed heater 3 may be configured to be screwed into the smoking material cartridge 11, and may include adjacent axially aligned heating regions 10, thereby operating substantially in the same manner as the linear, elongated heater 3 described above.

[0047] In another configuration of the heater 3 and heating chamber 4, the heater 3 is substantially a long tube, which may be cylindrical, and the heating chamber 4 is located inside the tube 3 rather than around the outside of the heater. The heater 3 may include a plurality of axially aligned heating sections, each including a heating ring, which is configured to heat the smoking material 5 located radially inward from the ring. Thus, the heater 3 is configured to individually heat separate sections of the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4 in a similar manner to the heater 3 described above with reference to Figure 2. The heat is applied to the smoking material 5 radially inward rather than radially outward as described above. This is illustrated in Figure 21.

[0048] Separately, referring to Figures 7, 8, and 9, heaters 3 and smoking material 5 of different shapes and dimensions can be used. In particular, the heater 3 may include multiple heating regions 10 extending directly into a long heating chamber 4, the heating chamber being divided into several sections by the heating regions 10. When in use, the heating regions 10 extend directly into a body made of a long smoking material cartridge 11 or other substantially solid smoking material 5. This divides the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4 into separate sections located apart from each other by the spaced-out heating regions 10. The heater 3, heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 may extend together along the central longitudinal axis of the housing 7. As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the heating regions 10 may also be projections 10, such as upright heating plates 10, extending into the body made of the smoking material 5. These projections 10 will be described below as heating plates 10. The main surface of the heating plate 10 may be perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis of the body made of the smoking material 5 and the heating chamber 4 and / or housing 7. The heating plates 10 may be parallel to each other, as shown in Figures 7 and 9. Each section of the smoking material 5 is defined by the main heating surfaces of a pair of heating plates 10 located on either side of the smoking material section, thereby allowing thermal energy to be directly transferred into the smoking material 5 by activating one or both of the heating plates 10. The heating surfaces may be embossed to increase the surface area of ​​the heating plates 10 relative to the smoking material 5. Selectively, each heating plate 10 may include a heat-reflective layer, which divides the plate 10 into two halves along its main surface. Each half of the plate 10 thus constitutes a separate heating region 10 and may be operated independently to heat only the section of smoking material 5 located in direct contact with the half of the plate 10, rather than the smoking material 5 on either side of the plate 10. Adjacent plates 10 or their opposing surfaces may be operated to heat the section of smoking material 5 located between the adjacent plates substantially from the opposing side of that section of smoking material 5.

[0049] The long tobacco cartridge or body 11 can be mounted between the heating chamber 4 and the heating plate 10 by removing the section of housing 7 at the second end 9 of the housing, as described above, and can also be removed from there. The heating area 10 can be operated to individually and selectively heat different sections of the tobacco 5 as needed.

[0050] Activating a specific one or set of heating regions 10 in this way supplies thermal energy to the smoking material 5 located directly adjacent to that one or set of heating regions 10, but does not substantially heat the rest of the smoking material 5. The heated section of the smoking material 5 may also be a radially extending section of the smoking material 5 located between the heating regions 10, as shown in Figures 7 to 9.

[0051] The device 1 may include a controller 12, such as a microcontroller 12, configured to control the operation of the device 1. The controller 12 is electrically connected to other components of the device 1, such as an energy source 2 and a heater 3, and can control their operation by sending and receiving signals. The controller 12 is configured to control the operation of the heater 3, in particular, which heats the smoking material 5. For example, the controller 12 may be configured to operate the heater 3, which may include selectively operating one or more heating regions 10 in response to inhalation by the user at the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1. In this regard, the controller 12 may communicate with a puff sensor 13 via a suitable communication coupling. The puff sensor 13 may be configured to detect when a puff occurs at the mouthpiece 6 and to send a signal to the controller 12, which displays the puff, in response. An electrical signal may be used. The controller 12 may heat the smoking material 5 in response to a signal from the puff sensor 13 by operating the heater 3. However, using the puff sensor 13 to activate the heater 3 is not essential, and other means can be used to provide a factor that activates the heater 3. For example, the controller 12 may activate the heater 3 in response to another type of operating factor, such as an actuator that can be operated by the user. The user can inhale the volatile compounds released during heating through the mouthpiece 6. The controller 12 can be placed in any suitable position within the housing 7. One example of a position, as shown in Figure 3, is between the energy source 2 and the heater 3 / heating chamber 4.

[0052] As described above, if the heater 3 includes two or more heating regions 10, the controller 12 may be configured to operate the heating regions 10 in a predetermined order or pattern. For example, the controller 12 may be configured to operate the heating regions 10 continuously along or around the heating chamber 4. Each heating region 10 may be activated in response to puff detection by the puff sensor 13, or it may be started in a different way, as will be further described below.

[0053] Referring to Figure 10, an example of a heating method may include a first step S1 in which an operating factor such as a first puff is detected, followed by a second step S2 in which a first section of the smoking material 5 is heated in response to the first puff or other operating factor. In a third step S3, sealable inlet and outlet valves 24 are opened so that air is drawn in through the heating chamber 4 and out of the apparatus 1 through the mouthpiece 6. In a fourth step, the valves 24 are closed. These valves 24 are described in detail below with reference to Figure 20. In the fifth step S5, the sixth step S6, the seventh step S7 and the eighth step S8, a second section of the smoking material 5 may be heated in response to a second puff by corresponding opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves 24 of the heating chamber. In the ninth step S9, the tenth step S10, the eleventh step S11 and the twelfth step S12, a third section of the smoking material 5 may be heated in response to a third puff by corresponding opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves 24 of the heating chamber. As described above, it is also possible to use means other than the puff sensor 13. For example, the user of the device 1 may activate a control switch that indicates that the user has taken a new puff. In this way, a fresh section of the smoking material 5 may be heated to volatilize nicotine and aromatic compounds with each new puff. The number of heating areas 10 and / or independently heatable sections of the smoking material 5 may correspond to the number of puffs specified in the cartridge 11 used. Separately, each independently heatable section of the smoking material 5 may be heated by a corresponding heating area 10 for multiple puffs, such as two, three, or four puffs, so that a fresh section of the smoking material 5 is heated only after multiple puffs have been taken while the previous section of smoking material was being heated.

[0054] Instead of activating each heating area 10 in response to individual puffs, the heating areas 10 may be activated sequentially and continuously in response to the first puff in a single session at the mouthpiece 6. For example, the heating areas 10 may be activated at regular predetermined intervals over the expected inhalation time with a particular tobacco cartridge 11. The inhalation time may be, for example, between approximately 1 and 4 minutes. Thus, at least steps S5 and S9 of steps 5 and 9 shown in Figure 10 are optional. Each heating area 10 may be activated for a predetermined period of time corresponding to the duration of one or more puffs when the corresponding independently heatable tobacco section 5 is heated. Once all heating areas 10 have been activated for a particular cartridge 11, the controller 12 may be configured to indicate to the user that the cartridge 11 needs to be replaced. The controller 12 may activate, for example, an indicator light on the outside of the housing 7.

[0055] Naturally, operating the individual heating regions 10 sequentially, rather than the entire heater 3, means that the energy required to heat the smoking material 5 is reduced compared to the energy required if the heater 3 were fully operated for the entire duration of the cartridge 11's inhalation. Consequently, the maximum output required for the energy source 2 is also reduced. This means that a smaller and lighter energy source 2 can be installed in the device 1.

[0056] The controller 12 may be configured to stop the operation of the heater 3 between puffs or to reduce the power supplied to the heater 3. This saves energy and extends the lifespan of the energy source 2. In response to some other factor, such as the user switching on the device 1 or detecting that the user has placed the mouthpiece 6 in their mouth, the controller 12 may be configured to partially activate the heater 3 or the next heating area 10 used to heat the smoking material 5, warming it up in preparation for volatilizing the components of the smoking material 5. This partial activation does not heat the smoking material 5 to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the nicotine. A preferred temperature is below 120°C, such as below 100°C. An example is a temperature between 60°C and 100°C, such as between 80°C and 100°C. The temperature may be below 100°C. In response to the detection of a puff by the puff sensor 13, the controller 12 may heat the smoking material 5 in the heater 3 or heating area 10 to quickly volatilize the nicotine and other aromatic compounds inhaled by the user. If the smoking material 5 contains tobacco, a suitable temperature for volatilizing nicotine and other aromatic compounds is a temperature of 100°C or higher, such as 120°C or higher. Examples include temperatures between 100°C and 250°C, such as between 100°C and 220°C, between 100°C and 200°C, between 150°C and 250°C, or between 130°C and 180°C. The temperature may also be above 100°C. An example of a perfect operating temperature is 150°C, but other temperatures such as 250°C are also possible. Optionally, a supercapacitor can be used to supply the peak current used to heat the smoking material 5 to its volatilization temperature. An example of a suitable heating pattern is shown in Figure 12, where these peaks represent the perfect operation of different heating regions 10, respectively. As can be seen from the figure, the smoking material 5 is maintained at its volatilization temperature for the substantial duration of the puff, in this example, 2 seconds.

[0057] Three examples of the operating modes of heater 3 are described below.

[0058] In the first operating mode, while a specific heating region 10 is fully operating, all other heating regions 10 of the heater are shut down. Therefore, when a new heating region 10 is activated, the previous heating region stops operating. Power is supplied only to the operating region 10.

[0059] Separately, in the second operating mode, while a specific heating area 10 is fully operating, one or more of the other heating areas 10 may be partially operating. Partially operating one or more of the other heating areas 10 may include heating this or these other heating areas 10 to a temperature sufficient to prevent the condensation of nicotine and other components volatilized from the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4. The temperature of the partially operating heating area 10 is lower than the temperature of the fully operating heating area 10. The smoking material 5 adjacent to this partially operating heating area 10 is not heated to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the components of the smoking material 5.

[0060] Separately, in the third operating mode, when a specific heating region 10 is activated, it remains fully activated until the heater 3 is switched off. Therefore, the power supplied to the heater 3 increases as more heating regions 10 are activated during inhalation from the cartridge 11. By keeping the heating regions 10 activated, similar to the second mode described above, it effectively prevents the condensation of nicotine and other components volatile from the smoking material 5 within the heating chamber 4.

[0061] Apparatus 1 may include a heat shield 3a located between the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4 / smoking material 5. The heat shield 3a is configured to substantially prevent thermal energy from flowing through it and can therefore be used to selectively prevent the smoking material 5 from being heated even when the heater 3 is operating and releasing thermal energy. Referring to Figure 19, the heat shield 3a may include, for example, a cylindrical layer of heat reflector coaxially located around the heater 3. Alternatively, if the heater 3 is located around the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 as described above, the heat shield 3a may include a cylindrical layer of heat reflector coaxially located around the heating chamber 4 and coaxially located inside the heater 3. Further or separately, the heat shield 3a may include an insulating layer configured to insulate the heater 3 from the smoking material 5. The heat shield 3a includes a substantially heat-transparent window 3b through which thermal energy is propagated into the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5. Therefore, the section of the smoking material 5 aligned with window 3b is heated, but the rest of the smoking material 5 is not heated. The heat shield 3a and window 3b may be rotatable or movable relative to the smoking material 5 so that different sections of the smoking material 5 are heated selectively and individually by rotating or moving the heat shield 3a and window 3b. The effect is similar to that provided by selectively and individually activating the heating region 10 described above. For example, the heat shield 3a and window 3b may gradually rotate or move in response to a signal from the puff detector 13. Furthermore, or separately, the heat shield 3a and window 3b may gradually rotate or move in response to the elapsed of a predetermined heating time. The movement or rotation of the heat shield 3a and window 3b may be controlled by an electrical signal from the controller 12. The relative rotation or other movement of the heat shield 3a / window 3b and the smoking material 5 may be driven by a stepper motor 3c under the control of the controller 12. This is shown in Figure 19. Separately, the heat shield 3a and window 3b may be rotated manually using user controls such as actuators on the housing 7.The heat shield 3a does not need to be cylindrical and may include one or more selectively arranged longitudinally extending elements and / or plates.

[0062] Naturally, similar results can be obtained by rotating or moving the smoking material 5 relative to the heater 3, heat shield 3a, and window 3b. For example, the heating chamber 4 may be made rotatable around the heater 3. If so, the above description regarding the movement of the heat shield 3a can be applied instead to the movement of the heating chamber 4 relative to the heat shield 3a.

[0063] The heat shield 3a may include a coating on a longitudinally extending surface of the heater 3. In this case, one area of ​​the heater surface is left uncoated to form a heat-transparent window 3b. The heater 3 can be rotated or moved, for example, under the control of a controller 12 or user control, to heat different sections of the smoking material 5. Separately, the heat shield 3a and window 3b may include a separate shield 3a that is rotatable or movable relative to both the heater 3 and the smoking material 5 under the control of a controller 12 or other user control.

[0064] Referring to Figure 6, the apparatus 1 may include an air inlet 14, which allows outside air to be drawn into the housing 7 and through the heated smoking material 5 while puffing. The air inlet 14 may be an opening 14 in the housing 7 and may be located upstream of the smoking material 5 and heating chamber 4 toward the first end 8 of the housing 7. This is shown in Figure 1.

[0065] Another example is shown in Figure 11. Air drawn in through the inlet 14 travels through heated smoking material 5, where it is enhanced with smoking material vapors, such as aromatic vapors, before being inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 6. As shown in Figure 11, the device 1 may optionally include a heat exchanger 15 configured to warm the air before it enters the smoking material 5 and / or cool the air before it is drawn in through the mouthpiece 6. For example, the heat exchanger 15 may be configured to utilize heat extracted from the air entering the mouthpiece 6 to warm the fresh air before it enters the smoking material 5.

[0066] Apparatus 1 may include a smoking material compressor 16, which is configured to compress the smoking material 5 by operating the compressor 16. Apparatus 1 may also include a smoking material expander 17, which is configured to expand the smoking material 5 by operating the expander 17. The compressor 16 and expander 17 may actually perform these functions as the same unit, as described below. The smoking material compressor 16 and expander 17 may be configured to operate selectively under the control of a controller 12. In this case, the controller 12 is configured to send signals, such as electrical signals, to the compressor 16 or expander 17, causing the compressor 16 or expander 17 to compress or expand the smoking material 5. Alternatively, the compressor 16 and expander 17 may be operated by the user of Apparatus 1 using the manual controls on the housing 7 to compress or expand the smoking material 5 as needed.

[0067] The compressor 16 is primarily configured to compress the smoking material 5, thereby increasing its density during heating. Compressing the smoking material increases the thermal conductivity of the body made up of the smoking material 5, allowing for faster heating and, as a result, faster volatilization of nicotine and other aromatic compounds. This is preferable because it allows nicotine and aromatics to be inhaled by the user in a response substantially without delay to puff detection. Therefore, the controller 12 may operate the compressor 16 to compress the smoking material 5 for a predetermined heating time, for example, 1 second, in response to puff detection. The compressor 16 may also be configured to reduce the compression of the smoking material 5 after a predetermined heating time, for example, under the control of the controller 12. Alternatively, the compression may be reduced or automatically terminated in response to the smoking material 5 reaching a predetermined limit temperature. A suitable limit temperature may be in the range of approximately 100°C to 250°C, such as between 100°C and 220°C, between 150°C and 250°C, between 100°C and 200°C, or between 130°C and 180°C. The limit temperature may also be above 100°C, such as above 120°C, and may be selectable by the user. A temperature sensor may be used to detect the temperature of the smoking material 5.

[0068] The expander 17 is primarily configured to expand the smoking material 5, thereby reducing the density of the smoking material in the puff. As the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4 expands, it loosens, which allows a gas flow, such as air from the inlet 14, to pass through the smoking material 5 more easily. This allows the air to more easily carry the volatile nicotine and aromatics to the mouthpiece 6 for inhalation. The controller 12 activates the expander 17 immediately after the compression time described above to expand the smoking material 5, thereby allowing air to be drawn more freely through the smoking material 5. The operation of the expander 17 may include an audible sound or other indicator to the user to show that the smoking material 5 is heated and ready to start puffing.

[0069] Referring to Figures 13 and 14, the compressor 16 and expander 17 may be spring-driven rods, which are configured to compress the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4, from which the spring is released. This is schematically shown in Figures 13 and 14, but of course other means are also available. For example, the compressor 16 may include a ring having a thickness approximately equal to the tubular heating chamber 4 described above, which enters the heating chamber 4 by a spring or other means to compress the smoking material 5. Alternatively, the compressor 16 may be included as part of the heater 3 so that the heater 3 itself is configured to compress and expand the smoking material 5 under the control of the controller 12. For example, if the heater 3 includes upright heating plates 10 of the type described above, the plates 10 may be independently movable in the longitudinal direction of the heater 3 to expand or compress sections of smoking material 5 located adjacent to them. A method for compressing and expanding the smoking material 5 is shown in Figure 15.

[0070] An insulating material 18 may be provided between the smoking material 5 and the outer surface 19 of the housing 7 to reduce heat loss from the device 1 and thus improve the efficiency of heating the smoking material 5. Referring to Figure 1, for example, the wall of the housing 7 may include a layer of insulating material 18 extending around the outside of the heating chamber 4. The insulating material layer 18 may include insulating material 18 having a substantially tubular length that is coaxially positioned around the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5. This is shown in Figure 1. Another example is shown in Figure 21. Naturally, the insulating material 18 may be included as part of the smoking material cartridge 11, in which the insulating material would be coaxially positioned around the outside of the smoking material 5.

[0071] Referring to Figure 16, the thermal insulation 18 may include vacuum thermal insulation 18. For example, the thermal insulation 18 may include a layer bounded by a wall material 19 such as a metal material. The internal region or core 20 of the thermal insulation 18 may include an open-cell porous material containing, for example, a polymer, aerogel, or other suitable material that escapes to lower pressure. The pressure within the internal region 20 may be in the range of 0.1 to 0.001 millibars. The walls 19 of the thermal insulation 18 have sufficient strength to withstand the force applied to the wall by the pressure difference between the core 20 and the outer surface of the walls 19, thereby preventing the thermal insulation 18 from collapsing. For example, the walls 19 may be stainless steel walls 19 with a thickness of about 100 μm. The thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation 18 may be in the range of 0.004 to 0.005 W / mK. The heat transfer coefficient of the insulation material 18 is approximately 1.10 W / (m²) within a temperature range of 100°C to 250°C, such as between approximately 150°C and 250°C. 2 K) ~ approx. 1.40W / (m 2 The temperature may be between K). The gas conductivity of the thermal insulation material 18 may be ignored. A reflective coating may be applied to the inner surface of the wall material 19 to minimize heat loss due to radiation propagating through the thermal insulation material 18. For example, the coating may include an aluminum IR reflective coating with a thickness between approximately 0.3 μm and 1.0 μm. The vacuum state of the internal core region means that the thermal insulation material 18 functions even if the thickness of the core region 20 is extremely small. The properties of this thermal insulation material are substantially unaffected by its thickness. This helps to reduce the overall size of the apparatus 1.

[0072] As shown in Figure 16, the wall 19 may include an inward-facing section 21 and an outward-facing section 22. The inward-facing section 21 substantially faces the smoking material 5 and the heating chamber 4. The outward-facing section 22 substantially faces outward from the housing 7. During operation of the device 1, the inward-facing section 21 may be warm due to the thermal energy generated from the heater 3, and the outward-facing section 22 may be cool due to the effect of the insulating material 18. For example, the inward-facing section 21 and the outward-facing section 22 include a wall 19 that extends substantially parallel to each other longitudinally and is at least the same length as the heater 3. The inner surface of the outward-facing wall section 22, i.e., the surface facing the vacuum core region 20, may include a coating for absorbing gas in the core 20. A preferred coating is a titanium oxide film.

[0073] The thermal insulation material 18 may be an ultra-deep vacuum thermal insulation material such as Insulon® Shaped-Vacuum Thermal Barrier, as described in Patent Document 1 below. The total thickness of such thermal insulation material 18 is extremely small. As an example of thickness, it may be about 0.1 mm between about 1 mm and about 1 μm, but it may be thicker or thinner. The thermal insulation properties of the thermal insulation material 18 are substantially unaffected by the thickness, so even if a thin thermal insulation material 18 is used, there is no substantial further heat loss from the device 1. By making the thickness of the thermal insulation material 18 extremely thin, the size of the housing 7 and the overall size of the device 1 can be made smaller than those described above, and the thickness of the device 1, for example, the diameter, can be made approximately equal to that of smoking products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. The weight of the device 1 can also be reduced, providing similar advantages to reducing the size described above.

[0074] The aforementioned thermal insulation material 18 may include a gas absorbent to help maintain or create a vacuum in its central region, but the gas absorbent is not used in the high-vacuum thermal insulation material 18. The absence of the gas absorbent allows the thickness of the thermal insulation material 18 to be made extremely small, which helps to reduce the overall size of the apparatus 1.

[0075] Depending on the shape of the ultra-high vacuum insulation material 18, the vacuum inside the insulation material can be greater than the vacuum used to extract molecules from the central region 20 of the insulation material 18 during manufacturing. For example, the high vacuum inside the insulation material 18 may be higher than the high vacuum in the vacuum furnace chamber in which it is manufactured. The vacuum in the insulation material 18 is, for example, 10 -7 It may be as thick as Thor. Referring to Figure 22, one end of the central region 20 of the high-vacuum insulation material 18 may be tapered so that the outward-facing section 22 and the inward-facing section 21 converge toward the outlet 25, from which the gas in the central region 20 is discharged to create a high vacuum when manufacturing the insulation material 18. Figure 22 illustrates an outward-facing section 22 converging toward the inward-facing section 21, but the reverse configuration, in which the inward-facing section 21 converges toward the outward-facing section 22, is also possible. The converging end of the insulation wall 19 is configured to guide the gas molecules in the central region 20 toward the outlet 25, thereby creating a high vacuum in the center 20. The outlet 25 may be sealed to maintain the high vacuum in the central region 20 after the region 20 is empty. The outlet 25 can be sealed after the gas has been discharged from the center 20, for example, by heating a brazing material at the outlet 25 to form a brazed seal at the outlet 25. Other sealing techniques may also be used.

[0076] To remove gas from the central region 20, the insulating material 18 may be placed in a low-pressure, substantially vacuum environment, such as a vacuum furnace chamber, so that gas molecules in the central region 20 flow into the low-pressure environment outside the insulating material 18. When the pressure inside the central region 20 decreases, the tapered shape of the central region 20 and, in particular, the converging sections 21 and 22 described above no longer affect the guidance of the remaining gas molecules from the center 20 through the outlet 25. Specifically, when the gas pressure in the central region 20 is low, the guiding effect of the converging inward and outward-facing sections 21 and 22 is effective in directing the remaining gas molecules inside the center 20 toward the outlet 25, making the probability of gas leaving the center 20 higher than the probability of gas entering the center 20 from the external low-pressure environment. In this way, the shape of the center 20 can reduce the pressure inside the center 20 to below the pressure of the environment outside the insulating material 18.

[0077] Selectively, as described above, one or more low-emissivity coatings may be provided on the inner surfaces of sections 21 and 22 facing inward and outward of the wall 19 to substantially prevent heat loss by radiation.

[0078] Although the shape of the thermal insulation material 18 has been generally described herein as substantially cylindrical or similar, the thermal insulation material 18 may have a different shape to house and insulate the apparatus 1 of different configurations, such as the heating chamber 4, heater 3, housing 7, or energy source 2, which have different shapes and sizes. For example, the size and shape of the high vacuum thermal insulation material 18, such as the Insulon® Shaped-Vacuum Thermal Barrier described above, is not limited in its manufacturing process. Suitable materials for forming the convergent structure described above include ceramics, metals, metalloids, and combinations thereof.

[0079] Referring to the schematic diagram in Figure 17, the thermal bridge 23 may completely enclose the low-pressure core 20, and in order to enclose it, an inwardly facing wall section 21 may be connected to an outwardly facing wall section 22 by one or more edges of the insulating material 18. The thermal bridge 23 may also include a wall 19 formed of the same material as the inwardly and outwardly facing sections 21 and 22. A preferred material is stainless steel, as described above. The thermal bridge 23 has greater thermal conductivity than the insulating core 20 and therefore cools the device 1, which is undesirable, as cooling the device 1 reduces the efficiency of heating the smoking material 5.

[0080] To reduce heat loss due to the thermal bridge 23, the thermal bridge 23 may be extended to increase its resistance and heat the flow from the inward-facing section 21 to the outward-facing section 22. This is schematically shown in Figure 18. For example, the thermal bridge 23 may continue in an indirect path between the inward-facing section 21 and the outward-facing section 22 of the wall 19. This is facilitated by providing insulation 18 over a longitudinal distance longer than the length of the heater 3, heating chamber 4, and smoking material 5 so that it can gradually extend along the indirect path from the inward-facing section 21 to the outward-facing section 22, thereby reducing the thickness of the core 20 to zero at longitudinal locations in the housing 7 where the heater 3, heating chamber 4, and smoking material 5 are not present.

[0081] Referring to Figure 20, as described above, the heating chamber 4 insulated with the insulating material 18 may include inlet and outlet valves 24 that tightly seal the heating chamber 4 when closed. This allows the valves 24 to prevent unwanted air from entering or leaving the chamber 4 and to prevent the flavor of the smoking material from entering the chamber 4. For example, the inlet and outlet valves 24 may be provided in the insulating material 18. For example, the puff-to-puff valve 24 may be closed by the controller 12 so that all volatile substances remain contained inside the chamber 4 between puffs. The partial pressure of the volatile substances between puffs reaches the saturated vapor pressure, and therefore the amount of substance vaporized depends only on the temperature inside the heating chamber 4. This helps to maintain a constant delivery of volatile nicotine and aromatic compounds between puffs. The controller 12 is configured to open the valve 24 so that air can flow through the chamber 4 and carry the volatile smoking material components to the mouthpiece 6. A membrane can be placed on valve 24 to ensure that oxygen does not enter chamber 4. Valve 24 may be breath-operated so that it opens in response to detection of a puff in mouthpiece 6. Valve 24 may also be closed in response to detection that the puff has ended. Alternatively, valve 24 may be closed after a predetermined time has elapsed since it opened. This predetermined time may be measured by controller 12. Valve 24 may be opened and closed automatically by selectively mechanical or other suitable opening and closing means. For example, valve 24 may be opened and closed using the gas movement caused by the user puffing in mouthpiece 6. Thus, the use of controller 12 is not necessarily required for the operation of valve 24.

[0082] The mass of the smoking material 5 heated by the heater 3, for example by each heating region 10, may be in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 g. The temperature at which the smoking material 5 is heated is adjustable by the user and can be adjusted to any temperature in the range of 100 to 250°C, for example, any temperature in the range of 150°C to 250°C and any temperature in the range of 100°C to 250°C, such as the other volatilization temperatures mentioned above. The overall mass of the device 1 may be in the range of 70 to 125 g. A battery 2 with an electrical capacity of 1000 to 3000 mAh and a voltage of 3.7 V can be used. The heating regions 10 may be configured to individually and selectively heat about 10 to 40 sections of smoking material 5 in one cartridge 11.

[0083] Naturally, any of the above modifications can be used individually or in combination. For example, instead of the smoking material 5 being positioned around the heater 3 as described above, the heater 3 may be positioned around the outside of the smoking material 5. Thus, the heater 3 may surround the smoking material 5 to heat it substantially radially inward.

[0084] To address various issues and advance the technology, the entirety of this disclosure illustrates various embodiments as examples. In these embodiments, the invention described in the claims is put into practice, and superior devices are provided. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive or exclusionary. They are presented solely to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed features. Naturally, the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure are not intended to limit the disclosure or its equivalents as defined in the claims, and other embodiments may be used and modified without departing from the scope and / or concept of this disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably include, consist of, or essentially consist of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, processes, means, etc. Furthermore, this disclosure also includes other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0085] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,374,063 [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1...device, 18...insulation material, 19...wall material, 20...central region, 21...inward-facing section, 22...outward-facing section, 23...thermal bridge.

Claims

1. A device configured to heat a smoking material in order to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, the device comprising an insulating region having a central region, the central region being reduced to a pressure lower than that outside the insulating material.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the insulating material is located between the smoking material heating chamber and the outside of the apparatus to reduce heat loss from the heated smoking material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the insulating material is coaxially positioned around the heating chamber.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the smoking material heating chamber is substantially a tubular heating chamber, and the insulating material is located around the longitudinally extending surface of the tubular heating chamber.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the insulation material is a body portion consisting of substantially tubular insulation material located around the heating chamber.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the smoking material heating chamber is located between the insulating material and the heater.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the heater is located between the smoking material heating chamber and the insulation material.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the insulation material is located outside the heater.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the heater is coaxially located around the heating chamber and the insulation material is coaxially located around the heater.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the thermal insulation material includes an infrared radiation reflector to reduce the propagation of infrared radiation through the thermal insulation material.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the central region is a high vacuum.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the vacuum is an ultra-high vacuum.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the thermal insulation material includes an outer wall surrounding the central region.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the inner surface of the wall includes an infrared radiation reflective coating for reflecting infrared radiation within the central region.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the wall includes a layer of stainless steel having a thickness of at least about 100 microns.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the wall portions on both sides of the central region are connected by a connecting wall portion, and this connecting wall portion continues to an indirect path between the wall portions on both sides of the central region.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the wall portions on both sides of the central region converge toward a sealed gas outlet.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that these wall portions converge to the end region of the thermal insulation material.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the thickness of the thermal insulation material is less than approximately 1 mm.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the thickness of the thermal insulation material is less than approximately 0.1 mm.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the thickness of the thermal insulation material is approximately 1 mm to 0.001 mm.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the pressure in the central region is about 0.1 to about 0.001 millibars.

23. The pressure within the central region is 10 -７ The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that it is approximately toll.

24. The heat transfer coefficient of insulation is approximately 1.10 W / (m²) when the temperature of the insulation is in the range of 100°C to 250°C. ２ K) ~1.40W / (m ２ The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that it is K).

25. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the central region is made of a porous material.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that it is configured to heat the smoking material using an electric heater.

27. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that it is configured to heat the smoking material without burning it.

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