Aerosol generating device with thermal break and related aerosol generating assembly - Patent Application 20070122997

Abstract

An aerosol generating device configured to operate with an aerosol-generating article, the device comprising: a device body (40); a heating chamber (60); and a mouthpiece (43) attached to the device body (40), the mouthpiece (43) comprising: a contact portion (46) having an aerosol outlet (50); and a thermal break (53) extending between a proximal boundary surface (54) and a distal boundary surface (55), the proximal boundary surface (54) being closer to the aerosol outlet (50) than the distal boundary surface (55), the mouthpiece (43) further comprising a receiving section (56) configured to receive a mouthpiece portion (16) of the tobacco article (12) such that a mouth end (20) of the tobacco article (12) is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet (50) than the proximal boundary surface (54) of the thermal break (53).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device. The present invention also relates to an aerosol generating assembly comprising an aerosol generating device.

[0002] In particular, the aerosol generating device according to the present invention is adapted to operate with aerosol-generating articles, such as flat tobacco articles, that include, for example, a solid substrate capable of forming an aerosol when heated. Thus, these types of aerosol generating devices, also known as heat-and-burn devices, are adapted to generate an aerosol for inhalation by heating, rather than burning, the substrate, by conduction, convection, and / or radiation. [Background technology]

[0003] The popularity and use of risk reduction or risk modification devices (also known as vaporizers) has grown rapidly in recent years as aids to assist regular smokers who wish to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm a vaporizable substance, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products.

[0004] A commonly available risk reduction or risk modification device is the substrate-heated aerosol generator or heat-and-burn device. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate, typically containing moist tobacco or other suitable vaporizable material, to a temperature typically ranging from 150°C to 350°C. By heating the aerosol substrate without burning or combusting it, an aerosol is released that contains the ingredients desired by the user but without the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, because aerosols produced by heating tobacco or other vaporizable material typically do not contain the burnt or bitter taste that can be unpleasant to users due to combustion and burning, the substrate therefore does not require the sugars and other additives typically added to such materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to the user.

[0005] Tobacco articles that can be used with these types of aerosol generating devices can take a variety of forms. Some of them can be elongated sticks, or any other suitable shape, such as a flattened shape. Generally, such tobacco articles are at least partially received within a heating chamber of the device, which includes one or more heaters for heating the tobacco article.

[0006] The body of some aerosol generating devices can become particularly hot while operating with a tobacco article. This can result in a poor user experience and may even result in injury to the user. Overheating can be particularly inconvenient for the user in parts of the device intended to come into contact with the user's lips, such as the mouthpiece. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One of the aims of the present invention is to propose an aerosol generating device that avoids overheating of the body of the aerosol generating device, in particular of the parts of the aerosol generating device that are intended to come into contact with the user's body, thus significantly improving the user experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To this end, the present invention provides an aerosol generating device, comprising: a device body extending along a device axis; a heating chamber disposed within the device body and having an open end defining a chamber opening suitable for inserting an aerosol-generating article at least partially into the interior volume of the heating chamber; a mouthpiece attached to the device body so as to extend along the device axis and at least partially cover the chamber opening, a contact portion having an aerosol outlet and designed to contact the lips and / or mouth of a user; a thermal break extending along the device axis between a proximal boundary surface and a distal boundary surface, both boundaries being perpendicular to the device axis, the proximal boundary surface being closer to the aerosol outlet along the device axis than the distal boundary surface; a mouthpiece comprising: Equipped with The mouthpiece is associated with an aerosol generating device that further comprises a receiving section configured to receive the mouthpiece portion of the aerosol generating article so that the mouth end of the tobacco article is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet along the device axis than the proximal boundary surface of the thermal break.

[0009] With these features, the aerosol-generating article is positioned below at least the proximal boundary surface of the thermal break. According to a first example, the mouth end of the tobacco article is positioned between the proximal and distal boundary surfaces of the thermal break. According to a second example, the mouth end of the tobacco article is positioned below the distal boundary surface of the thermal break. According to both examples, the aerosol-generating article is positioned farther from at least one surface of the thermal break. This allows the temperature of the mouthpiece during operation of the device to be reduced compared to when the aerosol-generating article is positioned at the same level as the thermal break. This can prevent the device from overheating and ensure a better user experience.

[0010] This particular positioning of the aerosol-generating article relative to the thermal break is achieved by appropriately adapting the receiving section of the mouthpiece.

[0011] In the further explanation, a "boundary surface" is understood to be a plane perpendicular to the device axis that bounds the thermal break along the device axis. Thus, a boundary surface corresponds to a boundary surface of a thermal break (e.g., its inner surface) when this boundary surface is substantially planar and extends substantially perpendicular to the device axis. If this boundary surface is not planar or does not extend perpendicular to the device axis, the corresponding boundary surface includes only a part of the boundary surface, advantageously only the end points of this surface along the device axis.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the receiving section is configured to receive the mouthpiece portion of the aerosol-generating article so that the mouth end of the tobacco article is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet along the device axis than the distal boundary surface of the thermal break.

[0013] In this case, the entire aerosol-generating article is positioned below the thermal break, thus further reducing the temperature of the mouthpiece during operation of the device.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the receiving section is configured to receive the mouthpiece portion of the aerosol-generating article so that the mouth end of the tobacco article is positioned along the device axis at a distance from the distal boundary surface of the thermal break.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the distance is less than 75%, advantageously 50%, and preferably 25% of the total length of the tobacco article along the device axis, in which case the tobacco article is at least partially inserted into the heating chamber.

[0016] When the tobacco article is received in the heating chamber, the distance between the distal boundary surface of the thermal break and the mouth end of the tobacco article can be advantageously adapted to reduce the temperature of the mouthpiece while ensuring an acceptable level of condensation inside the mouthpiece. In particular, by positioning the mouth end of the tobacco article as far as possible from the thermal break, the conduit section of the mouthpiece that conducts the aerosol will extend to the aerosol outlet. This can result in a high level of condensation inside the mouthpiece. Therefore, the distance is adapted to reduce the temperature of the mouthpiece without resulting in a significant level of condensation. In some cases, this distance can be further adapted to avoid condensation.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the mouthpiece further comprises a support extending substantially perpendicular to the device axis and attached to the open end of the device body; The thermal break is disposed between the support portion and the contact portion.

[0018] The support portion of the mouthpiece can be used to attach the mouthpiece to the device body. Thus, the support portion can, for example, cover the open end of the device body or form a collar that covers the open end. The support portion can be firmly fixed to the device body and can include or cooperate with a pressure-applying means for forcing the aerosol-generating article into the heating chamber. Providing a thermal break between the support portion and the contact portion of the mouthpiece can be particularly advantageous, as the thermal break may be substantially invisible to the user. Additionally, by providing such a thermal break, the contact portion of the mouthpiece can be extended to prevent the user's lips from coming into contact with the thermal break.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the thermal break defines a groove formed in the connection zone between the support portion and the contact portion of the mouthpiece.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the groove extends around a central hole that extends through both the contact portion and the support portion.

[0021] Provided in the form of a groove, the thermal break creates an air gap between at least the outer surface of the support and the contact portion of the mouthpiece, thereby providing an efficient thermal barrier that prevents overheating of the contact portion of the mouthpiece. The efficiency of this thermal barrier may be further improved when the groove extends completely around the central hole of the mouthpiece.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the thermal break is configured to minimize the contact area and / or connection between the contact portion and the support portion of the mouthpiece.

[0023] These features can further reduce heat transfer from the support portion to the contact portion, thereby reducing the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece that contacts the user's lips.

[0024] In some embodiments, when the thermal break defines a groove, the depth of the groove (i.e., its dimension extending perpendicular to the device axis) is adapted to minimize the contact area and / or connection between the contact portion and the support portion. To this end, the depth can be selected, for example, as the maximum value that allows different portions of the mouthpiece (e.g., the contact portion and the support portion) to be assembled together during use without destroying the structure of the mouthpiece. This maximum value can be determined based on the properties of the material forming the mouthpiece and the dimensions of the central hole extending through the mouthpiece.

[0025] In some embodiments, the grooves may be reinforced with reinforcing structures and / or materials to ensure the necessary strength to avoid breakage of the mouthpiece.

[0026] For example, the depth of the groove may be at least 10%, advantageously 20%, more advantageously 25%, and preferably 30% of the maximum overall dimension of the contact portion of the mouthpiece measured perpendicular to the axis of the device.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the thermal break comprises a material that thermally isolates the support portion from the contact portion.

[0028] Therefore, the efficiency of the thermal break can be tailored based on the properties of the isolation material. Such materials exhibit low thermal conductivity and can include various industrially used insulating materials, including, for example, porous and fibrous materials. Such materials have a lower thermal conductivity than the mouthpiece. Such materials can be at least partially transparent.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the contact portion is formed by a solid portion of the mouthpiece extending radially relative to the device axis between an inner surface that bounds the central bore of the mouthpiece and an outer surface of the mouthpiece.

[0030] In other words, the contact portion presents a solid portion of the mouthpiece with no cavities or protrusions other than the central hole. In some embodiments, at least the contact portion and the support portion of the mouthpiece can form a single piece, formed for example by a molding process. In some cases, the thermal break can be formed by the same molding process.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the mouthpiece further comprises a gripping portion configured to grip the outer surface of the aerosol-generating article to retain at least a portion of the tobacco article within the heating chamber.

[0032] These features allow at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article (e.g., the mouthpiece portion) to be first grasped by the gripping portion. Then, while the mouthpiece is attached to the device body, another portion of the aerosol-generating device (e.g., the tobacco portion) can be inserted into the heating chamber. The aerosol-generating article can be removed from the heating chamber by removing the mouthpiece from the device body. Therefore, the aerosol-generating device can be easily inserted / removed without directly contacting the aerosol-generating article.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the receiving section is formed within a central bore that extends through both the contact portion and the grip portion of the mouthpiece; The central bore further defines a conduit section for directing the aerosol to the aerosol outlet, and a stop for preventing tobacco articles from passing from the receiving section to the conduit section.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the stop is positioned further from the aerosol outlet along the device axis than the proximal boundary surface of the thermal break.

[0035] These features allow the aerosol-generating article to be precisely secured within the heating chamber to ensure its desired position relative to the thermal break. This respective position can therefore be determined by the location of the stop. The stop can take on any suitable shape and form, for example, a protrusion or shouldered transition between the receiving section and the conduit section of the mouthpiece.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the heating chamber forms a flattened shape, in which case the aerosol-generating article also forms a flattened shape.

[0037] By "flat shape" of the heating chamber or aerosol-generating article, it is understood that it extends between two first parallel longitudinal planes and two second parallel longitudinal planes perpendicular to the first parallel longitudinal planes, the distance between the second parallel longitudinal planes being at least three times, advantageously five times, and preferably ten times greater than the distance between the first parallel longitudinal planes.

[0038] These features allow the heating chamber to be adapted to receive aerosol-generating articles having a flattened shape. The flattened shape of the heating chamber is particularly advantageous for ensuring a rapid preheating phase of the aerosol-generating article. Thus, the article may be ready to generate vapor in just a few seconds (e.g., 5, 15, or 20 seconds) after activating the heating chamber.

[0039] The present invention also provides an aerosol generating device as defined above; an aerosol-generating article configured to operate with an aerosol-generating device; The present invention also relates to an aerosol generating assembly comprising:

[0040] The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generation assembly comprising an aerosol generation device according to a first example of the present invention and an aerosol-generating article usable with the aerosol generation device; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation assembly of FIG. 1 taken along plane III. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation assembly of FIG. 1 taken along plane IV. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic diagram of an air flow path extending through the aerosol generation assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a heated surface located inside the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but in which the aerosol-generating assembly is in accordance with a second example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction set forth in the following description. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways.

[0043] In the following, the expression "substantially equal" is understood as equal to plus or minus 10%, preferably plus or minus 5%.

[0044] As used herein, the terms "aerosol-generating device" or "device" may include a vaping device for delivering an aerosol, including a vaping aerosol, to a user using a heater element, as described in more detail below. The device may be portable. "Portable" may refer to a device for use when held by a user. The device may be adapted to generate a variable amount of aerosol, for example, by activating a heater element for a variable amount of time (as opposed to a fixed amount of aerosol), which may be controlled by a trigger. The trigger may be user-activated, such as a vaping button and / or an inhalation sensor. The inhalation sensor may be sensitive to inhalation intensity and duration, allowing for the provision of a variable amount of vapor (to mimic the smoking effect of a conventional combustion-type smoking article, such as a cigarette, cigar, or pipe). The device may include a temperature regulation control to drive the temperature of the heater and / or heated aerosol-generating material (aerosol precursor) to a specific target temperature and then maintain that temperature at that target temperature to enable efficient generation of aerosol.

[0045] As used herein, the term "aerosol" may include a suspension of vaporizable material as one or more of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gas. The suspension may be in a gas, including air. Aerosol herein may generally refer to / include a vapor. The aerosol may include one or more components of the vaporizable material.

[0046] As used herein, the terms "vaporizable material" or "precursor" may refer to smokable materials, which may include, for example, nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol former. Tobacco may take the form of various materials, such as cut tobacco, granulated tobacco, tobacco leaf, and / or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include polyols (such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol), non-polyols (such as monohydric alcohols, acids (such as lactic acid), glycerol derivatives, esters (such as triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate), glycerin, or vegetable glycerin). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating agent may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate may also include at least one of a gelling agent, a binder, a stabilizer, and a humectant.

[0047] 1 shows an aerosol-generating assembly 10 comprising an aerosol-generating device 11 according to a first example and an aerosol-generating article 12 (also referred to as a tobacco article 12). The aerosol-generating device 11 is intended to operate with the tobacco article 12, which is shown in more detail in FIG.

[0048] In the example of FIG. 2 , the tobacco article 12 is a flat-shaped tobacco article, e.g., a flat rectangular parallelepiped extending along the article axis X and having outer dimensions L×W×D. In a typical example, the length L of the article 12 along the article axis X is substantially equal to 33 mm, while its width W and depth D are substantially equal to 12 mm and 1.2 mm, respectively. According to different examples, the values ​​L, W, and D can be selected within a range of, for example, ±40%. The depth D of the tobacco article 12 is formed by a pair of parallel walls 13A, 13B (hereinafter referred to as narrow walls 13A, 13B), and the width W of the tobacco article 12 is formed by a pair of parallel walls 14A, 14B (hereinafter referred to as wide walls 14A, 14B). In some embodiments, the edges between the wide and narrow walls 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B may be rounded. According to other embodiments of the present invention, the tobacco article 12 can have any other suitable flat shape and / or outer dimensions. According to still other embodiments, the tobacco article 12 can take on any other suitable shape, such as a stick shape, having a substantially circular or oval cross section.

[0049] The tobacco article 12 comprises a tobacco portion 15 and a mouthpiece portion 16 disposed along the article axis X. For example, the tobacco portion 15 may be slightly longer than the mouthpiece portion 16. For example, the length L2 of the tobacco portion 15 along the article axis X may be substantially equal to 18 mm. The width W2 of the tobacco portion 15 is substantially equal to the width W of the tobacco article 12. The length L3 of the mouthpiece portion 16 along the article axis X may be substantially equal to 15 mm. As before, the values ​​L2 and L3 may be selected within a range of, for example, ±40%. The tobacco portion 15 defines an abutting end 18 of the article 12, and the mouthpiece portion 16 defines a mouth end 20 of the article 12. The tobacco portion 15 and the mouthpiece portion 16 may be secured to one another by a wrapper 21 extending around the substrate axis X. The wrapper 21 forms the narrow and wide walls 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B of the tobacco article 12. In some embodiments, the wrapper 21 is formed from the same wrapping sheet. In some other embodiments, the wrapper 21 is formed from separate wrapping sheets that separately wrap the portions 15, 16 and are secured to each other by any other suitable means. The wrapper 21 may comprise, for example, paper, and / or a nonwoven fabric, and / or aluminum foil. The wrapper 21 may be porous or air impermeable and form a plurality of air passages extending into the interior of the article 12 between the abutting end 18 and the mouth end 20.

[0050] The mouthpiece portion 16 comprises a core 27 intended to function as, for example, a cooler to slightly cool the vapor before the user inhales. For this purpose, the core 27 may comprise, for example, cardboard. The core 27 may be formed into a stable shape through an extrusion and / or rolling process. Advantageously, the core 27 is disposed inside the mouthpiece portion 16 so as to be in complete contact with the inner surface of the wrapper 21 that defines this mouthpiece portion 16. Additionally or alternatively, the core 27 functions as a filter.

[0051] As will be explained in more detail below, tobacco portion 15 includes vaporizable material and is intended to be heated by a heating chamber.

[0052] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the aerosol generation device 11 comprises a device body 40 extending along a device axis Y between an open end 41 and a closed end 42. The aerosol generation device 11 further comprises a mouthpiece 43 attached to the open end 41 of the device body 40. The mouthpiece 43 and the device body 40 advantageously form two distinct parts. In particular, the mouthpiece 43 is designed to be fixed to a support 44 defined by the open end 41 of the device body 40, as shown in FIG. 3 . The support 44 defines, for example, a wall extending perpendicular to the device axis Y, which defines an opening to the heating chamber at its center, as will be explained in more detail below. The support 44 may in particular extend inward from a side wall forming the device body 40.

[0053] 3, the mouthpiece 43 includes a contact portion 46, a support portion 47, and a grip portion 48. These portions 46-48 are arranged consecutively along the device axis Y and define a central hole 49 extending through each of these portions 46-48. The contact portion 46 and the grip portion 48 protrude from different sides of the support portion 47 along the device axis Y.

[0054] The support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43 may, for example, form a collar that partially covers the open end 41 of the device body 40. The collar may, for example, define an outer surface extending substantially perpendicular to the device axis Y and an inner surface opposite the outer surface and facing the open end 41 of the device body 40. The support portion 47 may be designed to apply pressure to the support 44 of the device body 40 using any suitable pressure-applying means 51. In the example of FIG. 3 , the pressure-applying means 51 may comprise a first magnetic element disposed around the support 44 and a second magnetic element disposed, for example, on the inner surface of the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43. At least one of the first and second magnetic elements may, for example, comprise a permanent magnet, and the other element may comprise a permanent magnet of the opposite polarity and / or a ferromagnetic material. It is clear that the pressure-applying means 51 may have any other suitable structure suitable for abutting the mouthpiece 43 against the device body 40. Instead of magnetic elements, any other mutually engageable means may be arranged around the support 44 and on the inner surface of the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43. In addition, the pressure applying means 51 may have a different structure and arrangement relative to the device body 40. An example of such a structure is described below in connection with the second example of the present invention.

[0055] The contact portion 46 of the mouthpiece 43 is designed to contact the user's lips and / or mouth. For this purpose, it may be formed with a suitable ergonomic shape. Advantageously, the contact portion 46 has a shape that narrows along the device axis Y from the support portion 47 toward its upper surface. For example, the contact portion 46 may have a truncated cone shape. As will be explained in more detail below, the contact portion 46 extends a central hole 49 at its upper surface and forms an aerosol outlet 50 adapted to deliver the aerosol formed in the heating chamber. As can be seen in FIG. 3 , a thermal break 53 is formed between the contact portion 46 and the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43.

[0056] The thermal break 53 extends along the device axis Y between a proximal interface 54 and a distal interface 55, both interfaces 54, 55 being substantially perpendicular to the device axis Y. In the example of FIG. 3 , each interface 54, 55 corresponds to a surface of the thermal break 53 that bounds the thermal break 53 in the axial direction. In this example, each surface that bounds the thermal break 53 is substantially planar and extends substantially perpendicular to the device axis Y. According to other examples, the or each interface may be non-planar and / or inclined relative to the device axis. In this case, the corresponding interface includes only the endpoints (e.g., only the peripheral points) of this bounding surface.

[0057] The length of extension of the thermal break along the device axis Y is indicated by δ in FIG. 3 . Additionally, along the device axis Y, the proximal interface 54 is closer to the aerosol outlet 50 than the distal interface 55. In other words, the distance F1 between the aerosol outlet 50 and the proximal interface 54 along the device axis Y is less than the distance F2 between the aerosol outlet 50 and the distal interface 55 along the device axis Y. The thermal break 53 is formed, for example, by a groove extending around the central hole 49 and formed in the connection zone between the support portion 47 and the contact portion 46 of the mouthpiece 43. The groove is bounded along the device axis Y by the proximal and distal interfaces 54, 55. The thermal break 53 minimizes the contact area and / or connection between the contact portion 46 and the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43. In some embodiments, the thermal break 53 can include or be filled with a material that thermally isolates the support portion 47 from the contact portion 46.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the holding part 48 is designed to hold at least a part of the tobacco article 12 inside the heating chamber 60. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding part 48 is designed to receive at least a part of the mouthpiece portion 16 of the tobacco article 12 into the central hole 49. For this purpose, the central hole 49 defines a receiving section 56 and a conduit section 57. The receiving section 56 is adapted to receive at least a part of the mouthpiece portion 16 of the tobacco article 12 and defines a cross-sectional shape complementary to the outer shape of the mouthpiece portion 16 of the tobacco article 12. In particular, in the case of a flat-shaped tobacco article 12, the receiving section 56 of the central hole 49 also has a flat shape, preferably a rectangular flat shape. The conduit section 57 is configured to conduct the aerosol from the mouth-side end 20 of the tobacco article 12 to the aerosol outlet 50. The central hole 49 further defines a stop 59 that prevents the tobacco article 12 from passing from the receiving section 56 to the conduit section 57 while the tobacco article 12 is inserted into the holding part 48. In other words, while the tobacco article 12 is being inserted into the holding part 48, the mouth-side end 20 of the tobacco article 12 abuts against the stop 59. The stop 59 can be formed, for example, by a lateral protrusion in the central hole 49. In the example of FIG. 3, the conduit section 57 exhibits a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of the receiving section 56. In this case, the stop 59 is formed by a shoulder formed between the conduit section 57 and the receiving section 56. The distance between the stop 59 and the aerosol outlet 50 along the device axis Y is indicated by F3 in FIG. 3.

[0059] According to the first example shown in FIG. 3, the stop 59 is arranged such that F1 < F3 < F2. In this case, the mouth-side end 20 of the tobacco article 12 is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet 50 than the proximal boundary surface 五四 along the device axis Y and closer to the aerosol outlet 50 than the distal boundary surface 五五. In other words, the tobacco mouth-side end 20 of the tobacco article 12 is positioned between the proximal boundary surface 五四 and the distal boundary surface 五五.

[0060] According to the second example shown in FIG. 7, the stop portion 59 is arranged such that F1 < F2 < F3. In this case, the mouth-side end 20 of the tobacco article 12 is positioned further away from the aerosol outlet 50 along the device axis Y than each of the proximal and distal boundary surfaces 54, 55. According to this example, the distance F4 between the distal boundary surface 55 and the stop portion 59 is not zero and can be selected, for example, as a function of the overall length L of the tobacco article 12, or the length L3 of the mouthpiece portion 16, or the length L2 of the tobacco portion 15. For example, the distance F4 is less than 75%, preferably 50%, and more preferably 25% of the overall length L of the tobacco article 12.

[0061] Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 3, the gripping portion 48 forms an air gap with the wall of the heating chamber 60. For this purpose, the heating chamber 60 may define an extended section adjacent to the open end of the chamber 60. In particular, this extended section has an extended cross-sectional shape compared to the cross-sectional shape of the portion of the heating chamber 60 that receives the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12, i.e., compared to the portion of the heating chamber 60 adjacent to its closed end.

[0062] The device body 40 defines an internal space of the device 11 that receives various elements designed to perform different functions of the device 11. This internal space can receive, for example, a battery for powering the device 11, a controller for controlling the operation of the device 11, a heating chamber 60 for heating the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12, etc. Among these elements, only the heating chamber 60 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

[0063] In particular, as shown in FIG. 4 , the heating chamber 60 defines a mounting zone 61 adapted to mount the heating chamber 60 to the device body 40 and a heating zone 62 adapted to heat the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3-5 , the mounting zone 61 is also adapted to at least partially receive the mouthpiece portion 16 of the tobacco article 12. In a preferred example, the heating chamber 60 has a flattened shape. In particular, like the tobacco article 12, the heating chamber 60 also extends along the device axis Y and may form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a pair of parallel narrow walls 63A, 63B (shown in FIG. 4 ) extending along the device axis Y, a pair of parallel wide walls 64A, 64B (shown partially in FIG. 3 ) also extending along the device axis Y, and a bottom wall 68 adjacent to each of the walls and extending perpendicular to the device axis Y. The walls 63A, 63B, 64A, 64B, 68 define an interior volume of the heating chamber 60.

[0064] Thus, the bottom wall 68 forms a closed end of the chamber 60. The heating zone 62 of the heating chamber 60 is adjacent to the closed end of the heating chamber 60. The heating chamber 60 defines an open end opposite the bottom wall 68 that is configured to receive the tobacco article 12 through the chamber opening 69, such that the corresponding wide walls 14A, 14B of the tobacco article 12 face the corresponding wide walls 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60, the corresponding narrow walls 13A, 13B of the tobacco article 12 face the corresponding narrow walls 63A, 63B of the heating chamber 60, and the abutting end 18 of the tobacco article 12 abuts the bottom wall 68 or at least a rib extending from the bottom wall 68. Alternatively, the abutting end 18 faces the bottom wall 68 without contacting the bottom wall 68. Thus, the flattened heating chamber 60 is configured to receive the tobacco article 12 such that the narrow wall 13A (respectively 13B) of the tobacco article 12 faces the narrow wall 63B (respectively 63A) of the heating chamber 60, and the wide wall 14A (respectively 14B) of the tobacco article 12 faces the wide wall 64B (respectively 64A) of the heating chamber 60. The opposing wide walls 14A, 14B, 64A, 64B and the opposing narrow walls 13A, 13B, 63A, 63B can at least partially contact each other or can be spaced apart from each other. In a preferred example, the opposing narrow walls 13A, 13B, 63A, 63B form a gap therebetween suitable for directing airflow, as will be explained in more detail below. The mounting zone 61 of the heating chamber 60 is adjacent to the open end of the heating chamber 60.

[0065] The narrow walls 63A, 63B and / or the wide walls 64A, 64B are shaped to form an extension section of the heating chamber 60, as discussed above. To this end, the narrow walls 63A, 63B and / or the wide walls 64A, 64B can extend substantially parallel therebetween through the heating zone 62 of the heating chamber 60 at a first distance d1 (respectively D1), then form a shoulder section that extends this distance d1 (respectively D1) to a distance d2 (respectively D2), and then extend parallel therebetween at a distance d2 (respectively D2) through the mounting zone 61 of the heating chamber 60. Thus, the extension section can substantially correspond to the mounting zone 61 of the heating chamber 60.

[0066] The heating chamber 60, together with the device body 40 and the mouthpiece 43, define an air flow path 70 through the device 11 and the tobacco article 12 between one or more air inlets 71 to the aerosol outlet 50, which extends through the central bore 49, as discussed above. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5 , the air flow path 70 comprises an upstream portion extending between the air inlet 71 and the closed end of the heating chamber 60, and a downstream portion extending between the closed end of the heating chamber 60 and the aerosol outlet 50. The downstream portion advantageously extends through both the tobacco portion 15 and the mouthpiece portion 16 of the tobacco article 12. It may also extend through the central bore 49 formed by the mouthpiece 43. The upstream portion advantageously extends through the mouthpiece 43 and then into the interior of the heating chamber 60, advantageously through the attachment zone 61 and the gap formed between the opposing narrow walls 13A, 13B, 63A, 63B, to the closed end of the heating chamber 60. At the closed end, the upstream portion of the air flow passage makes a substantially 180° turn to join the downstream portion. According to another embodiment, the upstream portion of the air flow passage 70 passes entirely outside the heating chamber 60 and joins the downstream portion, for example, through a hole formed in the closed end of the heating chamber 60.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the air inlets 71 can be formed on the outer surface of the support part 47 of the mouthpiece 43. In particular, these air inlets 71 can be formed by holes that extend through the support part 47 of the mouthpiece 43 and open into the extended section of the heating chamber 60. For this purpose, the holes inside the support part 47 can be, for example, inclined with respect to the device axis Y. Advantageously, the support part 47 defines two holes that form the air inlets 71 on different sides of the contact part 46, which has an elongated shape.

[0068] Advantageously, the mounting zone 61 forms a unique attachment zone for the heating chamber 60 to the device body 40. To this end, the mounting zone 61 comprises a pair of protrusions 80A, 80B extending outward from the narrow walls 63A, 63B of the heating chamber 60, as shown in FIG. 4 . Each protrusion 80A, 80B is configured to engage with a pin 82A, 82B fixed to the device body 40. In particular, each pin 82A, 82B can extend perpendicular to the device axis Y, e.g., perpendicular to a plane parallel to the wide walls 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60. Each protrusion 80A, 80B can form a mounting ear defining a lateral opening configured to receive a corresponding pin 82A, 82B for mounting the heating chamber 60. Thus, each mounting ear extends partially around the corresponding pin 82A, 82B, e.g., according to an angle comprised between 180° and 270°.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the heating chamber 60 further comprises insulation disposed between the heating zone 62 and the mounting zone 61, for example on the exterior surfaces of the walls 63A, 63B, 64A, 64B that define the heating chamber 60. Such insulation may include, for example, superwool or aerogel. Alternatively, the insulation may be formed by a vacuum or air chamber, a sheet, a powder, or the like.

[0070] 6, the heating chamber 60 further comprises at least one heating surface 90 that at least partially forms one of the wide walls 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60. Preferably, the heating chamber 60 comprises two heating surfaces 90 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 6) that at least partially form the opposing wide walls 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60. In particular, in the heating zone 62 of the heating chamber 60, each heating surface 90 is designed to contact or face the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12. Advantageously, each heating surface 90 extends along the entire area of ​​the heating zone 62 when projected onto a plane parallel to each of the wide walls 64A, 64B. In other words, the length of each heating surface 90 along the device axis Y is at least equal to the length L2 of the tobacco portion 15, and the width of each heating surface 90 is at least equal to the width W2 of the tobacco portion 15.

[0071] The or each heating surface 90 may be formed by a plate forming the corresponding wide wall 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60. According to another embodiment, the or each heating surface 90 is formed by a flexible film attached, for example, to a plate forming the corresponding wall 64A, 64B of the heating chamber 60. According to yet another embodiment, the or each heating surface 90 is formed by a long strip of flexible heater with two separate track patterns wrapped around the heating chamber 90.

[0072] Each heating surface 90 includes a pair of contacts 92 connected to the device's battery, and a heating circuit 94 extending between the contacts along the entire heating surface 90 .

[0073] The aerosol generating device 11 further comprises a seal 95 arranged between the attachment zone 61 of the heating chamber 60 and the mouthpiece 43. The seal 95 may have an oval or rectangular shape and extend along the periphery of the opening formed by the open end of the heating chamber 60. The seal 95 advantageously forms a rectangular shape in each cross section thereof. This means that the seal 95 forms two opposing substantially flat surfaces substantially perpendicular to the device axis Y. According to other embodiments, the seal 95 may form any other suitable cross-sectional shape that is optimally engaged between the mouthpiece 43 and the heating chamber 60. The seal 95 is formed from a flexible material such as resin, silicone, etc.

[0074] As shown in the enlarged portion of Figure 5, the seal 95 is advantageously disposed between a rib 96 extending from the inner surface of the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece 43 and a protrusion 97 extending outwardly from the walls 63A, 63B, 64A, 64B and defining the chamber opening 69. This protrusion 97 thus forms a flange at the open end of the heating chamber 60 and may include or pass through the above-mentioned protrusions 80A, 80B. The flange, for example, forms a substantially flat surface substantially perpendicular to the device axis Y. The rib 96 is advantageously oriented along the device axis Y and extends, for example, from the entire periphery of the inner surface of the support portion 47 of the mouthpiece.

[0075] The pressure applying and fixing means 51 applies pressure to the seal 95 to securely fix the heating chamber 60 inside the device body 40 .

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generating device (11) configured to operate with an aerosol-generating article (12) extending between a mouth end (20) and an abutment end (18), comprising: The aerosol generating device (11) comprises: a device body (40) extending along the device axis (Y); - a heating chamber (60) disposed within the device body (40) and having an open end (41) defining a chamber opening (69) suitable for inserting the aerosol-generating article (12) at least partially within the interior volume of the heating chamber (69); a mouthpiece (43) attached to said device body (40) so as to extend along said device axis (Y) and at least partially cover said chamber opening (69), a contact portion (46) having an aerosol outlet (50) and designed to contact the lips and / or mouth of a user; a thermal break (53) extending along the device axis (Y) between a proximal boundary surface (54) and a distal boundary surface (55), both boundaries (54, 55) being perpendicular to the device axis (Y), the proximal boundary surface (54) being closer to the aerosol outlet (50) along the device axis (Y) than the distal boundary surface (55); a mouthpiece (43) comprising: Equipped with the mouthpiece (43) further comprises a receiving section (56) configured to receive the mouthpiece portion (16) of the aerosol-generating article (12) such that the mouth end (20) of the tobacco article (12) is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet (50) along the device axis (Y) than the proximal boundary surface (54) of the thermal break (53); the mouthpiece (43) further comprises a support portion (47) extending substantially perpendicular to the device axis (Y) and attached to the open end (41) of the device body (40), the thermal break (53) being disposed between the support portion (47) and the contact portion (46); the thermal break (53) is configured to minimize the contact area and / or connection between the contact portion (46) and the support portion (47) of the mouthpiece (43); Aerosol generator (11).

2. 2. The aerosol generating device (11) of claim 1, wherein the receiving section (56) is configured to receive the mouthpiece portion (16) of the aerosol generating article (12) so that the mouth end (20) of the tobacco article (12) is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet (50) along the device axis (Y) than the distal boundary surface (55) of the thermal break (53).

3. 3. The aerosol generating device (11) of claim 2, wherein the receiving section (56) is configured to receive the mouthpiece portion (16) of the aerosol generating article (12) so that the mouth end (20) of the tobacco article (12) is positioned along the device axis (Y) at a distance (F4) from the distal boundary surface (55) of the thermal break (53).

4. An aerosol generating device (11) as described in claim 3, wherein the distance (F4) is less than 75%, advantageously 50%, and preferably 25% of the total length of the tobacco article (12) along the device axis (Y), in which case the tobacco article (12) is at least partially inserted into the heating chamber (60).

5. An aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thermal break (53) defines a groove formed in the connection zone between the support portion (47) and the contact portion (46) of the mouthpiece (43).

6. 6. An aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 5, wherein the groove extends around a central hole (49) that extends through both the contact portion (46) and the support portion (47).

7. 7. The aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thermal break (53) comprises a material that thermally isolates the support portion (47) from the contact portion (46).

8. An aerosol generating device (11) as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the contact portion (46) is formed by a solid portion of the mouthpiece (43) extending radially relative to the device axis (Y) between an inner surface that bounds a central hole (49) of the mouthpiece (43) and an outer surface of the mouthpiece (43).

9. The aerosol generating device (11) of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the mouthpiece (43) further comprises a gripping portion (48) configured to grip the outer surface of the aerosol-generating article (12) to hold at least a portion of the tobacco article (12) inside the heating chamber (60).

10. The receiving section (56) is formed within a central bore (49) that extends through both the contact portion (46) and the grip portion (48) of the mouthpiece (43); The central hole (49) further defines a conduit section (57) for directing the aerosol to the aerosol outlet (50), and a stop (59) for preventing the tobacco article (12) from passing from the receiving section (56) to the conduit section (57).

10. An aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 9.

11. An aerosol generating device (11) as described in claim 10, wherein the stop portion (59) is positioned farther from the aerosol outlet (50) along the device axis (Y) than the proximal boundary surface (54) of the thermal break (53).

12. The aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heating chamber (60) forms a flattened shape.

13. An aerosol generating assembly (10) comprising: - an aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, an aerosol-generating article (12) adapted to operate with said aerosol-generating device (11); An aerosol generating assembly (10) comprising:

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