Cartridge and aerosol generating device including the same

Abstract

The aerosol generating device according to the embodiment includes a first container for storing an aerosol generating material and having an opening at its bottom, a second container extending from the bottom of the first container and receiving the aerosol generating material from the first container to generate an aerosol, and a sealing member interposed between the first and second containers and covering the opening, wherein the first container includes a protrusion protruding inward from the bottom of its side wall, and the protrusion is configured to support the sealing member from above.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a cartridge and an aerosol generating device including the same, and more particularly to a cartridge having an improved structure to increase the capacity of an aerosol generating material, and an aerosol device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the drawbacks of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for a system that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette or an aerosol-generating material using an aerosol generating device, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette. As a result, research into heated aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted.

[0003] A cartridge containing an aerosol generating material can be attached to an aerosol generating device and used in a replaceable manner. When the aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge is consumed, a user can replace the cartridge with another cartridge and use the aerosol generating device. The frequency at which a user replaces the cartridge is related to the amount of aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The embodiment provides a cartridge configured to support a sealing member from above that covers the opening of the first container as a protruding structure to the user.

[0005] Embodiments provide a user with an aerosol generating device that provides a stable seal on the edge of the first container opening, while still providing sufficient aerosol generating material capacity.

[0006] Problems to be solved through the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A cartridge according to one embodiment includes a first container for storing an aerosol-generating material and including an opening at its bottom, a second container extending from the bottom of the first container and receiving the aerosol-generating material from the first container to generate an aerosol, and a sealing member interposed between the first and second containers and covering the opening, and the first container may include a protrusion protruding inward from a bottom of a side wall, and the protrusion may be configured to support the sealing member from above.

[0008] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment may include a main body coupled to a cartridge, into which the aerosol generated in the cartridge flows, including a storage space for storing an aerosol product, and a heater for heating the aerosol product stored in the main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the cartridge of the embodiment, it is possible to provide a user with a cartridge that is structurally improved and has an increased capacity for holding an aerosol-forming substance, and an aerosol device including the cartridge.

[0010] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol generating device including a cartridge according to one embodiment.

[0012] [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded side view schematically illustrating the appearance of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0013] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to one embodiment.

[0014] [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 taken along line AA according to one embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 taken along line BB and viewed from below, according to one embodiment. FIG.

[0016] [Figure 7A] 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment, cut along line CC and viewed from the +x-axis direction. FIG.

[0017] [Figure 7B] 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 cut along line CC and viewed from the −x-axis direction. FIG.

[0018] [Figure 8] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 taken along line BB and viewed from above, according to one embodiment.

[0019] [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the contour of a sidewall according to another embodiment. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the contour of a sidewall according to another embodiment. [Figure 9C] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the contour of a sidewall according to another embodiment.

[0020] [Figure 10]FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 900 according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention. However, this may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers in the field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0022] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean that it excludes other components and may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0023] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array and not each individual element in the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0024] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates the aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the interior space.

[0025] The aerosol generating device includes a heater. In one embodiment, the heater is an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and when an electric current is passed through the conductive track, the heater may be heated.

[0026] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the interior or exterior of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0027] Cigarettes include tobacco rods and filter rods. Tobacco rods can be made in sheet or strand form, and tobacco sheets can be made from shredded tobacco. The tobacco rod is surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material can be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited to this.

[0028] The filter rod may also be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters out specific components contained in the aerosol.

[0029] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

[0030] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge is detachably connected to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the body or assembled and fixed so that it cannot be removed by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol generating material stored therein. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is connected to the body.

[0031] The cartridge holds an aerosol-forming material in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state. The aerosol-forming material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0032] The cartridge is activated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, and functions to convert the phase of the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material are mixed with air.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to the user through the cigarette, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to deliver the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0034] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0035] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator that generates short-period vibrations to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibrations generated by the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0036] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance, for example, the wick being positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0037] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator are transferred to the aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick is converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the vibrator, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0038] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed into the core is reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating substance is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0039] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0040] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field is formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied. The susceptor is located inside the coil, and generates heat when a magnetic field is applied, thereby heating the aerosol product. Alternatively, the susceptor can be located inside the aerosol product.

[0041] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

[0042] The aerosol generating device may be configured as a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are coupled together.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present invention may be embodied in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol generating device including a cartridge according to one embodiment.

[0046] 1, the aerosol generation device 10 may include a battery 13, a control unit 14, a heater 121, and a cartridge 1. The aerosol generation device 10 of FIG. 1 may include a housing including an accommodation space 12 in which an aerosol product 11 is accommodated. The aerosol product 11 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 10, and thereby the aerosol product 11 may be accommodated in the accommodation space 12 of the housing. Also, although the aerosol generation device 10 is shown as including the heater 121, the heater 121 may be omitted if necessary.

[0047] 1 shows components of an aerosol generating device 10 related to this embodiment. Therefore, in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1, other general-purpose components may also be included in the aerosol generating device 10.

[0048] 1 shows that the cartridge 1 and the heater 121 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generation device 10 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. In other words, the arrangement of the battery 13, the control unit 14, the heater 121, and the cartridge 1 may be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generation device 10.

[0049] The heater 121 can heat the aerosol product 11. When the aerosol product 11 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 10, the aerosol generation device 10 activates the heater 121 and / or the cartridge 1 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 121 and / or the cartridge 1 passes through the aerosol product 11 and is delivered to the user.

[0050] The battery 13 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generation device 10. For example, the battery 13 supplies power to heat the heater 121 or the aerosol product 11, and supplies power necessary for the operation of the control unit 14. The battery 13 also supplies power necessary for the operation of the display, sensors, motors, etc. provided in the aerosol generation device 10.

[0051] The control unit 14 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 10. Specifically, the control unit 14 controls the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generation device 10 other than the battery 13, the heater 121, and the cartridge 1. The control unit 14 can also check the state of each component of the aerosol generation device 10 to determine whether the aerosol generation device 10 is in an operable state.

[0052] The control unit 14 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executed by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may also be implemented in other forms of hardware.

[0053] The heater 121 is heated by power supplied from the battery 13. For example, when the aerosol production product 11 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 10, the heater 121 is located outside the aerosol production product 11. Therefore, the heated heater 121 increases the temperature of the aerosol production product 11.

[0054] The heater 121 may be an electrically resistive heater 121. For example, the heater 121 has a conductive track, and current flows through the conductive track to heat the heater 121. However, the heater 121 is not limited to the above example, and any heater that can be heated to a desired temperature may be used without limitation. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generation device 10, or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

[0055] Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 121 may be an induction heater 121. Specifically, the heater 121 includes an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol product 11 by induction heating, and the aerosol product 11 includes a susceptor heated by the induction heater 121.

[0056] The aerosol product 11 may be a cigarette or other heatable substance. The aerosol product 11 may include tobacco. However, the above-mentioned examples are merely examples of the aerosol product 11, and the type of the aerosol product 11 is not limited thereto.

[0057] 1 shows the heater 121 as being located externally of the aerosol product 11, but is not limited to this. For example, the heater 121 may include a tubular heating element 52, a plate-shaped heating element 52, a needle-shaped heating element 52, or a rod-shaped heating element 52, and may heat the interior or exterior of the aerosol product 11 depending on the shape of the heating element 52.

[0058] Furthermore, a plurality of heaters 121 may be arranged in the aerosol generation device 10. In this case, the plurality of heaters 121 may be arranged so as to be inserted inside the aerosol product 11, or may be arranged outside the aerosol product 11. Furthermore, some of the plurality of heaters 121 may be arranged so as to be inserted inside the aerosol product 11, and the rest may be arranged outside the aerosol product 11. Furthermore, the shape of the heater 121 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, and various shapes may be produced.

[0059] The cartridge 1 heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which is then transmitted to the user through the cigarette. In other words, the aerosol generated by the cartridge 1 travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 10, which is configured to transmit the aerosol generated by the cartridge 1 to the user through the cigarette.

[0060] The cartridge 1 can contain an aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material can be distinguished from the aerosol product 11. The aerosol-generating material is in the form of a liquid-phase composition. The aerosol-generating material is a component of the cartridge 1, but is not limited thereto. For example, the aerosol-generating material can be disposed outside the cartridge 1. The aerosol-generating material can also be a component of the aerosol generating device 10.

[0061] For example, the aerosol-forming material may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material that includes volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material.

[0062] The liquid transfer means transfers the aerosol generating substance in the liquid reservoir to the heating element 52. For example, the liquid transfer means may be a wick 51 such as, but not limited to, cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, porous ceramic, or the like.

[0063] The heating element 52 is an element for heating the aerosol-generating substance delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the heating element 52 may be, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, or a ceramic heater 121. The heating element 52 may also be made of a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged in a structure wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element 52 is heated by supplying electric current and transfers heat to the aerosol-generating substance in contact with the heating element 52, heating the aerosol-generating substance. As a result, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol-generating substance.

[0064] FIG. 2 is an exploded side view schematically illustrating the appearance of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0065] 2, an aerosol generation device 10 according to one embodiment may include a cover 15, a body 16, a button 17, and a cartridge 1. Here, the aerosol generation device 10 and the cartridge 1 are the same as the aerosol generation device 10 and the cartridge 1 described in FIG.

[0066] The cover 15 is coupled to one side end of the body 16, so that the body 16 and the cover 15 together form the exterior of the aerosol generating device 10. An insertion space into which the aerosol product 11 is inserted may be formed on the top surface of the cover 15 coupled to the body 16.

[0067] The main body 16 forms part of the exterior of the aerosol generation device 10 and functions to house and protect the components of the aerosol generation device 10. For example, the main body 16 houses the battery 13, the control unit 14, and / or the heater 121, but is not limited to these.

[0068] The body 16 and the cover 15 may be made of a plastic material that does not conduct heat well or a metal material coated with a heat-shielding material. The body 16 and the cover 15 may be manufactured by, for example, injection molding, 3D printing, or assembling small parts manufactured by injection molding.

[0069] The components of the aerosol generating device 10 are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, and the aerosol generating device 10 according to other embodiments may not include the cover 15.

[0070] The cover 15 may be separated from the body 16 by being released from its connection with the body 16. For example, the cover 15 may be separated from the body 16 in the z-direction. When the cover 15 is separated from the body 16, the top of the body 16, the button 17, and the cartridge 1 may be exposed to the outside.

[0071] The button 17 is disposed so that at least a portion thereof is exposed to the outside of the main body 16, and can function to release the fastening relationship between the main body 16 and the cartridge 1 by a user's input. For example, when a user inputs to the button 17, the cartridge 1 can be attached or detached from the main body 16.

[0072] The cartridge 1 stores an aerosol-generating substance and can be removably coupled to one end of the main body 16 .

[0073] According to one embodiment, the cartridge 1 may be combined with a main body 16 including a control unit 14 and / or a battery 13, and may be used as a component of an aerosol generating device 10. For example, a heating element 52 (not shown) included in the cartridge 1 may be electrically connected to the main body 16 and supplied with power from the battery 13, with the power supply being controlled by the control unit 14.

[0074] That is, by supplying and controlling power to the heating element 52 in the aerosol generating device 10 including the cartridge 1, an aerosol can be generated from the liquid or gel phase aerosol generating substance stored in the cartridge 1. The aerosol generated in the cartridge 1 can be flowed into the main body 16.

[0075] The aerosol generating device 10 including the cartridge 1 may generate aerosol not only by heating the aerosol generating material stored in the cartridge 1 but also by heating the inserted aerosol producing product 11. In this way, a hybrid aerosol generating device 10 may be realized.

[0076] 2 shows the cartridge 1 being coupled to the body 16 by approaching the side of the body 16, but the coupling method between the cartridge 1 and the body 16 is not limited thereto. For example, the cartridge 1 may be coupled to the body 16 by approaching it in the -z direction at a position spaced apart from the body 16 in the z direction, like the cover 15.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the cartridge 1 is a cartridge 1 that can be inserted into and removed from the aerosol generating device 10. When the aerosol generating material stored in the cartridge 1 is consumed, the cartridge 1 may be replenished with new aerosol generating material or replaced with another cartridge 1 that stores the aerosol generating material.

[0078] 1 and 2, according to one embodiment, the control unit 14 can receive information about the remaining amount of aerosol generating material. The cartridge 1 can transmit information about the remaining amount of aerosol generating material to the control unit 14. The aerosol generating device 10 can control whether or not to heat the aerosol product 11 by controlling the heater 121 according to the remaining amount of aerosol generating material 2. The control unit 14 can control whether or not to heat the aerosol product 11 by controlling the heater 121 according to the remaining amount of aerosol generating material. For example, the control unit 14 may not heat the aerosol product 11 when the remaining amount of aerosol generation is below a certain level.

[0079] Meanwhile, the consumption pattern of the aerosol product 11 is related to the distribution structure of the aerosol product 11 according to a predetermined standard. The aerosol product 11 may be distributed in a predetermined number of units. The aerosol product 11 may be distributed in a predetermined bundle unit. For example, the aerosol product 11 may be distributed in units of 20 units. The distribution of the aerosol product 11 is achieved by a user purchasing the aerosol product 11 from a retail store. For example, a user can typically purchase the aerosol product 11 in units of 20 units. However, the general distribution structure and transaction unit of the aerosol product 11 are not limited to those described above. Meanwhile, the aerosol-generating material may be supplied to users through a distribution channel similar to that of the aerosol product 11.

[0080] In one embodiment, the amount of aerosol generating material 2 contained in the cartridge 1 is related to the user's consumption pattern of the aerosol product 11. If the amount of aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge 1 is adjusted to match the consumption pattern of the aerosol product 11, the convenience of use of the aerosol generating device 10 may be increased. If the size of the space 61 in the cartridge 1 that contains the aerosol generating material is designed to match the consumption pattern of the aerosol product 11, the convenience of use of the aerosol generating device 10 may be increased.

[0081] The aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment can generate an aerosol by simultaneously consuming the aerosol product 11 and the aerosol generating substance 2. When the aerosol generating device 10 consumes the aerosol product 11, the heater 121 heats the aerosol product 11. While the aerosol generating device 10 consumes one unit of the aerosol product 11 to generate an aerosol, the cartridge 1 can consume a predetermined amount of the aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol.

[0082] A standard for the amount of aerosol generating material consumed by the cartridge 1 during the time the aerosol generating device 10 consumes one unit of aerosol product 11 may be predetermined.

[0083] The predetermined standard for the amount of aerosol generating material consumed by the cartridge 1 is a value standardized by analyzing the usage pattern of a user of the aerosol generation device 10. For example, the amount of aerosol generating material 2 consumed by the cartridge 1 while the aerosol generation device consumes one aerosol product 11 may be standardized to about 0.06 ml. However, the quantitative relationship between the aerosol product 11 and the aerosol generating material in the aerosol generation device 10 is not limited to the above.

[0084] In one embodiment, the amount of aerosol generating material 2 contained in the cartridge 1 is related to the amount of aerosol generating material consumed by the cartridge 1 when the aerosol generating device 10 consumes a specific distribution unit or transaction unit of aerosol generating material.

[0085] The aerosol product 11 may be distributed in a predetermined number of units. The aerosol product 11 may be distributed in a predetermined bundle. For example, the aerosol product 11 may be distributed in units of 20 units. Distribution of the aerosol product 11 occurs when a user purchases the aerosol product 11 from a retail store. For example, a user can typically purchase the aerosol product 11 in units of 20 units. However, the distribution unit or transaction unit of the aerosol-generating substance 2 is not limited to the above.

[0086] In one embodiment, the amount of aerosol generating material 2 contained in cartridge 1 can be proportional to the number of aerosol product items 11 that are heated without replacing cartridge 1. "The number of aerosol product items 11 that are heated without replacing cartridge 1" refers to the number of aerosol product items 11 that are heated using one cartridge 1.

[0087] The amount of aerosol-generating material contained in one cartridge 1 is an integer multiple of the amount of aerosol-generating material consumed by the cartridge 1 while the aerosol generating device 10 consumes 20 aerosol product products 11 .

[0088] For example, if one cartridge 1 consumes approximately 0.06 ml of aerosol generating material while the aerosol generating device 10 consumes one aerosol product 11, then the cartridge 1 can consume approximately 1.2 ml of aerosol generating material while the aerosol generating device 10 consumes 20 aerosol product products 11.

[0089] Alternatively, if the cartridge 1 consumes approximately 0.06 ml of the aerosol-generating substance 2 while the aerosol generating device 10 consumes one aerosol product 11, the cartridge 1 can consume approximately 2.4 ml of the aerosol-generating substance while the aerosol generating device 10 consumes 40 aerosol product products 11. However, the quantitative relationship between the consumption of the aerosol product 11 and the aerosol-generating substance 2 by the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to the above.

[0090] When the amount of aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge 1 is an integer multiple of the transaction unit for the aerosol product 11, the replacement cycle for the user's cartridge 1 may coincide with the transaction cycle for the aerosol generating material. When the replacement cycle for the user's cartridge 1 coincides with the transaction cycle for the aerosol generating material, the convenience of using the aerosol generating device 10 may be increased. However, the transaction unit for the aerosol product 11 and the amount of aerosol generating material 2 contained in the cartridge 1 are not limited to those described above.

[0091] The amount of aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge 1 is an amount obtained by adding 10% of the standard consumption amount of the aerosol generating material to account for errors due to individual user usage patterns. For example, the cartridge 1 contains approximately 1.32 ml of aerosol generating material. For example, the cartridge 1 contains approximately 2.64 ml of aerosol generating material. For example, the cartridge 1 contains 1.5 ml to 4 ml of aerosol generating material. For example, the cartridge 1 contains 2.4 ml to 2.8 ml of aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 22 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 22 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 22 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 22 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1.

[0092] The amount of aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge 1 is an amount obtained by adding 5% or 15% of the standard consumption amount of the aerosol generating material, taking into account errors due to individual user usage patterns. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 21 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 heats an integer multiple of 23 aerosol product items 11 without replacing the cartridge 1.

[0093] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to one embodiment. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to one embodiment.

[0094] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the cartridge of Figure 3 according to one embodiment taken along line AA. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cartridge of Figure 3 according to one embodiment taken along line BB and viewed from below.

[0095] 3 and 4, a cartridge 1 according to one embodiment may include a first container 3, a second container 6, and a heating element 52.

[0096] The first container 3 stores the aerosol-generating material and may include an opening 30 at its bottom. The opening 30 of the first container 3 is a space 61 defined by the bottom edge of the inner wall of the first container 3.

[0097] The second container 6 can accommodate the heating element 52. The second container 6 can be connected to the bottom of the first container 3. The second container 6 can extend along the extension direction of the first container 3.

[0098] The heating element 52 can heat the aerosol-generating material. The heating element 52 can heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The heating element 52 can heat the aerosol-generating material transferred to the second container 6 through the opening 30 at the bottom of the first container 3 to generate an aerosol. However, the aerosol-generating material heated by the heating element 52 is not limited to that transferred from the first container 3 to the second container 6.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the cartridge 1 may include a frame 5 and a wick 51. The frame 5 may be inserted into the internal space 61 of the second container 6 to couple with the second container 6. The wick 51 may absorb the aerosol-generating substance. The wick 51 serves to fix the position of the aerosol-generating substance so that the heating element 52 can heat the aerosol-generating substance effectively. The wick 51 may be accommodated in a wick coupling groove 53 included in the frame 5.

[0100] The aerosol-generating substance absorbed into the wick 51 and heated by the heating element becomes an aerosol, which can be discharged through the chamber outlet 55 of the frame 5. The chamber outlet 55 can be connected to the cartridge outlet 62 of the second container 6. The cartridge outlet 62 can discharge the aerosol to the outside of the cartridge 1.

[0101] According to an embodiment, the first container 3 may include an upper cover 34 at its upper portion. The upper cover 34 may be connected to the sidewall 33. The upper cover 34 may be attached to the sidewall 33 through UV sealing or an ultrasonic process. However, the upper cover 34 may be formed integrally with the sidewall 33.

[0102] The upper cover 34 may include an inlet passage 32 through which air outside the cartridge 1 is introduced. The inlet passage 32 may transfer air outside the cartridge 1 to the inside of the frame 5 through a cartridge flow path 54 of the frame 5.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the cartridge 1 may include a sealing member 4. The sealing member 4 can prevent leakage of the aerosol-generating substance. The sealing member 4 is attached to at least a portion of the first container 3 and can prevent the aerosol-generating substance stored in the first container 3 from leaking outside the cartridge 1.

[0104] The sealing member 4 may include an inlet hole 41 and a connecting hole 42. A plurality of inlet holes 41 may be formed at positions corresponding to the ends of the wick 51. The inlet holes 41 may function to transfer the aerosol-generating material from the first container 3 to the second container 6. The connecting hole 42 may function to transfer the outside air that has flowed in through the inlet passage 32 to the second container 6.

[0105] The sealing member 4 may be interposed between the first container 3 and the second container 6. The sealing member 4 may cover 15 the opening 30 of the first container 3. The sealing member 4 may prevent the aerosol-generating substance 2 from leaking to the outside of the first container 3. Leakage of the aerosol-generating substance to the outside of the first container 3 means that the aerosol-generating substance inside the first container 3 moves to a space 61 other than the inlet hole 41 of the sealing member 4 or to the outside of the cartridge 1. The sealing member 4 may cover 15 the edge direction of the opening 30 of the first container 3.

[0106] The sealing member 4 may be made of a material that tightly adheres to a portion of the first container 3. The sealing member 4 may include an elastic material, such as, but not limited to, rubber or silicone.

[0107] The sealing member 4 tightly adheres to at least a portion of the opening 30 through which the interior space 61 of the first container 3 is exposed, thereby preventing leakage of the aerosol-generating material. Here, being tightly adhered to means that the sealing member 4 is firmly adhered to the first container 3 so that no gaps through which the aerosol-generating material can leak are formed between the first container 3 and other components.

[0108] The sealing member 4 may be fixed at the joint between the first container 3 and the second container 6. If the sealing member 4 is not properly fixed at the joint between the first container 3 and the second container 6, the aerosol-generating material will leak from the first container 3. To ensure that the sealing member 4 is properly fixed, the degree of freedom of the sealing member 4 must be appropriately restricted. The degree of freedom of the sealing member 4 refers to the degree and / or amount of deformation when the sealing member 4 is elastically compressed between the first container 3 and the second container 6 to adequately seal the space between the first container 3 and the second container 6. The degree of freedom of the sealing member 4 refers to the degree and / or amount of deformation when the sealing member 4 is elastically compressed in the direction of gravity. The degree of freedom of the sealing member 4 refers to the degree and / or amount of deformation when at least a portion of the sealing member 4 is elastically compressed in the opposite direction of the force. The opposite direction of the force may be due to, but is not limited to, a virtual inertial force.

[0109] The sealing member 4 may be fixed between the frame 5 and the first container 3. The sealing member 4 may be supported at its lower part by the frame 5. The contact area of ​​the sealing member 4 with the frame 5 is larger than the contact area of ​​the sealing member 4 with the first container 3. The sealing member 4 does not have much freedom to flow downward. If there is no structure supporting the sealing member 4 upward, the sealing member 4 has a greater freedom to flow upward than downward. When the sealing member 4 flows upward, it does not cover 15 the edge of the opening 30 of the first container 3. If the edge of the opening 30 of the first container 3 is not covered 15 by the sealing member 4, the aerosol-generating substance will leak out of the cartridge 1.

[0110] 5 and 6, the first container 3 according to an embodiment may include a protrusion 31. The protrusion 31 may protrude from the inside of a lower portion of a sidewall 33 of the first container 3. The protrusion 31 may support the sealing member 4 from above. An end of the protrusion 31 may contact the upper surface of the sealing member 4.

[0111] The protrusion 31 can restrict the upward freedom of the sealing member 4. The protrusion 31 can prevent upward deformation of at least a portion of the sealing member 4. The protrusion 31 helps the sealing member 4 to maintain an appropriate position between the first container 3 and the second container 6.

[0112] In addition, the protrusions 31 function to maintain the distance between the sealing member 4 and the first container 3. The protrusions 31 help the sealing member 4 cover 15 the opening 30 of the first container 3. The protrusions 31 can prevent the sealing member 4 from leaking the aerosol-generating material contained in the first container 3 to the outside of the cartridge 1. There may be multiple protrusions 31. The protrusions 31 may be arranged along the periphery of the sealing member 4. However, the functions and roles of the protrusions 31 are not limited to those described above.

[0113] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional perspective views of the cartridge of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment, cut along line CC and viewed from the +x-axis direction, respectively.

[0114] 7A and 7B, components of the cartridge 1 according to an embodiment may have a predetermined height in the +z-axis direction.

[0115] The height h1 of the first container 3 is the distance from the point where the first container 3 and the second container 6 are joined to the top cover 34 of the first container 3.

[0116] The height h2 of the second container 6 is the distance from the point where the first container 3 and the second container 6 are joined to the bottom end of the second container 6.

[0117] The height h3 of the protrusion 31 is the length of the protrusion 31 that protrudes in a direction parallel to the z-axis direction on the inner surface of the first container 3. The height h3 of the protrusion 31 is the length of the protrusion 31 measured in a direction parallel to the z-axis direction on the inner surface of the first container 3.

[0118] If the space 61 occupied by the protrusions 31 in the first container 3 according to an embodiment is not large, the amount of aerosol-generating material accommodated inside the first container 3 is large.

[0119] The height h3 above the protrusion 31 is between 0.5% and 20% of the height h1 above the first container 3. The height h3 above the protrusion 31 is between 0.7% and 15% of the height h1 above the first container 3. The height h3 above the protrusion 31 is between 1% and 10% of the height h1 above the first container 3. When the height h3 above the protrusion 31 is relatively lower than the height h1 above the first container 3, a larger amount of aerosol-generating material is accommodated inside the first container 3. However, the ratio of the heights of the protrusion 31 and the first container 3 is not limited to the above.

[0120] "Upward" means in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the cartridge 1, ie, in the z-axis direction.

[0121] According to an embodiment, the second container 6 may contain many other components in addition to the aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material accounts for the largest proportion of the total volume of the cartridge 1.

[0122] When the volume ratio of the first container 3 is greater than the volume ratio of the second container 6, the amount of aerosol-generating material held in the cartridge 1 is large. The height h2 above the second container 6 is between 20% and 40% of the height h1 above the first container 3. The height h2 above the second container 6 is between 15% and 35% of the height h1 above the first container 3. The height h2 above the second container 6 is between 10% and 30% of the height h1 above the first container 3. When the height h1 of the first container 3 is relatively greater than the height h2 of the second container 6, the amount of aerosol-generating material held in the cartridge 1 is large.

[0123] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 3 taken along line BB and viewed from above, according to one embodiment.

[0124] 3 and 8, the first container 3 according to an embodiment may have a width w1 and a height w2. The width w1 is the maximum distance in the y-axis direction formed by the outer surface of the side wall 33. The height w2 is the maximum distance in the x-axis direction formed by the outer surface of the side wall 33.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the area defined by the inner surface of the side wall 33 of the first container 3 can be defined as the area of ​​a closed curve defined by the inner surface of the side wall 33 of the first container 3 in a cross section of the first container 3 cut along a plane parallel to the z-axis. The larger the area defined by the inner surface of the side wall 33 of the first container 3, the larger the amount of aerosol-generating material that can be accommodated in the first container 3. In a cross section of the first container 3 cut in a direction perpendicular to the height direction, the inner area of ​​the side wall 33 is 68 mm 2 Over 80mm 2 However, the inner area of ​​the side wall 33 is not limited to the above.

[0126] The side wall 33 of the first container 3 may have a predetermined thickness w3. When the outer surface of the side wall 33 of the first container 3 has the same area, the smaller the thickness w3 of the side wall 33, the larger the area formed by the inner surface of the side wall 33 of the first container 3. The smaller the thickness w3 of the side wall 33, the greater the amount of aerosol-generating material that can be accommodated in the first container 3. The smaller the thickness w3 of the side wall 33 compared to the width w1 and the length w2, the greater the amount of aerosol-generating material that can be accommodated in the first container 3. The thickness w3 of the side wall 33 is 2% to 7% of the width w1. The thickness w3 of the side wall 33 is 3% to 10% of the length w2. However, the thickness w3 of the side wall 33 is not limited to the above.

[0127] 9A to 9C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the contours of sidewalls according to other embodiments.

[0128] 3, 8, and 9A to 9C, the sidewall 33 of the first container 1 may have outer contours 330a, 330b, and 330c. The outer contours 330a, 330b, and 330c may include straight portions 331a, 331b, and 331c and curved portions 332a, 332b, and 332c. The sidewall 33 of the first container 3 may have outer contours 330a, 330b, and 330c including straight portions 331a, 331b, and 331c and curved portions 332a, 332b, and 332c in a direction perpendicular to the height direction. The "height direction" refers to the extension direction of the first container, i.e., the z-axis direction.

[0129] According to the embodiment, both ends of the straight portions 331a, 331b, and 331c may be connected to both ends of the curved portions 332a, 332b, and 332c.

[0130] When the first container 3 is cut in a cross section perpendicular to the height direction, the shape of the outer contour 330a is approximately semicircular. The curved portion 332a is an arc with a right angle at the center. In this case, if the degree of curvature of at least a portion of the curved portion 332a increases, the outer contour 330a may be deformed in an expanding direction.

[0131] 9B, when outer contour 330b of curved portion 332b according to the embodiment is expanded, the inner area of ​​sidewall 33 increases. When the inner area of ​​sidewall 33 increases, the amount of aerosol-generating material accommodated in first container 3 can increase. When curved portion 332b is deformed in a convex direction with respect to the straight portion, the amount of aerosol-generating material accommodated in first container 3 can increase. When curved portion 332b is deformed, the distance from straight portion 331b to the upper end of curved portion 332b does not change, but is not limited to this.

[0132] The cartridge 1 according to the embodiment can maintain a predetermined curve on the curved portion 332 to ensure user convenience. When the curved portion 332 has a predetermined curved shape, it does not slip out of the user's hand. The outer contour 330 of the cartridge 1 may have a shape intermediate between a semicircle and a rectangle to maintain a balance between user convenience and the capacity to accommodate the aerosol-generating material. The curved portion 332b may be formed with multiple radii of curvature. "Capacity to accommodate the aerosol-generating material" refers to the total amount of aerosol-generating material that the cartridge 1 can accommodate.

[0133] 9C, curved portion 332c of outer contour 330c may have a trapezoidal cross-section with curved apexes. Curved portion 332c may have a rectangular shape with rounded corners on the top side. When curved portion 332c is formed close to a rectangle while maintaining minimal curvature, an appropriate balance can be maintained between user convenience and aerosol-generating material capacity.

[0134] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 900 according to another embodiment.

[0135] The aerosol generating device 900 includes a control unit 910, a sensing unit 920, an output unit 930, a battery 940, a heater 950, a user input unit 960, a memory 970, and a communication unit 980. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 900 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 10. That is, a person skilled in the art of this embodiment can understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 10 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 900.

[0136] The sensing unit 920 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 900 or the state around the aerosol generating device 900 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 910. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 910 can control the aerosol generating device 900 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 950, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0137] The sensing unit 920 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a temperature sensor 922, an insertion sensor 924, and a puff sensor 926.

[0138] The temperature sensor 922 can sense the temperature to which the heater 950 (or the aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 900 can include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 950, or the heater 950 itself can function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 922 can be disposed around the battery 940 to monitor the temperature of the battery 940.

[0139] The insertion detection sensor 924 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 924 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product article.

[0140] The puff sensor 926 can sense a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, such as a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, or a pressure change.

[0141] The sensing unit 920 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (illuminance) sensor, in addition to the aforementioned temperature sensor 922, insertion sensor 924, and puff sensor 926. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by a person skilled in the art from its name, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0142] The output unit 930 can output and provide to a user information about the status of the aerosol generating device 900. The output unit 930 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 932, a haptic unit 934, and an audio output unit 936. When the display unit 932 and the touchpad are layered to form a touch screen, the display unit 932 is used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0143] The display unit 932 can visually provide a user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 900 refers to various information such as the charge / discharge status of the battery 940 of the aerosol generating device 900, the preheating status of the heater 950, the insertion / removal status of an aerosol product, or a status in which use of the aerosol generating device 900 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 932 can output the information to the outside. The display unit 932 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The display unit 932 can also be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0144] The haptic unit 934 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide the user with tactile information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the haptic unit 934 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0145] The acoustic output unit 936 can audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the acoustic output unit 936 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0146] The battery 940 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 900. The battery 940 can supply power to heat the heater 950. The battery 940 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 900 (e.g., the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980). The battery 940 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 940 is a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0147] The heater 950 is supplied with power from the battery 940 and can heat the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in Fig. 10, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 940 and supplies it to the heater 950. Furthermore, when the aerosol-generating device 900 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of the battery 940 into AC power.

[0148] The control unit 910, the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980 can function by receiving power from a battery 940. Although not shown in FIG. 10 , the device may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 940 and supplies it to each component.

[0149] In one embodiment, heater 950 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include, but are not limited to, metals or metal alloys including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, heater 950 may be embodied by, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with a conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0150] In other embodiments, heater 950 is an induction heater. For example, heater 950 may include a susceptor that generates heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0151] The user input unit 960 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 960 may be, but is not limited to, a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (e.g., a contact-type capacitance type, a pressure-type resistive film type, an infrared sensing type, a surface ultrasonic conduction type, an integral tension measurement type, a piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. Although not shown in FIG. 10 , the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface. The aerosol generating device 900 may be connected to another external device via the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 940.

[0152] The memory 970 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 900 and can store data that has been processed by the control unit 910 and data to be processed by the control unit 910. The memory 970 includes at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a micro multimedia card type, a card-type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 970 can store data related to the operating time of the aerosol generating device 900, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0153] The communication unit 980 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 980 includes a short-range communication unit 982 and a wireless communication unit 984.

[0154] The short-range wireless communication unit 982 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an IrDA (infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra-wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

[0155] The wireless communication unit 984 includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 984 can also identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 900 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0156] The control unit 910 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 900. In one embodiment, the control unit 910 includes at least one processor. The processor may be embodied as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may also be embodied by other forms of hardware.

[0157] The control unit 910 can control the temperature of the heater 950 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 940 to the heater 950. For example, the control unit 910 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 940 and the heater 950. As another example, a heating direct circuit can control the power supply to the heater 950 according to a control command from the control unit 910.

[0158] The control unit 910 may analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 920 and control subsequent processing. For example, the control unit 910 may control the power supplied to the heater 950 to start or stop operation of the heater 950 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 920. As another example, the control unit 910 may control the amount of power and the power supply time supplied to the heater 950 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 920 to heat the heater 950 to a predetermined temperature or maintain an appropriate temperature.

[0159] The control unit 910 can control the output unit 930 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, if the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 926 reaches a predetermined number, the control unit 910 can notify the user through at least one of the display unit 932, the haptic unit 934, and the audio output unit 936 that the aerosol generating device 900 will soon be shut down.

[0160] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as a program module executed by a computer. Computer-readable media are any available media accessible by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. Computer-readable media also include both computer recording media and communication media. Computer recording media include both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal, such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and include any information delivery media.

[0161] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents of the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. a first container for storing an aerosol-generating material and including an opening at a bottom; a second container connected to the lower portion of the first container and configured to receive the aerosol-forming material from the first container and generate an aerosol; a sealing member interposed between the first container and the second container and covering the opening, The first container further includes a protrusion protruding inward from a lower portion of a side wall thereof and supporting the sealing member from above.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the height above the protrusion is between 1% and 10% of the height above the first container.

3. the sealing member includes an elastic material and is configured to prevent the aerosol-generating substance from leaking from an edge of the opening; The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the protrusions are arranged to prevent a portion of the sealing member from being deformed above the opening.

4. In a cross section of the first container cut vertically upward, the inner area of ​​the side wall is 68 mm ２ Over 80mm ２ 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

5. 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the height above the second container is between 10% and 30% of the height above the first container.

6. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the side wall of the first container is 2% to 7% of the lateral width of the first container.

7. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the side wall of the first container is 3% to 10% of the vertical width of the first container.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first container can hold between 1.5 ml and 4 ml of the aerosol-forming material.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the first container has an outer contour including straight and curved portions in an upward vertical direction.

10. The cartridge according to claim 9 , wherein the curved portion has an arc shape with a central angle of a right angle.

11. 10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the curved portion is formed with a plurality of radii of curvature.

12. The cartridge according to claim 9 , wherein the curved portion has a trapezoidal shape with rounded short sides.

13. The cartridge of any one of claims 1 to 12; a main body coupled to the cartridge, into which the aerosol generated in the cartridge flows, and including a storage space for storing an aerosol product; a heater for heating the aerosol product contained in the body.

14. the aerosol generating device controls the heater based on the remaining amount of the aerosol generating material; The aerosol generating device heats N aerosol product products without replacing the cartridge, The aerosol generating device according to claim 13 , wherein N satisfies the relationship of mathematical formula 1. [Equation 1] (In the above formula 1, k is an integer of 2 or more.)

15. the aerosol generating device controls the heater based on the remaining amount of the aerosol generating material; The aerosol generating device according to claim 13, wherein the aerosol generating device is capable of heating 42 to 46 aerosol product products without replacing the cartridge.

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