Aerosol generating device with vacuum chamber

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an aerosol generating device comprising: a vacuum chamber (402) defined between a plurality of walls (404a, b, c, d), each of the plurality of walls having an inner surface; a heater (406) provided on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber and disposed inside the vacuum chamber; one or more electrical connections (408a, b), the heater being electrically connected to a power source provided outside the vacuum chamber via at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber using one or more electrical connections; and a coating (410, 420, 430, 440, 450) applied to the heater (410), one or more electrical connections (420), and one or more of the arbitrary inner surfaces (430, 440, 450) to prevent gas release into the vacuum chamber.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device provided with a vacuum chamber. In particular, the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device provided with a vacuum chamber and having a heater disposed inside the vacuum chamber.

Background Art

[0002] Manufacturing electronic cigarettes that heat but do not burn a solid or semi-solid aerosol-forming substrate containing tobacco is an area of developing interest. One problem in these devices is that the heater that supplies heat to the heating chamber may also unnecessarily heat the rest of the device. In a compact device, this can be disadvantageous because the temperature of the outer surface of the device held by the user can become unacceptably high. To mitigate such effects, some aerosol generating devices include a vacuum chamber in which the heater can be spaced from the outer surface. This can provide a thermal separation between the heating chamber and the outer surface held by the user. The heater can be disposed inside the vacuum chamber together with an electrical connection portion that connects the heater to a power source provided outside the vacuum chamber.

[0003] It is important to maintain a vacuum state inside the vacuum chamber so that heat transfer through the gas inside the chamber can be minimized. The term "vacuum" as used herein may not necessarily refer to a completely evacuated space. The vacuum state inside the vacuum chamber may be a low, medium, or high grade vacuum. For example, a trace amount of gas may be present inside the vacuum chamber. Generally, the vacuum state should be maintained at a sufficiently low pressure so that heat transfer from the heater to the outer surface of the device is reduced. A small amount of heat transfer may be tolerated.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] <There is a demand for manufacturing aerosol generating devices that include a vacuum chamber having a vacuum state that can be maintained over a sustained period of time. The object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device that addresses these demands. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Described herein is an aerosol generating device comprising: a vacuum chamber defined between a plurality of walls, each of which has an inner surface; a heater provided on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber and disposed inside the vacuum chamber; one or more electrical connections, the heater being electrically connected to a power source provided outside the vacuum chamber via at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber; and a coating applied to the heater, the one or more electrical connections, and one or more of the arbitrary inner surfaces, thereby preventing gas release into the vacuum chamber.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generating device is provided, the aerosol generating device comprising: a vacuum chamber defined between a plurality of walls, each of which has an inner surface; a heater provided on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber and disposed inside the vacuum chamber; one or more electrical connections, the heater being electrically connected to a power source provided outside the vacuum chamber via at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber using one or more electrical connections; and a coating applied to one or more electrical connections to prevent gas release into the vacuum chamber.

[0007] Preferably, the coating is applied to the heater and / or any inner surface.

[0008] Components of aerosol generating devices, such as the inner walls of vacuum chambers, heaters, and electrical connections, have been found to potentially release gases when heated, meaning they may emit gases. Organic compounds, in particular, can decompose when heated, leading to gas release.

[0009] The heater and the inner walls of the vacuum chamber may contain trace amounts of organic material. Furthermore, the materials forming the heater and inner walls may begin to decompose into gas when heated. The solder used to connect the electrical connections to the heater often contains trace amounts of flux, which often comprises organic compounds such as naturally occurring resins. Organic compounds in the device components can therefore cause gas release into the vacuum chamber during device operation, potentially compromising the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber.

[0010] In devices where the vacuum state is low-grade, small amounts of gas may be present inside the vacuum chamber. However, such a vacuum state may still be effective in preventing large heat transfers. If gas is released from such a vacuum state, the amount of gas inside the vacuum chamber increases, and so does the gas pressure. In this scenario, the gas released into the vacuum chamber begins to transfer heat, which may increase heat transfer to the outside of the device.

[0011] By coating the internal surfaces of a vacuum chamber, the effects of gas release can be reduced, thereby maintaining the vacuum state of the chamber for an extended period. Such coatings suitable for this purpose do not release gas. Such coatings do not allow gas to flow through them. By coating the surfaces of components of an aerosol generating device disposed inside a vacuum chamber, other forms of treatment to remove organic compounds before device assembly, such as high-temperature firing, may be unnecessary.

[0012] The coating thickness may be selected to satisfy several interests. A thin coating may be preferred to improve the thermal insulation provided by the vacuum chamber. On the other hand, the coating thickness must be sufficient to provide an impermeable cover that prevents gas permeation for extended periods, even under high-temperature conditions. In some configurations, these factors may be balanced so that the coating thickness allows the vacuum state to be maintained for at least a selected period. In one embodiment, the selected period may be about two years, or at least two years for normal use.

[0013] In various embodiments, one or more electrical connections are provided with solder. In this way, the electrical connections can be easily connected to a heater. The solder can also be coated to prevent direct gas release from the solder into the vacuum chamber.

[0014] In one configuration, the vacuum chamber may be defined between an inner wall, an outer wall, an upper wall, and a lower wall. Preferably, the coating is applied to one of the inner wall, outer wall, upper wall, and lower wall. In this way, gas can be prevented from being released into the vacuum chamber from one or more areas of the walls of the vacuum chamber. It should be understood that the inner surfaces of the multiple walls are their surfaces facing inward toward the vacuum chamber.

[0015] Preferably, the heater is electrically connected to a power source located outside the vacuum chamber, via the lower wall of the vacuum chamber, using one or more electrical connections. In this way, the operation of the heater, which is installed in the vacuum, can be controlled. The structure of the aerosol generating device can also be simplified. Alternatively, the heater may be electrically connected to the power source via the inner wall, outer wall, or upper wall of the vacuum chamber, or any combination thereof.

[0016] The heater may include a printed heating element. In this way, the heater may be easily and reliably mounted on at least one wall of the vacuum chamber. Preferably, the heater is mounted on the inner wall of the vacuum chamber. In this way, the size of the aerosol generating device can be reduced and its assembly can be simplified. The printed heater may include printed lead pads to which one or more electrical connections can be connected.

[0017] The electrical connection may include a pogo pin. In this way, the pogo pin can provide an electrical connection from a power source located outside the vacuum chamber through the outer wall of the device to the heater, thus simplifying the device structure. Furthermore, the risk of damaging the heater during device assembly is reduced due to the fact that the pogo pin may be gently biased toward the heater.

[0018] The coating may contain silicon. Silicone coatings have been found to be particularly effective in reducing gas emissions.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for forming an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising: forming a vacuum chamber defined between a plurality of walls, each of which has an inner surface; providing a heater on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber, the heater being disposed inside the vacuum chamber; forming one or more electrical connections, the heater being electrically connected to a power source located outside the vacuum chamber via at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber using one or more electrical connections; and coating one or more electrical connections to prevent gas release into the vacuum chamber.

[0020] Preferably, the method further includes coating the heater and / or any inner surface to prevent gas release into the vacuum chamber.

[0021] Preferably, the coating is applied by chemical vapor deposition. In other words, coating the heater, one or more electrical connections, and / or any inner surface includes coating the heater, one or more electrical connections, and / or any inner surface via chemical vapor deposition. In this way, the coating can be accurately applied to the components of the aerosol generation device disposed inside the vacuum chamber. By using chemical vapor deposition, a thin film of the coating can be applied to the heater, one or more electrical connections, and / or any inner surface.

[0022] The silicon coating may be applied to the heater, one or more electrical connections, and / or any inner surface via chemical vapor deposition. In an embodiment where only a part of the component, for example only the heater, is coated, the surfaces of other components may be masked with a material to prevent the coating from being applied to the masked surfaces.

[0023] When coating the inner wall of the vacuum chamber, the inner wall may be inverted and placed on or in a jig. The jig may be an array of holes on or in which the components of the device may be placed. Thereby, since the heating chamber is not exposed, it is possible to prevent the coating from being applied to the opening of the cup-shaped inner wall or the heating chamber.

[0024] The device features described above may be implemented as method steps in a method of forming an aerosol generation device, and vice versa. It should be understood that the method steps described may be performed in various different orders.

[0025] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device including a vacuum chamber known in the art. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device 100 including a vacuum chamber 102 known in the art. The aerosol generation device 100 has a generally cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section defined around a central axis. The vacuum chamber 102 is defined between an inner wall 104a, an outer wall 104b, an upper wall 104c, and a lower wall 104d. Each wall has an inner surface facing inwardly toward the vacuum chamber 102. An opening 105 is provided through the upper wall 104c. The opening 105 extends axially inwardly inside the cup-shaped inner wall 104a. The opening 105 is configured such that an aerosol generation substrate (not shown) can be received inside the inner wall 104a for heating by the heater 106. The heater 106 includes a lead pad 107 and is provided on the inner wall 104a. The heater 106 is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 102. A first electrical connection portion 108a and a second electrical connection portion 108b are provided through the lower wall 104d to connect the heater 106 via the lead pad 107 to a power source (not shown) provided outside the vacuum chamber 102.

[0028] In this embodiment, the heater 106 is printed on the inner wall 104a. The heater 106 may contain organic compounds that can decompose when heated. These compounds may release small amounts of gas into the vacuum chamber 102 during decomposition, in a process known as gas release, and thus impair the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber. Furthermore, the first and second electrical connections 108a,b are connected to the heater using solder. Flux is often used to apply heated solder to specific areas to form connections. Flux generally comprises organic compounds such as naturally occurring resins. These naturally occurring resins may also decompose when heated, releasing small amounts of gas into the vacuum chamber 102. These effects may adversely affect the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber 102.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device 200 in one embodiment of the present invention. The vacuum chamber 202 is defined between an inner wall 204a, an outer wall 204b, an upper wall 204c, and a lower wall 204d. Each wall has an inner surface facing inward toward the vacuum chamber 202. An opening 205 is provided through the upper wall 204c. The opening 205 also extends axially within the cup-shaped inner wall 204a. The opening 205 is configured to allow an aerosol generating substrate (not shown) to be received inside the inner wall 204a for heating by a heater 206. The heater 206 includes a lead pad 207 and is mounted on the inner wall 204a. The heater 206 is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 202. A first electrical connection 208a and a second electrical connection 208b are provided through the lower wall 204d to connect the heater 206 to a power source (not shown) located outside the vacuum chamber 202 via a lead pad 207. A coating 210 is applied to the heater 206 and the heater's lead pad 207 to reduce gas release from the compound inside the heater 206 into the vacuum chamber 202. In one embodiment, a silicon coating may be applied. The material used for the coating is selected to be non-porous and not contain organic materials that could cause gas release.

[0030] In this embodiment, the outer wall 204b, the upper wall 204c, and the lower wall 204d are separate components. In other embodiments, these three components may instead be a single, integrated cup-shaped outer wall.

[0031] The heater 206 is located on the outward-facing surface of the inner wall 204a and inside the vacuum chamber 202. The outward-facing surface of the inner wall 204 and the inward-facing surface of the outer wall 204b are spaced apart from each other inside the vacuum chamber 202. The vacuum chamber 202 thus isolates the outer wall 204b and, therefore, the user of the device, from the heat generated by the heater 206. The heat from the heater 206 is transferred to the inner wall 204a by conduction to consumables received inside the opening 205. The vacuum chamber 202 is sealed by the upper wall 204c and the bottom wall 204d.

[0032] In this embodiment, the heater 206 is a printed heating element comprising printed lead pads 207 to which first and second electrical connections 208a, b can be connected. The heater 206 is printed on the outside of the inner wall 204a inside the vacuum chamber 202 using conductive screen printing ink to form the heater. In other embodiments, the heater 206 may be a wire heating element or another type of heater. The heater 206 is printed in a meandering pattern to provide uniform heating to the inner wall 204a.

[0033] The first and second electrical connection points 208a and b are provided through the lower wall 204d. In other embodiments, the first and second electrical connection points 208a and b may be provided through the outer wall 204b or the upper wall 204c, or through a combination of walls.

[0034] In this embodiment, the coating 210 is applied to the heater 206 and the lead pads of the heater 207 to reduce gas release into the vacuum chamber. The coating 210 is a silicon coating applied to the heater 206 and lead pads 207 using chemical vapor deposition.

[0035] When coating 210 is applied to the heater 206 and lead pad 207, the inner wall 204a, outer wall 204b, upper wall 204c, lower wall 204d, and the first and second electrical connection parts 208a, b may be masked with a material to prevent the coating from being applied to these surfaces. The material can then be removed after the coating has been applied, leaving only the heater 206 and lead pad 207 coated.

[0036] The coating thickness is selected to provide a specific service life during which the coating can continue to prevent gas release into the vacuum chamber. In some configurations, the specific service life is at least two years.

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device 300 in one embodiment of the present invention, which has a structure similar to that of the embodiment in Figure 2.

[0038] In this configuration, the first coating 310 is applied to the heater 306 and the lead pad 307 to prevent gas release from the compound inside the heater to the vacuum chamber 302, and the second coating 320 is applied to the first and second electrical connection parts 308a and b to prevent gas release from the compound inside the first and second electrical connection parts 308a and b to the vacuum chamber 302.

[0039] The first and second coatings 310, 320 are silicon coatings applied to the heater 306, the lead pad 307, and the first and second electrical connections 308a, b using chemical vapor deposition. In some configurations, the first and second coatings 310, 320 may be applied in a single step to effectively create a single coating covering the heater 306, the lead pad 307, and the first and second electrical connections 308a, b.

[0040] In a manner similar to that described in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the walls of the vacuum chamber may be masked by the material when applying the coating to prevent the coating from being applied to the surface of the walls.

[0041] Figure 4 is another schematic cross-section.

[0042] In this configuration, the first coating 410 is applied to the heater 406 and the lead pad 407 to prevent gas release from the compound inside the heater to the vacuum chamber 402. The second coating 420 is applied to the first and second electrical connections 408a and b to prevent gas release from the compound inside the first and second electrical connections 408a and b to the vacuum chamber 402.

[0043] The third coating 430 is applied to the inner surface of the outer wall 404b, the fourth coating 440 is applied to the inner surface of the lower wall 404d, and the fifth coating is applied to the inner surface of the upper wall 404c. The third, fourth, and fifth coatings 430, 440, and 450 prevent gas release from the outer wall 404b, lower wall 404d, and upper wall 404c to the vacuum chamber 402, respectively. The third, fourth, and fifth coatings 430, 440, and 450 are also silicon coatings applied using chemical vapor deposition. As described above, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth coatings 410, 420, 430, 440, and 450 may be applied together in a single step so that they form a single coating. Alternatively, one or more of these coatings may be combined with each other and may be formed from different coating materials depending on manufacturing choices.

[0044] In this embodiment, the inner wall 404a may be masked with a material that prevents the coating from being applied to the surface of the inner wall 204a that is not covered by the heater 406. In other embodiments, the coating may be applied to the inner wall 404a such that the surface defining the vacuum chamber 402 is completely coated together with all components provided inside the vacuum chamber 402. Such a configuration minimizes any risk of gas release that could impair the integrity of the vacuum and prevents any changes in thermal insulation over time.

Claims

1. Aerosol generating device, A vacuum chamber defined between multiple walls, each of which has an inner surface, A heater provided on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber, and disposed inside the vacuum chamber, One or more electrical connections, wherein the heater is electrically connected to a power source located outside the vacuum chamber by passing through at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber using the one or more electrical connections, A coating applied to one or more electrical connection parts, thereby preventing the release of gas into the vacuum chamber, An aerosol generating device equipped with the following features.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the coating is applied to the heater and / or any of the inner surfaces.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one or more of the electrical connection points are provided with solder.

4. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vacuum chamber is defined between an inner wall, an outer wall, an upper wall, and a lower wall.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the coating is applied to any of the inner surfaces of the inner wall, outer wall, upper wall, and lower wall.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the heater is electrically connected to a power source provided outside the vacuum chamber through the lower wall of the vacuum chamber using one or more electrical connection points.

7. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heater comprises a printed heating element.

8. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electrical connection portion comprises a pogo pin.

9. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the coating comprises silicon.

10. A method for forming an aerosol generating device, To form a vacuum chamber defined between multiple walls, wherein each of the multiple walls has an inner surface, A heater is provided on at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber, wherein the heater is disposed inside the vacuum chamber. To form one or more electrical connections, the heater is electrically connected to a power source located outside the vacuum chamber by passing through at least one of the walls of the vacuum chamber using the one or more electrical connections, To coat one or more of the aforementioned electrical connection points, thereby preventing the release of gas into the vacuum chamber, Methods that include...

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising coating the heater and / or any of the inner surfaces to prevent the release of gas into the vacuum chamber.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the coating is applied by chemical vapor deposition.

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