Tool for removing broken parts of heated tobacco products
The tool uses a torsion coil spring housed in a cylindrical guide member to accurately and efficiently remove broken heat sticks from heated tobacco products, addressing the limitations of existing tools with a simple and durable design.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 大谷 哲司
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing tools for removing broken heat sticks from heated tobacco products are either inaccurate, prone to damage, or have complex structures that increase manufacturing costs, making it difficult to reliably and efficiently remove the broken parts.
A tool comprising a cylindrical guide member, a rod, and a torsion coil spring, where the torsion coil spring is housed inside the guide member and can be exposed to capture and remove the broken heat stick by applying external force, with optional features like a compression coil spring and positioning mechanism for precise insertion.
The tool provides a simple, cost-effective, and durable solution that reliably captures and removes broken heat sticks without damaging the device, ensuring easy and complete extraction.
Smart Images
Figure 0003256147000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tool for removing a broken part of a heat stick remaining in a main body device of a heated tobacco, which can easily remove the broken part of the heat stick.
Background Art
[0002] A heated tobacco is a product that uses tobacco leaves and enjoys the vapor generated by heating or the like without burning the tobacco leaves. A heat stick containing tobacco leaves is inserted into a main body device, heated, and smoked. However, due to the accumulation of dirt in the stick insertion port, the sticking of tar dirt, the remaining of tobacco leaf pieces, moisture, as well as rough pulling out, etc., when removing the heat stick from the main body device after smoking, it may break in the middle and remain. The diameter of a general heat stick is about 5 to 8 mm, and since a finger cannot be inserted into the heat stick insertion hole of the main body device, it is difficult to remove the broken heat stick in the middle. Therefore, various tools for removing such remaining broken parts have been developed.
[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a removal tool including a rod-shaped part with one end bent and a gripping part extending at the other end.
[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a heat stick removal tool having a shaft-shaped handle part and a spiral part extending axially from the handle part. In addition, tools processed from metal like a corkscrew for removing a cork from a wine bottle are also commercially available.
[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a heated tobacco extraction tool including a pulling tool main body having a slit part at the tip and a latching part having a latching claw part provided on the tip side, and a pushing tool slidably arranged with respect to the pulling tool main body. By pushing the pushing tool, the slit part expands, and by returning the pushing tool to its original position, the slit part narrows to grip the broken part of the heat stick.
Prior Art Documents
[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-48415 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2025-99329 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2025-1414 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0007] As mentioned above, various tools have been developed to remove broken pieces of heat sticks that remain inside the main device of heated tobacco products. However, with the device described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to accurately capture the breakage, and even if a part of the breakage can be removed, other parts may tear off and remain inside. A device having a spiral portion, such as the one described in Patent Document 2, has the problem that even if an attempt is made to capture the broken portion by rotating it within the main device, the broken portion itself also rotates internally, making it impossible to accurately capture the broken portion. The device described in Patent Document 3 has a complex structure, high manufacturing costs, and there are concerns that it may be easily damaged by vibrations or drops during transport. Therefore, the problem to be solved by this disclosure is to provide a broken portion removal tool for heated tobacco products that can easily remove the broken portion of a heat stick remaining inside the main device of the heated tobacco product. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] The inventor diligently conducted research to solve the above-mentioned problems. As a result, he discovered that by using a torsion coil spring, a simple device that can more reliably remove a broken heat stick can be obtained, and thus completed the present invention. The present invention is described below.
[0009] [1] comprising a cylindrical guide member, a rod, and a torsion coil spring, A portion of the rod and the torsion coil spring can be housed inside the guide member. The coil portion of the torsion coil spring is connected to the end of the rod inside the guide member. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products is characterized in that the rod is movable in the axial direction of the guide member such that, by external force, at least the tip portion of the arm of the torsion coil spring is exposed from the inside to the outside of the guide member. [2] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to [1], wherein the rod includes a cylindrical member, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical member is determined such that radial displacement is suppressed inside the guide member. [3] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to [2], wherein the guide member is divided into two parts, a compression coil spring is installed on the outside of the cylindrical member and between the guide members, and the guide member located on the opposite side of the torsion coil spring is fixed to the outside of the cylindrical member. [4] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products according to [2], wherein a compression coil spring is fixed between the inside of the guide member and the outside of the cylindrical member in the longitudinal direction of the guide member and the cylindrical member. [5] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the guide member has a positioning mechanism for controlling the maximum insertion depth into the stick insertion port of the main body device of the heated tobacco. [6] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein both ends of the arm of the torsion coil spring are bent at a right angle or approximately at a right angle. [7] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products according to [6], wherein the middle portion of the arm of the torsion coil spring is bent inward at an angle of 160° to 175°. [8] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to any one of the above [1] to [7], wherein the cross-sectional diameter of the guide member is 4 mm or more and 7 mm or less. [9] The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to any one of the above [1] to [8], wherein the distance between the ends of the arms of the torsion coil spring when no external force is applied is 10 mm or more and 35 mm or less. [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] The broken portion removal tool for heated tobacco products according to this disclosure has a simple structure, can be manufactured at low cost, and is resistant to breakage. At the same time, it can easily and reliably remove the broken portion of the heat stick remaining inside the main device. Therefore, this invention is industrially superior as it can solve the problem of heat sticks breaking in the middle associated with heated tobacco products. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a torsion coil spring. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a torsion coil spring. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the torsion coil spring shown in Figure 2 being exposed from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical guide member. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an example of a broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products that includes a compression coil spring according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products that includes a compression coil spring according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a method for removing a broken heat stick remaining in the stick insertion port of a heated tobacco device using the broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] An e-cigarette inhales an aerosol generated by heating a liquid flavor containing a fragrance or the like, while a heated tobacco product inhales an aerosol generated by heating a heat stick filled with tobacco leaves at a high temperature without using tobacco leaves.
[0013] A heated tobacco product mainly consists of a main body device and a heat stick inserted into the main body device. The heat stick has a reconstructed tobacco containing glycerin or propylene glycol for generating an aerosol by heating, a cavity or a hollow filter for cooling the aerosol, and a mouthpiece, and is covered with an outer wrapper paper on the outside, which is the same as a cigarette. However, while the tobacco leaves of a cigarette are burned, the tobacco leaf part of the heat stick does not burn but is heated by the main body device at a temperature of, for example, 300°C or lower. Therefore, when removing the heat stick from the main body device after smoking, there is a problem that the tip of the heat stick remains broken in the main body device and it is difficult to remove the remaining broken part. The breakage removal tool for a heated tobacco product according to the present disclosure is for easily removing such a broken part of the heat stick from the main body device.
[0014] The breakage removal tool for a heated tobacco product according to the present disclosure includes a cylindrical guide member, a rod, and a torsion coil spring. Hereinafter, the breakage removal tool for a heated tobacco product according to the present disclosure will be described with examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following specific examples and the like.
[0015] 1. Cylindrical guide member The cylindrical guide member is inserted into the stick insertion port of the main body device where the tip of the heat stick remains broken to stabilize the position of the torsion coil spring and facilitate the capture of the stick breakage part.
[0016] The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical guide member is not particularly limited, but since the cross-sectional shape of the heat stick is circular and the cross-sectional shape of the stick insertion port of the main body device is also circular, a circle is preferred.
[0017] The outer diameter (cross-sectional diameter) of the cylindrical guide member's cross-sectional shape, which corresponds to the circle diameter, should be adjusted to match the diameter of the stick insertion opening of the main device. Specifically, the maximum clearance between the cylindrical guide member and the stick insertion opening should be approximately 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and the difference between the outer diameter of the cylindrical guide member and the diameter of the stick insertion opening should be approximately 0.5 mm to 2 mm. More specifically, since the outer diameter (cross-sectional diameter) of a typical heat stick is approximately 4.5 mm to 7.5 mm, the outer diameter (cross-sectional diameter) of the guide member can be set to 4 mm to 7 mm.
[0018] The material of the cylindrical guide member is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient strength to easily capture the broken portion of the heat stick. Examples include plastics such as polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polyacetal (POM), (PEEK), and metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys.
[0019] The thickness of the cylindrical guide member is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient strength to easily capture the broken portion of the heat stick, but it can be, for example, 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.
[0020] The length of the cylindrical guide member can be adjusted as appropriate within a range that allows for easy capture of the broken portion of the heat stick. However, since the length of a typical heat stick is approximately 35 mm to 60 mm, and the depth of the stick insertion opening of the main device is approximately 15 mm to 40 mm, the length can be set to, for example, approximately 2.5 cm to 10 cm.
[0021] 2. Torsion coil spring The torsion coil spring used in this invention, as shown in Figure 1, has arms at both ends of the coil portion, is formed by spirally winding the central part of a wire, and is a spring that undergoes angular displacement in response to the torque acting on the arms at both ends, generating a restoring torque proportional to the angular displacement, and in which the rotational surface of the coil portion and both arm portions are parallel. The torsion coil spring can be housed inside the guide member in a bent state.
[0022] The material of the torsion coil spring is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient strength to easily capture the broken portion of the heat stick. Examples include carbon steel spring steel such as piano wire (SWP) or hard steel wire (SW); stainless steel spring steel such as SUS304 or SUS316; phosphor bronze; beryllium copper (BeCu); and brass. The torsion coil spring may also be plated with zinc or nickel.
[0023] The thickness of the torsion coil spring is not particularly limited as long as it can generate enough restoring torque to easily capture the broken part of the heat stick, but it can be, for example, between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.
[0024] The size of the coil portion of the torsion coil spring can be adjusted appropriately so that it fits sufficiently inside the cylindrical guide member, but for example, it can be between 2 mm and 6 mm.
[0025] The length of the arm portion of the torsion coil spring can be, for example, 10 mm to 20 mm, and the distance between the two ends of the arm of the torsion coil spring when no external force is applied can be, for example, 10 mm to 35 mm. If the arm length is 10 mm or more, and the distance between the two ends of the arm is 10 mm or more, sufficient restoring torque is generated when at least the tip of the arm portion of the torsion coil spring is exposed from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical guide member inside the stick insertion opening of the heated tobacco device, making it possible to more reliably capture the broken part of the heat stick. If the arm length is 20 mm or less, and the distance between the two ends of the arm is 35 mm or less, the movement of the torsion coil spring inside the cylindrical guide member can be made smoother.
[0026] It is preferable that both ends of the torsion coil spring arm are bent at a right angle or approximately a right angle. This bending of both ends allows for more reliable capture of the broken portion of the heat stick. A right angle or approximately a right angle means that the angle β between the straight portion of the arm and the straight portion of the end is 90° or more and 105° or less. The length of the bent portion at both ends of the arm can be 0.2 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The bent portion of the arm may also be in the shape of a circular arc with a radius of curvature R.
[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the arms of the torsion coil spring preferably have an intermediate section between the coil section and the end section bent inward at an angle α of 160° to 175° in the planar direction of the coil section, and both ends bent outward at a right angle or approximately a right angle. As shown in Figure 3(1), inside the cylindrical guide member, the tip of the arm of such a torsion coil spring does not come into contact with the inner wall of the cylindrical guide member and does not damage the inner wall. Next, as shown in Figure 3(2), by pushing in the rod, a part of the arm section can be exposed to the outside of the cylindrical guide member, and the bent intermediate section to the tip of the arm section can be made parallel or approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical guide member and the rod. In this state, the tip of the torsion coil spring can be thrust into the broken portion of the heat stick remaining inside the stick insertion port of the main device. Next, as shown in Figure 3(3), pushing the rod further causes the tip of the torsion coil spring to spread further in a direction perpendicular to the length of the cylindrical guide member and the rod, making it possible to more firmly hold the broken heat stick portion at the tip of the torsion coil spring. If the broken heat stick portion removal tool for heated tobacco is then pulled out from the stick insertion opening, the broken heat stick portion can be removed from the stick insertion opening. In the case of the torsion coil spring, the thickness of the coil portion causes a misalignment between the two arm portions, so even if the arm portion is bent in two places as described above, the two arm portions are unlikely to become entangled inside the guide member under normal circumstances.
[0028] 3. Rod The rod has a length greater than or equal to that of the cylindrical guide member, and one end is connected to the coil portion of the torsion coil spring. By moving the other end, which is outside the cylindrical guide member, with an external force, the torsion coil spring can be moved relative to the cylindrical guide member.
[0029] The rod may be made of, for example, wire. Examples of materials for the wire constituting the rod include metals such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy. The thickness of the wire can be, for example, between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.
[0030] The length of the rod can be adjusted as appropriate within the range that allows the torsion coil spring to be pushed out from the inside to the outside of the guide member, for example, it can be the length of the cylindrical guide member + 1 cm to 4 cm. When a compression coil spring is provided as described later, and the cylindrical guide member is divided into two parts with the compression coil spring positioned between them, the length of the cylindrical guide member shall include the length of the compression coil spring.
[0031] The rod may include a cylindrical member, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The material of the cylindrical member of the rod can be the same as that of the cylindrical coil member. The thickness of the rod cylindrical member can also be the same as that of the cylindrical coil member. The material and thickness of the rod cylindrical member may be the same as or different from those of the cylindrical guide member.
[0032] The rod-shaped cylindrical member is not particularly limited as long as it can fix the torsion coil spring and move the torsion coil spring from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical guide member. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, a wire connected to the coil portion of the torsion coil spring can be passed through the rod-shaped cylindrical member and the other end can be secured with a clasp.
[0033] The outer diameter of the rod-shaped cylindrical member should be determined in such a way that radial displacement of the cylindrical member within the guide member is suppressed. For example, the maximum clearance between the outer surface of the cylindrical member and the inner surface of the cylindrical guide member should be approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and the difference between the outer diameter of the cylindrical member and the inner diameter of the cylindrical guide member should be approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm. Furthermore, as described later, if a compression coil spring is installed between the outer surface of the cylindrical member and the inner surface of the cylindrical guide member, the space for the compression coil spring should also be taken into consideration.
[0034] 4. Compression coil spring A compression coil spring may be used to push the rod and torsion coil spring into the cylindrical guide member with an external force, and then, when the external force is released, the positions of the rod and torsion coil spring relative to the cylindrical guide member may be returned to their original positions.
[0035] The position of the compression coil spring can be determined, for example, as shown in Figure 4, by dividing the cylindrical guide member into two parts, a base end and a tip end, and installing the compression coil spring on the outside of the rod cylindrical member and between the two divided cylindrical guide members. The cylindrical guide member opposite to the torsion coil spring can then be fixed to the outside of the rod cylindrical member with adhesive or the like. The base end of the cylindrical guide member refers to the end closer to the operator's hand in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical guide member, and the tip refers to the end that is inserted into the stick insertion port of the main device.
[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, a compression coil spring may be installed between the outer surface of the rod-shaped cylindrical member and the inner surface of the cylindrical guide member. This allows the rod to be pushed into the cylindrical guide member by an external force, shifting the position of the torsion coil spring, and then the rod and torsion coil spring to return to their original positions when the external force is released. Therefore, of the members for fixing the compression coil spring, the compression coil spring fixing member on the torsion coil spring side is fixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical guide member, and the compression coil spring fixing member on the opposite side is fixed to the outer surface of the cylindrical member of the rod.
[0037] 5. Positioning mechanism The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products according to this disclosure is preferably one that has a positioning mechanism for controlling the maximum insertion depth into the stick insertion port of the heated tobacco product's main device. There is a tendency for certain points in the heat stick to be prone to breaking. However, if the broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products according to this disclosure is pushed too far into the stick insertion port where the heat stick remains broken, the broken part of the heat stick may be crushed, making it difficult to remove. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the positioning mechanism on, for example, a cylindrical guide member.
[0038] The positioning mechanism may be, for example, a protrusion on the outside of the cylindrical guide member, as shown in Figure 6. The height of this protrusion is adjusted so that the cylindrical guide member does not go any further into the stick insertion opening of the heated tobacco device.
[0039] Alternatively, a cylindrical member with an outer diameter exceeding the diameter of the stick insertion opening of the heated tobacco device may be fixed to the outside of the cylindrical guide member.
[0040] 6.How to use The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products described herein is for removing broken pieces of heat sticks that remain inside the stick insertion port of the main device of a heated tobacco product.
[0041] Specifically, when removing the heat stick from the heated tobacco device after smoking, the heat stick, especially the side opposite the mouthpiece, is simply a recomposed tobacco covered with outer paper and is heated, so a break may remain (Figure 6(1)). In that case, the torsion coil spring side of the heated tobacco break removal tool according to this disclosure is inserted until it contacts or is near the break in the stick insertion opening (Figure 6(2)).
[0042] Next, the rod is pushed against the cylindrical guide member until the tip of the torsion coil spring arm pierces the broken part and the distance between the tips widens (Figure 6(3)). As the torsion coil spring moves further out of the cylindrical guide member, the distance between the ends of the torsion coil spring arm widens, and the restoring torque in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical guide member and the rod increases. As a result, not only does the tip of the torsion coil spring arm pierce the broken part, but an outward force is also applied, making it possible to grip the broken part more firmly.
[0043] If the broken portion of the heat stick is still held in place by the arm of the torsion coil spring, the cylindrical guide member can be pulled out from the stick insertion opening to remove the broken portion of the heat stick from the heated tobacco device (Figure 6(4)). After removing the broken portion from the heated tobacco device and detaching it from the arm of the torsion coil spring, the torsion coil spring can be stored in the cylindrical guide member. However, if a compression coil spring is installed between the outer surface of the rod cylindrical member and the inner surface of the cylindrical guide member, after removing the broken portion held in place by the arm of the torsion coil spring from the heated tobacco device, releasing the external force on the rod will cause the torsion coil spring to automatically retract into the cylindrical guide member, and the broken portion will be naturally removed from the arm of the torsion coil spring at that time. [Examples]
[0044] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited by the following examples, and it is certainly possible to implement it with appropriate modifications within the scope that is in line with the spirit described above and below, and all such modifications are included within the technical scope of the present invention.
[0045] Example 1 A torsion coil spring ("Kick Spring," manufactured by Yawata Screw Co., Ltd., wire diameter: 0.5 mm, arm length: 16 mm, arm angle: 135°) had one end of stainless steel wire (diameter: 1.0 mm) wrapped around and secured to its coil section. This was then passed through an aluminum cylinder (outer diameter: 3.0 mm, inner diameter: 2 mm, length: 6 cm), and the other end was bent outwards from the cylinder and secured with cellophane tape. This cylinder was then inserted into an aluminum cylinder (outer diameter: 6 mm, inner diameter: 5.2 mm, length: 5 cm) so that the entire torsion coil spring was completely housed inside, thereby creating a tool for removing broken parts from heated tobacco devices.
[0046] I inserted the tip of a heat stick (made by Philips) that had been broken off into pieces into the stick insertion slot of the heated tobacco device ("IQOS"). Next, the torsion coil spring side of the heated tobacco broken part removal tool was inserted until the cylindrical guide member lightly contacted the broken heat stick. While holding the position of the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder was pushed further in, pushing the arm portion of the torsion coil spring outwards from the outer cylinder and pressing the tip of the arm portion into the broken part. After moving the position of the outer cylinder upward (opposite side from the main device) relative to the inner cylinder to further expose the torsion coil spring and spread its arm portion, the entire heated tobacco broken part removal tool was pulled out from the stick insertion opening, and the broken part of the heat stick was removed while still being captured by the arm portion of the torsion coil spring of the heated tobacco broken part removal tool. [Explanation of symbols]
[0047] 1: Torsion coil spring 2: The coil portion of a torsion coil spring 3: Arm section of the torsion coil spring 4: Tool for removing broken parts of heated tobacco products 5: Cylindrical guide member 6: Rod 7: Cylindrical member of the rod 8: Compression coil spring 9: Adhesive layer between cylindrical guide member and rod cylindrical member 10: Fixing member for compression coil spring 11: Positioning mechanism 12: Stick insertion slot on the e-cigarette device 13: Breakage of the heat stick
Claims
1. It comprises a cylindrical guide member, a rod, and a torsion coil spring, A portion of the rod and the torsion coil spring can be housed inside the guide member. The coil portion of the torsion coil spring is connected to the end of the rod inside the guide member. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products is characterized in that the rod is movable in the axial direction of the guide member such that, by external force, at least the tip portion of the arm of the torsion coil spring is exposed from the inside to the outside of the guide member.
2. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the rod includes a cylindrical member, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical member is determined such that radial displacement is suppressed inside the guide member.
3. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 2, wherein the guide member is divided into two parts, a compression coil spring is installed on the outside of the cylindrical member and between the guide members, and the guide member located on the opposite side of the torsion coil spring is fixed to the outside of the cylindrical member.
4. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 2, wherein a compression coil spring is fixed between the inside of the guide member and the outside of the cylindrical member in the longitudinal direction of the guide member and the cylindrical member.
5. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has a positioning mechanism for controlling the maximum insertion depth into the stick insertion port of the main body device of the heated tobacco.
6. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the arm of the torsion coil spring are bent at a right angle or approximately a right angle.
7. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco products according to claim 6, wherein the middle portion of the arm of the torsion coil spring is bent inward at an angle of 160° to 175°.
8. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional diameter of the guide member is 4 mm or more and 7 mm or less.
9. The broken part removal tool for heated tobacco according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the two ends of the arms of the torsion coil spring when no external force is applied is 10 mm or more and 35 mm or less.