Aerosol Generator and Infrared Emitter

Abstract

The aerosol generating device and infrared emitter include an infrared emitter (20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20e, 20g) and an electric core (14) for supplying power to the infrared emitter. The infrared emitter includes at least one first infrared emitting region (S1) and at least one second infrared emitting region (S2) sequentially arranged along the circumferential direction of a chamber (22, 22a, 22c, 22f, 22g). The first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region are independently activatable and independently radiate infrared light into the chamber to heat different portions of the inhalable material (A). When an inhalable material is contained in the chamber, the aerosol generating device heats the inhalable material gradually from a portion to the entirety of the inhalable material during use, since different regions along the circumferential direction correspond to the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region, respectively, and can be independently heated by the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region during use.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010041077.9, entitled "Aerosol Generating Apparatus and Infrared Emitter", filed with the China Patent Office on January 15, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to the technical field of heated tobacco, and in particular to an aerosol generating device and an infrared emitter. [Background technology]

[0003] Tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco leaves to produce tobacco vapor during use. Instead of burning tobacco leaves, attempts have been made to create products that release compounds without burning tobacco leaves.

[0004] One example of such a product is a heating device that releases a compound by heating a material rather than burning it. For example, the material may be a non-tobacco leaf product or a tobacco leaf product, with or without nicotine. Another example is an infrared heating device that releases a compound and generates an aerosol by heating a tobacco product with infrared radiation. Patent No. 201821350103.0, which is a prior art, proposes a heating device structure in which a nano far-infrared coating and a conductive coating are sequentially formed on the outer surface of a quartz tube. When the conductive coating is connected to a power source that supplies power, the nano far-infrared coating generates heat by itself due to the power supply, and at the same time, generates far-infrared rays by causing electronic transition, which are radiated to the tobacco product in the quartz tube to heat the tobacco product. When using the above known device, the infrared radiation coating completely surrounds the area of ​​the tobacco product to be heated, so that volatile substances from the tobacco product are rapidly released. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the problem in the prior art of rapid release of volatile substances from tobacco products by heating devices, an embodiment of the present invention provides an aerosol generating device that can be heated gradually.

[0006] As described above, the aerosol generating device according to the present invention is used for heating an inhalable material to generate an aerosol for smoking, a chamber for containing a respirable material; an infrared emitter configured to emit infrared radiation into the chamber to heat the inhalable material; The infrared emitter includes at least one first infrared emitting region and at least one second infrared emitting region arranged sequentially around a circumference of the chamber, the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region being configured to be independently actuatable to independently radiate infrared light into the chamber to heat different portions of the inhalable material.

[0007] In a more preferred embodiment, the at least one first infrared-emitting region and the at least one second infrared-emitting region described above can be controlled sequentially, in particular alternately or simultaneously activated, to independently emit infrared radiation and heat different portions of the inhalable material. In an embodiment, the different infrared-emitting regions, such as the first infrared-emitting region and the second infrared-emitting region, can each be formed by two coatings or films bonded to the substrate along a circumferential direction, or can be formed by two circumferential portions of a coating or film formed on the substrate.

[0008] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and second infrared emitting regions are separate from each other.

[0009] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emitter comprises: A substrate extending along an axial direction of the chamber; a first infrared emitting layer and a second infrared emitting layer bonded sequentially to a surface of the base material along a circumferential direction of the chamber; At least a portion of the first infrared-emitting layer forms the first infrared-emitting area, and at least a portion of the second infrared-emitting layer forms the second infrared-emitting area.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment, the substrate includes a first surface proximate to the chamber and a second surface away from the chamber; The first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer are both located on the first surface or the second surface of the substrate.

[0011] In a more preferred embodiment, the first infrared emitting layer is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate, And / or, the second infrared emitting layer is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate.

[0012] In a more preferred embodiment, the substrate is configured in a tubular shape extending along an axial direction of the chamber and surrounding the chamber; The first infrared emitting layer is a thin film wrapped around the outer surface of the substrate, and / or the second infrared emitting layer is a thin film wrapped around the outer surface of the substrate.

[0013] In a more preferred embodiment, the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer do not completely cover the surface of the substrate, and a blank area is formed on the surface of the substrate along the circumferential direction of the chamber, the blank area being located between the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer.

[0014] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emitter further comprises a conductive element for supplying power to the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer.

[0015] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive element is a conductive coating formed on the substrate.

[0016] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive coating at least partially overlaps the first infrared-emitting layer and the second infrared-emitting layer and is further conductively connected to the first infrared-emitting layer and the second infrared-emitting layer.

[0017] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive element is configured to extend along an axial direction of the chamber.

[0018] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive elements include a first conductive element, a second conductive element and a third conductive element spaced apart circumferentially around the chamber; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between the first conductive element and the second conductive element to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first conductive element and the second conductive element are electrically connected; The second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the second conductive element and the third conductive element such that the second infrared emitting layer emits infrared radiation into the chamber when the second conductive element and the third conductive element are electrically conductive.

[0019] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive element is configured to extend circumferentially around the chamber.

[0020] In a more preferred embodiment, the conductive element includes a first conductive element, a second conductive element, and a third conductive element and a fourth conductive element, which are opposed along an axial direction of the chamber; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between a first conductive element and a second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first conductive element and the second conductive element are electrically connected; The second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the third conductive element and the fourth conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the third conductive element and the fourth conductive element are electrically conductive.

[0021] In a more preferred embodiment, the substrate includes a first end and a second end opposed along an axial direction of the chamber, and the conductive element is configured to extend along a circumferential direction of the chamber; the conductive elements include a first conductive element provided at the first end, and a second conductive element and a third conductive element provided at the second end; the first conductive element includes a first portion facing the second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber and a second portion facing the third conductive element; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between the first portion and the second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first portion and the second conductive element are electrically connected; The second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the second portion and the third conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the second portion and the third conductive element are electrically conductive.

[0022] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emitter comprises: A substrate extending along an axial direction of the chamber; an infrared emitting thin film bonded to a surface of the substrate, the infrared emitting thin film being formed with a first conductive coating, a second conductive coating, and a third conductive coating extending along an axial direction of the chamber; The first conductive coating, the second conductive coating, and the third conductive coating are sequentially arranged along the circumferential direction of the chamber, and further divide the infrared emitting thin film into the first infrared emitting region located between the first conductive coating and the second conductive coating, and the second infrared emitting region located between the second conductive coating and the third conductive coating.

[0023] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emitter comprises at least: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed around the chamber; A first infrared emitting layer is provided on the first substrate, a second infrared emitting layer is provided on the second substrate, at least a portion of the first infrared emitting layer forms the first infrared emitting region, and at least a portion of the second infrared emitting layer forms the second infrared emitting region.

[0024] In a more preferred embodiment, the first substrate and / or the second substrate are configured in an arc shape curved away from the chamber, And / or, the first substrate and / or the second substrate are configured in a sheet shape.

[0025] In a more preferred embodiment, the first emitting region and the second emitting region are each two in number, The two first radiation regions are provided opposite each other along a radial direction of the chamber, and The two second radiation regions are disposed opposite each other along the radial direction of the chamber.

[0026] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and second infrared emitting regions are configured for alternating activation.

[0027] In a more preferred embodiment, the method further includes a bridge circuit coupled to the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region, The bridge circuit includes transistors configured to alternately conduct or cut off to form a first current that is alternately supplied to a first emitting area and a second current that is alternately supplied to a second emitting area, thereby alternately activating the first infrared emitting area and the second infrared emitting area.

[0028] In a more preferred embodiment, the first infrared-emitting region and the second infrared-emitting region have different infrared emission spectra.

[0029] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emission spectrum of the first infrared-emitting region has a different peak wavelength than the infrared emission spectrum of the second infrared-emitting region.

[0030] The present invention further provides an infrared emitter for use in an aerosol generating device, comprising: The device includes a first infrared emitting region and a second infrared emitting region arranged sequentially along a circumferential direction, the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region being configured to be independently activated and to independently emit infrared radiation to dissipate heat from different portions of the inhalable material.

[0031] When the aerosol generating device is used and an inhalable material is contained in the chamber, different regions along the circumferential direction of the chamber correspond to a first infrared radiation region and a second infrared radiation region, respectively, and the first infrared radiation region and the second infrared radiation region can independently heat the inhalable material during use, so that the inhalable material can be gradually heated from a portion to the entirety during use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] One or more embodiments are illustrated by accompanying drawings, which illustrative illustrations are not intended to be limiting of the embodiments, and in which elements of the drawings having the same reference numerals represent similar elements and in which the drawings are not to be construed as limiting the scale unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device provided by one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the infrared emitter of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram of the infrared radiator in FIG. 3 viewed from a different angle. [Diagram 5] 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the infrared emitter of FIG. 2; [Figure 6]3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the infrared emitter of FIG. 2; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitting thin film according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic diagram of an infrared radiator formed by the infrared radiating thin film of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitting thin film according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitting thin film according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing an infrared emission spectrum emitted from a first region according to an embodiment; [Figure 12] 4 is an infrared emission spectrum emitted by a second region according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitter according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a control circuit provided by an embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitter according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infrared emitter according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] In order to make the present invention easier to understand, the following describes the present invention in more detail in conjunction with figures and specific embodiments.

[0035] One embodiment of the present invention proposes an aerosol generating device that heats, rather than burns, an inhalable material, such as tobacco, to volatilize or release at least one component of the inhalable material to form an aerosol for smoking.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment, the heating of the inhalable material by the aerosol generating device is carried out by emitting far infrared rays having a heating effect, such as 3 μm to 15 μm, and when in use, when the wavelength of the infrared rays matches the absorption wavelength of the volatile components of the inhalable material, the infrared energy is easily absorbed by the inhalable material, further heating the inhalable material to volatilize at least one volatile component, thereby generating an aerosol for smoking.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structure of the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured as a flat cylindrical shape. The outer member of the aerosol generating device is a housing 10 having a hollow structure inside and forming an assembly space for necessary functional parts such as infrared radiation; and an upper cover 11 located at the upper end of the housing 10 in the longitudinal direction. The upper cover 11 can cover the upper end of the housing 10 so that the aerosol generating device has a complete and beautiful appearance, but can also be removed from the upper end of the housing 10, thereby facilitating the attachment, detachment, and replacement of each functional part in the housing 10.

[0038] Further, as can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the top cover 11 has an opening 12 through which the inhalable material A can be contained in the housing 10 at least partially along the length of the housing 10 and heated, or can be removed from the housing 10 through the opening 12.

[0039] The housing 10 is also provided with a switch button 13 along one side in the width direction, and a user can manually activate the switch button 13 to control the operation of the aerosol generating device to start or stop.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 includes: an electric core 14 for supplying electrical power; A control circuit board 15 having integrated circuits for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating device; A charging interface 16 for charging the electric core 14 is provided, such as a USB type-C interface, a Pin-pin interface, etc., which can charge the electric core 14 when connected to an external power source or adapter.

[0041] Further, referring to FIG. 2, the housing 10 is provided with an infrared radiator 20 for heating the inhalable material A, and the infrared radiator 20 is used as an electric infrared radiator to radiate infrared rays to the inhalable material A contained in the housing 10 when power is supplied from the electric core 14, thereby heating the inhalable material A.

[0042] 2, the aerosol generating device further includes a heat insulating member 30 provided radially outside the infrared emitter 20. In a more preferred embodiment, the heat insulating member 30 is a vacuum heat insulating pipe having an internal vacuum region.

[0043] Furthermore, in Figure 2, the aerosol generating device further includes an upper support member 40 and a lower support member 50, both of which are hollow annular, and support both ends of the infrared radiator 20 and the insulating member 30, respectively, thereby stably holding the infrared radiator 20 and the insulating member 30 within the housing 10.

[0044] In a more preferred embodiment, the infrared emitter 20 has different infrared emitting regions arranged along the circumferential direction, and can independently radiate infrared rays to the suctionable material A to heat different regions of the suctionable material A. The infrared emitter 20 has different infrared emitting regions arranged along the circumferential direction, and can be sequentially controlled and activated alternately or simultaneously to independently heat different portions of the suctionable material A. In an embodiment, the different infrared emitting regions may be formed by two coatings or thin films formed on the substrate along the circumferential direction, respectively, or one coating or thin film formed on the substrate may be partitioned along the circumferential direction by a conductive coating.

[0045] Specifically, the infrared emitter 20 is tubular extending along a length direction, the infrared emitter 20 includes at least one first infrared emitting region and at least one second infrared emitting region arranged sequentially along a circumferential direction, the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region being separate from one another, and the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region being independently actuatable configured to independently radiate infrared light into the chamber to heat different portions of the inhalable material.

[0046] Specifically, in a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device includes a chamber 22 for containing an inhalable material, and the infrared emitter 20 is configured to radiate infrared radiation into the chamber 22 to heat the inhalable material.

[0047] The infrared emitter 20 includes a substrate 21, a first infrared-emitting coating 23, and a second infrared-emitting coating 24. The substrate 21 is a tubular hollow structure, and serves as a rigid carrier and an object for containing the inhalable material A. In practice, the substrate 21 can be made of transparent materials such as quartz glass, ceramics, mica, and other high-temperature resistant and infrared-transmissive materials, preferably high-temperature resistant materials with an infrared transmittance of 95% or more. In use, the substrate 21 extends along the axial direction of the chamber 22 and is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the chamber 22, that is, at least a part of the tubular hollow of the substrate 21 forms the chamber 22 for containing the inhalable material A. The substrate 21 includes an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of the substrate 21 being the surface facing away from the chamber 22, and the inner surface of the substrate 21 being the surface of the substrate 21a close to the chamber 22; The first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24 are formed on the outer surface of the substrate 21 and are sequentially arranged along the circumferential direction, and in use, the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24 self-heat when current is applied, and can emit infrared rays that can be used to heat the inhalable material A, such as the above-mentioned far infrared rays of 3 μm to 15 μm. If the wavelength of the infrared rays matches the absorption wavelength of the volatile component of the inhalable material A, the energy of the infrared rays is easily absorbed by the inhalable material A.

[0048] At least a portion of the first infrared-emitting coating 23 forms a first infrared-emitting region, and at least a portion of the second infrared-emitting coating 24 forms a second infrared-emitting region. The first infrared-emitting coating 23 is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate, and the second infrared-emitting coating 24 is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate.

[0049] In typical embodiments, the first infrared-emitting coating 23 and the second infrared-emitting coating 24 may be coatings made of a ceramic-based material such as zirconium, Fe-Mn-Cu-based, tungsten-based, or transition metal and their oxide materials.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24 are preferably made of an oxide of at least one metal element, such as Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, or Zn, and these metal oxides can emit far-infrared rays having a heating effect when heated to an appropriate temperature, and the thickness of the coating can be preferably 30 μm to 50 μm. The oxide of the above metal element can be sprayed onto the outer surface of the substrate 21 by atmospheric pressure plasma spraying and cured to form a coating on the surface of the substrate 21.

[0051] 3, the outer surface of the substrate 21 is not completely covered by the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24, and has a first blank area 211 located between the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24 and extending along the axial direction, a second blank area 212 near the upper end, and a third blank area 213 near the lower end, where the upper end and the lower end refer to both ends of the substrate 21 along the axial direction, respectively.

[0052] In use, the first blank area 211, the second blank area 212 and the third blank area 213 are used as spaces for fitting the infrared emitter 20 to a fixing / holding structure inside the housing 10 or for subsequently welding leads to the surface of the substrate 21, thereby avoiding wear on the printed infrared emitting coating during operations such as assembly or disassembly after printing the infrared emitting coating. Furthermore, the first blank area 211 is used to separate the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24.

[0053] Moreover, the infrared emitter 20 further includes a conductive element for supplying power to the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24, and in the embodiment of the present application, the conductive element is a conductive coating formed on the substrate 21. The conductive coating at least partially overlaps the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer, thereby conductively connecting the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer. As can be understood, in some other embodiments, the conductive element may be a conductive device formed of a conductive thin film, a conductive pin, or other structure coated on the surface of the substrate 21, and is not limited here.

[0054] The conductive elements include a first conductive element, a second conductive element, and a third conductive element spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the chamber, and the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the third conductive element may each be any one of a conductive coating, a conductive thin film, a conductive pin, or other conductive device, or the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the third conductive element may each be a combination of a conductive coating, a conductive thin film, a conductive pin, or other conductive device, In the embodiments of the present application, the first conductive element is described by taking the example of a first conductive coating, the second conductive element is described by taking the example of a second conductive coating, and the third conductive element is described by taking the example of a third conductive coating.

[0055] The conductive coating extends along the axial direction of the chamber 22. The conductive coating is formed on the substrate 21, and the conductive coating at least partially overlaps the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24, and is electrically connected to the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24.

[0056] The conductive coating includes a first conductive coating 25 and a second conductive coating 26 formed on the substrate 21 by printing or coating, and these conductive coatings are used as electrodes for supplying power to the infrared radiator 20, and are then connected to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14, and then supply power to each region of the infrared radiator 20 through an interface. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the first conductive coating 25 and the second conductive coating 26 both extend along the axial direction, and a certain interval is maintained between the first conductive coating 25 and the second conductive coating 26 along the circumferential direction, and this interval forms a first blank region 211.

[0057] Also, in use, the first conductive coating 25 at least partially overlaps and forms a conductive connection with the first infrared-emissive coating 23, and the second conductive coating 26 at least partially overlaps and forms a conductive connection with the second infrared-emissive coating 24.

[0058] 4, the infrared radiator 20 further includes a third conductive coating 27 extending along the axial direction, the third conductive coating 27 overlaps both the first infrared radiating coating 23 and the second infrared radiating coating 24 to form a conductive connection, and in use, the first conductive coating 25 and the third conductive coating 27 are respectively formed on both ends along the circumferential direction of the first infrared radiating coating 23 to be conductive, and are respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the electric core 14 to supply power to the first infrared radiating coating 23 to emit infrared rays. Similarly, the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 are respectively formed on both ends along the circumferential direction of the second infrared radiating coating 24 to be conductive, and are respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the electric core 14 to supply power to the second infrared radiating coating 24 to emit infrared rays.

[0059] Specifically, the first conductive coating 25, the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 are each spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the chamber, the first infrared emitting coating 23 is bonded between the first conductive coating 25 and the third conductive coating 27 so as to radiate infrared rays into the chamber when the first conductive coating 25 and the third conductive coating 27 are electrically conductive, and the second infrared emitting coating 24 is bonded between the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 so as to radiate infrared rays into the chamber when the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 are electrically conductive.

[0060] As materials, the first conductive coating 25, the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 adopt low resistance metals or alloys, for example, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, copper, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium or alloy materials thereof.

[0061] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first conductive coating 25, the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 are provided with a first conductive pin 251, a second conductive pin 261 and a third conductive pin 271, respectively, which are conductively connected by welding or the like, and further, the first conductive coating 25, the second conductive coating 26 and the third conductive coating 27 are each connected to the electrodes of the electric core 14 via these conductive pins.

[0062] As described above, the first infrared emitting coating 23 and the second infrared emitting coating 24 can be independently powered during use and can independently or simultaneously emit infrared rays to heat part or all of the inhalable material A.

[0063] In another embodiment, an infrared emitter 20a shown in FIG. 5 includes a substrate 21a, a first infrared-emitting coating 23a, and a second infrared-emitting coating 24a, The substrate 21a has a tubular hollow structure, and at least a part of the tubular hollow of the substrate 21a forms a chamber 22a for accommodating a suctionable material A, where the substrate 21a has an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of the substrate 21a being a surface facing away from the chamber 22a, and the inner surface of the substrate 21a being a surface facing the chamber 22a, The first infrared emitting coating 23a and the second infrared emitting coating 24a are formed on the inner surface of the substrate 21a and are sequentially arranged along the circumferential direction, In order to facilitate independent power supply to the first infrared emitting coating 23a and the second infrared emitting coating 24a, the inner surface of the substrate 21a is further provided with a first conductive coating 25a, a second conductive coating 26a, and a third conductive coating 27a extending in the axial direction, and as shown in Fig. 5, the first conductive coating 25a and the third conductive coating 27a are provided on both ends along the circumferential direction of the first infrared emitting coating 23a to supply power to the first infrared emitting coating 23a, and the second conductive coating 26a and the third conductive coating 27a are provided on both ends along the circumferential direction of the second infrared emitting coating 24a to supply power to the second infrared emitting coating 24a. Of course, there is a certain gap between the first conductive coating 25a and the second conductive coating 26a.

[0064] In another preferred embodiment, the structure of the infrared emitter 20b is as shown in FIG. 6, in which the outer surface of a tubular substrate 21b is provided with at least a first infrared emitting coating 23b, a second infrared emitting coating 24b, a third infrared emitting coating 25b, and a fourth infrared emitting coating 26b, which are sequentially arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, and a first gap 27b, a second gap 28b, and a third gap 29b positioned therebetween.

[0065] In order to operate them independently, the infrared emitter 20b further includes conductive coatings provided on both ends of the substrate 21b and partially overlapping therewith to be conductive, the conductive coatings extending along the circumferential direction of the chamber 22, the conductive coatings including a first conductive coating 231b and a second conductive coating 232b located at both ends of the first infrared emitting coating 23b, and a third conductive coating 241b and a fourth conductive coating 242b located at both ends of the second infrared emitting coating 24b, the first conductive coating 231b and the second conductive coating 232b, and the third conductive coating 241b and the fourth conductive coating 242b being provided opposite each other along the axial direction of the chamber 22. Specifically, the first infrared emitting coating 23b is bonded between the first conductive coating 231b and the second conductive coating 232b along the axial direction of the chamber 22 such that the first conductive coating 231b and the second conductive coating 232b emit infrared rays into the chamber 22 when the first conductive coating 231b and the second conductive coating 232b are electrically conductive, and the second infrared emitting coating 24b is bonded between the third conductive coating 241b and the fourth conductive coating 242b along the axial direction of the chamber 22 such that the third conductive coating 241b and the fourth conductive coating 242b emit infrared rays into the chamber 22 when the third conductive coating 241b and the fourth conductive coating 242b are electrically conductive.

[0066] In addition, the conductive coating further includes a fifth conductive coating 251b and a sixth conductive coating 252b located at both ends of the third infrared-emitting coating 25b, and a seventh conductive coating 261b and an eighth conductive coating 262b located at both ends of the fourth infrared-emitting coating 26b. The fifth conductive coating 251b, the sixth conductive coating 252b, the seventh conductive coating 261b and the eighth conductive coating 262b can be connected to the positive pole and the negative pole of the electric core 14, respectively, to independently power the infrared-emitting coatings in operation and heat the portion of the attractable material A.

[0067] Or as shown in FIG. 6 above, in another variation, the first conductive coating 231b, the third conductive coating 241b, the fifth conductive coating 251b and the seventh conductive coating 261b can be seamlessly joined and formed as a continuous conductive integral body, and the whole can be formed as a ring on the upper outer surface of the substrate 21b, and can be partially overlapped and conductive with all the infrared emitting coatings, and correspondingly, the second conductive coating 232b, the fourth conductive coating 242b, the sixth conductive coating 252b and the eighth conductive coating 262b can still be independently separated and connected to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14 respectively in use to supply power to the infrared emitting coatings independently.

[0068] In yet another preferred embodiment, the infrared radiator 20c includes an infrared radiating thin film 23c made of a thin film material. Specifically, referring to Fig. 7, the infrared radiating thin film 23c is an electric infrared radiating thin film, and may be made of a material such as a zinc oxide thin film, a tin oxide thin film doped with a rare earth element, or a graphene thin film having an infrared radiating function, and the thickness is usually about 30 to 500 nm.

[0069] In order to facilitate the supply of power to the infrared emitting thin film 23c, the infrared emitting thin film 23c is formed with a conductive coating 241c / 242c / 243c used as an electrode, and the material thereof can be a low resistance metal or alloy, for example, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, copper, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium or alloy materials thereof. In addition, in order to facilitate the subsequent use of the conductive coating 241c / 242c / 243c as an electrode and the electrical connection to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14, the conductive coating 241c / 242c / 243c is further formed with elongated conductive pins 251c / 252c / 253c by welding or the like.

[0070] Furthermore, in use, the infrared emitting thin film 23c shown in Fig. 7 above is wound on the surface of a tubular substrate 21c. As shown in Fig. 8, the substrate 21c is used to provide fixation and support for the infrared emitting thin film 23c. In use, the first conductive pin 251c and the second conductive pin 252c can be conductively connected to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14, respectively, or the second conductive pin 252c and the third conductive pin 253c can be conductively connected to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14, so that the first infrared emitting region S1 or the second infrared emitting region S2 can be independently powered, and in use, infrared rays can be independently or simultaneously emitted to heat a part or all of the inhalable material A contained in the internal chamber 22c of the substrate 21c.

[0071] Or in another variation, at least two infrared emitting thin films 23d as shown in FIG. 9 can be employed, each having a conductive coating 24d and a conductive pin 25d on both ends, and sequentially attached or wound around the outer surface of the substrate 21 along the circumferential direction. When power is supplied independently, it is possible to supply power independently by simply connecting the infrared emitting thin films 23d to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14 via the conductive pins 25d of each of the infrared emitting thin films 23d, respectively, without requiring a common pin.

[0072] Or, in a more preferred embodiment, the conductive coating of the above infrared emitting thin film 23c / 23d can be further formed and arranged by printing means along the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG.

[0073] In addition to being made of a single thin film material capable of emitting infrared rays as described above, in another preferred embodiment, the infrared emitting thin film is made of a multi-layer structure as shown in FIG. A flexible substrate 231d, an infrared radiation layer 232d formed on the flexible substrate 231d, The infrared emitting thin film 23c includes a first conductive coating 241d, a second conductive coating 242d, and a third conductive coating 243d formed on both side ends and the center of the infrared emitting layer 232d along the width direction, and the first conductive coating 241d, the second conductive coating 242d, and the third conductive coating 243d each extend along the axial direction of the chamber 22. The first conductive coating 241d, the second conductive coating 242d, and the third conductive coating 243d are sequentially distributed along the circumferential direction of the chamber 22, and further divide the infrared emitting thin film 23c into the first infrared emitting region S1 located between the first conductive coating 241d and the second conductive coating 242d, and the second infrared emitting region S2 located between the second conductive coating 242d and the third conductive coating 243d.

[0074] Furthermore, the infrared radiation layer 232d is provided with a first conductive pin 251d, a second conductive pin 252d, and a third conductive pin 253d, and the first conductive pin 251d, the second conductive pin 252d, and the third conductive pin 253d are each formed by welding, etc. Here, the first infrared radiation region S1 is located between the first conductive pin 251d and the second conductive pin 252d, and the second infrared radiation region S2 is located between the second conductive pin 252d and the third conductive pin 253d.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the infrared emitting thin film 23d can be made from a wider variety of materials and with different qualities, specifically, the flexible substrate base material 231d can be used as a substrate for subsequently mounting the infrared emitting material and can facilitate the fabrication of a flexible material for subsequently wrapping around the outer surface of the substrate 21, and the selected material can be flexible glass, PI film, flexible ceramic paper, etc.

[0076] The infrared radiation layer 232d may be formed on the surface of the flexible substrate 231d by a process such as printing or deposition. Specifically, the infrared radiation layer 232d can be obtained by depositing and curing a material capable of emitting infrared rays on the surface of the flexible substrate 231d by spraying, knife coating, spin coating, roll coating, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or the like. In an embodiment, the material of the infrared radiation layer 232d is made of an oxide of at least one metal element such as Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, or Zn, which can emit far-infrared rays having a heating effect when heated to an appropriate temperature, and the thickness can be preferably 30 μm to 50 μm.

[0077] In a further preferred embodiment, the first infrared radiation region S1 has a different infrared radiation wavelength and efficiency than the second infrared radiation region S2. Specifically, the inhalable material A contains various organic components each having a different optimal infrared absorption wavelength, for example, the optimal infrared absorption wavelength of nicotine contained in the inhalable material A is different from that of the aerosol-forming humectants glycerin and vegetable glycerin. Therefore, in the embodiment, the first infrared radiation region S1 and the second infrared radiation region S2 preferably emit emission spectra for the various components, and naturally, the peak wavelength ranges of the emission spectra are different, thereby improving the heating efficiency of each organic component in a balanced manner. For example, Figures 11 and 12 show the infrared radiation spectrum emitted by the first infrared radiation region S1 and the second infrared radiation region S2 made of two different materials when the temperature of the first infrared radiation region S1 and the second infrared radiation region S2 rises to a certain temperature when power is supplied, and as can be seen from Figures 11 and 12, the emission spectrum of the first infrared radiation region S1 and the second infrared radiation region S2 has a different WLP (peak wavelength, the wavelength corresponding to the maximum radiation power), which can respectively match the optimal absorption wavelength range of various organic components in the inhalable material A. That is, the first infrared radiation region S1 and the second infrared radiation region S2 have different infrared radiation spectra, and the infrared radiation spectrum of the first infrared radiation region S1 has a peak wavelength different from that of the second infrared radiation region S2.

[0078] In yet another modification, in order to simultaneously operate a portion having a plurality of infrared radiation regions or several infrared radiation regions, the pins corresponding to the infrared radiation regions that need to be operated can be connected to the positive and negative poles of the electric core 14. In addition, when there are many infrared radiation regions that need to be operated, for example, in the case of the infrared radiator 20b having four infrared radiation regions as shown in FIG. 6, in order to reduce the operation of connecting independently, a preferred embodiment further provides an infrared radiator 20e, which includes an infrared radiator coating 23e formed on the outer surface of a tubular substrate 21e, a first conductive coating 241e, a second conductive coating 242e, a third conductive coating 243e, and a fourth conductive coating 244e extending along the axial direction, as shown in FIG. 13, and further divides the infrared radiator coating 23e into a first infrared radiation region S1, a second infrared radiation region S2, a third infrared radiation region S3, and a fourth infrared radiation region S4 as shown in FIG. 13.

[0079] Correspondingly, during operation control, the method shown in Fig. 14 can be adopted, in which the first conductive coating 241e, the second conductive coating 242e, the third conductive coating 243e, and the fourth conductive coating 244e are connected to a bridge circuit or full bridge circuit consisting of four N-MOS transistors through conductive pins, and the bridge circuit or full bridge circuit is coupled to the first infrared emitting area and the second infrared emitting area. The full bridge circuit includes transistors configured to alternately conduct or cut off to form a first current alternately supplied to the first emitting area and a second current alternately supplied to the second emitting area, thereby alternately activating the first infrared emitting area and the second infrared emitting area.

[0080] Of course, in the embodiment, a protective resistor R for limiting the current is added. Specifically, according to the bridge structure shown in Fig. 14, one connection end of the first conductive coating 241e is connected to the positive pole Vin+ of the electric core 14 as a voltage input end, and one connection end of the third conductive coating 243e is grounded. In the control process, when Q1 and Q4 are simultaneously controlled to be conductive and Q2 and Q3 are cut off by an MCU controller or the like, a current is formed in the direction indicated by the arrow r1 in Fig. 14. In this case, the first infrared ray radiation area S1 and the second infrared ray radiation area S2 are supplied with power by the first conductive coating 241e and the second conductive coating 242e. 14. The third infrared radiation area S3 powered by the first conductive coating 241e and the third conductive coating 243e and the fourth conductive coating 244e is in an operating state, but when Q2 and Q3 are controlled to be simultaneously conducting and Q1 and Q4 are controlled to be cut off, a current in the direction indicated by the arrow r2 is formed, in which case the fourth infrared radiation area S4 powered by the first conductive coating 241e and the fourth conductive coating 244e and the third infrared radiation area S3 powered by the second conductive coating 242e and the third conductive coating 243e are in an operating state. Furthermore, the above method of building a bridge allows the suction material A to be radiated to different areas by manipulating each area, thereby realizing partial heating. Of course, based on the above embodiment, in order to ensure the building of a bridge, a number of conductive pins need to be welded to the above conductive coatings 241e / 242e / 243e / 244e, thereby ensuring the connection to the bridge shown in FIG. 14.

[0081] In yet another variation of the present invention, the different infrared emitting regions may be formed on separate substrates, and a specific embodiment can be seen in FIG.

[0082] In this embodiment, the base material 21f is divided and includes four divided parts, which are a first base material 211f, a second base material 212f, a third base material 213f, and a fourth base material 214f, each of which is provided to surround the chamber 22f. The first base material 211f, the second base material 212f, the third base material 213f, and the fourth base material 214f ​​are each an arc-shaped sheet structure curved outward along the radial direction of the chamber 22f, and the first base material 211f, the second base material 212f, the third base material 213f, and the fourth base material 214f ​​are sequentially connected to surround the chamber 22f to form the chamber 22f. Among them, the outward direction along the radial direction of the chamber 22f is the direction away from the chamber 22f.

[0083] Each of the first substrate 211f, the second substrate 212f, the third substrate 213f and the fourth substrate 214f ​​has an infrared emitting coating formed thereon or is wrapped with an infrared emitting thin film 23f, and each can be independently activated by the independent control means described above to further heat different areas of the inhalable material A contained in the chamber 22f.

[0084] As can be understood, in some other embodiments, the divided substrate 21f may include only two divided parts, which are a first substrate and a second substrate provided to surround the chamber. The first substrate and the second substrate are each an arc-shaped sheet structure curved outward along the radial direction of the chamber, and both ends of the first substrate and both ends of the second substrate are connected to surround the chamber. Furthermore, the first substrate is provided with a first infrared radiation coating, at least a portion of the first infrared radiation coating forms the first infrared radiation region, and the second substrate is provided with a second infrared radiation coating, at least a portion of the second infrared radiation coating forms the second infrared radiation region.

[0085] Or, in an optional variation, as shown in FIG. 16, the infrared emitter 20g may include: It may include at least two separate sheet-like substrates 21g disposed around a chamber 22g, with a preferred number being three as shown in FIG.

[0086] Each of the separate sheet-like substrates 21g is provided with an infrared emissive coating 23g for heating a different area of ​​the respirable material A contained within the chamber 22g.

[0087] It should be noted that the specification of the present invention and its drawings provide preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited to the embodiments described in the present specification. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications are intended to be included in the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generating device for heating an inhalable material to generate an aerosol for smoking, comprising: a chamber for containing a respirable material; an infrared emitter configured to emit infrared radiation into the chamber to heat the inhalable material; The aerosol generating device, characterized in that the infrared emitter includes at least one first infrared emission region and at least one second infrared emission region arranged sequentially along a circumferential direction of the outer surface of the chamber, the first infrared emission region and the second infrared emission region being configured to be independently actuable so as to independently emit infrared light into the chamber to heat different portions of the inhalable material.

2. 2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first infrared radiation region and the second infrared radiation region are separated from each other.

3. The infrared radiator includes: a substrate configured to surround an outer periphery of the chamber; a first infrared emitting layer and a second infrared emitting layer bonded sequentially to a surface of the base material along a circumferential direction of the chamber; 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first infrared radiation layer forms the first infrared radiation region, and at least a portion of the second infrared radiation layer forms the second infrared radiation region.

4. the substrate includes an inner surface and an outer surface; The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer are both located on an inner surface of the substrate or an outer surface of the substrate.

5. the first infrared radiation layer is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate; And / or the second infrared radiation layer is a coating formed on the substrate or a thin film bonded to the substrate, The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 .

6. The substrate is tubular and extends along the axial direction of the chamber and surrounds the chamber; The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first infrared emitting layer is a thin film wrapped around the outer surface of the substrate, and / or the second infrared emitting layer is a thin film wrapped around the outer surface of the substrate.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first infrared radiation layer and the second infrared radiation layer do not completely cover the surface of the substrate, and a blank area is formed on the surface of the substrate between the first infrared radiation layer and the second infrared radiation layer along the circumferential direction of the chamber.

8. 4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the infrared emitter further comprises a conductive element for supplying power to the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive element is a conductive coating formed on the substrate.

10. 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 9, wherein the conductive coating at least partially overlaps the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer so as to be conductively connected to the first infrared emitting layer and the second infrared emitting layer.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive element is configured to extend along an axial direction of the chamber.

12. the conductive elements include a first conductive element, a second conductive element and a third conductive element spaced apart circumferentially around the chamber; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between the first conductive element and the second conductive element to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first conductive element and the second conductive element are electrically connected; 12. The aerosol generating device of claim 11, wherein the second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the second conductive element and a third conductive element such that the second infrared emitting layer emits infrared radiation into the chamber when the second conductive element and the third conductive element are electrically connected.

13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive element is configured to extend along a circumferential direction of the chamber.

14. the conductive elements include a first conductive element and a second conductive element opposed to each other along an axial direction of the chamber, and a third conductive element and a fourth conductive element opposed to each other along the axial direction of the chamber; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between a first conductive element and a second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first conductive element and the second conductive element are electrically connected; The aerosol generating device of claim 13, wherein the second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the third conductive element and the fourth conductive element along the axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared rays into the chamber when the third conductive element and the fourth conductive element are electrically conductive.

15. the substrate includes a first end and a second end opposed along an axial direction of the chamber; The conductive element is configured to extend circumferentially around the chamber; the conductive elements include a first conductive element provided at the first end, and a second conductive element and a third conductive element provided at the second end; the first conductive element includes a first portion facing the second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber and a second portion facing the third conductive element; the first infrared emitting layer is coupled between the first portion and the second conductive element along an axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared radiation into the chamber when the first portion and the second conductive element are electrically connected; The aerosol generating device of claim 8, wherein the second infrared emitting layer is coupled between the second portion and the third conductive element along the axial direction of the chamber so as to emit infrared rays into the chamber when the second portion and the third conductive element are electrically conductive.

16. The infrared radiator includes: a substrate configured to surround an outer periphery of the chamber; an infrared emitting thin film provided on a surface of the substrate, the infrared emitting thin film being formed with a first conductive coating, a second conductive coating and a third conductive coating extending along an axial direction of the chamber; The aerosol generating device described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the first conductive coating, the second conductive coating, and the third conductive coating are arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the chamber, and the infrared emitting thin film is divided into the first infrared emitting region located between the first conductive coating and the second conductive coating, and the second infrared emitting region located between the second conductive coating and the third conductive coating.

17. The infrared radiator comprises at least a first substrate and a second substrate disposed around the chamber; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that a first infrared emitting layer is provided on the first substrate, a second infrared emitting layer is provided on the second substrate, at least a portion of the first infrared emitting layer forms the first infrared emitting region, and at least a portion of the second infrared emitting layer forms the second infrared emitting region.

18. The first substrate and / or the second substrate are configured in an arc shape curved in a direction away from the chamber, And / or the first substrate and / or the second substrate are configured in a sheet shape, The aerosol generating device according to claim 17 .

19. the infrared emitter further includes a third infrared emitting region and a fourth infrared emitting region; The first infrared radiation region and the third infrared radiation region are provided opposite to each other along a radial direction of the chamber, 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the second infrared radiation region and the fourth infrared radiation region are provided opposite each other along a radial direction of the chamber.

20. 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first infrared emitting area and the second infrared emitting area are configured to be activated alternately.

21. further comprising a bridge circuit coupled to the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region; The aerosol generating device of claim 20, characterized in that the bridge circuit includes a transistor configured to alternately turn on or off to alternately form a first current supplied to a first emission area and a second current supplied to a second emission area, thereby alternately activating the first infrared emission area and the second infrared emission area.

22. 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first infrared radiation region and the second infrared radiation region have different infrared radiation spectra.

23. 23. The aerosol generating device according to claim 22, wherein the infrared radiation spectrum of the first infrared radiation region has a peak wavelength different from the infrared radiation spectrum of the second infrared radiation region.

24. An infrared emitter for use in an aerosol generating device, characterized in that the infrared emitter is configured in a tubular shape extending along a length direction and includes a first infrared emitting region and a second infrared emitting region arranged sequentially along a circumferential direction, the first infrared emitting region and the second infrared emitting region being independently activatable and independently emitting infrared rays to heat different portions of the inhalable material.

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