New atomization core

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of atomization applications. More specifically, the present invention discloses a novel atomization core comprising a core substrate and a heating element on the core substrate, the core substrate being made of a high-density material, with e-liquid transfer perforations dispersed within the substrate, the e-liquid transfer perforations having a diameter of 1 to 250 μm, the wall spacing between two adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations being less than 500 μm, and the high-density ceramic having a porosity of less than 30%. The disclosed novel atomization core can perform not only similar in-situ atomization through controllable fluid channels formed within the high-density substrate, but also quantified or dose-controlled vaporization through quantified flow control, a controlled atomization core generation process, and a particle growth process for more uniform vaporization. At the same time, relatively toxic and harmful substances generated by ceramic powder and the porous ceramic itself are prevented from entering the atomized aerosol, thereby achieving safer quantitative atomization.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to atomization applications, and more particularly to a novel atomizing core. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, e-cigarettes and some medical vaporizers typically utilize electrical resistance heating to heat the liquid to produce the aerosol. There are generally four types:

[0003] First, fiberglass rope plus heating wire: Most common e-cigarette atomizers typically use a fiber rope with a resistance heating wire wound around it to transport the liquid. Fiberglass rope is used as the primary transport material due to its rigid lugs, high-temperature resistance, strong liquid absorption, and fast transport speed. However, the biggest drawback of fiberglass rope is its tendency to fall off and form flocs. Furthermore, when winding the heating wire around the fiber rope, the position of the heating wire varies, resulting in varying degrees of exposure of the heating wire surface to the outside of the fiber rope, resulting in inconsistent atomization, reduced atomization efficiency, and dry burn.

[0004] Second, cotton plus heating wire: Around 2013, cotton began to replace fiberglass rope as the primary transport material. Compared to fiberglass rope, cotton is safer and delivers a flavor that is more faithful to the tobacco flavor through the e-liquid. The development has progressed from absorbent cotton and organic cotton to specialized e-cigarette cotton, such as the highest quality long-staple cotton. Currently, cotton plus heating wire is still the mainstream on the market, but sugars in e-liquid adsorb onto the surface of the heating wire, forming what is commonly called carbon deposits, which darken the cotton and easily produce harmful and potentially harmful components (HPHCs) in the aerosol.

[0005] Third, ceramic atomization cores: The development of e-cigarettes has led to the emergence of various transfer materials. Porous ceramic transfer materials have become popular in e-cigarettes. There are two main types of ceramic atomization cores available on the market: one is designed to embed a heating wire in a porous ceramic body, such as CCell, and the other is designed to screen-print a layer of conductive heating coating on the porous ceramic, such as Feelm and Silmo. The pores in porous ceramics are distributed in various sizes, resulting in easy coking or dry burning of some liquid components during vaporization, or liquid leakage due to large pores. Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 20188001973.3 discloses sputtering a 0.5-5 μm thick titanium-zirconium alloy film and a 0.1-1 μm thick Au-Ag alloy protective film onto a porous ceramic. At this thickness, the film quality is inevitably affected by the surface roughness of the porous ceramic.

[0006] Fourth, other atomization cores, such as those in Chinese Patent Application Publication Nos. 201620757596.4, 201810009220.9, and 201910229470.8, disclose single-crystal silicon-based MEMS atomization cores, which are expected to solve the problems of inconsistent atomization temperature and flavor changes caused by direct contact between the heated surface and the e-liquid. A microperforated plate with a microperforation array is used to control the liquid flow. The diameter of the microfluidic channel is 10 to 500 μm, and the diameter of the microperforated channel is 500 to 1000 μm. The metal film is one or more of Ti / Pt / Au, TiW / Au, Al, Cr, or Pt / Au, with a thickness of 200 nm to 500 nm. However, system reliability of such devices remains important. Another example is Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 201821218626.X and Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 201810855337.9, which describe capillary array atomizers using stainless steel medical tubing and glass tubing with an inner diameter of 0.01-0.1 mm as the capillary array. The external stainless steel sheet is directly heated, similarly avoiding contact between the heating element and the e-liquid. The effective atomization area through which the fluid passes reaches up to 50%. These patents claim to have overcome the drawbacks of ceramic heating elements and thus achieved an atomized e-cigarette that is more faithful to conventional cigarettes. However, the processing and assembly of the microtubes poses certain safety risks to the intrusion of powder and other particles into the aerosol.

[0007] From a safety perspective, the above four atomization methods have significantly reduced harmful components compared to traditional cigarettes, but still contain trace amounts of toxic and harmful substances. In particular, due to the manufacturing process and structural characteristics of porous ceramics, some attached and embedded powder particles or ceramic particles themselves will inevitably be incorporated into the aerosol. In addition, due to the segregation of the crystalline phase, heavy metal impurities are concentrated on the surface of the crystal grains, which can easily leach into the atomized liquid. Experiments have now demonstrated that trace amounts of heavy metals can be detected in the aerosol of some e-cigarettes with ceramic atomization cores. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention aims to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art and provides a novel atomizing core that not only achieves safer atomization, but also allows for dose-controlled atomization and uniform atomization with precise design, without coking or particle emission.

[0009] For the above purpose, the novel atomizing core disclosed by the present invention comprises a core substrate and a heating body on the core substrate, the core substrate is made of a high-density material, e-liquid transfer perforations are dispersed within the core substrate, the diameter of the e-liquid transfer perforations is 1-250 μm, and the wall spacing between two adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations is less than 500 μm.

[0010] The high-density material may be one of the following materials: single-crystal or polycrystalline material, high-temperature and thermal shock resistant glass, or high-density ceramic. Preferably, the single-crystal material may be single-crystal alumina, single-crystal silicon, and polycrystalline silicon material, etc. The high-temperature and thermal shock resistant glass may be quartz glass, borosilicate glass, or aluminosilicate glass. The high-density ceramic may be silica, alumina, zirconia, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, diatomaceous earth, mullite, zirconate, or apatite with a relative density of more than 70%.

[0011] Preferably, the porosity of the high density ceramic is less than 30%, and more preferably, the porosity of the high density ceramic is less than 10%.

[0012] Preferably, the heating element is a thin film / coating or a metal heating element.

[0013] Preferably, the heating element is coated, screen printed, vapor deposited, liquid deposited, or directly adhered to the substrate of the atomizing core.

[0014] Preferably, the thickness of the heater element is less than 100 μm if coated or screen printed, 5 μm or less if deposited, or less than 50 μm if glued.

[0015] Preferably, the heating element is selected from a biocompatible film such as titanium, tantalum, and their alloys, or a titanium / tantalum oxide film, or a metal foil bonded to the substrate of the atomizing core. If necessary, a protective passive film may be further provided on the heating element.

[0016] The diameter of the e-liquid transfer perforations is 150 μm or less, preferably 25 μm to 120 μm, and more preferably 80 μm or less.

[0017] Preferably, the wall spacing between two adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations is less than 250 μm, preferably less than 150 μm, more preferably less than 100 μm.

[0018] Preferably, the e-liquid transfer perforations are created by extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, 3D printing, laser machining or mechanical perforation.

[0019] By forming controllable fluid channels within the substrate, the novel atomizing core disclosed herein not only achieves near-in-situ atomization, but also precisely dose-controlled vaporization by quantifying the fluid channels, and achieves uniform atomization by maximizing control over the atomized particle core generation and growth process. More importantly, the substrate is no longer porous ceramic, and the vaporization interface throughout the atomization process is very stable and safe. The release of ceramic particles and relatively toxic and harmful substances in porous ceramic-based atomizers are completely avoided for the atomized aerosol, thereby achieving safer, more uniform, and quantitative vaporization. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate of the atomizing core according to embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate of the atomizing core according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate of the atomizing core according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the detailed description of the present invention is further given below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be provided in part in the following description, and in part will be obvious from the following description, or may be experienced by practice of the present invention. It should be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and is not limiting of the present invention.

[0022] The novel atomizing core disclosed by the present invention includes a core substrate and a heating element on the core substrate. The core substrate is made of a high-density material, and e-liquid transfer perforations are dispersed within the substrate. The diameter of the e-liquid transfer perforations is 1 to 250 μm, and the wall spacing between two adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations is less than 500 μm. The high-density material may be one of the following materials: monocrystalline alumina or other monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials; high-temperature and thermal shock resistant glass; and high-density ceramic. Preferably, the high-temperature and thermal shock resistant glass may be quartz glass, borosilicate glass, or aluminosilicate glass. The high-density ceramic may be silica, alumina, zirconia, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, diatomaceous earth, mullite, zirconate, or apatite with a relative density of more than 70%. The high-density ceramic has a porosity of less than 30%. The heating element is a thin film / coating or metal heating element that is coated, screen printed, vapor deposited, liquid deposited, or directly bonded to a core substrate. The e-liquid transfer perforations are created by extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, 3D printing, laser machining, or mechanical drilling.

[0023] In the present invention, the performance of the aerosol depends on its precise control and uniformity, so the high-density material and its thickness, as well as the size and location of the e-liquid transfer perforations, are important for controlling the atomized aerosol. The size of the e-liquid transfer perforations is important for aerosol chemical composition and particle size control, and they are also important for preventing coking at low temperatures. This invention avoids the common use of porous ceramics and significantly improves the overall strength of the atomizing core material, thereby completely avoiding the release of ceramic particles into the aerosol and further lung damage caused by vapor.

[0024] The atomizing core of the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of currently used porous ceramics, including uncontrollable porosity, uneven pore size and distribution, rough surfaces, and inconsistent atomization interfaces caused by grain boundary segregation during porous ceramic preparation. Understanding the atomization mechanism and atomization interface establishes a mechanism for uniform and quantitative atomization, thereby improving both the particle size distribution and chemical composition of the atomized aerosol. This results in significantly improved authentic taste / flavor, taste consistency from the first puff to the last, and taste satisfaction. Additionally, the size and number of the e-liquid-transporting perforations of the present invention may be adjusted according to the characteristics of the e-liquid. Therefore, some drawbacks of conventional porous ceramic-based coils, such as low-temperature coking of some components in e-liquid due to the mismatch between pore size and certain chemical components, are completely avoided. Thanks to the control of the vaporization interface and vaporization mechanism, some chemical reactions and thermal decomposition during the atomization process are significantly suppressed. Therefore, HPHCs (harmful and potentially harmful components) and heavy metals in the aerosol are significantly reduced. Furthermore, the release of ceramic particles is completely eliminated.

[0025] Preferably, the porosity of the high density material of the present invention is less than 10% and the thickness of the heating element is less than 100 μm if coated or screen printed, 5 μm or less if deposited, or less than 50 μm if glued.

[0026] Preferably, the heating element of the present invention is selected from biocompatible materials such as titanium, tantalum, or alloys thereof, or titanium / tantalum oxide films, or metal foils bonded to a core substrate. The heating element may also be other heat-resistant conductive compounds or mixed films. If necessary, a protective passive film may be further provided on the heating element.

[0027] The diameter of the e-liquid transfer perforations is 150 μm or less, preferably 25 μm to 120 μm, and more preferably 80 μm or less.

[0028] Preferably, the wall spacing between two adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations is less than 250 μm, preferably less than 150 μm, more preferably less than 100 μm.

[0029] In the present invention, thanks to the control of the fluid channel and on-site heating, atomization core generation and dynamic growth after core generation can be more precisely controlled. As a result, the particle size, composition, quantity / volume, and temperature of the atomized aerosol can be controlled or adjusted according to specific atomization requirements, thereby improving nicotine penetration efficiency to a certain extent. The outlet of each e-liquid transfer perforation is important for the generation of atomization core. Naturally, the e-liquid will also be spread over the heated surface. The wall spacing between two adjacent perforations needs to be controlled to less than 250 μm, which greatly reduces the risk of the e-liquid failing to completely cover the heated surface or preventing the e-liquid from covering the heated surface during the atomization process, completely avoiding either dry burning or local overheating. Therefore, on-site atomization or on-site vaporization can be defined in the present invention. Currently, most atomization devices utilize off-site heating via heat conduction, resulting in uneven temperatures, which is also the main reason why HPHC cannot be completely eliminated.

[0030] The technical features included in the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other unless they are inconsistent with each other.

[0031] Embodiment 1 The substrate is made of single-crystal alumina. After machining to its desired shape and dimensions using CNC, a zoom laser is used to create an array of perforations with diameters of 120 μm, 100 μm, 80 μm, or 60 μm, and wall spacings between two adjacent perforations of 250 μm, 200 μm, 150 μm, or 100 μm, respectively. The array of perforations can be densely packed triangular or rectangular, or other shapes. Then, a titanium or tantalum oxide film with a thickness ranging from 0.35 μm to 5 μm (4.5 μm titanium oxide film in Figure 1) is deposited by sputtering or electron beam evaporation. The thickness is directly related to the oxygen content in the thin film. For thin films with different or low oxygen contents, a passive film, such as a gold film with a thickness of approximately 12 nm (as shown in Figure 1), is further deposited on top. Electrodes are then formed on both ends of the substrate using a safe conductive paste and connected to the battery. The thickness of each membrane depends on the design of the resistance and atomization force. The membranes deposited between the perforated walls provide a uniform temperature field and a uniform core generation center, forming controllable liquid and air fluid channels during atomization. As a result, the volume and characteristics of the atomized aerosol are fully controlled to achieve better nicotine delivery efficiency and various aerosol satisfaction. The uniform temperature field results from the design of the heating element, i.e., the screen-printed coating or deposited membrane or metal foil, which is directly controlled by the uniformity of the wall spacing. The non-porous area is the heating surface, and the controllable liquid and air flows refer to the control of the interface of the fluid channels and atomization core generation. Uniform atomization is achieved for different types of e-liquids and other liquids without coking or ceramic particle emission. Figure 1 shows an example.

[0032] Embodiment 2 The substrate is made of single-crystal alumina. After machining to its shape and dimensions using CNC, a zoom laser is used to form an array of perforations with a perforation diameter of 100 μm and a wall spacing of 200 μm between two adjacent perforations. The array of perforations can be arranged in a closely packed triangular or rectangular shape, or in other shapes. Then, a titanium or tantalum oxide film with a thickness ranging from 0.35 μm to 5 μm (4 μm titanium oxide film in Figure 2) is deposited by sputtering or electron beam evaporation. The thickness is directly related to the oxygen content in the thin film. For films with different or low oxygen contents, a passive film such as a 15 nm Au film (as shown in Figure 2) is further deposited on top. Electrodes are then formed on both ends of the substrate using a safe conductive paste and connected to a battery. The thickness of each film depends on the required resistance and atomization power. The film deposited between the perforation walls creates a uniform temperature field and a uniform core generation center, forming controllable fluid and air flow channels during atomization. As a result, the volume and characteristics of the atomized aerosol are fully controlled to achieve better nicotine delivery efficiency and various aerosol satisfaction. A uniform temperature field results from the design of the heating element, i.e., the screen-printed coating, deposited film, or metal foil, which is directly controlled by the uniformity of the wall spacing. The non-porous area is the heated surface, and the controllable liquid and air flow refers to the control of the interface of the fluid channel and atomization core generation. Uniform atomization is achieved for different types of e-liquids and other liquids without coking, ceramic particle emissions, or heavy metals.

[0033] Embodiment 3 The substrate is made of transparent quartz glass. After being machined to its desired shape and dimensions by CNC machining, a zoom laser is used to create an array of perforations with diameters of 120 μm and 80 μm, and wall spacings controlled at 200 μm and 150 μm, respectively. The array of perforations can be arranged in a closely spaced triangle, closely spaced rectangle, or other shapes. A titanium or tantalum oxide film with a thickness of 0.35 μm to 5 μm is then formed by sputtering or electron beam evaporation. The thickness is directly related to the oxygen content in the film. For films with different or low oxygen contents, a passive film, such as an approximately 15 nm Au film, is then deposited on top. Electrodes are then formed on both ends of the substrate using a safe conductive paste and connected to a battery. The thickness of each film depends on the required resistance and atomization power. The film deposited between the perforation walls creates a uniform temperature field and a uniform core generation center, forming controllable liquid and air fluid channels during atomization. As a result, the volume and characteristics of the atomized aerosol are fully controlled to achieve better nicotine delivery efficiency and various aerosol satisfaction. A uniform temperature field results from the design of the heating element, i.e., the deposited film or metal foil, which is directly controlled by the uniformity of the wall spacing. The non-porous area is the heated surface, and the controllable liquid and air flow refers to the control of the interface of the fluid channel and the atomization core generation. Uniform atomization is achieved for different types of e-liquids and other liquids without coking or ceramic particle emission.

[0034] Embodiment 4 The substrate is a high-density zirconia ceramic prepared by 3D printing. An array of perforations is also formed during the 3D printing process. The perforation diameters are 120 μm and 100 μm, respectively, and the wall spacing between two adjacent perforations is controlled to 180 μm. The array of perforations is arranged in a dense triangular shape. A titanium or tantalum oxide film with a thickness of 0.35 μm to 5 μm is then deposited by sputtering or electron beam evaporation. The thickness is directly related to the oxygen content in the film. For films with different or low oxygen contents, a passive film such as an approximately 15 nm Au film is further deposited on top. Electrodes are then formed on both ends of the substrate using a safe conductive paste and connected to a battery. The thickness of each film depends on the required resistance and atomization power. The film deposited between the perforation walls forms a uniform temperature field and a uniform core generation center, forming controllable liquid and air fluid channels during atomization. As a result, the volume and characteristics of the atomized aerosol are fully controlled to achieve better nicotine delivery efficiency and various aerosol satisfaction. A uniform temperature field results from the design of the heating element, i.e., the deposited film or metal foil, which is directly controlled by the uniformity of the wall spacing. The non-porous area is the heated surface, and the controllable liquid and air flow refers to the control of the interface of the fluid channel and the atomization core generation. Uniform atomization is achieved for different types of e-liquids and other liquids without coking or ceramic particle emission.

[0035] The novel atomizing cores disclosed by the present invention can be used not only in electronic cigarettes, but also in medical atomization (e.g., atomizers / nebulizers for pain relief and asthma relief) and recreational atomization.

[0036] Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. an atomization core comprising a core substrate and a heating element on the core substrate, wherein the core substrate has a porosity of less than 10% and is made of a high-density material, including one of a monocrystalline or polycrystalline material, a high-temperature and thermal shock resistant glass, and a high-density ceramic; e-liquid transfer perforations are defined through the core substrate, all of the e-liquid transfer perforations being arranged in an array having a closely packed triangular shape, and the e-liquid transfer perforations each have the same diameter and the same wall spacing between adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations; the heating element is disposed on the core substrate between the e-liquid transfer perforations to form fluid channels, and the heating element provided between the e-liquid transfer perforations defines a heated surface having a uniform temperature field for atomizing liquid transferred through the e-liquid transfer perforations.

2. The atomizing core according to claim 1 , wherein the core substrate has a uniform thickness.

3. The atomizing core of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the heating surface further comprises a passive Au film deposited on the heating element between the e-liquid transfer perforations.

4. An atomizing core described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all of the e-liquid transfer perforations have the same wall spacing.

5. The atomizing core of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the e-liquid transfer perforations are adapted to transfer liquid through the core substrate to a heated surface.

6. 6. The atomizing core of claim 1, wherein the core substrate has opposing ends adapted to receive electrodes, and the e-liquid transfer perforations are not located on the opposing ends of the substrate.

7. An atomizer comprising the atomizing core according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. a. forming e-liquid transfer perforations through a core substrate, all of the e-liquid transfer perforations being arranged in an array having a closely packed triangular shape, the core substrate having a porosity of less than 10% and made of a high density material including one of a monocrystalline or polycrystalline material, a high temperature and thermal shock resistant glass, and a high density ceramic, each of the e-liquid transfer perforations having the same diameter and the same wall spacing between adjacent e-liquid transfer perforations; b) forming a heating element on the core substrate between the e-liquid transfer perforations to form a fluid channel, and the heating element disposed between the e-liquid transfer perforations defines a heated surface with a uniform temperature field for atomizing the liquid transferred through the e-liquid transfer perforations; Method for manufacturing atomizing core.

9. The method for manufacturing an atomizing core according to claim 8 , wherein the heating element is formed on the core substrate by painting, screen printing, vapor deposition, liquid deposition, or direct bonding.

10. The method for manufacturing an atomizing core according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the e-liquid transfer perforations are formed by laser processing.

11. 8. The atomizing core according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a biocompatible membrane with a low oxygen content selected from titanium oxide, tantalum oxide.

12. The method for manufacturing an atomizing core according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the heating element comprises a biocompatible film with a low oxygen content selected from titanium oxide and tantalum oxide.

13. A method for manufacturing an atomizing core described in any one of claims 8 to 10, 12, wherein all of the e-liquid transfer perforations have the same wall spacing.

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