Aerosol generator with an exhaust mechanism

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device with an ejection mechanism. More specifically, the aerosol generating device (1) includes an aerosol generation chamber (107) configured to receive and heat a substrate (103) to generate an aerosol, a cover (104) having a closed position that covers the aerosol generation chamber (107) and an open position that exposes the aerosol generation chamber (107), and an ejection mechanism (101) configured to be at least indirectly connected to the aerosol generation chamber (107) and the cover (104), and having an ejection state, a retention lock state, and a retention unlock state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, and more particularly to an aerosol-generating device that includes an ejection mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] The popularity and use of aerosol-generating devices (also known as heat-not-burn products or e-cigarettes) has grown rapidly over the past few years. Unlike traditional tobacco products, which burn tobacco, a variety of devices and systems are available for heating or warming aerosolizable substances.

[0003] A commonly available risk reduction or risk modification device is the substrate-heated aerosol generator or heat-and-burn device. This type of device typically generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate containing moist tobacco or other suitable solid aerosolizable material, typically to a temperature ranging from 150°C to 350°C. By heating, rather than burning or combusting, such an aerosol substrate, an aerosol is released that contains the ingredients desired by the user but is free of the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, aerosols produced by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable material typically do not contain the burnt or bitter taste that results from combustion, which can be unpleasant to users; therefore, the substrate does not require sugar or other additives that are typically added to these materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to users.

[0004] In such devices, the substrate is typically contained substantially within the heating chamber, and the user typically must press a button to eject the substrate from the heating chamber after consumption for replacement with a new substrate. However, the placement of the button on the device may result in gaps on the housing of the aerosol generating device, which may reduce access to the aerosol generating device and complicate operation of the device for the user. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides a smoking article for an aerosol-generating device that solves some or all of the above problems.

[0006] The first embodiment of the present invention is directed to an aerosol generating device, which comprises: a heating chamber configured to receive and heat the substrate to generate the aerosol; a cover having a closed position covering the heating chamber and an open position exposing the heating chamber; an ejection mechanism configured to be at least indirectly connected to the heating chamber and the cover, the ejection mechanism having an ejection state, a retention locked state, and a retention unlocked state; Equipped with - in an ejection state, the cover is in an open position and the ejection mechanism is configured to receive a substrate or to at least partially eject a received substrate from the heating chamber, and the ejection mechanism can be transitioned to a retention lock state; - in the retention locked state, the cover is in an open position and the ejection mechanism is configured to hold the substrate in a predetermined position with the substrate fully inserted into the heating chamber, and the ejection mechanism can be transitioned to the retention unlocked state by moving the cover from the open position to the closed position; In the retention unlocked state, the cover is in a closed position and the ejection mechanism is configured to apply an ejection force to a substrate held in place by the cover, and the ejection mechanism can be transitioned to the ejection state by moving the cover from the closed position to the open position.

[0007] The ejection mechanism makes it convenient for users to use and replace the aerosol substrate. The substrate can be automatically ejected by simply opening the cover. This provides an intuitive and robust method for replacing the substrate and simplifies the internal structure of the aerosol generating device.

[0008] According to the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the heating chamber has an opening for receiving the substrate, and the discharge mechanism comprises a surface that at least partially defines the bottom surface of the heating chamber and protrudes into the heating chamber in the discharge state.

[0009] This arrangement allows the substrate to automatically eject from the heating chamber, thereby allowing it to be conveniently grasped by the user.

[0010] According to a third embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the ejection mechanism is configured to receive the substrate by a user pressing the substrate into the chamber, and the bottom surface is pressed down along the first axis along with the substrate while the ejection mechanism transitions from the ejection state to the retention lock state.

[0011] According to a fourth embodiment, of any one of the previous embodiments, the ejection mechanism comprises a snap member configured to maintain the ejection mechanism in the retention lock state.

[0012] This arrangement can ensure that the substrate remains within the heating chamber for the subsequent heating process.

[0013] According to a fifth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the ejection mechanism comprises a first spring configured to provide the ejection force.

[0014] According to a sixth embodiment, in any one of the second to fifth embodiments, the ejection mechanism comprises a support member that supports or forms a bottom surface of the ejection mechanism and has an arm supported by a first spring of the ejection mechanism.

[0015] According to the seventh embodiment, the arm has a protrusion corresponding to the protrusion formed by the snap member in the previous embodiment, and the protrusion of the snap member can hold the ejection mechanism in a retention lock state by snapping the protrusion of the arm, or can release the protrusion of the arm to provide an ejection force.

[0016] According to an eighth embodiment, in any one of embodiments 4 to 7, the snap member protrudes above the receiving opening when the cover is in the open position and can be pressed by the cover to release the support member when the cover is in the closed position.

[0017] According to the ninth embodiment, in any one of embodiments 4 to 8, the snap member has an upper part and a lower part that mechanically engage with the second spring, the upper part can protrude above the receiving opening when the cover is in the open position, and the lower part has a protruding portion of the snap member.

[0018] According to the tenth embodiment, in the previous embodiment, the upper and lower parts are slidably engaged, and the upper part is configured to press the lower part along the second axis via a sliding force until the protrusion of the arm is released from the protrusion of the support member when the cover presses the upper part from the open position to the closed position, and the protrusion of the arm is partially engaged in a sliding manner with the protrusion of the snap member, so that when a user presses a substrate into the chamber, the protrusion of the snap member can be slidably pressed along the second axis by the protrusion of the arm until the protrusion of the support member is snapped by the protrusion of the snap member to hold the ejection mechanism in a retention lock state.

[0019] According to an eleventh embodiment, in either one of embodiments 9 or 10, the lower part and the arm are made of metal.

[0020] This arrangement can extend the life of the ejection mechanism and the device.

[0021] According to a twelfth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the aerosol generating device comprises a locking mechanism configured to maintain the cover in a closed position against an ejection force when the ejection mechanism is in a retention unlocked state, and the locking mechanism comprises a magnet or a snap fastener.

[0022] This arrangement allows the cover to press against the substrate inside the heating chamber against the ejection force of the second spring.

[0023] According to a thirteenth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the cover is rotatably hinged onto the main body of the aerosol generating device.

[0024] According to a fourteenth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the heating chamber has a flat cubic shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate.

[0025] Preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device and a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart of a process for the operation of an apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of an aerosol generating device in different states according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a component of an aerosol generating device with an ejection mechanism therein, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of components of an ejection mechanism of an aerosol generating device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic and the dimensional ratios may differ from those of the actual drawings.

[0028] As used herein, the terms "aerosol generating device," "vaporizer system," "inhaler," or "electronic cigarette" may include an electronic cigarette configured to deliver an aerosol, including a smoking aerosol, to a user. The illustrated embodiments of the aerosol generating system of the present invention are schematic.

[0029] Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 , an electronic cigarette 1 for consuming a substrate is shown. The electronic cigarette 1 can be used as a substitute for a traditional cigarette. The electronic cigarette 1 has a substantially elongated shape with a cover 104, which functions as a device mouthpiece having an air inlet and / or an air outlet, and a main body 106. The cover 104 is rotatably hinged to the main body 106. During or after heating the substrate 130 and generating an aerosol, air is driven toward the mouthpiece, i.e., the cover 104, to provide the aerosol to the user. In some embodiments, the air is driven by the user inhaling. In other embodiments, the aerosol generation device 1 may include a pump for driving air toward the mouthpiece to provide the aerosol. The cover 104 has a closed position that covers a heating chamber 107, compressing and retaining the substrate 103 within the heating chamber 107. The cover 104 also has an open position that exposes an opening 105 in the heating chamber 107 for inserting or discarding the substrate 103. The main body 106 comprises the ejection mechanism 101 (shown hatched), a heating chamber or oven cavity 107 oriented vertically within the main body, a LiPo battery 1061, a PCBA 1062 having electronic elements such as a CPU or controller, and a USB-C connector 1063 for charging the LiPo battery 1061 and / or transmitting data to the e-cigarette 1. At least a portion of the aerosol-generating substrate 103 is enclosed in the heating chamber 107 when the substrate 103 is consumed, preferably a majority of the substrate 103 is enclosed in the heating chamber 107, and most preferably the entire substrate 103 is enclosed within the heating chamber 107 in such a way that when the cover 104 is closed, the substrate 103 is pressed by the cover 104 to maintain a position where it can substantially heat the substrate 103, while the ejection mechanism 101 is pressed to its locked or snapped state (described below). The aerosol is generated from the insertion of the substrate 103 into the heating chamber 107 while the cover 104 presses the substrate 103 into a closed position.

[0030] The housing and cover of the main body may generally be made of any rigid material, such as a thermoplastic material or metal (e.g., aluminum). The insulating enclosure configured between the housing and the heating chamber may be made of a heat-resistant material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or polyamide (PA), to prevent thermal deformation or melting. The heat-resistant material may be a super engineering plastic, such as polyimide (PI), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polyether ether ketone (PEEK). A portion of the discharge mechanism may be made of or covered with an insulating material.

[0031] A schematic perspective view of an aerosol-generating substrate 103 is shown in FIG. 1. The substrate 103 may include, for example, nicotine, tobacco, and / or an aerosol former. The tobacco may be in the form of various materials, such as shredded tobacco, granulated tobacco, leaf tobacco, and / or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include polyols (such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol), non-polyols (such as monohydric alcohols, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin, or vegetable glycerin). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating agent may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate 103 may also include at least one of a gelling agent, a binder, a stabilizer, and a humectant.

[0032] The substrate 103 is porous to allow air to flow through the substrate 103 and collect the aerosol as it does so. The substrate 103 can be, for example, foam or filled with strands or fibers. The substrate 103 can be formed into a stable shape by extrusion and / or rolling processes. The aerosol-generating substrate 103 can be shaped to provide one air passageway, or in a preferred embodiment, multiple air passageways, as shown in FIG. 1 . These can be aligned with the air passageways of the aerosol-generating device 1 to increase airflow through the heating chamber 103. The substrate 103 has an exposed, bare outer surface. Alternatively, the substrate 103 can include a breathable wrapper covering at least a portion of the surface of the substrate 103. The wrapper can include, for example, paper and / or a nonwoven fabric.

[0033] In this embodiment, the substrate may have a substantially flat cubic or pod-like shape with dimensions of 18 x 12 x 1.2 mm, with the length, width, and depth of the cube each selected within a range of, for example, ±40%. Generally, in preferred embodiments, the length of the substrate is 40 to 10 mm, preferably 30 to 12 mm, more preferably 25 to 14 mm, and most preferably 22 to 15 mm. In preferred embodiments, the width of the substrate is 30 to 6 mm, preferably 25 to 8 mm, more preferably 20 to 9 mm, and most preferably 16 to 9 mm. In preferred embodiments, the height of the substrate is 3 to 0.5 mm, preferably 2 to 0.6 mm, more preferably 1.8 to 0.8 mm, and most preferably 1.6 to 0.9 mm.

[0034] The aerosol-generating substrate is preferably designed to be longer than or equal to the longitudinal length of the heating chamber 107 (shown by the dashed straight line in FIG. 4a). In this case, when the cover is in the closed position, the portion protruding from the device after insertion is accommodated and pressed by the hollow portion of the cover 104 (as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b). In other words, the heating chamber 107 has a substantially cubic shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate 103, and its dimensions are 18 x 12 x 1.2 mm, with the length, width, and depth of the cube each selected within a ±40% range. The length of the heating chamber is preferably less than 18 mm, and the width and depth of the heating chamber 107 are preferably greater than 12 mm and 1.2 mm, respectively. More specifically, the length of the aerosol-generating chamber 107 in a preferred embodiment is 40 to 9 mm, preferably 30 to 11 mm, more preferably 25 to 13 mm, and most preferably 22 to 14 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the width of chamber 107 is 31 to 6 mm, preferably 26 to 8 mm, more preferably 21 to 9 mm, and most preferably 17 to 9 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the depth of chamber 107 is 4 to 0.5 mm, preferably 3 to 0.6 mm, more preferably 2.8 to 0.8 mm, and most preferably 2 to 0.9 mm.

[0035] This means that the opening 105 of the heating chamber 107 is large enough to easily insert the substrate 103 into the heating chamber 107. In other embodiments, the substrate 103 has a shorter length compared to the heating chamber 107.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the process for inserting, consuming, and discarding a substrate 103 in the aerosol generating device 1. Before using the device 1 and consuming a substrate 103, a user first opens the cover 104 of the device 1 without any substrate in the device 201. The user then inserts the substrate 103 into the opening 105 of the heating chamber 107 along a first axis along the longitudinal direction of the device 202. The user must press down on the substrate 103 until they hear a click, during which the ejection mechanism transitions from an ejected state to a retention lock state (described below) 203. This means that when the substrate 103 reaches its limit of travel, the bottom of the heating chamber 107 locks into a predetermined position (its lower position) and the consumable is substantially or completely lowered into the heating chamber 107. The user then closes the cover 204, during which the ejection mechanism transitions from a retention lock state to a retention unlock state (described below). The user switches on the device, for example by pressing a button on the device 205, and begins consuming the substrate 206. In an alternative embodiment, a sensor may be positioned within the device 1 to detect the closure of the cover and the presence of the substrate 103 within the device 1, thereby automatically triggering heating for the substrate 103. After the user has finished consuming the substrate 103, the user simply opens the cover 207. Because the ejection mechanism 101 has transitioned from a retention unlocked state to an ejection state (described below), at least a portion of the substrate 103 pops out and protrudes through the opening 105 of the heating chamber 107. In one embodiment, a sensor is positioned to detect the opening of the cover 104 so as to stop heating the heating chamber 107. Finally, the user discards the substrate 103 from the device 208.

[0037] Specific configurations of the discharge mechanism are shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d, 3a to 3c, and 4. FIG.

[0038] The discharge mechanism 101 is at least indirectly connected to the heating chamber 107 and the cover 104. The heating chamber 107 has two openings on opposite sides of the heating chamber 107 along the insertion direction 108 of the substrate 103. One of the two openings is an opening 105 for inserting and discarding the substrate 103, and a part of the discharge mechanism, i.e., a support member (described below), can be inserted into the other opening at the bottom end of the heating chamber 107. This part of the discharge mechanism supports the substrate 103 as the bottom, inner lower surface, or floor of the heating chamber 107 while heating the substrate 103, and protrudes into the heating chamber 107 in the discharged state. This surface can move vertically. When a user wants to change the substrate 103, the surface discharges or protrudes into the heating chamber 107 to such an extent that at least a portion of the substrate 103 protrudes from the heating chamber 107, allowing the user to manually remove the substrate 103 from the device 1. Preferably, the surface protrudes halfway into the heating chamber 107. For example, if the length of the substrate 103 is 18 mm and the length of the heating chamber 107 is the same as the length of the substrate 103, also 18 mm, the ejection mechanism can protrude a predetermined distance of 9 mm into the heating chamber 103, so that the substrate 103 protrudes from the chamber by the same 9 mm. This arrangement allows a user to easily discard the substrate 103 by grasping the protruding portion of the substrate 103, and the substrate 103 will not easily fall out of the heating chamber 107. The ejection mechanism also has a portion that protrudes from the top surface of the main body of the device 1 when the cover 104 is in the open position and the ejection mechanism is in the ejected state and the retention lock state. The portion that protrudes from the top surface of the main body is configured to trigger the transition of the ejection mechanism 101 from the retention lock state to the retention lock release state when pressed from the open position to the closed position by the cover 104.

[0039] In this embodiment, more specifically, the ejection mechanism 101 includes a support member 1014 (marked with crosshairs), a spring 1013, 1065, and a snap or clip member 1014 (marked with hatching) having an upper portion 1017 (marked with dense hatching) and a lower portion 1018 (marked with coarse hatching). The support member 1014 is configured to support the substrate 103. The snap or clip member 1014 is configured to snap or clip the support member 1014 such that protrusions formed by the support member 1014 and the snap or clip member 1014 snap together to lock the bottom surface in a lower or limit position where the substrate is substantially inserted into the heating chamber 107 for heating. At least one of the springs 1013 is configured to provide an ejection force for the ejection mechanism 101, more specifically the support member, to eject at least a portion of the substrate 103 from the heating chamber 107.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the support member 1014 comprises an arm that supports the substrate 103 and a cap portion below the arm that contains at least a portion of the spring 1013 therein to ensure that the support member 1014 and spring 1013 move together along a first axis (shown by the dashed straight line in FIG. 3 a). The arm supports or forms at least a portion of the bottom surface of the heating chamber 107. In an alternative embodiment, the arm is supported directly by the spring 1013 of the ejection mechanism 101.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the snap member 1014 includes an upper portion 1017 and a lower portion 1018 that mechanically engage with another spring 1019, as shown in FIG. 5 . The upper portion 1017 is slidably engaged with the lower portion 1018. The upper portion 1017 preferably protrudes further than the opening 105 when the cover 104 is in the open position and can function as a button 1064 for transitioning from the retention lock state to the retention unlock state. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the figure, two protrusions 1064 of the snap member 1014 protrude from the opening 105, allowing the cover 104 to press the snap member firmly, uniformly, more stably, and with better sealing performance. The lower portion 1018 includes a protrusion of the snap member 1012 for snapping the support member 1014 into place. The snap of the lower portion 1018 and the protrusions 1015 and 1016 of the support member 1014 is performed and released when the cover depresses the button 1064 on the upper portion 1017, depressing the lower portion 1018 or slidably pressing along a second axis (not shown). Additionally, the protrusions 1015, 1016 of the support member 1014 and the lower portion 1018 are slidably engaged. To extend the life of the device, which constantly ejects and inserts the substrate 103, the ejection mechanism 101 preferably includes or is made of a metal material. Preferably, the lower portion 1018 and at least the protrusions of the arms are made of metal.

[0042] 5, the top portion 1065 is engaged with another portion of the device 1, preferably the bottom portion 1018, by a torsion spring 1065 to ensure that when the cover 104 is in the open position, a spring force is applied such that a button 1064 on the top portion 1017 protruding from the housing of the main body of the device 1 is ready to be pressed by the cover 104. In this embodiment, the cover 104 includes a protrusion configured to depress the button 1064 on the top portion 1017.

[0043] Hereinafter, different states of the ejection mechanism 101 in the device 1, more specifically, the ejection state, the hold-locked state, and the hold-lock-released state will be described with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2d, 3a to 3c, and 4. FIG.

[0044] [Ejection status] The ejection state occurs when the cover 104 is opened without the substrate 103 inserted, or when the cover 104 is opened and the substrate 103 protrudes through the opening 105 of the heating chamber 107. In other words, the device 1 or ejection mechanism 101 is in or transitions to the ejection state when the user opens the cover (201, 207).

[0045] As shown in Figures 3a, 4a, and 4b, in the ejection state of the ejection mechanism 101, the cover 104 is in an open position, the ejection mechanism 101 is configured to receive the substrate 103 or to at least partially protrude the received substrate 103 from the heating chamber 102, and the ejection mechanism 101 can transition to a retention lock state.

[0046] More specifically, when the cover 104 is opened by the user, the button 1064 located on the top of the upper part 1017 is released from pressure on the protrusion 1041 of the cover 104 and protrudes from the main body of the device 1 through an opening adjacent to the opening 105. The lower part 1018, which is slidably engaged with the upper part 1017 on the inclined surface, is also released to its initial position, ready to be pressed aside and slide to snap onto the protrusion 1015 of the support member 1014. The lower part 1017 is supported by a spring or is itself made or constructed of a rigid material, so that the lower part 1018 remains in its initial position or bounces or springs back to its initial position when the pressure of the upper part 1017 is released.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4b, the upper surface of the arm of the support member 1014 supports the substrate 103 at a position where at least a portion of the substrate 103 protrudes from the opening 105, and the arm of the support member 1014 protrudes at least partially into the heating chamber at an upper or upper limit position of the bottom surface. The support member 1014 is supported by a spring 1013 disposed below the support member 1014 in a relaxed state. A user removes the substrate 103 by grasping the protruding portion of the substrate 103. As shown in FIG. 4a, when the heating chamber 107 is empty, the user inserts the substrate 103 into the heating chamber 107 along a first axis (shown by a dashed straight line in FIG. 4a). The upper surface of the arm is pressed down together with the substrate 103 until the protruding portion 1015 of the support member 1014 reaches a lower or lower limit position where it is snapped by the protruding portion 1016 of the snap member 1014, more specifically, the lower portion 1018. As shown in the figure, the protrusion 1015 of the support member 1014 and the underside of the upper portion 1017 both have angled surfaces that are slidably engaged with the upper surface of the lower portion 1018. With this configuration, the protrusion 1016 of the snap member 1012 can either maintain the ejection mechanism 101 in a retention lock state by snapping the arm protrusion 1015 onto it, or release the arm protrusion 1015 to provide an ejection force.

[0048] [Preservation Lock Status] In Figures 3b and 4c, the ejector is in a retention lock state, the cover 1041 is in its open position, and the substrate 103 is substantially contained within the heating chamber 107 and ready to be consumed.

[0049] More specifically, as shown in the enlarged view within the dashed circle in Figure 4c, after the substrate 103 is pressed by a user and substantially contained within the heating chamber 107, the flat surfaces of the protrusions 1015, 1016 of the support member 1014 and the lower portion 1018 are clipped or snapped together. In other words, the arm protrusion 1015 is partially engaged with the snap member protrusion 1016 in a sliding manner, so that when the user presses the substrate 103 into the chamber, the snap member protrusion 1016 can be slidably pressed by the arm protrusion 1015 along a second axis (not shown) until the support member protrusion 1016 is snapped by the snap member protrusion 1015 to hold the ejection mechanism 101 in a retention lock state. The spring 1013 supporting the support member 1014 is in a compressed state. As shown in FIG. 5, the support of another spring, a torsion spring 1065, causes the top to spring back and release the button 1064 from the opening in the housing of the device 1.

[0050] [Retention lock release state] 3c and 4d, the ejector is in a retention unlocked state. To consume the substrate 103, the user rotates the cover 104 to its closed position, and the substrate 103 is substantially contained in the heating chamber 107 and pressed by the cover 104 for heating and consumption.

[0051] More specifically, as shown in the enlarged view within the dashed circle in FIG. 4d , the lower portion 1018 is pressed away from the snap position by the upper portion 1017 (not shown) due to pressure from the cover 1041. The protrusion 1016 of the lower portion 1018 does not snap or clip onto the protrusion 1015 of the support member 1014 in the retention unlocked state. In other words, when the upper portion 1017 is pressed from the open position to the closed position by the cover 104, the upper portion 1017 is configured to press the lower portion 1018 along the second axis (not shown) via a sliding force until the protrusion 1015 of the arm is released or disengaged from the protrusion 1016 of the support member 1012. While the support member 1012 is released from the snap of the snap member 1014, the spring 1013 is still in a compressed state that generates an ejection force against the support member 1014 and the substrate 103, and the substrate 103 is substantially maintained within the heating chamber 107 by the pressure from the cover 1041. A locking mechanism (not shown) within the cover 1041 and / or the main body of the device 1 is configured to maintain the cover 1041 in a closed position against the ejection force from the spring through the substrate 103, the locking mechanism preferably comprising a magnet or a snap fastener. The locking mechanism prevents the cover 1041 from ejecting the substrate 103 due to the ejection force, allowing the vaping session to begin.

[0052] After completing consumption of the substrate 103, the user can open the cover 104 of the device 1. The button 1064 and at least a portion of the substrate 103 will pop out from the main body of the device, and the ejection mechanism will transition from a retention unlocked state to an ejected state, allowing the user to remove the substrate 103 from the heating chamber 107 by simply opening the cover 104.

Claims

1. an aerosol generation chamber (107) configured to receive and heat the substrate (103) to generate an aerosol; a cover (104) having a closed position covering the aerosol generation chamber (107) and an open position exposing the aerosol generation chamber (107); an ejection mechanism (101) configured to be at least indirectly connected to the aerosol generation chamber (107) and the cover (104), and having an ejection state, a retention lock state, and a retention unlock state; Equipped with In the ejection state, the cover (104) is in the open position, and the ejection mechanism (101) is configured to receive the substrate (103) or to cause the received substrate (103) to at least partially protrude from the aerosol-generation chamber (107), and the ejection mechanism (101) can be transitioned to the retention-lock state; In the retention lock state, the cover (103) is in the open position and the ejection mechanism (101) is configured to hold the substrate (103) in a predetermined position where the substrate (103) is fully inserted into the aerosol generation chamber (107), and the ejection mechanism (101) can be transitioned to the retention lock release state by moving the cover (104) from the open position to the closed position; In the retention lock release state, the cover (104) is in the closed position, and the ejection mechanism (101) is configured to apply an ejection force to the substrate (103) held in the predetermined position by the cover (104), and the ejection mechanism (101) can be transitioned to the ejection state by moving the cover (104) from the closed position to the open position. Aerosol generator (1).

2. the aerosol-generation chamber has an opening (105) for receiving the substrate (103); the ejection mechanism (101) at least partially defines a bottom surface of the aerosol-generation chamber (107) and comprises a surface (1011) that protrudes into the aerosol-generation chamber (107) in the ejection state; 2. An aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 1.

3. the ejection mechanism (101) is configured to receive the substrate (103) by the user pressing the substrate (103) into the chamber (107); While the ejection mechanism (101) is transitioning from the ejection state to the retention lock state, the bottom surface (1011) is pressed down together with the substrate (103) along a first axis.

3. An aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The ejection mechanism (101) includes a snap member (1012) configured to maintain the ejection mechanism (101) in the retention lock state. An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the ejection mechanism (101) comprises a first spring (1013) configured to provide the ejection force; An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The ejection mechanism (101) comprises a support member (1014) that supports or forms the bottom surface of the ejection mechanism and has an arm that is supported by the first spring (1013) of the ejection mechanism (101); An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The arm has a protrusion (1015) corresponding to the protrusion (1016) formed by the snap member (1012); the protrusion (1016) of the snap member (1012) can hold the ejection mechanism (101) in the retention lock state by snapping onto the protrusion (1015) of the arm, or can release the protrusion (1015) of the arm to provide the ejection force; An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An aerosol generating device (1) as described in any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the snap member (1012) protrudes above the receiving opening (105) when the cover (104) is in the open position and can be pressed by the cover (104) to release the support member (1014) when the cover (104) is in the closed position.

9. The snap member (1012) comprises an upper portion (1017) and a lower portion (1018) that mechanically engage with a second spring (1019); The upper portion (1017) may protrude above the receiving opening (105) when the cover (104) is in the open position; The lower portion (1018) includes the protrusion of the snap member (1012). An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 8.

10. The upper part (1017) and the lower part (1018) are slidably engaged with each other, the upper part (1017) is configured to press the lower part (1018) along a second axis via a sliding force until the protrusion (1015) of the arm is released from the protrusion (1016) of the support member (1012) when the upper part (1017) is pressed from the open position to the closed position by the cover (104), The aerosol generating device (1) of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the protrusion (1015) of the arm is partially engaged in a sliding manner with the protrusion (1016) of the snap member, so that when the user presses the substrate (103) into the chamber, the protrusion (1016) of the snap member can be slidably pressed along the second axis by the protrusion (1015) of the arm until the protrusion (1016) of the support member is snapped by the protrusion (1015) of the snap member to hold the ejection mechanism (101) in the retention lock state.

11. 11. The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the lower part (1018) and the arm are made of metal.

12. a locking mechanism configured to maintain the cover (104) in the closed position against the ejection force when the ejection mechanism is in the retention unlocked state; The securing mechanism comprises a magnet or a snap fastener. An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The cover (104) is rotatably hinged onto the main body (106) of the aerosol generating device (1). An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The aerosol-generation chamber (107) has a flat cubic shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate (103). An aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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