HEATER ASSEMBLY AND AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

To provide a heater assembly and an aerosol generation device including the heater assembly.SOLUTION: A heater assembly includes an oscillation part for generating a microwave of a designated frequency band, a resonance part for resonating the microwave to generate an electric field, and a coupler for transmitting the generated microwave to the resonance part. The resonance part includes: a case including a storage space for storing an aerosol product and a first opening into which the aerosol product is inserted; a plurality of plates disposed so as to be separated from each other along a peripheral direction of the aerosol product stored in the storage space; and a connection part for connecting the plurality of plates and the case, which includes a second opening corresponding to the first opening at a position opposed to the first opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater assembly capable of heating an aerosol product by a dielectric heating method to generate an aerosol, and to an aerosol generating device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes, such as systems that generate aerosols by heating cigarettes (or "aerosol-producing articles") using an aerosol-generating device, rather than by burning cigarettes to generate aerosols.

[0003] Aerosol generating devices that use resistance heating or induction heating to heat an aerosol-generating substance and generate an aerosol have been common, but recently, even dielectric heating aerosol generating devices that use microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating substance have been proposed.

[0004] A dielectric heating type aerosol generator is a device that generates heat in a dielectric contained in an aerosol generating material through the resonance of microwaves, and can heat the aerosol generating material via the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0005] In the case of the dielectric heating method, a resonance peak is formed at a specific position of the resonator, and therefore, for optimal heating, it is desirable to position the tobacco rod of the aerosol-generating article in the region where the resonance peak occurs. Furthermore, since the aerosol-generating article comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, a resonator structure that can adapt to these various shapes and sizes is required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a heater assembly and an aerosol generating device that include a structure that can adapt to the shape and size of the aerosol-generating article.

[0007] The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a heater assembly including an oscillator for generating microwaves in a specified frequency band, a resonator for resonating the microwaves to generate an electric field, and a coupler for transmitting the generated microwaves to the resonator. The resonator includes a case having a storage space for accommodating an aerosol product and a first opening through which the aerosol product can be inserted, a plurality of plates spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the aerosol product accommodated in the storage space, and a connector for connecting the plates to the case, the connector including a second opening facing the first opening and corresponding to the first opening.

[0009] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present application includes a housing including an insertion port into which an aerosol product is inserted, and a heater assembly for heating the aerosol product inserted through the insertion port.

[0010] The heater assembly includes an oscillator for generating microwaves in a specified frequency band, a resonator for resonating the microwaves to generate an electric field, and a coupler for transmitting the generated microwaves to the resonator. The resonator includes a case having a storage space for accommodating the aerosol product and a first opening into which the aerosol product can be inserted, a plurality of plates spaced apart from one another along the periphery of the aerosol product accommodated in the storage space, and a connector for connecting the plates to the case, the connector including a second opening facing the first opening and corresponding to the first opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The heater assembly and aerosol generating device according to the present embodiment includes a resonator with open ends, and can therefore adapt to the shape and size of the aerosol-generating article.

[0012] The effects of this embodiment are not limited to the effects described above, and any effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an aerosol product. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an aerosol product. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heater assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heater assembly according to another embodiment, with a portion cut away; FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating exploded components of the heater assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a variable length extractor with aerosol production articles of variable length inserted therein. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an extractor including a hole portion. [Figure 11A] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the extractor shown in FIG. 9 inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 11B] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the extractor shown in FIG. 9 inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 11C] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the extractor shown in FIG. 9 inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11B is a perspective view schematically illustrating the electric field distribution of the heater assembly according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11A. [Figure 13] 11B is a perspective view schematically illustrating the heat density distribution of an aerosol product heated by the heater assembly according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11A. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heater assembly according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions related thereto will be omitted.

[0015] The suffixes "module" and "section" used in the following description are used or are used interchangeably solely for the convenience of drafting the specification, and do not have any distinct meanings or roles.

[0016] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments disclosed herein, if it is determined that a detailed description of related publicly known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, the detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the attached drawings are intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the technical ideas disclosed herein should not be limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the ideas and technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0018] When a component is said to be "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. Furthermore, when a component is said to be "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0019] Any expression in the singular includes a plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment also includes a housing 110 capable of containing an aerosol product 10, and a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol product 10 contained in the housing 110.

[0022] The housing 110 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 100, and the components of the aerosol generating device 100 may be arranged in the interior space (or "mounting space") of the housing 110. For example, the heater assembly 200, a battery, a processor, and / or a sensor may be arranged in the interior space of the housing 110, but the components arranged in the interior space are not limited to these.

[0023] An insertion opening 110h is formed in a region of the housing 110, and at least a region of the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion opening 110h. For example, the insertion opening 110h can be formed in a region of the top surface (e.g., the surface facing the z direction) of the housing 110, but the position where the insertion opening 110h is formed is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the insertion opening 110h can also be formed in a region of the side surface (e.g., the surface facing the x direction) of the housing 110.

[0024] The heater assembly 200 is disposed in the interior space of the housing 110 and can heat the aerosol product 10 inserted or housed inside the housing 110 through the insertion port 110h. For example, the heater assembly 200 can be disposed to surround at least a region of the aerosol product 10 inserted or housed inside the housing 110 and can heat the aerosol product 10.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may heat the aerosol product 10 using a dielectric heating method. In this disclosure, the term "dielectric heating method" refers to a method of using microwaves and / or the resonance of microwave electric fields (including magnetic fields) to heat a dielectric material to be heated. The microwaves are an energy source for heating the material to be heated and are generated by high-frequency power. Therefore, hereinafter, the term "microwaves" may be used interchangeably with "microwave power."

[0026] Inside the heater assembly 200, microwave resonance causes the charges or ions of the dielectric contained inside the aerosol product 10 to vibrate or rotate, and frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation of the charges or ions generates heat in the dielectric, causing the aerosol product 10 to heat up.

[0027] The aerosol production article 10 can be heated by the heater assembly 200 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol production article 10. In this disclosure, "aerosol" can refer to gas particles that are generated when the vapor generated by heating the aerosol production article 10 mixes with air.

[0028] The aerosol generated from the aerosol production product 10 can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100 by passing through the aerosol production product 10 or through the empty space between the aerosol production product 10 and the insertion port 110h. A user can smoke by contacting their mouth with a region of the aerosol production product 10 exposed to the outside of the housing 110 and inhaling the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100.

[0029] The aerosol generation device 100 according to one embodiment further includes a cover 111 movably disposed on the housing 110 for opening and closing the insertion opening 110h. For example, the cover 111 is slidably coupled to the upper end surface of the housing 110 to expose the insertion opening 110h to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100, or to cover the insertion opening 110h so that the insertion opening 110h is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100.

[0030] In one example, in the first position (or "open position"), the cover 111 allows the insertion opening 110h to be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100. When the aerosol generating device 100 is exposed to the outside, the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion opening 110h.

[0031] In another example, the cover 111 covers the insertion opening 110h in the second position (or "closed position"), thereby preventing the insertion opening 110h from being exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100. In this case, the cover 111 can prevent external foreign matter from entering the heater assembly 200 through the insertion opening 110h when the aerosol generation device 100 is not in use.

[0032] Although FIG. 1 illustrates only an aerosol generating device 100 for heating a solid-state aerosol product article 10, the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0033] The aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may also generate an aerosol by heating a liquid or gel-state aerosol generating substance via the heater assembly 200, rather than the solid-state aerosol product 10.

[0034] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device also includes a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol product article 10 and a cartridge (or "vaporizer") containing a liquid or gel aerosol generating substance for heating the aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance travels along an airflow passageway connecting the cartridge and the aerosol product article 10 to the aerosol product article 10, where it mixes with the aerosol generated from the aerosol product article 10, passes through the aerosol product article 10, and can be delivered to a user.

[0035] FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0036] 2, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes an input unit 102, an output unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a communication unit 105, a memory 106, a battery 107, an interface unit 108, a power conversion unit 109, and a dielectric heating unit 200. However, the internal configuration of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 2. Depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 100, some of the components shown in Fig. 2 may be omitted, or new components may be added.

[0037] The input unit 102 may receive a user input. For example, the input unit 102 may be provided as a single pressure-sensitive push button. As another example, the input unit 102 may be a touch panel including at least one touch sensor. The input unit 102 may transmit an input signal to the processor 101. Based on the user input, the processor 101 may supply power to the induction heating unit 200 or control the output unit 103 to output a user notification.

[0038] The output unit 103 may output information related to the status of the aerosol generation device 100. The output unit 103 may output the charge / discharge status of the battery 107, the heating status of the dielectric heating unit 200, the insertion status of the aerosol product 10, and error information of the aerosol generation device 100. To this end, the output unit 103 may also include a display, a haptic motor, and an audio output unit.

[0039] The sensor unit 104 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the ambient state of the aerosol generating device 100 and transmit the sensed information to the processor 101. Based on the sensed information, the processor 101 may control the aerosol generating device 100 to perform various functions such as heating control of the dielectric heating unit 200, smoking restriction, determining whether or not to insert the aerosol generating product 10, and displaying notifications.

[0040] The sensor section 104 also includes a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, and an insertion sensor.

[0041] The temperature sensor may sense the temperature inside the dielectric heating unit 200 in a non-contact manner, or may be in contact with the dielectric heating unit 200 and directly acquire the temperature of the resonator. According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may also sense the temperature of the aerosol product 10. The temperature sensor may also be disposed adjacent to the battery 107 and acquire the temperature of the battery 107. The processor 101 may control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the temperature information from the temperature sensor.

[0042] The puff sensor may detect a user's puff. The puff sensor may detect a user's puff based on at least one of a temperature change, a flow change, a power change, and a pressure change. The processor 101 may control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the puff information from the puff sensor. For example, the processor 101 may count the number of puffs and cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 when the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs. As another example, the processor 101 may cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 when no puffs are detected for a preset time or longer.

[0043] The insertion detection sensor is disposed inside the storage space 220h (FIG. 4) or adjacent to the storage space 220h and can detect the insertion and removal of the aerosol product 10 stored in the insertion port 110h. For example, the insertion detection sensor can include an inductive sensor and / or a capacitance sensor. The processor 101 can supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 when the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the insertion port 110h.

[0044] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 104 may additionally include a reuse sensor, a motion sensor, a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a cover removal sensor, a position sensor (GPS (global positioning system)), a proximity sensor, etc. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from its name, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] The communication unit 105 also includes at least one communication module for communication with an external electronic device. The processor 101 can control the communication unit 105 to transmit information related to the aerosol generation device 100 to the external electronic device. Alternatively, the processor 101 can receive information from the external electronic device via the communication unit 105 and control components included in the aerosol generation device 100. For example, information transmitted between the communication unit 105 and the external electronic device can include user authentication information, firmware update information, and user smoking pattern information.

[0046] The memory 106 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 100, and may store data that has been processed by the processor 101 and data that is to be processed. For example, the memory 106 may store data related to the operating time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0047] The battery 107 can supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 so that the aerosol product 10 can be heated. The battery 107 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 107 can be a rechargeable battery or a detachable battery.

[0048] The interface unit 108 also includes a connection terminal that can be physically connected to an external electronic device. The connection terminal may include at least one of an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connector, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, an SD (Secure Digital) card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector), or a combination thereof. The interface unit 108 may transmit and receive information to and from the external electronic device or charge the device via the connection terminal.

[0049] The power conversion unit 109 may convert DC power supplied from the battery 107 into AC power. The power conversion unit 109 may also provide the converted AC power to the dielectric heating unit 200. The power conversion unit 109 may also be an inverter including at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may control the ON / OFF of the switching element included in the power conversion unit 109 to convert the DC power into AC power. The power conversion unit 109 may be configured as a full-bridge or a half-bridge.

[0050] The dielectric heating unit 200 can use a dielectric heating method to heat the aerosol product 10. The dielectric heating unit 200 also has a configuration corresponding to the heater assembly 200 in FIG.

[0051] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol product 10 using microwaves and / or microwave electric fields (hereinafter, referred to as microwaves or microwave power unless otherwise specified). The heating method of the dielectric heating unit 200 is not to radiate microwaves using an antenna, but to generate microwaves within a resonant structure to heat the object to be heated. The resonant structure will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 and subsequent figures.

[0052] The dielectric heating unit 200 may output high-frequency microwaves to the resonator 220 (FIG. 3). The microwaves may be power in the ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical equipment) band permitted for heating, but are not limited thereto. The resonator 220 may be designed taking into account the wavelength of the microwaves so that the microwaves can resonate within the resonator 220.

[0053] The aerosol production product 10 is inserted into the resonator 220, and the dielectric material within the aerosol production product 10 can be heated by the resonator 220. For example, the aerosol production product 10 may contain a polar substance, and the molecules within the polar substance can be polarized within the resonator 220. The molecules vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol production product 10 can be heated by frictional heat or the like generated in the process. The dielectric heating unit 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0054] The processor 101 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The processor 101 can be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, a general-purpose microprocessor in combination with a memory storing a program that can be executed by the microprocessor, or other forms of hardware.

[0055] The processor 101 can control the DC power supplied from the battery 107 to the power conversion unit 109 and / or the AC power supplied from the power conversion unit 109 to the dielectric heating unit 200, depending on the power required by the dielectric heating unit 200. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a converter that boosts or intensifies the DC power, and the processor 101 can control the converter to adjust the magnitude of the DC power. In addition, the processor 101 can control the AC power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 by adjusting the switching frequency and duty ratio of a switching element included in the power conversion unit 109.

[0056] The processor 101 can control the heating temperature of the aerosol product 10 by controlling the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 and the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200. Therefore, the oscillation unit 210, isolation unit 240, power monitoring unit 250, and matching unit 260 in Figure 3, which will be described later, are also part of the processor 101.

[0057] The processor 101 can control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the temperature profile information stored in the memory 106. In other words, the temperature profile includes information related to the target temperature of the dielectric heating unit 200 over time, and the processor 101 can control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 over time.

[0058] The processor 101 may adjust the microwave frequency so that the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 is constant. The processor 101 may track changes in the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 due to heating of the object to be heated in real time, and control the dielectric heating unit 200 so that a microwave frequency according to the changed resonant frequency is output. In other words, the processor 101 may change the microwave frequency in real time, regardless of a pre-stored temperature profile.

[0059] FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit of FIG.

[0060] 3, the dielectric heating unit 200 also includes an oscillation unit 210, an isolation unit 240, a power monitoring unit 250, a matching unit 260, a microwave output unit 230, and a resonance unit 220. However, the internal configuration of the dielectric heating unit 200 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3. Depending on the design of the dielectric heating unit 200, some of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted or new components may be added.

[0061] The oscillator 210 may receive AC power from the power converter 109 and generate high-frequency microwave power. According to one embodiment, the power converter 109 is also included in the oscillator 210. The microwave power may be selected from the 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands included in the ISM band.

[0062] The oscillator 210 may include a solid-state based RF (radio frequency) generator and generate microwave power using the solid-state based RF generator. The solid-state based RF generator may be implemented using a semiconductor. Implementing the oscillator 210 using a semiconductor has the advantages of enabling the dielectric heating unit 200 to be miniaturized and extending the device's lifespan.

[0063] The oscillator 210 can output microwave power toward the resonator 220. The oscillator 210 includes a power amplifier that increases or decreases the microwave power, and the power amplifier can adjust the magnitude of the microwave power under the control of the processor 101. For example, the power amplifier can increase or decrease the amplitude of the microwave. The microwave power can be adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the microwave.

[0064] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 based on a pre-stored temperature profile. For example, the temperature profile may include target temperature information for a pre-heating section and a smoking section, and the oscillation unit 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the pre-heating section and at a second power lower than the first power in the smoking section.

[0065] The isolating unit 240 can block microwave power input from the resonator 220 toward the oscillator 210. Most of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 is absorbed by the heated object. However, depending on the heating pattern of the heated object, some of the microwave power can be reflected by the heated object and transmitted to the oscillator 210. This is because the impedance seen from the oscillator 210 to the resonator 220 changes due to the dissipation of polar molecules caused by heating of the heated object. The phrase "the impedance seen from the oscillator 210 to the resonator 220 changes" has the same meaning as "the resonant frequency of the resonator 220 changes." If microwave power reflected by the resonator 220 is input to the oscillator 210, the oscillator 210 may not only fail, but may also fail to achieve its expected output performance. The isolating unit 240 can guide the microwave power reflected by the resonator 220 in a predetermined direction and absorb it, rather than returning it to the oscillator 210. To that end, the isolation unit 240 also includes a circulator and a dummy load.

[0066] The power monitoring unit 250 can monitor the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 and the reflected microwave power reflected by the resonator 220. The power monitoring unit 250 can transmit information related to the microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 260.

[0067] The matching unit 260 may match the impedance seen from the oscillator 210 toward the resonator 220 with the impedance seen from the resonator 220 toward the oscillator 210, so as to minimize the reflected microwave power. This impedance matching has the same meaning as matching the frequency of the oscillator 210 with the resonant frequency of the resonator 220. Therefore, the matching unit 260 may vary the frequency of the oscillator 210 to match the impedance. In other words, the matching unit 260 may adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 so as to minimize the reflected microwave power. The impedance matching of the matching unit 260 may be performed in real time, regardless of the temperature profile.

[0068] The oscillator 210, the isolator 240, the power monitor 250, and the matching unit 260 are separate components distinct from the microwave output unit 230 and the resonator 220, which will be described later, and may be implemented as a chip-type microwave source. Also, according to an embodiment, the oscillator 210, the isolator 240, the power monitor 250, and the matching unit 260 may be implemented as part of the processor 101.

[0069] The microwave output unit 230 is a component for inputting microwave power to the resonator 220 and corresponds to the coupler shown in FIG. 3 and below. The microwave output unit 230 may be implemented in the form of a Subminiature Version A (SMA), Subminiature Version B (SMB), Micro Coaxial (MCX), or Micro-Miniature Coaxial (MMCX) connector. The microwave output unit 230 connects a chip-type microwave source to the resonator 220 and transfers microwave power generated in the microwave source to the resonator 220.

[0070] The resonator 220 can heat a heated object by generating microwaves within the resonator structure. The resonator 220 includes a storage space for the aerosol product 10, which can be exposed to microwaves and dielectrically heated. For example, the aerosol product 10 can contain a polar substance, and the molecules of the polar substance can be polarized by microwaves within the resonator 220. The molecules vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol product 10 can be heated by frictional heat generated during this process.

[0071] The resonating section 220 includes at least one internal conductor so that microwaves can be resonated, and microwaves can be resonated inside the resonating section 220 depending on the arrangement, thickness, length, etc. of the internal conductor.

[0072] The resonator 220 also includes a dielectric containing space. The dielectric containing space is separate from the space containing the aerosol product 10 and contains a material capable of changing the overall resonant frequency of the resonator 220 and miniaturizing the resonator 220. In one embodiment, the dielectric containing space may contain a dielectric with low microwave absorption. This prevents the dielectric from heating up due to the energy that should be transferred to the heated object being transferred to the dielectric. Microwave absorption can be expressed as a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of a complex dielectric constant. In one embodiment, the dielectric containing space contains a dielectric with a loss tangent less than a predetermined magnitude, which may be 1 / 100 of the predetermined magnitude. For example, the dielectric may be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0073] Examples of aerosol producing articles 10, 20 will now be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0074] 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating examples of aerosol products.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, an aerosol production article 10 includes a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12 .

[0076] Although the filter rod 12 is illustrated in Figure 4 as a single segment, this is not intended to be limiting. In other words, the filter rod 12 may be composed of multiple segments. For example, the filter rod 12 may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a specific component contained in the aerosol. If necessary, the filter rod 12 may also include at least one additional segment that performs another function.

[0077] The aerosol product 10 may be packaged using at least one wrapper 14. The wrapper 14 may have at least one hole formed therein through which external air can enter or internal gas can escape. As an example, the aerosol product 10 may be packaged using a single wrapper 14. As another example, the aerosol product 10 may be packaged using two or more wrappers 14 in a stacked manner. For example, the tobacco rod 11 may be packaged using a first wrapper 14a, and the filter rod 12 may be packaged using wrappers 14b, 14c, and 14d. The entire aerosol product 10 may then be packaged using a single wrapper 14e. If the filter rod 12 is composed of multiple segments, each segment may be packaged using wrappers 14b, 14c, and 14d.

[0078] The tobacco rod 11 includes an aerosol-forming material. For example, the aerosol-forming material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. The tobacco rod 11 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. Flavoring agents, such as menthol or humectants, may also be added to the tobacco rod 11 by spraying them onto the tobacco rod 11.

[0079] The tobacco rod 11 can be made in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 11 can be made from a sheet or a strand. The tobacco rod 11 can also be made from shredded tobacco, which is a tobacco sheet that has been finely shredded.

[0080] The length of the tobacco rod 11 according to one embodiment can be varied depending on the design needs, for example, the length of the tobacco rod 11 can be about 15 mm or about 25 mm.

[0081] The filter rod 12 is also a cellulose acetate filter. The shape of the filter rod 12 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 12 may be a cylindrical rod or a tube-type rod having a hollow interior. The filter rod 12 may also be a recess-type rod. If the filter rod 12 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

[0082] The filter rod 12 may be fabricated to produce a flavor. For example, a flavoring agent may be sprayed onto the filter rod 12, or a separate fiber coated with the flavoring agent may be inserted into the filter rod 12.

[0083] The filter rod 12 also includes at least one capsule 13. The capsule 13 may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 13 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is enclosed in a coating. The capsule 13 may have, but is not limited to, a spherical or cylindrical shape.

[0084] If the filter rod 12 includes a segment for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment can be made of a polymeric or biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the cooling segment can be made of pure polylactic acid, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the cooling segment can be made of a cellulose acetate filter with multiple holes. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above examples and can be any material that can perform the function of cooling the aerosol.

[0085] 5, the aerosol production product 20 further includes a front end plug 23. The front end plug 23 may be located on one side of the tobacco rod 21 opposite the filter rod 22. The front end plug 23 prevents the tobacco rod 21 from detaching to the outside and may prevent liquefied aerosol from flowing out of the tobacco rod 21 to the aerosol generating device (or heater assembly) during smoking.

[0086] Filter rod 22 also includes a first segment 22a and a second segment 22b, where first segment 22a may correspond to the first segment of filter rod 12 of FIG. 4 and second segment 22b may correspond to the second segment of filter rod 12 of FIG. 4.

[0087] In one embodiment, the length of the front end plug 23 may be shorter than the length of the tobacco rod 21. For example, if the length of the tobacco rod 11 is about 15 mm, the length of the front end plug 23 may be about 7 mm.

[0088] The aerosol product 20 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 25. The wrapper 25 may have at least one hole formed therein through which external air can flow in or internal gas can flow out. For example, the front end plug 23 may be wrapped by the first wrapper 25a, the tobacco rod 21 may be wrapped by the second wrapper 25b, the first segment 22a may be wrapped by the third wrapper 25c, and the second segment 22b may be wrapped by the fourth wrapper 25d. The entire aerosol product 20 may then be wrapped by the fifth wrapper 25e.

[0089] Additionally, the fifth wrapper 25e may have at least one perforation 26 formed therein. For example, the perforation 26 may be formed in a region surrounding the tobacco rod 21, but is not limited thereto.

[0090] The second segment 22b also includes at least one capsule 24. The capsule 24 may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 24 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is enclosed in a coating. The capsule 24 may have, but is not limited to, a spherical or cylindrical shape.

[0091] FIG. 6 is a perspective view that schematically illustrates a heater assembly according to one embodiment.

[0092] The heater assembly 300 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 also includes a resonating portion 320 that generates microwave resonance, and a coupler 311 that supplies microwaves to the resonating portion 320 .

[0093] Resonating unit 320 also includes case 321, a plurality of plates 323a and 323b, and connecting unit 322 that connects case 321 with plates 323a and 323b.

[0094] The coupler 311 can supply microwaves to at least one of the plates 323 a and 323 b so as to generate microwave resonance in the resonator 320 .

[0095] The resonator 320 may surround at least a region of the aerosol product 10 inserted inside the aerosol generating device. The coupler 311 may supply microwaves generated by an oscillator (not shown) to the resonator 320. When microwaves are supplied to the resonator 320, microwave resonance occurs in the resonator 320, and the resonator 320 may heat the aerosol product 10. For example, a dielectric included in the aerosol product 10 may generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonator 220 by the microwaves, and the aerosol product 10 may be heated by the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0096] The case 321 of the resonator 320 is formed in a hollow shape with an open interior, so that the components of the resonator 320 can be disposed inside the case 321 .

[0097] The case 321 also includes a storage space 320h in which the aerosol product 10 can be stored and a first opening 321a through which the aerosol product 10 can be inserted. The first opening 321a is connected to the storage space 320h. Since the first opening 321a opens toward the outside of the case 321, the storage space 320h is connected to the outside through the first opening 321a. Therefore, the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the storage space 320h of the case 321 through the first opening 321a of the case 321.

[0098] Although the case 321 shown in the drawings has a square cross-sectional shape, the shape of the case 321 may be modified into various shapes. For example, the case 321 may be modified to have various cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle, an oval, or a circle. The case 321 may be elongated in one direction.

[0099] Inside the case 321, a plurality of plates 323a and 323b can be arranged.

[0100] The plates 323a, 323b may be arranged spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product 10 contained in the containing space 320h. The plates 323a, 323b may include a first plate 323a arranged to surround one region of the aerosol product 10 and a second plate 323b arranged to surround another region of the aerosol product 10.

[0101] The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to the case 321 by a connecting portion 322. One end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to each other by the connecting portion 322.

[0102] The connecting portion 322 also includes a second opening 321b facing the first opening 321a and corresponding to the first opening 321a. The second opening 321b may be formed in the connecting portion 322 to be fluidly connected to the first opening 321a. For example, the second opening 321b may be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10 with respect to the open ends of the other ends 323af of the plates 323a and 323b and the first opening 321a. Therefore, according to one embodiment, one end of the aerosol product 10 may be inserted through the first opening 321a of the case 321 and pass through the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In this case, the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 10 may include a band (not shown) indicating the insertion position. When the band of the aerosol product 10 is positioned at the front end of the first opening 321a, the tobacco rod 11 may be positioned to correspond to the area where the electric field is strongest.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the shape and size of the second opening 321b may correspond to the shape and size of the first opening 321a. For example, if the first opening 321a has a circular shape, the second opening 321b may also have a circular shape, and the inner diameter of the first opening 321a and the inner diameter of the second opening 321b may be substantially the same.

[0104] One end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be arranged along the periphery of the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In addition, the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other to be open. The plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting portion 322 may be connected to each other to complete a resonator assembly.

[0105] The connecting portion 322 has a plurality of plates 323a and 323b arranged on one side thereof, and a tubular protrusion 321c extending from the second opening 321b on the other side thereof. The tubular protrusion 321c can be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10 with respect to the second opening 321b, the open ends of the other ends 323af of the plates 323a and 323b, and the first opening 321a.

[0106] The resonator 320 includes a short end whose end face is closed and an open end located in the opposite direction from the short end, with at least a region of the end face being open, so that the short end has a length (λ / 4) that is ¼ of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave.

[0107] In Fig. 6, one end region of resonator unit 320, which corresponds to the left region, has a structure in which tubular protrusion 321c substantially prevents microwaves from being emitted to the outside, thereby forming a closed end. In Fig. 6, the other end region of resonator unit 320, which corresponds to the right region, has a structure in which multiple plates 323a and 323b are open, thereby forming an open end. With such a structure of resonator unit 320, resonator unit 320 can operate as a resonator having a ¼ wavelength length of microwaves.

[0108] The plates 323a, 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10. At least a portion of the plates 323a, 323b may be curved so as to protrude outward from the center of the aerosol product 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0109] For example, if the aerosol product 10 is manufactured in a cylindrical shape, the plates 323a and 323b may be formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 10. The cross-sectional radii of curvature of the plates 323a and 323b may be the same as the curvature radius of the aerosol product 10. The cross-sectional radii of curvature of the plates 323a and 323b may be variously modified. For example, the cross-sectional radii of curvature of the plates 323a and 323b may be larger or smaller than the curvature radius of the aerosol product 10.

[0110] According to the structure in which multiple plates 323a, 323b are formed so as to be curved circumferentially along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol product 10, a more uniform electric field is formed in the resonating portion 320, so that the heater assembly 300 can heat the aerosol product 10 uniformly.

[0111] The open ends of the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned toward the first opening 321a of the case 321. The first opening 321a of the case 321 may be positioned away from the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b.

[0112] The other open ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be aligned with the first opening 321a of the case 321. Therefore, when the aerosol product 10 is inserted through the first opening 321a of the case 321 and positioned in the receiving space 320h, a portion of the aerosol product 10 positioned in the receiving space 320h is also surrounded by the plates 323a and 323b.

[0113] Two of the plates 323a, 323b are arranged at opposite positions relative to the center of the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10. An embodiment is not limited by the number of plates 323a, 323b, and the number of plates 323a, 323b may be, for example, three or four or more.

[0114] The plates 323a and 323b may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10, that is, the central axis in the direction in which the aerosol product 10 extends.

[0115] At least one of the plates 323a and 323b may be in contact with the coupler 311 connected to the oscillator (not shown). Specifically, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may be in contact with the coupler 311. When microwaves are transmitted to the first plate 323a via the coupler 311, microwave resonance occurs between the plates 323a and 323b. Microwave resonance also occurs between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321. Therefore, electric fields may be generated between the plates 323a and 323b and the connecting portion 322, between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321.

[0116] The coupler 311 does not contact the case 321 but penetrates the case 321, and one end of the coupler 311 may contact the oscillation unit (not shown) and the other end of the coupler 311 may contact a region of the first plate 323a.

[0117] Microwaves generated by an oscillator (not shown) are transmitted via coupler 311 to multiple plates 323a, 323b and connecting portion 322, thereby generating an electric field within the assembly of multiple plates 323a, 323b and connecting portion 322.

[0118] Furthermore, due to the structure of the resonator unit 320 of the heater assembly 300, a triple resonant mode can be formed in the resonator unit 320. A microwave TEM (transverse electric & magnetic) mode resonance is formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b. Furthermore, a TEM mode resonance different from the resonance formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b is formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321.

[0119] The triple resonance occurring in the resonating portion 320 of the heater assembly 300 may result in more efficient and uniform heating of the aerosol product 10 .

[0120] The aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space 320h of the case 321 is surrounded by the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b and can be heated by a dielectric heating method. For example, a portion of the aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space 320h of the case 321, including the medium, can be disposed in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b. An electric field generated in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b can cause the dielectric contained in the aerosol product 10 to generate heat, thereby heating the aerosol product 10.

[0121] In addition, a secondary heating effect can be exerted on the aerosol product 10 by the action of the electric field due to the resonant modes formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321.

[0122] When the aerosol production product 10 is inserted into the resonator 320 through the receiving space 320h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol production product 10 can be positioned between the plates 323a and 323b.

[0123] The length L4 of the tobacco rod 11 can be longer than the length L1 of the plates 323a, 323b. Therefore, the front end 11f of the tobacco rod 11 that contacts the filter rod 12 is located at a position that protrudes further in the direction toward the first opening 321a of the case 321 than the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b.

[0124] A resonance peak is formed at the other end of the multiple plates 323a, 323b that operate as a resonator, and a stronger electric field can be generated at that end than in other regions. When the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the heater assembly 300, the tobacco rod 11 containing a dielectric that can generate heat in response to the electric field can be arranged to correspond to the region where the electric field is strongest, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 300.

[0125] 6, the length L1 of the plates 323a and 323b may be set to be shorter than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the case 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned more inward than the first opening 321a in the case 321. That is, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned to be spaced apart from the rear end of the first opening 321a by a distance L2.

[0126] The length from the rear end of first opening 321a, where first opening 321a is connected to case 321, to the front end of first opening 321a, where first opening 321a is open, is also L3. The overall length of case 321 along the longitudinal direction of case 321 is also L. The overall length L of case 321 can be determined by the sum of the length L1 of multiple plates 323a, 323b; the length L2 between multiple plates 323a, 323b and the rear end of first opening 321a; and the length L3 of first opening 321a protruding from case 321.

[0127] In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, the front end of first opening 321a, where first opening 321a is opened, is positioned to protrude by a length L3 from case 321. As first opening 321a of case 321 protrudes from case 321, first opening 321a can function to prevent microwaves inside case 321 of resonator 320 from leaking outside case 321.

[0128] The resonator unit 320 further includes a dielectric accommodating space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may be formed in the empty space between the case 321 and the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. A dielectric having low microwave absorption may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodating space 327.

[0129] By disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, it is possible to generate an electric field of the same level as that generated in a resonator unit that does not include the dielectric, while reducing the overall size of the resonator unit 320 of the heater assembly 300. In other words, the size of the resonator unit 320 can be reduced via the dielectric disposed inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, and the mounting space for the resonator unit 320 in the aerosol generation device can be reduced, resulting in a miniaturization of the aerosol generation device.

[0130] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic cutaway view of a heater assembly according to another embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a schematic exploded view of the components of the heater assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

[0131] The heater assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also includes a resonating portion 320 that generates microwave resonance, and a coupler 311 that supplies microwaves to the resonating portion 320.

[0132] The case 321 of the resonator 320 also includes a storage space 320h in which the aerosol product can be stored and a first opening 321a into which the aerosol product can be inserted. The case 321 also includes a hollow cylindrical shape that extends long along the longitudinal direction into which the aerosol product can be inserted.

[0133] One ends of the plates 323a and 323b of the resonator 320 may be connected to the case 321 by the connecting portion 322. The other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be open toward the first opening 321a of the case 321.

[0134] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b also includes a first plate 323a and a second plate 323b that are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol-producing product contained in the containing space 320h.

[0135] The plates 323a and 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the case 321. At least a portion of the plates 323a and 323b may be curved to protrude outward from the longitudinal center of the storage space 320h in which the aerosol product is stored. The first plate 323a may be curved and extended in the circumferential direction of the aerosol product to surround one region of the aerosol product. The second plate 323b may be curved and extended in the circumferential direction of the aerosol product to surround another region of the aerosol product.

[0136] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other to form an open end. Since the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from each other, an open end may be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

[0137] The open ends of the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned toward the first opening 321a of the case 321. The first opening 321a of the case 321 may be positioned away from the ends of the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b.

[0138] The connecting portion 322 also includes a second opening 321b facing the first opening 321a and corresponding to the first opening 321a. The second opening 321b may be formed in the connecting portion 322 to be fluidly connected to the first opening 321a. For example, the second opening 321b may be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10 with respect to the open ends of the other ends 323af of the plates 323a and 323b and the first opening 321a. Therefore, according to one embodiment, one end of the aerosol product 10 may be inserted through the first opening 321a of the case 321 and pass through the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In this case, the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 10 may include a band (not shown) indicating the insertion position. When the band of the aerosol product 10 is positioned at the front end of the first opening 321a, the tobacco rod 11 may be positioned to correspond to the area where the electric field is strongest.

[0139] According to an embodiment, the shape and size of the second opening 321b may correspond to the shape and size of the first opening 321a. For example, if the first opening 321a has a circular shape, the second opening 321b may also have a circular shape, and the inner diameter of the first opening 321a and the inner diameter of the second opening 321b may be substantially the same.

[0140] The connecting portion 322 has a plurality of plates 323a, 323b arranged on one side thereof, and a tubular protrusion 321c extending from the second opening 321b on the other side thereof. The tubular protrusion 321c can be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10 with respect to the second opening 321b, the open ends of the other ends 323af of the plates 323a, 323b, and the first opening 321a.

[0141] One end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be arranged along the periphery of the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In addition, the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other to be open. The plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting portion 322 may be connected to each other to complete a resonator assembly.

[0142] The resonator unit 320 further includes a dielectric accommodating space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may be formed in the empty space between the case 321 and the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may accommodate a dielectric 324 having low microwave absorption.

[0143] Dielectric 324 may also include a hollow cylindrical shape. Multiple plates 323a and 323b may be inserted into the empty space inside dielectric 324, and dielectric 324 may be attached to dielectric accommodating space 327. Dielectric 324 may further protrude from the other ends of multiple plates 323a and 323b toward first opening 321a in the longitudinal direction in which case 321 extends.

[0144] By disposing the dielectric 324 inside the dielectric containing space 327 of the resonator 320, it is possible to generate an electric field of the same level as that generated in a resonator that does not include a dielectric, while reducing the overall size of the resonator 320. In other words, the size of the resonator 320 can be reduced via the dielectric 324 disposed inside the dielectric containing space 327, and the mounting space for the resonator 320 in the aerosol generation device can be reduced, resulting in a miniaturized aerosol generation device.

[0145] An extractor 325 may be disposed inside the plates 323a and 323b. The extractor 325 may have a hollow cylindrical shape with one end closed and the other end open. The extractor 325 may be detachably disposed between the plates 323a and 323b and may perform the function of extracting the aerosol product from the containing space 320h. For example, when a user has finished smoking, the user may simultaneously extract the extractor 325 and the aerosol product from the containing space 320h by holding a part of the extractor 325 and moving it toward the front end of the first opening 321a.

[0146] The extractor 325 has one closed end and the other open end, and the other end includes a stopper 325s protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the extractor 325. In other words, since the diameter of the stopper 325s is larger than the diameter of the first opening 321a, when the extractor 325 is inserted into the accommodation space 320h, the extractor 325 can move until the rear end of the stopper 325s comes into contact with the front end of the first opening 321a.

[0147] The length from one end to the other of the extractor 325 can be formed to correspond to the length of the aerosol product. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the lengths of the aerosol products 10, 20 can be varied as needed. According to one embodiment, the filter rods 12, 22 of the aerosol products 10, 20 are formed to a fixed length, and the tobacco rods 11, 21 of the aerosol products 10, 20 are formed to a variable length, thereby enabling the overall length of the aerosol products 10, 20 to be varied. For example, the tobacco rods 11, 21 of the aerosol products 10, 20 can have lengths of about 15 mm and about 25 mm. The overall length of the aerosol product 20 is longer than the overall length of the aerosol product 10 by the length of the front plug 23. For example, the length of the front plug 23 can be about 7 mm.

[0148] For optimal heating of the aerosol product 10, 20, the tobacco rod 11, 21 is preferably positioned near the other end of the plates 323a, 323b where the resonance peak is formed. Specifically, the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 22 is preferably positioned between the other end of the plates 323a, 323b and one end of the dielectric 324.

[0149] The user selects an extractor 325 corresponding to the length of the aerosol product, inserts the aerosol product into the selected extractor 325, and then inserts the extractor 325 into the receiving space 320h. The front end of the tobacco rod 11, 21 in contact with the filter rod 12, 22 can be positioned between the other end of the multiple plates 323a, 323b and one end of the dielectric 324.

[0150] The heater assembly 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a resonator 320 having both open ends, with the case 321 including a first opening 321a and the connecting portion 322 including a second opening 321b fluidly connected to the first opening 321a. This allows for the optimal heating position to remain the same even if the length of the tobacco rods 11, 21 and / or the length of the front end plug 23 are changed relative to the front end of the tobacco rods 11, 21 that contacts the filter rods 12, 22. In other words, as the length of the tobacco rod 11, 21 increases based on the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 22, the rear end of the tobacco rod 11, 21 (or the front end plug 23) is positioned closer to the second opening 321b, and in some cases, the rear end of the tobacco rod 11, 21 (or the front end plug 23) may pass through the second opening 321b and be positioned outside.

[0151] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment, with a portion cut away, and Figure 8 is a perspective view showing components of the heater assembly according to the embodiment shown in Figure 7, with the components disassembled. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an extractor of various lengths into which aerosol product articles of various lengths are inserted.

[0152] The heater assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also includes a resonating portion 320 that generates microwave resonance, and a coupler 311 that supplies microwaves to the resonating portion 320.

[0153] The case 321 of the resonator 320 also includes a storage space 320h in which the aerosol product can be stored and a first opening 321a into which the aerosol product can be inserted. The case 321 also includes a hollow cylindrical shape that extends long along the longitudinal direction into which the aerosol product can be inserted.

[0154] One ends of the plates 323a and 323b of the resonator 320 may be connected to the case 321 by the connecting portion 322. The other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be open toward the first opening 321a of the case 321.

[0155] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b also includes a first plate 323a and a second plate 323b that are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product contained in the containing space 320h.

[0156] The plates 323a and 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the case 321. At least a portion of the plates 323a and 323b may be curved to protrude outward from the longitudinal center of the storage space 320h in which the aerosol product is stored. The first plate 323a may be curved and extended in the circumferential direction of the aerosol product to surround one region of the aerosol product. The second plate 323b may be curved and extended in the circumferential direction of the aerosol product to surround another region of the aerosol product.

[0157] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other to form an open end. Since the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from each other, an open end may be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

[0158] The open ends of the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned toward the first opening 321a of the case 321. The first opening 321a of the case 321 may be positioned away from the ends of the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b.

[0159] The connecting portion 322 also includes a second opening 321b facing the first opening 321a and corresponding to the first opening 321a. The second opening 321b may be formed in the connecting portion 322 to be fluidly connected to the first opening 321a. For example, the second opening 321b may be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10 with respect to the open ends of the other ends 323af of the plates 323a and 323b and the first opening 321a. Therefore, according to one embodiment, one end of the aerosol product 10 may be inserted through the first opening 321a of the case 321 and pass through the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In this case, the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 10 may include a band (not shown) indicating the insertion position. When the band of the aerosol product 10 is positioned at the front end of the first opening 321a, the tobacco rod 11 may be positioned to correspond to the area where the electric field is strongest.

[0160] According to an embodiment, the shape and size of the second opening 321b may correspond to the shape and size of the first opening 321a. For example, if the first opening 321a has a circular shape, the second opening 321b may also have a circular shape, and the inner diameter of the first opening 321a and the inner diameter of the second opening 321b may be substantially the same.

[0161] One end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be arranged along the periphery of the second opening 321b of the connecting portion 322. In addition, the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other to be open. The plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting portion 322 may be connected to each other to complete a resonator assembly.

[0162] The resonator unit 320 further includes a dielectric accommodating space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may be formed in the empty space between the case 321 and the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may accommodate a dielectric 324 having low microwave absorption.

[0163] The dielectric 324 may have a hollow cylindrical shape. The plates 323a and 323b may be inserted into the empty space inside the dielectric 324, and the dielectric 324 may be attached to the dielectric accommodating space 327. The dielectric 324 may further protrude from the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b toward the first opening 321a in the longitudinal direction in which the case 321 extends.

[0164] By disposing the dielectric 324 inside the dielectric containing space 327 of the resonator 320, it is possible to generate an electric field of the same level as that generated in a resonator that does not include a dielectric, while reducing the overall size of the resonator 320. In other words, the size of the resonator 320 can be reduced via the dielectric 324 disposed inside the dielectric containing space 327, and the mounting space for the resonator 320 in the aerosol generation device can be reduced, resulting in a miniaturized aerosol generation device.

[0165] An extractor 325 may be disposed inside the plates 323a and 323b. The extractor 325 may have a hollow cylindrical shape with one end closed and the other end open. The extractor 325 may be detachably disposed between the plates 323a and 323b and may perform the function of extracting the aerosol product from the containing space 320h. For example, when a user has finished smoking, the user may simultaneously extract the extractor 325 and the aerosol product from the containing space 320h by holding a part of the extractor 325 and moving it toward the front end of the first opening 321a.

[0166] The extractor 325 has one closed end and the other open end, and the other end includes a stopper 325s protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the extractor 325. In other words, the diameter of the stopper 325s is larger than the diameter of the first opening 321a, so when the extractor 325 is inserted into the accommodating space 320h, the extractor 325 can move until the rear end of the stopper 325s comes into contact with the front end of the first opening 321a.

[0167] The resonator unit 320 also includes an air introduction passage for introducing external air into the interior. The air introduction passage may be formed in the extractor 325 or between the extractor 325 and the case 321. When a user inhales by putting the aerosol product 10 into their mouth, external air is introduced into the interior of the resonator unit 320 through the air introduction passage. The air flows into the interior of the aerosol product 10 through the end of the aerosol product 10. As the air flows through the aerosol product 10, it can be delivered to the user together with the aerosol generated in the aerosol product 10.

[0168] 9, the length from one end to the other end of the extractors 325a, 325b, 325c may be formed to correspond to the length of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20. The length of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 may be varied as needed. According to one embodiment, the filter rod 12, 12', 22 of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 is formed to a fixed length, and the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 is formed to a variable length, thereby allowing the overall length of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 to be varied.

[0169] For example, the length of the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol product 10 is approximately 15 mm, and the length of the tobacco rods 11', 21 of the aerosol product 10', 20 is approximately 25 mm. The overall length of the aerosol product 20 is longer than the overall length of the aerosol product 10' by the length of the front plug 23. For example, the length of the front plug 23 is approximately 7 mm. In this case, the lengths of the filter rods 12, 12', 22 of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 are all the same.

[0170] For optimal heating of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20, the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 is preferably positioned near the other end of the plates 323a, 323b where the resonance peak is formed. Specifically, the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 12', 22 is preferably positioned between the other end of the plates 323a, 323b and one end of the dielectric 324.

[0171] The user selects the extractors 325a, 325b, 325c corresponding to the lengths of the aerosol product 10, 10', 20, respectively, and inserts the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 into the selected extractors 325a, 325b, 325c. When the extractors 325a, 325b, 325c are then inserted into the receiving space 320h, the front ends of the tobacco rods 11, 11', 21 that contact the filter rods 12, 12', 22 can be positioned between the other ends of the plates 323a, 323b and one end of the dielectric 324.

[0172] The heater assembly 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a resonator 320 having both open ends, with the case 321 including a first opening 321a and the connecting portion 322 including a second opening 321b fluidly connected to the first opening 321a. This allows for the optimal heating position to remain the same even if the length of the tobacco rods 11, 11', 21 and / or the length of the front end plug 23 are changed relative to the front end of the tobacco rods 11, 11', 21 that contacts the filter rods 12, 12', 22. In other words, as the length of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 increases based on the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 12', 22, the rear end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 (or the front end plug 23) is positioned closer to the second opening 321b, and in some cases the rear end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 (or the front end plug 23) may pass through the second opening 321b and be positioned outside.

[0173] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an extractor including a hole portion.

[0174] 7 to 10, extractors 325d, 325e, and 325f shown in Fig. 10 differ from extractors 325a, 325b, and 325c shown in Fig. 9 in that they further include holes, but the remaining configurations are substantially the same. Therefore, a redundant description of the same configuration will be omitted and the differences will be mainly described below.

[0175] The extractors 325d, 325e, 325f include a cavity into which the aerosol product 10, 10', 20 is inserted, and at least one hole portion HL1, HL2, HL3 may be formed on the outer surface of the extractors 325d, 325e, 325f, connecting the cavity with the storage space 320h.

[0176] The holes HL1, HL2, and HL3 of each of the extractors 325d, 325e, and 325f may be formed in plurality on the outer periphery of the extractor 325d, 325e, and 325f. The holes HL1, HL2, and HL3 may be spaced apart at equal intervals. For example, two holes HL1, HL2, and HL3 may be formed side by side, and the two holes may be spaced apart at equal intervals. The two holes may be formed facing each other on the outer periphery of the extractor 325d, 325e, and 325f and may have the same shape.

[0177] The holes HL1, HL2, and HL3 may be formed at positions corresponding to the tobacco rods 11, 11', and 21, respectively. When the aerosol product 10, 10', and 20 is inserted into the cavity, the portions of the aerosol product 10, 10', and 20 exposed through the holes HL1, HL2, and HL3 may be limited to the tobacco rods 11, 11', and 21. This may increase the heating efficiency of the tobacco rods 11, 11', and 21, and may increase the amount of airflow into the extractors 325d, 325e, and 325f.

[0178] The extractor 325 may include a resin material having waterproof and / or heat insulating properties, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0179] The extractor 325 may prevent droplets generated when the aerosol is further liquefied and moisture generated in the aerosol product from leaking outside the extractor 325. In addition, the extractor 325 may prevent heat generated at the location of the aerosol product from escaping outside the extractor 325. The extractor 325 may perform a liquid leakage function to prevent liquid from leaking to other structures of the resonator 320 and a heat insulation function to prevent heat from leaking out.

[0180] 11A, 11B, and 11C are cross-sectional views of the heater assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the extractor shown in FIG. 9 inserted therein.

[0181] When the aerosol production product 10, 10', 20 is inserted into the extractor 325a, 325b, 325c of the resonator 320, the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 of the aerosol production product 10, 10', 20 may be positioned between the plates 323a, 323b. The diameter of the stopper 325s of the extractor 325a, 325b, 325c is larger than the diameter of the first opening 321a, so that the movement of the aerosol production product 10, 10', 20 toward the left is restricted.

[0182] The front ends of the tobacco rods 11, 11', 21 that contact the filter rods 12, 12', 22 are located at positions that protrude further in the direction toward the first opening 321a of the case 321 than the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b.

[0183] The length L1 of the plates 323a and 323b may be set to be shorter than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the case 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be located more inward of the case 321 than the first opening 321a. That is, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be located to be spaced apart from the rear end of the first opening 321a by a distance L2.

[0184] The length of first opening 321a protruding from case 321 is also L3. The total length of case 321 along the longitudinal direction of case 321 is also L. Total length L of case 321 is set to a range of 25 mm to 35 mm, and total length L of case 321 in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C is approximately 29 mm. To prevent microwave leakage, length L3 of first opening 321a is 5 mm or more.

[0185] The height H of the case 321 in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the case 321 is determined within a range of 13 to 25 mm, and the height H of the case 321 in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C is approximately 16 mm.

[0186] The front end of dielectric 324 disposed inside resonator unit 320 may protrude beyond the other ends of plates 323a and 323b in the longitudinal direction of case 321. In FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C, the front end of dielectric 324 may contact the right inner surface of case 321. The length L2 by which the front end of dielectric 324 protrudes beyond the other ends of plates 323a and 323b may be varied in various ways. Therefore, the front end of dielectric 324 may protrude beyond the other ends of plates 323a and 323b but may be spaced apart from the right inner surface of case 321.

[0187] Of the multiple plates 323a and 323b, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may come into contact with the coupler 311. The coupler 311 and the first plate 323a may come into contact with each other at a position adjacent to the connecting portion 322 through the first opening 321a.

[0188] When microwaves are transmitted to first plate 323a via coupler 311, microwave resonance occurs between plates 323a and 323b. Microwave resonance also occurs between first plate 323a and the upper plate of case 321, and between second plate 323b and the lower plate of case 321. Therefore, electric fields can be generated between plates 323a and 323b and connecting portion 322; between first plate 323a and the upper plate of case 321; and between second plate 323b and the lower plate of case 321.

[0189] The connecting portion 322 also includes a second opening 321b that corresponds to the first opening 321a and is located opposite the first opening 321a. The second opening 321b may be formed in the connecting portion 322 to be in fluid communication with the first opening 321a.

[0190] Even if the length of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 and / or the length of the front-end plug 23 are changed relative to the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 12', 22, the optimum heating position can be expected to remain the same. In other words, as the length of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 increases relative to the front end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 that contacts the filter rod 12, 12', 22, the rear end of the tobacco rod 11, 11', 21 (or the front-end plug 23) becomes closer to the second opening 321b, and in some cases, the front-end plug 23 (or the extractor 325c) of the aerosol production article 20 passes through the second opening 321b and is positioned within the tubular protrusion 321c. Figure 12 is a perspective view that schematically illustrates the electric field distribution of the heater assembly according to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 11 A. The electric field distribution illustrated in Figure 12 indicates the voltage strength per unit length (V / m) of the resonating portion 320.

[0191] According to the structure of the resonator unit 320 of the heater assembly, a triple resonant mode can be formed in the resonator unit 320. A microwave TEM mode resonance is formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b. Furthermore, a TEM mode resonance different from the resonance formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b is formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321.

[0192] The triple resonance in the resonating portion 320 of the heater assembly may result in more efficient and uniform heating of the aerosol product article 10 .

[0193] 13 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heat density distribution of an aerosol product article heated by the heater assembly according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11A. The heat density distribution illustrated in FIG. 13 is a graph showing the temperature energy per unit volume (W / m) in each region of the aerosol product article as the aerosol product article is heated. 3 ) is shown.

[0194] A resonant peak is formed at the other end of the plates 323a, 323b, generating a stronger electric field than in other regions. The tobacco rod 11, which includes a dielectric capable of generating heat, is positioned in the resonating section 320 so as to correspond to the region where the electric field is strongest due to the electric field of the aerosol product, and therefore the portion of the tobacco rod 11 can be heated to the highest temperature.

[0195] FIG. 14 is a perspective view that schematically illustrates a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0196] The resonator unit 320 shown in Fig. 14 differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 in that it has three plates, whereas the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 has two plates, but the remaining configuration is substantially the same. Therefore, a redundant description of the same configuration will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described below.

[0197] The multiple plates of the resonating portion 320 also include a first plate 323a, a second plate 323b, and a third plate 323c that are arranged spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product contained in the containing space 320h.

[0198] The plurality of plates (first plate 323a, second plate 323b, third plate 323c) are arranged in three pieces so as to be spaced apart in the circumferential direction based on the central axis X in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product contained in the case 321. This embodiment is not limited by the number of the plurality of plates, and the number of the plurality of plates may be, for example, four or more.

[0199] The first plate 323a, the second plate 323b, the third plate 323c, and the connecting portion 322 are connected to each other, thereby completing the resonator assembly.

[0200] The other ends of the first plate 323a, the second plate 323b, and the third plate 323c are spaced apart from each other and open toward the first opening 321a of the case 321, so that open ends can be formed at the other ends of the first plate 323a, the second plate 323b, and the third plate 323c.

[0201] The multiple plates (first plate 323a, second plate 323b, and third plate 323c) extend in the longitudinal direction of case 321. At least a portion of the multiple plates may be curved so as to protrude outward from the longitudinal center of storage space 320h in which the aerosol product is stored. Each of first plate 323a, second plate 323b, and third plate 323c may extend while being curved in the circumferential direction of the aerosol product so as to surround other regions of the aerosol product.

[0202] According to the structure in which multiple plates (first plate 323a, second plate 323b, third plate 323c) are arranged at a distance along the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product and are curved in the circumferential direction, a more uniform electric field is formed in the resonating portion 320, so that the heater assembly can heat the aerosol product 10 uniformly.

[0203] Any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or distinct, and any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments may be used in combination with each other in their respective configurations or functions.

[0204] For example, this means that a specific embodiment and / or configuration A illustrated in the drawings can be combined with a different embodiment and / or configuration B illustrated in the drawings. In other words, even if the combination between the components is not directly described, this means that the combination is possible unless it is described that the combination is not possible.

[0205] The above detailed description should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0206] 10,20 Aerosol products 300 heater assembly 320 Resonance part 311 Coupler 321a 1st opening 321b 2nd opening 321 cases 322 Connecting part 323a 1st board 323b 2nd board

Claims

1. an oscillator for generating microwaves in a specified frequency band; a resonator that resonates microwaves to generate an electric field; a coupler for transmitting the generated microwave to the resonator, The resonator unit is a case including a storage space for storing an aerosol product and a first opening through which the aerosol product can be inserted; a plurality of plates arranged to be spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product contained in the containing space; a connecting portion that connects the plurality of plates and the case and includes a second opening that is located opposite the first opening and corresponds to the first opening, A heater assembly wherein the first opening and the second opening are formed to be fluidly connected, and the shape and size of the second opening correspond to the shape and size of the first opening, so that one end of the aerosol product can be inserted through the first opening of the case and pass through the second opening.

2. 2. The heater assembly of claim 1, further comprising an extractor removably disposed between said plurality of plates for extracting said aerosol product from said receiving space.

3. 3. The heater assembly according to claim 2, wherein the extractor has one closed end and the other open end, the other end including a stopper protruding outward from an outer circumferential surface of the extractor.

4. 4. The heater assembly of claim 3, wherein the length of the extractor from one end to the other end corresponds to the length of the aerosol product article.

5. 3. The heater assembly of claim 2, wherein the extractor includes a cavity into which the aerosol product is inserted, and the outer circumferential surface of the extractor is formed with at least one hole portion that connects the cavity with the storage space.

6. 6. The heater assembly of claim 5, wherein the aerosol-producing article includes a tobacco rod and a filter rod, and the hole is formed at a position corresponding to the tobacco rod.

7. 2. The heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein one ends of the plurality of plates are connected to the connecting portion, and the other ends of the plurality of plates are open by being spaced apart from each other.

8. 8. The heater assembly according to claim 7, wherein the one ends of the plurality of plates are arranged along the periphery of the second opening, and the other ends of the plates are arranged toward the first opening of the case.

9. the plurality of plates extend in a longitudinal direction of the aerosol product; 8. The heater assembly of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of plates are curved to protrude outwardly from a longitudinal center of the aerosol product article.

10. 8. The heater assembly of claim 7, wherein the case and the plurality of plates are spaced apart from each other, and further comprising a dielectric disposed between the case and the plurality of plates.

11. The heater assembly of claim 10 , wherein one end of the dielectric body protrudes from the other end of the plurality of plates toward the first opening.

12. 12. The heater assembly of claim 11, wherein the aerosol product includes a tobacco rod and a filter rod, and a front end of the tobacco rod that contacts the filter rod is disposed between the other end of the plate and one end of the dielectric.

13. The heater assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupler passes through the case and contacts one of the plurality of plates.

14. a housing including an insertion port through which the aerosol-producing article is inserted; a heater assembly for heating the aerosol product inserted through the insertion port; The heater assembly includes: an oscillator for generating microwaves in a specified frequency band; a resonator that resonates the microwave to generate an electric field; a coupler for transmitting the generated microwave to the resonator, The resonator unit is a case including a storage space for storing the aerosol product and a first opening through which the aerosol product can be inserted; a plurality of plates arranged to be spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product contained in the containing space; a connecting portion that connects the plurality of plates and the case and includes a second opening that is located opposite the first opening and corresponds to the first opening, An aerosol generating device in which the first opening and the second opening are formed to be fluidly connected, and the shape and size of the second opening correspond to the shape and size of the first opening, so that one end of the aerosol product can be inserted through the first opening of the case and pass through the second opening.

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