Nicotine Inhaler

Abstract

The present invention provides a nicotine inhaler comprising: a main body including a housing and a Venturi tube provided inside the housing; a nicotine liquid phase storage section; and a liquid phase supply tube for supplying the nicotine liquid phase to the inside of the Venturi tube; the Venturi tube comprises an inlet tube section communicating with an air inlet at one end of the housing, a central tube section having a liquid phase injection port in the tube wall, and an outlet tube section communicating with an intake port at the other end of the housing, and the liquid phase supply tube is configured to communicate the nicotine liquid phase storage section with the liquid phase injection port of the central tube section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0108543 filed on August 18, 2021, and all the contents disclosed in the document of the Korean Patent Application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a nicotine inhaler, specifically an inhaler capable of aerosolizing a nicotine liquid phase and inhaling it.

Background Art

[0003] The method of delivering nicotine to the lungs in the form of an aerosol via an inhaler is an attractive means for delivering nicotine. At this time, the size of the aerosol is a very important parameter for smoking satisfaction. This is because when inhaling an aerosol with large particles, large droplets strike the larynx and airways, transmitting a negative sensory experience. That is, the smaller the particle size of the nicotine aerosol, the smoother it is inhaled and the deeper it penetrates into the lungs, improving the satisfaction of smokers.

[0004] The D50 (mass median diameter, or average particle size of the mass) of tobacco smoke is 0.3 μm to 0.6 μm. However, due to the limitations of the device, the particle size of the nicotine aerosol generated using a portable inhaler has a significant difference from the particle size of the tobacco smoke. Therefore, in order for the method of delivering nicotine aerosol via an inhaler to be loved by smokers, the development of technology for generating aerosol particles of fine particles is required.

[0005] As a conventional aerosol generating device, a method of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-forming substrate is well known. However, such a device has the disadvantage of requiring a complex configuration such as a heating device.

[0006] Therefore, instead of employing the high-temperature heating method described above, research is being conducted on methods for generating nicotine aerosol using pressure differences. However, this method has a practical limitation: since the inhaler is used in the atmosphere, it is not easy to generate a pressure difference. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Registered Patent No. 10-1734932 of the Republic of Korea [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The present invention was devised to solve the aforementioned problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a nicotine inhaler that can create a large pressure difference through the user's inhalation, and that can efficiently form fine-sized nicotine aerosols through this pressure difference. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention, A housing and a main body including a venturi tube provided inside the housing; Nicotine liquid phase storage section; A liquid phase supply tube for supplying the nicotine liquid phase inside the venturi tube; The Venturi tube includes an inlet section communicating with an air inlet at one end of the housing, a central section having a liquid phase inlet in its wall, and an outlet section communicating with an intake at the other end of the housing. The liquid phase supply tube provides a nicotine inhaler that connects the nicotine liquid phase storage section with the liquid phase inlet of the central tube section.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the outlet pipe section extends to the intake port at the end of the housing to form an intake section, and the outlet pipe section may be configured such that the diameter of the pipe gradually increases from the end of the central pipe section to the intake port at the end of the housing.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the inlet pipe can extend to the air inlet at the end of the housing to form an air inlet.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the outlet pipe portion may have a longer length than the inlet pipe portion.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the venturi tube includes a first tapered portion in the inlet tube section that tapers toward the central tube section, and the outlet tube section includes a second tapered portion that tapers toward the central tube section.

[0014] The angle that the first tapered portion makes with the central axis of the Venturi tube may be greater than the angle that the second tapered portion makes with the central axis of the Venturi tube.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the central tube portion may have a diameter of 0.5 mm to 1 mm and a length of 1 mm to 5 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage section for the nicotine liquid phase may be located in the space between the housing and the inner wall of the main body, which includes part or all of the venturi tube.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage section for the nicotine liquid phase includes an annular container, and the annular container may be provided so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall of the main body.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid phase supply tube may be provided with a crimping section that locks the liquid phase supply tube when not being drawn in and opens the liquid phase supply tube when being drawn in.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the liquid phase inlet may be smaller than the diameter of the liquid phase supply pipe.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, a heating element may be further provided between the air inlet and the Venturi tube or on the Venturi tube on the air inlet side.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, a fragrance emitting element may be further provided between the air inlet and the Venturi tube or on the Venturi tube on the air inlet side.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] The nicotine inhaler of the present invention has a Venturi tube structure inside the inhaler, and by supplying the nicotine liquid phase to the portion where negative pressure is formed in the Venturi tube, it provides the effect of efficiently generating nicotine aerosol of a fine size.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a cutaway perspective view showing one embodiment of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a cutaway perspective view showing another embodiment of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram schematically showing the aerosol generation mechanism of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the structure of the Venturi tube included in the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a graph showing the inhalation part flow rate according to the diameter and length of the central tube part of the Venturi tube included in the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 8]This graph shows the inhalation pressure based on the diameter and length of the central tube of the venturi tube included in the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 9] This graph shows the pressure generated in each component when the nicotine inhaler of the present invention is in operation. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a magnified cross-sectional view showing the crimping portion contained in the nicotine inhaler. [Figure 12] This figure shows the results of measuring the aerosol particle size 0.4 seconds after the nicotine inhaler of the present invention was activated. [Figure 13] This figure shows the results of measuring the distribution of aerosol particle size over time during operation of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0025] Terms and words used in this specification and in the claims should not be interpreted in a manner limited to their ordinary or lexicographical meanings, but rather in a manner consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself may appropriately define the concept of a term in order to best describe the invention.

[0026] The terms used in this invention are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. A singular expression includes plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this invention, terms such as "includes" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of features, figures, stages, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood to preemptively exclude the existence or possibility of adding one or more other features, figures, stages, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0027] In this invention, the terms "forward" and "backward" are defined in relation to the flow of aerosols.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, the present invention can be embodied in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the nicotine inhaler of the present invention includes a main body 100 including a housing 110 and a venturi tube 120 provided inside the housing; a nicotine liquid phase storage section 200; and a liquid supply tube 300 for supplying the nicotine liquid phase into the venturi tube 120. The Venturi tube 120 includes an inlet tube section 121 communicating with an air inlet 400 at one end of the housing, a central tube section 122 having a liquid phase inlet 124 in its tube wall, and an outlet tube section 123 communicating with an intake port 500 at the other end of the housing; The liquid phase supply tube 300 is provided to connect the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 with the liquid phase inlet 124 of the central tube section.

[0031] Generally, in nicotine inhalers, when attempting to inhale the nicotine liquid phase into the human body, it is important to finely aerosolize the nicotine liquid phase to facilitate lung inhalation. In particular, when the propellant is contained in the storage unit 200 together with the nicotine liquid phase, the rate at which the nicotine liquid phase is discharged is very fast, so upon inhalation, it immediately enters the mouth, and large droplets strike the larynx and airways, exhibiting negative sensory characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to aerosolize the nicotine liquid phase more quickly and finely.

[0032] The nicotine inhaler of the present invention, due to the special structure described above, finely aerosolizes the nicotine liquid phase immediately after dispensing.

[0033] The liquid phase aerosolization mechanism of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention is as follows: When a user inhales air through the inhalation section 600 of the nicotine inhaler shown in Figure 1, the pressure in the central tube section 122 of the Venturi tube 120 decreases due to Bernoulli's principle. Therefore, due to this pressure difference, the nicotine liquid phase 220 contained in the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 is discharged in a liquid state to the liquid phase inlet 124 of the central tube section 122 via the liquid phase supply tube 300 (Figure 5(a)), and at the same time, the propellant vaporizes due to the pressure difference, generating bubbles (Figure 5(b)). Subsequently, as the bubbles grow and the liquid film between the bubbles breaks (Figure 5(c)), the nicotine liquid phase is aerosolized (Figure 5(d)). At this time, the larger the pressure difference, the faster the bubbles grow and the faster the liquid film breaks, improving the aerosol generation efficiency.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, the end of the outlet pipe section 123 extends to the intake port 500 at the end of the housing 110 to form an intake section 600, and the outlet pipe section may be configured such that the pipe diameter gradually increases from the end of the central pipe section 122 to the intake port at the end of the housing.

[0035] Furthermore, at this time, the end of the inlet pipe section 121 can extend to the air inlet 400 at the end of the housing 110, forming an air inlet section.

[0036] In the nicotine inhaler configuration described above, as shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the length L2 of the outlet tube 123 is longer than the length L1 of the inlet tube 121. This is because the aerosol is further atomized as it flies, and making the outlet tube 123 longer is effective for atomization.

[0037] Furthermore, in the nicotine inhaler configuration described above, the inlet tube portion 121 of the venturi tube 120 includes a first tapered portion tapered toward the central tube portion 122, and the outlet tube portion 123 includes a second tapered portion tapered toward the central tube portion (122). As shown in Figure 6, it is preferable that the angle that the first tapered portion makes with the central axis of the venturi tube 120 (Figure 6, a) is greater than the angle that the second tapered portion makes with the central axis of the venturi tube (Figure 6, b). This is because, as mentioned above, it is advantageous to form the outlet tube portion 123 to be longer than the inlet tube portion 121, thereby creating a larger air inlet 400. Under these conditions, the angle of the first tapered portion must be greater than the angle of the second tapered portion. Also, according to Bernoulli's principle, a larger diameter of the inlet tube portion 121 is advantageous in order to create a lower pressure in the central tube portion 122 of the venturi tube.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the central tube portion 122 may have a diameter of 0.5 mm to 1 mm, more preferably 0.6 to 0.8 mm, and a length of 1 mm to 5 mm.

[0039] The central pipe section 122 must have a diameter and length that can form an appropriate negative pressure. If the diameter is too narrow and the length is too long, the flow rate will decrease due to wall friction resistance, causing pressure loss and preventing sufficient negative pressure from being formed, which is undesirable. Therefore, it is preferable that the diameter and length be formed within the range described above.

[0040] The diameter of the central tube 122 must be at least 0.5 mm in order to ensure an appropriate inhalation flow rate at the inhalation section. This is because, with a diameter of 5 mm, even with the fewest breaths, 20 ml of the mixture of air and nicotine liquid phase aerosol can be inhaled in 2 seconds. Furthermore, if the diameter exceeds 1 mm, sufficient negative pressure cannot be formed in the central tube, which is unfavorable for aerosolization.

[0041] Figure 7 shows the suction flow rate based on the diameter and length of the central pipe section 122 as described above.

[0042] Furthermore, the length of the central tube 122 must be greater than 1 mm, taking into account the arrangement and size of the liquid phase inlet 124, and less than 5 mm, so that an appropriate negative pressure is formed. Figure 8 shows the inhalation pressure based on the diameter and length of the central tube 122 as described above. Figure 9 is a graph showing the pressure generated in each component when the nicotine inhaler of the present invention is in operation.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 can be located in the space between the housing 110 and the main body inner wall 130, which includes part or all of the venturi tube 120, as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 3.

[0044] Specifically, the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 includes an annular container 210, and the annular container may be provided in a manner that surrounds the outer surface of the inner wall 130 of the main body.

[0045] This arrangement of the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 makes it possible to manufacture the nicotine inhaler with a compact structure.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid phase supply tube 300 may be provided with a crimping section 310 that locks the liquid phase supply tube when not being drawn in and opens the liquid phase supply tube when drawn in. The crimping section may open due to the pressure difference when the user draws in the inhaler, as the pressure in the central part of the venturi tube decreases.

[0047] The crimping section may consist, for example, a sensor that senses the suction pressure when the inhaler is being drawn in, and a solenoid valve that opens the liquid phase supply tube according to the sensing result when the sensor senses an suction state. In this case, the solenoid valve maintains a closed state of the liquid phase supply tube when there is no suction.

[0048] Furthermore, the crimping section may be manually operated, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. That is, before the user sucks up the inhaler, they press the crimping rod 311 (Figure 11), which is supported by the spring 312 and crimpsing the liquid phase supply tube, to open the liquid phase supply tube (Figure 11(b)). After the suction is completed, they release the pressure applied to the crimping rod to return the liquid phase supply tube to the closed state (Figure 11(a)).

[0049] On the other hand, the crimping portion may be formed in a known form. For example, it is possible to apply the crimping member described in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1734932. In this case, the structure of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention may include additional components for the application of the crimping member. For example, the inhalation portion 600 may have another inhalation port that communicates with the space between the housing 110 and the inner wall 130 of the main body, and the crimping portion (310) may further be provided with means that operate when inhaled through the inhalation port to release the pressure applied to the liquid supply tube by the crimping portion.

[0050] To give a specific example, when the crimping member 21 of Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1734932 is applied, a vane identical or similar in structure to the vane 15 described in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1734932 may be provided in the space between the housing 110 and the inner wall 130 of the present invention. The vane includes a membrane of a size that can move toward the inner wall of the housing 110 when the pressure in the space between the housing 110 and the inner wall 130 decreases due to suction by the suction portion 600 of the inhaler, and a pivot may be provided at one end of the membrane on the air inlet 400 side. Therefore, when the pressure between the membrane and the inner wall of the housing decreases during suction of the inhaler, the membrane rotates around the pivot and moves toward the inner wall of the housing. The lower end of the membrane may be provided with a jaw that can pressurize the liquid supply tube 300. The membrane can be formed in such a way that when the inhaler is not being drawn in, it receives a downward force from an elastic member such as a spring, and this force causes the jaws to compress the liquid supply tube, blocking the flow of the nicotine liquid phase. On the other hand, when the inhaler is being drawn in, the reduced pressure between the membrane and the inner wall of the housing causes the membrane to rise, lifting the jaws, thereby releasing the pressure on the liquid supply tube and allowing the nicotine liquid phase to be supplied. The liquid supply tube can be manufactured from a flexible material to enable the operation of such a crimping mechanism.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to form the diameter of the liquid phase inlet smaller than the diameter of the liquid phase supply tube in order to release the elements of crimping due to negative pressure. The diameter of the liquid phase inlet may be in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. The number of liquid phase inlets 124 may be one or two or more.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine inhaler may further include a heating element 700 between the air inlet 400 and the venturi tube 120, or in the venturi tube 120 on the air inlet side, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The heating element may be, but is not limited to, a heat source based on a chemical reaction, a thermoelectric element, a coil heater, a ceramic heater, etc.

[0053] When the nicotine liquid phase containing the propellant is aerosolized, the temperature drops sharply due to the sudden expansion, resulting in a very cold temperature. The heating element is intended to compensate for this, and is used to warm the incoming air before drawing it in. The heating element is preferably installed in a manner that does not significantly obstruct the airflow and can be made of a porous material.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine inhaler may further include a fragrance element 700 between the air inlet 400 and the venturi tube 120, or in the venturi tube 120 on the air inlet side, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fragrance element can help to add fragrance through the incoming air and facilitate inhalation. Examples of the fragrance element include solid fragrance, fragrance contained in a porous substrate, fragrance sheets, fragrance capsules, and the like.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine liquid phase may further include a propellant together with the nicotine liquid, and the propellant can be one known in the art, such as HFA-134a or CFC. The propellant plays a role in creating pressure inside the nicotine liquid phase storage container to facilitate the supply of the nicotine liquid phase, and in generating bubbles when the nicotine liquid phase is discharged into the venturi tube.

[0056] The operation of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 1.

[0057] First, when inhalation occurs in the nicotine inhaler inhalation section 600 of the present invention, air flows in through the air inlet 400 without pressure loss. The incoming air passes through the inlet tube section 121 of the Venturi tube 120 and through the narrow-diameter central tube section 122, and its velocity increases according to Bernoulli's principle, causing the internal pressure of the central tube section 122 to decrease and negative pressure to be formed. The negative pressure formed at this time opens the crimping section 310, and the nicotine liquid phase stored in the nicotine liquid phase storage section 200 is supplied to the inside of the central tube section 122 via the liquid phase supply tube 300 and the liquid phase inlet 124 due to this pressure difference and the pressure of the propulsion body itself. The liquid phase thus supplied is carried by the rapid airflow and moves through the outlet tube section 123 to the inhalation port 500. At this time, the negative pressure causes rapid and sudden bubble formation in the nicotine liquid phase, the liquid film gradually thins, and as the liquid film rapidly breaks down, an aerosol is formed. As the nicotine aerosol flies toward the inhalation port 500, the high velocity difference between the air and the liquid phase causes it to atomize due to the friction between the air and the liquid phase and the surface tension properties of the liquid phase, forming even finer aerosols of several micrometers in size.

[0058] The nicotine inhaler of the present invention opens at a lower negative pressure compared to conventional nicotine inhalers that open at atmospheric pressure. As a result, more bubbles are formed in the liquid phase, grow faster, and the liquid film breaks more quickly. Therefore, the nicotine liquid phase is atomized more finely by this mechanism.

[0059] The particle size and particle size distribution of the aerosol inhaled into the mouth during operation of the nicotine inhaler of the present invention were measured using a particle size measuring device (product name: Spraytech, manufacturer: Malvern), and the results are shown in Figures 12 and 13. As can be seen from the figures, the nicotine inhaler of the present invention exhibits excellent aerosolization characteristics.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described in relation to the preferred embodiments described above, various modifications or variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the appended claims will include such modifications or variations, insofar as they fall within the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 100: Main body 110: Housing 120: Venturi tube 121: Inlet pipe section 122: Central pipe section 123: Outlet pipe section 124:Liquid phase inlet 130: Inner wall of the main body 200: Nicotine liquid phase storage section 210: Ring-shaped container 220: Nicotine liquid phase 300: Liquid phase supply tube 310: Crimping section 311: Crimping rod 312: Spring 400: Air inlet 500: Inlet 600: Suction part 700: Heating element or flavoring element

Claims

1. A main body including a housing and a venturi tube provided inside the housing; Storage section for storing nicotine liquid phase and propellant; A liquid phase supply tube for supplying the nicotine liquid phase and the propellant to the inside of the venturi tube; The Venturi tube includes an inlet section communicating with an air inlet at one end of the housing, a central section having a liquid phase inlet in its wall, and an outlet section communicating with an intake at the other end of the housing. The liquid phase supply tube is provided to connect the nicotine liquid phase storage section and the liquid phase inlet of the central tube section, The outlet pipe section has a longer length than the inlet pipe section. The end of the outlet pipe section extends to the intake port at the end of the housing to form an intake section, and the diameter of the outlet pipe section gradually increases from the end of the central pipe section to the intake port at the end of the housing. The liquid phase supply tube is equipped with a crimping section that locks the liquid phase supply tube when not being drawn in and opens the liquid phase supply tube when being drawn in. The crimping section includes a solenoid valve. A heating element is further provided between the air inlet and the venturi tube, or in the venturi tube on the air inlet side. Nicotine inhaler.

2. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the end of the inlet tube extends to the air inlet at the end of the housing to form an air inlet.

3. In the Venturi tube, the inlet tube section includes a first tapered section tapered toward the central tube section, and the outlet tube section includes a second tapered section tapered toward the central tube section. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the angle that the first tapered portion makes with the central axis of the venturi tube is greater than the angle that the second tapered portion makes with the central axis of the venturi tube.

4. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the central tube portion has a diameter of 0.5 mm to 1 mm and a length of 1 mm to 5 mm.

5. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the storage section for the nicotine liquid phase is located in the space between the housing and the inner wall of the main body which includes part or all of the venturi tube.

6. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 5, wherein the storage section for the nicotine liquid phase includes an annular container, and the annular container is provided in a manner that surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall of the main body.

7. The nicotine inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the liquid phase inlet is smaller than the diameter of the liquid phase supply tube.

8. The nicotine inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fragrance-releasing element between the air inlet and the venturi tube or in the venturi tube on the air inlet side.

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