A device for heating smoking materials.

Abstract

An apparatus 100 for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an insulator and a magnetic field generator 106, the insulator comprising an inner wall 110 that at least partially defines a heating zone for receiving at least a portion of an article containing the smoking material, the inner wall containing a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field to heat the heating zone, an outer wall 112, and an insulated region 124 defined by the inner wall and the outer wall, the insulated region being exhausted to a lower pressure than the outside of the insulated region, the magnetic field generator for generating a fluctuating magnetic field that penetrates the inner wall to heat the inner wall when in use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, a system comprising such an apparatus and a smoking article including the smoking material, and a method for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material.

Background Art

[0002] Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like generate tobacco smoke by burning the tobacco during use. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles by creating products that release compounds without combustion. Examples of such products include so-called "heat-not-burn" products or tobacco heating devices or tobacco heating products that release compounds by heating rather than burning the material. The material can be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products that may or may not contain nicotine.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] A first aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, the apparatus comprising a thermal insulator and a magnetic field generator, the thermal insulator being an inner wall that at least partially defines a heating zone for receiving at least a part of an article including the smoking material, the inner wall including a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a variable magnetic field to heat the heating zone, an outer wall, and a heat insulation region bounded by the inner wall and the outer wall, the heat insulation region being evacuated to a lower pressure than the outside of the heat insulation region, and the magnetic field generator being for generating a variable magnetic field that intrudes into the inner wall to heat the inner wall during use.

[0004] In an exemplary embodiment, the outer wall is magnetically impermeable (non-magnetic) and / or non-conductive.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, the exterior wall includes glass or ceramic.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the magnetic field generator includes a coil that surrounds at least a portion of the outer wall. This coil may be a helical coil. The coil may also include Litz wire.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the coil comprises a first portion for heating a first area of ​​the inner wall and a second portion for heating a second area of ​​the inner wall, wherein the first and second portions are independently controllable.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the device includes a second coil enclosing at least a portion of the outer wall, and the coil and the second coil are independently controllable.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the device includes a brazing ring positioned at the joint between the inner and outer walls to seal the thermal insulation area.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the outer wall extends only partially along the length of the inner wall.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the inner wall is a cylindrical tube.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the device includes a magnetic shield surrounding the magnetic field generator.

[0013] In exemplary embodiments, the heating element includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of conductive materials, magnetic materials, and conductive magnetic materials.

[0014] In exemplary embodiments, the heating element includes a metal or a metal alloy.

[0015] In exemplary embodiments, the heating element includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, ordinary carbon steel, stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, copper, and bronze.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, a first area of ​​the interior wall is made from a first material, and a second area of ​​the interior wall is made from a second material different from the first material.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus is used to heat a non-liquid smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus is used to heat a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material without burning it.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the inner wall is connected to the outer wall at a first position on the inner wall and a second position on the inner wall, and the inner wall comprises at least one deformable structure between the first and second positions, the at least one deformable structure being for deforming to correspond to the thermal expansion of a region of the inner wall between the first and second positions during heating of the heating material. The thermal expansion may be axial thermal expansion of that region of the inner wall, or include such axial thermal expansion. The inner wall may comprise two such deformable structures spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the inner wall. In an exemplary embodiment, the inner wall is a cylindrical tube, and the thermal expansion is thermal expansion of a region of the cylindrical tube, or includes such axial thermal expansion.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the heating element includes a metallized layer on the inner wall.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the inner wall comprises a support made of a non-magnetic and / or non-conductive material, and the metallized layer is located between the support and the thermal insulation region.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the inner wall comprises a support of a non-magnetic and / or non-conductive material, the support being between a metallization layer and a heat insulation region.

[0023] A second aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for heating a smoking article so as to volatilize at least one component of the smoking article, the apparatus comprising a heating zone for receiving at least a part of an article containing a smoking article, a heating element comprising a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a variable magnetic field to heat the heating zone, a heat insulator comprising an outer wall, an inner wall between the heating element and the outer wall, and a heat insulation region bounded by the inner wall and the outer wall, the heat insulation region being evacuated so as to be at a lower pressure than outside the heat insulation region, and one or each of the inner wall and the outer wall being non-magnetic and / or non-conductive, a magnetic field generator for generating a variable magnetic field that penetrates the heating element during use and is provided with.

[0024] An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus of the second aspect has any of the above-described features as existing in the exemplary embodiment of the apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention. [[ID=2​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A fourth aspect of the present invention provides an article containing a smoking material, which is used in conjunction with the apparatus of the first or second aspect of the present invention.

[0030] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a system for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, the system comprising: An apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, Articles containing smoking material to be placed at least partially in the heating zone of the apparatus It is equipped with.

[0031] A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a method for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, the method being: The steps include preparing an apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, The steps include placing at least a portion of an article containing smoking material in the heating zone of the apparatus, The steps include: introducing a fluctuating magnetic field into the heating material of the apparatus in order to heat the heating zone and the smoking material; Includes.

[0032] A seventh aspect of the present invention provides an insulating material used in a device for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, wherein the insulating material is An inner wall containing a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field, An outer wall that is non-magnetic and / or non-conductive, An insulated area defined by an inner wall and an outer wall, and an insulated area from which exhaust is performed so that the pressure is lower than that outside the insulated area. It is equipped with.

[0033] An exemplary embodiment of the seventh aspect of the thermal insulation body has any of the features described above, such as those present in the exemplary embodiment of the thermal insulation body in the apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, the thermal insulation region surrounds the interior wall, and the exterior wall surrounds the thermal insulation region.

[0035] In exemplary embodiments, the heat insulating material is intended for use in the apparatus of the first or second embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described only as examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary apparatus for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the insulating material in the apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 4. [Figure 6A] This shows details of one joint between the outer and inner walls of an insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 6B] This shows details of the other joint between the outer and inner walls of an insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 7] Examples of articles containing smoking materials are shown, used in conjunction with a device for heating the smoking materials to volatilize at least one component of the smoking materials. [Figure 8] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a system comprising an article containing a smoking material and a device for heating the smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 9]This flowchart illustrates an example of a method for heating a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 10] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 11] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 12] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 13] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an insulator and heating element used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 14] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Figure 15] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another insulating material used in a device for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] As used in this book, the term “smoking material” includes materials that, when heated, typically provide volatile components in the form of vapor or aerosol. “Smoking material” may be non-tobacco-containing material or tobacco-containing material. “Smoking material” may include, for example, one or more of the following: tobacco itself, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, re-tobacco, tobacco extract, homogenized tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. Smoking material can be in the form of ground tobacco, shredded rag tobacco, extruded tobacco, re-tobacco, re-smoking material, liquid, gel, gelled sheet, powder, or lump, or similar. “Smoking material” may also include other non-tobacco products, which, depending on the product, may or may not contain nicotine. “Smoking material” may include one or more humectants, such as glycerol or propylene glycol.

[0039] In this book, the term "heater material" or "heating material" refers to a material that can be heated by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field.

[0040] As used in this book, the terms “flavoring” and “flavoring” refer to materials that may be used in products intended for adult consumers to create a desired flavor or aroma, where permitted by local regulations. These include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie®, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, Dutch mint, European mint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, etc.) This may include jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, bell pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitter taste site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucrose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plant substances, or breath fresheners. These may be imitations, synthetic or natural ingredients, or mixtures thereof. They may also contain natural or nature-identical flavors. These may be in any suitable form, e.g., oil, liquid, or powder.

[0041] Induction heating is the process by which a conductive object is heated by allowing a fluctuating magnetic field to penetrate it. This process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may consist of an electromagnet and a device for supplying a fluctuating current, such as an alternating current, to the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are appropriately positioned relative to each other so that the combined fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. Objects have resistance to the flow of electric current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated within an object, they flow against the electrical resistance of the object, thereby heating it. This process is called Joule heating, Ohmian heating, or resistance heating. An object that can be induced heated is known as a susceptor.

[0042] Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field into the object. Magnetic materials can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, i.e., magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align along the magnetic field. Therefore, when a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes in accordance with the fluctuating applied magnetic field. This reorientation of magnetic dipoles generates heat within the magnetic material.

[0043] When an object possesses both conductivity and magnetism, introducing a fluctuating magnetic field into the object can induce both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating within the object. Furthermore, the use of magnetic materials can strengthen the magnetic field, which in turn strengthens both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating.

[0044] In each of the processes described above, heat is generated within the object itself rather than by heat conduction from an external heat source. Therefore, by selecting suitable object materials and geometry, as well as suitable magnitudes and orientations of the fluctuating magnetic field relative to the object, rapid temperature increases and more uniform heat distribution within the object can be achieved. Furthermore, induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating do not require a physical connection between the source of the fluctuating magnetic field and the object, thus increasing design flexibility, allowing for better control of the heating profile, and lowering costs.

[0045] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 2 and 3 show schematic cross-sectional views of the insulator of the apparatus. For clarity, the insulator 102 is shown in a simplified form in Figure 1. The apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 is for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. The insulator 102 of the apparatus 100 is for receiving at least a portion of an article 104 containing a block of smoking material 132 to be heated. The insulator 102 is shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3. The article 104 can be inserted into an opening 144 of the apparatus 100. The apparatus 100 includes a magnetic field generator 106 for generating a fluctuating magnetic field when in use, and a housing 108 for housing the components of the apparatus 100.

[0046] In this embodiment, the magnetic field generator 106 comprises a power supply 114, two-part coils 116a and 116b, and a device 118 for supplying a fluctuating current, such as alternating current, to the coils 116a and 116b. In some such embodiments, the magnetic field generator 106 also includes a controller 120 and a user interface 122 for the user to operate the controller 120.

[0047] The power supply 114 may be a rechargeable battery. In other embodiments, the power supply 114 may be something other than a rechargeable battery, such as a non-rechargeable battery, a capacitor, a battery-capacitor hybrid, or a connection to a main power supply.

[0048] The coils 116a and 116b can take any suitable form, including the form of a single coil. In this embodiment, the two-part coils 116a and 116b are helical coils made of a conductive material such as copper. In some embodiments, the coils 116a and 116b may be flat coils; that is, the coils may have a pseudo-two-dimensional spiral shape. In some embodiments, the coils may include Litz wire.

[0049] The device 100 may include an air inlet that fluidly connects the inside of the device 100 to the outside of the device 100. During use, the user can inhale the volatile components of the smoking material 132 by drawing them in through the article 104. Once the volatile components are removed from the article, air can be drawn into the device 100 through the air inlet.

[0050] The insulator 102 is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3 and includes an inner wall 110 and an outer wall 112. The inner wall 110 contains a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field, or is a heating element made from such heating material. In one embodiment, the inner wall 110 may be formed of steel. However, a nickel-cobalt iron alloy such as Kovar® may also be used. The area enclosed by the inner wall 110 can be considered a heating zone or heating chamber. Together with the end closure, the inner wall 110 defines the heating zone. In other embodiments, the heating zone may be defined by the inner wall 110 alone. During use, the article 104 to be heated is received within the heating zone in the inner wall 110. In Figures 2 and 3, the insulator 102 is substantially cylindrical with a circular cross-sectional shape. In other embodiments, the insulator 102 may have a different cross-sectional shape.

[0051] In one embodiment, the inner wall 110 includes a cavity for receiving at least a portion of the article. In this embodiment, the heating zone enclosed by the inner wall 110 is elongated. The inner wall 110 is also a cylindrical tube. The heating zone may be sized and shaped to accommodate the entire article 104, or it may be sized to accommodate only a portion of the article 104.

[0052] The insulator 102 is defined by an inner wall 110 and an outer wall 112, and includes an insulated region 124 positioned between them. In this embodiment, as best understood from Figure 3, the insulated region 124 surrounds the inner wall 110, and the outer wall 112 surrounds the insulated region 124. The insulated region 124 is preferably exhausted to a pressure lower than that outside the insulated region. By providing a low-pressure insulated region 124, the inner wall 110 and the heating zone are effectively thermally insulated from the outer wall 112 and the housing 108, thereby suppressing heat transfer from the inner wall 110 and the heating zone.

[0053] The insulating region 124 of the insulating body 102 may include an open-cell porous material, for example, a polymer, aerogel, or other suitable material. The pressure within the insulating region 124 is 10 -1 ~10 -7 The pressure can be within a certain range. In some embodiments, the pressure within the insulated region 124 can be considered a vacuum. The inner wall 110 and outer wall 112 of the insulator 102 are strong enough to withstand the forces exerted on them by the pressure difference between the insulated region 124 and the areas outside the inner wall 110 and outer wall 112, thereby preventing the insulator 102 from collapsing inward. Gas-absorbing material may be used in the insulated region 124 to maintain or assist in the generation of relatively low pressure in the insulated region 124.

[0054] In this embodiment, since the inner wall 110 functions as both a heating element and a wall for the insulator 102, there is no need to include a separate heating element and a separate inner wall for insulation, thus reducing the overall size and weight of the device 100. The inner wall 110 can also function as both a heating element and a wall for the insulator 102 due to the fact that it can be heated by induction heating and / or magnetic hysteresis heating. With induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating, there is no need to provide a physical connection between the source of the fluctuating magnetic field and the heating element, and thus there is no need to provide wires or other physical connections between the power supply and the heating element.

[0055] The adiabatic region 124 functions to reduce heat transfer away from the inner wall 110 by conduction and / or radiation, or by any other known heat transfer phenomenon.

[0056] Figure 3 shows a cross-section along line AA in Figure 2. Figures 2 and 3 are not drawn to a constant scale. In Figure 2, the outer wall 112 is shown to extend only partially along the length of the inner wall 110. That is, the outer wall 112 extends only along a portion of the inner wall 110 so that insulation can be provided along only a portion of the inner wall 110. Providing an outer wall 112 that extends only to an intermediate portion along the length of the inner wall 110 means that the overall size of the device 100 can be reduced. Alternatively, the outer wall 112 may extend along the entire length of the inner wall 110. The outer wall 112 and the inner wall 110 may be coaxial with each other.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1, the coils 116a and 116b may surround at least a portion of the heat insulating body 102. The coils 116a and 116b may also surround at least a portion of the outer wall 112 of the heat insulating body 102. In one embodiment, the coils 116a and 116b and the outer wall 112 can be formed as a single integrated element by embedding the coils 116a and 116b at least partially within the outer wall 112, but in other embodiments, the coils 116a and 116b and the outer wall 112 may be provided as separate elements.

[0058] In one embodiment, a magnetic shield 140 is provided around at least a portion of the coils 116a and 116b. The magnetic shield 140 is intended to reduce or avoid interaction between the magnetic field and something other than the heating element, namely the inner wall 110 in this embodiment. The magnetic shield can be made from any material suitable for containing magnetic fields, such as ferrite.

[0059] In some embodiments, the outer wall 112 is made of a magnetically impermeable and non-conductive material so that it is not heated by induction heating and / or magnetic hysteresis heating when exposed to a fluctuating magnetic field. For example, the outer wall 112 may be formed from glass or ceramic material such as borosilicate. Providing an outer wall 112 made of a non-permeable material means that when a fluctuating current such as AC passes through coils 116a and 116b, the inner wall 110 of the insulator 102 is heated, while the outer wall 112 is not heated by induction heating and / or magnetic hysteresis heating. Therefore, the energy used to heat the outer wall 112 is not wasted, and the efficiency of the system is improved. If the outer wall 112 is heated by a fluctuating current, the inner wall 110 may actually be heated only minimally, which is undesirable. This configuration also helps to maintain the external temperature of the housing 108, particularly its surface, at a level acceptable for handling by the user.

[0060] Figure 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of an insulator for use in a device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the insulator 102 is the same as the insulator 102 in Figures 2 and 3, except that the inner wall 110 includes two deformable structural parts 127, 129. More specifically, as can be understood from Figure 10, the inner wall 110 is connected to the outer wall 112 at a first position and a second position of the inner wall 110. During heating of the heating material in the inner wall 110, the two deformable structural parts 127, 129 deform to accommodate the thermal expansion of a certain area of ​​the inner wall 110 between the first and second positions. Each of the deformable structural parts 127, 129 can be thought of as analogous to an expansion joint.

[0061] In this embodiment, the inner wall 110 is a cylindrical tube, and thermal expansion is axial thermal expansion or includes axial thermal expansion, and each structural part 127, 129 is deformable in the axial direction and allows or absorbs axial thermal expansion. This helps to reduce or avoid stress on the outer wall 112 and stress on the connection between the outer wall 112 and the inner wall 110 at the first and second positions. This can be particularly effective when the outer wall 112 is rigid or less flexible than the inner wall 110, such as when the outer wall 112 is made of or contains glass or ceramic.

[0062] In other embodiments, the inner wall 110 may include only one such deformable structural element, or it may include three or more such deformable structural elements.

[0063] In some embodiments as illustrated, the deformable structure comprises two radially extending members joined by a connecting member. During deformation of the structure, the connecting member and / or the radially extending member and / or the joint between the connecting member and the radially extending member flex, allowing relative movement of the distal end of the radially extending member from the connecting member.

[0064] For the sake of brevity, at least one deformable structural component has been described in detail with reference to the thermal insulation 102 in Figure 10, but it will be understood that at least one deformable structural component can be incorporated in accordance with any modified form of the thermal insulation 102 or the apparatus described herein to form further embodiments of the thermal insulation 102 and the apparatus.

[0065] Figure 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of an insulator for use in a device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the insulator 102 is the same as the insulator 102 in Figures 2 and 3, except that the heating element, which includes a heating element 142, includes a metallized layer 148 of the inner wall 110. The outer wall 112 is formed from a non-conductive and / or non-permeable material such as glass or ceramic. The inner wall 110 includes a support 150 formed from a non-conductive and / or non-permeable material such as glass or ceramic, and the metallized layer 148. In the embodiment shown in Figure 11, the support 150 is positioned between the metallized layer 148 and the insulated region 124. The metallized layer 148 is heatable by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field. The metallized layer is formed from a conductive and / or permeable material such as iron. The metallized layer may be applied, for example, in powder form, or as a coating or plating. The provision of the metallized layer 148 reduces the overall size of the insulator 102.

[0066] Figure 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of an insulating material for use in an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the insulating material 102 is the same as the insulating material 102 of Figure 11, except that the metallized layer 148 is located between the support 150 and the insulating region 124. Any of the modifications of the insulating material of Figure 11 described herein may be made of the insulating material of Figure 12 to form other embodiments.

[0067] Figures 4 and 5 show schematic cross-sectional views of another insulator for use in a device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 are formed from a non-conductive and / or non-permeable material. The inner wall 110 is adjacent to a heating element 142 containing a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field. The heating element 142 is formed from a conductive and / or permeable material. As shown in Figure 5, the heating element 142 is hollow and as a result can receive an article 104 containing smoking material therein. One embodiment of the device of the present invention includes the insulator and heating element 142 of Figures 4 and 5 instead of the insulator 102 with an integrated heating element of Figures 2 and 3.

[0068] In embodiments such as those shown in Figures 1 to 3, the coils 116a and 116b extend along a central longitudinal axis that is substantially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the inner wall 110, and as a result, the coils 116a and 116b are substantially coaxial with the inner wall 110. That is, the aligned axes coincide. In a modified embodiment of this embodiment, the aligned axes may instead be parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the coils 116a and 116b are in a fixed position relative to the inner wall 110.

[0069] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, the device 118 for passing a fluctuating current through coils 116a and 116b is electrically connected between the power supply 114 and the coils 116a and 116b. In one embodiment, a controller 120 is also electrically connected to the power supply 114 and is communicatively connected to the device 118 to control the device 118. More specifically, in this embodiment, the controller 120 controls the device 118 to control the supply of power from the power supply 114 to the coils 116a and 116b. In one embodiment, the controller 120 may comprise an integrated circuit (IC), such as an IC on a printed circuit board (PCB). In other embodiments, the controller 120 may take a different form. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may have a single electrical or electronic component comprising the device 118 and the controller 120. In this embodiment, the controller 120 may be operated by operation by a user of a user interface 122. In this embodiment, the user interface 122 is located outside the housing 108. The user interface 122 may include push buttons, toggle switches, dials, touchscreens, etc. In other embodiments, the user interface 122 may be remote and connected to the device 100 wirelessly, for example, via Bluetooth®. In this embodiment, when the user operates the user interface 122, the controller 120 sends alternating current through coils 116a and 116b to the device 118, thereby generating an alternating magnetic field in coil 114.

[0070] The coils 116a, 116b and the inner wall 110 of the device 100 are appropriately positioned relative to each other so that the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the coils 116a and 116b penetrates the heating material of the inner wall 110 during use. In this embodiment, if the heating material of the inner wall 110 is a conductive material, this generates one or more eddy currents within the heating material. Due to the flow of eddy currents within the heating material relative to its electrical resistance, the heating material is heated by Joule heating. In this embodiment, since the heating material is made of a magnetic material, the orientation of magnetic dipoles within the heating material changes with the changing applied magnetic field, thereby generating heat in the heating material by magnetic hysteresis. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the outer wall 112 is formed from a non-permeable and / or non-conductive material so that it does not heat when exposed to a fluctuating magnetic field. Providing such an outer wall 112 means that the inner wall 110 benefits more from the effects of the fluctuating magnetic field.

[0071] In one embodiment, the coils 116a and 116b surround only a portion of the outer wall 112. In another embodiment, the coils 116a and 116b surround the outer wall 112 along its entire length.

[0072] In one embodiment, the coils 116a and 116b consist of a first portion 116a surrounding a first portion of the outer wall 112 and a second portion 116b surrounding a second portion of the outer wall 112. The controller 120 can control the device 118 to flow a fluctuating current such as AC through the first portion 116a to heat the first portion of the inner wall 110. The controller 120 of the magnetic field generator 106 can control the device 118 to flow a fluctuating current such as AC through the second portion 116a to heat the second portion of the inner wall 110. The controller 120 of the magnetic field generator 106 can selectively and independently control the device 118 to flow a fluctuating current such as AC through the first portion 116a and the second portion 116b to heat the first and second portions of the inner wall 110 independently of each other. Therefore, when the article 104 containing the smoking material is placed in the heating zone, during use, a first area of ​​the article 104 is heated by a first part of the inner wall 110, and a second area of ​​the article 104 is heated by a second part of the inner wall 110. By providing a first coil section and a second coil section in this way, an aerosol can be formed and released relatively quickly from the first area of ​​the article for inhalation by the user, and a second aerosol can be subsequently released from the second area of ​​the article when the second coil section is activated. It will also be understood that a coil consisting of two or more parts, or multiple coils, may be provided. Similarly, multiple coils or multiple parts of a coil may be operated simultaneously, perhaps according to the user's preference.

[0073] In some cases, the article 104 used in the apparatus 100 may include a heating element that contains a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field. When the article 104 is placed in the heating zone of the apparatus 100, and the magnetic field generator 106 controls the device 118 to send a fluctuating current such as alternating current through coils 116a and 116b to heat the inner wall 110, the heating element may be placed inside the article so that the article 104 is heated by both the heat-sensitive element of the article 104 and the inner wall 110 of the apparatus 100.

[0074] In one embodiment, the impedances of coils 116a and 116b of the magnetic field generator 106 are equal to, or substantially equal to, the impedance of the inner wall 110. Alternatively, if the impedance of the inner wall 110 is lower than the impedances of coils 116a and 116b, the voltage across the inner wall 110 during use may be lower than the voltage that could occur across the inner wall 110 when their impedances are matched. Or, if the impedance of the inner wall 110 is higher than the impedances of coils 116a and 116b, the current generated in the inner wall 110 during use may be lower than the current that could occur in the inner wall 110 when their impedances are matched. Matching impedances can help balance voltage and current to maximize the heating power generated in the inner wall 110 during use. In some embodiments, the impedance of device 118 is equal to, or substantially equal to, the combined impedance of coils 116a and 116b and the inner wall 110.

[0075] The device 100 may include a temperature sensor 130 for sensing the temperature of the inner wall 110. The temperature sensor 130 may be communicatively connected to the controller 120, so that the controller 120 can monitor the temperature of the inner wall 110 or the heating zone. Based on one or more signals received from the temperature sensor 130, the controller 120 causes the device 118 to adjust, as necessary, the characteristics of the fluctuating current or alternating current flowing through the coils 116a, 116b in order to maintain the temperature of the heating zone or the inner wall 110 within a predetermined temperature range. These characteristics may be, for example, amplitude, frequency, or duty cycle. When within the predetermined temperature range, during use, the smoking material in an article located in the heating zone is heated sufficiently to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material without burning it. Thus, in this embodiment, the controller 120 and the device 100 as a whole are configured to heat the smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material without burning it. In some embodiments, the operating temperature range is approximately 50°C to 350°C, for example, approximately 50°C to 250°C, approximately 50°C to 150°C, approximately 50°C to 120°C, approximately 50°C to 100°C, approximately 50°C to 80°C, or approximately 60°C to 70°C. In some embodiments, the temperature range is approximately 170°C to 220°C. In other embodiments, the temperature range may be outside these ranges. In some embodiments, the upper limit of the temperature range may exceed 350°C. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 130 may be omitted. In some embodiments, the heating material of the inner wall 110 may have a Curie point temperature selected based on the highest temperature at which it is desired to heat the heating material, thereby preventing or inhibiting further heating above that temperature by induction heating of the heating material.

[0076] Figures 6A and 6B show details of the connection between the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 of an insulating material according to one embodiment of the present invention. The end of the insulating region 124 of the insulating material 102 tapers as the outer wall 112 and the inner wall 110 converge towards an outlet (not shown), through which gas within the insulating region 124 can be vented during the manufacturing of the insulating material 102 to create a vacuum. Figures 6A and 6B show details of the outer wall 112 converging toward the inner wall 110, but the reverse configuration, where the inner wall 110 converges toward the outer wall 112, can also be used instead. The converging end of the outer wall 112 is configured to guide gas molecules within the insulating region 124 out of the outlet, thereby exhausting the insulating region 124 to a lower pressure than the outside of the insulating region during manufacturing. The outlet can be sealed to maintain a vacuum or lower pressure region within the insulating region 124 after the insulating region 124 has been exhausted. The outlet can be sealed, for example, by creating brazed seal rings 126, 128 at the outlet by brazing material to the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 at the outlet after the gas has been discharged from the insulated area 124. However, alternative sealing techniques can be used. The brazed seal rings 126, 128 at the joint between the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 act to reduce heat transfer away from the inner wall 112 by convection, thereby reducing energy loss in the system.

[0077] In certain embodiments, the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 may comprise different materials that are joined to each other. For example, the outer wall 112 may comprise glass or ceramic material, and the inner wall 110 may comprise metal or metal alloy. In these cases, the outer wall 112 and the metal inner wall 110 can be brazed to each other with silver eutectic braze material. The brazing material may be applied sequentially to a single joint in an order that depends on the temperature tolerance of the materials involved. For example, the highest temperature bonding process can be applied first to the material of the first wall to form a first joint to that wall. Then, the temperature of the bonding process can be lowered to form a second joint to the other wall.

[0078] In embodiments in which the outer wall 112 includes a glass material and the inner wall 110 includes a metal or metal alloy, the joining process may include a glass-to-metal seal in which a bond is formed between the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 by high-temperature melting of the glass and / or metal / metal alloy.

[0079] In certain embodiments, the ends of the outer wall 112 may be shaped to closely contact the inner wall 110 before the joining is performed. An example of an outer wall 112 having such shaped ends (formed ends) is shown in Figure 14. Each end of the outer wall 112 may have a flared end 112a that is shaped so that the outer wall 112 forms a close joint with the inner wall 110. As seen in Figure 14, the end 112a is flared downward toward the inner wall 110 to closely contact the inner wall 110. In some embodiments, if the outer wall 112 includes a glass material, the glass material can be heated and deformed to closely contact the inner wall 110.

[0080] In some embodiments, the inner wall 110 may be shaped to be in close contact with the outer wall 112 when the inner wall 110 and the outer wall 112 are assembled together. An example of an inner wall 110 having molded ends is shown in Figure 15. Each end of the inner wall 110 has a flange 110a. When the inner wall 110 is assembled to the outer wall 112, the flanges 110a extend toward the inner surface of the outer wall 112, causing the inner wall and the outer wall 112 to be in close contact.

[0081] In some embodiments, the molded ends of the inner wall 110 and / or outer wall 112 may be heated to form a bond with the inner surface of the outer wall 112. For example, the molded ends may be heated to melt the material forming the outer wall 112 and bond it to the molded ends of the inner wall 110, or vice versa. Heating may include, for example, induction heating.

[0082] Either of the assembly and / or joining techniques described above, or any other suitable technique, can be used when assembling and / or joining the inner wall 110 to the outer wall 112.

[0083] To exhaust the adiabatic region 124, the insulator 102 is preferably placed in a low-pressure, substantially evacuated environment, such as a vacuum furnace chamber, so that gas molecules within the adiabatic region 124 flow into the low-pressure environment outside the insulator 102. As the pressure within the adiabatic region 124 decreases, the tapered geometry of the outer wall 112 and inner wall 110 guides the remaining gas molecules out of the adiabatic region 124 through an outlet.

[0084] In some embodiments, one or more low-emissivity coatings may be provided on the inner surface of the insulating region 124, i.e., on the outer surface of the inner wall 110 and the inner surface of the outer wall 112. Providing one or more such low-emissivity coatings may help reduce heat transfer by infrared radiation.

[0085] In some embodiments, the reflective region is provided on the surface of the inner wall 110 that borders the adiabatic region 124. Alternatively or additionally, a reflective surface may be provided on the surface of the outer wall 112 that borders the adiabatic region 124. The reflective surface functions to reduce heat transfer away from the inner wall 110 by radiation.

[0086] Although the shape of the insulator 102 has generally been described in this book as substantially cylindrical or similar, the insulator 102 may be formed in a different shape, such as a rectangular parallelepiped. In one embodiment, the inner wall 110 is tubular and surrounds the heating zone. The inner wall 110 may have a substantially circular cross-section. However, in other embodiments, the inner wall 110 may have a cross-section other than circular, such as a square, rectangle, polygon, or ellipse.

[0087] Referring to Figure 7, a schematic cross-sectional view of an article 104 containing a smoking material according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The article 104 of this embodiment is particularly suitable for use in the apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, or in an apparatus having an insulating body and heating element 142 as shown in Figures 4 and 5 instead of the insulating body 102 with an integrated heating element as shown in Figures 2 and 3. When in use, the article 104 may be removably inserted into the heating zone through the opening 144 of the apparatus 100.

[0088] In one embodiment, article 104 is substantially in the form of a cylindrical rod, comprising a block of smoking material 132 and a filter assembly in the form of a rod. The filter assembly in this embodiment comprises three segments, namely a cooling segment 134, a filter segment 136, and a mouth-end segment 138. However, in other embodiments, one, two, or all of these segments 134, 136, and 138 may be omitted.

[0089] The smoking material 132 is positioned towards the distal end of the article 104. In one embodiment, the cooling segment 134 is positioned between a block of smoking material 132 and the filter segment 136, so that the cooling segment 134 is in contact with both the smoking material 132 and the filter segment 136. The filter segment 136 is positioned between the cooling segment 134 and the mouth end segment 138. The mouth end segment 138 is positioned adjacent to the filter segment 136 towards the proximal end of the article 104. In one embodiment, the filter segment 136 is in contact with the mouth end segment 138.

[0090] In one embodiment, a block of smoking material 132 contains tobacco. However, in each of the other embodiments, the smoking material 132 may consist of tobacco, may consist substantially entirely of tobacco, may contain tobacco and non-tobacco smoking material, may contain non-tobacco smoking material, or may not contain tobacco. The smoking material may contain an aerosol-forming agent such as glycerol.

[0091] In one embodiment, the cooling segment 134 is an annular tube positioned around and defining an air gap within the cooling segment 134. The air gap provides a chamber for heated volatile components generated from a block of smoking material 132 to flow. The cooling segment 134 is hollow and provides a chamber for aerosol accumulation, but is rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and while the article 104 is inserted into the apparatus 100 during use. The cooling segment 134 introduces a physical displacement between the smoking material 132 and the filter segment 136. The physical displacement introduced by the cooling segment 134 provides a thermal gradient along the entire length of the cooling segment 134.

[0092] The filter segment 136 can be formed from any filter material sufficient to remove one or more volatile compounds from the heated volatile components of the smoking material. In one embodiment, the filter segment 136 is made of a monoacetate material such as cellulose acetate. The presence of the filter segment 136 provides an insulating effect by providing further cooling to the heated volatile components exiting the cooling segment 136. This further cooling effect lowers the contact temperature of the user's lips on the surface of the filter segment 136.

[0093] The mouth end segment 138 is an annular tube and is positioned around an air gap within the mouth end segment 138, defining that air gap. The air gap provides a chamber for heated volatile components flowing from the filter segment 138.

[0094] In one embodiment, the total length of article 104 is 71 mm to 95 mm, more preferably 79 mm to 87 mm, and even more preferably 83 mm.

[0095] In one embodiment, article 104 is elongated and substantially cylindrical with a substantially circular cross-section. However, in other embodiments, article 104 may have a cross-section other than circular and / or not be elongated and / or not be cylindrical.

[0096] Referring to Figure 8, a schematic cross-sectional view of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. System 200 includes the apparatus 100 in Figure 1 and the article 104 in Figure 7. For brevity, the apparatus 100 and article 104 will not be described in detail again.

[0097] During use, the article 104 is placed within the heating zone of the device. As described above, the inner wall 110 can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field to heat the heating zone. The article within the heating zone is then heated, releasing one or more volatile components of the smoking material.

[0098] During use, air can be drawn into article 104 through an inlet that fluidly connects the inside of device 100 to the outside of device 100, passing through the distal end of article 104. The air passes through the smoking material 132, picking up volatile components released from the smoking material 132, which are then drawn through the filter assembly of article 104, typically in the form of vapor or aerosol, and then drawn through the proximal end of article 104 for consumption by the user.

[0099] In one embodiment, when the article 104 is in the heating zone, the inner wall 110 is in thermal contact with the smoking material 132 of the article 104. In one embodiment, the smoking material 132 is in surface contact with the inner wall 110. Therefore, the inner wall 110 can be heated during use to directly heat the smoking material 132. In other embodiments, the heating material of the inner wall 110 may avoid surface contact with the smoking material 132, but still maintain a thermal relationship with the smoking material 132.

[0100] In other embodiments, as described above with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the inner wall 110 is adjacent to a heating element containing a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field. In such embodiments, the heating element 142 is in thermal contact (preferably surface contact) with the smoking material 132 of the article 104 so as to heat the smoking material 132 when in use.

[0101] Figure 13 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of an insulator for use in a device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the insulator 102 is the same as the insulator 102 in Figure 4, except that the heating element 142 is connected to the inner wall 110 by one or more deformable attachments 152. In Figure 13, four deformable attachments 152 are shown, but in other embodiments, the number may be more or fewer, such as one or two. In some examples, the deformable attachments 152 provide a structural connection between the inner wall 110 and the heating element 142, while also allowing limited relative motion between the inner wall 110 and the heating element 142. During heating, the inner wall 110 and the heating element 142 may expand at different rates. Allowing some degree of relative motion between the inner wall 110 and the heating element 142 due to different coefficients of thermal expansion helps to reduce or avoid stress on the inner wall 110 and the heating element 142. This may be particularly advantageous when the inner wall 110 is inflexible or less flexible than the inner wall heating element 142, such as when the inner wall is made of or contains glass or ceramic. In some embodiments, the deformable attachment may be made from, for example, high-temperature silicone.

[0102] In one embodiment, the length of a block of smoking material 132 is approximately equal to the length of the inner wall 110. This may help to result in more effective heating of the smoking material 132 during use. In other embodiments, the length of a block of smoking material 132 may be shorter or longer than the length of the inner wall 110.

[0103] In one embodiment, the inner wall 110 is impermeable to air or volatile materials and is substantially seamless.

[0104] Referring to Figure 9, a flowchart is shown illustrating a method for heating a smoking material according to an embodiment of the present invention to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material.

[0105] This method 300 includes step 302 of preparing an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, such as the apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 and described above. This method also includes step 304 of placing an article containing smoking material, such as the article 104 shown in Figure 7 and described above, within the heating zone of the apparatus. This method further includes step 306 of introducing a fluctuating magnetic field into the heating material of the apparatus to heat the heating zone and the smoking material of the article.

[0106] In each of the embodiments described above, the heating material is steel. However, in other embodiments, the heating material may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of conductive materials, magnetic materials, and conductive magnetic materials. In some embodiments, the heating material may include metal or metal alloy. In some embodiments, the heating material may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, ordinary carbon steel, stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, copper, and bronze. It has been found that using a conductive magnetic material as the heating material can strengthen the magnetic coupling between the conductive magnetic material and the electromagnet of the device during use. This can increase or improve the Joule heating of the heating material, in addition to potentially enabling magnetic hysteresis heating, and therefore can increase or improve the heating of the smoking material.

[0107] The heating element may have a skin depth, which is the outer region where most of the induced current and / or induced reorientation of magnetic dipoles occurs. By making it relatively thin, a larger proportion of the heating element can be heated by a given fluctuating magnetic field compared to a heating element with a relatively long depth or thickness compared to other dimensions of the heating element. This results in more efficient use of the material, which reduces costs.

[0108] In some embodiments, a first portion of the inner wall 110 may be made of a first material, and a second portion of the inner wall 110 may be made of a second material different from the first material. The first material may be a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field. Examples of such heating materials have been described above. The second material may or may not be a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field, but it must be a thermal conductor. The first portion of the inner wall 110 may be positioned towards the proximal or mouth end of the apparatus 100, so that when a fluctuating magnetic field is applied to the inner wall 110, the first portion is heated, and therefore, first, a portion of the smoking material 132 positioned towards the proximal or mouth end of the block of smoking material 132 is heated. Next, the second portion of the inner wall 110 is heated by conduction, thereby heating a portion of the smoking material positioned towards the distal end of the block of smoking material 132.

[0109] In some embodiments, the smoking material is a non-liquid smoking material, and the apparatus is used to heat the non-liquid smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. In other embodiments, the reverse may be true. In some embodiments, the apparatus is used to heat a liquid smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the liquid smoking material, and then pass it through a non-smoking material.

[0110] In each of the above embodiments, article 104 is a consumable item. When all or substantially all of the volatile components of the smoking material 132 in article 104 have been used up, the user can remove article 104 from the device 100 and dispose of it. The user can then reuse the device 100 with another similar article 104.

[0111] In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 is sold, supplied, or otherwise provided separately from the article 104 on which the apparatus 100 can be used. However, in some embodiments, the apparatus 100 and one or more articles 104 may be provided as a system 200, such as a kit or assembly, and possibly with additional components such as cleaning tools.

[0112] To address various challenges and advance technology, this disclosure illustrates and illustrates various embodiments throughout. In these embodiments, the claimed invention can be carried out. These embodiments also provide excellent apparatuses for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, excellent systems comprising such excellent apparatuses and articles, and excellent methods for heating smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material. The advantages and features of this disclosure are representative examples of the embodiments and do not encompass or exclude all advantages and features. They are presented solely to aid in understanding and teaching the features disclosed in the claims, etc. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure should not be considered to limit this disclosure as defined by the claims, or to limit equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments can be used and modified without departing from the scope and / or spirit of this disclosure. Various embodiments may appropriately comprise, consist solely of, or substantially consist of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, configurations, features, parts, steps, means, etc. This disclosure may include other inventions not currently described in the claims but which may be described in the future.

Claims

1. A system for heating an article containing a smoking material to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material, An article comprising the aforementioned smoking material, further comprising a heating element disposed within the article, wherein the heating element comprises a heating material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field, It is a device, A heating zone that receives at least a portion of the article, An insulating body comprising an insulating region defined by an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall at least partially defines the heating zone, A first coil, which surrounds at least a portion of the insulating body and is configured to generate a fluctuating magnetic field that enters the heating element when in use, A second coil configured to heat the inner wall during use, A device comprising, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first coil surrounds at least a portion of the outer wall.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first coil and the second coil are independently controllable.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a magnetic field generator, and the magnetic field generator comprises the first coil.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall comprises a support formed from at least one of a non-conductive material and a non-magnetic material.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall includes ceramic.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation area is defined by the inner wall and the outer wall and is located between the inner wall and the outer wall.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating region includes an open-cell porous material.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating region includes an aerogel.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall is formed from at least one of a non-magnetic material and a non-conductive material.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating region surrounds the inner wall and the outer wall surrounds the heat insulating region.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first coil and the outer wall form at least one of a single element and an integral element.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first coil is at least partially embedded in the outer wall.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is a first heating element, and the inner wall functions as both a second heating element and the wall of the insulating body.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall is tubular and surrounds the heating zone.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall has a circular cross-section.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall has a cross-section other than a circle.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall has a cross-section that is one of a square, a rectangle, a polygon, and an ellipse.

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