Heating assembly and aerosol generating device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of aerosol generation, and particularly discloses a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device. The assembly is used for heating an aerosol generating product to produce an aerosol. The assembly comprises a supporting tube and a microwave antenna, wherein the supporting tube defines a heating chamber for accommodating at least part of the aerosol generating product; and the microwave antenna is arranged on the inner surface of the supporting tube, the microwave antenna at least partially surrounds the heating chamber or defines at least part of the boundary of the heating chamber, and the microwave antenna is used for emitting radio-frequency energy into the heating chamber, so as to perform radiation heating on the at least part of the aerosol generating product located within the heating chamber. The heating assembly uses the design of fixing the microwave antenna inside the supporting tube, such that the microwave antenna can perform direct-contact heating and radiation heating on the aerosol generating product, thereby improving the efficiency of microwave heating and reducing power dissipation in a heat preservation stage.

Description

Heating assembly and aerosol-generating device

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the prior application No. 202410777760.7, filed on June 14, 2024, with the China National Intellectual Property Office, and entitled “Heating assembly and aerosol-generating device”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aerosol generation, and in particular to a heating assembly and an aerosol-generating device. BACKGROUND

[0004] The combustion temperature of traditional cigarettes is generally about 900℃, and harmful chemical components are generated in the combustion process, which not only affects the health of smokers and surrounding people, but also pollutes the environment. In order to help habitual smokers quit traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and cigarettes, tobacco heating devices have gradually attracted people's attention. The tobacco heating device uses a heating method instead of burning tobacco to roast the flavoring substances in tobacco and generate aerosol. Therefore, it does not cause high-temperature combustion of cigarettes, avoids the generation of harmful substances and sidestream smoke, and is one of the important development directions of the tobacco industry in the future.

[0005] The tobacco heating device is essentially an aerosol-generating device that generates heat through a heater and heats tobacco material through heat transfer or heat exchange. In order to improve the low heating efficiency and uneven heating caused by the heat transfer method, the prior art provides an aerosol-generating device using a microwave heating method. As an example, a microwave absorber (or wave absorber) is added to the tobacco used in the aerosol-generating device. The microwave absorber can rapidly heat up by absorbing microwave energy, and the heating of the microwave absorber is conducted to the tobacco, so that the tobacco is heated and generates aerosol. At the same time, the aerosol-generating device is provided with a resonant cavity, and a microwave transmission signal is fed into the resonant cavity through a dielectric antenna. The resonant cavity is resonated by being reflected back and forth on the inner wall of the resonant cavity, and the tobacco substrate material is roasted and heated to generate aerosol. The inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the resonant cavity are provided with dielectric bodies for efficiently absorbing microwave resonance energy.

[0006] However, the above-mentioned aerosol-generating device has the following defects:

[0007] 1) The microwave absorber (or wave absorber) added to the tobacco material of the aerosol-generating product has poor universality in the market, which increases the use cost of the product;

[0008] 2) In an ideal state, the efficiency of resonant heating in a closed metal cavity is relatively high, however, the aerosol generating article is in a cylindrical shape, and the heating cavity of the aerosol generating device needs to be designed with an opening for the aerosol generating article to be inserted, which makes the resonant cavity not completely closed during use of the device, thereby causing the efficiency of microwave heating to be severely reduced. And the production consistency of such aerosol generating device with resonant cavity is poor, there is a problem of high microwave reflection power, the return loss of radio frequency signal through the dielectric antenna is difficult to adjust to the best value, thereby causing the device to have high power consumption and low endurance during use. SUMMARY

[0009] Embodiments of the present application provide a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device, aiming to solve the technical problems of existing heating assemblies using resonant cavity heating method, which easily leads to reduced heating efficiency and increased power consumption of the aerosol generating device.

[0010] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a heating assembly. The heating assembly is used for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol, and the heating assembly comprises: a support tube defining a heating cavity for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article;

[0011] a microwave antenna arranged on an inner surface of the support tube, the microwave antenna at least partially surrounds the heating cavity or defines at least part of the boundary of the heating cavity, and the microwave antenna is used for emitting radio frequency energy into the heating cavity, thereby radiatively heating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article located in the heating cavity.

[0012] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is formed by winding a planar microwave antenna.

[0013] In some embodiments, the support tube comprises a first support portion and a second support portion connected to each other, the first support portion is located at one end of the aerosol generating article inserted, the inner diameter of the first support portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the second support portion, and the connection between the first support portion and the second support portion forms a step, and the microwave antenna abuts against the step.

[0014] In some embodiments, a metal layer is arranged between the support tube and the microwave antenna.

[0015] In some embodiments, the support tube is a ceramic tube, a quartz glass tube or a polyether ether ketone tube.

[0016] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is a cupronickel sheet.

[0017] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is in a sheet shape, and the thickness of the microwave antenna is 0.2mm to 0.7mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna has a first slot and a second slot extending circumferentially and parallel to each other, and part of the support tube is exposed to the first slot and the second slot.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first slot has a width greater than that of the second slot.

[0020] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is provided with a feed end for connecting an output end of radio frequency energy and a ground end for connecting an antenna reference ground, and the feed end and the ground end are located on both sides of an opening of the first slot or the second slot.

[0021] In some embodiments, the support tube comprises a first through hole and a second through hole, the feed end is exposed to the first through hole, and the ground end is exposed to the second through hole.

[0022] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna has a Z shape or an F shape.

[0023] In some embodiments, the support tube further comprises a third through hole, and the microwave antenna comprises a pad for connecting a temperature sensor, and the pad is exposed to the third through hole.

[0024] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna has opposite first and second side edges in a circumferential direction, and the first and second side edges do not overlap each other to form a gap.

[0025] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is provided with a first slot extending from the first side edge towards the second side edge, and the first slot is spaced apart from the second side edge.

[0026] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna is further provided with a second slot extending from the second side edge towards the first side edge, the second slot is spaced apart from the first side edge, and the second slot is longitudinally offset from the first slot.

[0027] In some embodiments, the spacing between the first slot and the second side edge is greater than the spacing between the second slot and the first side edge.

[0028] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna comprises a ground end and a feed end, and the ground end and the feed end are both located on the first side edge, or the ground end and the feed end are both located on the second side edge.

[0029] In some embodiments, the height of the microwave antenna along the longitudinal direction of the support tube is 15-19 mm, or the width of the microwave antenna after being developed circumferentially is 17-23 mm.

[0030] In a second aspect, the application further provides an aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device comprises the heating assembly and a circuit board assembly configured to supply power to the heating assembly.

[0031] Different from the prior art, the application discloses a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device. The heating assembly adopts a design that a microwave antenna is fixed inside a support tube and surrounds a heating cavity. The heating cavity is used to accommodate and heat an aerosol generating article, so that the microwave antenna can directly radiate and heat the aerosol generating article. In this case, the radio frequency energy of the microwave is radiated by the near field of the microwave antenna after being transmitted through the connector. Since the substrate material of the aerosol generating article contacts or is close to the microwave antenna, there is no or few intermediate medium materials to absorb or attenuate the radio frequency energy during the heating process. The microwave heating efficiency can be greatly improved, and the power dissipation during the heat preservation stage can be reduced. The microwave antenna preferably adopts a planar antenna that is curled around the heating cavity, and mainly feeds the radio frequency energy in the radial direction towards the inside of the heating cavity. Therefore, the influence of the end opening of the heating cavity on the microwave heating efficiency is reduced.

[0032] In addition, the structure that the support tube is sleeved on the microwave antenna ensures the relative position between the two, which is convenient for adjusting the position of the region where the microwave antenna has the maximum radiation energy, helps the heating assembly to heat the middle part of the aerosol generating article, and thus improves the heating effect and the stability and reliability of the microwave heating cavity during long-term work. The support tube and the microwave antenna are integrated into a whole structure, which simplifies the structural complexity of the heating assembly and helps to realize the miniaturization design of the heating assembly.

[0033] The aerosol generating device supplies power to the heating assembly through the circuit board assembly, so that the microwave antenna feeds microwaves into the heating cavity, and thus the microwave heating of the aerosol generating article in the heating cavity is successfully completed, achieving the design purpose of heating the aerosol generating article to generate aerosol. The aerosol generating device has a simple and reliable structure, occupies a small space, has high working stability and a long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like elements, and in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view of a heating assembly according to an embodiment of the application;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of a heating assembly according to an embodiment of the application.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a heating assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 4 is an expanded view of a microwave antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 5 is a structural schematic view of a heating module and an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a heating module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 7 is a structural schematic view of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig. 9 is an exploded view of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 10 is a signal transmission schematic view of a microwave generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 11 is a signal transmission schematic view of a microwave generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig. 12 is a signal transmission schematic view of a microwave generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig. 13 is an electric field simulation view of a microwave antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig. 14 is a magnetic field simulation view of a microwave antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Reference numerals: 100, heating module; 110, heating assembly; 111, microwave antenna; 1111, first through slot; 1112, second through slot; 1113, ground terminal; 1114, feed terminal; 1115, first side edge; 1116, second side edge; 11171, first portion; 11172, second portion; 11173, third portion; 1118, pad; 112, support tube; 1121, heating cavity; 1122, first support portion; 1123, second support portion; 1124, step; 1125, first through hole; 1126, second through hole; 1127, third through hole; 1128, metal layer; 1129, protruding rib; 120, module housing; 200, circuit board assembly; 300, device housing; 400, aerosol generating device; 900, aerosol generating article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The technical solutions of the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following description of the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Among them, the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions, and moreover, the "above", "over" and "on" of the first feature to the second feature include the first feature above and obliquely above the second feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The "below", "under" and "under" of the first feature to the second feature include the first feature below and obliquely below the second feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below, and the examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0054] As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating article 900" refers to an article that includes an aerosol-forming substrate, which is intended to be heated rather than combusted to release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Aerosols formed by heating an aerosol-forming substrate can contain fewer components known to be harmful than aerosols produced by combustion or pyrolytic degradation of the aerosol-forming substrate. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 900 can be removable connected to the aerosol-generating device 400.

[0055] The aerosol-forming substrate is preferably a tobacco-containing material from which volatile compounds are released upon heating; it can also be a non-tobacco material suitable for electrically heated smoking. The aerosol-forming substrate is preferably a solid substrate, which can include one or more of a powder, granules, shreds, strips, or a sheet of one or more of tobacco leaves, tobacco shreds, homogenized tobacco, or expanded tobacco; alternatively, the solid substrate can contain additional volatile flavor compounds, either tobacco or non-tobacco, to be released upon heating of the substrate. A suitable aerosol-forming substrate can be a cigarette filled with a tobacco material.

[0056] In other embodiments, the term "aerosol-generating article 900" refers to a container or cartridge capable of holding an aerosol-forming substrate, or other carrier capable of holding an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming substrate contained by the aerosol-generating article 900 can be a liquid composition or a combination of a liquid composition and a solid composition. Suitable aerosol-forming substrates include, but are not limited to, polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerol; esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate; and fatty acid esters of mono-, di-, or polybasic carboxylic acids such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. A preferred aerosol-forming substrate is a polyhydric alcohol or mixture thereof, such as triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and most preferably glycerol. The aerosol-forming substrate can include other additives and ingredients, such as flavorants. In some alternative examples, the aerosol-generating article 900 further includes a liquid retaining element for absorbing and retaining the liquid substrate, suitable liquid retaining elements are made of flexible fibers such as cotton fibers, non-woven fabric, sponges, and the like, in other examples, the liquid retaining element is made of a porous material such as microporous ceramic, microporous glass, or microporous metal.

[0057] As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating device 400" is a device that interfaces or interacts with the aerosol-generating article 900 to form an inhalable aerosol.

[0058] The aerosol-generating device 400 includes a heating assembly 110 for heating the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article 900 to generate an aerosol.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, one embodiment of the present application provides a heating assembly 110 for heating an aerosol generating article 900 to generate an aerosol, comprising a support tube 112 and a microwave antenna 111; the support tube 112 defines a heating cavity 1121 for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 900; the microwave antenna 111 is disposed on an inner surface of the support tube 112, the microwave antenna 111 at least partially surrounds the heating cavity 1121 or defines at least a portion of a boundary of the heating cavity 1121, and the microwave antenna 111 is configured to emit radio frequency energy into the heating cavity 1121 to radiatively heat at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 900 located in the heating cavity 1121.

[0060] It can be understood that different substrate materials in the aerosol generating article 900 can absorb microwave radio frequency energy to different extents, and the substrate materials are coupled with the microwave electromagnetic field to achieve energy conversion. The process of microwave electromagnetic field energy conversion includes but is not limited to ion conduction, dipole rotation, interface polarization, etc. The aerosol forming substrate absorbs microwave electromagnetic field energy through ion conduction, dipole rotation, etc. and converts it into heat, which causes the entire aerosol forming substrate to heat up to generate an aerosol. Compared with traditional heating methods, the heating method of the present application does not rely on heat transfer and convection radiation, reduces the temperature gradient in the aerosol forming substrate during heating, and has the advantages of fast heating speed and high temperature uniformity.

[0061] The heating assembly 110 adopts a design in which the microwave antenna 111 is fixed inside the support tube 112, and the heating cavity 1121 is used to accommodate and heat the aerosol generating article 900, so that the microwave antenna 111 can directly contact and radiatively heat the aerosol generating article 900. The microwave transmission energy is radiated by the near field of the microwave antenna 111 after being transmitted through the connector. Since the substrate material of the aerosol generating article 900 contacts or is close to the microwave antenna, there is no or very little intermediate material to absorb or attenuate the radio frequency energy during heating; the microwave heating efficiency can be greatly improved, and the power dissipation during the heat preservation stage can be reduced. The microwave antenna 111 preferably adopts a planar antenna that is curled around the heating cavity, mainly focusing on feeding radio frequency energy in the radial direction towards the inside of the heating cavity 1121, thus reducing the influence of the end opening of the heating cavity on the microwave heating efficiency. At the same time, the structure positioning of the support tube 112 sleeved on the microwave antenna 111 ensures the relative position between the two, which is convenient for adjusting the position of the region with the maximum radiation energy of the microwave antenna 111, helps the heating assembly 110 to heat the middle part of the aerosol generating article 900, thereby improving the heating effect, and improves the stability and reliability of the microwave heating cavity 1121 during long-term operation. The above-mentioned support tube 112 and microwave antenna 111 are integrated into a whole structure, which simplifies the structure of the heating assembly 110 and helps to realize the miniaturization design of the heating assembly 110.

[0062] In the present embodiment, the support tube 112 comprises a first support portion 1122 and a second support portion 1123 connected to each other, the first support portion 1122 is located at the side where the aerosol generating article 900 is inserted, the inner diameter of the first support portion 1122 is smaller than that of the second support portion 1123, and the connection between the first support portion 1122 and the second support portion 1123 forms a step 1124, and the microwave antenna 111 abuts against the step 1124.

[0063] Specifically, the heating cavity 1121 has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening is provided in the first support portion 1122, and the second opening is provided in the second support portion 1123. The end of the microwave antenna 111 close to the first opening is attached to the step 1124 (i.e. the stepped surface of the inner wall of the support tube 112), and the inner diameter of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the support tube 112 at the first opening. In the exemplary embodiment, when the microwave antenna 111 is installed into the second support portion 1123, the inner surface thereof smoothly transitions with the inner surface of the first support portion 1122, ensuring smooth insertion of the aerosol generating article.

[0064] Through the above definition, the difficulty of installing the microwave antenna 111 in the support tube 112 is reduced, ensuring that the support tube 112 can be stably installed in place, and guaranteeing the heating effect of the heating assembly 110 on the aerosol generating article 900. By limiting the inner diameter size, the risk of the microwave antenna 111 stopping the aerosol generating article 900 is avoided, the risk of damage to the microwave antenna 111 is reduced, and the difficulty of the smoker inserting the aerosol generating article 900 is reduced, which helps to improve the user experience of the smoker.

[0065] Further, the step 1124 is annular, and the microwave antenna 111 is arranged around the inner surface of the support tube 112. That is, the inscribed circles of the cross sections of the first support portion 1122 and the second support portion 1123 are concentrically arranged. The above definition further reduces the assembly difficulty of the microwave antenna 111 in the support tube 112, simplifies the specific structure of the support tube 112, reduces the production cost of the support tube 112, and optimizes the specific structure of the heating assembly 110.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the inner wall of the support tube 112 is processed to leave the step 1124, and the inner diameter size of the microwave antenna 111 needs to be selected after considering the thickness of the microwave antenna 111 after brazing connection. After the surface of the support tube 112 is metallized, the support tube 112 and the microwave antenna 111 are fixed by using a clamp, and then the microwave antenna 111 is inserted into the support tube 112, ensuring that the microwave antenna 111 is fixed in the ideal position and shape, and then high-temperature brazing fixation operation is performed.

[0067] In some embodiments, a protective layer such as a glaze layer is provided on the side of the microwave antenna 111 facing away from the support tube 112. The protective layer has a thickness of about 0.1-0.5 mm, for example, and has little effect on the attenuation of the microwave radio frequency signal. The protective layer can have a smooth inner surface to ensure that the aerosol generating article 900 can be smoothly inserted into or removed from the heating cavity 1121, while avoiding the effects of residue or liquid produced by the substrate material during long-term use on the microwave antenna 111, thereby affecting the performance of the microwave antenna 111.

[0068] In some embodiments, the support tube 112 is made of ceramic, quartz glass, polyether ether ketone, or other high-temperature resistant plastic. In some embodiments, a metal layer 1128 is provided between the support tube 112 and the microwave antenna 111. The metal layer 1128 can improve the bonding between the microwave antenna 111 and the support tube 112, and can also concentrate the radiation energy in the heating cavity by emitting, for example, to improve the heating efficiency. For example, when the support tube 112 is made of ceramic, the metal layer 1128 can be obtained by metallizing the surface of the support tube 112. The metal layer 1128 can act as a solder pad to facilitate the soldering of the microwave antenna 111 to the support tube 112, thereby reducing the difficulty of subsequent soldering operations. For example, when the support tube 112 is made of polyether ether ketone, the microwave antenna 111 can be interference-fitted to the support tube 112. The microwave antenna 111 can be interference-fitted to the polyether ether ketone during assembly.

[0069] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 can be integrated into the inner surface of the support tube 112 by methods including but not limited to electroplating, printing, spraying, vapor deposition, sintering, in-mold injection, and the like, to form an integral structure. For example, when the support tube 112 is made of ceramic, the microwave antenna 111 can be sintered with ceramic slurry to be disposed in the ceramic tube. For example, when the support tube 112 is made of plastic, the plastic can be molded around the microwave antenna by a mold to form an integral structure.

[0070] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 is a cupronickel sheet. In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC).

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 is in a sheet shape, and the thickness of the microwave antenna 111 is 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm. Optionally, the thickness of the microwave antenna 111 is 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, or 0.7 mm. By limiting the material and thickness of the microwave antenna 111, the heating and radiating effects of the microwave antenna 111 are guaranteed, and it is ensured that the microwave antenna 111 can smoothly perform direct contact heating and radiating heating on the aerosol generating article 900. In addition, since the microwave antenna 111 is a surface-shaped wire or strip-shaped wire with a certain width, compared with a traditional spiral antenna with a linear wire, the microwave antenna 111 in the present application can provide a larger area of radiating projection in the heating cavity, which is beneficial to improving the microwave heating efficiency of the heating assembly 110.

[0072] Further, the microwave antenna 111 is brazed to the metal layer 1128. The ceramic tube and the polyether ether ketone tube have low production cost, high working stability, and long service life. In addition, the thermal conductivity of polyether ether ketone and ceramic is weaker than that of metal materials, which can effectively prevent the leakage of heat in the heating cavity 1121, thereby effectively improving the heat preservation capacity of the heating assembly 110, helping to improve the microwave heating efficiency of the heating assembly 110 and reduce the power dissipation of the heating assembly 110 in the heat preservation stage. Brazing has the advantages of high reliability, wide adaptability, simple processing, and controllable quality, which helps to realize long-term stable connection between the microwave antenna 111 and the support tube 112, and cooperates with the arrangement of the metal layer 1128 to ensure the connection effect between the microwave antenna 111 and the support tube 112, thereby guaranteeing the long-term stable operation of the heating assembly 110.

[0073] In the embodiment, the microwave antenna 111 has a first through slot 1111 and a second through slot 1112 extending circumferentially and parallel to each other, and part of the support tube 112 is exposed to the first through slot 1111 and the second through slot 1112. In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 is in a Z shape or an F shape, and is configured in a ring belt shape around the inner surface of the support tube 112. As an optional example, the microwave antenna 111 can be a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA), and the use of a PIFA antenna is beneficial to reducing the volume of the heating assembly 110. In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 is in a Z shape. The above design limits the specific structure of the microwave antenna 111, ensures the stable operation of the microwave antenna 111, and ensures that the microwave antenna 111 can smoothly feed microwaves into the heating cavity 1121, thereby guaranteeing the heating effect of the heating assembly 110 on the aerosol generating article 900.

[0074] In some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 is flexible and rollable, and the microwave antenna 111 comprises a flexible film and a conductor material carried on the flexible film, the conductor material having certain corrosion resistance and good electrical conductivity, including but not limited to metal materials such as aluminum, copper, tungsten and alloys, for example, a suitable microwave antenna 111 can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC). Or in other examples, the microwave antenna 111 can be a white copper sheet material, and the FPC and the white copper sheet material are soft, so that the microwave antenna 111 can be bent to enable the microwave antenna 111 to surround the support tube 112. In some example embodiments, the heating assembly 110 further comprises a positioning component for keeping the FPC or the white copper sheet material on the inner surface of the support tube 112 without displacement, for example, commonly used positioning components include heat shrink tubes and high-temperature-resistant tapes.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 is attached to the inner surface of the support tube 112. In an embodiment of the present application, the conductor material of the microwave antenna 111 is integrated on the support tube 112. In other alternative embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 comprises a film layer structure of conductor material, the film layer structure having a specific pattern shape (see FIG. 4), and the film layer structure can be combined and integrated on the inner surface of the support tube by means such as but not limited to printing, spraying, etching or vapor deposition.

[0076] The width and height of the microwave antenna 111 after being unfolded are matched with the outer diameter and longitudinal length of the support tube 112, and in the present embodiment, the circumferential width of the microwave antenna 111 is less than the circumference of the support tube 112, so as to ensure that the microwave antenna 111 can be attached to the surface of the support tube 112, and meanwhile, the two side edges of the microwave antenna 111 in the width direction do not overlap when the microwave antenna 111 surrounds the outer wall of the support tube 112, avoiding the overlapping part affecting the radiation efficiency of the microwave antenna 111. In the height direction, the microwave antenna 111 can substantially cover or partially cover the longitudinal length of the support tube 112; it can be understood that the height of the microwave antenna 111 is matched with the length of the aerosol generating substrate segment in the aerosol generating article 900, so that the radiation area of the antenna can effectively cover the substrate material.

[0077] It can be understood that the microwave antenna 111 in the form of a coil is helpful to improve the heating efficiency by providing a suitable inner diameter and longitudinal height. In suitable embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the height of the microwave antenna 111 along the longitudinal direction of the support tube 112 is 15-19 mm, and the width of the microwave antenna 111 after being spread in the circumferential direction is 17-23 mm. In this embodiment, the coil-shaped antenna has a proper inner diameter, so that the center axis of the aerosol generating substrate in the heating cavity can also have a sufficient electric field or magnetic field strength to volatilize one or more components in the substrate material, which is beneficial to improve the heating uniformity of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0078] Further, the microwave antenna 111 is provided with a feed end 1114 for connecting the output end of the radio frequency energy and a grounding end 1113 for connecting the antenna reference ground. The feed end 1114 and the grounding end 1113 are respectively located on both sides of the opening of the first through slot 1111 or the second through slot 1112. The above design realizes the position layout of the feed end 1114 and the grounding end 1113, reduces the difficulty of welding operation, ensures the smooth connection of the microwave antenna 111 with the external environment, and further ensures the long-term stable operation of the heating assembly 110.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 has opposite first and second side edges 1115 and 1116 in the circumferential direction, and the first and second side edges 1115 and 1116 do not overlap each other to form a gap. Because the two side edges of the microwave antenna 111 in the length direction X overlap when the microwave antenna 111 is wrapped around the outer wall of the support tube 112, the overlapping part will affect the return loss of the microwave antenna 111, resulting in a serious impact on the energy transmission efficiency of the radio frequency radiation. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the first and second side edges 1115 and 1116 of the microwave antenna 111 of the present embodiment do not overlap and have a gap.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2, the support tube 112 further includes a protruding rib 1129 located between the first and second side edges 1115 and 1116. The design of the protruding rib 1129 can play a positioning role when the microwave antenna 111 is installed to the support tube 112, so that the feed end 1114 is exposed to the first through hole 1125 and the grounding end 1113 is exposed to the second through hole 1126 after the microwave antenna 111 is installed to the support tube 112.

[0081] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 comprises a first portion 11171, a second portion 11172 and a third portion 11173 separated by a first slot 1111 and a second slot 1112, the first portion 11171, the second portion 11172 and the third portion 11173 have dimensions L1, L2, L3 in a direction perpendicular to the first slot 1111 and the second slot 1112, and L3>L1>L2.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 is provided with the first slot 1111 extending from the first side edge 1115 towards the second side edge 1116, and the first slot 1111 is spaced apart from the second side edge 1116 by a distance L4. In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 is further provided with the second slot 1112 extending from the second side edge 1116 towards the first side edge 1115, the second slot 1112 is spaced apart from the first side edge 1115 by a distance L5, and the second slot 1112 is longitudinally staggered with the first slot 1111. In an embodiment of the present application, the distance L4 between the first slot 1111 and the second side edge 1116 is greater than the distance L5 between the second slot 1112 and the first side edge 1115.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 is provided with the first slot 1111 and the second slot 1112 extending in the circumferential direction or the width direction and parallel to each other, and the partial support tube 112 is exposed to the first slot 1111 and the second slot 1112. In an embodiment of the present application, the width L6 of the first slot 1111 is greater than the width L7 of the second slot 1112.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the microwave antenna 111 is in a Z shape. That is, the first slot 1111 and the second slot 1112 extend from the left edge and the right edge of the microwave antenna 111 to the center respectively, and the first slot 1111 and the second slot 1112 are located in the middle of the microwave antenna 111 in the height direction Y. In an embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 can be in an F shape.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 includes a ground end 1113 and a feed end 1114, which are located at two sides of the opening of the first through slot 1111, and the microwave antenna 111 has the strongest electromagnetic wave radiation near the first through slot 1111. For example, referring to the electric field distribution diagram of the heating assembly when powered on shown in FIG. 13 and the magnetic field distribution diagram shown in FIG. 14, when the ground end 1113 and the feed end 1114 are located at two sides of the opening of the first through slot 1111, the electric field intensity and the magnetic field intensity of the microwave antenna 111 near the first through slot 1111 are the highest. As a preferred example, the first through slot 1111 is substantially located at the middle position of the longitudinal height of the microwave antenna 111 (see FIG. 4). According to the predetermined length of the aerosol generating substrate, the first through slot 1111 can be designed to be located at a specific position of the heating cavity in the longitudinal direction, so that the first through slot 1111 can be substantially aligned with the middle position of the aerosol generating substrate in the longitudinal direction when the aerosol generating article 900 is inserted into the heating cavity during use, thereby maximizing the absorption of radio frequency energy and facilitating the improvement of the heating speed of the aerosol generating substrate. Alternatively, in some alternative embodiments, the ground end 1113 and the feed end 1114 are located at two sides of the opening of the second through slot 1112.

[0086] In one embodiment of the present application, the microwave antenna 111 includes a ground end 1113 and a feed end 1114, which are located at two sides of the opening of the first through slot 1111, and the microwave antenna 111 has the strongest electromagnetic wave radiation near the first through slot 1111. For example, referring to the electric field distribution diagram of the heating assembly when powered on shown in FIG. 13 and the magnetic field distribution diagram shown in FIG. 14, when the ground end 1113 and the feed end 1114 are located at two sides of the opening of the first through slot 1111, the electric field intensity and the magnetic field intensity of the microwave antenna 111 near the first through slot 1111 are the highest. As a preferred example, the first through slot 1111 is substantially located at the middle position of the longitudinal height of the microwave antenna 111 (see FIG. 4). According to the predetermined length of the aerosol generating substrate, the first through slot 1111 can be designed to be located at a specific position of the heating cavity in the longitudinal direction, so that the first through slot 1111 can be substantially aligned with the middle position of the aerosol generating substrate in the longitudinal direction when the aerosol generating article 900 is inserted into the heating cavity during use, thereby maximizing the absorption of radio frequency energy and facilitating the improvement of the heating speed of the aerosol generating substrate. Alternatively, in some alternative embodiments, the ground end 1113 and the feed end 1114 are located at two sides of the opening of the second through slot 1112.

[0087] Further, the support tube 112 comprises a first through hole 1125 and a second through hole 1126 penetrating the inner and outer sides, the feeding end 1114 is exposed to the first through hole 1125, and the grounding end 1113 is exposed to the second through hole 1126, facilitating the welding of the radio frequency cable of the microwave antenna to the feeding end 1114 and the grounding end 1113; the support tube 112 further comprises a third through hole 1127, the microwave antenna 111 comprises a pad 1118 for connecting a temperature sensor, the pad 1118 is exposed to the third through hole 1127, and the temperature sensor is connected to the pad 1118 through the third through hole 1127, so that the temperature sensor can sense the temperature of the heating assembly 110.

[0088] By means of the first through hole 1125 and the second through hole 1126, the integration difficulty of the pad on the heating assembly 110 is reduced, thereby simplifying the specific structure of the heating assembly 110, improving the structural stability of the heating assembly 110, reducing the difficulty of the pad from the heating assembly 110 due to accidents, prolonging the service life of the heating assembly 110, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the heating assembly 110, and ensuring the smooth connection between the remaining components and the heating assembly 110.

[0089] Specifically, three cables are welded on the feeding end 1114, the grounding end 1113 and the pad 1118, respectively.

[0090] In the embodiment, the antenna reference ground and the output end of the radio frequency energy are conventional settings in the art, and the setting purposes and specific connection methods are well known in the art and are well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described here.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the embodiment further provides an aerosol generating device 400 comprising the circuit board assembly 200 and the heating assembly 110 described above, and the circuit board assembly 200 is used to provide electric energy to the heating assembly 110.

[0092] The aerosol generating device 400 supplies power to the heating assembly 110 through the circuit board assembly 200, so that the microwave antenna 111 feeds microwaves into the heating cavity 1121, thereby smoothly completing the microwave heating of the aerosol generating article 900 in the heating cavity 1121, achieving the design purpose of heating the aerosol generating article 900 to generate aerosol. The structure of the aerosol generating device 400 is simple and reliable, occupies small space, has high working stability and long service life.

[0093] The heating assembly 110 is mounted to a module shell 120, and the module shell 120 is spliced from a plurality of components and is used to protect the heating assembly 110. The heating assembly 110 and the module shell 120 both belong to the heating module 100.

[0094] The aerosol-generating device 400 further comprises a device housing 300, and the heating module 100 and the circuit board assembly 200 are both mounted in the device housing 300. The device housing 300 is assembled by multiple components for protecting the heating module 100 and the circuit board assembly 200.

[0095] The aerosol-generating device 400 may, in some embodiments, be a heat-not-burn aerosol-generating device 400, and may be a handheld device which can be used to heat an aerosol-generating article 900 containing solid tobacco, such as a cigarette.

[0096] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device 400 adopts a microwave heating mode. Specifically, the aerosol-generating device 400 comprises a microwave antenna 111 arranged around the support tube 112, and the microwave antenna 111 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 200. The circuit board assembly 200 is integrated with a microwave generating circuit and a controller, and the controller is connected to the microwave generating circuit.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 10, in some embodiments, the microwave generating circuit comprises an integrated chip, a circulator, a microstrip, a PI type attenuator, a power detector and a load. The circulator is mounted outside the heating cavity 1121, the output end of the integrated chip is connected to the first end of the circulator, the second end of the circulator is connected to the microwave antenna 111, and the microwave output by the integrated chip is fed into the microwave antenna 111 through the first end and the second end of the circulator. The aerosol generating substrate in the heating cavity 1121 is heated and releases aerosol under the action of the microwave. The second end of the circulator can also receive the microwave signal fed back by the microwave antenna 111, and transmit the fed-back microwave signal to the third end of the circulator through the second end of the circulator.

[0098] The integrated chip outputs a radio frequency signal with a frequency of f and a power of Pout to the first end of the circulator, and the second end of the circulator outputs the radio frequency signal to the microwave antenna 111. Since the frequency of the microwave antenna 111 will be offset, the microwave antenna 111 works in the offset broadband, and the return loss of the microwave antenna 111 at different frequencies is different, so part of the radio frequency signal will be reflected to the third end of the circulator, and thus be absorbed by the high-power load.

[0099] As an optional example, the integrated chip is an oscillator power amplifier chip using a single integrated oscillator circuit and a 20-40W single-pole gallium nitride radio frequency power amplifier on a substrate. The microstrip matching of the gate, drain and feedback network outside the integrated chip occupies a small space, which is conducive to the integration and miniaturization of the aerosol-generating device 400. The power of the single-pole gallium nitride radio frequency power amplifier can also be selected as 20-25W, 25-30W, 30-35W or 35-40W.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the oscillation circuit of the integrated chip is a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) integrated with an attenuator (ATT), which can adjust the output power. The output power is sequentially passed through the integrated first-stage power amplifier, the push-stage power amplifier, and the final-stage power amplifier. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, the output power is sequentially passed through the integrated first-stage power amplifier, the push-stage power amplifier, and the final-stage power amplifier. The circulator is a device for unidirectional transmission of radio frequency conduction signals. The conduction direction of the signals in the circulator is from the first end to the second end, and from the second end to the third end.

[0101] Referring to FIGS. 10, 11, or 12, in some possible implementations, the high-power load is selected to work in a high-frequency state. The rated power of the high-power load is greater than the maximum reflected power of the microwave antenna 111. As an optional example, the resistance of the high-power load is 50 ohms or greater. The high-power load absorbs the energy reflected by the microwave antenna 111.

[0102] In some embodiments, the microstrip includes a forward output microstrip and a reflection microstrip. The two ends of the forward output microstrip are respectively connected to the output end of the integrated chip and a PI-type attenuator (PI is the Greek letter π). The two ends of the reflection microstrip are respectively connected to the load and the power detector. The forward output microstrip and the reflection microstrip are coupled with a certain coupling degree. The controller samples the pin MCU_AD1 (MCU is Microcontroller Unit, and AD is Analog to Digital) to collect the voltage value Vcoupling of the output end through the PI-type attenuator, and the pin MCU_AD2 to collect the voltage value Vreflected of the reflection end through the power detector. Thus, the sizes of the forward output power and the reflection power can be calculated by mapping. Further, the return loss of the microwave antenna 111 can be calculated by the proportional relationship between the forward output power and the reflection power.

[0103] In other embodiments, the microstrip includes a reflection microstrip. The two ends of the reflection microstrip are respectively connected to the load and the power detector. The power value of the reflected microwave signal can be mapped through the power detector. The controller can also actually map the return loss value through the mapping relationship between the varying power value and the return loss.

[0104] In yet other embodiments, the forward output microstrip and the reflection microstrip can be omitted. The stability of the integrated chip is determined by the stable current floating variation of the integrated chip. An increase in the current indicates that the reflected signal of the microwave antenna is enhanced, resulting in a smaller return loss. When the current decreases, the value of the return loss increases, and the efficiency of microwave heating is improved.

[0105] In some embodiments, the integrated chip operates in a frequency range of 2430-2460 MHz (megahertz), and the return loss of the aerosol generating article 900 at each frequency is calculated according to the return loss RL = 20 log (VSWR + 1 / VSWR - 1) = 20 log (Pout / Preflected) = 20 log (Vcoupling / Vreflected), where Pout and Preflected correspond to the radio frequency power at the forward output end and the reflected power at the reflected end, Vcoupling and Vreflected correspond to the voltage value at the forward output end and the voltage value at the reflected end, and VSWR is the abbreviation of Voltage Standing Wave Ratio, which represents the voltage standing wave ratio. For example, as an example, the integrated chip outputs a reference frequency of 2449 MHz, and the radio frequency energy with a power of Pout is input through the first end of the circulator, and is conducted and output to the microwave antenna 111 through the second end, and the microwave antenna 111 reflects the microwave energy back through the third end and transfers it to the load. During the operation of the aerosol generating device 400, the heat of the heating assembly 110 is partially transferred to the microwave generating circuit, and as the temperature increases or decreases, the output frequency of the integrated chip increases or decreases, and the maximum is not more than 2460 MHz and the minimum is not less than 2430 MHz. Therefore, the best return loss of the microwave antenna 111 must cover these frequency ranges.

[0106] For example, as an example of some tests, when the return loss is greater than or equal to 10, the power transmission efficiency of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than 90%; when the return loss is greater than or equal to 13.7, the power transmission efficiency of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than 95.7%; when the return loss is greater than or equal to 18.2, the power transmission efficiency of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than 98.5%.

[0107] From the above tests, in the present embodiment, as a suitable example of frequency selection, the heating frequency of the microwave antenna 111 is 2430-2460 MHz, and in this frequency band, the return loss of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than or equal to 10, the transmission efficiency of the microwave antenna 111 is greater than 90%, and the heating effect on the aerosol generating article 900 is better.

[0108] The output end of the existing integrated chip is not provided with a circulator, and is directly connected to the microwave antenna 111. When the return loss of the microwave antenna 111 deteriorates, the microwave will be reflected back to the output end of the integrated chip, causing self-excitation and damaging the integrated chip. Therefore, the present embodiment increases a circulator at the output end of the integrated chip, so that the microwave reflected back by the microwave antenna 111 is absorbed by the load, thereby protecting the integrated chip.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, the integrated chip selects the optimal working frequency point from the top 5 frequency points with the optimal transmission efficiency as the frequency point for actual microwave heating, and the heating control method is as follows: the controller controls the integrated chip to output a microwave signal with a frequency of f and a power of Pout; the microwave signal is input through the first end of the circulator and is conducted and output to the sheet-shaped microwave antenna through the second end; the sheet-shaped microwave antenna reflects part of the microwave signal to the third end of the circulator; the power coupled by the first end and the third end of the circulator is output to the controller through the PI type attenuator and the power detector respectively, and Vcoupling and Vreflected are output to the controller; the controller calculates the return loss of the output frequency according to the return loss RL = 20log(VSWR + 1 / VSWR - 1) = 20log(Poutput / Preflected) = 20log(Vcoupling / Vreflected); the controller increases or decreases the output frequency of the integrated chip according to the preset adjustment value, and repeatedly executes the above steps until the output frequency of the integrated chip traverses 2430MHz-2460MHz, and the return loss values of a plurality of output frequencies are obtained; the controller selects the output frequency corresponding to the return loss greater than 10, and records the output frequency with the return loss greater than 10 and the corresponding transmission efficiency in the array to form a mapping relationship; the controller selects the top 5 output frequencies with the optimal transmission efficiency from the array, and selects the optimal output frequency from the 5 output frequencies as the actual output frequency of the integrated chip. By controlling the aerosol generating device 400 through the above heating control method, the top 5 output frequencies with the optimal transmission efficiency can be selected, and the optimal output frequency can be selected as the actual output frequency of the integrated chip, so that the sheet-shaped microwave antenna 111 heats the aerosol generating article 900 at the optimal output frequency when the transmission efficiency is greater than 90%, thereby improving the heating efficiency. It should be noted that the preset adjustment value can be set by the controller as needed, and in this embodiment, the preset adjustment value can be set to 2MHz.

[0110] It can be understood that during the heating use of the aerosol generating device 400, the microwave generating circuit can output a microwave signal with a fixed frequency. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the optimal frequency point of the microwave antenna can shift during the long-term use of the device, and therefore the above program for screening the optimal output frequency is built into the controller in the microwave generating circuit. When the aerosol generating device 400 is started each time or periodically, the integrated chip calls and runs the program to determine the optimal output frequency through the above method, and then feeds the radio frequency energy through the microwave antenna using the optimal output frequency, so as to control the heating assembly 110 to start working. For another example, in some other exemplary embodiments, the above method can be used to determine the optimal output frequency only during the debugging stage before the aerosol generating device 400 is shipped, and the determined optimal output frequency is used for heating during the actual use of the aerosol generating device 400.

[0111] In some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol generating device 400, during heating use, the microwave generating circuit can output microwave signals with variable frequencies. For example, due to factors such as temperature changes, the frequency of the microwave antenna may be affected by frequency offset, so the controller in the microwave generating circuit is configured to collect feedback signal parameters of the microwave antenna in real time or periodically and calculate the return loss value, so as to adjust the optimal output frequency of the microwave antenna according to the change of the return loss value.

[0112] Different from the prior art, the application discloses a heating assembly and an aerosol generating device. The heating assembly adopts a design of fixing the microwave antenna inside the support tube and surrounding the heating cavity, and uses the heating cavity to accommodate and heat the aerosol generating article, so that the microwave antenna can directly radiate and heat the aerosol generating article. Wherein, the radio frequency energy of the microwave is radiated by the near field of the microwave antenna after being transmitted through the connector, and since the substrate material of the aerosol generating article contacts or is close to the microwave antenna, there is no or very little intermediate medium material to absorb or attenuate the radio frequency energy during heating; the microwave heating efficiency can be greatly improved, and the power dissipation during the heat preservation stage can be reduced. The microwave antenna preferably adopts a planar antenna curling around the heating cavity, mainly concentrating on feeding radio frequency energy in the radial direction towards the inside of the heating cavity, so as to reduce the influence of the end opening of the heating cavity on the microwave heating efficiency.

[0113] In addition, the structure of the support tube sleeved on the microwave antenna positions and ensures the determination of the relative position between the two, facilitates the adjustment of the position of the region with the maximum microwave radiation energy of the microwave antenna, helps the heating assembly to heat the middle part of the aerosol generating article, thereby improving the heating effect and improving the stability and reliability of the long-term work of the microwave heating cavity. The above-mentioned support tube and microwave antenna are integrated into a whole structure, which simplifies the structural complexity of the heating assembly and helps to realize the miniaturization design of the heating assembly.

[0114] The aerosol generating device feeds the microwave antenna with microwaves through the power supply mode of the circuit board assembly to the heating assembly, so that the microwave heating of the aerosol generating article in the heating cavity is successfully completed, and the design purpose of heating the aerosol generating article to generate aerosol is achieved. The structure of the aerosol generating device is simple and reliable, occupies small space, has high working stability and long service life.

[0115] It should be noted that the preferred embodiments of the application are given in the specification and drawings of the application, but are not limited to the embodiments described in the specification, and further, those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes according to the above description, and all these improvements and changes shall belong to the protection scope of the appended claims of the application.

Claims

1. A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-generating article to produce an aerosol, characterized in that, include: A support tube defines a heating chamber for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article; A microwave antenna is disposed on the inner surface of the support tube, the microwave antenna at least partially surrounds the heating cavity or defines at least a portion of the boundary of the heating cavity, and the microwave antenna is used to transmit radio frequency energy into the heating cavity, thereby radiating heat to at least a portion of the aerosol-generated article located in the heating cavity.

2. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is formed by winding a planar microwave antenna.

3. The heating assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The support tube includes a first support portion and a second support portion connected to each other. The first support portion is located at one end into which the aerosol generating product is inserted. The inner diameter of the first support portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the second support portion. A step is formed at the connection between the first support portion and the second support portion, and the microwave antenna abuts against the step.

4. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A metal layer is provided between the support tube and the microwave antenna.

5. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support tube is a ceramic tube, a quartz glass tube, or a polyetheretherketone tube.

6. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is made of nickel silver sheet.

7. The heating assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is sheet-shaped and has a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm.

8. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave antenna has a first through slot and a second through slot that extend circumferentially and are parallel to each other, and a portion of the support tube is exposed in the first through slot and the second through slot.

9. The heating assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The width of the first through slot is greater than the width of the second through slot.

10. The heating assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is provided with a feed terminal for connecting the output terminal of radio frequency energy and a ground terminal for connecting the antenna reference ground. The feed terminal and the ground terminal are respectively located on both sides of the opening of the first through slot or the second through slot.

11. The heating assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, The support tube includes a first through hole and a second through hole, with the power supply end exposed in the first through hole and the grounding end exposed in the second through hole.

12. The heating assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is Z-shaped or F-shaped.

13. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support tube further includes a third through hole, and the microwave antenna includes pads for connecting a temperature sensor, the pads being exposed in the third through hole.

14. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave antenna has a first side and a second side opposite each other along the circumferential direction, and the first side and the second side do not overlap to form a gap.

15. The heating assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is provided with a first through slot extending from the first side toward the second side, and there is a gap between the first through slot and the second side.

16. The heating assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that, The microwave antenna is further provided with a second through slot extending from the second side toward the first side, the second through slot being spaced apart from the first side, and the second through slot being offset from the first through slot in the longitudinal direction.

17. The heating assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that, The distance between the first through groove and the second side is greater than the distance between the second through groove and the first side.

18. The heating assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that, The microwave antenna includes a grounding terminal and a feeding terminal, both of which are located on the first side, or both of which are located on the second side.

19. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the microwave antenna along the longitudinal direction of the support tube is 15mm-19mm, or the width of the microwave antenna after being unfolded circumferentially is 17mm-23mm.

20. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, It includes a circuit board assembly and a heating assembly as described in any one of claims 1-19, wherein the circuit board assembly is used to provide electrical energy to the heating assembly.

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