Aerosol generation product and aerosol generation system

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention provides a mechanism capable of improving quality of user experience. [Solution] This aerosol generation product is provided with a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source. The susceptor is fixed to the case. The aerosol source is positioned so that heat can be conducted thereto from the susceptor.

Description

Aerosol generating article and aerosol generating system

[0009] ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating system.

[0002] Suction devices that generate substances to be inhaled by users are widely popular. For example, a suction device uses a base material including an aerosol source for generating an aerosol and a flavor source for imparting a flavor component to the generated aerosol, etc., to generate an aerosol to which a flavor component is imparted. A user can experience the flavor by inhaling the aerosol to which the flavor component is imparted, which is generated by the suction device. The operation of the user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as puff or puff operation. Examples of devices classified as suction devices include those used in place of so-called rolled cigarettes, such as heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, and nebulizers used for medical purposes.

[0003] In recent years, induction heating has attracted attention as a heating method for aerosol sources. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a technique of generating an aerosol by heating a susceptor contained in a base material using a solenoid type coil is disclosed.

[0004] International Publication No. 2022 / 195868

[0005] However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 above has been developed only recently and still has room for improvement from various viewpoints.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism capable of further improving the quality of the user experience.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating article including a formed case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, wherein the susceptor is fixed to the case, and the aerosol source is arranged so as to be heat-transferable from the susceptor.

[0008] The susceptor may be fixed to the case by insert molding.

[0009] The aerosol product may further include a winding paper that wraps around and secures the aerosol source, which is arranged to be heat-transferable from the susceptor, along with the case.

[0010] The case is composed of a first case and a second case, and the susceptor and the aerosol source may be fixed in a state where they are sandwiched between the first case and the second case.

[0011] The aforementioned case may be constructed using PIM (Pulp Injection Molding) (registered trademark).

[0012] The aerosol product further comprises an air channel, and at least a portion of the air channel may be formed by the aerosol source.

[0013] The inlet and outlet of the air passage may be positioned in a portion that protrudes outside the aerosol generating device when the aerosol product is mounted on the aerosol generating device, which heats the susceptor to generate an aerosol.

[0014] The inlet of the air passage may be located on the side of the protruding portion, and the outlet of the air passage may be located at the end of the protruding portion.

[0015] The air passage includes a first passage extending downward from the inlet, a second passage extending upward toward the outlet, and a connecting passage connecting the first and second passages, wherein the upward direction may be the direction of the protruding portion.

[0016] The aerosol product may further comprise a mouthpiece having the outlet of the air passage.

[0017] The susceptor may be fixed in place while being sandwiched between the aerosol source.

[0018] The susceptor may be formed in a plate shape, and the aerosol source may be formed in a square wave shape.

[0019] The aerosol product may comprise two or more susceptors arranged at a distance from each other.

[0020] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of this disclosure, an aerosol generation system is provided comprising an aerosol product and an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol product comprises a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, the susceptor being fixed to the case, the aerosol source being arranged to transfer heat from the susceptor, and the aerosol generating device comprising a housing for housing the aerosol product and an electromagnetic induction source for inductively heating the susceptor of the aerosol product housed in the housing.

[0021] As explained above, this disclosure provides a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the user experience.

[0022] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a suction device. This is a diagram showing the appearance of the aerosol product 200 according to the first configuration example. This is a diagram showing the main body 201 of the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 2, through which the wrapping paper 240 has been passed. This is an enlarged view of the lower part of the main body 201 through which the wrapping paper 240 has been passed, as shown in Figure 3. This is a diagram showing the susceptor 210 and aerosol source 220 extracted from the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 2. This is a top view of the susceptor 210 and aerosol source 220 shown in Figure 5. This is a front view of the integrally molded susceptor 210 and case 230 included in the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 2, as seen from the front. This is a top view of the susceptor 210 and case 230 shown in Figure 7. This is a cross-sectional view along the A-A cutting line shown in Figure 7. This is a cross-sectional view along the B-B cutting line shown in Figure 7. This is a cross-sectional view along the C-C cutting line shown in Figure 7. This is a diagram showing the appearance of the main body 201 of the aerosol product 200 according to the second configuration example. This is a perspective view of the cross-section along the D-D cutting line shown in Figure 12. This is a front view from the hand side of the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 12 after the second case 232 and aerosol source 220 have been removed. This is a cross-sectional view along the E-E cutting line shown in Figure 14. This is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 12 after the aerosol source 220 has been removed, cut in the same manner as in Figure 15.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0024] <1. Example of Suction Device Configuration> A suction device is a device that generates a substance to be aspirated by the user. In the following explanation, the substance generated by the suction device will be described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the suction device may be a gas.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a suction device. As shown in Figure 1, the suction device 100 according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a storage unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a housing unit 140, and an electromagnetic induction source 160.

[0026] The power supply unit 111 stores power. Then, based on the control by the control unit 116, the power supply unit 111 supplies power to each component of the suction device 100. The power supply unit 111 may be made up of a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. The power supply unit 111 may supply DC current to the other components. Alternatively, the power supply unit 111 may supply AC current converted by an inverter circuit to the other components.

[0027] The sensor unit 112 acquires various information related to the suction device 100. For example, the sensor unit 112 is composed of a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow sensor, or a temperature sensor, and acquires values ​​associated with suction by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112 is composed of an input device that accepts information input from the user, such as a button or switch.

[0028] The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that emits sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

[0029] The memory unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100. The memory unit 114 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory.

[0030] The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards include those using Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy®), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0031] The control unit 116 functions as both an arithmetic processing unit and a control device, controlling the overall operation of the suction device 100 according to various programs. The control unit 116 is implemented by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

[0032] The housing section 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the aerosol product 200 while housing a portion of the aerosol product 200 in the internal space 141. The housing section 140 has an opening 142 that communicates the internal space 141 with the outside and houses the aerosol product 200 inserted into the internal space 141 from the opening 142. For example, the housing section 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and bottom 143 as its base, defining a columnar internal space 141.

[0033] The aerosol product 200 includes a main body 201 and a mouthpiece 202. The main body 201 contains an aerosol source. The aerosol source contains tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavoring components. If the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may also contain a drug. The aerosol source may be a liquid such as water, including glycerin and polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, and tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavoring components, or it may be a solid containing tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavoring components. When the aerosol product 200 is held in the housing section 140, at least a part of the main body 201 is housed in the internal space 141, and at least a part of the mouthpiece 202 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user puts the mouthpiece 202 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, the aerosol generated from the main body 201 reaches the user's mouth.

[0034] Furthermore, the aerosol product 200 includes a susceptor 210. The susceptor 210 generates heat by electromagnetic induction. The susceptor 210 is made of a conductive material such as a metal. Furthermore, it is desirable that the susceptor 210 is magnetic. For example, the susceptor 210 may be made of a metal plate or a metal rod. The susceptor 210 is placed in thermal proximity to the aerosol source. That is, the susceptor 210 is placed in a position where the heat generated in the susceptor 210 is transferred to the aerosol source. In the example shown in Figure 1, the susceptor 210 is included in the main body 201 of the aerosol product 200. Note that the susceptor 210 may not be accessible from the outside of the aerosol product 200. For example, the susceptor 210 may be distributed in the central part of the aerosol product 200 and not distributed near the outer periphery.

[0035] The electromagnetic induction source 160 inductively heats the susceptor 210. When an alternating current is applied to the electromagnetic induction source 160, it generates a fluctuating magnetic field (more specifically, an alternating magnetic field). The electromagnetic induction source 160 is positioned so that the generated fluctuating magnetic field is superimposed on the internal space 141 of the housing section 140, more specifically, on the susceptor 210 of the aerosol product 200 housed in the housing section 140. For example, the electromagnetic induction source 160 is configured as a coil and is positioned so as to wrap around the outer circumference of the housing section 140. Therefore, when a fluctuating magnetic field is generated with the aerosol product 200 housed in the housing section 140, the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the electromagnetic induction source 160 penetrates the susceptor 210 located in the internal space 141 of the housing section 140, inductively heating the susceptor 210. More specifically, eddy current losses occur in the susceptor 210, and if the susceptor 210 is magnetic, magnetic hysteresis losses also occur in the susceptor 210, causing the temperature of the susceptor 210 to rise. Then, the aerosol source contained in the aerosol product 200 is heated and atomized by the induction-heated susceptor 210, and an aerosol is generated. For example, when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has started suctioning and / or that predetermined information has been input, power may be supplied to the electromagnetic induction source 160. Then, when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has finished suctioning and / or that predetermined information has been input, power may be stopped from being supplied to the electromagnetic induction source 160.

[0036] The above describes an example configuration of the suction device 100. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100 is not limited to the above, and it can take various configurations as exemplified below.

[0037] The suction device 100 is an example of an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by induction heating the susceptor 210 of the aerosol product 200 contained in the containment section 140. The combination of the suction device 100 and the aerosol product 200 is an example of an aerosol generating system.

[0038] <2. Technical Challenges> When the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the containment section 140, it is desirable that a predetermined relative positional relationship is maintained between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160. If there is variation in the relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, the temperature control of the susceptor 210 becomes unstable, and as a result, the taste (hereinafter also referred to as the "taste") that the user feels when inhaling the aerosol becomes unstable.

[0039] Typical conventional aerosol products were manufactured by wrapping and securing a susceptor and tobacco piece in paper. Such conventional aerosol products lacked sufficient rigidity and were susceptible to buckling during use. As a result, the position of the susceptor inside the conventional aerosol product could change, or the susceptor could fall off. In other words, it was difficult to establish a predetermined relative positional relationship between the susceptor and the electromagnetic induction source 160 in conventional aerosol products, resulting in an unstable smoking experience.

[0040] Based on these circumstances, the technology described in this disclosure was created. According to the technology described in this disclosure, it is possible to establish a predetermined relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, thereby stabilizing the smoking experience. As a result, the quality of the user experience can be significantly improved. The features of the technology described in this disclosure will be explained in detail below.

[0041] <3. Example of the composition of the aerosol product 200> <3.1. First example of the composition> The first example of the composition of the aerosol product 200 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 11.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of the aerosol generating article 200 according to the first structural example. FIG. 3 is a view showing the main body 201 of the aerosol generating article 200 shown in FIG. 2 that has been made to pass through the roll paper 240. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower part of the main body 201 of FIG. 3 that has been made to pass through the roll paper 240. FIG. 5 is a view showing the susceptor 210 and the aerosol source 220 of the aerosol generating article 200 shown in FIG. 2 extracted therefrom. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the susceptor 210 and the aerosol source 220 shown in FIG. 5 as viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a front view of the integrally formed susceptor 210 and case 230 included in the aerosol generating article 200 shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the susceptor 210 and case 230 shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line A-A shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line B-B shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line C-C shown in FIG. 7.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the aerosol generating article 200 includes a main body 201 and a mouthpiece 202. The main body 201 and the mouthpiece 202 may be configured to be detachable. The detachment can be realized by, for example, a fitting mechanism or a screwing mechanism.

[0044] A part 203 of the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted into the accommodating portion 140 of the suction device 100. Such a part is also referred to as an insertion part 203. The insertion part 203 includes a part of the main body 201.

[0045] Another part 204 of the aerosol generating article 200 protrudes from the suction device 100 in a state where the aerosol generating article 200 is attached to the suction device 100 (that is, in a state where the insertion part 203 is inserted into the accommodating portion 140). Such a part is also referred to as a protruding part 204. The protruding part 204 includes a part of the main body 201 and the mouthpiece 202. In a state where the aerosol generating article 200 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 140 of the suction device 100, the mouthpiece 202 is held by the user and puffing is performed.

[0046] The direction of the protruding part 204 as viewed from the insertion part 203 is also referred to as the upward direction, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the downward direction.

[0047] The aerosol generating article 200 may be configured in a longitudinal shape. The longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating article 200 may correspond to the vertical direction.

[0048] The aerosol generating article 200 may be configured in a plate shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction. According to such a configuration, the user can easily hold the aerosol generating article 200 by sandwiching it with the lips from both sides in the plate thickness direction.

[0049] Among the directions orthogonal to the vertical direction, the longer dimension, that is, the width direction is also referred to as the left - right direction, and the shorter dimension, that is, the plate thickness direction is also referred to as the depth direction. The aerosol generating article 200 may be columnar with a cross - section being each oval - rectangle, and the left and right side surfaces may be curved.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the main body 201 of the aerosol generating article 200 includes a susceptor 210, an aerosol source 220, a case 230, and a tissue paper 240.

[0051] The susceptor 210 is made of an arbitrary conductive material such as SUS (steel use stainless), for example. And the susceptor 210 is fixed to the case 230. According to such a configuration, it is possible to construct a predetermined relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160 and stabilize the taste.

[0052] The case 230 is formed into a predetermined shape. For example, the case 230 is formed into a shape obtained by punching out portions corresponding to the susceptor 210, the aerosol source 220, and an air flow path 250 (described later) from the final shape of the aerosol generating article 200. According to such a configuration, the shape of the case 230 can have a degree of freedom, and it is possible to fix the position of the susceptor 210 with a complex shape. Also, it is possible to maintain the predetermined relative positional relationship constructed between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160 and stabilize the taste tasted by the user.

[0053] In particular, as shown in Figures 7 to 11, in the first configuration example, the susceptor 210 and the case 230 are integrally molded by insert molding. Insert molding is achieved by injection molding or compression molding, etc., using the susceptor 210 as an insert. That is, the susceptor 210 is fixed to the case 230 by insert molding. With this configuration, it is possible to establish a predetermined relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, thereby stabilizing the smoking experience.

[0054] Case 230 is preferably made of paper material. For example, case 230 may be made of PIM (Pulp Injection Molding) (registered trademark). PIM is a technology that uses paper material for injection molding and can achieve the same dimensional precision as when using resin material. Furthermore, because PIM uses paper material, even when the susceptor 210 is heated to, for example, 300°C, the generation of substances of health concern can be suppressed compared to resin materials such as engineering plastics. As a result, adverse effects on the user's health can be prevented.

[0055] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the aerosol source 220 is formed by molding a material containing the aerosol source into a predetermined shape. The aerosol source 220 is positioned so as to be able to transfer heat from the susceptor 210. That is, the aerosol source 220 is positioned so as to be able to exchange heat with the susceptor 210 and is thermally coupled with the susceptor 210. In the illustrated example, the aerosol source 220 is positioned in contact with the susceptor 210. Alternatively, the aerosol source 220 may be positioned adjacent to the susceptor 210 with a thin film or the like in between. As another example, a space may be provided between the aerosol source 220 and the susceptor 210, and heat may be transferred from the susceptor 210 to the aerosol source 220 by convection within the space. With such a configuration, it is possible to heat the aerosol source 220 with the heat of the susceptor 210 and generate an aerosol.

[0056] The aerosol product 200 has two or more aerosol sources 220. More specifically, the aerosol product 200 has two aerosol sources 220 for one susceptor 210, and the susceptor 210 is fixed in a state where it is sandwiched between the two aerosol sources 220. One of the aerosol sources 220 may be configured to have a shape that can sandwich the susceptor 210, such as a U-shape with a groove into which the susceptor 210 can be inserted. In that case, the aerosol product 200 may have one aerosol source 220 for one susceptor 210. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently transfer the heat of the susceptor 210 to the aerosol sources 220.

[0057] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the susceptor 210 is formed in a plate shape. On the other hand, the aerosol source 220 is formed in a square wave shape. With this configuration, the flat susceptor 210 and the flat bottom or top surface of the wave shape of the aerosol source 220 can be brought into surface contact. As a result, it is possible to improve the heat transfer efficiency from the susceptor 210 to the aerosol source 220.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3, the aerosol product 200 may have two aerosol sources 220 separated vertically. The aerosol product 200 may also have a susceptor 210 and an aerosol source 220 behind these two aerosol sources 220, respectively. That is, the aerosol product 200 has two susceptors 210 that are separated from each other, more specifically separated vertically. With this configuration, it becomes possible to control the temperature of the multiple susceptors 210 independently of each other. As a result, it is expected that aerosols with a better flavor can be produced for a longer period of time.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to independently control the temperature of multiple susceptors 210, it is more desirable for the suction device 100 to have multiple electromagnetic induction sources 160 that are spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0060] The rolling paper 240 is made of any paper material and is wrapped around the side of the aerosol product 200 at least once. In particular, the rolling paper 240 wraps around and fixes the aerosol source 220, which is positioned to be heat-transferable from the susceptor 210, along with its case 230. With this configuration, the relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the aerosol source 220 can be fixed, making it possible to stabilize the smoking taste experienced by the user. The rolling paper 240 can be made of any paper material.

[0061] Furthermore, since the side surface of the aerosol product 200 is formed as a curved surface, that is, the aerosol product 200 is formed in a shape without corners on its side, tearing of the wrapping paper 240 is prevented.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3, the aerosol product 200 has an air channel 250. When a user puts the aerosol product 200 in their mouth and puffs, air flows into the air channel 250 from the inlet 251, the incoming air mixes with the aerosol along the way through the air channel 250, and is discharged into the user's mouth from the outlet 252.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2, the inlet 251 and outlet 252 of the air passage 250 are located on the protruding portion 204. With this configuration, even when the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the suction device 100, air can easily enter and exit the air passage 250, and the airflow resistance during puffing can be reduced.

[0064] In particular, the inlet 251 of the air passage 250 is located on the side of the protruding portion 204. More specifically, the inlet 251 of the air passage 250 is located on the left and right curved surfaces, which are the shorter sides. With this configuration, when the user holds the aerosol product 200 in their mouth, the inlet 251 of the air passage 250 naturally comes into position outside the user's oral cavity, making it easy to draw air into the air passage 250.

[0065] On the other hand, the outlet 252 of the air passage 250 is located at the end of the protruding portion 204, i.e., the mouthpiece 202. With this configuration, when the user holds the mouthpiece 202 in their mouth, the outlet 252 of the air passage 250 naturally comes into position within the user's oral cavity, making it possible to discharge aerosols from the air passage 250 into the user's oral cavity.

[0066] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the air passage 250 has a first passage 253 extending downward from the inlet 251, a second passage 254 extending upward towards the outlet 252, and a connecting passage 255 connecting the first passage 253 and the second passage 254. The connecting passage 255 extends in the left-right direction at the lower end of the aerosol product 200. The connecting passage 255 connects each of the two first passages 253 located on the outside in the left-right direction to each of the two second passages 254 located inside them. The first passages 253 and the connecting passage 255 extend to the main body 201. On the other hand, the second passages 254 extend to both the main body 201 and the mouthpiece 202. The outlet 256 of the air passage 250 in the main body 201 is connected to an inlet (not shown) of the air passage 250 in the mouthpiece 202, thereby forming a second air passage 254 that reaches the outlet 252 of the air passage 250 provided in the mouthpiece 202.

[0067] Thus, the air passage 250 has a shape that extends vertically within the aerosol product 200 and bends at its lower end. As a result, as shown by arrow 259, air flows along the air passage 250, achieving counterflow. That is, as shown by arrow 259, the air flowing into the air passage 250 from the inlet 251 flows downward through the first passage 253, turns back at the connecting passage 255, flows upward through the second passage 254, and is discharged from the outlet 252. With this configuration, air is distributed throughout the entire aerosol product 200, making it possible to efficiently transport the aerosol generated within the aerosol product 200. Furthermore, since the air passage can be omitted from the suction device 100, the suction device 100 can be miniaturized.

[0068] The first flow path 253 and the connecting passage 255 are formed by the case 230 and the winding paper 240. Specifically, the tubes formed by the winding paper 240 covering grooves provided on both the left and right sides and the lower end of the case 230 constitute the first flow path 253 and the connecting passage 255.

[0069] On the other hand, at least a portion of the second channel 254 is formed by the aerosol source 220. More specifically, the aerosol source 220 is arranged with its bumps and dips aligned in the left-right direction, that is, with wave-shaped peaks and valleys extending in the vertical direction. The valley portion of the aerosol source 220 extending in the vertical direction and the tube formed by the case 230, the paper wrapper 240, or the susceptor 210 constitute a portion of the second channel 254. With this configuration, efficient transport of aerosols becomes possible.

[0070] The first example of the composition of the aerosol product 200 has been described above.

[0071] According to the first configuration example, the susceptor 210 and the case 230 are integrally molded. With this configuration, a predetermined relative positional relationship can be established between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, making it possible to stabilize the smoking experience.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the first configuration example, a pre-processing step is unnecessary, such as assembling the susceptor 210 and the aerosol source 220 as a single sub-assembly before placing them in the case 230. Instead, for example, the aerosol source 220 can be attached to the susceptor 210 which is integrally molded with the case 230. In other words, according to this configuration example, it is possible to facilitate the manufacture of the aerosol product 200 and improve manufacturing accuracy.

[0073] Furthermore, a counterflow structure is realized within the aerosol product 200. Therefore, contamination of the containment section 140 can be minimized.

[0074] Thus, according to the first configuration example, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of the user experience.

[0075] <3.2. Second Configuration Example> A second configuration example of the aerosol product 200 will be described below with reference to Figures 12 to 16. However, the following description will mainly focus on points specific to the second configuration example, and explanations of points similar to the first configuration example may be omitted.

[0076] Figure 12 shows the external appearance of the main body 201 of the aerosol product 200 according to the second configuration example. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the cross section along the D-D cutting line shown in Figure 12. Figure 14 is a front view from the hand side of the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 12 with the second case 232 and aerosol source 220 removed. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view along the E-E cutting line shown in Figure 14. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 200 shown in Figure 12 with the aerosol source 220 removed, cut in the same manner as in Figure 15.

[0077] Although the mouthpiece 202 is omitted in Figure 12, the aerosol product 200 in this configuration example can also be used with the mouthpiece 202 connected to the main body 201, similar to the first configuration example.

[0078] The case 230 in this example configuration is constructed by combining a first case 231 and a second case 232. For example, the first case 231 and the second case 232 may have corresponding shapes and be assembled as a single case 230 by fitting them together.

[0079] As shown in Figure 13, the susceptor 210 and aerosol source 220 are fixed in place, sandwiched between the first case 231 and the second case 232. For example, the aerosol product 200 can be constructed by placing the susceptor 210 and aerosol source 220, which have been pre-assembled as a single subassembly, into the first case 231, and then sealing them with the second case 232. With this configuration, similar to the first configuration example, it is possible to establish a predetermined relative positional relationship between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, thereby stabilizing the smoking experience.

[0080] More specifically, as shown in Figures 13, 15, and 16, the first case 231 has a guide wall 233 that protrudes toward the front in the depth direction, and a surface support 234 that is provided on the inside of the guide wall 233 at a right angle to the guide wall 233. The shape of the planes in the left-right and up-down directions formed on the inside of the guide wall 233 is the same as the surface shape of the susceptor 210.

[0081] On the other hand, the second case 232 has a rib 235 that protrudes to the rear in the depth direction at a position corresponding to the inside of the guide wall 233 of the first case 231. When the first case 231 and the second case 232 are assembled, the outside of the rib 235 abuts against the guide wall 233, and a gap corresponding to the plate thickness of the susceptor 210 is provided between the surface support 234 and the rib 235.

[0082] During the assembly of the aerosol product 200, the susceptor 210 constituting the subassembly is placed in the first case 231 in contact with the guide wall 233 and the surface support 234, and then the second case 232 is added. As a result, the in-plane position of the susceptor 210 is fixed by the guide wall 233 of the first case 231. In addition, the position of the susceptor 210 in the thickness direction is fixed by the susceptor 210 being sandwiched between the surface support 234 and the rib 235.

[0083] The first case 231 and the second case 232 are preferably made of paper material, similar to the first example of configuration, and may be made of PIM, for example.

[0084] As shown in Figure 13, the susceptor 210 and aerosol source 220 in this configuration example are configured in the same way as in the first configuration example.

[0085] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the air passage 250 in this configuration example is configured in the same way as in the second configuration example. That is, as indicated by arrow 259, the air flowing into the air passage 250 from the inlet 251 flows downward through the first passage 253, turns back at the connecting passage 255, flows upward through the second passage 254, and is discharged from the outlet 252.

[0086] However, the aerosol product 200 according to this configuration example does not have a wrapping paper 240. Therefore, the air passage 250 can be formed by a first case 231 or a second case 232 instead of the wrapping paper 240.

[0087] For example, the first flow path 253 and the connecting passage 255 are formed by a first case 231 and a second case 232. That is, the first flow path 253 and the connecting passage 255 are formed by the second case 232 sealing grooves provided at both the left and right ends and the lower end of the first case 231.

[0088] Furthermore, at least a portion of the second channel 254 is formed by the aerosol source 220 and the first case 231 or the second case 232. Specifically, the aerosol source 220 is arranged with its bumps and dips aligned in the left-right direction, that is, with wave-shaped peaks and valleys extending in the vertical direction. The valley portion of the aerosol source 220 extending in the vertical direction and the tube formed by the first case 231, the second case 232, or the susceptor 210 constitute a portion of the second channel 254. With this configuration, efficient transport of aerosols becomes possible.

[0089] The second example of the composition of the aerosol product 200 has been described above.

[0090] In the second configuration example, the susceptor 210 is held and positioned by the first case 231 and the second case 232. With this configuration, a predetermined relative positional relationship can be established between the susceptor 210 and the electromagnetic induction source 160, making it possible to stabilize the smoking experience.

[0091] Furthermore, a counterflow structure is realized within the aerosol product 200. Therefore, contamination of the containment section 140 can be minimized.

[0092] Thus, according to this second configuration example, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of the user experience.

[0093] <4. Supplementary Information> Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs may conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and these will naturally be understood to fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0094] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the aerosol product 200 is composed of a combination of a detachable body 201 and a mouthpiece 202, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The body 201 and the mouthpiece 202 may be integrally formed.

[0095] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the aerosol product 200 has two susceptors 210 and four aerosol sources 220, but the disclosure is not limited to such an example. The aerosol product 200 may have three or more susceptors 210 and six or more aerosol sources 220. Of course, the aerosol product 200 may have one susceptor 210 and two aerosol sources 220.

[0096] The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure: (1) An aerosol product comprising a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, wherein the susceptor is fixed to the case, and the aerosol source is positioned to be heat-transferable from the susceptor. (2) The aerosol product according to (1), wherein the susceptor is fixed to the case by insert molding. (3) The aerosol product according to (2), further comprising a roll of paper that wraps around and fixes the aerosol source, which is positioned to be heat-transferable from the susceptor, together with the case. (4) The aerosol product according to (1), wherein the case is composed of a first case and a second case combined, and the susceptor and the aerosol source are fixed in a state sandwiched between the first case and the second case. (5) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the case is made of PIM (Pulp Injection Molding) (registered trademark). (6) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the aerosol product further comprises an air channel, and at least a portion of the air channel is formed by the aerosol source. (7) The aerosol product according to (6), wherein the inlet and outlet of the air channel are located on a portion that protrudes outside the aerosol generating device when the aerosol product is mounted on the aerosol generating device which heats the susceptor to generate an aerosol. (8) The aerosol product according to (7), wherein the inlet of the air channel is located on the side of the protruding portion, and the outlet of the air channel is located at the end of the protruding portion. (9) The aerosol product according to (7) or (8), wherein the air passage has a first passage extending downward from the inlet, a second passage extending upward toward the outlet, and a connecting passage connecting the first passage and the second passage, and the upward direction is the direction of the protruding portion.(10) The aerosol product according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein the aerosol product further comprises a mouthpiece having the outlet of the air passage. (11) The aerosol product according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the susceptor is fixed in a state sandwiched by the aerosol source. (12) The aerosol product according to (11), wherein the susceptor is formed in a plate shape, and the aerosol source is formed in a square wave shape. (13) The aerosol product according to (11) or (12), wherein the aerosol product comprises two or more susceptors arranged spaced apart from each other. (14) An aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol product and an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol product comprises a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, the susceptor being fixed to the case, the aerosol source being arranged to transfer heat from the susceptor, and the aerosol generating device comprising a housing for housing the aerosol product and an electromagnetic induction source for inductively heating the susceptor of the aerosol product housed in the housing.

[0097] 100 Suction device 111 Power supply unit 112 Sensor unit 113 Notification unit 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 116 Control unit 140 Housing unit 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom 160 Electromagnetic induction source 200 Aerosol product 201 Main body 202 Mouthpiece 203 Insertion part 204 Protruding part 210 Susceptor 220 Aerosol source 230 Case 231 First case 232 Second case 233 Guide wall 234 Surface support 235 Rib 240 Wrapping paper 250 Air passage 251 Inlet 252 Outlet 253 First passage 254 Second passage 255 Connection path 256 Outlet 259 Arrow

Claims

1. An aerosol product comprising a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, wherein the susceptor is fixed to the case, and the aerosol source is arranged to be heat-transferable from the susceptor.

2. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the susceptor is fixed to the case by insert molding.

3. The aerosol product according to claim 2, further comprising a winding paper that winds and fixes the aerosol source, which is arranged to be heat-transferable from the susceptor, together with the case.

4. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the case is composed of a first case and a second case combined, and the susceptor and the aerosol source are fixed in a state where they are sandwiched between the first case and the second case.

5. The aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the case is constructed of PIM (Pulp Injection Molding) (registered trademark).

6. The aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an air channel, wherein at least a portion of the air channel is formed by the aerosol source.

7. The aerosol product according to claim 6, wherein the inlet and outlet of the air passage are located in portions that protrude outside the aerosol generating device when the aerosol product is mounted on the aerosol generating device which heats the susceptor to generate an aerosol.

8. The aerosol product according to claim 7, wherein the inlet of the air passage is located on the side of the protruding portion, and the outlet of the air passage is located at the end of the protruding portion.

9. The aerosol product according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the air passage has a first passage extending downward from the inlet, a second passage extending upward toward the outlet, and a connecting passage connecting the first passage and the second passage, and the upward direction is the direction of the protruding portion.

10. The aerosol product according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a mouthpiece having the outlet of the air passage.

11. The aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the susceptor is fixed in a state where it is sandwiched between the aerosol source.

12. The aerosol product according to claim 11, wherein the susceptor is formed in a plate shape, and the aerosol source is formed in a square wave shape.

13. The aerosol product according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the aerosol product comprises two or more susceptors arranged at a distance from each other.

14. An aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol product and an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol product comprises a molded case, a susceptor, and an aerosol source, the susceptor being fixed to the case, the aerosol source being arranged to transfer heat from the susceptor, and the aerosol generating device comprising a housing for housing the aerosol product and an electromagnetic induction source for inductively heating the susceptor of the aerosol product housed in the housing.

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