Heater assembly

Abstract

A heater assembly according to the present invention comprises: an accommodation part that has an opening for accommodating a consumable material; and a film heater that is configured so as to heat the consumable material accommodated in the accommodation part. The film heater has a heat-generating region, a non-heat-generating region, and a first adhesion part for the accommodation part and the film heater. In a state in which the film heater has been affixed to the accommodation part, the first adhesion part is not positioned between the accommodation part and the entire heat-generating region, and is only positioned between the accommodation part and the non-heat-generating region.

Description

Heater assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater assembly.

[0002] Conventionally, an apparatus that generates an aerosol or the like by heating a material without burning the material containing a fragrance source is known. In Patent Document 1, as an example of a heater device, one including a stainless-steel support tube and a polyimide heating element is disclosed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2019-521656

[0004] In a heater device such as that of Patent Document 1, an adhesive may be used to fix the polyimide heating element to the support tube. However, in a high-temperature environment such as that of a heater of an aerosol generator, the adhesive may be denatured. If the adhesive is denatured with the use of the aerosol generator, the thermal conductivity from the film heater to the support tube may change, and there is a risk that the consumable material cannot be heated appropriately.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to suppress a change in thermal conductivity from a film heater to a housing portion that houses a consumable material, which accompanies the use of an aerosol generator.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a heater assembly is provided. The heater assembly includes a housing portion having an opening for housing a consumable material, and a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing portion. The film heater has a heat-generating region, a non-heat-generating region, and a first adhesive portion that adheres the housing portion and the film heater. In a state where the film heater is fixed to the housing portion, the first adhesive portion is not located between the housing portion and the entire heat-generating region, and is located only between the housing portion and the non-heat-generating region.

[0007] According to the first aspect, even when the consumable material is heated by the film heater, the first adhesive portion is made difficult to be heated by the heat-generating region, and denaturation of the adhesive can be suppressed. As a result, a change in thermal conductivity from the film heater to the housing portion that houses the consumable material can be suppressed.

[0008] The housing portion has a side wall portion defining the opening, and the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion, and the first adhesive portion may be provided along the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the first end portion and the second end portion.

[0009] In this case, the film heater can be stably fixed to the housing so as to form a roughly annular shape, while suppressing the deformation of the adhesive.

[0010] The housing portion has a side wall portion defining the opening, and the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion, and the first adhesive portion is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first end portion, and a second adhesive portion may be provided along the entire length of the longitudinal direction of the second end portion for bonding the second end portion to the first end portion.

[0011] In this case, the film heater can be stably fixed to the housing so as to form a continuous ring, while suppressing the deformation of the adhesive.

[0012] The film heater has a third end extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and a fourth end extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and facing the third end, and the first adhesive portion may be provided along the entire circumferential length of the third end and the fourth end.

[0013] In this case, the film heater can be stably fixed in the housing while suppressing the deterioration of the adhesive.

[0014] The film heater has a conductive track having a heat-generating portion and a non-heat-generating portion with a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion, and the first adhesive portion may be located between the housing portion and the non-heat-generating portion.

[0015] Since the non-heating portion has a larger cross-sectional area and is harder than the heating portion, resistance tends to be applied to the film heater in the vicinity of the non-heating portion, causing it to flatten from an annular shape. For this reason, by providing the first adhesive portion between the housing portion and the non-heating portion, the film heater can be more stably fixed in the housing portion.

[0016] The film heater is arranged to surround the housing portion, and the first adhesive portion may be located between the housing portion and the entire non-heating region in the region surrounding the housing portion of the film heater.

[0017] In this case, the film heater can be stably fixed in the housing while suppressing the deterioration of the adhesive.

[0018] The housing portion may include a pressing portion that presses a part of the consumable when the consumable is placed in a desired position within the housing portion, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion.

[0019] In this case, the consumable material is in substantial contact with the inner surface of the pressing area, allowing heat from the film heater to be efficiently transferred to the consumable material.

[0020] The heat-generating portion may be positioned to face the pressing portion, and the film heater may be positioned so that the first adhesive portion does not face the entire pressing portion.

[0021] In this case, the pressing section that actively heats the consumable material can suppress the deformation of the first adhesive section.

[0022] The first adhesive portion is arranged to face the non-pressing portion, and the housing portion may have a gap between the inner surface of the non-pressing portion and the consuming material when the consuming material is placed at a desired position in the housing portion, the gap communicating between the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consuming material placed at the desired position in the housing portion.

[0023] In this case, air flows between the non-pressed area and the consumable material, causing the non-pressed area to be at a lower temperature than the pressed area, thus suppressing the deformation of the first adhesive area.

[0024] The film heater is arranged to surround the outer surface of the housing, and the heater assembly may further have an insulating layer surrounding the outer surface of the film heater.

[0025] In this case, the heat from the film heater can be efficiently transferred to the housing and the consuming material.

[0026] The film heater is positioned to surround the outer surface of the housing, and the heater assembly may further include a heat-shrinkable tube for securing the film heater to the housing.

[0027] In this case, the film heater can be stably fixed in the housing while suppressing the deterioration of the adhesive.

[0028] According to a second embodiment, a heater assembly is provided. The heater assembly includes a housing having an opening for housing a consumable material and a side wall portion defining the opening, and a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing. The film heater has a first end extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and a second end extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the first end, and is arranged along the side wall portion. The heater assembly includes a first end adhesive portion provided at the first end for bonding the housing and the first end, a second end adhesive portion provided at the second end for bonding the housing or the first end to the second end, and a third adhesive portion arranged separately from the first end adhesive portion and the second end adhesive portion. The third adhesive portion extends in the longitudinal direction and is configured to bond the housing and the film heater.

[0029] If the film heater is positioned along the side wall of the housing, there is a risk that the adhesive will shrink in the circumferential direction of the housing when the consumable material is heated. Therefore, if the entire surface of the film heater is bonded to the side wall, the shrinkage of the adhesive will be large, applying strong stress to the first and second ends of the film heater, which may cause the film heater to peel off. According to the second embodiment, the third bonding portion is positioned separately from the first and second end bonding portions and extending in the longitudinal direction, so that the circumferential shrinkage of the adhesive can be suppressed while ensuring an adhesive area for bonding the film heater to the housing. As a result, the film heater can be prevented from peeling off the housing.

[0030] The length of the third adhesive portion along the longitudinal direction may be greater than the length of the third adhesive portion along the circumferential direction of the housing portion.

[0031] In this case, the circumferential length of the third adhesive portion can be suppressed, while the longitudinal length can be increased. This further reduces the circumferential shrinkage of the adhesive while ensuring a sufficient adhesive area for bonding the film heater to the housing.

[0032] The film heater has a conductive track having a heat-generating portion and a non-heat-generating portion with a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion, and the third adhesive portion may be arranged adjacent to the non-heat-generating portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] Since the non-heating portion has a larger cross-sectional area and is harder than the heating portion, resistance tends to be applied to the film heater in the vicinity of the non-heating portion, causing it to flatten from an annular shape. Therefore, by positioning the third adhesive portion adjacent to the non-heating portion in the longitudinal direction, the film heater can be more stably fixed in the housing.

[0034] The side wall portion has a pressing portion that presses a part of the consumable when the consumable is placed in a desired position in the housing portion, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion, wherein the pressing portion has a flat outer surface, and the third adhesive portion may be arranged to face the outer surface of the pressing portion.

[0035] In this case, when the film heater is placed on the outer surface of the housing, the third adhesive portion is placed on the flat outer surface, allowing the film heater to be easily positioned in the housing, thus enabling easy manufacturing of the heater assembly.

[0036] This is a diagram showing the flavor inhalation system according to this embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the consumable material. This shows a perspective view of the heater assembly. This shows a perspective view of the housing section. This shows a cross-sectional view of the housing section at the line 5-5 shown by arrow 5 in Figure 4. This shows a cross-sectional view of the housing section at the line 6-6 shown by arrow 6 in Figure 5. This is a perspective view of the film heater. This is a plan view of the film heater before it is fixed to the housing section. This is a perspective view of the film heater according to another embodiment. This is a plan view of the film heater before it is fixed to the housing section according to another embodiment. This is a plan view of the film heater before it is fixed to the housing section according to another embodiment.

[0037] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a flavor inhalation system 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the flavor inhalation system 1000 includes a non-combustion heating type consumer material 100 and a flavor inhaler 200. The flavor inhalation system 1000 has a film heater 40 that heats the outer circumference of a flavor generating segment of the consumer material 100, which will be described later. In the illustrated example, the film heater 40 is provided on the flavor inhaler 200. The air inhaled by the user is guided into the user's oral cavity in the order of, for example, airflow A1, airflow A2, and airflow A3. That is, the flavor inhalation system 1000 shown in Figure 1 has a so-called counterflow type airflow channel. Therefore, with the flavor suction system 1000, the outer circumference of the flavor generating segment, which will be described later, can be heated by the film heater 40, so that the aerosol and flavor generated in the flavor generating segment can be provided to the user via the air channel.

[0038] As described later, the consumable material 100 has a flavor-generating segment containing an aerosol source and a flavor source, and for example, has a columnar shape extending along its longitudinal direction. The consumable material 100 may be, for example, a tobacco stick. However, it is not limited to this, and the consumable material 100 may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape with a polygonal cross-section, or a flattened shape.

[0039] The flavor inhaler 200 includes a battery 10, a control circuit 20, a housing 30, and a film heater 40. The battery 10 stores the power used by the flavor inhaler 200. For example, the battery 10 is a lithium-ion battery. The battery 10 may be rechargeable by an external power source.

[0040] The film heater 40 includes a heating element that generates heat, i.e., its temperature rises, due to power from the battery 10. The film heater 40 is positioned outside the housing section 30 and is configured to heat the consumable material 100 housed in the housing section 30 from the outside. Thus, in this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 200 is preferably an external heating type heating device. The film heater 40 may, for example, have a conductive track and a pair of polyimide films sandwiching it, arranged along the side wall of the housing section 30, as will be described later. The film heater 40 may also have a heating element configured to be inductively heated by an induction coil (not shown).

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, when the consumable material 100 is properly inserted into the housing section 30 of the flavor inhaler 200, a portion of the consumable material 100 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 200. The consumable material 100 is electrically heated by the flavor inhaler 200. The heating temperature is not particularly limited, but may be 200°C or higher, and preferably 250°C or higher. Also, this heating temperature may be 400°C or lower, and preferably 350°C or lower. The heating temperature here may be the temperature of the film heater 40 when the consumable material 100 is inserted into the flavor inhaler 200 and used, or the temperature of the flavor generating segment of the consumable material 100, which will be described later.

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the consumable 100. The consumable 100 includes an upstream segment 101 including a flavor generating segment 110 and a downstream segment 102 including at least a mouthpiece segment 120. The flavor generating segment 110 includes an aerosol source and a flavor source. The second chip paper 104 surrounds the flavor generating segment 110 and is configured to connect the flavor generating segment 110 and the downstream segment 102.

[0043] The consumable 100 preferably has an upstream portion 130 that abuts against the upstream end 110a of the flavor generating segment 110. In this case, since the end of the flavor generating segment 110 is covered by the upstream portion 130, it is possible to prevent the flavor generating segment 110 from falling off the consumable 100. Further, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor generating segment 110 to the upstream side of the flavor generating segment 110. As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream segment 101 includes a flavor generating segment 110 that generates an aerosol by heating and an upstream portion 130.

[0044] The upstream portion 130 is located at the tip of the consumable 100 and is configured to cover the end of the flavor generating segment 110. The upstream portion 130 can use those generally used as a filter material of the consumable 100. Specifically, for example, the upstream portion 130 can be paper, a plastic film, cellulose acetate, or a non-woven fabric. The upstream portion 130 is preferably paper. The length of the upstream portion 130 in the major axis direction may be 1 mm or more and may also be 10 mm or less. An arbitrary member may be further provided on the upstream side of the upstream portion 130.

[0045] The downstream segment 102 preferably has an intermediate segment 140 and a mouthpiece segment 120 disposed on the downstream side of the intermediate segment 140. The mouthpiece segment 120 may have a hollow segment 120a and a filter segment 120b. In a more specific example, the consumable 100 has, in order from the tip side (i.e., the side opposite to the suction port), an upstream portion 130, a flavor generation segment 110, an intermediate segment 140, a hollow segment 120a, and a filter segment 120b. These five parts are covered by a wrapper. In particular, each part is connected to each other by a first chip paper 103 and a second chip paper 104, at least a part of which is located in the outermost layer.

[0046] As shown in the figure, ventilation V1 may be provided in the circumferential direction and concentrically in the intermediate segment 140. Also, when the ventilation V1 existing in a concentric circle shape is regarded as one group of apertures, the group of apertures may be one or two or more.

[0047] The flavor source may contain at least one of a tobacco raw material and a non-tobacco raw material. In this case, since not only tobacco but also other plant materials and the like can be used as the flavor source, various flavors can be provided. The tobacco raw material is a raw material derived from tobacco, and specifically includes, for example, shredded dried tobacco leaves or pulverized leaf tobacco. The pulverized leaf tobacco is particles obtained by pulverizing leaf tobacco. As the non-tobacco raw material, for example, plants used as herbs or spices can be used. Specific examples of plants used as herbs or spices include dill seed, rosemary, star anise, clove, oregano, ginger, chamomile, and the like.

[0048] The aerosol source is a material that is vaporized by heating and cooled to generate an aerosol or a material that generates an aerosol by atomization. Known materials can be used as the aerosol source, and examples thereof include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3 - butanediol, and mixtures thereof.

[0049] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the heater assembly 50. As shown in Figure 3, the heater assembly 50 has a housing section 30 and a film heater 40. The housing section 30 is configured to house the consumable material 100. The film heater 40 is configured to heat the consumable material 100 housed in the housing section 30. The heater assembly 50 may further have a top cap 52. The top cap 52 may serve as a guide when inserting the consumable material 100 into the housing section 30 and may also be configured to fix the housing section 30 to the flavor inhaler 200.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the film heater 40 is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the housing 30. The film heater 40 has a first open end 40a close to the opening 32 of the housing 30 (see Figures 4 and 5), and a second open end 40b opposite to the first open end 40a. The film heater 40 also has a strip-shaped electrode 48 for supplying power to the conductive track 41 (see Figure 8), which will be described later. The strip-shaped electrode 48 may be arranged to extend from the second end 40d of the film heater 40.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the heater assembly 50 further includes a heat-shrinkable tube 72 for fixing the film heater 40 to the housing 30. In this case, the film heater 40 can be stably fixed to the housing 30. Also, as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the heater assembly 50 further includes an insulating layer 70 surrounding the outer surface of the film heater 40. In this case, the heat from the film heater 40 can be efficiently transferred to the housing 30 and the consumable material 100. In the example shown in Figure 3, the insulating layer 70 is arranged to surround the outer circumference of the heat-shrinkable tube 72.

[0052] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the housing section 30. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing section 30 along the line 5-5 shown by the arrow in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing section 30 has an opening 32 for housing the consumable material 100. The housing section 30 also has a side wall 60 and a bottom 36 located at one end of the side wall 60. The side wall 60 defines the opening 32 at the other end. As shown in Figure 3, the film heater 40 is arranged to surround the outer circumference of the side wall 60 of the housing section 30. The housing section 30 is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, and can be made of stainless steel, for example. This enables effective heating of the consumable material 100 from the housing section 30.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, the bottom portion 36 has a contact portion 36a configured to contact the end face of the consumable material 100 when the consumable material 100 is placed in a desired position in the storage portion 30. The bottom portion 36 also has a recess 36b configured to be recessed relative to the contact portion 36a. The space between the recess 36b and the end face of the consumable material 100 communicates with a gap 67, which will be described later.

[0054] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing section 30 in the direction of the arrow 6-6 shown in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the consumable 100 in contact with the contact section 36a. As shown in Figure 6, it is preferable that the housing section 30 has a gap 67 between the inner surface of the side wall section 60 and the consumable 100, communicating with the opening 32 of the housing section 30 and the end face of the consumable 100, when the end face of the consumable 100 is in contact with the contact section 36a. This makes it possible to form an airflow path, a so-called counterflow type airflow path, in which air flowing in from the opening 32 of the housing section 30 enters the end face of the consumable 100 through the gap 67 when the user smokes. In this case, it is not necessary to provide an opening for taking in air at the bottom 36 of the housing section 30, so it is possible to prevent flavor or aerosol generated from the consumable 100 from flowing out through such an opening.

[0055] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the side wall portion 60 preferably has a pressing portion 62 that presses a part of the consumable material 100 when the consumable material 100 is placed in a desired position in the housing portion 30, and a non-pressing portion 66. In this case, since the consumable material 100 is in substantially close contact with the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62, heat from the film heater 40 can be efficiently transferred to the consumable material 100. The pressing portion 62 has an inner surface 62a and an outer surface 62b. The non-pressing portion 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b. In the illustrated example, the non-pressing portion 66 is arranged to be adjacent to the pressing portion 62 in the circumferential direction. Here, as shown in Figure 6, the gap 67 is preferably arranged between the inner surface 66a of the non-pressing portion 66 and the consumable material 100. The film heater 40 shown in Figure 3 is preferably arranged on the outer surface 62b or inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62.

[0056] It is preferable that the opening 32 of the housing section 30 can receive the consumable material 100 without pressing it. The shape of the opening 32 of the housing section 30 on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing section 30, in other words, on a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the consumable material 100 is inserted into the housing section 30, may be polygonal or elliptical, but it is preferable that it be circular.

[0057] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 is flat. Because the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 is flat, the film heater 40 can be accurately positioned on the inner surface 62a or outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62, and the film heater 40 can be easily and seamlessly placed on the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62 is flat. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the thickness of the pressing portion 62 and the non-pressing portion 66 is uniform.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the housing section 30 has two pressing sections 62 in the circumferential direction of the housing section 30. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the two pressing sections 62 face each other. In the example shown in Figures 5 and 6, the two pressing sections 62 are substantially parallel to each other. Preferably, at least a portion of the distance between the inner surfaces 62a of the two pressing sections 62 is smaller than the width of the portion of the consumable material 100 inserted into the housing section 30 that is positioned between the pressing sections 62.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, it is preferable that the housing portion 30 has a first guide portion 38 with a tapered surface 38a that connects the inner surface of the housing portion 30 forming the opening 32 with the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62.

[0060] As described above, in conventional heater assemblies, adhesive is sometimes used to fix the film heater 40 to the housing 30, and there was a risk that the adhesive would denature due to the heat of the film heater 40. Therefore, in the heater assembly 50 of this embodiment, the high temperature of the adhesive used to fix the film heater 40 to the housing 30 is suppressed. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the film heater 40. Figure 8 is a plan view of the film heater 40 before it is fixed to the housing 30. As shown in Figure 8, the film heater 40 has a first end 40c that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 30, and a second end 40d that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 30 and faces the first end 40c. The film heater 40 also has a third end 40e that extends in the circumferential direction of the housing 30, and a fourth end 40f that extends in the circumferential direction of the housing 30 and faces the third end 40e. The film heater 40 has a generally rectangular planar shape and is arranged along the side wall portion 60 of the housing portion 30, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the film heater 40 is arranged in the housing portion 30, the third end 40e of the film heater 40 defines the first opening end 40a, and the fourth end 40f defines the second opening end 40b.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, the film heater 40 includes a conductive track 41 and a film 42 covering the conductive track 41. Specifically, the film 42 may include a pair of polyimide films sandwiching the conductive track 41. The conductive track 41 has a heat-generating portion 41a and a non-heat-generating portion 41b with a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion 41a. The non-heat-generating portion 41b has lower electrical resistance than the heat-generating portion 41a and is configured to generate substantially less heat compared to the heat-generating portion 41a.

[0062] As shown in Figure 8, the film heater 40 has a heating region H1, a non-heating region NH1, and a first adhesive portion 45 that adheres the housing portion 30 and the film heater 40. Specifically, the heating region H1 is the region corresponding to the area where the heating portion 41a of the film heater 40 is provided. The non-heating region NH1 is the region other than the heating region H1, including the non-heating portion 41b of the film heater 40, and corresponds to the region that surrounds the outer circumference of the housing portion 30 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the portion of the electrode 48 protruding from the fourth end portion 40f is not included in the non-heating region NH1. The first adhesive portion 45 includes any adhesive means such as an adhesive or an adhesive tape to which the adhesive is applied.

[0063] In this embodiment, in order to suppress the high temperature of the adhesive fixing the film heater 40 to the housing 30, as shown in Figure 3, when the film heater 40 is fixed to the housing 30, the first adhesive portion 45 is not located between the housing 30 and the entire heat-generating region H1, but only between the housing 30 and the non-heat-generating region NH1. As a result, even when the consumable material 100 is heated by the film heater 40, the first adhesive portion 45 is less likely to be heated by the heat-generating region H1, thereby suppressing the deformation of the adhesive even when the consumable material 100 is heated by the film heater 40. As a result, it is possible to suppress changes in the thermal conductivity from the film heater 40 to the housing 30. In Figure 8, the area of ​​the first adhesive portion 45 is indicated by a dashed line, and will be described separately as the first adhesive portion 45a, first adhesive portion 45b, first adhesive portion 45c, and first adhesive portion 45d, depending on the position of the first adhesive portion 45.

[0064] Specifically, for example, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the first adhesive portion 45a is provided along the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the first end 40c and the second end 40d of the film heater 40. In this case, the film heater 40 can be stably fixed to the housing portion 30 so as to form a substantially annular shape while suppressing the deformation of the adhesive. In the example shown in Figure 7, the film heater 40 is fixed to the housing portion 30 by the first adhesive portion 45a at its first end 40c and second end 40d, and the portion corresponding to the first adhesive portion 45a is shown with diagonal lines. The first adhesive portion 45a may be provided along a part in the longitudinal direction of the first end 40c and the second end 40d. In the example shown in Figure 7, the film heater 40 is formed in a substantially annular shape by arranging the first end 40c and the second end 40d to be substantially in contact, but it is not limited to this, and the first end 40c and the second end 40d may be fixed to the housing portion 30 at a distance from each other.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the first adhesive portion 45b is provided along the entire circumferential length of the third end 40e and the fourth end 40f of the film heater 40. In this case, the film heater 40 can be fixed to the housing portion 30 more stably while suppressing the deformation of the adhesive. The first adhesive portion 45b may also be provided over a portion of the circumferential length of the third end 40e and the fourth end 40f.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the first adhesive portion 45c be located between the housing portion 30 and the non-heat-generating portion 41b of the conductive track 41. Since the non-heat-generating portion 41b of the conductive track 41 has a larger cross-sectional area and is harder than the heat-generating portion 41a, a resistance tends to be applied to the film heater 40 in the vicinity of the non-heat-generating portion 41b that flattens it from an annular shape. For this reason, by providing the first adhesive portion 45c between the housing portion 30 and the non-heat-generating portion 41b, the film heater 40 can be fixed to the housing portion 30 more stably.

[0067] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first adhesive portion 45 is located in the region surrounding the housing portion 30 of the film heater 40, between the housing portion 30 and the entire non-heating region NH1. In this case, the film heater 40 can be stably fixed by the housing portion 30 while suppressing the deformation of the adhesive. In this case, the first adhesive portion 45 includes the first adhesive portion 45a, the first adhesive portion 45b, and the first adhesive portion 45b, as well as the first adhesive portion 45d. As shown in Figure 8, the first adhesive portion 45d is provided in the remaining region spaced apart from the first end portion 40c, the second end portion 40d, the third end portion 40e, and the fourth end portion 40f, where the heat-generating portion 41a and the non-heat-generating portion 41b are not located.

[0068] As described above, the first adhesive portion 45 does not need to be located between the housing portion 30 and the entire heat-generating region H1, but only between the housing portion 30 and the non-heat-generating region NH1, and its location is not limited. For example, the first adhesive portions 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d shown in Figure 8 can be combined in any way. Also, for example, the first adhesive portion 45 may partially include each of the first adhesive portions 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d. The first adhesive portion 45 is provided on the surface of the film 42 of the film heater 40.

[0069] As shown in Figure 3, when the film heater 40 is fixed to the housing 30, it is preferable that the heat-generating portion 41a of the conductive track 41 is positioned to face the pressing portion 62 shown in Figures 4 to 6. In this case, it is also preferable that the film heater 40 is positioned so that the first adhesive portion 45 does not face the entire pressing portion 62. This suppresses the deformation of the first adhesive portion 45 by the pressing portion 62 which actively heats the consumable material 100. As an example, the film heater 40 can be fixed to the housing 30 such that the first adhesive portion 45 includes only the first adhesive portion 45a, and the first adhesive portion 45a faces the non-pressing portion 66.

[0070] As described above in relation to Figure 6, when the consumable material 100 is placed in a desired position in the housing section 30, it is preferable that a gap 67 is provided between the inner surface 66a of the non-pressing section 66 and the consumable material 100. Here, it is preferable that the first adhesive section 45 is positioned opposite the non-pressing section 66. In this case, air flows between the non-pressing section 66 and the consumable material 100, causing the non-pressing section 66 to be at a lower temperature than the pressing section 62, thereby suppressing the deformation of the first adhesive section 45. As an example, the first adhesive section 45 may consist only of the first adhesive section 45a, and the film heater 40 may be fixed to the housing section 30 such that the first adhesive section 45a faces the non-pressing section 66.

[0071] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a film heater 40 according to another embodiment. Figure 10 is a plan view of the film heater 40 before it is fixed to the housing 30 according to another embodiment. The film heater 40 shown in Figures 9 and 10 differs from the film heater 40 shown in Figures 7 and 8 in that it has a second adhesive portion 46. Specifically, in the film heater 40 shown in Figures 9 and 10, a first adhesive portion 45a is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first end portion 40c, and a second adhesive portion 46 is provided along the entire longitudinal length of the second end portion 40d. As shown in Figure 9, the second adhesive portion 46 is configured to bond the second end portion 40d to the first end portion 40c. In this case, the film heater 40 can be stably fixed to the housing 30 so as to form a continuous ring while suppressing the occurrence of deformation of the adhesive. The second adhesive portion 46 includes any adhesive means such as an adhesive or adhesive tape to which the adhesive is applied.

[0072] In the examples shown in Figures 9 and 10, the second adhesive portion 46 is provided on the second end portion 40d, but the location of the second adhesive portion 46 is not limited to this. When the film heater 40 is fixed to the housing portion 30 as shown in Figure 3, the second adhesive portion 46 may not be located between the housing portion 30 and the entire heat-generating region H1, but only between the housing portion 30 and the non-heat-generating region NH1. In that case, the second adhesive portion 46 can adhere to the portion of the film heater 40 to the other portion of the film heater 40, so that the film heater 40 can be stably fixed to the housing portion 30 so that it forms a continuous ring. Specifically, for example, the second adhesive portion 46 may be provided over a part of the longitudinal direction of the second end portion 40d, or it may be provided on a part other than the second end portion 40d. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first adhesive portion 45a is provided along the entire longitudinal length of the first end portion 40c.

[0073] Figure 11 is a plan view of the film heater 40 before it is fixed to the housing 30 according to another embodiment. The film heater 40 shown in Figure 11 differs from the film heater 40 shown in Figures 7 and 8 in that it has a first end adhesive portion 81, a second end adhesive portion 82, and a third adhesive portion 83 instead of the first adhesive portion 45. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the first end adhesive portion 81 is provided on the first end 40c and is configured to bond the housing 30 and the first end 40c. The second end adhesive portion 82 is provided on the second end 40d and is configured to bond the housing 30 or the first end 40c to the second end 40d. The first end adhesive portion 81, the second end adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 include any adhesive means such as an adhesive or adhesive tape to which the adhesive is applied.

[0074] When the second end adhesive portion 82 is configured to bond the housing portion 30 and the second end portion 40d, as shown in Figure 7, the first end portion 40c and the second end portion 40d can be fixed to the housing portion 30 by the first end adhesive portion 81 and the second end adhesive portion 82, respectively. In that case, as shown in Figure 7, the first end portion 40c and the second end portion 40d may be arranged to be in substantially contact with each other so that the film heater 40 is formed in a substantially annular shape, or the first end portion 40c and the second end portion 40d may be fixed to the housing portion 30 at a distance from each other. Also, when the second end adhesive portion 82 is configured to bond the first end portion 40c and the second end portion 40d, as shown in Figure 9, the second end portion 40d may be arranged to overlap the outer surface of the first end portion 40c so that the film heater 40 can be stably fixed to the housing portion 30 so that it forms a continuous annular shape.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the film heater 40 has a third adhesive portion 83 that is positioned separately from the first end adhesive portion 81 and the second end adhesive portion 82. In the illustrated example, the two third adhesive portions 83 are positioned so as to be separated from the first end adhesive portion 81 and the second end adhesive portion 82 in the circumferential direction of the housing portion 30. As shown in Figure 11, the third adhesive portions 83 are configured to extend in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion 30 and to bond the housing portion 30 and the film heater 40. If the film heater 40 is positioned along the side wall portion 60 of the housing portion 30, there is a risk that the adhesive will shrink in the circumferential direction of the housing portion 30 when the consumable material 100 is heated. For this reason, if substantially the entire surface of the film heater 40 is bonded to the side wall portion 60, the shrinkage of the adhesive will be large, so strong stress will be applied to the first end 40c and the second end 40d of the film heater 40, and there is a risk that the film heater 40 will peel off. In contrast, according to the example shown in Figure 11, the third adhesive portion 83 is positioned to extend longitudinally, separate from the first end adhesive portion 81 and the second end adhesive portion 82. This ensures sufficient adhesive area for bonding the film heater 40 to the housing portion 30 while suppressing circumferential shrinkage of the adhesive. As a result, the film heater 40 is less likely to peel off the housing portion 30.

[0076] As shown in Figure 11, it is preferable that the first end adhesive portion 81 is provided along the entire length of the first end 40c of the film heater 40. Similarly, it is preferable that the second end adhesive portion 82 is provided along the entire length of the second end 40d of the film heater 40. However, the first end adhesive portion 81 and the second end adhesive portion 82 may be provided in parts of the first end 40c and the second end 40d, respectively.

[0077] As shown in Figure 11, it is preferable that the length of the third adhesive portion 83 along the longitudinal direction of the housing portion 30 is greater than the length of the third adhesive portion 83 along the circumferential direction of the housing portion 30. In this case, the circumferential length of the third adhesive portion 83 can be suppressed and the longitudinal length can be increased, thereby further suppressing the shrinkage of the adhesive in the circumferential direction while securing an adhesive area for bonding the film heater 40 to the housing portion 30.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, it is preferable that the third adhesive portion 83 be arranged adjacent to the non-heating portion 41b and the housing portion 30 in the longitudinal direction. The non-heating portion 41b of the conductive track 41 has a larger cross-sectional area and is harder than the heating portion 41a, so there is a tendency for resistance to be applied to the film heater 40 in the vicinity of the non-heating portion 41b, which causes it to flatten from an annular shape. For this reason, by arranging the third adhesive portion 83 adjacent to the non-heating portion 41b and the housing portion 30 in the longitudinal direction, the film heater 40 can be more stably fixed by the housing portion 30.

[0079] In the state where the film heater 40 is arranged along the side wall portion 60 of the housing portion 30 as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the third adhesive portion 83 is positioned facing the outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62 shown in Figures 4 to 6. In this case, when the film heater 40 is placed on the outer surface of the housing portion 30, the third adhesive portion 83 can be positioned on the flat outer surface, making it easy to position the film heater 40 in the housing portion 30, thus making it easy to manufacture the heater assembly 50.

[0080] In the example shown in Figure 11, the third adhesive portion 83 is provided in the heat-generating region H1, but it is not limited to this, and may be provided in the non-heat-generating region NH1, or it may be provided across both the heat-generating region H1 and the non-heat-generating region NH1.

[0081] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, specification, and drawings. Furthermore, any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention as long as it achieves the function and effect of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the flavor inhaler 200 employs a configuration that flows air in a so-called counter-flow manner, but it is not limited to this, and a configuration that flows air in a so-called bottom-flow manner may also be adopted. The heating method of the flavor inhaler 200 employed in the present invention is not limited to resistance heating, but may also be induction heating, microwave heating, or the like.

[0082] Some embodiments disclosed herein are described below: (1) A heater assembly comprising: a housing having an opening for housing a consumable material; and a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing, wherein the film heater comprises a heating region, a non-heating region, and a first adhesive portion for bonding the housing and the film heater, wherein, when the film heater is fixed to the housing, the first adhesive portion is not located between the housing and the entire heating region, but only between the housing and the non-heating region. (2) The heater assembly according to (1), wherein the housing has a side wall portion defining the opening; the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing and facing the first end, and is arranged along the side wall portion; and the first adhesive portion is provided along the entire length of the first end portion and the second end portion in the longitudinal direction. (3) A heater assembly according to (1), wherein the housing portion has a side wall portion defining the opening, the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion, the first adhesive portion is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first end portion, and a second adhesive portion is provided along the entire length of the second end portion in the longitudinal direction for bonding the second end portion to the first end portion, the heater assembly. (4) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the film heater has a third end portion extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and a fourth end portion extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and facing the third end portion, the first adhesive portion is provided along the entire length of the third end portion and the fourth end portion in the circumferential direction, the heater assembly. (5) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the film heater has a conductive track having a heat-generating portion and a non-heat-generating portion having a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion, and the first adhesive portion is located between the housing portion and the non-heat-generating portion.(6) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the film heater is arranged surrounding the housing, and the first adhesive portion is located between the housing and the entire non-heating region in the region surrounding the housing of the film heater. (7) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the housing has a pressing portion that presses a part of the consuming material when the consuming material is placed in a desired position in the housing, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion. (8) A heater assembly according to (7) referencing (5), wherein the heating portion is arranged facing the pressing portion, and the film heater is arranged such that the first adhesive portion does not face the entire pressing portion. (9) A heater assembly according to (7) or (8), wherein the first adhesive portion is arranged to face the non-press portion, and the housing portion has a gap between the inner surface of the non-press portion and the consuming material, which communicates with the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consuming material positioned at the desired position of the housing portion, when the consuming material is positioned at the desired position of the housing portion. (10) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the film heater is arranged to surround the outer surface of the housing portion, and the heater assembly further comprises a heat insulating layer surrounding the outer surface of the film heater. (11) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the film heater is arranged to surround the outer surface of the housing portion, and the heater assembly further comprises a heat shrink tubing for fixing the film heater to the housing portion.(12) A heater assembly comprising: a housing portion having an opening for housing a consumable material and a side wall portion defining the opening; and a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing portion, wherein the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion; the heater assembly comprising: a first end adhesive portion provided at the first end portion for bonding the housing portion and the first end portion; a second end adhesive portion provided at the second end portion for bonding the housing portion or the first end portion and the second end portion; and a third adhesive portion disposed separately from the first end adhesive portion and the second end adhesive portion, wherein the third adhesive portion extends in the longitudinal direction and is configured to bond the housing portion and the film heater. (13) A heater assembly according to (12), wherein the length of the third adhesive portion along the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the third adhesive portion along the circumferential direction of the housing portion. (14) A heater assembly according to (12) or (13), wherein the film heater has a conductive track having a heating portion and a non-heating portion having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the heating portion, and the third adhesive portion is arranged adjacent to the non-heating portion in the longitudinal direction. (15) A heater assembly according to any one of (12) to (14), wherein the side wall portion has a pressing portion that presses a part of the consuming material when the consuming material is placed in a desired position in the housing portion, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion, the pressing portion has a flat outer surface, and the third adhesive portion is arranged opposite to the outer surface of the pressing portion.

[0083] 30: Housing section 32: Opening 40: Film heater 40c: First end 40d: Second end 40e: Third end 40f: Fourth end 41: Conductive track 41a: Heating section 41b: Non-heating section 42: Film 45, 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d: First adhesive section 46: Second adhesive section 50: Heater assembly 60: Side wall section 62: Pressing section 62a: Inner surface 62b: Outer surface 66: Non-pressing section 66a: Inner surface 66b: Outer surface 67: Gap 70: Insulation layer 72: Heat shrink tubing 81: First end adhesive section 82: Second end adhesive section 83: Third adhesive section 100: Consumable material H1 : Heat-generating region NH1 : Non-heat-generating region

Claims

1. A heater assembly comprising: a housing having an opening for housing a consumable material; and a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing, wherein the film heater has a heating region, a non-heating region, and a first adhesive portion for bonding the housing and the film heater, and in a state in which the film heater is fixed to the housing, the first adhesive portion is not located between the housing and the entire heating region, but only between the housing and the non-heating region.

2. The heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion has a side wall portion defining the opening, the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion, and the first adhesive portion is provided over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the first end portion and the second end portion.

3. The heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion has a side wall portion defining the opening, the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion, the first adhesive portion is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first end portion, and a second adhesive portion is provided along the entire length of the second end portion in the longitudinal direction for bonding the second end portion to the first end portion.

4. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the film heater has a third end extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and a fourth end extending in the circumferential direction of the housing portion and facing the third end, and the first adhesive portion is provided along the entire circumferential length of the third end and the fourth end.

5. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the film heater has a conductive track having a heat-generating portion and a non-heat-generating portion having a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion, and the first adhesive portion is located between the housing portion and the non-heat-generating portion.

6. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the film heater is arranged surrounding the housing portion, and the first adhesive portion is located between the housing portion and the entire non-heating region in the region of the film heater surrounding the housing portion.

7. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing portion includes a pressing portion that presses a portion of the consumable when the consumable is placed in a desired position in the housing portion, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion.

8. A heater assembly according to claim 7, referencing claim 5, wherein the heating portion is arranged to face the pressing portion, and the film heater is arranged such that the first adhesive portion does not face the entire pressing portion.

9. A heater assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the first adhesive portion is arranged to face the non-pressing portion, and the housing portion has a gap between the inner surface of the non-pressing portion and the consuming material when the consuming material is placed at a desired position in the housing portion, the gap communicating between the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consuming material placed at a desired position in the housing portion.

10. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the film heater is arranged to surround the outer surface of the housing, and the heater assembly further comprises a heat insulating layer surrounding the outer surface of the film heater.

11. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the film heater is arranged to surround the outer surface of the housing, and the heater assembly further comprises a heat shrink tubing for fixing the film heater to the housing.

12. A heater assembly comprising: a housing portion having an opening for housing a consumable material and a side wall portion defining the opening; a film heater configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing portion, wherein the film heater has a first end portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing portion and a second end portion extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the first end portion, and is arranged along the side wall portion; the heater assembly comprising: a first end adhesive portion provided at the first end portion for bonding the housing portion and the first end portion; a second end adhesive portion provided at the second end portion for bonding the housing portion or the first end portion and the second end portion; and a third adhesive portion disposed separately from the first end adhesive portion and the second end adhesive portion, wherein the third adhesive portion extends in the longitudinal direction and is configured to bond the housing portion and the film heater.

13. A heater assembly according to claim 12, wherein the length of the third adhesive portion along the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the third adhesive portion along the circumferential direction of the housing portion.

14. A heater assembly according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the film heater has a conductive track having a heat-generating portion and a non-heat-generating portion having a larger cross-sectional area than the heat-generating portion, and the third adhesive portion is arranged adjacent to the non-heat-generating portion in the longitudinal direction.

15. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the side wall portion has a pressing portion that presses a portion of the consumable when the consumable is placed in a desired position in the housing portion, and a non-pressing portion that is circumferentially adjacent to the pressing portion, the pressing portion has a flat outer surface, and the third adhesive portion is arranged to face the outer surface of the pressing portion.

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