Heater assembly and method of producing heating unit for flavor inhaler

Abstract

A heater assembly according to the present invention comprises: an accommodation unit for accommodating a consumable material; and a heating unit configured so as to heat the consumable material accommodated in the accommodation unit. The heating unit has an engageable part and an engagement part that engages the engageable part. The engagement part is positioned at one end of the heating unit, and the heating unit is positioned so as to surround the exterior of the accommodation unit by engaging the engagement part with the engageable part.

Description

Heater assembly and method for manufacturing a heating part for an aroma attractor

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater assembly and a method for manufacturing a heating part for an aroma attractor.

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

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

[0004] In the heater device of Patent Document 1, when a polyimide heating element is wound around the support tube, the polyimide heating element can be formed in a ring shape. Conventionally, an adhesive has sometimes been used to make a film heater such as a polyimide heating element into a ring shape. 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 changes, 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 part that houses a consumable material, which accompanies the use of an aerosol generator.

[0006] According to the first aspect, a heater assembly is provided. This heater assembly has a housing part for housing a consumable material and a heating part configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing part. The heating part has an engaged part and an engaging part that engages with the engaged part. The engaging part is disposed at one end of the heating part, and the heating part is disposed so as to surround the outside of the housing part when the engaging part engages with the engaged part.

[0007] According to the first aspect, the heating part can be annularly arranged so as to surround the outside of the housing part without providing an adhesive part. Therefore, even when the consumable material is heated by the heating part, the adhesive is not denatured, so that a change in the thermal conductivity from the heating part to the housing part that houses the consumable material can be suppressed.

[0008] The engaged portion includes a hole into which the engaging portion is inserted, and the engaging portion may have a first portion having a width greater than the width of the hole and a second portion having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole.

[0009] In this case, when the first part is inserted into the hole, it engages with the hole, fixing the insertion position of the first part and preventing the engaging part from coming out of the hole. The width of the hole and the engaging part here refers to the length of the hole and the engaging part along the longitudinal direction of the housing part.

[0010] The engaging portion may include a bent portion formed by bending a part of the heating portion, and the engaged portion may include a hole into which the bent portion is inserted.

[0011] In this case, the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be mechanically engaged without the need for adhesive by inserting the bent portion into the hole and bending it. Therefore, even if the consumable material is heated by the heating portion, the adhesive will not denature, and thus the change in thermal conductivity from the heating portion to the housing portion can be suppressed.

[0012] The heating portion has an inner surface facing the housing portion and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, and the bending portion may be inserted into the hole from the inner surface side and bent along the outer surface.

[0013] In this case, the folding portion can be inserted from the inner side of the heating portion and folded along the outer surface while pulling the folding portion, so that the heating portion can be positioned to be tightly fitted to the outer surface of the housing portion.

[0014] Multiple engagement portions and engagement portions may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion.

[0015] In this case, the engaging portion can be engaged with the engaged portion along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion, so the heating portion can be stably positioned relative to the housing portion.

[0016] The heating section 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 engaging portion and the engaged portion may be arranged such that their positions in the longitudinal direction of the heating section overlap with the non-heat-generating portion.

[0017] 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 heating portion in the vicinity of the non-heating portion, causing it to flatten from an annular shape. Therefore, by arranging the engaging portion and the engaged portion so that their positions in the longitudinal direction of the heating portion and the heating portion overlap, the heating portion can be maintained in an annular shape more stably.

[0018] The heating section has an energized section that is energized when the consuming material is heated, and a non-energized section that is not energized when the consuming material is heated, and the non-energized section may constitute the engaging section and the engaged section.

[0019] In this case, by forming the engaging portion and the engaged portion from a non-electric portion provided in the heating section, it is not necessary to require separate materials to form the engaging portion and the engaged portion, and the structure of the heating section can be simplified.

[0020] The housing portion has a side wall portion, the side wall portion having 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 adjacent to the pressing portion in the circumferential direction, and the heating portion may be arranged such that the engaging portion and the engaged portion face the non-pressing portion.

[0021] In this case, since the consumable material is in substantial contact with the inner surface of the pressing area, heat from the heating area can be efficiently transferred to the consumable material.

[0022] The housing portion has an opening formed at one end of the side wall and a bottom portion that closes the other end of the side wall, and when the consumable material is placed in the desired position of the housing portion, the housing portion may have a gap between the inner surface of the non-pressing portion and the consumable material that communicates with the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consumable material.

[0023] In this case, air flows between the non-pressed part and the consumable material, causing the non-pressed part to be at a lower temperature than the pressed part. Therefore, if the engaging part and the engaged part are not energized (heated), the engaging part and the engaged part are positioned in the low-temperature non-pressed part, which can suppress the reduction in heating efficiency of the housing part caused by the heating part.

[0024] The engaged portion may be positioned at the other end of the heating portion opposite to the one end.

[0025] In this case, since the heating element is formed in a ring shape without any excess portion, the heater assembly can be made compact.

[0026] According to a second embodiment, a method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler is provided. This manufacturing method comprises: a first step of preparing a first insulating sheet; a second step of laminating a metal layer onto the first insulating sheet; a third step of forming an energized portion from the metal layer that is energized when the consuming material is heated, and a non-energetic portion that is not energized when the consuming material is heated; and a fourth step of processing the non-energetic portion and the first insulating sheet into an engaged portion and an engaged portion that engages with the engaged portion.

[0027] According to the second embodiment, a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion can be formed from a single metal layer, and an engaging portion and an engaged portion can be formed from the non-conductive portion and the first insulating sheet. As a result, the conductive portion, which is the heating part of the heating section, and the engaging portion and engaged portion that form the heating section in an annular shape can be easily formed. Therefore, since the heating section can be arranged in an annular shape relative to the housing section without using an adhesive, the adhesive does not denature in the heating section. As a result, it is possible to suppress changes in the thermal conductivity from the heating section to the housing section that houses the consumable material.

[0028] The third step may include processing the non-energized portion into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion and the engaged portion.

[0029] In this case, the pattern for the conductive portion, which is the heated part of the heating section, can be formed from the metal layer, and at the same time, the metal layer can be processed into shapes corresponding to the engaging portion and the engaged portion, thus enabling efficient manufacturing of the heating section. In particular, when the conductive portion and the non-conductive portion are formed by etching, the conductive portion and the non-conductive portion having shapes corresponding to the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be formed with a single resist pattern.

[0030] The process may include a fifth step after the third step, in which the metal layer is sandwiched between the first insulating sheet and the second insulating sheet.

[0031] In this case, proper insulation and physical protection of the metal layer can be achieved.

[0032] The third step includes forming a first non-conductive portion and a second non-conductive portion that are arranged to sandwich the energized portion, and the fourth step may include forming a hole that penetrates the first insulating sheet, the first non-conductive portion, and the second insulating sheet, and processing the second non-conductive portion into a shape that can be inserted into the hole.

[0033] In this case, a heater can be manufactured in which the engaging part and the engaged part can be mechanically engaged by inserting the engaging part into a hole without the need for adhesive. Therefore, since the adhesive in the heating part does not denature, it is possible to suppress changes in the thermal conductivity from the heating part to the housing part.

[0034] 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 arrow 5-5 in Figure 4. This shows a cross-sectional view of the housing section at arrow 6-6 in Figure 5. This is a perspective view of the heating section. This is a plan view of the heating section before it is formed into an annular shape. This is a perspective view of the heating section according to another embodiment. This is a plan view of the heating section shown in Figure 9 before it is formed into an annular shape. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the heating section. This is a schematic diagram showing another example of the manufacturing process of the heating section.

[0035] 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 heating unit 40 that heats the outer circumference of the flavor generating segment of the consumer material 100, which will be described later. In the illustrated example, the heating unit 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 inhalation system 1000, the heating unit 40 can heat the outer circumference of the flavor generating segment, which will be described later, so that the aerosol and flavor generated in the flavor generating segment can be provided to the user via the airflow channel.

[0036] 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.

[0037] The flavor inhaler 200 includes a battery 10, a control circuit 20, a housing 30, and a heating unit 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.

[0038] The heating unit 40 includes a heating element that generates heat, i.e., its temperature rises, due to power from the battery 10. The heating unit 40 is located outside the housing unit 30 and is configured to heat the consuming material 100 housed in the housing unit 30 from the outside. Thus, in this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 200 is preferably an external heating type heating device. The heating unit 40 may be, for example, a film heater having a conductive track and a pair of polyimide films sandwiching it, arranged along the side wall of the housing unit 30, as will be described later. The heating unit 40 may also have a heating element configured to be inductively heated by an induction coil (not shown).

[0039] 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 heating section 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.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the consumer product 100. The consumer product 100 comprises 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 tip paper 104 surrounds the flavor generating segment 110 and is configured to connect the flavor generating segment 110 and the downstream segment 102.

[0041] Preferably, the consumable material 100 has an upstream portion 130 that abuts against the upstream end 110a of the flavor generating segment 110. In this case, the end of the flavor generating segment 110 is covered by the upstream portion 130, so that the flavor generating segment 110 does not fall off the consumable material 100. In addition, leakage of vapor or aerosol generated in the flavor generating segment 110 to the upstream side of the flavor generating segment 110 can be suppressed. As shown in Figure 2, the upstream segment 101 comprises a flavor generating segment 110 that generates aerosol by heating, and an upstream portion 130.

[0042] The upstream section 130 is located at the tip of the consumable material 100 and is configured to cover the end of the flavor generating segment 110. The upstream section 130 can be made of a material that is generally usable as a filter material for the consumable material 100. Specifically, for example, the upstream section 130 may be paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, or nonwoven fabric. The upstream section 130 is preferably paper. The length of the upstream section 130 in the longitudinal direction may be 1 mm or more, or 10 mm or less. Any additional members may be provided on the upstream side of the upstream section 130.

[0043] The downstream segment 102 preferably has an intermediate segment 140 and a mouthpiece segment 120 positioned downstream 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 the mouthpiece), an upstream section 130, a flavor generating segment 110, an intermediate segment 140, a hollow segment 120a, and a filter segment 120b. These five parts are covered by a flared rim. In particular, the parts are connected to each other by a first tip paper 103 and a second tip paper 104, at least a portion of which are located in the outermost layer.

[0044] As shown in the figure, the intermediate segment 140 may be provided with ventilation V1 in its circumferential and concentric direction. Furthermore, if the ventilation V1 arranged concentrically is considered as a single group of openings, there may be one such group or two or more.

[0045] The flavor source may include at least one of a tobacco raw material and a non-tobacco raw material. In this case, not only tobacco but also other plant materials and the like can be used for the flavor source, so that various flavors can be provided. The tobacco raw material is a raw material derived from tobacco, and specifically includes, for example, ground dried tobacco leaves or tobacco leaf powder. The tobacco leaf powder is particles obtained by pulverizing tobacco leaves. 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the heater assembly 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the heater assembly 50 has a housing portion 30 and a heating portion 40. The housing portion 30 is configured to house the consumable 100. The heating portion 40 is configured to heat the consumable 100 housed in the housing portion 30. The heater assembly 50 may further have a top cap 52. The top cap 52 may have a function of guiding when inserting the consumable 100 into the housing portion 30, and may be configured to fix the housing portion 30 to the flavor attractor 200.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, the heating portion 40 is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the housing portion 30. The heating portion 40 has a first opening end portion 40a close to the opening 32 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the housing portion 30 and a second opening end portion 40b on the side opposite to the first opening end portion 40a. Further, the heating portion 40 has a strip-shaped electrode 48 for supplying power to a conductive track 41 (see FIG. 8) described later. The strip-shaped electrode 48 may be disposed so as to extend from the second opening end portion 40b of the heating portion 40.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the housing portion 30. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing portion 30 taken along the arrow 5-5 shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing portion 30 has a side wall portion 60, an opening 32 formed at one end of the side wall portion 60, and a bottom portion 36 that closes the other end of the side wall portion 60. The opening 32 is formed at the other end of the side wall portion 60. As shown in Figure 3, the heating portion 40 is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the side wall portion 60 of the housing portion 30. The housing portion 30 is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, and can be formed of, for example, stainless steel or the like. Thereby, effective heating from the housing portion 30 to the consumable material 100 becomes possible.

[0050] 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 disposed at a desired position in the housing portion 30. Further, the bottom portion 36 has a concave portion 36b configured to be concave with respect to the contact portion 36a. The space between the concave portion 36b and the end face of the consumable material 100 communicates with a gap 67 described later.

[0051] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing portion 30 taken along the arrow 6-6 shown in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the consumable material 100 in a state of contacting the contact portion 36a. As shown in Figure 6, when the end face of the consumable material 100 is in contact with the contact portion 36a, the housing portion 30 preferably has a gap 67 that communicates with the opening 32 of the housing portion 30 and the end face of the consumable material 100 between the inner surface of the side wall portion 60 and the consumable material 100. Thereby, when the user smokes, an air flow path, so-called a counterflow type air flow path, in which air flowing in from the opening 32 of the housing portion 30 enters the end face of the consumable material 100 through the gap 67 can be formed. In this case, since there is no need to provide an opening for taking in air at the bottom portion 36 or the like of the housing portion 30, it is possible to prevent the fragrance or aerosol generated from the consumable material 100 from flowing out through such an opening.

[0052] 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 substantial contact with the inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62, heat from the heating portion 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 heating portion 40 shown in Figure 3 is preferably arranged on the outer surface 62b or inner surface 62a of the pressing portion 62.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 heating portion 40 can be accurately positioned on the inner surface 62a or outer surface 62b of the pressing portion 62, and the heating portion 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. Also, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the thickness of the pressing portion 62 and the non-pressing portion 66 is uniform.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] As described above, in conventional heater assemblies, adhesive is sometimes used to make the heating section 40 annular, and there was a risk of the adhesive degrading. Therefore, in the heater assembly 50 of this embodiment, the heating section 40 is formed annularly by means other than adhesive. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the heating section 40. Figure 8 is a plan view of the heating section 40 before it is formed annularly. As shown in Figure 8, the heating section 40 has a first end 40c that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing section 30, and a second end 40d that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing section 30 and faces the first end 40c. The heating section 40 also has a third end 40e that extends in the circumferential direction of the housing section 30, and a fourth end 40f that extends in the circumferential direction of the housing section 30 and faces the third end 40e. This heating section 40 has a generally rectangular planar shape and is arranged along the side wall 60 of the housing section 30, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the heating unit 40 is positioned in the housing unit 30, the third end 40e of the heating unit 40 defines the first open end 40a, and the fourth end 40f defines the second open end 40b.

[0058] As shown in Figure 8, the heating section 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 film 42 may also be other insulating sheets. 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.

[0059] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the heating section 40 has an engaged portion 70 and an engaging portion 80 that engages with the engaged portion 70. As shown in Figure 8, the engaging portion 80 is located at one end of the heating section 40. In the example shown in Figure 8, the engaging portion 80 is located at the second end 40d of the heating section 40. As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the heating section 40 is arranged to surround the outside of the housing section 30 by the engagement of the engaging portion 80 with the engaged portion 70. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the heating section 40 can be mechanically formed into an annular shape, and the heating section 40 can be arranged in an annular shape to surround the outside of the housing section 30 without providing an adhesive portion. Therefore, even if the consumable material 100 is heated by the heating section 40, the adhesive will not denature, and a change in the thermal conductivity from the heating section 40 to the housing section 30 that houses the consumable material 100 can be suppressed.

[0060] The engaged portion 70 may include a sheet member 71 made of metal, resin, or paper having a predetermined rigidity. Specifically, the engaged portion 70 may include a sheet member 71, a pair of films 42 that sandwich the sheet member 71, and a hole 70a formed through them. The engaged portion 80 is inserted into the hole 70a. In the examples shown in Figures 7 and 8, a plurality of holes 70a are formed in one sheet member 71. However, the engaged portion 70 may include a plurality of sheet members 71, and one or more holes 70a may be formed in each of the plurality of sheet members 71. Note that the sheet member 71 is arbitrary, and the engaged portion 70 may consist only of films 42.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the engaged portion 70 is positioned at the first end 40c opposite to the second end 40d on which the engaged portion 80 is formed. In this case, as shown in Figure 7, the heating portion 40 is formed in an annular shape without any excess portion, so the heater assembly 50 can be made compact.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7, the engaging portion 80 is configured to be inserted into the hole 70a of the engaged portion 70 and engage with the engaged portion 70. As shown in Figure 8, the engaging portion 80 may include a sheet member 81 made of metal, resin, or paper having a predetermined rigidity. Specifically, the engaging portion 80 may include a sheet member 81 and a pair of films 42 that sandwich the sheet member 81. The sheet member 81 may be laminated onto a single film 42 such that only one side is covered. In the examples shown in Figures 7 and 8, a plurality of engaging portions 80 are provided on the heating portion 40, and each of the plurality of engaging portions 80 has a sheet member 81. However, it is not limited to this, and the sheet members 81 of the plurality of engaging portions 80 may be connected to each other. The sheet member 81 is arbitrary, and the engaging portion 80 may consist only of films 42.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the engaging portion 80 has a first portion 80a having a width greater than the width of the hole 70a, and a second portion 80b having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole 70a. In this case, as shown in Figure 7, when the first portion 80a is inserted into the hole 70a, the first portion 80a engages with the hole 70a, fixing the insertion position of the first portion 80a and preventing the engaging portion 80 from coming out of the hole 70a. Here, the width of the hole 70a and the engaging portion 80 refers to the length of the hole 70a and the engaging portion 80 along the longitudinal direction of the housing portion 30. In the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, the engaging portion 80 has a plurality of first portions 80a and a plurality of second portions 80b arranged adjacent to each other along the direction of insertion into the hole 70a. However, the engaging portion 80 may have one first portion 80a and one second portion 80b. In this case, the first portion 80a is positioned closer to the tip of the engagement portion 80 in the insertion direction than the second portion 80b.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the heating section 40 has an inner surface 46a facing the housing section 30 and an outer surface 46b opposite to the inner surface 46a. The engaging section 80 is preferably inserted into the hole 70a from the inner surface 46a side. In this case, the engaging section 80 can be inserted into the hole 70a and pulled, so the heating section 40 can be tightened to the housing section 30.

[0065] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, it is preferable that a plurality of holes 70a and engaging portions 80 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion 40. In this case, the engaging portions 80 can be engaged with the holes 70a along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion 40, so that the heating portion 40 can be stably positioned relative to the housing portion 30. Also, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the engaging portions 80 and engaged portions 70 are positioned at a position P1 where the non-heating portion 41b of the conductive track 41 and the position P1 of the heating portion 40 in the longitudinal direction overlap. Since the non-heating portion 41b has a larger cross-sectional area and is harder than the heating portion 41a, there is a tendency for resistance to be applied to the heating portion 40 in the vicinity of the non-heating portion 41b, causing it to flatten from an annular shape. For this reason, by positioning the engaging portions 80 and engaged portions 70 so that the position P1 of the non-heating portion 41b and the position P1 of the heating portion 40 in the longitudinal direction overlap, the heating portion 40 can be maintained in an annular shape more stably.

[0066] The heating section 40 shown in Figure 8 has an energized section that is energized when the consumable material 100 is heated, and a non-energized section that is not energized when the consumable material 100 is heated. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 8, the conductive track 41 constitutes the energized section, and the sheet member 71 and sheet member 81 constitute the non-energized section. It is preferable that these non-energized sections constitute the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70. In this case, by forming the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70 from the non-energized section provided in the heating section 40, it is not necessary to require separate materials to form the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70, and the structure of the heating section 40 can be simplified. In particular, as will be described later, by forming the sheet member 71 and the sheet member 81 from the same material as the conductive track 41 (for example, a metal such as SUS), the sheet member 71 and the sheet member 81 can be formed together with the conductive track 41. In this case, the structure of the heating section 40 can be further simplified.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, the heating section 40 is formed in an annular shape by the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70, and is arranged to surround the outside of the housing section 30 as shown in Figure 3. In this configuration, it is preferable that the heating section 40 is positioned so that the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70 face the non-pressed section 66 shown in Figures 4 to 6. In this case, the consuming material 100 is in substantial contact with the inner surface 62a of the pressing section 62, so heat from the heating section 40 can be efficiently transferred to the consuming material 100. Furthermore, air flows between the non-pressed section 66 and the consuming material 100 due to the gap 67 shown in Figure 6, causing the non-pressed section 66 to be at a lower temperature than the pressing section 62. In this embodiment, where the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70 are not energized (heated), positioning the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70 on the low-temperature non-pressed section 66 suppresses a decrease in the heating efficiency of the housing section 30 by the heating section 40.

[0068] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the heating section 40 according to another embodiment. Figure 10 is a plan view of the heating section 40 shown in Figure 9 before it is formed into an annular shape. The heating section 40 shown in Figures 9 and 10 differs from the heating section 40 shown in Figures 7 and 8 in the shape and function of the engaging section 80. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the engaging section 80 of the heating section 40 includes a bent section 82 formed by bending a part of the heating section 40. Figure 9 shows the bent section 82 in a bent state, while Figure 10 shows the bent section 82 in a flat state before it is bent. As shown in Figure 9, the bent section 82 is inserted into the hole 70a. According to the example shown in Figures 9 and 10, the engaging section 80 and the engaged section 70 can be mechanically engaged without the need for adhesive by inserting the bent section 82 into the hole 70a and bending it. Therefore, even when the consumable material 100 is heated by the heating unit 40, the adhesive does not denature, thus suppressing changes in the thermal conductivity from the heating unit 40 to the housing unit 30.

[0069] The bent portion 82 is made of a sheet material such as metal, resin, or paper having a predetermined rigidity. Specifically, the engaging portion 80 may include a bent portion 82 made of a sheet material and a pair of films 42 that sandwich the bent portion 82. The bent portion 82 may be laminated onto a single film 42 such that only one side is covered. In the examples shown in Figures 9 and 10, a plurality of engaging portions 80 are provided on the heating portion 40, and each of the plurality of engaging portions 80 has an independent bent portion 82. However, the bending portions 82 of the plurality of engaging portions 80 may be connected to each other. Furthermore, the bent portion 82 may be made of any material that can maintain its bent state.

[0070] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the bent portion 82 is formed so that its tip tapers in width to facilitate insertion into the hole 70a. The bent portion 82 has a substantially constant width except for the tip, but is not limited to this, and may have a first portion 80a having a width greater than the width of the hole 70a and a second portion 80b having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole 70a, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0071] As shown in Figure 9, the heating section 40 has an inner surface 46a facing the housing section 30 and an outer surface 46b opposite to the inner surface 46a. The bending section 82 is preferably inserted into the hole 70a from the inner surface 46a side and bent along the outer surface 46b. In this case, the bending section 82 can be inserted into the hole 70a from the inner surface 46a side of the heating section 40 and bent along the outer surface 46b while pulling the bending section 82, so that the heating section 40 can be positioned to tighten against the outer surface 46b of the housing section 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the bending section 82 can be inserted into the hole 70a from the inner surface 46a side and folded back toward the first end 40c. However, the direction in which the bending section 82 is bent is arbitrary. Alternatively, the bending section 82 may be inserted into the hole 70a from the outer surface 46b side of the heating section 40.

[0072] Next, a method for manufacturing the heating unit 40 for the flavor inhaler 200 will be described. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process for the heating unit 40. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the manufacturing process for the heating unit 40. Figures 11 and 12 show side views and perspective views of the materials constituting the heating unit 40. The heating unit 40 is generally manufactured by a method comprising the following steps: A first step of preparing a first insulating sheet. A second step of laminating a metal layer onto the first insulating sheet. A third step of forming an energized portion that is energized when the consumable 100 is heated, and a non-energetic portion that is not energized when the consumable 100 is heated, from the metal layer. A fourth step of processing the non-energetic portion and the first insulating sheet into an engaged portion 70 and an engaged portion 80 that engages with the engaged portion 70. By manufacturing the heating unit 40 by the above method, the energized portion and the non-energetic portion can be formed from a single metal layer, and the engaged portion 80 and the engaged portion 70 can be formed from the non-energetic portion and the first insulating sheet. As a result, the energizing portion of the heating section 40, which is the heating part, and the engaging portion 80 and engaged portion 70 that form the heating section 40 in an annular shape can be easily formed. Therefore, since the heating section 40 can be arranged in an annular shape relative to the housing section 30 without using adhesive, the adhesive does not denature in the heating section 40. As a result, it is possible to suppress changes in the thermal conductivity from the heating section 40 to the housing section 30 that houses the consumable material 100. The following describes each step.

[0073] In the first step, a film 42, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, is prepared as the first insulating sheet. Subsequently, in the second step, a metal layer 90 is laminated onto this film 42, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 12(a).

[0074] In the third step, as shown in Figures 11(b) and 12(b), a conductive portion 91 and a non-conductive portion 92 are formed from the metal layer 90. Specifically, in the third step, for example, a resist pattern may be formed on the metal layer 90 and the conductive portion 91 and non-conductive portion 92 may be formed by etching.

[0075] The third step may include forming a first non-energized portion 92a and a second non-energized portion 92b that are arranged to sandwich the energized portion 91. The energized portion 91 corresponds to the conductive track 41 shown in Figures 8 and 10, and in the third step, a heat-generating portion 41a and a non-heat-generating portion 41b may be formed. The first non-energized portion 92a corresponds to the sheet member 71 shown in Figures 8 and 10, and the second non-energized portion 92b corresponds to the sheet member 81 and the folded portion 82 shown in Figures 8 and 10.

[0076] In the example shown in Figure 11(b), the first non-conductive portion 92a and the second non-conductive portion 92b are simply metal layers separated from the conductive portion, and their shape is not processed. In contrast, as shown in Figure 12(b), it is preferable that the third step includes processing the non-conductive portion 92 into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion 70 and the engaged portion 80. In this case, the pattern of the conductive portion 91, which is the heated portion of the heating section 40, can be formed from the metal layer 90, and at the same time, the metal layer 90 can be processed into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion 80 and the engaged portion 70, so the heating section 40 can be manufactured efficiently. In particular, when the conductive portion 91 and the non-conductive portion 92 are formed by etching, the conductive portion 91 and the non-conductive portion 92 having a shape corresponding to the engaged portion 80 and the engaged portion 70 can be formed with a single resist pattern. Specifically, the first non-conductive portion 92a is processed into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion 70 shown in Figures 8 and 10 by forming a hole 70a. Furthermore, the second non-energized portion 92b is processed into a shape corresponding to a plurality of spaced-apart sheet members 81 or bent portions 82.

[0077] As shown in Figures 11(d) and 12(d), in the fourth step, the non-conductive portion 92 and the first insulating sheet are processed into an engaged portion 70 and an engaged portion 80. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 11(d), the first non-conductive portion 92a and the film 42 are punched to form a hole 70a, thereby processing the first non-conductive portion 92a into an engaged portion 70. Similarly, the second non-conductive portion 92b and the film 42 are punched to form an engaged portion 80.

[0078] In the example shown in Figure 12(d), in the third step, a hole 70a is formed in the first non-conductive portion 92a, and the second non-conductive portion 92b is processed into a shape that is spaced apart from each other. Therefore, in the fourth step, by performing a punching process only on the film 42, for example, the non-conductive portion 92 and the film 42 can be processed into the engaging portion 80 and the engaged portion 70. According to the example shown in Figure 12, there is no need to perform punching on the non-conductive portion 92, so wear on the punching die can be suppressed.

[0079] Preferably, the manufacturing method of the heating section 40 further includes a fifth step after the third step in which the metal layer 90 is sandwiched between a first insulating sheet and a second insulating sheet. In this case, the metal layer 90 can be properly insulated and physically protected. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 11(c), the metal layer 90, specifically the energized portion 91, the first non-energetic portion 92a, and the second non-energetic portion 92b, is sandwiched between a pair of films 42. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 12(c), only the energized portion 91 and the first non-energetic portion 92a may be sandwiched between a pair of films 42, leaving the second non-energetic portion 92b exposed. According to the example shown in Figure 12, when the engaging portion 80 includes a bendable portion 82, the reaction force from the film 42 received when the bendable portion 82 is bent can be suppressed. Although not shown, the first non-energetic portion 92a may be laminated on a single film 42, leaving the first non-energetic portion 92a exposed as well. That is, one or both of the first non-energized portion 92a and the second non-energized portion 92b may be laminated on a single film 42 and exposed.

[0080] If the manufacturing method of the heating section 40 has a fifth step, the fourth step may include forming a hole 70a that penetrates the first insulating sheet, the first non-conductive section 92a, and the second insulating sheet, and processing the second non-conductive section 92b into a shape that can be inserted into the hole 70a. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11(d), a pair of films 42 and a hole 70a that penetrates the first non-conductive section 92a are formed by punching, and the second non-conductive section 92b and the pair of films 42 are punched to process them into an engaging section 80 that can be inserted into the hole 70a. Also, as shown in Figure 12(d), a pair of films 42 and a hole 70a that penetrates the first non-conductive section 92a are formed by punching, and the film 42 on which the second non-conductive section 92b is laminated is punched to process it into an engaging section 80 that can be inserted into the hole 70a. In this case, a heater can be manufactured in which the engaging portion 80 and the engaged portion 70 can be mechanically engaged by inserting the engaging portion 80 into the hole 70a without applying any adhesive. Therefore, the adhesive in the heating portion 40 does not denature, and as a result, the change in the thermal conductivity from the heating portion 40 to the housing portion 30 can be suppressed.

[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 for housing a consumable; and a heating unit configured to heat the consumable housing in the housing, wherein the heating unit comprises: an engaged portion; and an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion, the engaging portion being located at one end of the heating unit, and the heating unit being arranged such that the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion to surround the outside of the housing. (2) The heater assembly according to (1), wherein the engaged portion includes a hole into which the engaging portion is inserted, and the engaging portion comprises: a first portion having a width greater than the width of the hole; and a second portion having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole. (3) The heater assembly according to (1) or (2), wherein the engaging portion includes a bent portion formed by bending a part of the heating unit, and the engaged portion includes a hole into which the bent portion is inserted. (4) A heater assembly as described in (3), wherein the heating portion has an inner surface facing the housing portion and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, and the bending portion is inserted into the hole from the inner surface side and bent along the outer surface. (5) A heater assembly as described in any of (2) to (4), wherein the hole and the engaging portion are provided in a plurality along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion. (6) A heater assembly as described in any of (1) to (5), wherein the heating portion 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 engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged in a position where the non-heat-generating portion and the position in the longitudinal direction of the heating portion overlap. (7) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the heating portion has an energized portion that is energized when the consuming material is heated and a non-energized portion that is not energized when the consuming material is heated, and the non-energized portion constitutes the engaging portion and the engaged portion.(8) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the housing portion has a side wall portion, 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, and the heating portion is arranged such that the engaging portion and the engaged portion face the non-pressing portion. (9) A heater assembly according to (8), wherein the housing portion has an opening formed at one end of the side wall portion and a bottom portion that closes the other end of the side wall portion, and the housing portion has a gap between the inner surface of the non-pressing portion and the consuming material that communicates with the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consuming material when the consuming material is placed in a desired position in the housing portion. (10) A heater assembly according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the engaged portion is located at the other end of the heating portion opposite to the one end. (11) A method for manufacturing a heating portion for a flavor inhaler, comprising: a first step of preparing a first insulating sheet; a second step of laminating a metal layer onto the first insulating sheet; a third step of forming an energized portion from the metal layer that is energized when the consuming material is heated, and a non-energetic portion that is not energized when the consuming material is heated; and a fourth step of processing the non-energetic portion and the first insulating sheet into an engaged portion and an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion. (12) A method for manufacturing a heating portion for a flavor inhaler according to (11), wherein the third step includes processing the non-energetic portion into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion and the engaging portion. (13) A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler as described in (11) or (12), comprising a fifth step after the third step of sandwiching the metal layer between the first insulating sheet and the second insulating sheet.(14) A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler as described in (13), wherein the third step includes forming a first non-energized part and a second non-energized part that are arranged to sandwich the energized part, and the fourth step includes forming a hole that penetrates the first insulating sheet, the first non-energized part, and the second insulating sheet, and processing the second non-energized part into a shape that can be inserted into the hole.

[0083] 30: Housing section 32: Opening 36: Bottom 40: Heating section 40c: First end 40d: Second end 41: Conductive track 41a: Heating section 41b: Non-heating section 46a: Inner surface 46b: Outer surface 50: Heater assembly 60: Side wall section 62: Pressing section 66: Non-pressing section 67: Gap 70: Engaged section 70a: Hole 80: Engaged section 80a: First section 80b: Second section 82: Folded section 90: Metal layer 91: Conductive section 92: Non-conductive section 92a: First non-conductive section 92b: Second non-conductive section 100: Consumable material P1: Position

Claims

1. A heater assembly comprising: a housing for housing a consumable material; and a heating unit configured to heat the consumable material housed in the housing; wherein the heating unit comprises an engaged portion and an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion; the engaging portion is located at one end of the heating unit; and the heating unit is arranged to surround the outside of the housing by the engagement of the engaging portion with the engaged portion.

2. The heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the engaged portion includes a hole into which the engaged portion is inserted, and the engaged portion has a first portion having a width greater than the width of the hole and a second portion having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole.

3. A heater assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engaging portion includes a bent portion formed by bending a part of the heating portion, and the engaged portion includes a hole into which the bent portion is inserted.

4. A heater assembly according to claim 3, wherein the heating portion has an inner surface facing the housing portion and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, and the bending portion is inserted into the hole from the inner surface side and bent along the outer surface.

5. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the holes and the engaging portions are provided in a plurality along the longitudinal direction of the heating portion.

6. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating portion 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 engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged in a position where the non-heat-generating portion and the longitudinal position of the heating portion overlap.

7. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heating portion comprises an energized portion that is energized when the consuming material is heated, and a non-energized portion that is not energized when the consuming material is heated, and the non-energized portion constitutes the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

8. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the housing portion has a side wall portion, the side wall portion has a pressing portion that presses a portion 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, and the heating portion is arranged such that the engaging portion and the engaged portion face the non-pressing portion.

9. A heater assembly according to claim 8, wherein the housing portion has an opening formed at one end of the side wall portion and a bottom portion that closes the other end of the side wall portion, and the housing portion has a gap between the inner surface of the non-pressing portion and the consuming material that communicates with the opening of the housing portion and the end face of the consuming material when the consuming material is placed in a desired position in the housing portion.

10. A heater assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the engaged portion is located at the other end of the heating portion opposite to the one end.

11. A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler, comprising: a first step of preparing a first insulating sheet; a second step of laminating a metal layer onto the first insulating sheet; a third step of forming an energized portion from the metal layer that is energized when the consumable is heated, and a non-energetic portion that is not energized when the consumable is heated; and a fourth step of processing the non-energetic portion and the first insulating sheet into an engaged portion and an engaged portion that engages with the engaged portion.

12. A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler according to claim 11, wherein the third step includes processing the non-electric portion into a shape corresponding to the engaged portion and the engaged portion.

13. A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler according to claim 11 or 12, comprising a fifth step after the third step of sandwiching the metal layer between the first insulating sheet and the second insulating sheet.

14. A method for manufacturing a heating element for a flavor inhaler according to claim 13, wherein the third step includes forming a first non-energized part and a second non-energized part that are arranged to sandwich the energized part, and the fourth step includes forming a hole that penetrates the first insulating sheet, the first non-energized part, and the second insulating sheet, and processing the second non-energized part into a shape that can be inserted into the hole.

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