3D-Printed Aerosol Substrate With Inductive Susceptor Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smoking articles and aerosol delivery devices suffer from inconsistent performance characteristics in providing the sensations of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without substantial combustion.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol source member comprising a substrate portion with at least one substrate material and a resonant receiver made of susceptor material, configured to be inductively heated by a resonant transmitter, formed using additive manufacturing, which includes carbonaceous materials and alternating layers of susceptor and substrate materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If electrical energy is used to vaporize or heat volatile material without combustion, then harmful combustion products are reduced, but performance consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is formed as a composite material containing both susceptor material (for efficient electromagnetic energy absorption and heat generation) and volatile material (for aerosol generation). This composite structure ensures consistent thermal response and aerosol output while eliminating combustion, as the susceptor material provides reliable and uniform heating when exposed to electromagnetic energy from the transmitter.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the heating mechanism parameter from combustion-based thermal heating to electromagnetic-induction based heating. By adjusting the electromagnetic field parameters (frequency, power) and susceptor material properties (electrical conductivity, magnetic permeability), consistent and controllable heating is achieved without combustion, resolving the contradiction between eliminating harmful factors and maintaining performance consistency.
2Temperature
If traditional combustion methods are used to provide heat, then sufficient heating is achieved, but harmful incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical/chemical combustion system with an electromagnetic field-based heating system. The transmitter generates electromagnetic energy that is absorbed by the susceptor material in the substrate, converting directly to heat through electromagnetic induction. This substitution eliminates incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products while maintaining sufficient heating capability for aerosol generation, as the electromagnetic heating provides precise and controllable temperature management.
Solution Approach 2:
The susceptor material undergoes phase-related electromagnetic interactions (absorption, resonance) to convert electromagnetic energy into thermal energy efficiently. This energy conversion process occurs without combustion chemical reactions, providing clean heating that achieves necessary temperatures for vaporization while avoiding harmful combustion byproducts.
3Manufacturing precision
If additive manufacturing is used to form the substrate, then manufacturing flexibility and consistency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-formed using additive manufacturing with the precise mixture of susceptor material and volatile material before assembly into the delivery device. This preliminary fabrication ensures consistent material distribution, geometry, and properties throughout the substrate, improving manufacturing precision and performance consistency while allowing the final assembly to remain relatively simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides consistent aerosol production mimicking traditional smoking experiences without combustion, ensuring advantageous performance characteristics and inhalable substances in vapor or aerosol form.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one susceptor material is configured to be inductively heated by the at least one resonant transmitter
Implementation Method 2
electrically-generated heat to heat substrate material, preferably without significant combustion, in order to provide an inhalable substance in the form of an aerosol
Data Source
AI summary
An aerosol source member for use with an inductive heating aerosol delivery device, a method of manufacturing an aerosol source member for use with an inductive heating aerosol delivery device, and an aerosol delivery device are provided. The aerosol source member comprises a substrate portion comprising at least one substrate material and at least one resonant receiver comprising at least one susceptor material. At least a portion of the resonant receiver is configured to be positioned within a control body of the aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising at least one resonant transmitter, the susceptor material is configured to be inductively heated by the at least one resonant transmitter, and the substrate portion is formed using additive manufacturing.