Aerosol Container Heater Cap Design for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol-generating devices with heaters close to the external wall cause discomfort due to high external temperatures and have a prolonged time to first puff, as the heater's proximity to the device housing results in elevated temperatures and slow heating of the aerosol-forming substrate.
Innovation Solution
A container design with a heater integrated into the cap, allowing efficient heat application and piercing without damaging the heater, featuring an annular heater arrangement, flexible substrate, and elongate cross-sectional profile for improved heat transfer and aerosol formation, along with a method for manufacturing these containers and devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heater is placed close to the external wall of the device, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the external temperature of the device housing becomes uncomfortably high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the device into separate functional components: the container with heater is separated from the device housing. The heater is integrated into the cap of the container, which is inserted into the device housing. This segmentation allows the heater to be close to the aerosol-forming substrate for efficient heating while the device housing remains cooler and comfortable to hold.
2Temperature
If the heater is placed close to the external wall of the device, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the time to first puff is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is pre-integrated into the cap, which is already attached to the container before insertion into the device. This preliminary arrangement ensures that heating can begin immediately upon insertion and activation, reducing the time to first puff while maintaining efficient heat transfer to the aerosol-forming substrate.
3Ease of operation
If the cap is made piercable to allow aerosol release, then the aerosol generation is enabled, but the heater may be damaged during piercing
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed with differentiated local properties: a piercable portion that can be punctured to allow aerosol release, and a heater-containing portion that remains intact. The heater is positioned in a region of the cap that is not subjected to piercing, while the piercable area is located elsewhere on the cap. This local quality differentiation enables both aerosol release and heater protection.
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
The solution reduces user discomfort by efficiently heating the aerosol-forming substrate, shortening the time to first puff, and enhancing aerosol generation efficiency by localizing heat and ensuring proper electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
a heater, the heater defining the boundary of the piercing area
Implementation Method 2
increasing the length of the heater improves the heat transfer from the heater to the aerosol-forming substrate
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4(a)~4(b)
AI summary
The present invention relates to a container for an aerosol-generating substrate, the container having a piercing area, for use in an electrically heated aerosol-generating device having a piercing element for piercing the piercing area. The container comprises: a casing; and a cap including the piercing area and a heater, the heater defining the boundary of the piercing area. The invention also relates to an electrically heated aerosol-generating device comprising: a power supply;a cavity for receiving a container according to any of the preceding claims containing an aerosol-forming substrate;electrical contacts connected to the power supply and configured to couple the power supply to the heater of a container through the electrical contacts of the container;means for piercing the piercing area of a container when the container is received in the cavity. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a container comprising an aerosol-generating substrate.