Fluid-Permeable Susceptor Cartridges for Contactless Aerosol Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerosol-generating systems, such as electronic cigarettes, require costly and complex cartomisers that need soldered joints and are not easily cleanable, while also being expensive to produce and inconvenient for refills.

Innovation Solution

An electrically heated aerosol-generating system with a device and cartridge design that uses a fluid permeable susceptor element and an inductor coil to induce heating without direct electrical contacts, allowing for a simple, inexpensive, and robust cartridge that can be easily replaced.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a cartomiser type cartridge with soldered joints is used, then the atomiser is integrated with the liquid supply, but the cartridge becomes costly to produce and difficult to clean

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration of atomiser and liquid supplyVSAvoidproduction cost and cleaning difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge is divided into separate functional components: a reservoir for liquid supply and a separate atomiser assembly. This segmentation eliminates the need for soldered joints between the liquid supply and atomiser, simplifying manufacturing and enabling easy cleaning of each component independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The atomiser assembly is extracted as a separate removable component from the liquid supply reservoir. This allows the atomiser to be easily detached for cleaning or replacement without affecting the reservoir, resolving the cleaning difficulty while maintaining functional integration during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If a cartomiser type cartridge is replaced as a single unit, then user convenience is maintained, but production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge is segmented into a reusable reservoir and a replaceable atomiser assembly. Users can replace only the atomiser when needed, reducing the cost per replacement while maintaining the convenience of simple unit replacement. The segmented design allows cost-effective production of smaller replacement units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If soldered joints are used in the cartridge, then electrical connections are established, but the device becomes difficult to clean and more expensive to produce

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidcleaning accessibility and manufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Soldered electrical joints are replaced with a mechanical electrical connection system. The atomiser assembly includes electrical contacts that mate with corresponding contacts in the device housing through a simple mechanical insertion interface, eliminating soldering operations and improving cleanability while maintaining reliable electrical connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 system reduces production costs and simplifies cartridge design, eliminating the need for soldered joints and enabling easy cleaning, while maintaining user convenience and efficiency in aerosol production.

Implementation Method 1

an inductor coil positioned around or adjacent to the cavity; and a power supply connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide a high frequency oscillating current to the inductor coil

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

at least a portion of the external surface being formed by a fluid permeable susceptor element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectResistive heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS12439971B2Aerosol-generating system comprising a fluid permeable susceptor element

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS SA

AI summary

An electrically heatable aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device and a cartridge configured to be used with the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device including: a device housing, an inductor coil, and a power supply connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide a high-frequency oscillating current to the inductor coil; and the cartridge including: a cartridge housing configured to engage the device housing and containing an aerosol-forming substrate, the cartridge housing having an external surface surrounding the aerosol-forming substrate, and a fluid-permeable susceptor element. A cartridge for an electrically heatable aerosol-generating system is also provided.