Folded Airway Induction Heating for Compact Smoke Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cigarette heating methods face issues such as uneven heating, heat shrinkage of filter rods, and difficulties in temperature control and manufacturing efficiency, particularly in contact electric heating and charcoal-heated cigarettes.

Innovation Solution

A smoke generating device with induction heating in a folded airway design, featuring a cigarette introduction pipe, induction coil, heating cup, and magnetic sealing element, which reduces contact area with the filter rod and uses ferromagnetic heating elements for efficient airflow heating, minimizing heat transfer and electromagnetic interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If contact electric heating is used to heat tobacco shreds, then heating efficiency is improved, but uneven heating and heat shrinkage of filter rod occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidheating uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces air as an intermediary heating medium. Instead of direct contact between heating element and tobacco, air is heated first and then flows through the tobacco shreds, achieving uniform heating without direct thermal contact that causes localized overheating and filter rod shrinkage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses pneumatic flow of heated air through the tobacco shreds to achieve heating. The air flow carries thermal energy uniformly through the tobacco mass, replacing direct solid-liquid contact heating with fluid-based heat transfer, which naturally distributes heat more evenly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Reliability

If heating element surface area is increased to ensure adequate heating of tobacco shreds, then heating adequacy is improved, but heating time increases and tobacco substances stick to heating element

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating adequacyVSAvoidheating time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Air acts as a mediator that transfers heat from the heating element to tobacco shreds without requiring the tobacco to be in direct contact with the heating surface. This allows for rapid heat transfer through the air flow, reducing heating time while preventing tobacco adhesion to the heating element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If non-contact electric heating is used to heat air, then heating uniformity is improved, but temperature control and airflow management become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating uniformityVSAvoidtemperature control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates temperature sensors and control circuits that monitor the heating element temperature and airflow characteristics, providing feedback to the control system. This enables automatic adjustment of heating power and airflow rate to maintain optimal heating conditions, simplifying temperature control despite the non-contact heating approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Length of moving object

If folded air channel design is used, then axial length of heating element is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaxial lengthVSAvoidair channel structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The folded air channel design nests the air flow path within itself, creating a compact three-dimensional structure. The air channel folds back on itself multiple times within the limited axial space, allowing sufficient heating path length to be achieved within a short axial footprint, effectively nesting the flow path within the device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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 device achieves even and efficient heating of tobacco, preventing heat shrinkage and improving smoking experience by reducing the axial length of the heating element and enhancing temperature control, while maintaining a compact design.

Implementation Method 1

induction heating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

induction coil

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEddy currents: Eddy Currents

Implementation Method 3

ferromagnetic heating elements

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFerromagnetism: Ferromagnetism

Implementation Method 4

airflow heating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4000433B1Smoke generating device for induction heating in folding air channel
Publication Date: 2023.11.01 CHINA TOBACCO YUNNAN IND
  • EP4000433B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4000433B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4000433B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to the field of novel cigarette smoking utensil, and in particular, to a smoke generating device with induction heating in a folded airway. The smoke generating device includes: a cigarette introduction pipe (1), an induction coil (3), a heating cup (5), a heating element (6) and a magnetic sealing element (7); wherein the cigarette introduction pipe (1) is disposed at the upper end of the smoke generating device with a hollow tubular structure, and its internal cavity is an air-mixing cavity (1D), the diameter of the air-mixing cavity (1D) is greater than that of the inner cavity of the heating cup (5), a gap is provided between the inner wall of the cigarette introduction pipe (1) and the upper end of the heating cup (5) as an air inlet channel (1A). The present disclosure folds the original "heating body + cigarettes" with a reduced space axial length, so as to reduce the axial length of the heating part of the smoke generating device. The heating element (6) of the present disclosure is disposed in the airway in a folded reciprocating form, which not only increases the length of the airflow channel, but also reduces the axial length of the smoke generating device.