Heating array with heating elements arranged in elongated array
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smoking articles with resistance heating elements indirectly heat tobacco material, leading to inefficient heating and potential overheating due to indirect contact.
Innovation Solution
A heater with a plurality of elongate heating elements arranged in an elongate array, providing direct contact with the aerosol-forming substrate, allowing efficient heating and temperature control, and including an electrically conductive pin for voltage connection and switches for individual or common control of heating elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If indirect heating via air is used, then the heating element can be separated from the tobacco material, but heating efficiency deteriorates and overheating risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium that carries heat from the heating element to the tobacco material. The heated air flows through channels in the tobacco rod, efficiently transferring thermal energy without direct contact between the heating element and tobacco, thereby resolving the contradiction between temperature control and heating efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes pneumatic flow of air through the tobacco rod to achieve heat transfer. By controlling air flow rate and heating element temperature, the system optimizes heat delivery to the tobacco material, improving heating efficiency while maintaining precise temperature control through the intermediary air stream
2Power
If heating element dimension is increased, then heating capacity improves, but device complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into multiple discrete heating coils or resistive elements arranged along the length of the tobacco rod. This segmentation allows distributed heating capacity without requiring a single large complex element, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining total heating power
Solution Approach 2:
The heating capacity is increased by extending the heating element along the longitudinal dimension of the tobacco rod rather than increasing cross-sectional area. This dimensional approach provides scalable heating capacity with simpler construction, avoiding the need for large-diameter or multi-layered heating structures
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 enables efficient heating of the aerosol-forming substrate with reduced power and temperature requirements, minimizing overheating and optimizing contact for robust and efficient aerosol generation.
Implementation Method 1
a resistance heating element for heating tobacco material in the cigarette
Implementation Method 2
the heating elements are pressed towards each other so as to exert a force on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The heating array includes first heating elements arranged in an elongated array, the first heating elements spanning from a first end to a second end of the elongated array, a midsection of each one of the first heating elements bowing concentrically outward from a radial centerline running longitudinally through the first end and the second end, the first heating elements being configured to flex concentrically inward when a hoop force is applied to sides of the elongated array.