Infrared Heating Tube Alignment for Uniform Aerosol Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heating structures in heat-not-burning atomization devices face issues with uneven heating of aerosol generating substrates due to direct heat conduction, leading to local overheating and unpleasant smells, which affect the vaping experience.

Innovation Solution

A heating structure with a heating element accommodated in a tube body, allowing infrared light penetration, and maintaining an included angle of less than or equal to 5° between the central axes of the heating element and tube body, along with a gap of less than or equal to 0.5 mm, and supported by a coaxial support member to ensure uniform heating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the heating element directly conducts heat to the aerosol generating substrate, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the operating temperature must be kept low to avoid charring and unpleasant smells

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidoperating temperature of heating element
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an infrared-transparent tube body as an intermediary between the heating element and the aerosol generating substrate. The heating element radiates infrared light through the tube body to heat the substrate indirectly, allowing the heating element to operate at high temperatures (above 500°C or even 1000°C) without directly contacting the substrate, thus avoiding charring and unpleasant smells while maintaining high heating efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the heating element is accommodated in the tube body with high precision, then the heating structure is compact, but the positional relationship affects the local temperature field causing uneven heating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating structure compactnessVSAvoidheating uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent intentionally introduces asymmetry by adding a support member that is offset from the central axis of the tube body. This support member provides mechanical support to the heating element, ensuring stable positioning and uniform gap distribution between the heating element and tube body inner wall, thereby achieving uniform heating without requiring extremely high manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Productivity

If the gap between the heating element and tube body inner wall is reduced, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the risk of local overheating and charring increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidlocal overheating and charring
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a controlled gap distribution between the heating element and tube body inner wall through the support member. The support member ensures that the gap is uniformly distributed around the heating element, which evenly distributes the infrared radiation and prevents concentration of heat in localized areas, thus avoiding charring while maintaining efficient heating

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

Ensures uniform heating of the aerosol generating substrate, preventing charring and maintaining a consistent vaping experience by controlling temperature differences within acceptable limits.

Implementation Method 1

a heating element that generates infrared light in a power-on state, and a tube body that allows the infrared light to penetrate through

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

the heating structure heats and activates an infrared radiation layer of the heating structure to radiate infrared light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP4710795A1Heating structure and aerosol generating device
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 SMOORE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
  • EP4710795A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4710795A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4710795A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a heating structure and an aerosol generating device. The heating structure includes a heating element that generates infrared light in a power-on state, and a tube body that allows the infrared light to penetrate through. The heating element is at least partially accommodated in the tube body, and a gap is formed between the heating element and the inner wall of the tube body. An included angle formed between the central axis of the heating element along the length direction of the heating element and the central axis of the tube body along the length direction of the tube body is less than or equal to 5°. Alternatively, a distance between the central axis of the heating element along the length direction of the heating element and the central axis of the tube body along the length direction of the tube body is less than or equal to 0.5 mm, to ensure good perpendicularity of the heating element and a relatively uniform gap between the heating element and the tube body, thereby avoiding excessively high local temperature around the heating structure, ensuring uniform heating of an aerosol generating substrate, avoiding charring of the aerosol generating substrate, ensuring the consistency of the vaping experience of the user, and providing a good consumer experience.