Mesh Susceptor Cartridge for Contact-Free Aerosol Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol-generating systems, such as electronic cigarettes, face challenges in producing cost-effective and robust refill cartridges that are easy to use and maintain, while avoiding the need for soldered joints and ensuring a sealed device that is simple to clean.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a cartridge with a mesh susceptor element heated by an inductor coil using high-frequency oscillating current, eliminating the need for electrical contacts and solder, and allowing for a disposable, inexpensive, and robust cartridge design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cartomiser type cartridge with resistance heater is used, then the atomiser is integrated with the liquid supply, but the cartridge becomes expensive and less robust due to soldered joints and complex assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the device into two distinct parts: a reusable device portion containing the inductor coil and power supply, and a disposable cartridge portion containing only the aerosol-forming substrate and mesh susceptor. This segmentation allows the complex heating mechanism to remain in the durable device while the cartridge becomes a simple, inexpensive replacement unit requiring no soldered joints or electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is designed as a disposable component that is inexpensive to manufacture and replace. By eliminating the resistance heater and electrical connections from the cartridge, the manufacturing cost is reduced and the cartridge can be simply replaced when exhausted, without any cleaning or maintenance of the atomiser.
2Reliability
If soldered joints are used to connect electrical components, then electrical connections are secure, but the device becomes difficult to clean and less robust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical electrical connection system (soldered joints and wire connections) with an inductive coupling system. The inductor coil in the device wirelessly transfers energy to the mesh susceptor in the cartridge through electromagnetic induction, eliminating all physical electrical connections and enabling a sealed, easy-to-clean device with no exposed electrical components.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a resistance heater is used in the cartridge, then heating is direct and efficient, but the cartridge requires complex assembly and becomes more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh susceptor acts as an intermediary ferromagnetic element that converts electromagnetic energy from the inductor coil into heat through hysteresis losses. This allows the cartridge to be heated efficiently without containing a resistance heater, simplifying the cartridge structure while maintaining effective heating of the aerosol-forming substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the heating mechanism from resistive heating (requiring electrical conductivity and direct contact) to inductive heating utilizing ferromagnetic properties. By selecting a mesh susceptor made of ferromagnetic material, the system achieves efficient heating through electromagnetic induction, eliminating the need for complex electrical assemblies in the cartridge.
4Ease of manufacture
If the device uses inductive heating with a mesh susceptor, then the cartridge becomes simpler and cheaper, but the device requires an inductor coil and power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex inductive heating components (inductor coil and power supply) into the reusable device portion, while the cartridge contains only the simple aerosol-forming substrate and mesh susceptor. This segmentation justifies the increased device complexity by creating a much simpler, cheaper disposable cartridge that can be easily replaced.
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
This solution reduces the cost of cartridges, enhances user convenience, and facilitates easy cleaning by using inductive heating with a ferromagnetic susceptor element, which is efficient and cost-effective, even if the device is more expensive, leading to significant savings for both manufacturers and consumers.
Implementation Method 1
a high frequency oscillating current is passed through the flat spiral inductor coil to generate an alternating magnetic field that induces a voltage in the susceptor element
Implementation Method 2
The induced voltage causes a current to flow in the susceptor element and this current causes Joule heating of the susceptor
Implementation Method 3
Because the susceptor element is ferromagnetic, hysteresis losses in the susceptor element also generate a significant amount of heat
Implementation Method 4
the susceptor element is ferromagnetic
Implementation Method 5
The vapourised aerosol-forming substrate can pass through the susceptor element and subsequently cool to form an aerosol
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
There is provided a cartridge for use in an aerosol-generating system, the aerosol- generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device, the cartridge configured to be used with the device, wherein the device comprises a device housing; an inductor coil positioned on or within the housing; and a power supply connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide a high frequency oscillating current to the inductor coil; the cartridge comprising a cartridge housing containing an aerosol-forming substrate and a ferrite mesh susceptor element positioned to heat the aerosol-forming substrate.