Smokeable Material Heating With Integrated Elements to Prevent Delamination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smoking articles that burn tobacco to create smoke release harmful substances, and alternative heat-not-burn products face challenges in efficiently volatilizing tobacco components without combustion.

Innovation Solution

A smokeable material heating apparatus with a substrate and printed heating elements, chemically bonded and thermally matched to the substrate, heats the material to volatilize components like nicotine and aromatic compounds without burning, using a heater with a ceramics material and electrically resistive traces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If heating elements are placed on the substrate surface, then heating efficiency is improved, but thermal stress and delamination occur due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element and substrate are merged into a single integrated structure where the heating element is formed within the substrate material itself, eliminating the interface between two separate materials and thus preventing delamination while maintaining heating efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The substrate is formulated as a composite material containing both the base substrate material and the heating element material distributed within it, allowing tailored thermal and mechanical properties that match the coefficient of thermal expansion while providing efficient heating

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If heating temperature is increased to volatilize tobacco components efficiently, then volatilization efficiency is improved, but harmful substances increase and safety decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolatilization efficiencyVSAvoidharmful emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heating temperature is precisely controlled within a specific range (200-400°C) that is sufficient to volatilize tobacco components like nicotine while remaining below the combustion point, optimizing the balance between volatilization efficiency and harmful emissions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical/chemical process of combustion is replaced with controlled thermal volatilization using electric heating elements, transitioning from a high-temperature combustion process to a lower-temperature phase change process that avoids harmful combustion byproducts

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

Efficient volatilization of tobacco components at controlled temperatures, reducing harmful emissions and providing a safer inhalation experience.

Implementation Method 1

The heating element may comprise an electrically resistive trace in the substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

heat the substrate to a smokeable material volatilizing temperature and thereby cause the substrate to volatilize at least one component of smokeable material for inhalation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVolatilization: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS12409280B2Heating smokeable material

Publication Date: 2025.09.09 BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LTD

AI summary

An apparatus configured to heat smokeable material so as to volatilize at least one of its components for inhalation comprises at least one heating element on or in a substrate material.