Aerosol generating device with flow guiding structureTechnical Field
The invention relates to the field of aerosol generating equipment, in particular to an aerosol generating device with a flow guiding structure.
Background
The working principle of the heating non-burning tobacco product is that the tobacco substrate absorbs heat from a heat source through heat transfer to generate aerosol, air is taken as a carrier, and the aerosol generated after the tobacco substrate is heated is filtered by a filter tip and then delivered to the oral cavity of a consumer. To ensure the delivery efficiency of aerosols, current heated tobacco products require fresh air to flow through the tobacco substrate, with aerosol delivery generally occurring in the axial direction of the cigarette. Because the axial dimension of the smoke is larger than the radial dimension, the aerosol transmission resistance is larger, and the insufficient smoke amount is a problem faced by most of the current heating non-burning tobacco products.
On the other hand, for the purpose of heating and not burning the tobacco substrate, the existing products are generally realized by adopting a method of controlling the heating temperature. The negative effect of low heating temperature is that the traditional tobacco matrix formulation is difficult to directly use when heating non-combustible tobacco products, and the tobacco herb fragrance components are difficult to completely release, so that the glycerol and moisture content of the type of tobacco products are often high to ensure the smoke quantity, and the actual experience of consumers is influenced.
Disclosure of Invention
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an aerosol generating device with a flow guiding structure, wherein air does not directly flow through an aerosol generating substrate under the action of the flow guiding structure, but sweeps through the periphery of the aerosol generating substrate, and enters the interior of an aerosol generating product through a specific position.
The aerosol-generating device with a flow guiding structure according to the invention comprises an aerosol-generating element having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end in an axial direction and having an opening, and comprising a housing, an inner working member accommodated within the housing and a receiving sleeve, wherein the inner working member is arranged close to the distal end, and the aerosol-generating element has a hollow accommodation cavity in a portion close to the proximal end for accommodating the receiving sleeve, the accommodation cavity being in communication with the outside through said opening, and an aerosol-generating article, one end of which is inserted into the accommodation cavity via said opening, the aerosol-generating article being coaxially placed with the aerosol-generating element, wherein the aerosol-generating device has a flow guiding structure in communication with the outside for sweeping air from the periphery of the aerosol-generating substrate into the aerosol-generating article via the flow guiding structure.
Further, the aerosol-generating article may comprise a matrix segment, a hollow tube segment and a functional segment that are sequentially adjoined, a portion of the matrix segment, the hollow tube segment and the functional segment being accommodated in the accommodation chamber, and a portion of the matrix segment and the hollow tube segment being located in the receiving sleeve, the hollow tube segment having a central cavity in an axial direction, and at least one sidewall through hole being formed on a circumferential sidewall of the hollow tube segment.
In addition, the receiving sleeve may be a hollow tube and formed with a hollowed-out structure on the sidewall that covers a portion or all of the substrate segments. The hollowed-out structure may include a plurality of sleeve through holes uniformly distributed so that aerosol generated by the matrix section enters the flow guiding structure through the sleeve through holes, and an inner wall surface of the receiving sleeve is flush with a circumferential inner side wall of the proximal portion in the axial direction.
Preferably, the flow guiding structure may include a plurality of air inlets formed on the housing, an air outlet formed in the housing between the receiving sleeve and the proximal end portion and communicating with the receiving chamber, and at least one sidewall through hole corresponding in position to the air outlet to communicate with each other, a first aerosol receiving region being an annular space located in the housing and communicating with the plurality of air inlets and the air outlet at both ends, respectively, and a second aerosol receiving region constituted by the central cavity and the at least one sidewall through hole.
According to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air inlets may be formed on an end face of the distal end portion, and the first aerosol-receiving region extends from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion in the axial direction.
According to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air inlets may be formed on the axial side wall of the housing at a position adjacent to the inner end side of the accommodation chamber, and the first aerosol-receiving region is an annular space surrounding the receiving sleeve.
According to an alternative embodiment, the functional segment may comprise an aerosol optimizing element adjacent to the hollow tube segment, and a filter element.
Further, the aerosol optimizing element may be made of a temperature reducing material.
Alternatively, the aerosol optimizing element may be made of a soft material containing a humectant or flavoring agent.
According to a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating article may further comprise an outer wrapper wrapped around the substrate, hollow and functional sections, the outer wrapper being formed with an outer through hole at a position corresponding to the at least one sidewall through hole.
Preferably, the outer wrap may be made of a fluid permeable material.
According to one example of the invention, the circumferential inner side wall of the proximal portion may be provided with a sealing element for sealing when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving cavity.
Alternatively, the receiving sleeve may be made of a metal, an alloy, or a thermally conductive material with a surface metallization.
The aerosol generating device according to the invention more advantageously diffuses and migrates aerosol under the action of the flow guiding structure, thereby effectively increasing the smoke yield of the heated non-combustible tobacco products, and the individual air flow channels are easy to adjust the aerosol composition to improve the organoleptic quality of the product. In addition, the aerosol generating device has a compact structure, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the heating smoking set structure.
Drawings
The above and other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view in partial cross-section of an aerosol-generating device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;
fig. 2 is a bottom view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to an example of the invention;
fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure of a receiving sleeve according to another example of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a schematic view in partial cross-section of an aerosol-generating device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which an aerosol-generating article is not inserted, and
Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the overall structure of the aerosol-generating device according to the second exemplary embodiment.
Detailed Description
Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which further illustrate aerosol generating devices according to the present invention.
The aerosol-generating device according to the invention comprises an aerosol-generating element and an aerosol-generating article coaxially arranged. The aerosol-generating element has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion opposite the distal end portion and having an opening in an axial direction, and includes a housing, an inner working element housed within the housing, and a receiving sleeve. An inner working element is disposed proximate the distal end. For example, the internal working elements may include a power source (e.g., a lithium ion power source or the like) and circuit boards and wires (not shown) for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating article, particularly for controlling the heating process. The aerosol-generating element has a hollow receiving cavity in a portion near the proximal end portion to receive the receiving sleeve, the receiving cavity communicating with the outside through an opening of the proximal end portion. One end of the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving cavity via the opening. The aerosol-generating device according to the invention has a flow guiding structure in communication with the outside for sweeping air from the periphery of the aerosol-generating substrate into the aerosol-generating article via the flow guiding structure. The flow guiding structure is beneficial to the diffusion and migration of aerosol, effectively improves the fuming amount of the heated non-combustible tobacco product, and ensures that air does not directly flow through the aerosol generating substrate, but sweeps through the periphery of the aerosol generating substrate and enters the interior of the aerosol generating product through a specific position, thereby being easy to regulate aerosol components and improving the sensory quality of the product.
Next, the structure of an aerosol-generating device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view showing a partial cross section of an aerosol-generating device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2 is a bottom view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1. According to said first exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-generating device comprises an aerosol-generating element 1 and an aerosol-generating article 2 coaxially arranged. The aerosol-generating element 1 has a distal end 101 and a proximal end 102 opposite said distal end and having an opening in the axial direction, wherein the distal end 101 is the end remote from the consumer's mouth and the proximal end 102 is the end close to the consumer's mouth. The aerosol generating element 1 further comprises a housing 11, an inner working element (not shown in the figures) accommodated within said housing, which inner working element is arranged close to the distal end 101, and a receiving sleeve 12. For example, the receiving sleeve 12 may be made of a metal, an alloy, or a thermally conductive material with a surface metallization. The aerosol-generating element 1 has a hollow receiving cavity 13 in the portion near the proximal end 102 to receive the receiving sleeve 12, said receiving cavity communicating with the outside through the opening of the proximal end 102 to facilitate insertion of the aerosol-generating article. One end of the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the receiving cavity 13 via the opening, as shown in fig. 1. The aerosol-generating device has a flow guiding structure in communication with the outside for sweeping air from the periphery of the aerosol-generating substrate into the aerosol-generating article via the flow guiding structure.
In particular, as shown in fig. 3, the aerosol-generating article 2 may comprise a matrix segment 21, a hollow tube segment 22 and a functional segment 23, which are contiguous in sequence. The matrix section 21, the hollow tube section 22 and a part of the functional section 23 are accommodated in the accommodation chamber 13, and the matrix section 21 and a part of the hollow tube section 22 are located in the receiving sleeve 12, as shown in fig. 1. The hollow tube section 22 has a central cavity 221 in the axial direction and has at least one sidewall through hole 222 formed in a circumferential sidewall thereof. The aerosol-generating substrate segment 21 may be formed, for example, from a blend of one or more of cut tobacco, tobacco flakes, tobacco particles, tobacco shaped bodies, or tobacco-containing gels.
Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a receiving sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention. The receiving sleeve 12 may be a hollow tube and has a hollowed-out structure 121 formed on a side wall covering a part or all of the matrix segment 21. The hollow structure 121 may, for example, comprise a plurality of sleeve through holes uniformly distributed, so that the aerosol generated by the substrate segment 21 enters the flow guiding structure through the sleeve through holes. In addition, the inner wall surface of the receiving sleeve 12 is flush with the circumferential inner side wall of the proximal portion 102 in the axial direction (as shown in fig. 1) so as to accommodate the aerosol-generating article 2.
Further, the flow guiding structure may further comprise a plurality of air inlets 14, air outlets 15, a first aerosol-receiving region 16 and a second aerosol-receiving region 17 formed on the housing 11, as shown in fig. 1-3. An air outlet 15 is formed in the housing 11 between the receiving sleeve 12 and the proximal end 102 and communicates with the receiving chamber 13, and at least one sidewall through-hole 222 corresponds in position to the air outlet 15 to communicate with each other so that air and aerosol flowing through the first aerosol-receiving region enters the hollow tube section 22 via the air outlet. The first aerosol-receiving region 16 is an annular space located within the housing 11 and communicating with the plurality of air inlets 14 and air outlets 15 at both ends, respectively, so as to communicate with the air inlets 14, the outer side wall of the receiving sleeve 12 and the air outlets 15 in sequence. The second aerosol-receiving region 17 is formed by a central cavity 221 and at least one sidewall through hole 222, so that the aerosol carried by the first aerosol-receiving region 16 and diffused through the hollow structure 121 enters the second aerosol-receiving region 17 through the air outlet 15, and then enters the mouth of the consumer after being cooled, humidified, flavored or filtered by the functional section 23.
According to the first exemplary embodiment, a plurality of air inlets 14 are formed on the end face of the distal end portion 101, as shown in fig. 2. In the embodiment described, an annular space is formed inside the housing 11 extending from the distal end portion 101 to the proximal end portion 102, i.e. the first aerosol-receiving region 16 extends from the distal end portion 101 to the proximal end portion 102 in the axial direction.
The structure of the aerosol-generating device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 5 and 6, and similar parts in structure to those of the first exemplary embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail herein, only the differences will be described in detail. Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, a plurality of air inlets 14' of the flow guiding structure are formed on the axial side wall of the housing 11 at positions adjacent to the inner end side of the accommodation chamber 13. In the second exemplary embodiment, the first aerosol-receiving region 16' is an annular space surrounding the receiving sleeve 12.
Preferably, the functional section 23 of the aerosol generating article 2 may comprise an aerosol optimizing element 231 adjacent to the hollow tube section 21, and a filter element. The aerosol optimizing element 231 may be made of, for example, a temperature reducing material, or alternatively, may be made of a soft material containing a humectant or flavoring agent.
Next, an operation procedure of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. In use of the aerosol-generating device according to the invention, the aerosol-generating article 2 is placed coaxially with the aerosol-generating element 1 and inserted into the receiving cavity 13. The aerosol-generating element 1 is then activated, and the receiving sleeve 12 heats the matrix segment 21 of the aerosol-generating element by transferring heat or by self-heating. After a certain time of preheating, the aerosol-generating element 1 is prompted by the internal working element, and the consumer sucks at the proximal end 102 through the functional section 23 of the aerosol-generating element. In this way, the aerosol generated by the substrate segment 21 diffuses into the first aerosol receiving region through the hollow structure 121 of the receiving sleeve 12, and the air flows through the air inlet hole 14 (or 14 ') of the aerosol generating element 1, the first aerosol receiving region 16 (or 16'), the air outlet 15, and the sidewall through hole 222 of the hollow tube segment 22 in order to make the first aerosol receiving region carry the aerosol generated by the substrate segment 21, enter the second aerosol receiving region 17, and then enter the oral cavity of the consumer after being cooled, humidified, flavored or filtered by the functional segment 23.
According to one example of the invention, the aerosol-generating article 2 may further comprise an outer wrapper 24 wrapped around the matrix segment 21, the hollow tube segment 22 and the functional segment 23, as shown in fig. 3. The outer wrapper 24 is formed with an outer through hole at a location corresponding to the at least one sidewall through hole 222 to facilitate aerosol entry into the second aerosol-receiving region. Preferably, the outer wrapper 24 may be made of a fluid permeable material so that the aerosol generated by the matrix segment 21 can be easily released from the matrix segment for diffusion into the first aerosol region.
According to another example, the circumferential inner side wall of the proximal portion 102 may be provided with a sealing element 18 in order to achieve a seal between the inner side wall of the receiving cavity and the outer surface of the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving cavity.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may be made in these embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.