CN113226083A

CN113226083A - Particle generating device with induction heater

Info

Publication number: CN113226083A
Application number: CN201980084508.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 权重鹤
Original assignee: Yinnuo Aidi Co ltd
Current assignee: Yinnuo Aidi Co ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-21
Filing date: 2019-12-23
Publication date: 2021-08-06
Also published as: KR102381044B1; KR20200078410A; EP3900552A4; EP3900552A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an induction heating type fine particle generating apparatus, and provides an induction heating type fine particle generating apparatus including: an exciting coil: a support that reacts with the excitation coil and in which induction heating occurs due to eddy current losses: a supporter temperature acquisition unit for acquiring the supporter temperature: and an isolating part for blocking the heat transfer between the supporter and the exciting coil.

Description

Particle generating device with induction heater

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a particulate generating apparatus having an induction heater.

Background

Figure 1 is a view showing a prior art induction heating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate as described in international publication WO 2015/177255. The induction heating device 1 comprises a device housing 10, which may be made of plastic, and a direct current power supply with a rechargeable battery 11 a.

The induction heating device 1 comprises a docking port 12, the docking port 12 having a pin 12a for docking the induction heating device 1 with a charging station or charging apparatus for charging the rechargeable battery 11 a. Furthermore, the induction heating device 1 comprises power supply electronics 13 configured to operate at a desired frequency (e.g. at a frequency of 5 MHz). The power electronics 13 are electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 11a by means of a suitable electrical connection 13 a.

A tobacco-containing solid aerosol-forming substrate 20 comprising a holder 21 is received in the cavity 14 at the end of the device housing 10 and in operation an inductor L2 (a cylindrical inductor coil wound in a spiral) is inductively coupled to the holder 21 of the tobacco-containing solid aerosol-forming substrate 20 of the smoking article 2. The filter portion 22 of the smoking article 2 is arranged outside the cavity 14 of the induction heating device 1 and, in operation, a consumer can inhale an aerosol through the filter portion 22.

The induction heating means comprises an inductor arranged in thermal proximity to the aerosol-forming substrate and the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a holder. The alternating magnetic field of the inductor generates eddy currents and hysteresis losses which cause the holder to heat the aerosol-forming substrate to a temperature which allows it to release volatile components capable of forming an aerosol. Since the heating of the holder is performed in a non-contact manner, it is not possible to measure the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate directly. This makes it difficult for the user to determine when to draw while smoking.

Documents of the prior art

(patent document 1) International publication WO 95/27411

(patent document 2) International publication WO 2015/177257

(patent document 3) International publication WO2015/177255

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inductively heated particle generating apparatus which includes a susceptor as part thereof to directly measure the temperature of the susceptor and thereby easily control the heating of the susceptor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an induction heating particle generating apparatus in which a magnetic heating element heated by an exciting coil transfers heat to the exciting coil while being heated, which results in an improvement in efficiency.

Solution scheme

In view of the above, the present invention provides an induction heating fine particle generating apparatus, comprising: an excitation coil; a supporter that reacts with the excitation coil so that induction heating occurs due to eddy current loss; and an insulating member for shielding heat between the supporter and the exciting coil.

The present invention also provides an induction heating particle generating apparatus, comprising: an excitation coil; a liquid storage space; and a heating member configured as a holder to evaporate the liquid.

Advantageous effects

An advantage of the inductively heated particle generating apparatus according to the invention is that it includes the susceptor as part thereof to directly measure the temperature of the susceptor and thereby easily control the heating of the susceptor.

The induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the present invention is advantageous in that the magnetic heating element can be heated by a single piece of excitation coil wound in a cylindrical shape, and the isolation tube is disposed between the magnetic heating element and the excitation coil, which prevents the excitation coil from overheating and improves the heating efficiency of the magnetic heating element.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a view showing a prior art induction heating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate.

Figure 2 is a schematic exploded cross-sectional view showing one preferred example of a smoking article that may be used in the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic exploded cross-sectional view showing another preferred example of a smoking article that can be used in the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a fine particle generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an exploded sectional view showing a particulate generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an isolation tube that can be used in the particulate generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a first inner portion usable in the particulate generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a hot bar that can be used in the particulate generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a second inner portion usable in the particulate generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a particulate generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing a particulate generating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a particulate generating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing a part of a particulate generating apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing a part of a particulate generating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a view showing one embodiment of a block diagram of a circuit for induction heating in the particulate generating apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a view showing another embodiment of a block diagram of a circuit for induction heating in the particulate generating apparatus according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Thus, according to another aspect of the invention there is provided a particulate generating device of a graspable and portable size having an induction heater, the induction heater having a cavity into which a smoking article containing an aerosol-forming substrate and wrapped in a wrapper can be inserted and the induction heater heating the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article inserted into the cavity to form an aerosol, the particulate generating device comprising: an excitation coil that is provided in the fine particle generating apparatus and that is wound a plurality of times; a metal support disposed inside the excitation coil to be surrounded by the excitation coil in the particulate generation apparatus, made of a hollow cylindrical sheet defining the cavity, and heated to a temperature of 400 ℃ or less by induction heating due to eddy current losses by reaction with the excitation coil, an inner surface of the support being in contact with at least a portion of an outer surface of the wrapper of the smoking article inserted into the cavity, the inductively heated support heating the aerosol-forming substrate in the wrapper by heat transfer to form an aerosol; an isolation portion provided between the holder and the excitation coil in the particulate generation apparatus to prevent heat of the holder from being transferred to the excitation coil; a structure disposed in the particle generating apparatus for supporting at least a portion of one of the holder and the excitation coil; a supporter temperature obtaining unit provided in the fine particle generating apparatus to obtain a temperature of the supporter; a rechargeable battery provided in the fine particle generating apparatus to serve as a direct current power source; and a control unit electrically connected to the excitation coil, the supporter temperature obtaining unit, and the rechargeable battery, and supplying a direct current power from the rechargeable battery to supply an alternating current having a resonance frequency or an alternating current having a frequency different from the resonance frequency to the excitation coil according to the temperature of the supporter, and heating the supporter to a desired temperature by induction heating.

Preferably, the particulate generating device may further comprise a holder inserted through a lower central portion of the smoking article inserted into the cavity, the holder being in direct contact with the aerosol-forming substrate in the smoking article to heat the aerosol-forming substrate.

Preferably, the holder is made of a thin plate of stainless steel.

Preferably, the isolation portion may be an air layer disposed between the holder and the excitation coil.

Preferably, the structure for supporting at least a part of one of the holder and the excitation coil may be an insulating plastic structure made of heat-resistant plastic and provided between the holder and the excitation coil to serve as an insulating portion for preventing heat of the holder from being transferred to the excitation coil.

Preferably the insulating plastics structure may be an insulating tube for supporting at least part of the holder externally of the holder, the excitation coil being wound around the outer surface of the structure.

Preferably, a thermal isolator ring made of ceramic powder with low thermal conductivity may be separately interposed between the insulating plastic structure and the supporter to support the supporter and prevent the heat of the supporter from leaking to the outside.

Preferably, a ferrite sheet may be wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil in contact with the excitation coil to prevent magnetic flux from leaking to the outside of the excitation coil.

Preferably, a graphite sheet may be wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil to radiate heat of the excitation coil to the outside.

Preferably, the ferrite sheet and the laminated sheet of graphite sheet may be wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil to prevent magnetic flux from leaking to the outside of the excitation coil and to radiate heat of the excitation coil to the outside.

Preferably, the particulate generating device may further comprise a pressure sensor disposed in an airflow path in communication with the cavity to sense negative pressure caused by a user drawing on the smoking article inserted into the cavity.

Preferably, the supporter temperature obtaining unit may calculate the temperature of the supporter based on the current and voltage changes detected by a current sensor and a voltage sensor that measure the changes in current and voltage for heating the supporter, which depend on the inductance or reactance that changes with the temperature change of the supporter.

Preferably, the supporter temperature obtaining unit may be a temperature sensor in contact with an outer surface of the supporter to sense a resistance change according to a temperature change of the supporter to measure a temperature, and a lead of the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control unit.

Preferably the temperature sensor and the leads of the temperature sensor are surrounded by a heat resistant shrinkable tube around the outside of the holder and in contact with the outer surface of the holder.

Preferably, a liquid cartridge may be included in the smoking article.

Preferably, the liquid cartridge may comprise a liquid or gel composition comprising glycerol VG.

Preferably, the smoking article may further comprise a smokable filler material upstream or downstream of the liquid cartridge.

Preferably, the smoking article may further comprise a filter and a tube, the filter, tube and liquid cartridge being wrapped in a single wrapper.

Preferably, the smoking article may comprise a smokable filler material comprising glycerol VG.

Preferably, the smoking article may further comprise a filter and a tube, the filter, tube and smokable filler material being wrapped in a single wrapper.

Modes for carrying out the invention

Certain embodiments will now be shown in the drawings and described in detail in the specification, but various changes and modifications can be made. The features and advantages of the present invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features or components.

In the following embodiments, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are used to describe the relative position of the segments of the smoking article with respect to the direction in which a user draws air through the smoking article. The smoking article comprises an upstream end through which air enters and an opposite downstream end through which air exits. In use, a user pulls on the downstream end of the smoking article. The downstream end is downstream of the upstream end. The term "end" may also be described as "terminal end".

The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Since the size and thickness of each configuration shown in the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated for better understanding and convenience of description, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the invention may be implemented in various different ways and is not limited to the described embodiments.

A liquid cartridge insertable into a smoking article to generate an aerosol by heating, and a heated smoking article comprising a liquid cartridge usable in a particulate generating device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of explanation, the components of the heated smoking article and the description of the liquid cartridge therein will be described separately. Here, heated smoking article is intended to mean a smoking article that is heated by resistive or inductive heating, rather than by combustion, to produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The smoking article contains an appropriate amount of aerosol-forming substrate and/or tobacco thread to provide an equivalent amount of smoking of a single conventional cigarette. The smoking article does not produce a significant amount of aerosol after a preset amount of aerosol is produced and will be discarded by the user after one use.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, a heated smoking article 50 that may be used in a particulate generating device according to the invention comprises a liquid composition, such as typically tobacco cut filler and glycerine, as an aerosol-forming substrate, as will be described below. A heated smoking article 50 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention has a laminate structure comprising a tobacco thread 58 as an aerosol-forming substrate at an upstream end, a liquid cartridge 56 as a further aerosol-forming substrate immediately downstream thereof, a tube 54 providing an aerosol passage immediately downstream thereof and a filter 52 serving as a mouthpiece. The relative positions of the liquid cartridge 56 and the tobacco shred or tobacco filler 58 may be reversed. Alternatively, the tobacco cut or filler 58 may be omitted as shown in fig. 3, or the liquid cartridge 56 may be omitted as in the heated smoking articles 50 on the market.

The liquid cartridge 56 according to the present invention includes: a liquid or gel composition; a liquid or gel absorbent soaked with the liquid or gel composition; and a packing paper wrapping the side of the liquid or gel absorbent in a cylindrical shape having a length of 7mm to 20mm and a diameter of 5mm to 8mm, wherein the liquid or gel absorbent has a sufficient absorption rate to absorb 70mg to 120mg of the liquid composition and hold it in the liquid cartridge. A cylindrical shape with a length of 7mm to 20mm and a diameter of 5mm to 8mm meets the standard of conventional cigarettes or heated smoking articles in use today. When the standard liquid cartridge 56 described above is inserted into a heated smoking article and wrapped in a separate wrapper 60, the user will see no difference between a conventional cigarette and the heated smoking article.

The invention is characterised in that the liquid absorbent of the above-mentioned standard liquid cartridge 56 absorbs 70mg to 120mg of the liquid or gel composition and that the numerical range represents the amount of the liquid composition that provides an aerosol derived from the liquid composition when a user inhales the aerosol from the tobacco thread of an individual cigarette rod for heating a smoking article. If the liquid absorbent absorbs an amount of the liquid or gel composition that is less than the above-mentioned lower limit (70mg), the amount of aerosol derived from the liquid composition will be insufficient when a user inhales the aerosol from the tobacco thread in the heated smoking article. Therefore, the amount of the liquid composition absorbed by the liquid cartridge should be equal to or greater than the above-mentioned lower limit (70 mg). If the amount of the liquid or gel composition absorbed by the absorbent exceeds the above upper limit (120mg), it will be difficult to hold the liquid composition absorbed by the absorbent in the above-mentioned standard liquid cartridge, resulting in the liquid composition flowing out of the liquid cartridge. Therefore, the amount of the liquid or gel composition absorbed by the liquid cartridge 56 should be equal to or less than the above upper limit (120 mg). Preferably in the range of 80mg to 110mg, more preferably in the range of 90mg to 105 mg.

It is another feature of the present invention that the liquid absorbent in the standard liquid box 56 described above has a sufficient absorption rate to retain a liquid composition having the above-described range in the liquid box. That is, the liquid composition remains absorbed by the liquid absorbent in the liquid cartridge without flowing out of the liquid cartridge. Here, absorption means that the absorbent is wetted by the liquid composition that does not flow out. As described below, the filter, tube, liquid cartridge and smokable filler material are wrapped in a wrapper to form a heated smoking article, wherein the liquid cartridge is brought into direct contact with the smokable filler material or tube or filter without a separate component downstream or upstream, and the liquid composition absorbed by the liquid absorbent of the liquid cartridge is stored in the liquid absorbent but does not flow out towards the smokable filler material or tube or filter. For this reason, it is preferable that the amount of the liquid composition of the liquid absorbent is 0.13mg/mm per unit volume of the liquid absorbent³To 0.32mg/mm³. The reason why this numerical limitation is set is similar to the reason why the numerical limitation is set on the amount of the liquid composition absorbed by the absorbent of the present invention. That is, if the amount of the liquid composition absorbed by the liquid absorbent is insufficient, that is, less than the above-mentioned lower limit (0.13 mg/mm)³) Then when the user inhales the aerosol from the tobacco thread in the heated smoking article, the amount of aerosol from the liquid composition will be insufficient. Therefore, the amount of the liquid composition absorbed by the liquid cartridge should be equal to or greater than the lower limit (0.13 mg/mm)³). If the amount of the liquid composition absorbed by the liquid absorbent exceeds the above upper limit (0.32 mg/mm)³) It is difficult to keep the liquid composition absorbed in the liquid absorbent in the above-mentioned standard liquid cartridge, resulting in the liquid composition flowing out of the liquid cartridge.

The liquid composition contains glycerol VG and optionally glycerol PG, water and flavouring agents. The liquid composition comprises 70 to 100 wt% of glycerin VG, 0 to 20 wt% of glycerin PG, and 0 to 10 wt% of water, and further comprises a flavoring agent added in an amount of 10% or less of the total weight of the resulting liquid composition. According to a preferred embodiment, the invention uses a liquid composition made of 100 wt% glycerol VG. According to another preferred embodiment, the invention uses a liquid composition made of 80 wt% glycerol VG and 20 wt% glycerol PG. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the invention uses a liquid composition made of 75 wt% glycerol VG, 20 wt% glycerol PG and 5 wt% water. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the present invention further comprises a flavoring agent added in an amount of 10% or less by total weight of the resulting liquid composition. For example, flavoring agents may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, bi-sweetener, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, acerola, fenugreek, quinoa, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, peppermint, caraway, cognac brandy, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang oil, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, coffee, or the like. In addition, the liquid composition may or may not contain nicotine.

According to a preferred embodiment, the liquid absorbent of the present invention is manufactured by crumpling or rolling a strip made of melamine-based foam resin having a thickness of 2mm to 3mm into a cylindrical shape. According to another preferred embodiment, the liquid absorbent of the present invention is made by processing the melamine-based foam resin into a cylindrical shape, and more preferably, the liquid absorbent made of the melamine-based foam resin has a density of 0.01mg/mm³To 0.013mg/mm³Weight per unit volume. According to the test results of a heated smoking article comprising a liquid cartridge having a liquid absorbent impregnated with 100mg of the liquid composition, during the test the liquid composition remains absorbed in the liquid absorbent without flowing out, and a sufficient amount of aerosol derived from the liquid composition is observed.

According to another preferred embodiment, the liquid absorbent of the present invention is made by crumpling or folding or rolling pulp or pulp-containing fabric into a cylindrical shape or by processing it into a cylindrical shape, more preferably a liquid absorbent made of pulp or pulp-containing fabricThe preparation has a concentration of 0.25mg/mm³To 0.4mg/mm³Weight per unit volume. According to the test results of a heated smoking article comprising a liquid cartridge having a liquid absorbent impregnated with 100mg of the liquid composition, during the test the liquid composition remains absorbed in the liquid absorbent without flowing out, and a sufficient amount of aerosol derived from the liquid composition is observed.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the liquid absorbent of the present invention is made by crumpling or rolling a cotton or non-woven fabric into a cylindrical shape or by processing it into a cylindrical shape, more preferably, the liquid absorbent made of the cotton or non-woven fabric has 0.2mg/mm³To 0.35mg/mm³Weight per unit volume. According to the test results of a heated smoking article comprising a liquid cartridge having a liquid absorbent impregnated with 100mg of the liquid composition, during the test the liquid composition remains absorbed in the liquid absorbent without flowing out, and a sufficient amount of aerosol derived from the liquid composition is observed.

According to still another preferred embodiment, the liquid absorbent of the present invention is made by crumpling or rolling a bamboo fiber fabric or non-woven fabric into a cylindrical shape or by processing it into a cylindrical shape, and more preferably, the liquid absorbent made of the bamboo fiber fabric or non-woven fabric has 0.15mg/mm³To 0.25mg/mm³Weight per unit volume. According to the test results of a heated smoking article comprising a liquid cartridge having a liquid absorbent impregnated with 100mg of the liquid composition, during the test the liquid composition remains absorbed in the liquid absorbent without flowing out, and a sufficient amount of aerosol derived from the liquid composition is observed.

In a smoking article applicable to a particulate generating device according to the invention, a gel-aerosol-forming substrate cartridge comprises: a gel aerosol-forming substrate which is present as a gel or solid phase at ambient temperature and which evaporates into an aerosol at a temperature in the range of 150 ℃ to 300 ℃ and which comprises glycerol VG, water and gelatin and optionally glycerol PG; a gel receiver for receiving a gel aerosol-forming substrate; and a packing paper wrapped around a side of the gel receiver in a cylindrical shape having a length of 7mm to 20mm and a diameter of 5mm to 8 mm. A cylindrical shape having a length of 7mm to 20mm and a diameter of 5mm to 8mm meets the standard of conventional cigarettes or heated smoking articles in use today. When the standard gel aerosol-forming substrate cartridge described above is inserted into a heated smoking article and wrapped in a separate wrapper, the user will see no difference between a conventional cigarette and the heated smoking article.

Here, the gel aerosol-forming substrate comprises a liquid composition made of 80 to 100 wt% glycerol VG and 0 to 20 wt% glycerol PG, containing 1 to 6g of gelatin by weight in 100ml of a mixture of 60 to 80 wt% liquid composition and 20 to 40 wt% water by volume, and optionally containing added flavouring agents in an amount of less than 10 wt% of the total weight of the obtained liquid composition. Here, preferably, the liquid composition may be contained in the gel receiver in an amount of 70mg to 120 mg. Alternatively, the liquid composition may be in the range of 0.13mg/mm per unit volume of gel receiver³To 0.32mg/mm³Is contained in the gel receiver.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wrapping paper 60 is made by attaching an aluminum foil to paper, and is wrapped in a cylindrical shape such that the aluminum foil is in contact with the liquid absorbent. As can be seen from the structures of the liquid cartridges shown in fig. 2 and 3, the liquid absorbent is wrapped in a wrapping paper, in which case the wrapping paper may be provided by attaching an aluminum foil to the paper, and may be wrapped in a cylindrical shape such that the aluminum foil is in contact with the liquid absorbent. As a result, it is preferable to require a wrapper (made by attaching aluminum foil to paper) wrapped around the liquid cartridge 56, and to require a wrapper 60 shown in fig. 2 and 3 wrapped around the filter 52, tube 54, liquid cartridge 56 and/or tobacco filler 58 arranged in series (as described above, the order of which can be changed and one of them can be omitted). The type of wrapping paper will be described below.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a heated smoking article 50 that may be used in a particulate generation device according to the invention may include a tube 54 for providing an aerosol passage, wherein PLA may be inserted into the tube 54 to reduce the temperature of the aerosol, thereby preventing a user from being burned upon inhalation of the aerosol.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the filter 52, which serves as a mouthpiece, allows the aerosol to pass therethrough and blocks the inflow of liquid. The filter may be made of cylindrical or tubular pulp. In another aspect, the filter contains a flavoring component to enhance user satisfaction. For example, the flavoring component may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, a dual sweetener, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, acerola, fenugreek, gooseberry, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, peppermint, caraway, cognac brandy, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang oil, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, coffee, or the like.

In some cases, the liquid composition may contain nicotine without tobacco filler 58 of tobacco cut filler, and the tube and filter may be stacked in sequence on a liquid cartridge and wrapped in a wrapper to form the heated smoking article 50.

The heated smoking article 50 is typically wrapped in a wrapper 60 consisting of a plurality of layers, such as a first wrapper wrapped around the liquid box, a second wrapper wrapped together around the liquid box and the tobacco filler of the tobacco filler either downstream or upstream of the first wrapper, a third wrapper wrapped together around the liquid box, the tobacco filler and the tube, and a fourth wrapper wrapped around the entire portion of the heated smoking article. In this way, heated smoking articles can be obtained through multiple wrapping stages. In some cases, the process of forming the liquid cartridge may be performed alone or by a continuous line.

Alternatively, to reduce manufacturing time and reduce manufacturing costs, different materials or different thicknesses of wrapper may be added to the interior of the outermost wrapper wrapped around the entire portion of the heated smoking article to fully wrap them.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, in a liquid cartridge applicable to a microparticle generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a liquid absorbent having a liquid composition absorbed therein is wrapped in a wrapping paper serving as an outer shell. Further, the tube and the filter are stacked in order at the downstream end of the liquid cartridge. The filter and tube are wrapped in a wrapper along with the liquid cartridge. The liquid composition remains absorbed in the liquid absorbent in the liquid cartridge without flowing out of the liquid cartridge, and is vaporized by heating to produce an aerosol. Preferably, the wrapper is made of a material which does not deform or produce harmful components when heated to an elevated temperature or contacted with a liquid. Alternatively, the wrapping paper may be made of a metal film or a metal foil, or may be made by attaching a metal film or a metal foil to the wrapping paper, as described above.

The filter 52 disposed downstream of the liquid cartridge 56 may have a hollow portion for generating an air flow, but a filter without a hollow portion may also be used. The filter may be comprised of one or more segments and may include, for example, at least one of a tube filter, a cooling structure, and a fluted filter. The tube filter has an interior hollow. The candle filter and fluted filter may be made of cellulose acetate and the tube used as the cooling structure may be made of pure polylactic acid or a combination of polylactic acid and another degradable polymer. More specifically, the filter may be made of acetate, paper, PP, etc., and the packing paper wrapped around the filter may be classified into plain paper, porous paper, perforated paper, non-wrapped acetate (NWA), etc. Further, the filter types may be classified into a single filter composed of one segment and a composite (double, triple, etc.) filter composed of a plurality of segments. The filter can be made of acetate fiber tow, plasticizer, active carbon, X-DNA and packaging paper. Acetate tow refers to an aggregate of continuous filaments of cellulose acetate, which plays a major role in determining the tensile resistance, which is the most important feature of a filter. The properties of acetate tow are measured in denier. The plasticizer softens and flexibilizes the cellulose acetate fibers to form bonds at the points of contact between the fibers and to make the fiber bundle stiffer. Triacetin is used as a plasticizer for cigarette filters. Activated carbon is an absorbent, contains carbon as a main component, and can be classified by particle size and properties. Source materials for activated carbon include plant materials such as wood, sawdust, and fruit stones (coconut shells, bamboo, peach seeds, etc.). X-DNA refers to functional particles extracted from seaweed and then concentrated and processed. Compared with activated carbon mainly used for cigarette filters, X-DNA does not affect the taste of cigarettes and shows strong anticancer effects.

The wrapper 60 serves to maintain the shape of the filter plug during the manufacture of the filter. The wrapping paper is required to satisfy physical properties such as porosity, tensile strength, elongation, thickness, adhesiveness, and the like. For example, the liquid cartridge 56 may be 14.0mm long, the filter 52 or tube 54 may be 2.5mm long, and the smokable filler 58 may be 9.0mm long. When the liquid cartridge 56 or the tobacco filler 58 is omitted as described above, the preferred value may be changed.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a particulate generation apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 5 is an exploded sectional view showing the particulate generation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

A particulate generating device according to a first embodiment of the invention is a particulate generating device of a graspable and portable size having a cavity 100 into which a smoking article 50 containing an aerosol-forming substrate and wrapped in a wrapper 60 can be inserted, and the cavity 100 heats the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity to form an aerosol. Electronic components are arranged in a lower housing and an upper housing (not shown) of the particle generating apparatus. In a space defined by the lower case and the upper case, the rechargeable battery 210 used as a direct current power source in the present invention and the control board 220 constituting a control unit in the present invention are disposed at the lower portion thereof, and the electric parts actually used for heating are disposed at the upper portion thereof. The cover housing is coupled to the upper housing to surround the upper housing. The subject matter of the present invention relates to a particulate generation device of a graspable and portable size. The rechargeable battery 210 may be recharged by a charging means such as a USB cable and the user may insert the smoking article 50 into the cavity 100 of the charged particle generating device, heat the holder by induction heating to generate an aerosol in the smoking article 50 and inhale the aerosol as will be described below. In this case, the battery 210 serves as a direct current power source and is supplied as alternating current to the exciting coil 300 through the control unit 220, as described below. A user can easily carry and use a particulate generation device of a size that is both graspable and portable.

The electric components for heating are components for induction heating, such as an excitation coil 300 wound in a cylindrical shape a plurality of times, and supporters (magnetic heating elements) 400 and 800 reacting with the excitation coil 300, so that induction heating occurs due to eddy current loss. Here, the holder is preferably a heat pipe 400 arranged inside the excitation coil 300, surrounded by the excitation coil 300 in the device, made of a hollow cylindrical thin plate defining the cavity 100 (into which the smoking article 50 can be inserted 100), and heated to a temperature of 400 ℃ or less by reaction with the excitation coil, by induction heating due to eddy current losses. Depending on the magnitude of the alternating current applied to the excitation coil 300, the holder may be heated to a temperature of 1000 c or higher, whereas in the present invention, the holder is heated to a temperature of 400 c or lower, as described above. Depending on the magnitude of the alternating current applied to the exciting coil 300, the holder is heated to a temperature between 100 ℃ and 400 ℃ to heat the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100 and generate an aerosol. According to a preferred embodiment, the target temperature may be in a range between 200 ℃ and 350 ℃, and according to a more preferred embodiment, the target temperature may be in a range between 200 ℃ and 320 ℃ (e.g., the target temperature may be set to 280 ℃). In some cases, the target temperature may be in a range between 150 ℃ and 250 ℃ (e.g., the target temperature may be set to 180 ℃). This may vary depending on whether the aerosol is produced from liquid or gel glycerin, or tobacco filler impregnated with glycerin. In any event, the aerosol generated in the smoking article 50 is drawn into the mouth of the user through the tube 54 and the filter 52. If the temperature of the aerosol is too high, the user may feel discomfort or get burned even if the aerosol is cooled by inhalation. In addition, too much aerosol may be generated, making multiple puffs difficult. In this regard, the target temperature of the holder should be preset. For these reasons, the upper limit is set at the target temperature of the supporter.

According to a preferred embodiment, the temperature of the generated aerosol measured after it passes through the tube 54 and the filter 52 may be a mouth end temperature, which should be below 50 ℃, preferably 45 ℃ or lower, so as not to cause discomfort to the user. The desired temperature range for the aerosol at the mouth end is 25 ℃ to 45 ℃ and a more desired temperature range for the aerosol at the mouth end is 30 ℃ to 40 ℃.

There may be one or more supporters. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the heat pipe 400 and the heat rod 800 provided in the case serve as a supporter. Here, the inner surface of the heat pipe 400 as a holder is in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the wrapper 60 of the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100 outside the generally cylindrical smoking article 50, the inductively heated holder heats the aerosol-forming substrate in the wrapper 60 by heat transfer, and the heat rod 800 is inserted into the smoking article 50 to heat the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article 50. Both the heat pipe 400 and the heat rod 800 are made in a thin shape, and the heat rod 800 is a thin hollow rod closed at the top end.

The heat pipe 400 or the heat rod 800 provided in the first embodiment may be provided separately. If the heat pipe 400 is provided separately as described above (as in the second embodiment) the inner surface of the heat pipe 400 acting as a holder is in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the wrapper 60 of the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100 outside the generally cylindrical smoking article 50 and the inductively heated holder heats the aerosol-forming substrate in the wrapper 60 by heat transfer. The inductively heated heat pipe 400 heats an aerosol-forming substrate, such as glycerin in the smokable filler material 58 or tobacco cut filler or an aerosol-forming substrate, such as glycerin in the liquid cartridge 56, within the smoking article 50 by heat transfer without directly contacting the smokable filler material 58 or the liquid cartridge 56 in the smoking article 50 to generate an aerosol. Thus, even if the smoking article 50 is removed from the cavity 100 after a sufficient amount of aerosol is generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, little or no residue of the smoking article 50 remains in the cavity 100.

A smoking article 50 may be inserted into the cavity 100 defined by the heat pipe 400. After the smoking article 50 is inserted into the cavity 100, it is heated by the inductively heated holder. The used smoking article 50 is then removed from the cavity 100 and discarded after a given amount of aerosol is generated, i.e. if the user does not want to inhale aerosol from the smoking article 50. The cavity 100 should be large enough to receive the smoking article 50. However, if the distance between the inner surface of the heat pipe 400 defining the cavity 100 and the outer surface of the smoking article 50 is large, sufficient heat may not be transferred from the inductively heated heat pipe 400 to the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article 50. Accordingly, preferably, the inner surface of the heat pipe 400 is in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the wrapper 60 of the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100.

The present invention is characterized in that a temperature sensor 420 is provided on the outer surface of the heat pipe 400, and the heat pipe 400 serves as a supporter and centrally defines the cavity 100. The temperature sensor 420 serving as a supporter temperature obtaining unit for obtaining the supporter temperature is a temperature sensor 420 in contact with the outer surface of the heat pipe 400 as the supporter to sense a resistance change according to the supporter temperature change, thereby measuring the temperature, and a lead 440 of the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control board 220 as the control unit. Temperature sensor 420 and temperature sensor lead 440 are surrounded by a heat resistant shrinkable tube (surrounding the exterior of heat pipe 400 as a holder) and in contact with the outer surface of heat pipe 400. The use of a shrinkable tube around the temperature sensor 420 and the lead wire 440 of the temperature sensor ensures a rigid surface contact between the temperature sensor 420 and the heat pipe 400, which helps the temperature sensor 420 sense a change in resistance according to a change in temperature of the heat pipe 400. The invention is characterised in that the support is heated to a temperature below 400 ℃ by induction heating. In this temperature range, the heat-resistant shrinkable tube can hold the temperature sensor 420 and the lead wire 440 of the temperature sensor in place with sufficient elasticity without deterioration. In this way, the temperature sensor 420 is fixed to the outer surface of the heat pipe 400, which ensures contact between the temperature sensor 420 and the supporter surface and improves the efficiency of the working process, without requiring a separate apparatus or process for installing the temperature sensor 420. In the prior art, the support is provided in the smoking article, which makes it impossible to directly contact the temperature of the support. In contrast, in the present invention the temperature of the support may be measured directly by the temperature sensor 420 or, as described below, the temperature of the support may be calculated by measuring the current and voltage applied to the excitation coils, with the result that in induction heating of the support the ac power supplied to the excitation coils can be controlled in dependence on the temperature of the support.

The multi-wound excitation coil 300 supplies an alternating current to the holder to induce inductive heating of the holder due to eddy current losses. If strong heat is transferred to the exciting coil 300, it increases the resistance of the exciting coil 300 itself. Therefore, as described below, a means is needed between the holder and the excitation coil to prevent heat from the holder from transferring to the excitation coil 300. On the other hand, it is necessary to radiate heat transferred from the supporter to the exciting coil 300 to the outside to lower the temperature of the exciting coil 300. To this end, graphite sheet 360 is preferably wrapped around the outer surface of excitation coil 300. The graphite sheet 360 serves to radiate heat of the exciting coil 300 to the outside. Furthermore, if the ferrite sheet 340 is wrapped around the outer surface of the excitation coil 300, magnetic leakage to the outside of the excitation coil 300 can be prevented, which results in concentrating the magnetic force from the excitation coil 300 to the supporter inside the excitation coil 300. Wrapping one or more of a graphite sheet and a ferrite sheet around the outer surface of the excitation coil 300 achieves the above-described effects. More preferably, as shown, a laminate of ferrite sheet 340 and graphite sheet 360 may be wrapped around the outside of excitation coil 300.

An isolation portion is provided between the excitation coil 300 and the supporter, particularly the heat pipe 400, to prevent heat of the supporter from being transferred to the excitation coil 300. As a preferred example, the isolation portion may be a separate air layer 530 (see fig. 13 and 14) or an isolation tube 500 (see fig. 4 to 6). Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an isolation tube that may be used in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The smooth outer circumference of the insulating tube 500 serves to support the windings of the exciting coil 300, and the axial grooves 510 are circumferentially arranged on the entire inner circumference of the insulating tube 500 to form an air layer for insulation and minimize the contact area between the heat pipe 400 and the insulating tube 500. Although the inner shape of the insulating tube 500 provided in the first embodiment has the axial grooves 510, wedge-shaped grooves, spiral grooves, annular grooves, and mesh grooves may be employed as long as they can minimize the contact surface. Minimizing the contact surface minimizes conductive heat transfer from the induction heating holder to the isolation tube.

Placing the isolation tube 500 between the excitation coil 300 and the holder prevents the inductive heat generated in the holder from being transferred to the excitation coil 300. If the intense heat generated in the holder is transferred to the excitation coil 300 it increases the resistance of the excitation coil 300 itself, which reduces the strength of the magnetic field induced by the excitation coil 300 and then reduces the induction heating that occurs in the holder. Therefore, placing an isolation portion such as the isolation tube 500 or an air layer between the excitation coil 300 and the supporter improves induction heating occurring in the supporter. Furthermore, there is less energy loss, which makes it easy to control the heating temperature of the bearer.

Heat pipe 400 and heat rod 800 are made of a metal material that can be magnetized by exciting coil 300. According to a preferred embodiment, stainless steel is used. Stainless steel is available at low cost, is easily processed into a thin plate cylinder due to excellent workability, and has excellent magnetization properties to be used as a supporter for heating. The first inner portion 600 supports the lower end of the heat pipe 400 and fixes the heat rod 800, and the second inner portion 700 is coupled to the lower portion of the first inner portion 600 to fix the heat rod 800 with the first inner portion 600. First interior portion 600 and second interior portion 700 may be made of a heat resistant plastic to resist heating by heat pipe 400 and heat bar 800. The first and second

inner portions

600, 700 may be formed from an engineering plastic such as PEEK by injection molding.

An isolation film using a filler having an isolation and shielding function may be attached to an outer wall of the isolation tube 500 for isolation to improve the isolation efficiency of the isolation tube 500. Examples of the insulating filler may include ceramic powder such as zirconia having low thermal conductivity, and ceramic powder such as porous silica gel, porous alumina, and aerogel.

Alternatively, an insulation coating using a filler having an insulation and shielding function may be applied to the outer wall of the insulation tube 500 for insulation to improve the insulation efficiency of the insulation. Examples of the insulating filler may include ceramic powder such as zirconia having low thermal conductivity, and ceramic powder such as porous silica gel, porous alumina, and aerogel.

As another example, the spacer tube with the internal groove may be replaced by a hollow tube. The use of a hollow tube allows the heat generated in the susceptor to be limited to the aerosol generating site, which results in increased efficiency. A porous separator such as zeolite and aerosol powder may be filled in the hollow tube, but most preferably, an air layer is formed in the hollow tube. Even an unfilled hollow tube can sufficiently obtain an insulating effect using an air layer.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a first inner portion provided in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4, 5 and 7, a circular groove 610 is provided at the top of the first inner portion 600 such that a portion of the lower end of the heat pipe 400 is inserted and supported in the circular groove 610. Here, a plurality of ribs 612 are formed on the circular groove 610 and spaced apart from the bottom of the circular groove 610 for the isolation of the heat pipe 400. That is, an air layer is formed between the bottom of the circular groove 610 and the bottom of the heat pipe 400. In addition, a through hole 614 is provided through the side of the circular groove 610, so that air flows in and out through an air flow passage discussed later. The airflow passage forms an airflow passage in communication with the cavity 100 defined by the heat pipe 400, and a pressure sensor (not shown) is provided at a suitable location on the airflow passage for sensing negative pressure caused by a user drawing on a smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100. The pressure sensor senses the negative pressure caused by a user's puff on a smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100, which negative pressure may be used by the control unit to calculate the number of puffs, more preferably the cumulative puff amount. In this and other embodiments, a pressure sensor may be provided at a suitable location on the airflow path in communication with the cavity 100 to sense the negative pressure caused by a user drawing on a smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100.

A hole 616 is formed at the center of the bottom of the circular groove 610, and the upper portion of the hot rod 800 passes through the hole 616 such that a portion of the upper portion of the hot rod 800 is located in the heat pipe 400. Further, a guide 620 for guiding the lead wire of the excitation coil 300 is provided at one side of the outer surface of the first inner portion 600. The lead wire 320 of the exciting coil 300 is led out through the lead part 620 to be electrically contacted with the control board 220. Further, a fixing portion 630 may be provided to fix the first inner portion 600 to a bracket for fixing the battery 210 and the control board 220. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the first inner portion 600 and the bracket are screw-coupled to each other, and thus the fixing portion 630 is a screw hole. On the other hand, a portion of the hot rod 800 is located at a lower portion of the first inner portion 600, and a receiving portion 640 (see fig. 5) into which the second inner portion 700 for fixing the hot rod 800 is fixedly inserted is also provided at a lower portion of the first inner portion 600. Alternatively, if the heat bar 800 is not provided, the second inner portion 700 is not required. In this case, the central hole 616 may not be formed as in the second embodiment described below, and alternatively, a space for the central hole 616 and a space for receiving the receiving portion 640 of the second inner portion 700 may be used as a space for an airflow passage and a space for a pressure sensor. In any case, it is not necessary to say that the pressure sensor should be mounted on an airflow path that communicates with the smoking article 50 inserted into the cavity 100.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a hot rod provided in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4, 5 and 8, the hot bar 800 includes: an upper stem 810 positioned in the heat pipe 400, passing through the first inner portion 600; a flange portion 820 for determining a position such that the heat bar 800 can be positioned in the heat pipe 400, passing through the first inner portion 600 for a length, and for helping to fix the heat bar 800; and a lower bar 830 protruding from the bottom of the flange part 820. Here, the hot bar 800 is a hollow rod with a closed top end. An air layer is formed at the center of the hot rod 800 to provide an insulation effect, and the hollow shape has an advantage of facilitating induction heating. As shown, the hot bar 800 may be formed in a rod shape. In the case of the solid bar shape of fig. 8, it may be made of a plate-type material having the same shape as the central portion thereof. Alternatively, the heat bars may be made as a cross of these plate type materials. In any case, the hot bar 800 is made by processing magnetizable metallic material (preferably stainless steel sheet) only. Since it is not necessary to mount an additional component (e.g., a heater pattern) on the hot rod 800 as a workpiece, the hot rod only needs to be formed into a desired shape and fixed to its fixing structure. As already described, an advantage of the heat wand 800 is that it is inserted into the smoking article 50 and is in direct contact with the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article 50 to heat the smoking article 50 using induction heat. That is, the heat rod directly contacts the interior of the smoking article and transfers heat. However, if a used smoking article 50 is removed from the cavity 100, residues of aerosol-forming substance in the smoking article 50 may remain in the cavity 100, which requires cleaning. As a result, since the heat rod 800 has a suitable shape to be easily inserted into the smoking article 50 and removed from the smoking article 50 to prevent residues of the smoking article 50 from falling into the cavity 100, the demand for the heat rod 800 will increase as long as it can maintain the above-described advantages and minimize the above-described disadvantages. While the shape of the heat slug 800 allows for such insertion and removal, it may achieve and minimize the above-described advantages.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a second inner portion provided in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4 to 9, the second inner portion 700 is fixedly inserted into a receiving portion 640 (see fig. 5) formed at a lower portion of the first inner portion 600, and the flange portion 820 and the lower stem 830 of the hot rod 800 are engaged therewith to fix the hot rod 800. The upper portion 710 of the second inner portion 700 is complementary in shape to the flange portion 820 of the hot rod 800. In addition, an insertion groove 720 into which the lower bar 830 of the heat supplying rod 800 is inserted is provided at the center of the upper portion 710. Further, a fastening portion 730 for fastening to the first inner portion 600 is provided at a lower portion. In the first embodiment, the first and second

inner parts

600 and 700 are screw-coupled to each other, and thus the fastening part 730 is a fastening boss having a screw groove.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing an induction heating particle generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Here, air introduced through holes (not shown) formed in the cap housing is conveyed into the heat pipe 400 via the airflow holes 140 formed in the upper housing, through the through holes 614 (see fig. 7) of the first inner portion 600 and the airflow channel space 120, and the smoking articles 50 inserted into the heat pipe 400 are heated to generate particles or aerosol for inhalation by the user.

Although both the heat pipe 400 and the heat rod 800 serve as a holder in the first embodiment, the heat pipe 400 may be made of a non-magnetisable material so as not to heat but to receive a smoking article 50, and in other embodiments only the heat rod 800 may serve as a holder.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view illustrating an induction heating particulate generating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the induction heating particulate generating apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The inductively heated particle generating apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention comprises only the heat pipe 400 as a holder for insertion into the smoking article 50 and does not comprise a heat rod. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment, it includes only the first inner portion 600 for supporting the heat pipe 400, and does not include the second inner portion. The first inner portion 600 provided in the second embodiment does not have a through hole in the bottom because the heat bar does not pass therethrough. The other structure is similar to that of the first embodiment. A plurality of ribs are provided to allow the lower end of the heat pipe 400 to float, and through holes are provided at the sides to allow air to flow in.

Although the components of the smoking article 50 are shown in exaggerated form, the cavity 100 of the heat pipe 400 which serves as a holder should be large enough to accommodate the aerosol-forming

substrates

56 and 58 of the smoking article 50. Thus, when the heat pipe is heated, the aerosol-forming

substrates

56 and 58 are heated to generate an aerosol in the smoking article 50.

The structure of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the above-described hot bar is not included. In particular, a pressure sensor mounted in a suitable location may sense the negative pressure caused by a user inhaling from the smoking article 50 through the airflow passage space 120.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing an induction heating particle generating apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 14 is a sectional view showing an induction heating particle generating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The third and fourth embodiments differ from the first and second embodiments in that heat pipe 400 serving as a supporter is not located in isolation pipe 500, and air layer 530 is clearly provided between isolation structure 520 (see fig. 14) and heat pipe 400 serving as a supporter. Air layer 530 serves as an isolation portion to block heat from heat pipe 400 to exciting coil 300.

Similar to the first and second embodiments, the lower end of the heat pipe 400 is supported by a first inner portion having a slightly different shape, which is referred to as a first inner portion support 650. However, it supports the lower end of the heat pipe 400, similar to the first and second embodiments.

The upper end of the heat pipe 400 is supported by the insulating structure 520 corresponding to the insulating pipe of the first and second embodiments. The spacer structure 520 supports the upper end of the heat pipe 400 and provides a space for the exciting coil 300 to be wound on the outer circumference thereof. As described above, the air layer 530 and the isolation structure 520 may minimize heat transfer from the heat pipe 400 as a supporter to the exciting coil 300.

A shrinkable tube 460 is provided on the outer surface of the heat pipe 400 to keep the temperature sensor 420 and the lead wire 440 of the temperature sensor in contact with the heat pipe 400, and the laminate of the graphite sheet 360 and the ferrite sheet 340 is wrapped on the outer surface of the excitation coil 300. Further, in the fourth embodiment, thermal isolator rings 560 and 562 made of ceramic powder having low thermal conductivity may be disposed at positions where the first inner-portion support 650 and the isolation structure 520 as an isolation plastic structure support the heat pipe 400 as a supporter, respectively, thereby supporting the heat pipe 400 and preventing heat of the heat pipe from being transferred to the outside through the structure.

Fig. 15 is a view showing one embodiment of a circuit block diagram for induction heating in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to fig. 15, the induction heating fine particle generating apparatus according to the present invention heats the supporter 2007 by induction heating. More specifically, the MCU 2001 controls the power boost circuit 2002 to amplify a direct-current voltage for induction heating supplied from the battery 2003 and supply a direct current to the induction heater control logic 2004. When the battery 2003 is used as a power source for induction heating, the power boost circuit 2002 is employed as a stable power source to heat the susceptor 2007 by induction heating. MCU 2001 also inputs a PWM signal to induction heater control logic 2004. The induction heater control logic 2004 performs a switching operation according to the PWM signal input from the MCU 2001 to convert the direct current supplied from the power boosting circuit 2002 into an alternating current, and supplies it to the coil 2006 to heat the supporter 2007 by induction heating.

MCU 2001 inputs a PWM signal to induction heater control logic 2004 to pass a resonant frequency obtained from the values of coil 2006 and capacitor 2005 to increase the temperature of susceptor 2007 in the initial drive, and induction heater control logic 2004 supplies an alternating current to coil 2006 at the resonant frequency.

After the predetermined time has elapsed, the MCU 2001 inputs the PWM signal to the induction heater control logic 2004 such that frequencies away from the resonant frequency do not increase the temperature of the susceptor 2007, and thus the induction heater control logic 2004 supplies an alternating current to the coil 2006 at frequencies away from the resonant frequency.

MCU 2001 may input a PWM signal to induction heater control logic 2004 to adjust the frequency as a preset time elapses, and in some embodiments, MCU 2001 may calculate the temperature of susceptor 2007 from the values detected by temperature sensor 2008 and voltage sensor 2009, adjust the frequency of the PWM signal according to the desired temperature, and input the PWM signal to induction heater control logic 2004 so that induction heater control logic 2004 may control the frequency of the alternating current supplied to coil 2006. More specifically, when the induction heater control logic 2004 supplies an alternating current to the coil 2006, the susceptor 2007 is heated by induction heating, changing the temperature of the susceptor 2007, then changing the inductance or reactance, resulting in changing the current and voltage used to heat the susceptor 2007. The temperature sensor 2008 measures and inputs the current supplied to the coil 2006 to the MCU 2001, the voltage sensor 2009 converts the alternating current voltage supplied to the coil 2006 into a direct current voltage having a voltage level readable by the MCU and inputs it to the MCU 2001, and the MCU 2001 calculates the temperature of the supporter 2007 according to the change in the current and voltage values input through the temperature sensor 2008 and the voltage sensor 2009 to sense the temperature change of the supporter 2007, adjusts the frequency of the PWM signal according to the desired temperature, and inputs the PWM signal to the induction heater control logic 2004 so that the induction heater control logic 2004 can supply the alternating current to the coil 2006, and adjust the frequency thereof according to the PWM signal input from the MCU 2001.

Fig. 16 is a view showing another embodiment of a circuit block diagram for induction heating in the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the present invention. In fig. 16, the same operations are performed by the components denoted by the same reference numerals as in fig. 15. Referring to fig. 16, a temperature sensor 2010 senses the temperature of the supporter 2007, the temperature sensor 2010 inputs a sensed value to the MCU 2001, and the MCU 2001 senses a temperature change of the supporter 2007 accordingly, adjusts the frequency of a PWM signal according to a desired temperature, and inputs the PWM signal to the induction heater control logic 2004 so that the induction heater control logic 2004 can supply an alternating current to the coil 2006, and adjust the frequency thereof according to the PWM signal input from the MCU 2001.

Industrial applicability

The inductively heated particle generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a susceptor as a part thereof to directly measure the temperature of the susceptor, thereby easily controlling the heating of the susceptor.

In the induction heating particle generating apparatus according to the present invention, the magnetic heating element may be heated by a single piece of excitation coil wound in a cylindrical shape, and the isolation tube is disposed between the magnetic heating element and the excitation coil, which prevents the excitation coil from overheating and improves the heating efficiency of the magnetic heating element.

Claims

1. A graspable and portable size particulate generation device having an induction heater with a cavity into which a smoking article containing an aerosol-forming substrate and wrapped in a wrapper can be inserted and which heats the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article inserted into the cavity to form an aerosol, the particulate generation device comprising:

an excitation coil that is provided in the fine particle generating apparatus and that is wound a plurality of times;

a metal support disposed inside the excitation coil to be surrounded by the excitation coil in the particulate generation apparatus, made of a hollow cylindrical sheet defining the cavity, and heated to a temperature of 400 ℃ or less by induction heating due to eddy current losses by reaction with the excitation coil, an inner surface of the support being in contact with at least a portion of an outer surface of the wrapper of the smoking article inserted into the cavity, the inductively heated support heating the aerosol-forming substrate in the wrapper by heat transfer to form an aerosol;

an isolation portion provided between the holder and the excitation coil in the particulate generation apparatus to prevent heat of the holder from being transferred to the excitation coil;

a structure disposed in the particle generating apparatus for supporting at least a portion of one of the holder and the excitation coil;

a supporter temperature obtaining unit provided in the fine particle generating apparatus to obtain a temperature of the supporter;

a rechargeable battery provided in the fine particle generating apparatus to serve as a direct current power source; and

a control unit electrically connected to the excitation coil, the supporter temperature obtaining unit, and the rechargeable battery, and supplying a direct current power from the rechargeable battery to supply an alternating current having a resonance frequency or an alternating current having a frequency different from the resonance frequency to the excitation coil according to the temperature of the supporter, and heating the supporter to a desired temperature through induction heating.

2. The particulate generation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a holder inserted through a lower central portion of the smoking article inserted into the cavity, the holder being in direct contact with the aerosol-forming substrate in the smoking article to heat the aerosol-forming substrate.

3. The particle generating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holder is made of a thin plate of stainless steel.

4. The particulate generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the isolation portion is an air layer provided between the holder and the excitation coil.

5. The particulate generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the structure for supporting at least a part of one of the holder and the excitation coil is an insulating plastic structure made of a heat-resistant plastic and provided between the holder and the excitation coil to serve as an insulating portion for preventing heat of the holder from being transferred to the excitation coil.

6. The particle generating apparatus of claim 5 wherein the insulating plastic structure is an insulating tube for supporting at least a portion of the holder outside the holder, the excitation coil being wound around an outer surface of the structure.

7. The particulate generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a thermal isolator ring made of ceramic powder having low thermal conductivity is separately interposed between the insulating plastic structure and the supporter to support the supporter and prevent heat of the supporter from leaking to the outside.

8. The particulate generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a ferrite sheet is wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil in contact with the excitation coil to prevent magnetic flux from leaking to an outside of the excitation coil.

9. The microparticle generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a graphite sheet is wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil to radiate heat of the excitation coil to the outside.

10. The particulate generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a laminate of ferrite sheets and graphite sheets is wrapped around an outer surface of the excitation coil to prevent magnetic flux from leaking to the outside of the excitation coil and radiate heat of the excitation coil to the outside.

11. The particulate generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:

a pressure sensor disposed in an airflow passage communicating with the cavity to sense negative pressure caused by a user drawing on the smoking article inserted into the cavity.

12. The particle generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the supporter temperature obtaining unit calculates the temperature of the supporter based on the current and voltage changes detected by a current sensor and a voltage sensor that measure the changes in current and voltage used to heat the supporter, the changes in current and voltage depending on the inductance or reactance that changes with the temperature changes of the supporter.

13. The particle generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the holder temperature obtaining unit is a temperature sensor that is in contact with an outer surface of the holder to sense a change in resistance according to a change in temperature of the holder to measure temperature, and a lead of the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control unit.

14. The particle generating apparatus of claim 13 wherein the temperature sensor and the leads of the temperature sensor are surrounded by a heat resistant shrinkable tube around the exterior of the holder and in contact with the outer surface of the holder.

15. A particulate generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the smoking article includes a liquid cartridge therein.

16. The particulate generation apparatus of claim 15 wherein the liquid cartridge comprises a liquid or gel composition comprising glycerol VG.

17. The particulate generating apparatus of claim 15, wherein the smoking article further comprises a tobacco filler upstream or downstream of the liquid cartridge.

18. The particulate generation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the smoking article further comprises a filter and a tube, the filter, tube, and liquid cartridge being wrapped in a single wrapper.

19. A particulate generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the smoking article comprises a smokable filler material comprising glycerol VG.

20. The particulate generation apparatus of claim 19, wherein the smoking article further comprises a filter and a tube, the filter, tube and smokable filler material being wrapped in a single wrapper.