CN116367738A

CN116367738A - Aerosol-generating device comprising a plurality of heaters and an aerosol-generating article for use therewith

Info

Publication number: CN116367738A
Application number: CN202280005527.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朴仁洙; 权赞民
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2021-10-28
Filing date: 2022-10-14
Publication date: 2023-06-30
Also published as: WO2023075236A1; EP4193858A1; EP4193858A4; KR20230060873A

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol-generating device comprising a housing forming a receiving space in which an aerosol-generating article is received, a heater unit for heating the aerosol-generating article received in the receiving space, and a control unit for regulating the temperature of the heater unit. The heater unit comprises a first heater unit and a second heater unit arranged to heat different locations of the aerosol-generating article, respectively, and the control unit controls to adjust the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit individually. An aerosol-generating device according to embodiments of the invention may generate aerosols of various compositions or amounts according to consumer preferences, even for one aerosol-generating article.

Description

Aerosol-generating device comprising a plurality of heaters and an aerosol-generating article for use therewith

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device having a plurality of heaters and an aerosol-generating article for use with the plurality of heaters. More particularly, the present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a plurality of heaters and an aerosol-generating article for use with the plurality of heaters, the plurality of heaters being arranged to heat different locations of the aerosol-generating article and the temperature being individually controllable.

The present application claims the benefit of priority based on korean patent application No.10-2021-0145553 filed on 10/28 of 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Background

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for devices for generating aerosols by electrically heating cigarette rods (e.g., cigarette-type electronic cigarettes). Accordingly, studies on an electrically heated aerosol-generating device and a cigarette rod (or an aerosol-generating article) to which the electrically heated aerosol-generating device is applied are actively underway.

In particular, electrically heated aerosol-generating devices and cigarette sticks applied thereto are being developed in various forms to meet consumer tastes by using, as particles of tobacco material of the cigarette stick, corresponding ingredients including substituted leaves and cut tobacco leaves, introducing a separate atomizing unit in the form of a cartridge in the electrically heated aerosol-generating device, and the like. However, there are limitations to meeting various consumers, such as consumers who have particular preferences that can only be met by individual cigarette rods and electrically heated aerosol-generating devices.

Accordingly, the present inventors have completed the present invention after studying an electrically heated aerosol-generating device capable of generating aerosols of various compositions and amounts according to consumer preferences even for one cigarette rod.

[ prior art document ]

[ patent document ]

(patent document 1) korean patent laid-open publication No.10-2014-7021388.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present invention provides an aerosol-generating device capable of generating aerosols of various compositions or amounts according to consumer preferences for an aerosol-generating article.

Solution scheme

According to a first aspect of the invention, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a housing forming an accommodation space in which the aerosol-generating article is accommodated; a heater unit that heats the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodating space; and a control unit that adjusts the temperature of the heater unit, wherein the heater unit may include a first heater unit and a second heater unit that are respectively provided to heat different positions of the aerosol-generating article, and the control unit may control to individually adjust the temperatures of the first heater unit and the second heater unit.

In embodiments of the invention, an aerosol-generating article may comprise a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment, the cavity segment may be formed from the first filter segment and the second filter segment, the cavity segment may be filled with tobacco particles, and the first filter segment may be located upstream of the cavity segment and comprise an aerosol-former.

In embodiments of the invention, the first filter segment and the cavity segment of the aerosol-generating article may be accommodated in an accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device, the first heater unit may be positioned to heat the first filter segment, and the second heater unit may be positioned to heat the cavity segment.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first heater unit may be driven in a smoke mode in which the first heater unit may be heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 180 to 240 ℃ or in a smokeless mode in which the first heater unit may not be heated.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second heater unit may be driven in one of a strong mode, an intermediate mode, and a weak mode, in which the second heater unit may be heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 200 to 260 ℃, in the intermediate mode, the second heater unit may be heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 160 to 200 ℃, and in the weak mode, the second heater unit may be heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 150 to 180 ℃.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the temperature of the first heater unit is less than 100 ℃, the second heater unit may be driven in a strong mode.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the first and second heater units are out of the set range after initial preheating, the first and second heater units may be driven in a reheat form.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise: a switch provided on an outer wall surface of the housing, wherein the switch may set a smoke mode or a smokeless mode for the first heater unit and a strong mode, an intermediate mode or a weak mode for the second heater unit.

Advantageous effects

The aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the invention individually adjusts the first heater unit and the second heater unit, the first heater unit being capable of heating the first filter segment capable of generating an aerosol and the second heater unit being capable of heating the cavity segment capable of supplying a tobacco component to the aerosol, so that for one aerosol-generating article a large amount of nicotine can be delivered for a consumer who likes strong tobacco taste to obtain a high degree of satisfaction and a small amount of nicotine can be delivered for a consumer who likes soft tobacco taste to obtain a high degree of satisfaction.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device to which an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the invention is applied, and illustrates that the aerosol-generating device is operated in a smoke mode.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device to which an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the invention is applied, and illustrates that the aerosol-generating device is operated in a smokeless mode.

Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Best mode

Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in providing reference numerals to components in the respective drawings, the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals even though the same components are shown in different drawings. Further, in describing particular embodiments, well-known structures or functions will not be described in detail in the context of determining that a known structure or function may unnecessarily obscure the particular embodiments of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of particular embodiments. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and the nature, series, order, etc. of the elements is not limited by these terms. When any element is described as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it is understood that the any element is directly connected or coupled to the other element or is connected or coupled to the other element along with other elements interposed between the element and the other element.

Components included in any one particular embodiment and components that include common functionality will be described using the same designations in other particular embodiments. Unless described to the contrary, the descriptions described in any one particular embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and the detailed description will be omitted in the overlapping range.

In this document, the term "aerosol-generating device" refers to a device capable of generating an aerosol by applying an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that can be inhaled directly into the lungs of a user through the mouth of the user. An exemplary structure of the aerosol-generating device will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

In this document, the term "aerosol-generating article" refers to an article capable of generating an aerosol, such as a cigarette or cigar. The aerosol-generating article may comprise at least one of an aerosol-former and an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating article may comprise a plurality of segments, each segment having a function. Generally, aerosol-generating articles include combustion-type aerosol-generating articles for use by direct ignition, heated-type aerosol-generating articles for use with aerosol-generating devices, and the like. In the present invention, a heated aerosol-generating article for use with an aerosol-generating device may preferably be applied.

As used herein, the term "aerosol former" refers to a substance capable of promoting visible smoke and/or aerosol formation. Examples of aerosol-generating substances include, but are not limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene Glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. Aerosol formers may be used interchangeably with terms such as humectants and humectants in the art.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-forming substrate" refers to a substance capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol may comprise volatile compounds. The aerosol-forming substrate may be solid or liquid.

For example, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may comprise solid substances based on tobacco raw materials, such as flat tobacco leaves, cut filler and reconstituted tobacco, and the liquid aerosol-forming substrate may comprise liquid compositions based on nicotine, tobacco extracts and/or various flavourants. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto. The aerosol-forming substrate may also comprise an aerosol-former to stably form visible smoke and/or aerosols.

In this document, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are used to denote the relative positions of the segments constituting the aerosol-generating article based on the direction in which the user inhales air using the aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating article comprises an upstream end portion (i.e. the portion into which air enters) and a downstream end portion (i.e. the portion from which air exits) opposite the upstream end portion. When using the aerosol-generating article, the downstream end portion of the aerosol-generating article may be snapped by a user. The downstream end portion is located downstream of the upstream end portion, and the term "end portion" may also be described as a "distal end".

In this document, the term "suction" refers to inhalation by a user, and inhalation refers to the inhalation of air through the mouth or nose of a user into the mouth, nasal cavity or lungs of a user.

In this document, the term "longitudinal direction" refers to a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device and aims to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of generating aerosols of various compositions or amounts according to consumer preferences, even in the case of applying an aerosol-generating article. In this document, to assist in understanding the aerosol-generating device, fig. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate an exemplary aerosol-generating device. According to an embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating device 10 comprises a housing,

heater units

13 and 14, and a control unit 12. The aerosol-generating device 10 may further comprise a battery 11 and may comprise, in addition to the components described above, components common to a person skilled in the art. For example, the aerosol-generating device 10 may also include an input module (e.g., button, touchable display, etc.) for receiving commands from a user or the like, and an output module (e.g., LED, display, vibration motor, etc.) for outputting information such as device status and smoking information. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol-generating device 10 will be described in detail.

The housing forms the appearance of the aerosol-generating device 10. When the appearance of the aerosol-generating device 10 is formed, a receiving space is formed in which the aerosol-generating article 20 can be received. The housing may preferably be formed of a material capable of protecting the internal components.

The

heater units

13 and 14 heat the aerosol-generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space. Specifically, when the aerosol-generating article 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device 10, the heater unit 13 may heat the aerosol-generating article 20 by the electric power supplied from the battery 11.

The

heater units

13 and 14 may be constructed in various forms and/or manners.

The

heater units

13 and 14 may be configured to include, for example, resistive heating elements. For example, the heater unit 13 may include an electrically insulating substrate (e.g., a substrate made of polyimide) and an electrically conductive trace, and include a heating element that generates heat when an electric current flows through the electrically conductive trace. However, the heater unit 13 is not limited thereto, and a heating element may be applicable without limitation as long as the heating element can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, a desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol-generating device 10 (for example, when a temperature profile is stored in advance), or may be set by a user.

As another example, the

heater units

13 and 14 may be configured to include heating elements operating in an induction heating method. In particular, the heater 13 may comprise an inductor (e.g. an induction coil) for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 by an induction heating method, and a base for induction heating by the inductor. The base may be located inside or outside the aerosol-generating article 20.

As another example, the

heater units

13 and 14 may be configured to include a heating element for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 internally (hereinafter referred to as an "internal heating element"), and a heating element for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 externally (hereinafter referred to as an "external heating element"), or a combination thereof. The internal heating element may have, for example, a tubular shape, a needle shape, a rod shape, etc., and may be disposed to penetrate at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20. The external heating element may be formed in a shape such as a plate shape or a cylindrical shape, and may be provided in a shape that encloses at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the shape, number, and arrangement of the heating elements may be designed in various ways.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the

heater units

13 and 14 comprise a first heater unit 13 and a second heater unit 14, respectively, arranged to heat different locations of the aerosol-generating article 20. Since the first and

second heater units

13, 14 are positioned separately, the first and second heater units may be in contact with the aerosol-generating article 10 at different locations. The shapes of the first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 13 are not particularly limited as long as the first heater unit and the second heater unit are separately positioned. As mentioned above, internal heating elements in the form of tubes, needles, rods etc. and external heating elements in the form of plates, tubes etc. may be possible, and in the aerosol-generating device 10 according to fig. 1 and 2, as a specific example, a tube-shaped external heating element is used.

The battery 11 supplies electric power for operating the aerosol-generating device 10. For example, the battery 11 may supply power to allow the

heater units

13 and 14 to heat the aerosol-generating article 20, and may supply power required for the control unit 12 to operate. Further, the battery 11 may supply electric power required to operate electric components such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown) mounted in the aerosol-generating device 10.

The control unit 12 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. For example, the control unit 12 may control the operation of the

heater units

13 and 14 and the battery 11, and may also control the operation of other components included in the aerosol-generating device 10. The control unit 12 may control the electric power supplied from the battery 11, and may control the heating temperatures and the like of the

heater units

13 and 14. As described above, when the heater unit 13 includes the first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 14, the control unit 12 may control to individually adjust the temperatures of the first heater unit and the second heater unit. Furthermore, the control unit 12 may determine whether the aerosol-generating device 10 is in an operable state by confirming the state of each of the components of the aerosol-generating device 10.

The control unit 12 may be implemented by at least one processor. The control unit may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable in the microprocessor. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the control unit 12 may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The aerosol-generating article 20 applied to the aerosol-generating device 10 may have a structure similar to that of a typical combustion type cigarette. The aerosol-generating article 20 may be divided into, for example, a first portion (e.g., a tobacco rod) comprising tobacco material (or aerosol-forming substrate), and a second portion (e.g., a filter rod) comprising a filter or the like. The entire first portion may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10 and the second portion may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10, or a part of the entire first and second parts may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10. The user may smoke while holding the second portion with his or her mouth.

In this document, to assist in understanding an aerosol-generating article applied to the above-described aerosol-generating device, fig. 3 schematically illustrates an exemplary aerosol-generating article. According to an embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating article 20 comprises a first filter segment 21, a second filter segment 23 and a cavity segment 22. The cavity section 22 is formed by a first filter section 21 and a second filter section 23. The first filter segment 21, the second filter segment 23 and the cavity segment 22 are components included in the first portion (or tobacco rod) described above and supply tobacco components (or smoking flavour components) when the first portion is heated. As for the tobacco component in the first portion, the cavity section 22 may be filled with tobacco particles 22A, which are tobacco material in particulate form. The tobacco material included in the aerosol-generating article according to the invention is not limited to tobacco particles, but may preferably be applied in an aerosol-generating device according to the invention. The first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 basically have a function as a filter, but also have a function indicated as a compartment in which the tobacco particles 22A can be held without leakage when the tobacco particles 22A are filled in the cavity segment 22. The first portion comprising the first filter segment 21, the second filter segment 23 and the cavity segment 22 may be packaged with a wrapper.

The first filter segment 21 is a filter segment forming a cavity segment 22, and the first filter segment 21 may be located upstream of the cavity segment 22. The first filter segment 21 has a substantially similar configuration as the second filter segment 22 to be described later, but additional functions are required. The first filter segment 21 may perform the function of preventing the tobacco particles 22A from falling off. Furthermore, the first filter segment 21 may allow the cavity segment 22 to be provided at a suitable location within the aerosol-generating device 10 when the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10. Furthermore, the first filter segment 21 may prevent the tobacco rod from escaping to the outside and the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod from flowing into the aerosol-generating device 10 during smoking.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first filter segment 21 may comprise a paper material. In other words, the first filter segment 21 may comprise a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to ensure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A tobacco rod suitable for use in a heated aerosol-generating device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention may be manufactured. In particular, the cellulose acetate fibers may be melted or contracted upon contact with the internal heating element, thereby accelerating the drop phenomenon of the tobacco particles 22A. However, heat resistant paper materials can greatly alleviate this phenomenon. According to an embodiment of the invention, the first filter segment 21 may comprise a water or oil resistant paper material.

The second filter segment 23 is a filter segment forming the cavity segment 22 and may be located downstream of the cavity segment 22. In addition to the cavity forming function, the first filter segment 21 may additionally perform the function of filtering, cooling, etc. the aerosol.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the second filter segment 23 may comprise a paper material. In other words, the second filter segment 23 may comprise a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to ensure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A tobacco rod suitable for use in a heated aerosol-generating device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention may be manufactured. In particular, since the cellulose acetate fiber melts or shrinks when heated above a certain temperature, it is difficult to apply the cellulose acetate fiber to the portion of the tobacco rod heated by the

heater units

13 and 14. On the other hand, since the paper material is hardly thermally denatured, the paper material can be easily applied to the tobacco rod portion, and thus a tobacco rod suitable for the heating-type aerosol-generating device 10 can be manufactured. However, in another embodiment, the second filter segment 23 may comprise a cellulose acetate filter. In this case, an improving effect of the removal ability of the second filter segment 23 can be achieved.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the second filter segment 23 may comprise a water or oil resistant paper material. In this case, the problem of smoke constituents (e.g. moisture, aerosol former constituents) contained in the aerosol being absorbed and the amount of visible fogging being reduced (e.g. the problem of reducing the amount of fogging in the smoke mode) when passing through the second filter segment 23 can be greatly reduced. For example, when the first filter segment 23 comprises a typical paper material, the smoke constituents described above may be absorbed due to the hygroscopicity of the paper material, thereby reducing the amount of visible atomization. However, when a water-or oil-repellent paper material is applied, the absorption of the above-mentioned smoke component hardly occurs, and thus the problem of reduction in the amount of fogging can be solved.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the suction resistance of the first filter segment 21 or the second filter segment 23 may be 50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 150mmH ₂ O/60mm, preferably 50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 130mmH ₂ O/60mm、50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 120mmH ₂ O/60mm、50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 110mmH ₂ O/60mm、50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 100mmH ₂ O/60mm、50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 90mmH ₂ O/60mm、50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 100mmH ₂ O/80mm, or 50mmH ₂ O/60mm to 70mmH ₂ O/60mm. Within such a numerical range, appropriate suction performance can be ensured. Furthermore, the probability of occurrence of vortex in the cavity section 22 is increased by appropriate suction, and therefore, an effect of uniformly heating the plurality of tobacco particles 22A can be achieved.

At the same time, the physical properties of the paper material comprised in the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 may change.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the oil repellency of the paper material may be 4 or more (i.e., 4 or more in the range of 1 to 12), preferably 5, 6, 7, or 8 or more, when measured by a 3M oil repellency test. Within this range of values, the problem of a reduction in the amount of visible smoke (i.e., the amount of visible smoke generated) due to moisture absorption of the paper material (e.g., a reduction in the amount of visible smoke in the smoke mode) can be solved.

According to embodiments of the invention, the thickness of the paper material may be 30 μm to 50 μm, and preferably 33 μm to 47 μm, 35 μm to 45 μm, or 37 μm to 42 μm.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the paper material may have a weight of 20g/m ² To 40g/m ² And preferably 23g/m ² To 37g/m ² 、25g/m ² To 35g/m ² Or 27g/m ² To 33g/m ² 。

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tensile strength of the paper material may be 2.5kgf/15mm or more, and preferably 2.8kgf/15mm, 3.2kgf/15mm or 3.5kgf/15mm or more.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elongation of the paper material may be 0.8% or more, and preferably 1.0%, 1.2% or 1.5% or more.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stiffness of the paper material may be 100cm ³ Or more, and preferably 120cm ³ 、150cm ³ Or 180cm ³ Or more.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the ash content of the paper material may be 1.5% or less, and preferably 1.2%, 1.0% or 0.8% or less.

According to embodiments of the invention, the paper width of the paper material may be 80mm to 250mm, preferably 90mm to 230mm, 100mm to 200mm, 120mm to 180mm, or 120mm to 150mm. Within this numerical range, it was confirmed that the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 have appropriate inhalation resistances, and an appropriate amount of atomization was ensured.

The aerosol-generating article 20 according to an embodiment of the invention is an article filled with tobacco particles 22A, and the aerosol-generating device 10 may heat the aerosol-generating article 20 at a heating temperature of about 270 ℃ or less. In this case, no visible smoke may be generated during smoking, or the generation of visible smoke may be minimized. This is because the tobacco particles 22A have a significantly lower moisture content and/or aerosol former content than tobacco material, such as cut filler (e.g., tobacco cut filler, sheet She Qiege filler), thereby reducing visible smoke generation. Furthermore, this is because the tobacco particles 22A can exhibit a sufficient tobacco flavor even at a lower heating temperature than tobacco materials such as cut filler or lamina (for example, the heating temperature of the cut filler is typically 270 ℃ or higher) (i.e., nicotine can be sufficiently transmitted), and thus the heating temperature of the heater unit 13 can be reduced, and the generation of visible smoke is further reduced as the heating temperature is reduced.

As described above, when the aerosol-generating article 20 includes tobacco particles 22A as the tobacco material, the generation of aerosol or visible smoke may be reduced, thus requiring a configuration capable of supplementing the aerosol or visible smoke. With this configuration, a cartridge comprising an aerosol-forming agent may be added to the aerosol-generating device 10, and in the present invention, the configuration may also be included in the aerosol-generating article 20 instead of the aerosol-generating device 10.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first filter segment 21 comprises an aerosol former. In view of the flow of aerosol within the aerosol-generating article 20, in order for the generated aerosol to pass through the cavity section 22 comprising tobacco particles, the aerosol needs to be generated upstream of the cavity section 22, and the first filter section 21 may preferably be the location where the aerosol is generated. The aerosol-former may be applied in the form of impregnated into the paper material constituting the first filter segment 21. Examples of aerosol formers include, but are not limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene Glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

Additives commonly used in the art, such as flavors, fragrances, and vitamin mixtures, may be used with the aerosol former. The flavor may include menthol, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, and the like, but is not limited thereto. A flavoring is a material that may include ingredients capable of providing a variety of flavors and tastes. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin a, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto.

The cavity section 22 is a section comprising cavities, and the cavity section 22 may be located between the first filter section 21 and the second filter section 23. That is, the cavity section 22 may be formed by the first filter section 21 and the second filter section 23.

The chamber section 22 may be manufactured in various ways. The chamber section 22 may be manufactured in a form comprising, for example, a tubular structure such as a branch pipe. As another example, the cavity section 22 may be manufactured by wrapping the cavity formed by the first and

second filter sections

21, 23 with a wrapper of a suitable material. However, the cavity section 22 may be manufactured in any manner without any limitation, as long as the cavity section 22 may be filled with tobacco particles 22. According to an embodiment of the invention, the length of the cavity section 22 may be freely selected in the range of 8mm to 12 mm.

As shown in fig. 3, the cavity section 22 may be filled with tobacco particles 22A. Generally, because the tobacco particles 22A have significantly lower moisture and/or aerosol former content than other types of tobacco materials (e.g., cut filler of tobacco leaves, lamina, etc.), it is possible to significantly reduce the generation of visible smoke, and thus a separate configuration is desired that is capable of supplementing aerosol and visible smoke generation. The first filter segment 21 may also have this configuration, according to the description above. The diameter, density, filling rate, composition ratio of constituent materials, heating temperature, etc. of the tobacco particles 22 may be different and may vary depending on the embodiment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tobacco particles 22A may have a diameter of 0.3mm to 1.2mm. Within such a range of values, proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco particles 22 may be ensured, and the likelihood of vortex generation in the cavity section 212 may be increased.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the tobacco particles 22A may be 15 mesh to 50 mesh in size, and preferably 15 mesh to 45 mesh, 20 mesh to 45 mesh, 25 mesh to 45 mesh, or 25 mesh to 40 mesh. Within such a numerical range, proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco particles 22A can be ensured, the drop phenomenon of the tobacco particles 22A can be minimized, and the possibility of occurrence of vortex in the cavity section 22 can be increased.

According to embodiments of the invention, the tobacco particles 22A may have a density of 0.5g/cm ³ To 1.2g/cm ³ And preferably 0.6g/cm ³ To 1.0g/cm ³ 、0.7g/cm ³ To 0.9g/cm ³ Or 0.6g/cm ³ To 0.8g/cm ³ . Within such a numerical range, proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco particles 22A may be ensured, and the likelihood of occurrence of vortex in the cavity section 212 may be increased.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hardness of the tobacco particles 22A may be 80% or more, preferably 85% or 90% or more, more preferably 91%, 93%, 95% or 97% or more. Within such a numerical range, the ease of manufacturing the tobacco particles 22A can be improved, and the breakage phenomenon of the tobacco particles 22A can be minimized, so that the ease of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article 20 can also be improved. In the present specification, the hardness of the tobacco particles 22A may be a value measured according to national standard test method KSM-1802 ("activated carbon test method"). For details of the hardness measurement method and the meaning of the measurement values, please refer to the national standard KSM-1802.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the filling proportion of the tobacco particles 22 of the cavity section 22 may be 80vol% or less, and preferably 70vol% or less, 60vol%, or 50vol% or less. Within such a range of values, the likelihood of vortex flow occurring in the chamber section 22 may be increased. Further, the filling rate of the tobacco particles 22A may be preferably 20vol%, 30vol%, or 40vol% to ensure proper smoking flavor.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the tobacco particles 22A may include 20wt% or less moisture, and preferably 15wt%, 12wt%, 10wt%, 7wt% or 5wt% or less moisture. Within such a range of values, the generation of visible smoke may be significantly reduced and the smokeless function of the aerosol-generating device 10 may be readily achieved.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the tobacco particles 22A may include about 10wt% or less of the aerosol former, and preferably about 7wt%, 5wt%, 3wt% or 1wt% of the aerosol former. Alternatively, the tobacco particles 22A may not include an aerosol former. Within such a range of values, the generation of visible smoke may be significantly reduced and the smokeless function of the aerosol-generating device 10 may be readily achieved.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the moisture-based nicotine content in the tobacco particles may be about 1.0% to 4.0%, and preferably about 1.5% to 3.5%, 1.8% to 3.0%, or 2.0% to 2.5%. Within such a range of values, an appropriate level of smoking flavour may be ensured.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the dry basis nicotine content in tobacco particles 22A can be from 1.2% to 4.2%, and preferably from about 1.7% to 3.7%, from 2.0% to 3.2%, or from 2.2% to 2.7%. Within such a range of values, an appropriate level of smoking flavour may be ensured.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating article 20 further comprises a cooling section 24 and a mouthpiece section 25. The cooling segment 24 and the mouth segment 25 are components included in the second portion (or filter rod) described above and are located downstream of the tobacco rod to perform a filtering function for the aerosol. The filter rod may comprise a filter material such as paper, cellulose acetate fibre or the like. The filter rod may further comprise a wrapper for wrapping the filter material.

The filter rod 22 may be manufactured in various shapes. For example, the filter rod may be a tubular rod or a tubular rod including a hollow portion located in the filter rod. Furthermore, the filter rod may be a recessed rod. If the filter rod comprises a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

Filter rods may be manufactured to produce a flavour. For example, the flavored solution may be sprayed into the filter rod 12, or individual fibers to which the flavored solution is applied may be inserted into the filter rod. As another example, the filter rod may include at least one capsule (not shown) containing a flavored solution.

The filter rod 12 may include a cooling segment 24 that performs the function of cooling the aerosol, and a mouth segment 25 that performs the function of filtering the aerosol. Alternatively, in some cases, the filter rod may also include at least one segment that performs other functions.

The cooling section 24 may be manufactured in various forms. The cooling section 24 may be manufactured in the form of, for example, a paper tube, a hollow cellulose acetate filter, a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes, a filter filled with a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material, or the like. However, the cooling section 24 may be manufactured in various shapes without limitation, as long as the cooling section 24 can perform the function of cooling the aerosol. The polymer material or the biodegradable polymer material may be a woven material of polylactic acid (PLA), but is not limited thereto.

The mouth end segment 25 may be, for example, a cellulose acetate filter (i.e., a filter made of cellulose acetate fibers), but is not limited thereto. The above description of the filter rod may also apply to the mouth segment 25.

The aerosol-generating article 20 may be packaged with at least one package (not shown). As an example, the aerosol-generating article 20 may be packaged in a package. As another example, the aerosol-generating article 20 may be packaged in a stacked manner by two or more packages. For example, the tobacco rod may be wrapped by a first wrapper and the filter rod may be wrapped by a second wrapper. Furthermore, the tobacco rod and filter rod packaged by the individual packages may be coupled to each other, and the entire aerosol-generating article 20 may be repackaged by the third package. If each of the tobacco rod 21 or filter rod 22 comprises a plurality of segments, each segment may be packaged by a separate package. Furthermore, the entire aerosol-generating article 20 may be repackaged by another package, with the segments wrapped by the individual packages being coupled to each other throughout the aerosol-generating article. At least one hole for introducing external air or exhausting internal air may be formed in the package.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first filter segment 21 and the cavity segment 22 of the aerosol-generating article 20 are housed in the housing space of the aerosol-generating device 10, the heater unit 13 may be positioned to heat the first filter segment 21, and the second heater unit 14 may be positioned to heat the cavity segment 23.

When the first and

second heater units

13 and 14 are out of the set range after initial warm-up, the first and

second heater units

13 and 14 may be driven in a reheat form. Hereinafter, the above heating temperature range is a range of a temperature curve to which the above heating method is applied, and since the temperature may gradually decrease when not heating, the heating unit is not necessarily driven to be maintained at a specific temperature. However, a certain degree of heat may be applied so that the temperature is maintained as much as possible within the heating temperature range.

The first heater unit 13 heating the first filter segment 21 may be driven in smoke mode or in smokeless mode. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the smoke mode, the first heater unit 13 is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 180 to 240 ℃, and in the smokeless mode, the first heater unit 13 is not heated. In particular, the temperature range may be adjusted to 180 ℃ or higher, 190 ℃ or higher, or 200 ℃ or higher, or 240 ℃ or lower, 230 ℃ or lower, or 220 ℃ or lower. The temperature range in the smoke mode is a set temperature such that when a user smokes one aerosol-generating article 2, a supplemental aerosol or visible smoke is adequately perceived and can be maintained until the end of smoking. When the above temperature range is exceeded, aerosol or visible smoke may be discharged before smoking ends, and then the paper material without aerosol former may be directly heated, and the smoking taste may be reduced.

The second heater unit 14 for heating the cavity section 22 may be driven in one of a strong mode, an intermediate mode, and a weak mode. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the strong mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 200 ℃ to 260 ℃, and in the intermediate mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 160 ℃ to 200 ℃, and in the weak mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 150 ℃ to 180 ℃. Specifically, the temperature range in the strong mode may be adjusted to 200 ℃ or higher, 250 ℃ or higher, or 210 ℃ or higher, or 260 ℃ or lower, 255 ℃ or lower, or 250 ℃ or lower. The temperature range in the intermediate mode may be adjusted to 160 ℃ or higher, 165 ℃ or higher, or 170 ℃ or higher, or 200 ℃ or lower, 195 ℃ or lower, or 190 ℃ or lower. The temperature range in the weak mode may be adjusted to 150 ℃ or higher, 155 ℃ or higher, or 160 ℃ or higher, or 180 ℃ or lower, 175 ℃ or lower, or 170 ℃ or lower.

The temperature ranges of the strong mode, the intermediate mode, and the weak mode are set to be adjustable according to the user's preference within a range in which tobacco components such as nicotine are transmitted to some extent and a problem such as burnt taste due to overheating does not occur, and in the strong mode, the intermediate mode, and the weak mode, the composition of tobacco components in aerosol is clearly distinguished, so that the user can realize various smoking sensations even if one aerosol-generating device 10 and aerosol-generating article 20 are used. As described above, since the heating in the aerosol-generating device 10 is not continuously performed throughout the smoking process, each mode can be clearly distinguished even if the temperature ranges in each mode partially overlap when the overall temperature distribution is considered.

Fig. 1 shows the aerosol-generating device 10 operating in a smoke mode, and fig. 2 shows the aerosol-generating device 10 operating in a smokeless mode. The second heater unit may be driven in all of the strong mode, the intermediate mode, and the weak mode when the first heater unit is operated in the smoke mode, and may be driven in only the strong mode when the first heater unit is operated in the smokeless mode. In the smokeless mode, the amount of transmission of tobacco components from the tobacco material is low, and the user may not feel the smoking sensation in the intermediate mode and in the weak mode. When the first heater unit is switched from the smoke mode to the smokeless mode, since there is a heating temperature of the first heater unit in the smoke mode, when the first heater unit drops below 100 ℃, below 80 ℃ or below 60 ℃, if the second heater unit is in the other mode, the second heater unit is switched to the strong mode.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating device 10 further comprises a switch arranged on an outer wall surface of the housing. The switch sets a smoke mode or a smokeless mode for the first heater unit and a strong mode, an intermediate mode or a weak mode for the second heater unit. The control unit may control the temperatures of the first heater unit and the second heater unit according to the setting of the switch.

As described above, while the embodiments have been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, various modifications and substitutions may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description. For example, suitable results may be obtained even though the described techniques may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and/or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a different manner than the described methods, or replaced or substituted by other components.

[ detailed description of the main elements ]

10: aerosol generating device

11: battery cell

12: control unit

13: first heater unit

14: second heater unit

20: aerosol-generating article

21: first filter segment

22: cavity section

22A: tobacco particles

23: second filter segment

24: cooling section

25: a mouth piece section.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device comprising:

a housing forming an accommodation space in which the aerosol-generating article is accommodated;

a heater unit that heats the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodating space; and

a control unit that adjusts a temperature of the heater unit,

wherein the heater unit comprises a first heater unit and a second heater unit arranged to heat different locations of the aerosol-generating article, respectively, and

the control unit controls to individually adjust the temperatures of the first heater unit and the second heater unit.

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment,

the cavity section is formed by the first filter section and the second filter section,

the cavity section is filled with tobacco particles, an

The first filter segment is located upstream of the cavity segment and the first filter segment includes an aerosol-former.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 2, wherein the first filter segment and the cavity segment of the aerosol-generating article are accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device,

the first heater unit is positioned to heat the first filter segment and the second heater unit is positioned to heat the cavity segment.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the first heater unit is driven in a smoke or smokeless mode,

in the smoke mode, the first heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 180 ℃ to 240 ℃, and

in the smokeless mode, the first heater unit is not heated.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the second heater unit is driven in one of a strong mode, an intermediate mode and a weak mode,

in the strong mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained at a temperature range of 200 to 260 ℃,

in the intermediate mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 160 ℃ to 200 ℃, and

in the weak mode, the second heater unit is heated to be maintained in a temperature range of 150 ℃ to 180 ℃.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein the second heater unit is driven in the strong mode when the temperature of the first heater unit is below 100 ℃.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second heater units are driven in the form of reheat when they are outside a set range after initial warm-up.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising:

a switch provided on an outer wall surface of the housing,

wherein the switch sets the smoke mode or the smokeless mode for the first heater unit and the switch sets the strong mode, the intermediate mode, or the weak mode for the second heater unit.