CN117813021A

CN117813021A - Aerosol generating device and method of indicating an operating state of an aerosol generating device

Info

Publication number: CN117813021A
Application number: CN202280050897.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: P·P·蒙蒂科内; L·S·鲍奇古尔
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2021-07-22
Filing date: 2022-07-19
Publication date: 2024-04-02
Also published as: WO2023001822A1; KR20240036579A; EP4373323A1; JP2024526861A

Abstract

An aerosol generating device (10) is provided having a thermochromic material visible from an exterior of the device (10) and extending in a longitudinal direction, and a heat transfer structure extending within the device (10) relative to the thermochromic material and substantially in the same longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction of the thermochromic material, at least overlapping the thermochromic material, wherein a thermal resistance of the heat transfer structure increases in the longitudinal direction. Further, a method of indicating at least one operational state of an aerosol-generating device by changing the color of a thermochromic material visible from outside the device is provided, wherein at least two sections of the thermochromic material are heated successively as a thermal resistance of a heat transfer structure within the device with respect to the thermochromic material increases in a longitudinal direction of the thermochromic material and the heat transfer structure.

Description

Aerosol generating device and method of indicating an operating state of an aerosol generating device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device and a method of indicating an operational state of an aerosol-generating device.

In recent years, conventional smoking products have been increasingly replaced by aerosol generating devices in which a liquid evaporates and can be inhaled by a user. In this context, it is desirable to indicate to the user at least one operational state (e.g. a heated state) of the aerosol-generating device, which state relates to a ready state for inhalation by the user.

Background

US 10849360B 2 relates to an aerosol-generating device having an array of LEDs which are switched and/or controlled by a controller corresponding to heaters also arranged in an array. Further, a heat-sensitive paint may be provided corresponding to the heater. Similar devices originate from KR 20200000635A and CN 210747275U.

Disclosure of Invention

However, there is still a need to provide the described information to the user while maintaining a simple construction of the device and without complicating the control logic.

This is solved by means of the subject matter of claim 1 and claim 13.

Accordingly, the aerosol generating device has thermochromic material that is visible from the outside of the device and extends in a longitudinal direction, which may typically also be the longitudinal direction of the device (in other words, the direction corresponding to the longest side of the device). Furthermore, with respect to the thermochromic material, the heat transfer structure is disposed within the device and extends in substantially the same longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction of the thermochromic material, at least overlapping the thermochromic material. Finally, the thermal resistance of the heat transfer structure (preferably with the heat transfer material) increases gradually or stepwise in the longitudinal direction, in any case not necessarily with a monotonic curve.

This structure will have the following effect: the longitudinally extending thermochromic material will change its color gradually or stepwise. In particular, the first part, section or segment thereof will first change its own color and may thus indicate to the user that e.g. heating has started. As the thermal resistance increases gradually, other portions, sections or segments of the thermochromic material will gradually change their own color, with the temperature of the heat increasing as heating continues, so that more and more heat is transferred to the thermochromic material despite the increased thermal resistance. The sections that are heated successively and thus change in color may have substantially the shape of a rod or a column, but these sections may also resemble a trademark, a brand or a logo.

The described structure is relatively reliable, inexpensive, ergonomic and may even be entertained by a user waiting for the heating to be completed, thanks to the fact that: the user can actually see and observe the continuous heating process corresponding to the continuous color change of the thermochromic material. In this context, the thermochromic material may initially have a color (substantially corresponding to the color of the exterior of the device) such that the indicators described herein are initially invisible or barely visible. Further, the thermochromic material may advantageously be selected to become a color that is significantly different from the color of the exterior of the device when heated, so that continuous heating is readily visible. Furthermore, a progressive color change has the advantage over a simple stationary color change in the same constant section of the device provided with thermochromic material: allowing the user to more easily determine the progress of heating. Furthermore, the device may remain simple on both internal structure and control logic.

Advantageous embodiments are described in the further claims.

When the thermal resistance is highest at the nozzle end of the device (as presently preferred), this has the advantage that the color change moves towards the nozzle and is gradual, so that the user can easily understand the idea of heating until the nozzle (towards which the progress of the color change is) is available for inhalation.

The thermochromic material, in particular a paint, can be integrated into the device smoothly and in a visually attractive manner when filled into at least one recess formed on the surface of the device. In this way, the material can be easily seen while cracking of the device surface can be avoided or at least minimized.

As for the specific type of thermochromic material, leuco dye-based coatings are presently preferred.

As regards the details of the heat transfer structure that cause heat transfer from the heater (e.g. roaster) to the thermochromic material, this is preferably adapted to reduce the temperature present at the inner end of the heat transfer structure by at least about 75%, preferably at most about 90%. This is related to the fact that: the heat needs to be transferred but the outer surface of the device cannot become too hot, since too hot an outer surface would risk too high a temperature being applied to the user's hand. Typically, considering that the target temperature of the toaster is about 250 °, the temperature present at the outer end of the heat transfer structure (in other words, the end or surface that is substantially in contact with the thermochromic material and to which heat is transferred) should be at most about 45 °.

Since heat can also be transferred to some extent in the longitudinal direction of the heater structure, the structure can be kept shorter in the longitudinal direction than the roaster or other heater in the device. In this way, the structure can be simple, while the heat can still be transferred adequately.

When the heat transfer structure completely overlaps the heating device in the longitudinal direction, a sufficient heat transfer can be ensured particularly well.

While this internal structure may be kept particularly simple, the heat transfer structure may alternatively or additionally be adapted to be heated by electrical resistance when heat is transferred directly to the heat transfer structure by the heating means. This can be easily controlled based on the heating process, for example.

It has been indicated above that this will be particularly simple and that the thermochromic material will be particularly visible when it is provided on at least one section of the surface of the device.

As regards the increased thermal resistance of the heat transfer structure in its longitudinal direction, this can be easily achieved by constructing the heat transfer structure from at least two different materials, the content of which varies in the longitudinal direction. The different materials typically have different thermal resistances and by varying the content of the different materials in the longitudinal direction, the thermal resistance may be suitably changed, in particular increased or decreased depending on the direction under consideration.

This combination of two different materials can be particularly easy to achieve, provided that the different materials are provided with at least one step. When the different materials are then combined in a complementary manner, the dimension measured along the step remains the same throughout the heat transfer structure, but the different contents of the different materials will be present in the longitudinal direction.

When different materials are provided with at least two protrusions (having different thicknesses measured in the longitudinal direction) and combined in such a manner that the protrusions mesh with each other, basically the same effect is achieved, so that the thermal resistance in the longitudinal direction can also be appropriately adjusted.

In the method of indicating at least one operational state of an aerosol-generating device as described herein, at least two sections of thermochromic material are heated successively due to the structure as detailed above. Further details and preferred embodiments of the method described herein correspond substantially to those of the apparatus and can be applied accordingly to the method. The same applies in view of any of the method features mentioned herein.

Drawings

The invention will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, in which:

figure 1 shows a series of schematic views of an aerosol-generating device having an indicator as described herein,

figure 2 shows the internal structure of the basic part of the device in the first embodiment,

figure 3 shows the internal structure of the basic part of the device in a second embodiment,

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a heat transfer structure, an

Fig. 5 shows a detail of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

As can be seen from fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 10 may have a substantially rectangular appearance with the longest side and correspondingly a longitudinal direction (extending vertically in fig. 1). At the top of the device 10, the tobacco rod 12 can be seen such that the upper end according to fig. 1 corresponds substantially to the nozzle end. As can be seen from fig. 1A, in the illustrated embodiment, the thermochromic material is substantially invisible before heating begins because the color of the thermochromic material is substantially the same as the color of the exterior of the device 10.

However, as can be seen from fig. 1B, in the embodiment shown, when heating starts, a circular or large spot 14 will appear and indicate that heating has started, which in the embodiment shown is centered in the lateral direction and just above the center in the longitudinal direction. As can be seen from fig. 1C to 1E, the dots 14 grow and the color change proceeds substantially towards the nozzle end, so as to form a kind of post 16 (as can be seen in fig. 1E). Once the post is no longer growing toward the nozzle end, this indicates to the user: the heating is already completed and a first suction can be made.

Fig. 2 shows several details of the internal structure of the device 10, which are relevant only for the following cases: a tubular roaster 18 is present into which the tobacco rod 12 is inserted substantially and against which the heat transfer structure 20 abuts along most of its length. In the illustrated embodiment, the length of the heat transfer structure 20 is shorter than the length of the roaster, and substantially the entire heat transfer structure 20 abuts the roaster 18. Outside the heat transfer structure 20, a thermochromic material 22 is provided (sequentially visible as dots 14 of fig. 1B, and finally as columns 16 of fig. 1E). In the embodiment of fig. 2, the heat transfer structure is disposed toward one of the smaller side surfaces of the device 10.

In contrast, in the embodiment of fig. 3, the heat transfer structure 20 is disposed toward one of the larger side surfaces facing the viewer of fig. 1. This can be seen from the fact that one of the smaller side surfaces faces the viewer of fig. 3, and from the dimensions of fig. 2: if one of the larger side surfaces is not removed to show the internal structure, that side surface will face the viewer of fig. 2.

In fig. 3, it has been indicated that two different materials (with different shadows) constitute the heat transfer structure and that three steps 24 are provided, respectively, in the embodiment shown, as shown in more detail in fig. 5. Further, the two materials are bonded to each other in a complementary manner such that the dimension measured from left to right in fig. 3, 4 and 5 remains the same along the longitudinal direction (vertical in all figures). However, due to the fact that: the thermal resistance of the material present to a greater extent at the bottom of fig. 5 is less than the thermal resistance of the material present to a greater extent toward the top of fig. 5, with the thermal resistance being smaller at the bottom and progressively increasing toward the top. Thus, the color change will proceed as shown in fig. 1.

This also applies to the alternative embodiment shown in fig. 4, in which the two materials constituting the heat transfer structure together have a plurality of protrusions 26, the width of which varies in the longitudinal direction. In particular, the width (measured in the longitudinal direction) of the material with lower thermal resistance is larger at the bottom of fig. 4 and smaller at the top of fig. 4, whereas the opposite is true for the other material with higher thermal resistance, so that the total thermal resistance increases towards the top of fig. 4. In particular, the two materials are joined in an engaged manner, in other words, each protrusion is received in a space between two protrusions of the other material, such that a substantially solid heat transfer structure with the desired thermal resistance gradient will be achieved, as is the case with the embodiments of fig. 3 and 5. This will cause the same progression of color change or vertical movement as shown in fig. 1. In other words, since the thermal resistance increases toward the top of the drawing, the color changes toward the top, achieving a desired visual effect.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device (10) having:

thermochromic material visible from an exterior (22) of the device (10) and extending in a longitudinal direction,

a heat transfer structure (20) within the device (10) relative to the thermochromic material (22) and extending in substantially the same longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction of the thermochromic material (22), at least overlapping the thermochromic material,

wherein the thermal resistance of the heat transfer structure (20) increases in the longitudinal direction.

2. The aerosol-generating device (10) of claim 1, wherein the thermal resistance is highest at a nozzle end of the device (10).

3. The aerosol-generating device (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermochromic material (22) is filled into at least one recess formed on a surface of the device.

4. The aerosol-generating device (10) of one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermochromic material (22) is a Leuco dye-based (Leuco dye-based) coating.

5. The aerosol-generating device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat transfer structure (20) within the device (10) relative to the thermochromic material (22) is adapted to reduce the temperature by at least about 75%, preferably at most about 90%.

6. The aerosol-generating device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat transfer structure (20) within the device (10) with respect to the thermochromic material (22) is shorter than the roaster (18) in the longitudinal direction of the device (10).

7. The aerosol-generating device (10) of claim 6, wherein the heat transfer structure (20) completely overlaps the roaster (18) along the longitudinal direction.

8. The aerosol-generating device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat transfer structure (20) within the device (10) relative to the thermochromic material (22) is adapted to be resistance heated.

9. The aerosol-generating device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermochromic material (22) is provided on at least one section of a surface of the device (10).

10. The aerosol-generating device (10) of one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat transfer structure (20) is composed of at least two different materials, the content of which varies along the longitudinal direction.

11. The aerosol-generating device (10) of claim 10, wherein the different materials are provided with at least one step (24).

12. The aerosol-generating device (10) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the different materials are provided with at least two protrusions (26) having different thicknesses measured in the longitudinal direction.

13. A method of indicating at least one operational state of an aerosol-generating device by changing the colour of a thermochromic material visible from the outside of the device, wherein at least two sections of thermochromic material are heated successively as a result of an increase in thermal resistance of the heat transfer structure within the device relative to the thermochromic material in the longitudinal direction of the thermochromic material and the heat transfer structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein heat is transferred from the roaster and/or the resistor to the thermochromic material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the roaster and/or resistor is controlled by a controller.