CN117858633A

CN117858633A - Cartridge for an aerosol-generating device

Info

Publication number: CN117858633A
Application number: CN202380013254.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张哲豪; 高京敏; 徐章源; 郑镇哲
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2022-06-23
Filing date: 2023-06-21
Publication date: 2024-04-09

Abstract

A cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprising: a reservoir configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; a core configured to receive an aerosol-generating substance from a reservoir; a vibrator configured to vibrate the core to atomize the aerosol-generating substance; and a reinforcing member including an atomizing space in communication with the core, wherein the reinforcing member includes: a first opening communicating with the atomizing space; and a pressing surface configured to press the core when contacting a partial region of the core.

Description

Cartridge for an aerosol-generating device

Technical Field

The following embodiments relate to cartridges for aerosol-generating devices.

Background

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing need for devices for generating aerosols (e.g., cigarette-type electronic cigarettes) by electrically heating cigarette rods. Thus, research into electrically heated aerosol-generating devices and cigarette rods (or aerosol-generating articles) applied to aerosol-generating devices is actively underway.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

In an aerosol-generating device or cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprising an ultrasonic atomizer, a liquid aerosol-generating substance may be transferred to a core to generate an aerosol, and a vibrator may generate ultrasonic vibrations with the core to generate the aerosol.

However, the core may be deformed due to vibration of the vibrator. The deformation of the core may cause problems of insufficient aerosol supply to the aerosol-generating device or the core in the cartridge or interruption of the vibration transmission of the vibrator, which may cause a decrease in the aerosol-generating performance of the aerosol-generating device.

Technical proposal for solving the problems

According to an embodiment, a cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprises: a reservoir configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; a core configured to receive an aerosol-generating substance from a reservoir; a vibrator configured to vibrate the core to atomize the aerosol-generating substance; and a reinforcing member including therein an atomizing space in communication with the core, wherein the reinforcing member may include: a first opening communicating with the atomizing space; and a pressing surface configured to press the core when contacting a partial region of the core.

In an embodiment, the pressing surface may directly contact a partial region of the core.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may include a liquid flow path formed on the pressing surface in a groove (groove) structure, wherein one end portion of the liquid flow path communicates with the storage so that the aerosol-generating substance may flow through the liquid flow path.

In an embodiment, the liquid flow path may have another end portion opposite to the one end portion, the other end portion communicating with the atomizing space.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may include a plurality of the liquid flow paths, and the plurality of liquid flow paths may be formed to be spaced apart from each other.

In an embodiment, a plurality of the liquid flow paths may be substantially symmetrical about the first opening.

In an embodiment, the cartridge may further comprise an aerosol flow path configured to receive aerosol generated in the nebulization space, wherein the stiffening member may comprise a second opening in communication with the nebulization space and the aerosol flow path.

In an embodiment, the reinforcement member may include a head, the second opening is provided in the head, and at least a portion of the head is inserted into the aerosol flow path.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may include a third opening formed on one side surface of the atomizing space to communicate with the outside of the atomizing space.

In an embodiment, the third opening may be in communication with the outside of the aerosol-generating device to introduce air into the nebulization space.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may include a plurality of third openings, wherein the plurality of third openings may be formed to be spaced apart from each other across the atomizing space to face each other.

In an embodiment, the core may include: a transfer member disposed in contact with the reinforcing member, and including a core hole communicating with the first opening; and an absorber disposed between the transmission member and the vibrator and disposed to face the atomizing space through the core hole.

In one embodiment, the reinforcing member presses the transmitting member and the absorber so that the core is fixed.

In an embodiment, the reinforcement member may include at least one of polyphenylsulfone (polyphenylsulfone), polyethersulfone (polyethersulfone), polypropylene (polypropylene), polyamide (polyamide), silicon, ceramic, and glass.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may be formed of a porous material capable of absorbing the aerosol-generating substance.

Effects of the invention

According to an embodiment, a cartridge for an aerosol-generating device may comprise a stiffening member to support or press the core, thereby maintaining the shape of the core and/or facilitating the supply of aerosol-generating substance, ultimately effectively achieving smooth aerosol generation.

The effects of the cartridge for an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment are not limited to the above description, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3b is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5a is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 6a is a perspective view of a reinforcing member according to one embodiment.

Fig. 6b is a side view of a reinforcing member according to one embodiment.

Fig. 6c is a top view of a reinforcing member according to one embodiment.

Fig. 6d is a bottom view of a reinforcement member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7a is a drawing of a portion of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7b is a drawing of a first housing of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7c is a drawing of the inside of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

In selecting terms used in various embodiments, their functions in the present disclosure are considered while general terms that are currently widely used are selected. However, the terms may also be made different according to the intention of practitioners in the art, precedent, appearance of new technology, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, the applicant of the present disclosure may also arbitrarily select terms, the meaning of which will be explained in detail in the corresponding portions of the detailed description. Accordingly, the terms used in the present disclosure are not simple terms, and should be defined according to the meaning of the terms and the overall contents of the present invention.

It will be understood that when a portion "comprises" a certain element, it is intended that the portion may also include other elements without specifically stated to be contrary, and is not meant to exclude other elements. In addition, terms "-part", "-module" and the like used in the specification may refer to a component for processing at least one function or operation, and the component may be implemented as hardware, software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

In this specification, when an expression such as "at least one of" or the like occurs before an enumerated element, not every element of the enumerated element is modified, but all the enumerated elements are modified. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b or c" and "at least one of a, b and c" should be interpreted as: comprising a; b; c, performing operation; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c.

In various embodiments, the term "aerosol-generating article" may refer to an article that contains a medium, wherein an aerosol passes through the article and the medium is transferred. A representative example of an aerosol-generating article may be a cigarette, but the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

In various embodiments, the term "upstream" or "upstream direction" refers to a direction away from the mouth of a user (smoker); and the term "downstream" or "downstream direction" refers to a direction toward the user's mouth. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" may be used to describe the relative positions of the various components of the aerosol-generating article.

In various embodiments, the term "inhalation" refers to the inhalation of a user, and inhalation refers to the situation where the user inhales an aerosol through the mouth or nose to the user's mouth, nasal cavity, or lungs.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device for generating an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the interior space.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be a resistive heater. For example, a conductive track (track) may be included in the heater, and the heater may be heated when current flows through the conductive track.

In an embodiment, the heater may comprise a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

In an embodiment, a cigarette may include a tobacco rod and a filter rod. The tobacco rod may be made from sheet or bundle (strand), or may be made from cut tobacco cut from tobacco sheet. In addition, the tobacco rod may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the heat conductive material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the filter rod may be a cellulose acetate filter rod. The filter rod may comprise at least one section. For example, the filter rod may include a first section that cools the aerosol and a second section that filters a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device for generating an aerosol using a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, an aerosol-generating device may comprise a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally or assembled with the body and may be secured to the body so as not to be detached by the user. The cartridge may be mounted on the body while containing the aerosol-generating substance. The embodiments are not limited thereto. The aerosol-generating substance may also be injected into the cartridge at the same time as the cartridge is associated with the body.

In one embodiment, the cartridge may hold an aerosol-generating substance in any of a variety of states, including liquid, solid, gaseous, and gel states. The aerosol-generating substance may comprise a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing materials that contain volatile tobacco aroma components, or a liquid comprising non-tobacco-containing materials.

In an embodiment, the cartridge may be operated by an electrical or radio signal transmitted from the body, thereby performing the function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase (phase) of the aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge into a gas phase. An aerosol may be a gas in which vapor particles generated from an aerosol-generating substance are mixed with air.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may pass through the cigarette and be delivered to the user. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition may move along the airflow path of the aerosol-generating device, and the airflow path may be configured to allow the aerosol to pass through the cigarette and be delivered to the user.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance using ultrasonic vibration. Here, the ultrasonic vibration means may be a means for generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol-generating substance by ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a vibrator and the aerosol-generating substance may be atomized by the vibrator generating a short-period vibration. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be from about 100kHz to about 3.5MHz. The embodiments are not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a core for absorbing the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the core may be disposed around at least one region of the vibrator or may be disposed to contact at least one region of the vibrator.

In an embodiment, when a voltage (e.g., an alternating voltage) is applied to the vibrator, the vibrator may generate heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations generated by the vibrator may be transferred to the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the core. The aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the core may be converted into a gas phase by heat and/or ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the vibrator, and thus, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core may be reduced due to heat generated by the vibrator, and the aerosol-generating substance of which the viscosity is reduced may become fine particles due to ultrasonic vibration generated by the vibrator, whereby an aerosol may be generated. The embodiments are not limited thereto.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may be a device for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article contained in the aerosol-generating device by means of induction heating (induction heating).

In an embodiment, an aerosol-generating device may comprise a base (scanner) and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the base. When the aerosol-generating device supplies power to the coil, a magnetic field may be formed within the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnetic body that generates heat by an external magnetic field. The aerosol-generating article may be heated when the base is inside the coil and generates heat as a result of the application of the magnetic field. Further, the base may be selectively located within the aerosol-generating article.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a stand (cradle).

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may form a system with a separate holder. For example, the cradle may be used to charge a battery of an aerosol-generating device. Or the heater may be heated when the holder and the aerosol-generating device are coupled to each other.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The disclosure may be practiced in the following forms: the forms are implemented in the aerosol-generating device in accordance with the various embodiments described above, or may be implemented or realized in many different forms, and are not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment.

The aerosol-generating device 100 comprises a control portion 110, a sensing portion 120, an output portion 130, a battery 140, a heater 150, a user input portion 160, a memory 170, and a communication portion 180. The internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 100 is not limited to that shown in fig. 1. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the components shown in fig. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In an embodiment, the sensing part 120 may sense a state of the aerosol-generating device 100 or a state of the surrounding environment of the aerosol-generating device 100 and transmit sensing information obtained by the sensing to the control part 110. The control portion 110 may control the aerosol-generating device 100 based on the sensed information to control operation of the heater 150, limit smoking, determine whether an aerosol-generating article (e.g., aerosol-generating article, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, display a notification, and perform other functions.

In an embodiment, the sensing portion 120 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 122, an insertion detection sensor 124, and a suction sensor 126. The embodiments are not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 122 may sense the temperature to which the heater 150 (or aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a separate temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the heater 150, or the heater 150 itself may act as the temperature sensor. Alternatively, temperature sensor 122 may be disposed around battery 140 to monitor the temperature of battery 140.

In an embodiment, the insertion detection sensor 124 may sense whether an aerosol-generating article is inserted and/or removed. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 may include at least one of, for example, a thin film sensor, a pressure sensor, a light sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or an infrared sensor, and the insertion detection sensor 124 may sense a change in signal when the aerosol-generating article is inserted and/or removed.

In an embodiment, the puff sensor 126 may sense puffs from a user based on various physical changes in the airflow path or airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 126 may sense puffs from a user based on any of temperature changes, flow (flow) changes, voltage changes, and pressure changes.

In an embodiment, the sensing part 120 may include at least one of a temperature/humidity sensor, a barometric sensor, a magnetic sensor (acceleration sensor), a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS)), a proximity sensor, or a red, green, blue (RGB) sensor (e.g., an illuminance sensor), in addition to the above-described sensors 122 to 126. Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from the name by those of ordinary skill in the art, a more detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In an embodiment, the output 130 may output information about the state of the aerosol-generating device 100 and provide the information to the user. The output 130 may include at least one of a display 132, a haptic 134, or a sound output 136. The embodiments are not limited thereto. When the display portion 132 and the touch panel are provided in a stacked structure to form a touch screen, the display portion 132 may function not only as an output device but also as an input device.

In an embodiment, the display 132 may visually provide information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol-generating device 100 may include various information such as a charge/discharge state of the battery 140 of the aerosol-generating device 100, a warm-up state of the heater 150, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, a limited use state of the aerosol-generating device 100 (e.g., abnormality is detected), and the like, and the display portion 132 may output the information to the outside. The display portion 132 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The display 132 may also be in the form of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) device.

In an embodiment, the haptic 134 may provide information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user in the form of a touch by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus. For example, the haptic 134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulation device.

In an embodiment, the sound output 136 may provide information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to the user by way of sound. For example, the sound output section 136 may convert an electric signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

In an embodiment, the battery 140 may provide the electrical power required for the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. The battery 140 may be powered to heat the heater 150. In addition, the battery 140 may provide the power required for operation to other components in the aerosol-generating device 100 (e.g., the sensing portion 120, the output portion 130, the user input portion 160, the memory 170, and the communication portion 180). The battery 140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 may be a lithium polymer (lipy) battery, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the heater 150 may receive power from the battery 140 to heat the aerosol-generating substance. Although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a Direct Current (DC) to direct current (DC/DC) converter) that converts power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to the heater 150. In addition, when the aerosol-generating device 100 generates an aerosol using induction heating, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a DC/AC converter to convert direct current of the battery 140 into alternating current.

In one embodiment, the control section 110, the sensing section 120, the output section 130, the user input section 160, the memory 170, and the communication section 180 may receive power from the battery 140 to realize functions. Although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit, such as a Low Dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to the respective components.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may be made of a suitable predetermined resistive material. For example, the resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy including, for example, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nickel chromium, etc., but the embodiment is not limited thereto. In addition, the heater 150 may be implemented as a metal heating wire (wire), a metal heating plate provided with a conductive track (track), a ceramic heating element, or the like, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may be an induction heater. For example, the heater 150 may include a base that generates heat by a magnetic field applied by a coil, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substance.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may include a plurality of heaters. For example, the heater 150 may comprise a first heater for heating the aerosol-generating article and a second heater for heating the liquid.

In one embodiment, the user input 160 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input part 160 may include a keyboard, a dome switch (dome switch), a touch pad (e.g., a touch capacitance type, a pressure resistance film type, an infrared induction type, a surface ultrasonic wave conduction type, an overall tension measurement type, a piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a scroll wheel switch, etc., but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Further, although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a connection interface (connection interface) such as a universal serial bus (USB, universal serial bus) interface, and may be connected with other external devices through the connection interface such as a USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 140.

In an embodiment, the memory 170 is hardware for storing various data processed in the aerosol-generating device 100, whereby the memory 170 may store data processed by the control portion 110 and data to be processed by the control portion 110. The memory 170 may include at least one type of storage medium of a flash type (flash memory type) memory, a hard disk type (hard disk type) memory, a multimedia card micro (multimedia card micro type) memory, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a random access memory (random access memory, RAM), a static random access memory (static random access memory, SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (programmable read-only memory, PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 170 may store the run time of the aerosol-generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data relating to the user's smoking pattern, etc.

In an embodiment, the communication portion 180 may include at least one component that communicates with other electronic devices. For example, the communication section 180 may include a short-range wireless communication section 182 and a wireless communication section 184.

In one embodiment, the short-range wireless communication unit (short-range wireless communication unit) 182 includes a bluetooth communication unit, a bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth Low Energy, BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit (Near Field Communication unit), a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication unit, and an ant+ communication unit. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication portion 184 may include, for example, a cellular network communication portion, an internet communication portion, a computer network (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN)) communication portion, and so forth. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The wireless communication portion 184 may use subscription user information, such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI), to confirm and authenticate the aerosol-generating device 100 within the communication network.

In an embodiment, the control portion 110 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. In one embodiment, the control portion 110 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as a plurality of arrays of logic gates, or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory having stored therein a program executable by the microprocessor. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the temperature of the heater 150 by controlling the supply of electric power from the battery 140 to the heater 150. For example, the control section 110 may control power supply by controlling switching of a switching element between the battery 140 and the heater 150. In another example, the direct heating circuit may control power supply to the heater 150 according to a control command of the control part 110.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may analyze a sensing result obtained by the sensing of the sensing part 120 and control a subsequent process to be performed. For example, the control part 110 may control the power supplied to the heater 150 according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing part 120, thereby starting and ending the operation of the heater 150. For another example, the control part 110 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 150 and the time to be supplied with power according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing part 120 so that the heater 150 may be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the output part 130 according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing part 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the control part 110 may inform the user that the aerosol-generating device 100 is about to stop through at least one of the display part 132, the haptic part 134, or the sound output part 136.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the power supply time and/or the power supply amount to the heater 150 according to the state of the aerosol-generating article sensed by the sensing part 120. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is in an excessively wet state, the control portion 110 may control the power supply time to the induction coil, thereby increasing the warm-up time as compared to the case where the aerosol-generating article is in a general state.

An embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules executable by the computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer and includes volatile (volatile) media, nonvolatile (non-volatile) media, removable media, and non-removable media. Furthermore, computer readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes all volatile, nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 2, an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may comprise a cartridge 10 and a body 50. Some of the components of the aerosol-generating device 100 described with reference to fig. 2 may be substantially identical or similar to some of the components of the aerosol-generating device 100 described with reference to fig. 1, and duplicate matters are omitted in the following description.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 10 may contain an aerosol-generating substance and may be removably secured to the body 50. For example, at least a portion of the cartridge 10 may be inserted into the body 50 (e.g., the cartridge securing area 255 of fig. 3 a), whereby the cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be connected. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and at least a portion of the body 50 may be inserted into the cartridge 10, whereby the cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be connected. The cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be secured to each other in a variety of ways, such as screw-fastening, magnetic fastening, interference fastening, or snap-fastening.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 10 may include at least one of a storage 30, a transfer member 32, and a vibrator assembly 33, and may include a housing 20 for accommodating these components in the housing 20.

In an embodiment, the housing 20 may form the appearance of the cartridge 10 and at least a portion of the components for driving the aerosol-generating device 100 may be housed in the housing 20.

In an embodiment, the structure and shape of the case 20 may be variously embodied, and for example, as shown in fig. 2, the case 20 may be formed in a column shape or a bar shape, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The housing 20 may include a mouthpiece 23 and an aerosol flow path 27.

In an embodiment, the mouthpiece 23 may be directly or indirectly connected to the body of the user of the aerosol-generating device 100. The mouthpiece 23 may comprise a suction opening 25 communicating with the interior of the cartridge 10, in particular with the aerosol flow path 27.

For example, a user may inhale an aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating device 100 by contacting the mouth with the mouthpiece 23. When a user inhales through the mouthpiece 23, the pressure of the suction port 25 and the aerosol flow path 27 may decrease, and the aerosol within the cartridge 10 may pass through the aerosol flow path 27 and the suction port 25 and be delivered to the user.

In an embodiment, the reservoir 30 may be located in the interior space of the housing 20 to contain the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the reservoir 30 may contain and store the aerosol-generating substance and may provide the aerosol-generating substance to other components (e.g., the transfer member 32), or the reservoir 30 may be externally supplied with the aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be a substance in various states such as liquid, solid, gas, or gel, or may be a substance in a mixed phase of these states.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be a liquid containing volatile tobacco flavour components and tobacco-containing material. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise at least one of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, flavor, fragrance, and vitamin mixture. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise at least one of menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and fruit flavor components.

In one embodiment, the transfer member 32 may receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 30. The transfer member 32 may be directly or indirectly connected to the reservoir 30, and at least a partial region of the transfer member 32 may face the aerosol flow path 27. The transfer member 32 may comprise at least one of cotton, ceramic, glass, and porous material, or may structurally comprise a flow path through which the aerosol-generating substance flows. For example, the transfer member 32 may be a core (wick) comprising a water absorbent or porous material.

In an embodiment, vibrator assembly 33 may be located inside housing 20 and vibrate transfer member 32. The vibrator assembly 33 may include a vibrator 35 and a cartridge substrate 37 for controlling the driving of the vibrator 35.

For example, vibrator assembly 33 or vibrator assembly 33 and other components (e.g., a portion of the area of housing 20 and/or transfer member 32) may form an atomizer. A specific structure of the vibrator assembly 33 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to fig. 5 a.

In an embodiment, vibrator assembly 33 may generate vibrations with a relatively short period or may generate ultrasonic vibrations. For example, the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration may be about 100kHz to 3.5MHz. Due to the vibration of the vibrator assembly 33, the aerosol-generating substance transferred from the reservoir 30 to the transfer member 32 may be vaporized and/or changed into particles to be atomized into an aerosol.

In an embodiment, the main body 50 may house a control part (e.g., the control part 110 of fig. 1), a battery (e.g., the battery 140 of fig. 1), and other components (e.g., at least one of the sensing part 120, the output part 130, the memory 170, and the communication part 180 of fig. 1) for controlling the driving of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In an embodiment, the body 50 may be electrically or communicatively connected to the cartridge substrate 37 to provide data and/or power to the cartridge substrate 37. Although fig. 2 shows the control portion 110 and the cartridge substrate 37 separately as examples, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the cartridge substrate 37 may be included as part of the control portion 110, and the body 50 may also include a body substrate (e.g., body substrate 272 in fig. 5 a) that is another component of the control portion 110.

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment, and fig. 3b is a perspective view of the aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment. Specifically, fig. 3a is the aerosol-generating device 200 in a closed (closed) state of the mouthpiece 223, and fig. 3b is the aerosol-generating device 200 in an open (open) state of the mouthpiece 223.

Referring to fig. 3a and 3b, an aerosol-generating device 200 (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 1 or 2) according to an embodiment may comprise at least one of a cartridge 210 (e.g., the cartridge 10 of fig. 2) and a body 250 (e.g., the body 50 of fig. 2).

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 of fig. 3a and its components described below are examples of an implementation of the aerosol-generating device 200 described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2, and the practical application is not limited thereto. The aerosol-generating device 200 may be implemented in different structures and shapes. The description provided above will be omitted in the following description of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the main body 250 may include a first body 250a and a second body 250b. The first body 250a and the second body 250b may be fixed and fastened to each other, and each of the first body 250a and the second body 250b may house and protect the internal components of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the first body 250a may include a cartridge securing area 255 and may support the cartridge 210 when the cartridge 210 is secured to the cartridge securing area 255. For example, the cartridge fastening area 255 may be an opening formed on a surface of the first body 250a in one direction (e.g., the +z direction), and the cartridge 210 may be fastened into the opening in such a manner as to be inserted into the cartridge fastening area 255.

In an embodiment, the second body 250b may be fastened to the first body 250a, and the second body 250b may be an area for a user to grasp the aerosol-generating device 200. Although not shown in the drawings, at least one of a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 122 of fig. 1) and a substrate (e.g., the control part 110 of fig. 1 or 2) may be accommodated inside the second body 250b. In the drawings, the second body 250b is shown as a generally annular or polygonal shape, but is not limited thereto in practical application, and may be implemented as a column or bar shape, for example.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a mouthpiece 223. Suction nozzle 223 may be rotated or tilted based on the rotation axis, and suction port 225 (e.g., suction port 25 in fig. 2) of suction nozzle 223 may be selectively exposed based on the rotation or tilting.

For example, as shown in fig. 3a, when the user is not using the aerosol-generating device 200 or in a stored state, the mouthpiece 223 may be located inside the cartridge fastening region 255 and the suction port 225 is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200.

For example, as shown in fig. 3b, the user may rotate or tilt the mouthpiece 223 to use the aerosol-generating device 200, and thus the suction port 225 may be exposed to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200.

As shown in fig. 3a and 3b, the aerosol-generating device 200 may cover the suction opening 225 as needed, so that the aerosol-generating device 200 may prevent external foreign objects from entering the cartridge 210 via the suction opening 225 and the suction opening 225 from being contaminated. In addition, the aerosol-generating device 200 may cover the suction opening 225, thereby preventing leakage of aerosol or aerosol-generating substance from the cartridge 210 to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200.

However, the driving manner of the suction nozzle 223 in fig. 3a and 3b is only an example, and the practical application is not limited thereto, and the suction nozzle 223 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the body 250 or the cartridge 210 may include a separate door to selectively expose the suction port 225 of the cartridge 210.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 4, in an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a cartridge body 211 and a mouthpiece 223.

The aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 4, etc. may be the aerosol-generating device 100 described above or a modified example thereof, and duplicate matters will be omitted below.

In an embodiment, the cartridge body 211 may include at least one of the housing 205, the core 235, and the vibrator assembly 240.

In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 223 may be coupled or connected to the cartridge body 211 and move relative to the cartridge body 211. The cartridge 210 structure according to an embodiment is not limited to the above example, and parts may be added or parts may be omitted according to an embodiment.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may form the overall appearance of the cartridge 210 and form an interior space therein to house the cartridge 210 components (e.g., at least one of the reservoir 230, the core 235, and the vibrator assembly 240).

In one embodiment, the structure and shape of the housing 205 may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the housing 205 may be formed in a column shape or a bar shape, but is not limited thereto. Only the housing 205 of the cartridge 210 is shown as being generally rectangular in shape, however, in other embodiments (not shown), the housing 205 may be integrally formed as a cylinder as well as other polyhedrons (e.g., triangular, pentagonal) other than a rectangular.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may include a first housing 205a, a second housing 205b connected to one region of the first housing 205a, and a third housing 205b connected to another region of the first housing 205 a.

For example, the second housing 205b may be coupled to one region at a lower end portion (e.g., -z direction) of the first housing 205a, and an inner space may be formed between the first housing 205a and the second housing 205b such that components of the cartridge 210 may be placed in the inner space.

In an embodiment, the third housing 205c may be coupled to a region located at an upper end portion (e.g., +z direction) of the first housing 205a, and at least a portion of the suction nozzle 223 may be provided at one side portion of the third housing 205 c.

In an embodiment, the first and second housings 205a, 205b may combine with one another to form an aerosol flow path 224 for a flow of gas (e.g., air or aerosol) to move inside the cartridge body 211. For example, the first housing 205a may form a portion of the aerosol flow path 224, while the second housing 205b may form the remainder of the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the first and second housings 205a, 205b may be combined to form an interior space in which various components required for operation of the cartridge 210, such as the vibrator assembly 240 and the core 235, may be housed or configured.

In an embodiment, the first and second cases 205a and 205b may protect components accommodated in the inner space, and the third case 205c may protect the suction nozzle 223 and other components coupled or combined with the suction nozzle 223. The housing 205 may form at least a portion of the aerosol flow path 224, or at least a portion of the structure of the housing 205 may serve as an inner wall of the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may include a sensor aperture 207. The sensor hole 207 may be formed in a partial region of the second housing 205b of the housing 205. For example, the sensor aperture 207 may be located in a bottom surface of the second housing 205b where the cartridge 210 is coupled to the body 250. The sensor hole 207 may be formed at a position opposite to a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 271 in fig. 5 a). The sensor hole 207 is described below with reference to fig. 5a and the like.

In one embodiment, mouthpiece 223 is the portion that contacts the user's mouth, and mouthpiece 223 may be configured or coupled to an area of housing 205. For example, the suction nozzle 223 may be connected to the third housing 205c.

In one embodiment, suction nozzle 223 is movable between an open position and a closed position. The cartridge 210 may further include an elastic body 223a for providing an elastic force to the mouthpiece 223. For example, the elastic body 223a may elastically support the suction nozzle 223 toward the open position.

In an embodiment, the elastic body 223a may be disposed on or around the rotation axis of the suction nozzle 223. The suction nozzle 223 may be moved from the closed position to the open position by the elastic force of the elastic body 223 a. The elastic body 223a may be made of a metal material (e.g., SUS).

In one embodiment, suction nozzle 223 may rotate about a rotational axis, and elastic body 223a may be a torsion spring located on the rotational axis of suction nozzle 223. When the suction nozzle 223 is in the closed position, the elastic body 223a may have a relatively large deformation; the elastic body 223a may have relatively little deformation when the suction nozzle 223 is in the open position. Thereby, a biasing spring force can be provided to the suction nozzle 223 to open from the closed position to the open position.

In an embodiment, the mouthpiece 223 may include a suction port 225 for expelling aerosol generated inside the cartridge 210 to the outside of the cartridge 210. For example, one side of the suction port 225 may be connected to the outside, and the other side of the suction port 225 may be connected to the aerosol flow path 224 in an open position. The user may contact the suction nozzle 223 with the mouth and be supplied with aerosol discharged to the outside through the suction port 225 of the suction nozzle 223.

In an embodiment, the suction nozzle 223 may be rotatably or tiltably coupled to the third housing 205c together with the support portion 223 b. The support portion 223b may be disposed between the suction nozzle 223 and the third housing 205c, and surrounds at least a portion of the other side of the suction nozzle 223.

In an embodiment, the suction nozzle 223, the support portion 223b, and the third housing 205c may be connected to each other by a rotation axis. Thereby, the suction nozzle 223 can be not only firmly coupled to the third housing 205c, but also rotated with respect to the third housing 205c to move between the open position and the closed position.

In an embodiment, the aerosol atomized by the vibrator assembly 240 may be discharged outside of the cartridge 210 through the aerosol flow path 224 and provided to the user. For example, aerosol generated by a vibrator (e.g., vibrator 241 of fig. 5 b) of vibrator assembly 240 may flow along aerosol flow path 224 and then be discharged to the outside of cartridge 210 through suction port 225, aerosol flow path 224 being formed to connect or communicate an atomizing space (e.g., atomizing space 303 of fig. 5 a) with suction port 225 of suction nozzle 223.

In an embodiment, the aerosol flow path 224 may be connected to the mouthpiece 223 along the internal structure of the second housing 205b and the first housing 205 a. For example, the airflow moving in a forward direction along the aerosol flow path 224 may move in a predetermined direction sequentially (e.g., sequentially) in a +z direction, a direction transverse to the z axis, -z direction, a direction transverse to the z axis, then a +z direction).

In one embodiment, suction port 225 may refer to a channel within suction nozzle 223. When the mouthpiece 223 is in the open position, the suction port 225 may be connected to the aerosol flow path 224. When mouthpiece 223 is in the closed position, suction port 225 may be disconnected from aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the storage 230 may be disposed inside the first housing 205a, and the aerosol-generating substance may be stored inside the storage 230. For example, a liquid aerosol-generating substance may be stored in the reservoir 230. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, core 235 may be located between reservoir 230 and vibrator 241 of vibrator assembly 240. The core 235 may include a transfer member 235a and an absorbent 235b.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235a may be in contact with the reinforcing member 300, and the absorber 235b may be disposed between the transfer member 235a and the vibrator 241. The transfer member 235a may include a reinforcing member 300 and a core hole in communication with a first opening (e.g., the first opening 301 of fig. 5 b) of the reinforcing member 300, through which the absorber 235b faces the atomizing space 303.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir 230 may be supplied to the vibrator assembly 240 through the transfer member 235 a. The transfer member 235a may receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230 and transfer the received aerosol-generating substance to the vibrator 241 or the absorber 235b, or the transfer member 235a may function to atomize the aerosol-generating substance in response to receiving ultrasonic vibrations from the vibrator 241. For example, the transfer member 235a may absorb the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir 230 and transfer the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the transfer member 235a to the vibrator assembly 240.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further comprise an absorber 235b that transfers the absorbed aerosol-generating substance to the vibrator assembly 240. The absorber 235b may be disposed to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 241 of the aerosol-generating vibrator assembly 240 and receive the aerosol-generating substance from the transfer member 235a and absorb and atomize at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance.

In one embodiment, the absorbent member 235b may be made of a material capable of absorbing an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the absorber 235b may include at least one of SPL 30 (H), SPL 50 (H) V, NP (V8), SPL 60 (FC), and melamine.

In one embodiment, since the cartridge 210 includes the absorbing member 235b, the aerosol-generating substance may be absorbed not only by the delivery member 235a but also by the absorbing member 235b, whereby the amount of absorption of the aerosol-generating substance may be increased.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235a may comprise a material having a higher rate of absorption of the aerosol-generating substance than the absorbent member 235b. For example, when the transfer member 235a has a higher absorption rate than the absorber 235b, the aerosol-generating substance transferred to the absorber 235b by the transfer member 235a is supplied to the vibrator 241 at a uniform speed by the absorber 235b having a relatively low absorption rate. Thereby, the excessive aerosol-generating substance can be prevented from contacting the vibrator 241.

In one embodiment, since the absorber 235b is disposed to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 241, the absorber 235b may thus act as a physical barrier during aerosol generation to prevent the "frying oil" phenomenon in which insufficiently atomized particles are directly discharged to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200. Here, "frying oil" may refer to a phenomenon in which particles of aerosol-generating substance are discharged to the outside of the cartridge 210 as relatively large particles in a state where they are not sufficiently atomized. Since the cartridge 210 further includes the absorber 235b, the possibility of frying oil can be reduced, and the user's satisfaction with smoking can be improved.

In an embodiment, the absorber 235b may be located between a surface of the vibrator 241 generating the aerosol and the transfer member 235a, and transfer the aerosol supplied to the transfer member 235a to the vibrator 241.

For example, one region of the absorber 235b is in contact with a region of the transfer member 235a facing in one direction (e.g., -z direction), and another region of the absorber 235b is in contact with a region of the vibrator 241 of the vibrator assembly 240 facing in one direction (e.g., +z direction). That is, the absorber 235b is located on the top surface (e.g., the surface in the +z direction or the first surface 241a in fig. 5 b) of the vibrator 241, and transfers the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the transfer member 235a to the vibrator assembly 240.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235a, the absorber 235b, and the vibrator assembly 240 may be sequentially arranged along a length direction (e.g., a z-axis direction) of the cartridge 210 or the housing 205, and the absorber 235b and the transfer member 235a may be sequentially laminated on the vibrator 241.

With the above arrangement, at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance supplied from the reservoir 230 to the transfer member 235a moves to the absorber 235b in contact with the transfer member 235a, and the aerosol-generating substance that has moved to the absorber 235b can move along the absorber 235b and reach the region adjacent to the vibrator assembly 240.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be stably transferred to the vibrator assembly 240 such that the vibrator assembly 240 continuously generates a uniform amount of aerosol, and the above arrangement may implement a dual physical barrier against the above-described frying phenomenon by the transfer member 235a and the absorber 235 b.

In an embodiment, only one embodiment including one transfer member 235a and one absorber 235b, respectively, is shown in the drawings, but the cartridge 210 according to another embodiment may further include at least one of two or more transfer members 235a and absorbers 235b, or the transfer members 235a and absorbers 235b may be implemented as one body.

For example, the absorber 235b may be a separate component of the cartridge 210 connected to the transfer member 235a, or the transfer member 235a and the absorber 235b may be components connected or combined with each other, or integrated components, and the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further comprise a support plate 246 for grounding the cartridge base 245 or firmly bonding the cartridge base 245 to the second housing 205b.

The vibrator assembly 240 of an embodiment may include at least one of a vibrator 241, a first electrode body 243, a second electrode body 244, a support structure 247, a support plate 246, and a cartridge substrate 245.

In one embodiment, the vibrator assembly 240 may utilize the transfer member 235a to generate vibrations to atomize the aerosol-generating substance.

In one embodiment, vibrator 241 generates an aerosol by atomizing a liquid aerosol-generating substance by vibrating transfer member 235 a. The vibrator 241 may include a first surface 241a facing the transfer member 235a and a second surface 241b opposite to the first surface 241 a.

In one embodiment, vibrator 241 may comprise a piezoelectric ceramic. Piezoelectric ceramics are functional materials that realize the mutual conversion between electric power and force, and can generate electric power when a force is applied and generate force when a force is applied. For example, vibrator 241 may generate short-period vibrations by applied electrical power, which may vaporize and/or alter the aerosol-generating substance into particles.

In one embodiment, vibrator 241 may generate ultrasonic vibrations. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 241 may be about 100kHz to 10MHz, preferably about 100kHz to 3.5MHz.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 241 may vibrate along a longitudinal direction (e.g., z-axis direction) of the cartridge 210 or the housing 205 when the vibrator 241 generates ultrasonic vibrations of a corresponding frequency band. However, the vibration direction of the vibrator 241 of the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vibrator may be changed to a different vibration direction (for example, any one of an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, a z-axis direction, or a combination thereof).

In an embodiment, the vibrator 241 may ultrasonically atomize the aerosol-generating substance, which generates an aerosol at a relatively lower temperature than the manner in which the aerosol-generating substance is heated. For example, when heating an aerosol-generating substance using a heater, the aerosol-generating substance may be accidentally heated to a temperature of 200 ℃ or higher, resulting in a user perceiving a burnt smell from the aerosol.

In contrast, the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment may ultrasonically atomize the aerosol-generating substance and may generate an aerosol in a relatively low temperature range of about 100 ℃ to 160 ℃ compared to heating the aerosol-generating substance with a heater. Thus, this may reduce the burnt smell in the aerosol, improving the user's satisfaction with smoking.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to an external power source through the cartridge substrate 245, and may generate ultrasonic vibrations by power supplied from the external power source. For example, since the vibrator 241 is electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 245 located inside the cartridge 210 and the cartridge substrate 245 is electrically connected to the body 250, the vibrator 241 may receive battery (e.g., the battery 140 of fig. 1 or 2) power.

In an embodiment, the aerosol may be generated in an atomizing space (e.g., atomizing space 303 of fig. 5 a), wherein atomizing space 303 is located above first surface 241a of vibrator 241 and is in communication with aerosol flow path 224. When the user sucks the suction nozzle 223 in the opened state, the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 303 is mixed with the external air introduced along the aerosol flow path 224 and moves in a direction toward the suction port 225.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 245 through the first electrode body 243 and the second electrode body 244.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 243 comprises a material (e.g., metal) having electrical conductivity, and the first electrode body 243 is in contact with the first surface 241a of the vibrator 241 and electrically connects the vibrator 241 and the cartridge substrate 245.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 243 may be cylindrical to accommodate at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the vibrator 241. An opening may be formed in a portion of the first electrode body 243 to expose at least a portion of the vibrator 241 (e.g., the first surface 241 a) to the outside of the first electrode body 243.

For example, a portion (e.g., an upper end portion) of the first electrode body 243 may be disposed to surround at least a region of the outer circumferential surface of the vibrator 241 and be in contact with the vibrator 241, and another portion (e.g., a lower end portion) of the first electrode body 243 may be formed to extend from one portion toward the cartridge substrate 245 in a direction and contact a region of the cartridge substrate 245. The vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 245 through the above-described contact structure of the first electrode body 243.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 243 may have an opening to expose at least a portion of the vibrator 241 to the outside of the first electrode body 243. A partial region of the first surface 241a of the vibrator 241 exposed to the outside of the first electrode body 243 through the opening of the first electrode body 243 may be in contact with the transfer member 235a and/or the absorber 235b and atomize the aerosol-generating substance in the transfer member 235a and/or the absorber 235 b.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 244 comprises a material having electrical conductivity and may be located on the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241 or between the vibrator 241 and the cartridge substrate 245 to electrically connect the vibrator 241 and the cartridge substrate 245.

For example, one end of the second electrode body 244 is in contact with the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241, and the other end of the second electrode body 244 is in contact with a partial region of the cartridge substrate 245 facing the vibrator 241. Whereby the vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 245.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 244 may contact the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241 and press the vibrator 241 in a direction (e.g., +z direction) in which the first surface 241a of the vibrator 241 faces. The second electrode body 244 has elasticity and supports the vibrator 241 by being compressed between the support structure 247 and the other surface of the vibrator 241.

In one embodiment, the second electrode body 244 includes a conductive material having elasticity for electrically connecting not only the vibrator 241 and the cartridge substrate 245. Further, the second electrode body 244 serves to provide an elastic force to the vibrator 241 in the direction of the second surface 241b and to support the vibrator 241.

For example, the second electrode body 244 may include a conductive spring (conductive spring), but the second electrode body 244 is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

In an embodiment, a support plate 246 is disposed between the support structure 247 and the cartridge substrate 245, and at least a portion of the support plate 246 may be secured to the cartridge substrate 245 to support the support structure 247. The support plate 246 may enhance the fastening force between the cartridge base 245 and the first electrode body 243.

In an embodiment, the support plate 246 may include an inclined region having an inclination with respect to a flat region having a flat shape. The flat region and the inclined region of the support plate 246 may be integrally formed of an elastic material, and when the inclined region is pressed to be parallel to the flat region, an elastic restoring force may act on the inclined region.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a support structure 247 between the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241 and the cartridge base 245 to support the second electrode body 244.

In an embodiment, the support structure 247 may be located inside the first electrode body 243 to support the vibrator 241. At least a portion of the support structure 247 may be surrounded by the first electrode body 243, and at least a portion of the support structure 247 may be bonded to the first electrode body 243 in an interference fit.

In an embodiment, for example, the support structure 247 comprises a material having elasticity (e.g., silicone or rubber) and may be disposed around the second electrode body 244, thereby elastically supporting the second electrode body 244.

In an embodiment, one surface of the vibrator 241 may be supported by the first electrode body 243 and the other surface of the vibrator 241 may be supported by the support structure 247. The support structure 247 may press another surface of the vibrator 241 in contact with the support structure 247. Thereby, displacement or damage due to vibration generated by the vibrator 241 can be prevented.

In an embodiment, the cartridge substrate 245 may be located inside the second housing 205 b. For example, the cartridge substrate 245 may be spaced apart from the vibrator 241 and electrically connected to the vibrator 241 through the first electrode body 243 and the second electrode body 244. The cartridge substrate 245 may be electrically connected to an internal component of the body 250 of the aerosol-generating device 200 (e.g., the body substrate 272 in fig. 5 a).

In an embodiment, the cartridge substrate 245 may be electrically connected to the first electrode body 243 and the second electrode body 244 to provide a signal to the vibrator 241. The cartridge base 245 may be fastened to a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first electrode body 243 surrounding the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, since the cartridge substrate 245 is electrically connected to the vibrator 241 through the first electrode body 243 and the second electrode body 244 while being electrically connected to the main body 250, the vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to an external power source of the cartridge 210 via the cartridge substrate 245 to receive power from the external power source.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a stiffening member 300 to prevent the aerosol-generating substance from leaking from the reservoir 230 and flowing into the aerosol flow path 224. In an embodiment, since at least a portion of the aerosol flow path 224 may be disposed to be surrounded by the reservoir 230, aerosol-generating material leaking from the reservoir 230 may flow into the aerosol flow path 224, which may reduce the user's satisfaction with smoking.

In an embodiment, the stiffening member 300 may seal a gap around the liquid supply port of the reservoir 230 (e.g., a gap between the liquid supply port and the transfer member 235 a). Accordingly, in the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 may prevent the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir 230 from leaking into the aerosol flow path 224, thereby preventing the occurrence of problems that reduce the satisfaction of the user's smoking.

In one embodiment, the stiffening member 300 may prevent the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir 230 from leaking into the aerosol flow path 224. For example, the reinforcing member 300 may have a circular hollow shape. The reinforcement member 300 may be interference-fitted inside the first housing 205a and closely contact the outer wall of the storage 230.

In an embodiment, since the reinforcing member 300 has a channel portion therein, the reinforcing member 300 may prevent the aerosol-generating substance from flowing from the reservoir 230 into the aerosol flow path 224 while may form a portion of the aerosol flow path 224 through which the aerosol generated by the vibrator 241 moves.

In an embodiment, the stiffening member 300 may include at least one aperture connected to the aerosol flow path 224. For example, the stiffening member 300 may include a second opening (e.g., the second opening 305 of fig. 5 a) in the top surface (e.g., the surface in the +z direction).

In an embodiment, the atomizing space 303 is located above the first surface 241a of the vibrator 241 facing the aerosol flow path 224 such that the atomizing space 303 and the aerosol flow path 224 communicate at the upper end of the vibrator 241. The cartridge 210 has a linear aerosol discharge path, and the generated aerosol can be easily discharged to the outside of the cartridge 210.

In an embodiment, the second opening 305 may be formed to allow the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 303 to move to the aerosol flow path 224. For example, the second opening 305 may be formed at a portion of the atomizing space 303 of the reinforcing member 300 facing the aerosol flow path 224, and the aerosol formed in the atomizing space 303 and flowing in one direction (e.g., +z direction) may move toward the suction nozzle 223 through the second opening 305.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 may include a material (e.g., rubber) having elasticity to absorb ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 241. Thereby, the transmission of the ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 241 to the user via the housing 205 of the cartridge 210 can be minimized.

In an embodiment, the reinforcement member 300 may be located at an upper end portion of the transmission member 235a to press the transmission member 235a toward the vibrator 241. The reinforcement member 30 will be explained again with reference to fig. 6 a.

The cartridge 210 according to an embodiment may further comprise a waterproof member 249 for retaining the transfer member 235a and/or the vibrator 241 within the first housing 205 a.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 249 may be disposed around at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the absorber 235b, the vibrator 241, and/or the transfer member 235a to accommodate the transfer member 235a, the absorber 235b, and/or the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 249 may be located between the first and second housings 205a and 205b, and the transfer member 235a, the absorber 235b, and/or the vibrator 241 may be held or fixed in an area between the first and second housings 205a and 205 b.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 249 may be coupled to the first housing 205a in such a manner that at least a partial area of the waterproof member 249 is interference-fitted to the first housing 205a, but the coupling method of the first housing 205a and the waterproof member 249 is not limited to the above-described example. In another example, the first housing 205a and the waterproof member 249 may be coupled in at least one of a snap-fit manner, a screw coupling manner, or a magnetic coupling.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 249 may include a material (e.g., silicone or rubber) having predetermined rigidity and waterproof property to fix the transmission member 235a and the vibrator 241 to the first housing 205a and prevent the aerosol-generating substance from leaking from the storage 230. For example, the waterproof member 249 may seal the region of the reservoir 230 adjacent to the transfer member 235a or the vibrator 241, thereby preventing leakage of aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, similar to the reinforcing member 300, the waterproof member 249 may include a material (e.g., rubber) having elasticity to absorb ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 249 may include a fixing protrusion 249a protruding in the direction of the core 235. The fixing protrusion 249a may be inserted into a fixing recess 235c formed in the transfer member 235a of the core 235, and the fixing protrusion 249a may support or fix the core 235.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a first sealing body 236 for maintaining the coupling between the first housing 205a and the third housing 205c and sealing the reservoir 230.

In an embodiment, the first sealing body 236 may be disposed between the first housing 205a and the third housing 205 c. For example, the first sealing body 236 may be coupled to an upper end portion of the first housing 205a and a lower end portion of the third housing 205c to firmly maintain the first housing 205a directly coupled with the third housing 205 c.

In an embodiment, the first seal body 236 may include structure that seals the reservoir 230 but does not seal the aerosol flow path 224. For example, in a state in which the first sealing body 236 is coupled to the top of the first housing 205a, the first sealing body 236 may have a structure including a hole in a portion where the aerosol flow path 224 is located and not including a hole in a portion where the reservoir 230 is located. Thus, the first sealing body 236 may isolate or separate the reservoir 230 and the aerosol flow path 224 from the upper end portion of the first housing 205a while preventing the aerosol flow path 224 from being blocked.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a second sealing body 238, the second sealing body 238 coupled to the third housing 205c to seal the perimeter of the aerosol flow path 224. The second sealing body 238 may be coupled to an upper end portion of the third housing 205 c. The second sealing body 238 may include a hole having a size corresponding to that of the aerosol flow path 224, thereby sealing a periphery of a portion where the aerosol flow path 224 and the suction port 225 are connected while preventing clogging of the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include both a first seal body 236 and a second seal body 238.

In an embodiment, the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 are coupled to upper and lower ends of the third housing 205c, respectively, and at least one of the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 may be partially coupled to an inside of the third housing 205c, respectively. Thereby, the first and third housings 205a and 205c can be more firmly coupled by the first and second seal bodies 236 and 238.

In an embodiment, the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 may be coupled to the first and/or third housings 205a and 205c in an interference fit manner, but a coupling method of the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the first and second seal bodies 236 and 238 may include a material (e.g., silicone) having a predetermined rigidity and water resistance to be securely coupled to the first and/or third housings 205a and 205c and serve as a portion of the inner wall of the aerosol flow path 224.

For example, during atomization of the aerosol-generating substance by the vibrator 241, a portion of the aerosol-generating substance may not be sufficiently atomized and relatively large particle droplets may be formed. Alternatively, droplets are generated as a result of the liquefaction of a portion of the atomized aerosol within the airflow path. The generated droplets may clog the aerosol flow path 224, or leak to the outside of the cartridge 210 through other paths (e.g., the inlet 251 of fig. 5 a), or leak to the outside of the mouthpiece 223 through the suction port 225, which may reduce the convenience and satisfaction of the user's smoking. The first and second seal bodies 236 and 238 may prevent this from occurring and provide the user with smoking convenience and satisfaction.

Fig. 5a is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment; fig. 5b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment. Specifically, fig. 5b is an enlarged view of the region P shown in fig. 5 a.

Referring to fig. 5a and 5b, an aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment may comprise a temperature sensor 271 and a lens 273.

The cartridge 210 inserted into the aerosol-generating device 200 described below may be the cartridge 210 including the vibrator assembly 240, but is not limited thereto. In the following, the description of the aerosol-generating device 200 with the cartridge 210 inserted therein will be omitted.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may be detachably coupled to the cartridge securing area 255 of the body 250. The cartridge securing area 255 may be a portion of the body 250 to which the cartridge 210 is coupled. The fixing member 255a may hold or fix the suction nozzle 223 in the closed position.

In an embodiment, the cartridge securing area 255 may house at least a portion of the cartridge 210. For example, the cartridge securing area 255 may have a shape that corresponds to the shape of at least a partial area of the cartridge 210 (e.g., a partial area of the housing 205) such that at least a partial area of the cartridge body (e.g., the cartridge body 221 of fig. 4) and the mouthpiece 223 of the cartridge 210 may be received or inserted therein.

In an embodiment, a first magnetic body (not shown) may be included in at least one region of the cartridge body 221 of the cartridge 210, and at least one region of the cartridge securing region 255 of the main body 250 may include a second magnetic body (not shown). For example, a first magnetic body (not shown) may be disposed on a lower surface of the cartridge body 221, and a second magnetic body (not shown) may be disposed on a bottom surface of the cartridge fastening area 255 of the main body 250 facing the lower surface of the inserted cartridge body 221. Thereby, the cartridges 210 inserted at predetermined positions in the cartridge fastening area 255 may be coupled by magnetic force.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 may comprise a securing member 255a to hold the mouthpiece 223 in a predetermined position. For example, the body 250 may include a fixing member 255a that holds the closed suction nozzle 223 in the closed position. The securing member 255a may be located in a portion of the cartridge securing area 255 where the mouthpiece 223 is stored in the closed position.

In one embodiment, when the suction nozzle 223 is closed, a user may apply an external force to move the suction nozzle 223 from the open position to the closed position. When the suction nozzle 223 moves to the closed position, the fixing member 255a may provide a holding force to the suction nozzle 223 to hold the suction nozzle 223 in the closed position. For example, the fixing member 255a may provide a magnetic force, an elastic force, and/or a frictional force to one end of the suction nozzle 223 to maintain the suction nozzle 223 in the closed position.

In one embodiment, when opening suction nozzle 223, a user may apply an external force to suction nozzle 223 to move suction nozzle 223 from the closed position to the open position. For example, when the user presses the other side portion of the suction nozzle 223 with a predetermined force or more, the suction nozzle 223 may be released from the fixing member 255a, and the suction nozzle 223 may be rotated from the closed position to the open position.

In one embodiment, one end of the fixing member 255a and one end of the suction nozzle 223 may each include magnetic bodies of opposite polarities. Accordingly, when one end of the suction nozzle 223 approaches the closed position by a predetermined distance, the suction nozzle 223 may be pulled by a magnetic force and maintained in the closed position.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 may further comprise a puff detection sensor (not shown). A puff detection sensor (not shown) may sense whether a user is inhaling through the aerosol-generating device 200 by detecting a change in airflow or internal pressure of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be located at either location in the cartridge 210 or the body 250. Since the cartridge 210 may be a consumable that can be replaced when the aerosol-generating substance stored therein is depleted, a puff detection sensor (not shown) is preferably disposed in the body 250.

In an embodiment, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be positioned adjacent to the cartridge securing area 255 of the body 250. For example, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be located in one of the cartridge fastening regions 255 adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the cartridge 210 bonded to the body 250. As another example, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be located in one region of the body 250 facing the outer circumferential surface of the shell 205 of the cartridge 210 bonded to the body 250.

In an embodiment, since external air may be introduced into the aerosol-generating device 200 through a minute gap between the coupled body 250 and the cartridge 210, a suction detection sensor (not shown) may be disposed adjacent to an area where the external air flows to more accurately detect a change in the airflow or internal pressure of the body 250.

In an embodiment, the body 250 may include at least one inlet 251 through which air external to the body 250 may be introduced into the body 250 and the cartridge 210. The inlet 251 may communicate with the interior of the cartridge 210 through at least one opening (e.g., sensor aperture 207) formed in the cartridge 210.

In one embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 may include a first opening 301, an atomizing space 303, and a second opening 305. The first opening 301 may be formed in a lower or bottom surface (e.g., the pressing surface 315 in fig. 6 a) of the reinforcement member 300. The first opening 301 may be formed to be opened in a direction facing the transmission member 235a of the core 235 and/or the vibrator 241. The core 235 may communicate with the atomizing space 303 through the first opening 301. The second opening 305 may be formed between the atomizing space 303 and the aerosol flow path 224 such that the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 303 may pass through the second opening 305 and be transferred to the aerosol flow path 224.

In one embodiment, the airflow may move in a forward direction from the inlet 251 through the atomizing space 303 of the reinforcing member 300 toward the suction port 225. At this time, the "forward direction" may be a direction in which the air flow moves when the user sucks through the suction nozzle 223. For example, the forward direction may be a direction from the inlet 251 toward the atomizing space 303 and a direction from the atomizing space 303 toward the suction port 225.

In an embodiment, the lens 273 may be disposed on one surface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the cartridge securing region 255. In an embodiment, the lens 273 may be disposed to face a partial region of the cartridge 210 (e.g., the sensor aperture 207 of the cartridge 210) when the cartridge 210 is coupled to the body 250.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 271 may be positioned facing the cartridge securing area 255 in the body 250. The temperature sensor 271 may be configured as an infrared sensor.

For example, the temperature sensor 271 may include a light emitting portion that emits infrared rays and a light receiving portion that detects infrared rays returned after being reflected from a target object. The temperature sensor 271 can sense the temperature of the target object by the amount of light detected by the light receiving section.

For example, in an embodiment, the temperature sensor 271 may include a light receiving portion instead of a light emitting portion. The light receiving part may sense the temperature of the target object by a wavelength of light emitted and/or reflected from the target object. However, this is merely an example of the temperature sensor 271, which is an infrared sensor, according to an embodiment. In practical applications, the temperature sensor 271 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in different ways.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 271 may be coupled to the body substrate 272. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 271 may be mounted or placed on the main body substrate 272. The body substrate 272 may be located inside the body 250 and may control the overall actuation of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the body substrate 272 may be a control portion of the aerosol-generating device 200 (e.g., the control portion 110 of fig. 1 or 2) or a portion of the aerosol-generating device 200. For example, the control portion 110 may include a cartridge substrate 245 and a body substrate 272. The cartridge substrate 245 and the body substrate 272 may be electrically and/or communicatively connected to each other.

In an embodiment, the body substrate 272 may be connected to the interior of the cartridge body 221 of the cartridge 210 by a cable or wire, and may be connected to the cartridge substrate 245 of the cartridge 210. Since the cartridge substrate 245 of the cartridge 210 is in electrical contact with the vibrator 241, the vibrator 241 may be electrically connected to the body 250 through the cartridge substrate 245. The body substrate 272 may control driving of the vibrator 241, and the vibrator 241 may receive power from a battery (e.g., the battery 140 of fig. 1 or 2) of the body 250.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 271 may sense the temperature of the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241. The vibrator 241 may be driven to generate vibration and thus emit heat, and when the vibrator 241 is overheated, the vibrator 241 or surrounding components may be damaged or the vibrator 241 may be degraded. Accordingly, the temperature sensor 271 may substantially directly sense the temperature of the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241, and the control part may control the driving of the vibrator 241 based on the sensing result.

In an embodiment, when the vibrator 241 is heated, the temperature of the central region of the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241 may be changed first. Therefore, in order for the temperature sensor 271 to sense the temperature of the central region of the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241, an obstacle between the temperature sensor 271 and the vibrator 241 should be removed or minimized, and a path between the temperature sensor 271 and the vibrator 241 should be shortened, and/or a path of light between the temperature sensor 271 and the vibrator 241 may be controlled. Thereby, the temperature sensor 271 can quickly and accurately detect the temperature change of the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 271, which is an infrared sensor, may have a sensing result of low accuracy and difficulty in rapid detection of a temperature change when the distance from the target object is too far. In an embodiment, the lens 273 may be located between the sensor hole 207 and the temperature sensor 271. The lens 273 may widen the sensing range of the temperature sensor 271 (or widen the angle of view of the temperature sensor 271 as an infrared sensor).

For example, the lens 273 may concentrate light emitted from the temperature sensor 271 and control an optical path toward the second surface 241b of the vibrator 241. In addition, the lens 273 may concentrate light reflected from the vibrator 241 (or light emitted by the temperature sensor 271 and then reflected back by the vibrator 241) and control an optical path toward the temperature sensor 271. Through the lens 273, the temperature sensor 271 can accurately and rapidly sense the temperature change of the vibrator 241.

Fig. 6a is a perspective view of a reinforcing member 300 according to an embodiment, fig. 6b is a side view of the reinforcing member 300 according to an embodiment, fig. 6c is a top view of the reinforcing member 300 according to an embodiment, and fig. 6d is a bottom view of the reinforcing member 300 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 6a to 6d, the reinforcement member 300 according to an embodiment may include at least one of a pressing surface 315, a body 310, and a head 318.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 is located at an upper end portion of the core (e.g., the core 235 in fig. 4 to 5 b) to press the core 235 in a direction toward the vibrator (e.g., the vibrator 241 in fig. 4 to 5 b), thereby maintaining contact between the core 235 and the vibrator 241.

For example, the reinforcing member 300 may press the transfer member (e.g., transfer member 235a in fig. 4-5 b) and/or the absorber (e.g., absorber 235b in fig. 4-5 b) of the core 235 in one direction (e.g., -z direction), thereby maintaining contact between the absorber 235b and the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, the pressing surface 315 may be a surface for pressing at least a partial region of the core 235. For example, the pressing surface 315 may be a surface facing the core 235, and the pressing surface 315 may contact at least a partial region of the core 235. For example, the pressing surface 315 may directly and closely contact with a partial region of the core 235, and may uniformly and effectively press the core 235.

In an embodiment, the pressing surface 315 may have a first opening 301 disposed therein facing the core 235. The first opening 301 may be connected to the atomizing space 303 such that the core 235 may communicate with the atomizing space 303 through the first opening 301, and the aerosol generated in the core 235 may be transferred to the atomizing space 303.

In an embodiment, the body 310 may be a body or a housing forming the reinforcing member 300, and the atomizing space 303 may be provided inside the body 310. The atomizing space 303 may communicate with the first opening 301, and may be a space where the aerosol generated in the core 235 moves or temporarily stays. The outer surface of the body 310 may have a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the second housing 205b or the storage 230.

In an embodiment, the head 318 may protrude from the body 310 in a direction opposite to the pressing surface 315 (e.g., the +z direction). A second opening 305 may be provided in the head 318, the second opening 305 communicating the atomizing space 303 with an aerosol flow path (e.g., aerosol flow path 224 in fig. 5a and 5 b).

In an embodiment, the aerosol generated by the core 235 and the vibrator 241 may pass through the atomizing space 303 and the second opening 305 and be transferred to the aerosol flow path 224. The head 318 may protrude from the body 310 in the direction of the aerosol flow path 224, and an outer surface of the head 318 may have a shape corresponding to an inner surface of the second housing 205b or the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the pressing surface 315 may protrude from the body 310 in a direction (e.g., an x-y plane direction) substantially parallel to the top surface of the core 235. The pressing surface 315 may be a surface for pressing the core 235, for example, the transfer member 235a of the core 235, and may have a shape corresponding to the top surface of the core 235 or the transfer member 235 a.

In an embodiment, the pressing surface 315 may contact the core 235 in a state where the body 310 is fixed by the second housing 205b and/or the storage 230, whereby the reinforcing member 300 may fix or press the core 235 by the pressing surface 315. Thereby, the reinforcing member 300 supports the core 235, and thus reduces or prevents undesired deformation of the core 235.

For example, when driving an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 200 of fig. 3a, 3b, or 5 a), the core 235 may be heated to a high temperature (e.g., a temperature of about 100 degrees celsius to 150 degrees celsius) due to ultrasonic waves from the vibrator 241 and/or due to the driving of the vibrator 241.

In an embodiment, core 235 may be vibrated by vibrator 241 and/or heated to high temperatures, and deformation or modification may occur. When the core 235 is deformed, the efficiency of the core 235 in transmitting the aerosol-generating substance may be reduced, or the efficiency of transmitting the ultrasound from the vibrator 241 may be reduced, ultimately reducing the aerosol-generating efficiency of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the reinforcing member 300 may have the atomizing space 303 formed therein, and the reinforcing member 300 may uniformly press the top surface of the core 235, for example, the top surface of the transfer member 235a, by the pressing surface 315. For example, the reinforcing member 300 may press the transmitting member 235a and the absorber 235b, thereby supporting and fixing the core 235. Finally, the reinforcing member 300 may prevent deformation or modification of the core 235, improve the aerosol-generating efficiency of the aerosol-generating device 200, and extend the product life of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In one embodiment, the pressing surface 315 may include a protrusion 315a. As shown in fig. 7a later, the protrusion 315a may protrude in a direction toward the fixing protrusion 249a of the waterproof member 249. The protrusion 315a may support the reinforcement member 300 such that rotation or falling off is prevented when the reinforcement member 300 is seated on the waterproof member 249.

In an embodiment, the liquid flow path 320 may be concave or curved on the pressing surface 315 in a direction away from the core 235 (e.g., the +z direction). One end portion of the liquid flow path 320 may be in communication with a reservoir (e.g., reservoir 230 of fig. 4), and the liquid flow path 320 may be a space where the aerosol-generating substance flows. The liquid flow path 320 may be a groove (groove) structure formed in a partial region of the pressing surface 315. The liquid flow path 320 may improve the transfer efficiency of the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230 to the core 235. The connection structure of the liquid flow path 320 and the storage 230 will be described with reference to fig. 7a to 7 c.

For example, the liquid flow path 320 may form a space between the core 235 and the pressing surface 315 of the reinforcing member 300 such that at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance may move through the liquid flow path 320. In the case where the pressing surface 315 of the reinforcing member 300 presses the core 235, the region corresponding to the liquid flow path 320 may be pressed relatively less, or not at all, than other regions of the core 235, so that at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance may move through a partial region of the core 235 corresponding to the liquid flow path 320.

In an embodiment, one end portion of the liquid flow path 320 may communicate with the storage 230, and the other end portion opposite to the one end portion may communicate with the atomizing space 303. At least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance may move directly (directly) through the liquid flow path 320 to the atomizing space 303 without passing through the core 235. The amount of aerosol-generating substance delivered through the liquid flow path 320 may be adjusted based on structural factors such as the area or height of the liquid flow path 320. The liquid flow path 320 may assist the core 235 so that the aerosol-generating substance may be smoothly moved to the nebulization space 303.

In an embodiment, the liquid flow path 320 may be formed in plurality and the liquid flow paths 320 may be separated from each other. For example, as shown in fig. 6d, the two liquid flow paths 320 may be formed to be spaced apart from each other such that the two liquid flow paths 320 are symmetrical with respect to the first opening 301, but the number of liquid flow paths 320 is not limited thereto. Due to the formed symmetrical plurality of liquid flow paths 320, aerosol-generating substance may be provided uniformly from multiple directions to the atomizing space 303 or core 235.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 may further include a third opening 309 provided on a side surface of the body 310 to communicate with the atomizing space 303. The third opening 309 will be described with reference to fig. 7a to 7 c.

In one embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 may be made of a heat resistant material to maintain its shape and/or strength in a high temperature environment. Alternatively, the reinforcing member 300 may be made of a material that is environmentally friendly or harmless to the human body without releasing environmental hormones or substances harmful to the human body upon heating.

For example, the reinforcement member 300 may be made of at least one material including polyphenylsulfone (polyphenylsulfone), polyethersulfone (polyethersulfone), polypropylene (polypropylene), polyamide (polyamide), silicon, ceramic, and glass.

In an embodiment, the stiffening member 300 may be made of a porous material capable of absorbing aerosol-generating substances. Alternatively, the atomizing space 303 of the reinforcing member 300 may be coated with a porous and/or waterproof material. When aerosol is generated in the atomizing space 303 by ultrasonic vibration of the vibrator 241, at least a part of the aerosol-generating substance may explode oil from the core 235 or the vibrator 241 in an unagglomerated state. Reinforcing member 300 comprises a porous and/or waterproof material so that aerosol-generating substances of "frying oil" may again be transferred to core 235 or vibrator 241.

Fig. 7a is a drawing of a portion of a cartridge 210 according to an embodiment, fig. 7b is a drawing of a first housing 205a of the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment, and fig. 7c is a drawing of an interior of the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment.

Specifically, fig. 7c is a drawing of the interior of the storage 230 when the second housing 205b of fig. 7a is coupled to the first housing 205a of fig. 7 a.

Referring to fig. 7a to 7c, the first housing 205a may include a liquid opening 231 and an external air flow path 232. In describing fig. 7a to 7c, duplicate contents will be omitted.

In an embodiment, the liquid opening 231 may be formed on one surface of the storage member 230 of the first housing 205a, for example, on a surface in a direction (e.g., -z direction) facing the core 235. The liquid opening 231 may be an opening through which the aerosol-generating substance is transferred to the core 235.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 7c, when the first and second housings 205a and 205b are coupled, the reservoir 230 may communicate with the core 235 through the liquid opening 231.

For example, as shown in fig. 7c, the transfer member 235a of the core 235 may be disposed adjacent to the reservoir 230, in particular adjacent to the liquid opening 231 of the reservoir 230, whereby liquid aerosol-generating substance may be received from the reservoir 230. The aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir 230 may be discharged to the outside of the reservoir 230 through the liquid opening 231 formed in the reservoir 230, and the transfer member 235a may absorb at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance discharged from the reservoir 230, thereby absorbing the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230.

In an embodiment, one end portion of the liquid flow path 320 of the reinforcing member 300 is formed in a direction facing the liquid opening 231 when the first and second housings 205a and 205b are coupled. The reservoir 230 may be in substantially direct communication with the liquid flow path 320, thereby allowing more efficient transfer of aerosol-generating substance to the core 235 or the atomizing space 303.

In an embodiment, the external air flow path 232 may be in communication with an inlet (e.g., inlet 251 in fig. 5 a) of a body (e.g., body 250 in fig. 5 a). For example, the external air flow path 232 communicates external air introduced from the inlet 251 of the body into the cartridge 210 through at least one opening (e.g., the sensor aperture 207 in fig. 5a and 5 b) formed in the cartridge 210. In an embodiment, the external air flow path 232 may be separated from the storage 230 and communicate with the third opening 309 of the reinforcing member 300.

In an embodiment, the third opening 309 may be formed to provide communication between the reinforcing member 300, for example, one side surface of the atomizing space 303, and the outside of the atomizing space 303. The third opening 309 may provide communication between the exterior of the stiffening member 300 and the atomizing space 303. The third opening 309 may be in communication with the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200 or the cartridge 210 to introduce air into the nebulization space 303. A plurality of third openings 309 may be provided, and the plurality of third openings 309 may be arranged to face each other across the atomizing space 303.

In an embodiment, the stiffening member 300 may be located in a central portion of the first housing 205a of the cartridge 210. The external air introduced into the cartridge 210 through the inlet 251 formed at the main body 250 may flow into the atomizing space 303 through the external air flow path 232 and the third opening 309.

For example, as shown in fig. 6b, in the portion leading from the third opening 309 to the atomizing space, the travelling path of the air flow may be drastically changed. This can thereby increase the time that the gas flow stays in the atomizing space 303 and increase the possibility of generating a vortex. Eventually, the external air introduced into the atomizing space 303 can be more easily mixed with the generated aerosol.

In an embodiment, when a user contacts the oral cavity with a mouthpiece (e.g., mouthpiece 223 in fig. 3 a-5 b) and performs a pumping action, the internal pressure of cartridge 210 may become lower than atmospheric pressure, and external air may flow into cartridge 210 through inlet 251 of body 250.

In an embodiment, the external air flow path 232 may be substantially connected from the inlet 251 to the aerosol-generating atomizing space 303 and the suction port (e.g., the suction port 225 of fig. 3 a-5 b) through the third opening 309.

In an embodiment, the external air flow path 232 may be formed by at least one component of the cartridge 210 (e.g., the first housing 205a, the second housing 205b, or the mouthpiece 223). Alternatively, as a modified example, at least a portion of the external air flow path 232 may be formed as a tube inserted into the cartridge 210.

A number of embodiments have been described above. It will be appreciated that various technical modifications may be made to these embodiments. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques were performed in a different order and/or if components, architectures, devices or circuits in the described systems were combined in a different manner, or replaced or supplemented by other components or equivalents thereof. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A cartridge for an aerosol-generating device, the cartridge comprising:

a reservoir configured to store an aerosol-generating substance;

a core configured to receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir;

a vibrator configured to vibrate the core to atomize the aerosol-generating substance; and

a reinforcing member including an atomizing space communicating with the core,

wherein the reinforcing member includes: a first opening communicating with the atomizing space; and a pressing surface configured to press the core when contacting a partial region of the core.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the pressing surface directly contacts the partial region of the core.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the reinforcing member includes a liquid flow path formed in a groove structure on the pressing surface, an

One end portion of the liquid flow path communicates with the reservoir such that the aerosol-generating substance flows through the liquid flow path.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein,

The liquid flow path has another end portion opposite to the one end portion, the other end portion communicating with the atomizing space.

5. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein,

the stiffening member includes a plurality of the liquid flow paths,

wherein a plurality of the liquid flow paths are formed to be spaced apart from each other.

6. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein,

a plurality of the liquid flow paths are substantially symmetrical about the first opening.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

an aerosol flow path configured to receive an aerosol generated in the atomizing space,

wherein the stiffening member comprises a second opening in communication with the nebulization space and the aerosol flow path.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein,

the reinforcement member includes a head, the second opening is disposed in the head, and at least a portion of the head is inserted into the aerosol flow path.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the reinforcing member includes a third opening formed on one side surface of the atomizing space to communicate with the outside of the atomizing space.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein,

the third opening communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device to introduce air into the nebulization space.

11. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein,

the reinforcing member includes a plurality of the third openings,

wherein a plurality of the third openings are formed to be spaced apart from each other across the atomizing space so as to face each other.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the core includes:

a transfer member disposed in contact with the reinforcing member, and including a core hole communicating with the first opening; and

an absorber disposed between the transfer member and the vibrator and disposed to face the atomizing space through the core hole.

13. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein,

the reinforcing member presses the transmitting member and the absorber so that the core is fixed.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the reinforcing member comprises at least one of polyphenylsulfone, polyethersulfone, polypropylene, polyamide, silicon, ceramic, and glass.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

the reinforcing member is formed of a porous material capable of absorbing the aerosol-generating substance.