CN117858639A - Method of manufacturing a cartridge, cartridge manufactured by the manufacturing method and aerosol-generating device comprising a cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a cartridge, the method comprising: plasma treating at least a portion of the region of the cartridge storage; applying an adhesive to the plasma-treated region of the reservoir; and sealing the reservoir by coupling the cover to the region of the reservoir where the adhesive is applied.

Description

Method of manufacturing a cartridge, cartridge manufactured by the manufacturing method and aerosol-generating device comprising a cartridge

Technical Field

One or more embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a cartridge, a cartridge manufactured according to the method, and an aerosol-generating device comprising the cartridge. More particularly, one or more embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a cartridge with an improved seal for containing an aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge.

Background

Recently, the need for alternative methods for overcoming the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes has increased. For example, there is an increasing need for systems for generating aerosols by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating substances using aerosol-generating devices, rather than by burning cigarettes. Accordingly, studies on a heated aerosol-generating device have been actively conducted.

An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol by heating a liquid aerosol-generating substance may comprise a cartridge containing a liquid aerosol-generating substance. The cartridge may be integrally formed with or detachably coupled to the body of the aerosol-generating device.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

A cartridge containing a liquid aerosol-generating substance needs to have a good seal to prevent leakage of the liquid aerosol-generating substance. In addition, there is a need for a cost-effective manufacturing of cartridges since disposable cartridges that are detachably coupled to an aerosol-generating device are discarded when the initial liquid aerosol-generating substance is consumed.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing description, and other technical problems not stated herein may be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

Solution to the problem

A method of manufacturing a cartridge, the method comprising: performing plasma treatment on at least a part of the region of the storage portion; applying an adhesive to the plasma-treated region of the reservoir; and sealing the reservoir by coupling the cover to the area where the adhesive is applied.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing description, and may include all problems that one of ordinary skill in the art can infer from the specification.

Advantageous effects of the invention

According to the method of manufacturing a cartridge according to embodiments, a cartridge having an improved seal and capable of generating an aerosol that is safe for inhalation by a user may be manufactured. In addition, depending on the method of manufacturing the cartridge, the operability and cost effectiveness of the cartridge may be improved.

The effects of one or more embodiments are not limited to the above description, and include all effects that can be inferred from the following configuration.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a cartridge manufactured according to a method of manufacturing a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the x-z plane of the cartridge of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the reservoir and cover of the cartridge of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 and 6 show examples of an aerosol-generating article according to further embodiments being inserted into an aerosol-generating device comprising a cartridge.

Fig. 7 and 8 show examples of aerosol-generating articles.

Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to a further embodiment.

Detailed Description

Best mode for carrying out the invention

A method of manufacturing a cartridge, the method comprising: performing plasma treatment on at least a part of the region of the storage portion; applying an adhesive to the plasma treated region; and sealing the reservoir by coupling the cover to the area where the adhesive is applied.

The reservoir or cover may comprise one or more plastics selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyetherimide, polyurethane and polyetheretherketone.

In the plasma treatment, the region of the reservoir may be exposed to the plasma for 0.1 to 10 seconds.

In the plasma treatment, the transfer type plasma torch may be moved at a speed of 0.1 cm/sec to 50 cm/sec with respect to the region of the storage part.

The application of the adhesive may be performed within two hours after the termination of the plasma treatment.

The adhesive may include an Ultraviolet (UV) adhesive.

The method may further comprise injecting an aerosol-generating substance into the plasma-treated reservoir.

The reservoir may comprise a storage space in which the aerosol-generating substance is contained, and injecting the aerosol-generating substance may comprise injecting the aerosol-generating substance in a volume in the range of 70% to 95% of the volume of the storage space.

The cartridge according to further embodiments is manufactured according to the method of manufacturing a cartridge according to embodiments.

An aerosol-generating device according to a further embodiment comprises a cartridge as described above according to a further embodiment.

Modes for carrying out the invention

With respect to terms used for description in the various embodiments, currently and widely used general terms are selected in consideration of functions of structural elements in the various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the meaning of the terms may vary depending on intent, judicial priority, appearance of new technology, and the like. In addition, in some cases, terms that are not commonly used may be selected. In this case, the meaning of the term will be described in detail in the corresponding part of the description of the present disclosure. Thus, terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on meanings of the terms and descriptions provided herein.

In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. In addition, the terms "… …," "… … portion," and "module" described in the specification denote units for performing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented by hardware components or software components, and combinations thereof.

As used herein, expressions such as "at least one of the following" modify a list of entire elements when preceding a series of lists of elements and do not modify individual elements of the list. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to include: only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, and all of a, b, and c.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These components are only used to distinguish one component from another.

Throughout the specification, the term "aerosol-generating device" may refer to a device for generating an aerosol by using an aerosol-generating substance to generate an aerosol that can be inhaled directly into the lungs of a user through the user's mouth.

Throughout the specification, the term "cigarette" refers to a product for smoking. For example, the cigarette may be a burning type cigarette that can be lit and burned, or a heating type cigarette that is heated by an aerosol-generating device.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown so that those having ordinary skill in the art may readily implement the disclosure. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 1, a method of manufacturing a cartridge includes: an operation S110 of performing plasma treatment on at least a portion of one region of the storage part; an operation S120 of applying an adhesive to the plasma-treated region of the reservoir; and sealing the reservoir by coupling the cover to the adhesive-applied region of the reservoir S130.

According to the method of manufacturing a cartridge, a cartridge may be manufactured, the cartridge comprising: a reservoir for containing an aerosol-generating substance and a cover coupled to one region of the reservoir and sealing the reservoir. The cartridge may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating substance.

The operation S110 of performing plasma treatment may be an operation of treating a surface of at least a portion of a region of the storage part by exposing the portion of the region to plasma. Plasma refers to a state in which electrons, ions, and neutral particles are mixed and is a fourth state of a substance other than solid, liquid, and gas. The surface treatment (Surface Modification) using plasma can ensure good adhesion between the reservoir and the cover to be coupled to the reservoir, thereby preventing leakage of aerosol-generating substances.

Since the time taken for the plasma treatment is relatively short and a plurality of objects can be plasma treated in a single process, operability and cost efficiency of the cartridge manufacturing can be improved.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a cartridge manufactured according to a method of manufacturing a cartridge according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the x-z plane of the cartridge of fig. 2. Furthermore, fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the storage and cover of the cartridge of fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the cartridge 140 includes: a reservoir 141 and a cover 142. The cover 142 is coupled to a region 141a of the storage part 141 and seals the storage part 141.

The storage portion 141 may include a storage space 143 for accommodating an aerosol-generating substance. In addition, a liquid transfer member 144 and a heating member 145 may be disposed in the storage space 143. The heating element 145 may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the liquid delivery element 144. The detailed components included in the cartridge 140 are described in detail with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

The reservoir 141 may have a region 141a to which the cover 142 is coupled. The cover 142 may be coupled to the storage part 141 while surrounding the region 141a of the storage part 141. The plasma treatment may be performed on part or all of the region 141a of the storage part 141. The location where the plasma processing is performed is not limited thereto. For example, at least a portion of the surface of cover 142 may be plasma treated.

The reservoir 141 or the cover 142 may comprise plastic. Plasma treatment of a surface comprising a polymeric material such as plastic alters the chemical structure of the surface and, therefore, only the physicochemical properties of the surface may be altered while maintaining the basic physical properties of the polymeric material. Accordingly, the adhesion portion including the surface of the polymer material can be wrinkled and impurities can be removed. In addition, it is difficult to apply the adhesive to a plastic material having high chemical resistance, but the adhesive can be easily applied when the chemical structure of the surface is changed by the surface plasma treatment.

When using an adhesion method comprising hot melt or primer pretreatment, there is a potential risk of producing materials that may be harmful to the human body. Thus, the use of such an adhesion method may not be suitable for manufacturing cartridges 140 for generating aerosols inhaled by the user. In contrast, plasma treatment may be a suitable method for manufacturing the cartridge 140, since it is not possible to generate materials that are harmful to the human body.

The storage part 141 or the cover 142 may include one or more plastics selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyetherimide, polyurethane, and polyetheretherketone. For example, the storage part 141 or the cover 142 may be manufactured by molding polypropylene, but one or more embodiments are not limited thereto.

The cartridge 140 should have a transparent exterior so that the amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 140 can be checked from the outside. Furthermore, the cartridge 140 should be heat resistant, as the aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge 140 is heated. Furthermore, the cartridge 140 is required to be cost effective since the cartridge 140 may be disposable as the aerosol-generating substance is depleted. Accordingly, the reservoir 141 or cover 142 may be formed by selecting a suitable plastic in consideration of transparency, cost effectiveness, etc. of the exterior of the cartridge 140.

For example, the reservoir 141 or the cover 142 may include polypropylene. Polypropylene may have good chemical resistance to aerosol-generating substances (e.g., polypropylene glycol, glycerin, etc.). Furthermore, polypropylene can be easily injection molded compared to other engineering plastic materials, and is thus suitable for manufacturing the reservoir 141 or the cover 142.

A method of manufacturing a cartridge is also described with reference to fig. 1. Operation S110 of performing the plasma process may be a process of exposing a region of the storage part to the plasma for about 0.1 seconds to about 10 seconds. When the plasma exposure time is longer than the above-described time range, the surface treatment may not be sufficiently performed, or the surface may be excessively damaged and thus the shape of the reservoir may be deformed. Operation S110 of performing the plasma process may also be a process of exposing a region of the storage part to the plasma for about 0.5 seconds to about 5 seconds.

In addition, the operation S110 of performing plasma treatment may be a process of moving the transfer type plasma torch with respect to the region of the storage part at a speed of about 0.1 cm/sec to about 50 cm/sec. The plasma torch may spray plasma through a nozzle onto a region of the reservoir. Further, the operation S110 of performing plasma treatment may be a process of moving the transfer type plasma torch with respect to the region of the storage part at a speed of about 10 cm/sec to about 30 cm/sec. The plasma torch may be a plasma arc torch, but is not limited thereto.

The diameter of the nozzle of the transfer plasma torch may be about 0.5 to about 2 times the diameter of the cross section of the reservoir in a direction intersecting the direction of coupling the reservoir and the cover. Further, the plasma torch may eject plasma in a direction in which the cover is coupled to one region of the reservoir. When the above-described conditions regarding the diameter of the nozzle and the plasma jet direction of the plasma torch are satisfied, the operation S110 of performing plasma processing may improve operability and may reduce the time taken for plasma processing.

In operation S110 of performing plasma processing, plasma may be generated by high-voltage discharge. The plasma power consumption may be about 500W to about 2000W, and the plasma processing operating frequency may be in the range from about 10kHz to about 30 kHz.

The operation S120 of applying the adhesive to the plasma-treated region of the storage part may be a process of applying a liquid adhesive to a surface of the plasma-treated region of the storage part, but one or more embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the operation S120 of applying the adhesive may be a process of spraying the liquid adhesive onto the surface of the plasma-treated region of the reservoir.

The operation S120 of applying the adhesive may be performed within two hours after the operation S110 of performing the plasma treatment is terminated. The chemical structure of the surface will return to its original chemical structure after a certain period of time has elapsed since the plasma treatment has been changed. Thus, applying the adhesive after a substantial period of time has elapsed can reduce the desired effects of the plasma treatment, such as the effects of reducing the desired increased adhesion. In an embodiment, the operation S120 of applying the adhesive may be performed within about one hour after the operation S110 of performing the plasma treatment is terminated.

The adhesive may include an Ultraviolet (UV) adhesive. The UV adhesive may be a liquid adhesive including a photoreaction initiator. Thus, when irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the photoreaction initiator starts to react, and thus the liquid adhesive can be hardened into a solid state in a relatively short time. Thus, if the adhesive comprises a UV adhesive, the method of manufacturing a cartridge may further comprise: after the operation S120 of applying the adhesive, ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the area of the storage part to which the adhesive is applied. However, the type of the adhesive is not limited thereto, and for example, the adhesive may include one or more adhesives selected from UV adhesives and quick-drying adhesives.

Furthermore, the method of manufacturing a cartridge may further comprise injecting an aerosol-generating substance into the plasma-treated reservoir. Since the chemical structure of the aerosol-generating substance may be changed when exposed to plasma, the operation of injecting the aerosol-generating substance may be performed after the operation S110 of performing plasma treatment.

The reservoir may comprise a storage space containing an aerosol-generating substance and the injection of the aerosol-generating substance may be injection of the aerosol-generating substance with a volume in the range of about 70% to about 95% of the volume of the storage space. The surface of the plasma treated region of the reservoir may have increased surface roughness, or the surface shape may be altered. Thus, the liquid aerosol-generating substance may be absorbed into the surface of the region of the reservoir or may leak. When the volume of the aerosol-generating substance injected into the storage space is adjusted to the above-described range, it is possible to prevent the aerosol-generating substance from being absorbed to the surface of the region of the storage portion or from leaking out. In an embodiment, the injection of the aerosol-generating substance may be injection of the aerosol-generating substance with a volume in the range of about 85% to about 95% of the volume of the storage space.

Embodiment 1: manufacturing cartridges by plasma treatment

Cartridges having the same shape as the cartridges of figures 2 and 3 are manufactured. Polypropylene is used for the reservoir and the cover.

The surface of the region of the reservoir that is coupled to the cover is plasma treated. The transfer type plasma torch was used for plasma treatment and moved at a speed of 20 cm/sec for about 1 sec relative to the surface of the storage section. The plasma power consumption was 1000W.

Glycerin was injected as an aerosol-generating substance into the storage space of the plasma-treated storage section, the volume of the injected glycerin being 90% of the volume of the storage space.

UV adhesive was applied to the surface of the area of the plasma treated reservoir and after the reservoir was coupled to the cover, ultraviolet light was irradiated for about 12 seconds to manufacture a cartridge.

Comparative example 1: manufacturing cartridges by ultrasonic welding

As described in embodiment 1 above, a cartridge having the same shape as the cartridge of fig. 2 and 3 is manufactured. Polypropylene is used for the reservoir and the cover.

A UV adhesive is applied to a surface of a region of the reservoir coupled to the cover, and after the reservoir is coupled to the cover, a portion of the reservoir coupled to the cover is welded by ultrasonic waves, thereby manufacturing a cartridge.

Experimental embodiment 1: test for adhesion measurement

The adhesion force of the reservoir and the cover of the cartridges manufactured according to embodiment 1 and comparative example 1 was tested. Adhesion measurements were made by measuring the amount of tension required to separate the reservoir from the cover 10 times using a tensile tester, and then calculating the average.

The results show that the cartridge of comparative example 1 has a tension of about 1.2kgf, whereas the cartridge of embodiment 1 has a tension of about 19.51 kgf. Thus, it was determined that the adhesion of the reservoir and the cover of the cartridge was increased by the plasma treatment.

Hereinafter, a cartridge manufactured according to the manufacturing method of a cartridge according to an embodiment and an aerosol-generating device including the cartridge are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing examples of insertion of an aerosol-generating article into an aerosol-generating device.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the aerosol-generating device 100 comprises: a battery 110, a controller 120, a heater 130, and a cartridge 140. Furthermore, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be inserted into the interior space of the aerosol-generating device 100.

The aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 5 and 6 may comprise cartridges, but one or more embodiments are not limited to such an implementation of an aerosol-generating device, and the aerosol-generating device 100 may not comprise cartridges. When the aerosol-generating device 100 does not comprise a cartridge, the aerosol-generating article 200 comprises an aerosol-generating substance, and thus, when the aerosol-generating article 200 is heated by the heater 130, the aerosol-generating article 200 may generate an aerosol.

Fig. 5 and 6 show an aerosol-generating device 100 comprising components related to the present embodiment. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art relating to the present embodiment will appreciate that other general components besides those shown in fig. 5 and 6 may also be included in the aerosol-generating device 100.

Further, fig. 5 and 6 show that the heater 130 is included in the aerosol-generating device 100, but the heater 130 may be omitted as required.

Fig. 5 shows the battery 110, the controller 120, the cartridge 140, and the heater 130 arranged in series. Further, fig. 6 shows a parallel arrangement of the cartridge 140 and the heater 130. However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 100 is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 5 or 6. In other words, the battery 110, the controller 120, the cartridge 140, and the heater 130 may be differently arranged depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 100.

When the aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100, the aerosol-generating device 100 may operate on the cartridge 140 to generate an aerosol from the cartridge 140. The aerosol generated from the cartridge 140 is delivered to the user by passing through the aerosol-generating article 200. The cartridge 140 is described in more detail below.

The battery 110 supplies power for use in operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. For example, the battery 110 may supply power to heat the heater 130 or the cartridge 140, and may supply power for operating the controller 120. Further, the battery 110 may supply electric power for operating a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. mounted in the aerosol-generating device 100.

The controller 120 generally controls the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. In detail, the controller 120 may control not only the operation of the battery 110, the heater 130, and the cartridge 140, but also the operation of other components included in the aerosol-generating device. Further, the controller 120 may check the status of each of the components in the aerosol-generating device 100 to determine if the aerosol-generating device 100 is operational.

The controller 120 may include at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The heater 130 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 110. For example, the heater 130 may be located outside the aerosol-generating article 200 when the aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100. Thus, the heated heater 130 may increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating substance in the aerosol-generating article 200.

The heater 130 may include a resistive heater. For example, the heater 130 may include electrically conductive traces, and the heater 130 may be heated when current flows through the electrically conductive traces. However, the heater 130 is not limited to the example described above and the heater 130 may include all heaters that may be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol-generating device 100 or may be set to a desired temperature by a user.

As a further example, the heater 130 may include an induction heater. In particular, the heater 130 may comprise an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol-generating article in an induction heating method, and the aerosol-generating article may comprise a susceptor that may be heated by the induction heater.

Fig. 5 and 6 illustrate the heater 130 as being located external to the aerosol-generating article 200, but one or more embodiments are not so limited. For example, the heater 130 may include a tube-type heating element, a plate-type heating element, a needle-type heating element, or a rod-type heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the aerosol-generating article 200 according to the shape of the heating element.

Further, the aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a plurality of heaters 130. In this case, the heater 130 may be arranged to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200, and may be located outside the aerosol-generating article 200. In addition, some of the heaters 130 may be arranged to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200, while other heaters 130 may be located outside the aerosol-generating article 200. In addition, the shape of the heater 130 is not limited to the shape shown in fig. 5 and 6 and may include various shapes.

The cartridge 140 may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating substance and the generated aerosol may be conveyed to a user through the aerosol-generating article. In other words, the aerosol generated via the cartridge 140 may move along the air flow channel of the aerosol-generating device 100, and the air flow channel may be configured such that the aerosol generated via the cartridge 140 may be conveyed to the user through the aerosol-generating article 200.

For example, the cartridge 140 may include: a reservoir, a liquid transfer element, and a heating element, but is not limited thereto. For example, the reservoir, the liquid transfer element, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol-generating device 100 as separate modules.

The storage portion may store an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may be a liquid comprising a tobacco-containing material having a volatile tobacco aroma component, or may be a liquid comprising a non-tobacco material. The reservoir may be formed to be detachable from the cartridge 140, or may be integrally formed with the cartridge 140.

For example, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise: water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, flavors, fragrances, or vitamin mixtures. The flavor may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavor ingredients, but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include ingredients capable of providing various flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin a, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise aerosol-forming substances such as glycerol and propylene glycol.

The liquid delivery element may deliver the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer element may be a core such as, but not limited to, cotton fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, or porous ceramics.

The heating element is an element for heating aerosol-generation delivered by the liquid delivery element. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, or the like, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the heating element may comprise a conductive wire, such as a nichrome wire, and may be positioned to wrap around the liquid delivery element. The heating element may be heated by a supply of electric current and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol can be generated.

For example, the cartridge 140 may be referred to as a cartomizer (cartomizer) or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise general components in addition to the battery 110, the controller 120, the heater 130 and the cartridge 140. For example, the aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise at least one sensor (suction sensor, temperature sensor, aerosol-generating article insertion detection sensor, etc.). Further, the aerosol-generating device 100 may be formed in a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal air may be exhausted even when the aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100.

Although not shown in fig. 5 and 6, the aerosol-generating device 100 and the additional carrier may together form a system. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol-generating device 100. Alternatively, the heater 130 may be heated when the carrier and aerosol-generating device 10 are coupled to each other.

The aerosol-generating article 200 may resemble a conventional combustion type cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be divided into a first portion comprising an aerosol-generating substance and a second portion comprising a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of the aerosol-generating article 200 may also comprise an aerosol-generating substance. For example, an aerosol-generating substance in the form of particles or capsules may be inserted into the second portion.

The entire first portion may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100 and the second portion may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100, or a part of the first part and a part of the second part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100. The user may inhale the aerosol while maintaining the second portion through the user's mouth. In this case, the aerosol is generated by the external air passing through the first portion, and the generated aerosol passes through the second portion and is delivered to the mouth of the user.

For example, external air may be introduced through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol-generating device 100. For example, the opening and closing of the air channel and/or the size of the air channel formed in the aerosol-generating device 100 may be adjusted by the user. Thus, the amount and quality of smoking can be adjusted by the user. As a further example, external air may be introduced to the aerosol-generating article 200 through at least one aperture formed in a surface of the aerosol-generating article 200.

Hereinafter, an example of an aerosol-generating article 200 is described with reference to fig. 7 and 8.

Fig. 7 and 8 show examples of aerosol-generating articles.

Referring to fig. 7, the aerosol-generating article 200 may comprise a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220. The first portion described above with reference to fig. 5 and 6 includes a tobacco rod 210 and the second portion includes a filter rod 220.

Figure 7 shows that filter rod 220 comprises a single segment. However, the filter rod 220 is not limited thereto. In other words, filter rod 220 may include multiple segments. For example, filter rod 220 may include: a first section configured to cool the aerosol and a second section configured to filter specific components included in the aerosol. Furthermore, filter rod 220 may also include at least one segment configured to perform other functions, as desired.

The aerosol-generating article 200 may be packaged via at least one package 240. The package 240 may have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or internal air may be discharged. For example, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be packaged via a package 240. As a further example, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be double packaged via at least two packages 240. For example, tobacco rod 210 may be wrapped by first wrapper 241 and filter rod 220 may be wrapped by wrappers 242, 243, and 244. In addition, the entire aerosol-generating article 200 may be repackaged via a single package 245. When filter rod 220 includes multiple segments, each segment may be packaged by a separate wrapper 242, 243, and 244.

The tobacco rod 210 may include an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise: at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the tobacco rod 210 may include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. In addition, the tobacco rod 210 may include a flavored liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, injected into the tobacco rod 210.

The tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured in various forms. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be formed as a sheet or filament. Further, the tobacco rod 210 may be formed as cut filler formed from small pieces cut from tobacco sheets. Further, the tobacco rod 210 may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil, such as aluminum foil. For example, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may evenly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210, and thus, may increase the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod 210 and may improve the taste of the tobacco. In addition, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may serve as a susceptor that is heated by an induction heater. Here, although not shown in the drawings, the tobacco rod 210 may include additional bases in addition to the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210.

Filter rod 220 may include a cellulose acetate filter. The shape of the filter rod 220 is not limited. For example, filter rod 220 may comprise a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow interior. Further, filter rod 220 may comprise a recessed rod. When the filter rod 220 includes a plurality of segments, at least one of the segments may have a different shape.

The filter rod 220 may be formed to generate a flavoring. For example, a flavored liquid may be injected into the filter rod 220, or additional fibers coated with a flavored liquid may be inserted into the filter rod 220.

In addition, filter rod 220 may include at least one bladder 230. Here, the bladder 230 may generate a flavor or aerosol. For example, the bladder 230 may have a configuration in which the liquid containing the fragrance material is packaged with a film. For example, the bladder 230 may have a spherical shape or a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

When filter rod 220 includes a segment configured to cool the aerosol, the cooling segment may include a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the cooling section may include pure polylactic acid alone, but the material used to form the cooling section is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the cooling section may include a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes therein. However, the cooling section is not limited thereto, and any material having an aerosol cooling function may be used.

Referring to fig. 8, the aerosol-generating article 300 may further comprise a front end plug 330. The front end plug 330 may be located on the opposite side of the tobacco rod 310 from the filter rod 320. The front end plug 330 may prevent the tobacco rod 310 from escaping outward and the liquefied aerosol from flowing from the tobacco rod 310 into the aerosol-generating device (100 in fig. 5 and 6) during smoking.

The filter rod 320 may include a first section 321 and a second section 322. Here, the first section 321 may correspond to the first section of the filter rod 220 of fig. 7, and the second section 322 may correspond to the third section of the filter rod 220 of fig. 7.

The diameter and the overall length of the aerosol-generating article 300 may correspond to the diameter and the overall length of the aerosol-generating article 200 of fig. 7. For example, front end plug 330 may be about 7mm in length, tobacco rod 310 may be about 15mm in length, first section 321 may be about 12mm in length, and second section 322 may be about 14mm in length, although these lengths are not limited thereto.

The aerosol-generating article 300 may be packaged via at least one package 350. The package 350 may have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or internal air may be exhausted. For example, front end plug 330 may be packaged via a first package 351, filter rod 310 may be packaged via a second package 352, first segment 321 may be packaged via a third package 353, and second segment 322 may be packaged via a fourth package 354.

In addition, the entire aerosol-generating article 300 may be repackaged via the fifth package 355. Further, the fifth package 355 may have at least one hole 360. For example, the hole 360 may be formed in a region surrounding the tobacco rod 310, but is not limited thereto. The aperture 360 may be used to transfer heat formed by the heater 130 shown in fig. 6 and 7 to the interior of the tobacco rod 31.

Further, second section 322 may include at least one bladder 340. Here, the bladder 340 may generate a fragrance or aerosol. For example, the bladder 340 may have a configuration in which a liquid containing a fragrance material is wrapped with a film. The bladder 340 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device 900 according to a further embodiment.

The aerosol-generating device 900 may comprise: a controller 910, a sensing unit 920, an output unit 930, a battery 940, a heater 950, a user input unit 960, a memory 970, and a communication unit 980. However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 900 is not limited to the components shown in fig. 9. That is, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 900, some of the components shown in fig. 9 may be omitted or new components may be added.

The sensing unit 920 may sense a state of the aerosol-generating device 900 and a state around the aerosol-generating device 900 and transmit the sensed information to the controller 910. Based on the sensed information, the controller 910 may control the aerosol-generating device 900 to perform various functions, such as controlling operation of the heater 950, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol-generating article (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying a notification, etc.

The sensing unit 920 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 922, an insertion detection sensor 924, and a suction sensor 926, but is not limited thereto.

The temperature sensor 922 may sense the temperature at which the heater 950 (or aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 900 may comprise a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 950, or the heater 950 may serve as the temperature sensor. Alternatively, a temperature sensor 922 may also be arranged around the battery 940 to monitor the temperature of the battery 940.

The insertion detection sensor 924 may sense insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 924 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and the insertion detection sensor 924 may sense signal changes as a function of insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article.

Suction sensor 926 may sense the user's suction based on various physical changes in the airflow channel or path. For example, the puff sensor 926 may sense a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

The sensing unit 920 may include at least one of the following in addition to the above-described sensors 922 to 926: temperature/humidity sensors, barometric pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopic sensors, position sensors (e.g., global Positioning System (GPS)), proximity sensors, and Red Green Blue (RGB) sensors (illuminance sensors). Since a person of ordinary skill in the art can intuitively infer the function of each of the sensors from the names of the sensors, a detailed description of the sensors can be omitted.

In addition to the above-mentioned sensors 922 to 926, the sensing unit 920 may further include: at least one of a temperature/humidity sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a position sensor (e.g., global Positioning System (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and a Red Green Blue (RGB) sensor (illuminance sensor). Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from the name of the sensor by those of ordinary skill in the art, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

The output unit 930 may output information about the state of the aerosol-generating device 900 and provide the information to a user. The output unit 930 may include at least one of a display unit 932, a haptic unit 934, and a sound output unit 936, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 932 and the touch panel form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 932 may also function as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 932 may visually provide information about the aerosol-generating device 900 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol-generating device 900 may refer to various information such as a charge/discharge state of the battery 940 of the aerosol-generating device 900, a pre-heating state of the heater 950, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, a state in which the use of the aerosol-generating device 900 is limited (e.g., an abnormal object is sensed), and the like, and the display unit 932 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 932 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display panel, or the like. In addition, the display unit 932 may be in the form of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) light emitting device.

The haptic unit 934 may provide information about the aerosol-generating device 900 to the user in a haptic manner by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus. For example, haptic unit 934 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulation device.

The sound output unit 936 may audibly provide information to the user regarding the aerosol-generating device 900. For example, the sound output unit 936 may convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

The battery 940 may provide power for operating the aerosol-generating device 900. The battery 940 may supply power so that the heater 950 may be heated. In addition, the battery 940 may supply power required for operation of other components in the aerosol-generating device 900 (e.g., the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980). The battery 940 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 940 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 950 may receive power from the battery 940 to heat the aerosol-generating substance. Although not shown in fig. 9, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a Direct Current (DC)/DC converter) that converts power of the battery 940 and supplies the converted power to the heater 950. In addition, when the aerosol-generating device 900 generates an aerosol in an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further comprise a DC/Alternating Current (AC) converter that converts DC power of the battery 940 to AC power.

The controller 910, the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980 may each receive power from the battery 940 to perform functions. Although not shown in fig. 9, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit that converts power of the battery 940 to supply power to the corresponding components, such as a Low Dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit.

In embodiments, the heater 950 may be formed of any suitable resistive material. For example, suitable resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, and the like. In addition, the heater 950 may be implemented by a metal wire, a metal plate on which electrically conductive traces are arranged, a ceramic heating element, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the heater 950 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 950 may include a base that heats the aerosol-generating substance by generating heat from a magnetic field applied by a coil.

The user input unit 960 may receive information input from a user or may output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 960 may include a keypad, a dome switch, a touch panel (a contact capacitance method, a piezoresistive film method, an infrared sensing method, a surface ultrasonic conduction method, an overall tension measurement method, a piezoelectric effect method, etc.), a wheel switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in fig. 9, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a connection interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and the aerosol-generating device 900 may be connected to other external devices through the connection interface, such as a USB interface, to transmit and receive signals or to charge the battery 940.

The memory 970 is a hardware part that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 900, and the memory 970 may store data processed by the controller 910 and to be processed by the controller 910. Memory 970 may include at least one type of storage medium from among: flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro memory, card type memory (e.g., secure Digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory, etc.), random Access Memory (RAM), static Random Access Memory (SRAM), read Only Memory (ROM), electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. Memory 970 may store each of the following: the time of operation of the aerosol-generating device 900, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data regarding the user's smoking pattern, etc.

The communication unit 980 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic apparatus. For example, the communication unit 980 may include a short-range wireless communication unit 982 and a wireless communication unit 984.

The short-range wireless communication unit 982 may include, but is not limited to, a bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a Wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an ant+ communication unit, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 984 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN)) communication unit, and the like. The wireless communication unit 984 may also identify and authenticate the aerosol-generating device 900 within the communication network by using subscription information, such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI).

The controller 910 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 900. In an embodiment, the controller 910 may include at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of logic gates or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The controller 910 may control the temperature of the heater 950 by controlling the power supplied from the battery 940 to the heater 950. For example, the controller 910 may control the supply of electric power by controlling the switching of the switching element between the battery 940 and the heater 950. In another example, the direct heating circuit may also control the power supply of the heater 950 according to a control command of the controller 910.

The controller 910 may analyze the result sensed by the sensing unit 920 and control a process to be performed later. For example, the controller 910 may control the power supplied to the heater 950 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920 to start or end the operation of the heater 950. As another example, the controller 910 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 950 and the time at which the power is supplied based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920 so that the heater 950 may be heated to a specific temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

The controller 910 may control the output unit 930 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 926 reaches a preset number, the controller 910 may inform the user that the aerosol-generating device 900 will soon be terminated through at least one of the display unit 932, the haptic unit 934, and the sound unit 936.

One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules, being executable by the computer. Computer readable recording media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may include both a computer storage medium and a communication medium. Computer storage media includes all volatile and nonvolatile, and 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 or other transport mechanisms in a modulated data signal such as a program module and includes any information delivery media.

The above description of the embodiments is merely an example, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and equivalents may be made to the above embodiments. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to what is described in the claims will be construed as being included in the protection scope defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A method of manufacturing a cartridge comprising a reservoir for containing an aerosol-generating substance and a cover coupled to a region of the reservoir, the method comprising:

performing plasma treatment on at least a portion of the region of the reservoir;

applying an adhesive to the plasma-treated region of the reservoir; and

the reservoir is sealed by coupling the cover to the region of the reservoir to which the adhesive is applied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservoir or the cover comprises one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyetherimide, polyurethane, and polyetheretherketone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of the reservoir is exposed to plasma for 0.1 seconds to 10 seconds during the plasma treatment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the plasma treatment, a transfer plasma torch is moved relative to the region of the reservoir at a speed of 0.1 cm/sec to 50 cm/sec.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the adhesive is performed within two hours after the plasma treatment is terminated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises an ultraviolet adhesive.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising injecting an aerosol-generating substance into the plasma treated reservoir.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein,

the storage portion includes a storage space in which the aerosol-generating substance is accommodated, and

injecting the aerosol-generating substance comprises: injecting the aerosol-generating substance in a volume in the range of 70% to 95% of the volume of the storage space.

9. A cartridge manufactured according to the method of claim 1.

10. An aerosol-generating device comprising a cartridge according to claim 9.