DE202019001693U1 - An eccentric port heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol - Google Patents

Abstract

A heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising:
a base body (14, 14 ') comprising a thermally conductive material, wherein the base body (14, 14') cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged passage opening (12, 12 ') along an expansion axis of the base body (14, 14') is configured for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol; and
a heating structure (16, 16 ') arranged on an outer surface of the base body (14, 14'), the heating structure (16, 16 ') being at least partially longitudinally along the expansion axis of the base body (14, 14') on a region of the base body (16, 16 '). 14, 14 ') is arranged with maximum wall thickness.

Description

The present invention relates to a heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a base body comprising a thermally conductive material, wherein the base body is cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged passage opening along an expansion axis of the base body configured for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, as well as an evaporator unit for such a system.

The prior art discloses systems having heating elements for providing inhalable aerosols that heat a substance to form the aerosol. These systems are often referred to as electronic cigarette, or even as e-cigarette. Typically, such systems include a mouthpiece, as well as an evaporator unit comprising a heating element. Depending on the system used, the substance may comprise a nicotine-containing product, such as tobacco or a tobacco-like product, and may be liquid, gaseous or solid. But it can also be provided a nicotine-free substance. The aerosol which forms can then be conducted past a nicotine-containing or nicotine-displaced body or through this body in order to displace the aerosol with nicotine.

Also, in general, the substance is not burned as in a conventional cigarette but merely heated to thereby obtain the inhalable aerosol. The heating element in this case heats the substance in a temperature range of about 200 ° C to 400 ° C, so that the inhalable aerosol is formed, which can be inhaled by the user of the system.

Thus, for example, lance-, tubular- or rod-shaped heating elements are known from the prior art. The substance for forming the aerosol is brought into contact with these heating elements.

For example, in the US5665262A a tubular heating element is formed, which is formed from a metal sleeve, an insulating layer on the metal sleeve and a resistance element applied thereto.

In the JP2014216287A a heating element is described, which is formed from a thin aluminum tube with oxidized surface. A heating wire is wound around the thin aluminum tube.

US20170215474A1 describes a tubular heating element with a perforated aluminum cylinder as a thermal contact mediator between a NiCd heating wire, which is wound around the aluminum cylinder. The tubular heating element is filled with the substance to form the aerosol.

In the DE102016115574A1 a tubular heating element is described with a carrier material made of glass or a glass ceramic and with metallic Heizleiterstrukturen.

The US6222166B1 describes a heating element made of a metal with a high coefficient of thermal expansion of> 16x10E-16 / ° C, for example, the material may be an aluminum material with a dielectric layer, eg Al2O3, and a thick-film resistance heater applied thereto.

However, the heating elements known from the prior art have the disadvantage that these heating elements have a long heating time and heat the substance unevenly to form the aerosol.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved heating element which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, to provide a heating element which is inexpensive to produce, has a short heating time and uniformly heats the substance to form the aerosol.

This object is achieved by a heating element according to the subject of claim 1.

• einen Grundkörper aufweisend ein thermisch leitfähiges Material, wobei der Grundkörper zylindrisch mit einer runden, exzentrisch angeordneten Durchgangsöffnung entlang einer Ausdehnungsachse des Grundkörpers ausgestaltet ist zur Aufnahme einer Substanz zur Erzeugung des inhalierbaren Aerosols; und
• eine Heizstruktur angeordnet auf einer Außenfläche des Grundkörpers, wobei die Heizstruktur zumindest teilweise längsförmig entlang der Ausdehnungsachse des Grundkörpers auf einem Bereich des Grundkörpers mit maximaler Wanddicke angeordnet ist.

The heating element according to the invention for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol has for this purpose:

• a base body comprising a thermally conductive material, wherein the base body is configured cylindrically with a round, eccentrically arranged passage opening along an expansion axis of the base body for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol; and
• a heating structure arranged on an outer surface of the base body, wherein the heating structure is arranged at least partially along the expansion axis of the base body on a region of the base body with a maximum wall thickness.

The main body ideally has a high temperature stability and a high thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the surface of the main body can have an electrically insulating material with good electrically insulating properties.

The cylindrical body can have a diameter of less than or equal to 20 mm. The round passage opening may extend along the expansion axis from a first end of the base body to a second end of the base body. According to the invention, the round passage opening is eccentric, ie the center of the passage opening is arranged at a distance from the center of the base body. Thus, by "body" an elongated hollow body with a non-uniform wall thickness can be understood.

The term "heating structure" can be understood to mean a heating resistor which is arranged on the outer surface of the main body and in its simplest embodiment has a metal wire, also called heating conductor. For example, the heating structure may also be in the form of a conductor track, which runs, for example, meandering. When a current flows through the conductor, heat is generated by the intrinsic resistance of the conductor. Depending on the current flowing through the track, the heating power of the heating structure can be set. The heating structure is arranged on the outer surface of the base body on a region along the circumference of the base body with a maximum wall thickness of the base body between outer surface and inner surface.

The heating structure can be arranged for example by screen printing and / or tape casting, or as a freestanding structure on the base body.

The substance for forming the aerosol can be arranged on the inner surface of the main body, or in the passage opening.

The invention is based on the surprising finding that, because of the eccentrically arranged passage opening, the substance for forming the aerosol can be heated more uniformly and a heating element with a shorter heating time is provided.

In an example, the thermally conductive material comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a ceramic, in particular silver, aluminum, aluminum oxide, or steel.

In another example, the heating structure is arranged on a maximum of 20% of a peripheral surface of the base body.

In this example, the heating structure is disposed on the base body in the region of maximum wall thickness and adjacent regions of decreasing wall thickness. Experiments have shown that the heating structure need not be arranged over the entire surface of the body, but that an arrangement of the heating structure to 20% of the peripheral surface is sufficient to achieve sufficient and uniform heating of the substance to produce the inhalable aerosol.

In another example, the eccentric through hole is arranged so that the minimum wall thickness of the main body corresponds to 5% - 50% of the average wall thickness of the main body.

In one example, a planar section is arranged on the outer surface of the base body in the area of the base body with maximum wall thickness for arranging the heating structure on the base body.

In this example, a flat portion, or a flat surface is made in the outer surface of the body in the region of maximum wall thickness by ablation or pressing of material of the body, so that after the introduction of the flat surface two areas with maximum wall thickness on the sides the flat surface arise. In one example, the planar portion extends along the direction of extension from the first end of the body to the second end of the body.

Advantageously, the heating structure can be arranged particularly simply and safely on the flat section. Further advantageously, this allows a good thermal contact between the sleeve and the chip.

In one example, the planar portion is disposed longitudinally on the outer surface of the body and includes a curve chord.

• - auf dem Grundkörper aufgedruckt, aufgedampft, oder als fotostrukturierbare Paste aufgebracht, oder
• - als strukturierte Metallfolie auf dem Grundkörper angeordnet,

und eine elektrische Isolationsschicht ist zwischen Heizstruktur und Grundkörper angeordnet.In another example, the heating structure is:

• - Printed on the body, evaporated, or applied as a photoimageable paste, or
• arranged as a structured metal foil on the base body,

and an electrical insulation layer is disposed between the heating structure and the base body.

For example, the heating structure can be arranged on the base body particularly quickly and efficiently by means of an imprinting or vapor deposition process. If the conductor track is arranged as a structured metal foil, the structured metal foil can have a meander and can at least one partial area of a conductor track of the meander have a rounding, which corresponds to a rounding of an outer diameter of the base body.

In an example, the electrical insulation layer comprises a metal oxide, a ceramic or a glass.

In yet another example, the heating structure is applied as a thin-film structure on a carrier substrate. In this example, the carrier substrate may comprise alumina.

Advantageously, thus already fabricated chips comprising at least one heating structure and optionally also an additional temperature sensor, which are located on a common, rigid and flat carrier substrate, are simply connected to the base body.

In one example, the heating element has at least one temperature sensor arranged on the base body next to the heating structure.

The temperature sensor may, for example, be connected to evaluation electronics and transmit the instantaneous temperature of the heating structure to the evaluation electronics.

In a further example, the temperature sensor has at least one supply line, the supply line being configured as a ribbon feed line or wire feed line, and wherein the feed line comprises at least one platinum material, a nickel material, an iron material, a copper material or a brass material, preferably the feed line is gold, Silver or platinum coated.

Advantageously, the temperature sensor described in this example with flat leads allows a particularly space-saving arrangement.

In yet another example, the heating structure is meandered and comprises a patterned steel alloy, a nickel-iron alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy or a platinum alloy, in particular having a resistance of 0.4 to 3 ohms, preferably 0.6 ohms ,

The invention also proposes an evaporator unit for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a heating element according to the invention.

Furthermore, the invention proposes a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a heating element according to the invention.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, are explained in the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to schematic drawings.

• 1a und 1b eine schematische Perspektivansicht und eine schematische Querschnittsansicht eines aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Heizelements;
• 2a und 2b eine schematische Perspektivansicht und eine schematische Querschnittsansicht eines Heizelements gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung; und
• 3 eine schematische Querschnittsansicht eines Heizelements gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Erfindung.

Showing:

• 1a and 1b a schematic perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a known from the prior art heating element;
• 2a and 2 B a schematic perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element according to an embodiment of the invention; and
• 3 a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element according to another embodiment of the invention.

In the 1a and 1b becomes a heating element 1 for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, as known in the art. The heating element 1 comprises a tubular body 4 of a thermally conductive material and a heating structure 6 arranged on the base body 4 , As it is in the 1a and 1b is shown is the heating structure 6 on the outside of the body 4 arranged. The substance for forming the aerosol may be inside the tubular body 4 to be ordered. As it is in the 1a and 1b is shown, the round passage opening extends along the expansion axis of a first end of the base body 4 to a second end of the body 4 , In the heating elements known from the prior art, the round passage opening is centered in the base body 4 arranged, ie the center of the passage opening is also the center of the body 4 , The wall thickness is therefore along the circumference of the main body 4 equal.

That in the 1a and 1b shown heating element 1 However, it has the disadvantage that this heating element 1 has a long heating time and the substance is heated unevenly to form the aerosol.

The 2a and 2 B show a schematic perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The heating element shown 10 is different from the one in the 1a and 1b shown heating element 10 in that the passage opening 12 eccentric, or non-centered in the body 14 is arranged. Typically, the through hole 12 in a range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm out of center, with the main body 14 has an outer diameter in a range of 6 to 10 mm. In the example shown, the main body has 14 a length and an outer diameter of 8 mm and a Through opening 12 with a diameter of 7.1 mm, which is 0.3 mm out of center.

The heating structure shown 16 runs along the expansion direction of the body 14 and in the embodiment shown has a width of 3 mm (shown in phantom in FIG 2 B) , In embodiments of the invention, the heating structure is 16 to a maximum of 20% of a peripheral surface of the body 14 arranged. The terms peripheral surface, circumference and outer surface 18a can be used interchangeably. In its simplest version, the heating structure includes 16 a metal wire, also called heat conductor. For example, the heating structure 16 also in the form of a conductor track, which runs, for example meandering, be formed. When a current flows through the conductor, heat is generated by the intrinsic resistance of the conductor. Depending on the current flowing through the track, the heating power of the heating structure 16 be determined. The heating structure 16 is on the outer surface of the main body 14 on a region along the circumference of the main body 14 with a maximum wall thickness of the main body 14 between the outer surface 18a and an inner surface 18b of the basic body 14 arranged.

3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element 10 ' according to a further embodiment of the invention.

On the outside surface 18a ' of the basic body 14 ' with passage opening 12 ' is in the area of the main body 14 ' with maximum wall thickness a flat section 20 ' arranged to facilitate arranging the heating structure 16 ' on the body 14 ' , The flat portion can, for example, by removing or pressing material of the body 14 ' be created. After inserting the flat section 20 ' If the area disappears with maximum wall thickness, two areas with maximum wall thickness are created on the sides of the flat section 20 ' , In the embodiment shown, the planar portion extends 20 ' along the extension direction from the first end of the main body 14 ' to the second end of the body 14 ' ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Heating element - state of the art

4

Basic body - state of the art

6

Heating structure - state of the art

10, 10 '

heating element

12, 12 '

Through opening

14, 14 '

body

16, 16 '

heating structure

18a, 18a '

outer surface

18b, 18b '

palm

20 '

Level section

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 5665262 A [0005]
• JP 2014216287 A [0006]
• US 20170215474 A1 [0007]
• DE 102016115574 A1 [0008]
• US 6222166 B1 [0009]

Claims (15)

A heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising: a base body (14, 14 ') comprising a thermally conductive material, wherein the base body (14, 14') cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged passage opening (12, 12 ') along an expansion axis of the base body (14, 14') is configured for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol; and a heating structure (16, 16 ') arranged on an outer surface of the base body (14, 14'), the heating structure (16, 16 ') being at least partially longitudinally along the expansion axis of the base body (14, 14') on a region of the base body (16, 16 '). 14, 14 ') is arranged with maximum wall thickness. Heating element after Claim 1 , characterized in that the thermally conductive material comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a ceramic, in particular silver, aluminum, aluminum oxide, or steel. Heating element according to one of Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') to a maximum of 20% of a peripheral surface of the base body (14, 14') is arranged. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the eccentric passage opening (12, 12 ') is arranged so that a minimum wall thickness of the base body (14, 14') corresponds to 5% - 50% of an average wall thickness of the base body (14, 14 ') , Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein on the outer surface of the base body (14 ') in the region of the base body (14') with maximum wall thickness, a planar portion (20 ') is arranged for arranging the heating structure (16') on the base body ( 14 '). Heating element after Claim 5 wherein the planar portion is longitudinally disposed on the outer surface of the body (14 ') and includes a cam chord. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 '): - printed on the base body (14, 14'), vapor-deposited, or applied as a photoimageable paste, or - as a structured metal foil on the base body ( 14, 14 ') is arranged, and an electrical insulation layer between the heating structure (16, 16') and base body (14, 14 ') is arranged. Heating element after Claim 7 , characterized in that the electrical insulation layer comprises a metal oxide, a ceramic or a glass. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') is applied as a thin-film structure on a carrier substrate. Heating element after Claim 9 , characterized in that the carrier substrate comprises alumina. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one temperature sensor arranged on the base body (14, 14 ') adjacent to the heating structure (16, 16'). Heating element after Claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor has at least one supply line, wherein the supply line is designed as a ribbon feed or wire feed, and wherein the feed line comprises at least one platinum material, a nickel material, an iron material, a copper material or a brass material, preferably the feed line with gold, silver or platinum coated. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') is configured meander-shaped and has a structured steel alloy, a nickel-iron alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy or a platinum alloy, in particular with a resistance of 0.4 to 3 ohms, preferably 0.6 ohms. Evaporator unit for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a heating element according to one of Claims 1 to 13 , A system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a heating element according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 ,

Images