EP4221522A1 - Ensemble pour générer un aérosol - Google Patents

Ensemble pour générer un aérosol

Info

Publication number
EP4221522A1
EP4221522A1 EP21777742.4A EP21777742A EP4221522A1 EP 4221522 A1 EP4221522 A1 EP 4221522A1 EP 21777742 A EP21777742 A EP 21777742A EP 4221522 A1 EP4221522 A1 EP 4221522A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nozzle
chamber
mixing chamber
evaporator
arrangement
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP21777742.4A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Patrick Scheunemann
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Koerber Technologies GmbH
Original Assignee
Koerber Technologies GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Koerber Technologies GmbH filed Critical Koerber Technologies GmbH
Publication of EP4221522A1 publication Critical patent/EP4221522A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/48—Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps
    • A24F40/485—Valves; Apertures
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/05—Devices without heating means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/10—Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/42—Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/44—Wicks
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an arrangement for aerosol generation, a cartridge for an evaporator system comprising a corresponding arrangement, an evaporator system comprising such a cartridge and a method for aerosol generation.
  • a composition stored in a reservoir which is regularly referred to as a liquid
  • a heating element e.g. a heating wire coil
  • the liquid is often fed from the reservoir to the heating element through a wick, so that the term wick-spiral systems is often used.
  • a corresponding system is disclosed, for example, in US 20140096782 A1.
  • the vaporized liquid forms an aerosol in the confluence with air in the vaporizer system, which contains fine droplets that are formed by condensation from the gas phase. Parts of the evaporated liquid usually remain in the gaseous state, although in many commercially available systems it is also possible that larger droplets are also contained in the aerosol, which are thrown out of the liquid phase during boiling.
  • a major challenge with evaporator systems intended to replace conventional cigarettes is to provide the user with a smoking experience comparable to that of conventional cigarette products, so that the user has a smoking experience comparable to that of a conventional cigarette when using the evaporator system.
  • the focus is on the application of the active substance contained being able to take place precisely in a designated area of the respiratory tract. In both cases, these specifications must ideally be consistently implementable over a large number of uses.
  • the depth of penetration of the generated droplets into the respiratory tract is relevant to the question of whether a smoking experience similar to that of a classic smoking product can be achieved with an evaporator system.
  • the inventors have recognized in the course of their own investigations that it is important to provide evaporator systems that enable an optimal consumption experience or medical inhalers that enable optimal application of the active ingredients contained, to achieve a consistent and reproducible aerosol quality that is possible should ideally be characterized by a specifically adjustable droplet size distribution.
  • conventional evaporator systems known from the prior art, in particular wick-coil systems regularly do not meet these requirements.
  • the primary object of the present invention was to specify an arrangement for aerosol generation which eliminates or at least reduces the disadvantages of the prior art.
  • the arrangement for aerosol generation can generate an aerosol whose mean droplet size can be set in a targeted manner and whose droplet size distribution is as narrow as possible. It was an additional task that the arrangement for aerosol generation should be able to provide an aerosol that has a particularly small average droplet size in order to enable the aerosol to penetrate deeply into the respiratory tract. An additional object of the invention was also to specify an arrangement for aerosol generation in which the unintentional entrainment of larger, unevaporated droplets from the liquid to be evaporated is reliably prevented.
  • the tasks specified above should be achievable with comparatively minor modifications to conventional evaporator systems.
  • the arrangement for aerosol generation should advantageously be at least as powerful as the evaporator systems known from the prior art in terms of the amount of aerosol generated, i.e. the aerosol yield that can be achieved from the mouthpiece for each milliliter of liquid evaporated.
  • the inventors have recognized that the objects described above can be achieved by controlled guidance of the fluid flows occurring inside the evaporator system.
  • the air flow required for aerosol generation is usually guided directly over the surface of the heated and evaporated liquid, for example by flowing directly around a wick-spiral structure.
  • the possibility of specifically influencing the droplet size or the droplet size distribution is regularly small, especially since the fluid flows inside these evaporator systems can vary greatly due to the different suction behavior of the users.
  • the aerosol formation in the mixing chamber can take place at the greatest possible distance from the wall areas, which reduces the loss of aerosol due to unwanted condensation.
  • the inventors assume that the number of initial droplets formed by homogeneous nucleation, which can serve as nuclei for further condensation, depends on the rate of change of the air mass break over time when a critical air mass break is reached in depends on the current.
  • the critical air mass fraction depends on the vaporized substance and the temperatures of the fluids mixed with one another.
  • the invention relates to an arrangement for generating aerosols, comprising an evaporator chamber, a mouthpiece with an outlet for aerosol and a mixing chamber with an air inlet, with an electrical heating element for evaporating a liquid being arranged in the evaporator chamber, which is provided with a wicking material, i.e.
  • the evaporator chamber comprises at least one first nozzle which is arranged in the wall of the evaporator chamber in such a way that a fluid-conducting connection between the evaporator chamber and the Mixing chamber is formed, so that the vaporized liquid in the evaporator chamber can enter the mixing chamber as a vapor free jet, the arrangement being designed such that the vapor free jet in the mixing chamber to generate an aerosol with an air entering via the air inlet ftstrom be mixed and the aerosol generated can exit the assembly via the outlet of the mouthpiece.
  • the arrangement according to the invention comprises an evaporator chamber, a mouthpiece with an outlet for an aerosol and a mixing chamber with an air inlet.
  • the evaporator chamber and the mixing chamber are to be understood as chambers that are at least partially separated from one another by design measures.
  • the arrangement according to the invention thus comprises at least two separate chambers which are at least partially separated from one another by design measures, so that a fluid cannot pass completely unhindered from the evaporator chamber into the mixing chamber.
  • such arrangements according to the invention are particularly preferred in which an in the evaporator chamber generated steam can enter the mixing chamber essentially exclusively via the first nozzle.
  • the mixing chamber has an air inlet.
  • this air inlet can be a simple recess in the wall of the mixing chamber.
  • the purpose of the air inlet is that when the arrangement according to the invention is used, i.e. a user sucks on the mouthpiece, air can enter the mixing chamber from outside the arrangement, in order not only to allow pressure equalization, but also the air required for aerosol generation provide as air flow.
  • Arrangements according to the invention are preferred, with an air filter for filtering the air flow entering the mixing chamber being arranged at the air inlet or in a supply line to the air inlet, or with the air inlet being connected to a supplementary tank for receiving clean air, with the supplementary tank preferably being a pressure vessel is.
  • the evaporator chamber comprises an electrical heating element.
  • This electrical heating element serves to vaporize a liquid which can be supplied via a wicking material which is in contact with the electrical heating element.
  • the electrical heating element makes it possible to convert a liquid to be evaporated into the gas phase within the evaporator chamber and thus to generate a vapor.
  • the evaporator chamber comprises at least one first nozzle through which the vapor generated can enter the mixing chamber.
  • the term nozzle in agreement with the expert understanding, denotes a technical device for influencing a fluid flow when passing from the evaporator chamber into the mixing chamber, through which the pressure of the vapor produced in the evaporator chamber by evaporation of the liquid is converted into kinetic energy of the steam is transformed.
  • the nozzle can, for example, have a constant cross section, be tapered or have more complex shapes. From a functional point of view, the nozzle must be able to convert the steam pressure built up inside the evaporator chamber into kinetic energy of the steam so that it enters the mixing chamber as a steam free jet.
  • a free jet is a flow from a nozzle into a free space that is not limited by walls, so that the steam flowing out of the nozzle and the gas in the mixing chamber have different speeds, with the gas surrounding the free jet being regularly sucked in by it and will be carried away.
  • the evaporator chamber comprises only a first nozzle.
  • a particular advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that the flow properties of the free steam jet can also be adapted by providing more than one first nozzle, from which the steam can enter the mixing chamber as a free steam jet. This is also particularly advantageous because, for example, by selecting nozzles of different sizes and shapes, complex distributions of particle sizes can also be achieved in a targeted manner, in that the particle sizes achieved with each individual steam free jet are superimposed. This makes it possible, for example, to apply two different active ingredients simultaneously to different areas of the respiratory tract.
  • the arrangement according to the invention is designed in such a way that the free jet of steam emerging from the evaporator chamber through the nozzle is mixed in the mixing chamber with an air flow entering via the air inlet, so that the temperature of the resulting mixture in the mixing chamber is reduced and a very high level of supersaturation occurs. which leads to homogeneous condensation, i.e. to homogeneous nucleation, with the desired high nucleation rate.
  • the at least one first nozzle can either be provided as a separate component that is fastened in the wall of the evaporator chamber, or in simple configurations can also be formed directly by the wall of the evaporator chamber, so that its design forms a nozzle as an outlet opening into the mixing chamber .
  • the at least one first nozzle being formed by the wall of the evaporator chamber.
  • this makes it possible to generate a pressure build-up that is as uniform as possible in the interior of the vaporizer chamber and thus a vapor free jet that is as uniform as possible, with which the best results can often be achieved when generating aerosols.
  • the electrical heating element can also be integrated into the wall of the evaporator chamber.
  • the evaporator chamber is delimited at least in sections by the electrical heating element.
  • An arrangement according to the invention is therefore preferred, in which the electric heating element is arranged in the evaporator chamber in such a way that the electric heating element forms part of the evaporator chamber, preferably part of the wall of the evaporator chamber.
  • the electric heating element not only forms part of the wall of the evaporator chamber, but at the same time also forms the first nozzle or one of the first nozzles or all first nozzles are formed.
  • a flat heater chip can be designed with continuous recesses that function as nozzles through which the steam generated below the heater chip in the contact area of the wick can enter the mixing chamber as a steam free jet.
  • the at least one first nozzle is formed by a component separate from the electric heating element or by the heating element arranged in the wall of the evaporator chamber, with the at least one first nozzle very particularly preferably being formed by a component separate from the electric heating element is formed.
  • the air inlet comprises at least one second nozzle, so that the incoming air flow can enter the mixing chamber as a free jet of air
  • the at least one second nozzle is preferably a nozzle that tapers towards the interior of the mixing chamber and/or or wherein the at least one second nozzle is preferably a flat nozzle, preferably a flat rectangular nozzle, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of all second nozzles is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm 2 , preferably 1 to 4 mm 2 .
  • a preferred arrangement according to the invention is preferred, with the air inlet and the evaporator chamber being arranged in such a way that the free steam jet and the free air jet intersect in the mixing chamber, preferably in the area of the laminar flow, so that the central jets of the free steam jet and the Air free jet enclose an angle in the range of 5 ° to 175 °, preferably 30 ° to 150 °, particularly preferably 50 ° to 130 °, very particularly preferably 70 ° to 110 °, wherein the angle is preferably essentially 90 °.
  • the free steam jet or the first nozzle of the evaporator chamber and the air inlet must either be arranged directly in such a way that the air flow and the free steam jet run parallel to one another at least in sections inside the mixing chamber, or one or more air guiding elements must be provided in the mixing chamber be, so that at least partially parallel guidance is made possible.
  • an arrangement according to the invention is preferred, wherein the air inlet and the at least one first nozzle of the evaporator chamber are arranged in such a way that the free steam jet and the incoming air flow in the mixing chamber run parallel to one another at least in sections, or one or more air guiding elements are arranged in the mixing chamber in such a way that the steam free jet and the incoming air flow in the mixing chamber at least partially parallel to each other.
  • the term parallel in the context of the present invention means that the fluid flows are essentially parallel, with an angle included by the flows of 5° or less, preferably 2° or less, particularly preferably 1° or less. can be considered essentially parallel.
  • An arrangement according to the invention has proven to be an alternative embodiment to the approach described above, in which a single air inlet is formed around the first nozzle or the first nozzles, so that, for example, an annular air inlet extends coaxially around the first nozzle.
  • the corresponding arrangement creates conditions that are as uniform as possible on all sides of the free steam jet and has proven to be one of the ments in which the area of the parallel laminar flows between the incoming air flow and the steam free jet in the mixing chamber is so constant over particularly long distances that the aerosol generation is advantageously particularly strongly influenced by the diffusion processes at the boundary layer.
  • the mixing chamber has at least two air inlets or one individual air inlet surrounding the at least one first nozzle, which are arranged in such a way that the air flow entering the mixing chamber is at least partially on two sides of the steam free jet runs parallel to the steam free jet.
  • the at least one first nozzle or all first nozzles as nozzles that taper towards the mixing chamber.
  • Such nozzles which are also referred to as confusers, are particularly well suited to increasing the speed of the vapor emerging from the evaporator chamber and to obtaining a vapor free jet that is as favorable as possible for the invention.
  • An embodiment in which the first nozzle is a flat nozzle has also proven to be particularly advantageous for the first nozzle. With the same volume flow, such a flat nozzle generates a steam free jet with a particularly large surface area, as a result of which a large border area to the surrounding air flow is obtained, in which the aerosol formation can take place particularly efficiently through condensation.
  • the at least one first nozzle is a nozzle that tapers towards the mixing chamber, and/or wherein the combined cross-sectional area of all the first nozzles is im Range from 0.01 to 1 mm 2 , preferably in the range from 0.05 to 0.8 mm 2 , particularly preferably in the range from 0.1 to 0.5 mm 2 , very particularly preferably in the range from 0.15 to 0 4 mm 2 , and/or wherein the at least one first nozzle is a flat nozzle, preferably a flat nozzle with a rectangular cross section, preferably with a gap width of 0.3 mm or less, preferably 0.2 mm or less, particularly preferably 0.05mm or less.
  • the inventors have recognized that, in order to achieve the most advantageous possible generation of aerosols, it makes sense to provide the largest possible thermal gradient between the fluids involved. This means that the temperature difference between the hot steam free jet and the incoming cold air flow should be as large as possible.
  • the inventors have observed that, in particular during continued operation of an arrangement according to the invention, for example in an electronic cigarette, the operation of the electric evaporator unit can lead to the entire arrangement heating up, which also heats the air flow entering the mixing chamber before aerosol generation. thereby reducing the temperature gradient. It has been found to be advantageous that this problem can be eliminated or at least reduced in a synergistic manner with the arrangement according to the invention.
  • the evaporator chamber in the arrangement according to the invention is already separated from the mixing chamber or other components of the arrangement for the purpose of generating the steam free jet, it is possible to make the evaporator chamber or the walls of the evaporator chamber entirely or partially from a thermally insulating material form, which at least partially shields the remaining components of the arrangement according to the invention from the thermal energy generated by the electric heating unit. This ensures that a temperature gradient that is as high and as constant as possible can be maintained between the emerging free jet of steam and the air flow.
  • the evaporation chamber has walls which are formed at least in sections from a thermally insulating material or are coated with a thermally insulating material, the thermally insulating material preferably having a thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/(m K) or less, preferably 0.1 W/(m K) or less.
  • the person skilled in the art can choose from a wide range of thermally insulating materials, the person skilled in the art having to find a suitable compromise between low thermal conductivity and good workability of the material that meets his needs, the latter being particularly dependent on the rest of the structure envisaged by the person skilled in the art arrangement depends.
  • typical insulating materials such as mineral wool or aerogels, which are usually characterized by the porous structure frequently encountered for corresponding insulating materials, have proven themselves as insulating material.
  • the inventors have also recognized that under certain circumstances it can be particularly advantageous to form the first nozzle or all first nozzles at least partially from a thermally conductive material or to coat them with a thermally conductive material. Only at first glance does this contradict the advantages disclosed above of designing the evaporator chamber from insulating material. In addition to unwanted heating of the air flow by the electrical heating element, which should be prevented by the thermally insulating material, there can be another problem in the evaporator chamber.
  • the inner walls of the vaporization chamber represent condensation surfaces on which unwanted condensation of the vapor can occur.
  • part of the vapor which should actually emerge as a vapor free jet into the mixing chamber in order to contribute to the formation of aerosols there, condenses as condensed liquid on the walls of the evaporator chamber, from where the liquid, in the worst case, even as large , unevaporated drops can reach the user via the mouthpiece. This process reduces the vapor concentration and corresponding losses occur, which reduces the efficiency of aerosol generation and the aerosol yield.
  • the first nozzle and/or the inner sides of the evaporator chamber from a thermally conductive material, with typical metals such as copper, aluminum and platinum or semimetals such as silicon having proven particularly suitable.
  • the correspondingly designed inner sides of the evaporator chamber and/or the first nozzle can be thermally coupled to the heating element and/or to a separate heating device in order to ensure during operation of the arrangement according to the invention that these components are on such a high temperature that condensation of the steam on these components can be prevented or at least reduced.
  • the first embodiment has proven to be particularly advantageous, i.e.
  • the evaporation chamber has walls which are formed at least in sections on the inside of the evaporation chamber from a thermally conductive material or are coated with a thermally conductive material, the thermally conductive material having a thermal conductivity of 20 W / (m K) or more, preferably 80 W / (m K) or more, and wherein the thermally conductive material on the inside of the evaporator chamber thermally coupled to the electrical heating element and / or with a separate heating device, and/or wherein the first nozzle is formed from a thermally conductive material having a thermal conductivity of 20 W/(m K) or more, preferably 80 W/(m K) or more, and wherein the first nozzle is preferably is thermally coupled to the electric heating element and/or connected to a separate heating device.
  • Arrangements according to the invention are particularly preferred in which the individual components are aligned with one another in such a way that the aerosol formation takes place inside the mixing chamber, i.e. at the greatest possible distance from the inner walls of the mixing chamber. From a flow dynamic point of view, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the mixing chamber tapers towards the mouthpiece, so that the aerosol outlet in the mouthpiece in turn functions as a kind of nozzle that increases the kinetic energy of the aerosol produced in the direction of the user.
  • An arrangement according to the invention is therefore preferred in which the mixing chamber has a non-uniform cross-sectional profile along the flow direction of the aerosol, with the cross-section of the mixing chamber preferably decreasing in the direction of the mouthpiece.
  • a plate-shaped heating chip allows a particularly good and controlled generation of steam and thus supports the general aim of the arrangement according to the invention to carry out the generation of steam and aerosol as controlled as possible.
  • a corresponding plate-shaped heater chip can be thermally coupled particularly well to other components of the evaporator chamber and, due to its shape, can also be provided particularly easily as a component of the evaporator chamber.
  • the heater chip is particularly preferably arranged on the bottom of the evaporator chamber, ie on a side opposite the first nozzle.
  • a corresponding plate-shaped heater chip can also be designed in such a way that it not only forms part of the wall of the evaporator chamber, but also forms the first nozzle or several first nozzles in its interior, which are present in the inventive arrangements. see are.
  • An arrangement according to the invention is therefore preferred in which the electrical heating element is a wire coil or a plate-shaped heater chip, preferably a plate-shaped heater chip, particularly preferably a plate-shaped heater chip made of a doped or undoped semiconductor material, which preferably has a large number of microchannels running through it.
  • the arrangement according to the invention can be combined with a liquid reservoir for receiving the liquid to be evaporated, as a result of which a so-called cartridge is obtained which is suitable for use in evaporator systems, for example in electronic cigarettes.
  • Corresponding cartridges are often designed as disposable parts that form an evaporator system together with a reusable part.
  • the invention thus also relates to a cartridge for an evaporator system comprising an arrangement according to the invention and a liquid reservoir for receiving the liquid to be evaporated.
  • a cartridge according to the invention is preferred, wherein the liquid reservoir comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of glass, crystal, metal, ceramics, wood and plastic, wherein the reservoir preferably has another outer shell and/or wherein the liquid reservoir is preferred is equipped with an element for pressure equalization.
  • a cartridge according to the invention is also preferred, the liquid reservoir being formed by a bag, the bag being made entirely or partially of silicone, rubber, latex or another suitable elastic or non-elastic material, preferably a plastic.
  • the use of bags as a liquid reservoir is particularly advantageous, since these are inexpensive to manufacture and regularly produce only small amounts of waste.
  • it is advantageously not necessary to provide pressure equalization in the liquid reservoir since the bag will contract if necessary if the internal pressure remains the same.
  • bags are advantageous for certain applications from a safety point of view because they do not splinter and are therefore associated with less potential for danger.
  • cartridges according to the invention comprising a liquid in the liquid reservoir, the liquid comprising at least one active substance component, at least one first carrier substance with a higher boiling point than the active substance component and at least one second carrier substance with a lower boiling point than the active substance component, with the active substance component preferably being selected from the group consisting of from nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, substances from the corresponding substance classes and medicinal active ingredients, and the liquid preferably also comprises one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of 1,2-propanediol, glycerol and water.
  • liquid specified above has proven to be particularly advantageous in practice in order to provide an active substance component to a user by means of an arrangement according to the invention via a corresponding aerosol.
  • cartridges according to the invention comprising a liquid in the liquid reservoir, the proportion by mass of glycerol based on the total mass of the liquid being in the range of 20-80%, preferably 30 to 60%.
  • the steam free jet and the air flow supplied for aerosol generation can be adjusted in a targeted manner in order to obtain the desired aerosol properties.
  • this can result in the fluid volume of non-condensed vapour, air and aerosol exiting the mixing chamber being insufficient to quickly equalize the pressure differential built up in the user's mouth by the user's suction, especially if a second nozzle is also used is used, which limits the volume of airflow entering the mixing chamber.
  • the user's vapor experience may be adversely affected by the perception that the inventive arrangement offers too much resistance to the user's sucking.
  • a cartridge according to the invention comprising one or more air ducts which are designed to guide air past the mixing chamber to the mouthpiece. It has proven to be particularly expedient if valves are provided in the additional air ducts, which only open when a predetermined pressure difference is exceeded, so that at least at the beginning of a puff the pressure difference generated by the user essentially causes the free steam jet and the Air flow are formed inside the mixing chamber.
  • the invention also relates to an evaporator system for evaporating a liquid, preferably for use in a portable evaporator, preferably in a hand-held device, particularly preferably in an e-cigarette or an inhaler for medical purposes, comprising a cartridge according to the invention and a reusable element comprising at least one electric Energy source for the operation of the electrical heating element, preferably a battery or a fuel cell, particularly preferably a lithium ion battery, in particular a lithium polymer accumulator, the cartridge and the reusable element being reversibly and non-destructively detachably connected or connectable to one another, so that electrical contact between the electrical Energy source and the electric heating element is formed.
  • the use for medical purposes includes in particular the application of medication for respiratory diseases and painkillers.
  • the invention also relates to a method for aerosol generation, preferably carried out with an arrangement according to the invention, comprising the steps: a) evaporating a liquid in an evaporator chamber, with an electrical heating element arranged in the evaporator chamber, b) discharging the evaporated liquid from the evaporator chamber into a Mixing chamber through at least one first nozzle arranged in the wall of the evaporator chamber for generating a steam free jet, c) generating an aerosol in the mixing chamber by mixing the free steam jet with an air flow entering the mixing chamber via an air inlet, and d) discharging the generated aerosol from the mixing chamber via the outlet of a mouthpiece.
  • the method according to the invention is preferably carried out using an arrangement according to the invention or a preferred arrangement according to the invention.
  • the method according to the invention provides that a liquid is evaporated by means of an electrical heating element in an evaporator chamber.
  • the steam generated is then discharged from the evaporator chamber into a mixing chamber, with the discharge taking place through a first nozzle arranged in the wall of the evaporator chamber, so that a free jet of steam is obtained.
  • An aerosol is then generated in the mixing chamber by mixing the free steam jet with an air flow entering the mixing chamber via an air inlet. This aerosol generated in this way is finally fed from the mixing chamber to the user via the outlet of a mouthpiece.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a preferred cartridge according to the invention with an arrangement according to the invention in cross section;
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic section of a preferred arrangement according to the invention in cross section
  • 4a shows a schematic section of a preferred arrangement according to the invention in cross section
  • 4b shows a schematic section from a preferred arrangement according to the invention in a plan view
  • FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a flat nozzle
  • Fig. 6a is a schematic representation of a first relative arrangement of first and second nozzles
  • Fig. 6b is a schematic representation of a second relative arrangement of first and second nozzles
  • Fig. 6c is a schematic representation of a third relative arrangement of first and second nozzles
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a cartridge 42 according to the invention, which comprises an arrangement 10 according to the invention.
  • an electrical heating element 24 is arranged, which is designed as a plate-shaped heater chip.
  • This electrical heating element 24 is in contact with a wicking material 28 by means of which the liquid 26 to be evaporated is fed from the liquid reservoir 44 to the electrical heating element 24 .
  • the wicking material 28 is a non-woven fabric.
  • the liquid reservoir 44 is made of glass, with the liquid comprising a mixture consisting of 1,2-propandyol, glycerin and water as the solvent, in which nicotine is dissolved as the active ingredient component.
  • the mixing rate of air to vapor ranges from 5:1 to 10:1, so the mass air flow is about 10 to 16 mg/s and the volumetric air flow is about 8 to 16 cm 3 /s.
  • a first nozzle 30a is arranged in the evaporator chamber 12 or in the wall 32 of the evaporator chamber 12 and forms a fluid-conducting connection between the evaporator chamber 12 and the mixing chamber 20 .
  • the first nozzle 30a ensures that the vaporized liquid 26 enters the mixing chamber 20 as a vapor free jet 34, the first nozzle 30a in the embodiment shown being designed as a first nozzle 30a with a round cross section that tapers in the direction of the mixing chamber.
  • the steam free jet 34 is mixed with an air flow 36 entering via the air inlet 22a, so that an aerosol 18 is generated which can exit from the arrangement 10 via the mouthpiece 14 or the corresponding outlet 16 of the mouthpiece 14 .
  • the electric heating element 24 is arranged in the evaporator chamber 12 in such a way that it is opposite the first nozzle 30a, which is not designed as a separate component but is formed by the wall 32 of the evaporator chamber 12.
  • the air inlet 22a includes a second nozzle 38a which is configured as a tapered nozzle of circular cross-section.
  • the air inlet 22a and the evaporator chamber 12 or the air inlet 22a and the first nozzle 30a are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the steam free jet 34 and the air free jet 40 meet at an angle in the mixing chamber 20 in the region of the laminar flow. which is essentially 90°.
  • the walls 32 of the evaporator chamber 12 are made of plastic in the embodiment shown, which assumes the function of thermal insulation.
  • the mixing chamber 20 has a non-uniform cross-sectional profile along the direction of flow of the aerosol 18 , with the mixing chamber 20 tapering particularly in the direction of the mouthpiece 14 .
  • a corresponding cartridge 42 as shown schematically in FIG. 1, can be combined with a reusable part, in which an electrical energy store for operating the electrical heating element 24 is arranged, reversibly and non-destructively detachably to form an evaporator system according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows a section of a preferred arrangement 10 according to the invention in cross section, in which the generation of the aerosol 18 takes place in particular in the border area of the steam free jet 34 to the incoming air flow 36 .
  • two separate air inlets 22a, 22b are provided on opposite sides of the first nozzle 30a, which in turn is formed by the walls 32 of the evaporator chamber 12, so that the resulting air flow 36 generates the vapor free jet 34 surrounded as evenly as possible on both sides.
  • the electrical heating element 24 is again designed as a plate-shaped heater chip, which is traversed by a large number of microchannels 25, through which the liquid 26 provided by the wicking material 28 and evaporated by the electrical heating element 24 flows through the electrical Heating element 24 can pass through.
  • FIG. 3 visualizes schematically that the first nozzle 30a and second nozzle 38a shown in FIG. 1 can be displaced relative to one another, so that the steam free jet 34 and the air free jet 40 enclose an angle that is less than 90°.
  • FIG. 4a and 4b each show in cross section and in top view an alternative embodiment to the preferred arrangement according to the invention shown in FIG.
  • the vapor generated in the vaporization chamber 12 enters the mixing chamber 20 as a vapor free jet 34 and is enclosed on all sides by the air flow 36, so that the aerosol 18, in particular at the boundary layer between the vapor -Free jet 34 and the air flow 36 is formed while it is guided through the mixing chamber 20 to the outlet 16 for the aerosol 18 arranged in the mouthpiece 14 .
  • FIG. 5 schematically shows a flat nozzle with a rectangular cross section, which has proven to be a particularly suitable nozzle shape within the scope of the invention, in particular when it is designed as a nozzle that tapers in the direction of the mixing chamber 20, as shown in FIG.
  • the flat nozzle shown schematically in FIG. 5 has proven to be an advantageous embodiment both for the first nozzle 30a and for the second nozzle 38a, since free jets with a particularly large surface area or lateral surfaces are thus obtained.
  • 6a, 6b and 6c possible configurations of nozzles are shown schematically, which can be provided in an arrangement as shown in Fig. 1, ie an arrangement 10 according to the invention, in which both a steam free jet 34 and an air free jet 40 are used, which intersect in the mixing chamber 20.
  • FIG. 6a shows a single first nozzle 30a and a single second nozzle 38a, which each taper in the direction of the mixing chamber and have a round cross section, as is also disclosed in FIG.
  • both the air inlet 22a and the outlet 16 from the evaporator chamber 12 in FIG. 6b are designed in such a way that four nozzles are used in each case.
  • the individual nozzles are each designed as nozzles with a constant and round cross section.
  • FIG. 6c shows an embodiment in which both the first nozzle 30a and the second nozzle 38a are designed as flat nozzles with a rectangular cross section Nozzles with a cross-sectional profile that is constant over the entire length can be used.

Landscapes

  • Nozzles (AREA)
  • Disinfection, Sterilisation Or Deodorisation Of Air (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un ensemble pour générer un aérosol, comprenant une chambre d'évaporateur, un embout buccal avec une sortie pour aérosol, et une chambre de mélange avec une entrée d'air. La chambre d'évaporateur est équipée d'un élément chauffant électrique pour l'évaporation d'un liquide, ledit élément chauffant étant en contact avec un matériau de mèche qui est conçu pour amener le liquide à s'évaporer vers l'élément chauffant électrique. La chambre d'évaporateur comprend au moins une première buse qui est disposée dans la paroi de la chambre d'évaporateur de telle sorte qu'une liaison fluidique est formée par la buse entre la chambre d'évaporateur et la chambre de mélange de telle sorte que le liquide évaporé dans la chambre d'évaporateur peut entrer dans la chambre de mélange sous la forme d'un jet libre de vapeur. L'ensemble est conçu de telle sorte que le jet libre de vapeur est mélangé avec un flux d'air entrant par l'entrée d'air dans la chambre de mélange pour générer un aérosol, et l'aérosol généré peut sortir de l'ensemble par l'intermédiaire de la sortie de l'embout buccal.
EP21777742.4A 2020-09-30 2021-09-15 Ensemble pour générer un aérosol Pending EP4221522A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102020125538.1A DE102020125538A1 (de) 2020-09-30 2020-09-30 Anordnung zur Aerosolgenerierung
PCT/EP2021/075326 WO2022069226A1 (fr) 2020-09-30 2021-09-15 Ensemble pour générer un aérosol

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4221522A1 true EP4221522A1 (fr) 2023-08-09

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ID=77914366

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP21777742.4A Pending EP4221522A1 (fr) 2020-09-30 2021-09-15 Ensemble pour générer un aérosol

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20230363462A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP4221522A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN116234457A (fr)
DE (1) DE102020125538A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2022069226A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9854841B2 (en) 2012-10-08 2018-01-02 Rai Strategic Holdings, Inc. Electronic smoking article and associated method
US10292424B2 (en) * 2013-10-31 2019-05-21 Rai Strategic Holdings, Inc. Aerosol delivery device including a pressure-based aerosol delivery mechanism
IL300018B2 (en) * 2015-07-10 2024-07-01 Juul Labs Inc Devices and methods for vaping without a fuse
US10440996B2 (en) 2016-03-31 2019-10-15 Altria Client Services Llc Atomizing assembly for use in an aerosol-generating system
US10609957B2 (en) 2016-11-22 2020-04-07 Funai Electric Co., Ltd. Vapor delivery device

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WO2022069226A1 (fr) 2022-04-07
DE102020125538A1 (de) 2022-03-31
CN116234457A (zh) 2023-06-06
US20230363462A1 (en) 2023-11-16

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