EP4274440A1 - Dispositif de génération d'aérosol doté d?un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes - Google Patents

Dispositif de génération d'aérosol doté d?un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes

Info

Publication number
EP4274440A1
EP4274440A1 EP21844786.0A EP21844786A EP4274440A1 EP 4274440 A1 EP4274440 A1 EP 4274440A1 EP 21844786 A EP21844786 A EP 21844786A EP 4274440 A1 EP4274440 A1 EP 4274440A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
air flow
aerosol generation
area
droplets
size
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
EP21844786.0A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Alec WRIGHT
Andrew Robert John ROGAN
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.)
JT International SA
Original Assignee
JT International SA
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 JT International SA filed Critical JT International SA
Publication of EP4274440A1 publication Critical patent/EP4274440A1/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
    • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed to an aerosol generation device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an aerosol generation device with an aerosol generation portion, and a means for limiting the size of droplets, wherein the means for limiting the size of droplets comprises a first air flow channel configured to change its through area in accordance with an air flow through the air flow channel.
  • An aerosol generation device or E-cigarette
  • E-cigarette is now a mainstream product to simulate a traditional tobacco cigarette.
  • the operation method of the aerosol generation device is to contain an aerosol generation carrier inside and to heat it, but not to its burning point.
  • E-cigarette the operation method of which is to evaporate liquid to form smoke. Especially the E-cigarette operating with liquid is continuously growing in popularity.
  • the E-cigarettes operating with liquid are usually arranged with a heating element and a liquid container, wherein when the user draws on the mouthpiece, liquid is moved from the liquid container towards the heating element, where the liquid is vaporized.
  • the vaping liquid can accumulate at the heating element and oversaturate the heating element, so that not all of the liquid gets vaporized. This can lead to large droplets of vaporizing liquid being ejected in the air stream towards the user and result in the user to inhale hot liquid instead of vapor, which might create an unpleasant experience. Therefore, there is the desire to either prevent the oversaturation at the heating element or to limit the size of droplets to prevent large droplets of liquid from being inhaled by the user, creating an unpleasant smoking experience. Furthermore, there is a desire to encourage the user to take gentler (low air flow velocity) puffs.
  • the present invention provides a smoking article for an aerosol generation device, which solves some of or all of the above problems.
  • a 1st embodiment of the invention is directed to an aerosol generation device for providing an aerosol to a user drawing on a mouthpiece of the device, comprising means for receiving and heating a consumable liquid to generate an aerosol and means for limiting the size of droplets of the aerosol which are provided to the user drawing on the mouthpiece, comprising an air flow channel through which the aerosol flows towards the user when the user draws on the mouthpiece, and comprising at least one passage with an adjustable through area, preferably, wherein the at least one passage is configured to adjust the through area when the user draws on the device.
  • the through area of the air flow channel of the device can be adjusted to control the inhaling resistance of the aerosol generation device.
  • the inhaling resistance increases, and it becomes harder for a user to perform a puff.
  • the through area of the air flow device is increased, the inhaling resistance decreases, allowing for easier puffs.
  • the passage with an adjustable through area is configured to change the size of its trough area in accordance with an air flow velocity through the air flow channel.
  • the air flow velocity through the air flow channel may control the through area of the air flow channel.
  • the through area of the air flow channel may increase when a large puff is performed, decreasing the inhaling resistance to allow the user to perform even larger puffs.
  • the stronger a user draws on a mouthpiece the more the inhaling resistance is noticed. Therefore, it is particularly desired to have a low inhaling resistance when large puffs are performed.
  • the above example allows for calibrating an inhaling resistance for normal sized puffs, and when a large puff is performed, reduces said resistance to allow for large puffs. This may be a desired application for aerosol generation devices with large liquid containers and high-performance heating elements.
  • the air flow velocity is detected by a sensor; and the means for limiting the size of droplets changes its through area in accordance with a sensor output.
  • a sensor may measure the air flow velocity through the air flow channel, and based on the air flow velocity trigger one of the actions (reducing or enlarging the through area of the air flow channel) described in the context of the second embodiment.
  • the through area of the means for limiting the size of droplets is configured such that with increasing air flow velocity through the air flow channel, the through area of the air flow channel decreases, and with decreasing air flow velocity through the air flow channel, the through area of the air flow channel increases.
  • the through area may vary according to the amount of aerosol being drawn from the aerosol generation device.
  • the aerosol generation device generally provides a heating element providing a constant heat.
  • a general problem is that large puffs with high air flow velocities might drag too much liquid from the liquid containers and oversaturate the heating element. This can lead to liquid, instead of aerosol, being inhaled by the user.
  • the above-mentioned arrangement allows to reduce the air flow channel when a large puff is performed, limiting the drag at the liquid container, counteracting the above described effect.
  • the through area may return to its original size, allowing for unrestricted puffs as generally desired by users and thus encouraging the user to take gentler puffs.
  • the aerosol generation device further comprises a threshold setting means configured to set a threshold level for the air flow velocity, and when the air flow velocity is above the threshold level, the means for limiting the size of droplets decreases its through area.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets comprises a plug which is attached to a retaining element, such as a spring.
  • the plug has a circular surface.
  • the retaining element is configured to contract when the air flow velocity through the air flow channel increases, and expand when the air flow velocity through the air flow channel decreases.
  • the plug attached to the retaining element controls the through area of the air flow channel.
  • the above arrangements allow to configure a retaining element so that the change of the through area, which is performed by contracting or relaxing the retaining element, is performed according to the characteristics of the retaining element.
  • the stiffness of the spring may control how much a retaining element contracts when the air flow pressure forces it to contract.
  • a retaining element with a large stiffness coefficient allows for high air flow velocities before contraction is performed, and a low stiffness coefficient allows for low air flow velocities to already perform a contraction.
  • a large stiffness coefficient allows for an earlier relaxation of the retaining element when compared to a smaller stiffness coefficient.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets is comprised within a removable cartridge containing a smoking liquid, or preferably within an air flow passage in communication with the aerosol generation portion, or more preferably within the aerosol generation portion of the aerosol generation device.
  • the above embodiment allows for placing the means for limiting the size of droplets at a wide range of locations, facilitating a suitable implementation of the present invention.
  • the aerosol generation device further comprises an input section, and means for detecting a user input at the input section, wherein the means for limiting the size of droplets is configured to change its through area in accordance with a user input detected at the means for detecting a user input.
  • the user may change the through area of the means for limiting the size of droplets as desired by performing a user input at the input section.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets in one example, may be configured to prevent vaporizing liquid from being inhaled at the cost of an increasing inhaling resistance, a user might value inhalation resistance over inhaling liquid and might want to override the configuration of the means for limiting the size of droplets and manually control the inhaling resistance.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets that is configured to change its through area forms part of a nozzle.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets is configured to reduce the size of droplets having a diameter larger than the through area of the air flow channel to a diameter similar to the through area, preferably smaller than the through area.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets is a homogenizer valve.
  • Figure 1 is an explosion cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device
  • Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge
  • Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view of the mount in lateral direction of the aerosol generation device
  • Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view of the mount in longitudinal direction of the aerosol generation device
  • Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the means for limiting the size of droplets in a contracted state
  • Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the means for limiting the size of droplets in a relaxed state.
  • the term “aerosol generation device” or “electronic cigarette” may include an electronic cigarette configured to deliver an aerosol to a user, including an aerosol for smoking.
  • the terms “performing a puff’ or “inhaling” refer to a user drawing on a mouthpiece of an aerosol generation device, thus inhaling the aerosol.
  • the terms “small puff’, “low velocity puff’ or “normal puff’ all refer to average puffs performed by a user when smoking a cigarette or E-cigarette.
  • the terms “large puff’ and “high velocity puff’ refer to inhaling significantly larger amounts of aerosol within one puff and/or inhaling the aerosol with more pressure through a significantly stronger suction at the mouthpiece when compared to a “normal/small puff’.
  • FIG. 1 shows an exploded schematic view of an aerosol generation device too comprising a main housing no, a mouthpiece 130 and a cartridge 120 according to an exemplary embodiment.
  • the aerosol generation device 100 has an elongated shape, preferably a substantially cuboid shape.
  • the cartridge 120 which is inserted in (or attached to) the device 100, comprises an aerosol generation portion 150, a means for limiting the size of droplets 200 and a consumable container (not shown) containing the consumable, which is in the form of a liquid.
  • the liquid can be inhaled by a user drawing at the mouthpiece 130 with the power support of the device 100.
  • the liquid typically comprises an aerosol-forming substance, such as glycerin or propylene glycol that creates the vapor.
  • the main housing 110 acts as the housing of the device 100.
  • the main housing 110 comprises a cavity to receive the cartridge 120 at one end, and a chassis therein (not shown).
  • a cartridge socket integrated with the internal chassis is configured to hold and electronically connect or heat the cartridge 120 at the cavity end.
  • the electric power is transmitted from a preferably LiPo battery through a PCBA to the cartridge socket, which are all electrically connected with each other.
  • the LiPo battery can be charged through a USB port.
  • the PCBA, the LiPo battery, the USB port are mounted together on the inner chassis and comprised by the outer casing 110.
  • FIG. 2 shows a partial, cross-sectional view of the cartridge 120, with details of the means for limiting the size of droplets 200 and of the aerosol generation portion 150 as indicated in Figure 1.
  • the aerosol generation portion 150 comprises a heating element 140, an aerosol generation chamber 151, formed and surrounded by an outer surface 152, and a consumable container 160.
  • the heating element 140 may comprise a wick and coil which is heated by a current provided from the PCBA or directly from the LiPo battery and is positioned at the back of the cartridge 120.
  • an area of low pressure is formed in the aerosol generation chamber 151.
  • the low pressure sucks the liquid from the consumable container 160 towards the heating element 140, where the consumable is vaporized, creating the aerosol. From there, the aerosol flows through the aerosol generation chamber 151 towards the user.
  • the present invention introduces means for limiting the size of droplets 200 to the aerosol generation device too.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets 200 comprises, according to an exemplary embodiment, a first air flow channel 211, a second air flow channel 212, a retaining element 230, a plug 220 and a mount 240.
  • the retaining element 230 which is able to expand or contract in the longitudinal direction of the retaining element 230 is firmly attached to a plug 220 on one side in longitudinal direction and to a mount 240 on the other side in longitudinal direction.
  • the plug 220 provides a conical frustum shaped portion and has a first circular surface 221, which is part of the conical frustum shaped portion, with a first diameter, orientated towards the end of the device too and a second circular surface 222, which is part of the conical shaped portion, with a second diameter, orientated towards the front of the device, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.
  • the plug 220 is firmly attached to the retaining element 230 and moves with the retaining element 230 when the retaining element 230 contracts or expands.
  • the first air flow channel 211 is formed by the plug 220.
  • a first side surface 201 which is arranged at an angle between o 0 to 90 °, preferably between 10 0 and 80 °, more preferred between 30 0 and 50 °, to the outer surface 152, decreases the through area of the aerosol generation chamber.
  • the second air flow channel 212 is formed by the second side surface 202, the mount 240 of the retaining element 230 and the plug 240.
  • the second side surface 202 is parallel to the outer surface 152 of the aerosol generation chamber 151, wherein the through area of the second air flow channel 212 is smaller than the through area of the aerosol generation chamber 151.
  • the first circular surface 221 of the plug 220 has a larger diameter than the through area of the second air flow channel 212, and the second circular surface 222 of the plug 220 has a larger diameter than the retaining element 230 and the mount
  • the mount 240 extends in the center of the second air flow channel 212 in longitudinal direction and is firmly attached to the second side surface 202 either by directly connecting to the second side surface 202 or via a fixing element 241 connected to the second side surface and the mount 240, such that the connecting parts or the fixing element 241 do not increase the inhaling resistance significantly.
  • FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view of example fixing elements 241 in lateral direction of the second air flow channel 212
  • Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view of an example fixing element 241 in longitudinal direction of the second air flow channel 212.
  • the shape of the fixing elements 241 of Figures 3a and 3b is only exemplary and not bound to a specific geometrical form, as long as they are configured to enable the mount 240 to serve as an attachment element for the retaining element 230.
  • the retaining element 230 may be directly connected to the second side surface 202 of the second air flow channel 212, so that the mount 240 might not be required at all.
  • the geometry of the plug 220 as described above is only exemplary, and it may also have a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, a spherical shape, a plate-like or tabular shape, a cuboid shape, a hemispherical shape, a rod-like shape, a ring shape, a tetrahedral shape, a pentagonal pyramid shape or similar geometrical forms or combinations thereof.
  • the plug 220 is not bound to a specific geometrical form, as long as it solves the functional purpose of reducing the through area of the adjacent air flow channel.
  • the geometry of the through area of the air flow channels 211 and 212 in longitudinal direction may be of a circular shape, a squared shape, a rounded rectangle shape, an elliptic shape, a rhomboid shape, a triangular shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, an octagonal shape, or similar geometrical forms or combinations thereof.
  • the air flow channels 211, 212 are not bound to a specific geometrical form, as long as they solve the functional purpose of allowing the aerosol to lO flow in longitudinal direction from the aerosol generation portion (or the means for limiting the size of droplets respectively) towards the user.
  • Figure 4 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of the means for limiting the size of droplets when a large puff as described above is performed.
  • the air flow velocity or aerosol flow velocity
  • both circular surfaces 221 and 222 of the plug 220 have a larger diameter than the through area of the second air flow channel 212, an increase in air flow velocity in the second air flow channel 212 forms an area of low pressure at the second circular surface 222 of the plug 220, which is oriented towards to the front of the device.
  • the low pressure drags the plug 220 towards the front of the device, forcing the retaining element 230 into a contracted state 232, thus reducing the through area of the first air flow channel 211, which is formed by the plug 220 and the first side surface 201.
  • the maximum size of droplets of consumable such as vaporizing liquid able to flow through the first air flow channel 211 is limited to the size of the through area of the air flow channel 211. Furthermore, the shear forces forced onto the droplets increase with an increased air flow velocity and a reduced through area, resulting in breaking larger droplets into smaller droplets. In addition, the reduction of the through area of the first air flow channel 211 increases the air flow resistance for the user (inhaling resistance) and makes it harder to draw large amounts of air out of the aerosol generation chamber 151.
  • the above reduction of the through area of the first air flow channel 211 also results in smaller puffs being performed by the user. Therefore, smaller amounts of air are drawn towards the user, and thus the pressure in the aerosol generation chamber 151 increases (the internal pressure is normalized, i.e. returns towards atmospheric pressure), reducing the amount of liquid being sucked towards the heating element 140 and decreasing the (over-)saturation of consumable at the heating element 140.
  • a large inhaling resistance is generally regarded as an unpleasant experience for the user. Therefore, reducing the through area of the first air flow channel 211 as described above encourages the user to perform puffs that are within a certain range of air flow velocity where the reduction of the through area is not yet significant for the inhaling resistance.
  • the inhaling resistance remains low when a puff is performed that does not oversaturate the heating element 140.
  • the plug 220 is attached on a retaining element 230 which returns to the relaxed state 231 as shown in Figure 5 when a low velocity puff is performed.
  • the speed of relaxation and amount of deformation depends on the spring force of the retaining element 230.
  • the retaining element 230 contracts gradually according to the air flow velocity. Therefore, also the through area of the first air flow channel 211 changes gradually according to the air flow velocity.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets 200 may further comprise a sensor for detecting the air flow velocity and a means for controlling the contraction of the retaining element 230.
  • the means for controlling the contraction of the retaining element 230 may be controlled by the PCBA and trigger the contraction of the retaining element 230 mechanically, magnetically or electrically.
  • the contraction of the retaining element 230 is triggered by the PCBA and a sensor input.
  • the main housing 110 of the aerosol generation device too may comprise a touch interface configured to detect a user input which sends a signal to the PCBA, controlling the contraction of the retaining element 230.
  • the PCBA or the user may set an air flow velocity threshold value.
  • the retaining element 230 either contracts as soon as the air flow velocity reaches said threshold or contracts continuously as described in previous embodiments until it reaches the threshold and then contracts by an additional amount as configured. With this embodiment, it is possible to set a desired maximum air flow velocity for puffs performed by the user, either by the manufacturer in advance or the user manually.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets was placed within the capsule 110.
  • the means for limiting the size of droplets 200 may be placed between the liquid tank 160 and the heating element 140 to reduce the size of droplets before they reach the heating element 140, in the aerosol generation chamber 151, in an air flow channel towards the mouthpiece 130, or any other position the aerosol passes during smoking operation.

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  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif de génération d'aérosol, en particulier un dispositif de génération d'aérosol pour fournir un aérosol, le dispositif comprenant : un moyen pour recevoir et chauffer un liquide consommable pour générer un aérosol ; et un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes de l'aérosol qui sont fournies lors de l'aspiration de l'utilisateur par l'embout buccal, ledit moyen comprenant un canal d'écoulement d'air dans lequel l'aérosol s'écoule vers l'utilisateur lorsque l'utilisateur aspire par l'embout buccal, et comprenant au moins un passage ayant une zone de passage réglable.
EP21844786.0A 2021-01-08 2021-12-30 Dispositif de génération d'aérosol doté d?un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes Pending EP4274440A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21150754 2021-01-08
PCT/EP2021/087852 WO2022148702A1 (fr) 2021-01-08 2021-12-30 Dispositif de génération d'aérosol doté d'un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4274440A1 true EP4274440A1 (fr) 2023-11-15

Family

ID=74125106

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP21844786.0A Pending EP4274440A1 (fr) 2021-01-08 2021-12-30 Dispositif de génération d'aérosol doté d?un moyen pour limiter la taille des gouttelettes

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4274440A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2022148702A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2319334A1 (fr) * 2009-10-27 2011-05-11 Philip Morris Products S.A. Système de fumage ayant une partie de stockage de liquide
WO2013083635A1 (fr) * 2011-12-07 2013-06-13 Philip Morris Products S.A. Dispositif générateur d'aérosol ayant des entrées de flux d'air
GB2604314A (en) * 2017-09-22 2022-09-07 Nerudia Ltd Device, system and method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2022148702A1 (fr) 2022-07-14

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