EP4371428A1

EP4371428A1 - Aerosol substrate structure and aerosol generation apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4371428A1
Application number: EP22841091.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Conghui GUO; Feng Liang
Original assignee: Shenzhen Merit Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Maishi Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-15
Filing date: 2022-06-08
Publication date: 2024-05-22
Also published as: JP2024525774A; WO2023284451A1; CN113598418B; CN113598418A

Abstract

The present application discloses an aerosol substrate structure and an aerosol generation apparatus. The aerosol substrate structure at least comprises a substrate segment, an air channel segment provided at one end of the substrate segment, and a filter segment provided at the end of the air channel segment distant from the substrate segment; the substrate segment comprises an aerosol generation substrate and a heating body, the heating body is provided with a sealed cavity, and the aerosol generation substrate is provided in the sealed cavity; a first opening is formed in one end of the sealed cavity, and the other end of the sealed cavity is a sealed end, the air channel segment is provided with a suction channel and a plurality of first air inlets; the suction channel is communicated with the sealed cavity by means of the first opening; and the plurality of first air inlets communicate the suction channel with the external atmosphere. In the aerosol substrate structure and the aerosol generation apparatus of the present application, residues of the aerosol generation substrate are not easily left in a heating apparatus; moreover, substance components of the generated aerosol have good consistency, and the vaping taste of a user is good.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202110801926.0, filed on July 15, 2021 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of electronic atomization devices, and in particular to an aerosol matrix structure and an aerosol generation device.

BACKGROUND

A heat-not-burning (HNB) device is a combination of a heating device and an aerosol-generating matrix (treated plant leaf products). The external heating device heats the aerosol-generating matrix to a temperature at which the aerosol-generating matrix can produce aerosols but is not hot enough to be burned, such that the aerosol-generating matrix can produce the aerosols desired by the user without burning.
The aerosol-generating matrix tends to leave residue behind or stick to the heating device after vaping is complete, which may easily result in difficulties in cleaning the heating device and the appearance of miscellaneous smells and odors, seriously affecting the user's vaping experience; it further affects the heating efficiency and the precision of temperature control, resulting in poor reliability of the aerosol generation device and poor taste experience for the user. Moreover, during the vaping process, cold air from outside flows through the aerosol-generating matrix, causing the temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix to change drastically, such that the cracking reaction of the aerosol-generating matrix is unstable, and the consistency of the material composition of the generated aerosol is poor, which in turn affects the user's vaping taste.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides an aerosol matrix structure and an aerosol generation device, which solves the problems of the residue of the aerosol-generating matrix being easily left in the heating device, the poor consistency of the material composition of the generated aerosol, and a poor vaping taste of the user.
To solve the above technical problem, a first technical scheme adopted by the present disclosure is: an aerosol matrix structure, including: a matrix segment, an airway segment arranged at an end of the matrix segment, and a filter nozzle segment arranged at an end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment;
wherein the matrix segment includes an aerosol-generating matrix and a heat-generating body; the heat-generating body defines a confined cavity, and the aerosol-generating matrix is received in the confined cavity; an end of the confined cavity has a first opening, and another end of the confined cavity is confined;
the airway segment includes a vaping channel and a plurality of first air inlet holes; the vaping channel is in communication with the confined cavity through the first opening; the vaping channel is in communication with an outside atmosphere through the plurality of first air inlet holes.
In some embodiments, the plurality of first air inlet holes are disposed on a side wall of the airway segment and at an end of the airway segment close to the matrix segment.
In some embodiments, the plurality of first air inlet holes are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the airway segment.
In some embodiments, the plurality of first air inlet holes are disposed at an end of the airway segment close to the matrix segment; the airway segment further includes a plurality of second air inlet holes, and the plurality of second air inlet holes are disposed at an end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment, to cool an aerosol entering the vaping channel during a vaping process.
In some embodiments, the plurality of second air inlet holes are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the airway segment.
In some embodiments, the airway segment further includes a plurality of second air inlet holes, and the plurality of second air inlet holes are disposed at an end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment and are spaced along an axial direction of the airway segment.
In some embodiments, the aperture of each second air inlet hole is less than the aperture of each first air inlet hole.
In some embodiments, a cooling medium is arranged within the airway segment for cooling an aerosol entering the airway segment.
In some embodiments, the cooling medium is disposed on an inner side wall of the airway segment and avoids positions of the plurality of first air inlet holes; the cooling medium runs through the airway segment along an axial direction of the airway segment; the cooling medium has a hollow cavity, and a space enclosed by inner surfaces of the cooling medium forms the vaping channel.
In some embodiments, the cooling medium is filled in the vaping channel and disposed at an end of the vaping channel away from the matrix segment.
In some embodiments, the material of the cooling medium is polylactic acid or acetate.
In some embodiments, the filter nozzle segment is in communication with the airway segment, for filtering an aerosol being vaped by the airway segment; the filter nozzle segment is filled with a filter medium for filtering the aerosol being vaped by the airway segment.
In some embodiments, the shape of each first air inlet hole is round, oval, diamond, or square.
In some embodiments, the aperture of each first air inlet hole is 0.2mm-1mm.
In some embodiments, the diameter of each first air inlet hole is 0.6mm-0.8mm.
In some embodiments, the airway segment abuts against the end of the matrix segment having the first opening, and a straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 2mm-14mm.
In some embodiments, the straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 4mm-10mm.
In some embodiments, the number of the plurality of first air inlet holes is 4-10.
In some embodiments, each first air inlet hole has a round shape, the diameter of each first air inlet hole is 0.6mm-0.8mm, and a straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 4mm-10mm.
To solve the above technical problem, a second technical scheme adopted by the present disclosure is: an aerosol generation device, including: the aerosol matrix structure as above, and a heating device, including a power supply assembly and a heating device; wherein the power supply assembly is connected to the heating device for supplying power to the heating device; the heating device is configured to, when energized, cause the heat-generating body in the aerosol matrix structure to be heated, for heating and atomizing the aerosol-generating matrix to generate an aerosol.
The present disclosure provides an aerosol matrix structure and an aerosol generation device. The aerosol matrix structure is arranged with a matrix segment, a heat-generating body of the matrix segment having a confined cavity; an end of the confined cavity has a first opening and the other end is a confined end; an aerosol-generating matrix is received in the confined cavity, such that the aerosol-generating matrix is in a confined state when the aerosol-generating matrix is received in the confined cavity, to prevent the aerosol-generating matrix from dropping out of the aerosol matrix structure in a vaping process. In addition, the residue of the aerosol-generating matrix can be taken out together with the aerosol matrix structure after the vaping process is completed, so as to avoid the problem of being left behind or adhering to the heating device, and to facilitate the cleaning of the heating device. Furthermore, during the vaping process, the air flow does not pass through the aerosol-generating matrix in the matrix segment, the cracking reaction of the aerosol-generating matrix is not affected by cold air, the cracking reaction is stable, which is conducive to the consistency of the material composition of the generated aerosol, which is in turn conducive to enhancing the vaping mouthfeel of the user. Finally, the vaping channel and the multiple first air inlet holes in communication with the confined cavity are formed on the air channel section by providing the airway segment, such that air can be fed through the first air inlet holes during the vaping process, thereby realizing the inhalation of the aerosols formed in the matrix segment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings to be used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below, and it will be obvious that the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and that for those skilled in the art, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without putting forth creative labor.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure according to a first implementation of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure according to a second implementation of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure according to a third implementation of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure according to a fourth implementation of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure according to a fifth implementation of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely in the following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative labor fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
In the following description, specific details such as particular system structures, interfaces, techniques, etc. are presented for the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure.
The terms "first", "second", and "third" in the present disclosure are intended for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first", "second", "third" may expressly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless otherwise expressly and specifically limited. All directional indications (e.g. up, down, left, right, forward, back ......) in the embodiments of the present disclosure are intended only to explain the relative positional relationships, movements, etc. between components in a particular attitude (as shown in the drawings). When the particular attitude changes, the directional indications also change accordingly. The terms "including" and "having" in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus including a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally further includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or components that are inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.
Reference to "embodiments" herein implies that particular features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The occurrence of the described phrases at various points in the specification does not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments, nor are they independent or alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood by those skilled in the art, both explicitly and implicitly, that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.
The present disclosure is described in detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure 100 according to a first implementation of the present disclosure. In the embodiments, an aerosol matrix structure 100 is provided, including a matrix segment 111, an airway segment 112, and a filter nozzle segment 113 that are connected in sequence.
The matrix segment 111 includes an aerosol-generating matrix 120 and a heat-generating body 121. The heat-generating body 121 defines a confined cavity 111d, and the confined cavity 111d is configured to receive the aerosol-generating matrix 120. That is, the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is arranged within the confined cavity 111d of the heat-generating body 121, and an end of the confined cavity 111d has a first opening 111b. Specifically, side walls of the heat-generating body 121 are annularly enclosed to form a tubular body, and an end of the tubular body connected to the airway segment 112 is an open end. In the embodiments, the open end serves as the first opening 111b. It should be noted that when the open end serves as the first opening 111b, the diameter of the first opening 111b is the same as the diameter of the confined cavity 111d. Of course, in other embodiments, the diameter of the first opening 111b may be less than the diameter of the confined cavity 111d.
The airway segment 112 is configured to vape an aerosol formed within the matrix segment 111. The airway segment 112 is disposed at an end of the matrix segment 111 having the first opening 111b, and an interior of the airway segment 112 includes a vaping channel 112a. The vaping channel 112a is in communication with the confined cavity 111d of the matrix segment 111 through the first opening 111b.
The filter nozzle segment 113 is in communication with an end of the vaping channel 112a of the airway segment 112 that is back away from the matrix segment 111, to allow the aerosol within the vaping channel 112a to enter the filter nozzle segment 113 such that the filter nozzle segment 113 can filter the aerosol being vaped by the airway segment 112. Specifically, the filter nozzle segment 113 may be disposed on a side of the airway segment 112 away from the matrix segment 111, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be filled with a filter medium 114. The filter medium 114 can filter tars, suspended particles, etc. within the aerosol, so as to filter the aerosol vaped from the airway segment 112 by the filter medium 114, thereby reducing undesired substances in the aerosol inhaled by the user. The material of the filter medium 114 may be acetate. Further, an end of the filter nozzle segment 113 that is back away from the airway segment 112 has a second opening 113a, causing an interior of the filter nozzle segment 113 to be in communication with an outside atmosphere. In this way, the user can inhale the aerosol from the end of the filter mouth segment 113 having the second opening 113a.
The material of the airway segment 112 and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be a paper-based or foil-based material. The heat-generating body 121 may heat the aerosol-generating matrix 120 to generate aerosols, and the heat-generating body 121 may generate heat by electromagnetic induction or by resistive heating. When the heat generating body 121 generates heat by electromagnetic induction, the material of the heat-generating body 121 may include a ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature, and the ferromagnetic material may be, for example, an iron-nickel alloy. The ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature on the heat-generating body 121 may be heated by electromagnetic induction to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating matrix 120 within the heat-generating body 121 to form the aerosol. Specifically, an electromagnetic coil may be wound in a peripheral circumferential direction of the matrix segment 111 to generate a magnetic field when the electromagnetic coil is energized, thereby heating the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature on the heat-generating body 121.
The material of the heat-generating body 121 including the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature may specifically mean: the material of the heat-generating body 121 may be only the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature, and the heat-generating body 121 all serves as a heating member to heat the aerosol-generating matrix 120. Of course, the material of the heat-generating body 121 may otherwise include the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature and other materials other than the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature, and the other materials and the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature are only physically combined, i.e., the ferromagnetic material does not react chemically with the other materials.
Compared to the related art in which a heating member is arranged in a heating device, and heat generated by the heating member conducts the heat to the aerosol-generating matrix 120 through a series of mediums, such as air and paper material wrapped around the aerosol-generating matrix 120, the embodiments of the present disclosure set the aerosol-generating matrix 120 directly in the heat-generating body 121, and the heat-generating body 121 can directly act as a heating member to generate heat by electromagnetic induction to heat the aerosol-generating matrix 120 inside the heat-generating body 121. The heat is transferred directly from the heat-generating body 121 to the aerosol-generating matrix 120, thereby saving the medium for heat transfer and thus reducing heat loss during conduction.
In addition, when the heat-generating body 121 is made of a ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature, the heat-generating body 121 being heated is specifically implemented by the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature, and the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature is ferromagnetic when the temperature thereof is below the Curie point temperature. Therefore, the ferromagnetic material can continuously generate heat by electromagnetic induction under an action of oscillating coils, thereby realizing heating and baking the aerosol-generating matrix 120. However, after the temperature of the ferromagnetic material exceeds the Curie point temperature, the ferromagnetic material is converted from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic, i.e., the heat-generating body 121 is no longer magnetic, and the heat-generating body 121 ceases to carry out electromagnetic induction heating on the aerosol-generating matrix 120, so as to enable the heat-generating body 121 to automatically stop heating when the heating temperature exceeds the Curie point temperature, thereby accurately controlling the temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 within a certain temperature range, and preventing problems such as scorching of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 caused by the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 being too high. In this way, the temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 may be accurately controlled, which in turn eliminates the need for a separate temperature measurement component in the heating device and effectively reduces production costs.
Furthermore, compared to a solution where the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is externally wrapped with a paper material, the use of the heat-generating body 121 to wrap the aerosol-generating matrix 120 in the present embodiment further prevents the presence of baked-paper flavor in the vaping process, thereby improving the vaping taste of the user.
In some embodiments, the material of at least a side of the heat-generating body 121 toward the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature. For example, the matrix segment 111 may be of a double-layer structure, where the material of an outer wall of the heat-generating body 121 is an insulating material and the material of an inner wall of the heat-generating body 121 is the ferromagnetic material having a Curie point temperature. As a result, the heat-generating body 121 is closer to the aerosol-generating matrix 120, and there is less heat loss during heat transfer.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, when the heat-generating body 121 receives the aerosol-generating matrix 120, the aerosol-generating matrix 120 may be in direct contact with an inner surface of the heat-generating body 121, such that the heat generated by the heat-generating body 121 can be directly transferred to the aerosol-generating matrix 120. If there is a gap between the aerosol-generating matrix 120 and the inner surface of the heat-generating body 121, the heat is required to be transferred from the heat-generating body 121 to the aerosol-generating matrix 120 through an air medium. Therefore, for the technical design proposed by the present disclosure, the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is in direct contact with the inner surface of the heat-generating body 121, such that the heat is not required to be transferred in an air medium, which further reduces the heat loss in the heat transfer process.
In some embodiments, the shape of each of the heat-generating body 121, the airway segment 112, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be hollow tubular or cylindrical. In other embodiments, the shape of each of the matrix segment 111, the airway segment 112, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be other shapes. Further, the shapes of the matrix segment 111, the airway segment 112, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be the same and may each be cylindrical.
In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the heat-generating body 121, the airway segment 112, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be the same, and the outer diameters of the heat-generating body 121, the airway segment 112, and the filter nozzle segment 113 may be the same, such that the side walls of the matrix segment 111, the side walls of the airway segment 112, and the side walls of the filter nozzle segment 113 can sequentially abut against each other.
In the embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the flow direction of the airflow. The confined cavity 111d of the matrix segment 111 may include only the first opening 111b, i.e., the confined cavity 111d has sealed ends other than the first opening 111b, such that airflow cannot enter from the matrix segment 111. In the embodiments, the confined cavity 111d has the first opening 111b at one end and a confined end at the other end.
Specifically, in the embodiments, the airway segment 112 defines a first air inlet hole 112b, and the number of the first air inlet holes 112b is at least one. The first air inlet hole 112b can connect the outside atmosphere to the vaping channel 112a, enabling an airflow to enter the vaping channel 112a from the first air inlet hole 112b, thereby carrying the aerosol generated in the matrix segment 111, entering the interior of the filter nozzle segment 113 through the vaping channel 112a, and flowing out of the second opening 113a of the filter nozzle segment 113. In this way, the vaping process of the user is realized.
The aerosol matrix structure 100 may keep the aerosol-generating matrix 120 in a confined state when the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is received in the heat-generating body 121, by forming the matrix segment 111 into the confined cavity 111d to receive the aerosol-generating matrix 120 through the confined cavity 111d, thereby preventing the aerosol-generating matrix 120 from falling out of the aerosol matrix structure 100 during the vaping process or after vaping is completed. In addition, it is possible to enable the residue of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 to be removed along with the aerosol matrix structure 100 after the vaping is completed, thereby preventing the problem of the residue being left behind or adhering to the heating device, thus facilitating the cleaning of the heating device.
In addition, during the vaping process, the airflow does not pass through the aerosol-generating matrix 120 within the matrix segment 111, such that the cracking reaction of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is not affected by cold air. In this way, the cracking reaction is stable, which is conducive to the consistency of the material composition of the generated aerosol, and thus conducive to the enhancement of the user's vaping taste.
Since the formed aerosol has a substitution effect on the gas in the confined cavity 111d, the oxygen content in the matrix segment 111 will decrease with the heating process, in which case the aerosol-generating matrix 120 will not undergo a combustion phenomenon even if the heating temperature is elevated. Therefore, the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 can be further increased to fully release the flavor components in the aerosol-generating matrix 120 and enhance the vaping taste of the user.
Finally, the vaping channel 112a and the multiple first air inlet holes 112b in communication with the confined cavity 111d are formed on the air channel section 113 by providing the airway segment 113, such that air can be fed through the first air inlet holes 112b during the vaping process, thereby realizing the inhalation of the aerosols formed in the matrix segment 111.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the heat-generating body 121 includes an annular side wall 111e and a bottom wall 111f; the bottom wall 111f is disposed at an end of the annular side wall 111e away from the airway segment 112, and is enclosed with the annular side wall 111e to define the confined cavity 111d. The annular side wall 111e and the bottom wall 111f may be hermetically sealed by tightly fitting such that the heat-generating body 121 is confined at the end away from the airway segment 112. The annular side wall 111e and the bottom wall 111f may be integrally molded, i.e., the heat-generating body 121 is integrally molded, and the confined cavity 111d is integrally molded to make the end of the matrix segment 111 away from the airway segment 112 confined. Compared to the annular side wall 111e and the bottom wall 111f being hermetically sealed, the confined cavity 111d being integrally molded may make the interior of the matrix segment 111 better sealed; and in a case of handling, moving, unsealing, and other external forces, the bottom wall 111f is not easy to be loosened and fall off, so as to prevent the aerosol-generated matrix 120 from falling out and making it difficult to clean the heating device. In addition, the above scheme may prevent problems of poor consistency of the generated aerosol caused by the airflow entering the matrix segment 111.
In the first implementation, as shown in FIG. 1, the annular side wall 111e and the bottom wall 111f of the matrix segment 111 may be integrally molded. When the aerosol matrix structure 100 is used, the aerosol is inhaled with airflow entering through multiple the first air inlet holes 112b.
In the first implementation, the matrix segment 111 is a confined structure, and the airflow does not pass through the matrix segment 111. Therefore, the outflow of the aerosol generated within the matrix segment 111 is more difficult compared to a structure of the matrix segment 111 with both open ends, and the airflow is unable to bring out the aerosol or brings out the aerosol in a small amount, which affects the vaping experience of the user.
In view of the fact that the greater the number of the first air inlet holes 112b, the lower the temperature of the airflow within the aerosol matrix structure 100, and the lower the vaping resistance, and the amount of aerosol inhaled shows a tendency to increase and then decrease with the increase in the number of the first air inlet holes 112b, the specific number of the first air inlet holes 112b may be set according to actual situations. Specifically, the number of the first air inlet holes 112b is taken to be a plurality, and the plurality of first air outlet holes are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the airway segment 112. Preferably, the plurality of first air outlet holes are evenly spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112, so as to make the air intake in the various radial directions of the airway segment 112 more uniform.
Specifically, the shape of each first air inlet hole 112b may be round, oval, rhombus, and square, etc., which can be selected according to the manufacturing process and cost of the aerosol matrix structure 100.
Specifically, the greater the aperture of the first air inlet hole 112b, the lower the temperature of the airflow within the aerosol matrix structure 100, the greater the amount of the aerosol inhaled by the user, and the lower the vaping resistance. Therefore, the size of the aperture of the first air inlet hole 112b may be selected and set according to actual situations. Of course, considering the support effect of the airway segment 112, the number of the first air inlet holes 112b and the size of the aperture may be made to be designed in combination with the diameter of the airway segment 112, so as to avoid problems of blocking the vaping channel 112a caused by the airway segment 112 being easily deformed and collapsed due to the excessively large aperture area. In some embodiments, the size of the aperture of the first air inlet hole 112b may be 0.2mm-1mm.
In some embodiments, a straight-line distance between the first air inlet hole 112b and the first opening 111b may be 2mm-14mm to shorten the straight-line distance between the first air inlet hole 112b and the first opening 111b, thereby enabling the user to inhale a larger amount of aerosol when the temperature of the airflow within the aerosol matrix structure 100 is higher.
In some embodiments, the first air inlet hole 112b may be disposed at an end of the airway segment 112 close to the matrix segment 111, and of course, the first air inlet hole 112b may be disposed at other locations of the airway segment 112. The opening position may be designed according to the structure of the aerosol generation device 200 (referring to FIG. 6 below), and it should be noted that the opening position should be designed so as to avoid the aerosol generation device 200 blocking the first air inlet hole 112b, for ensuring the air intake of the aerosol matrix structure 100.
In some embodiments, the number of the first air outlet holes is 4-10, the shapes of the first air outlet holes are each circular, the diameter of each circular first air inlet hole 112b is 0.6mm-0.8mm, a linear distant from each first air inlet hole 12b to the first opening 111b is in a range of 4mm-10m, and the first air inlet holes 12b are evenly spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112. This design of the first air outlet holes enables a more adequate amount of aerosol to be inhaled, a moderate vaping resistance, and a moderate temperature of the airflow, which results in a superior vaping experience of the user.
As can be seen from the above analysis, when the matrix segment 111 is a confined structure, the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is higher than that for a non-confined structure, and the opening position of the first air inlet hole 112b is usually closer to the matrix segment 111, resulting in that the temperature of the aerosol inhaled by the user is usually high, which may give the user a poor vaping experience.
In view of this, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure 100 according to a second implementation of the present disclosure. Considering the problem that the temperature of the aerosol inhaled by the user is high, in addition to the first air inlet holes 112b defined on the side wall of the airway segment 112, a number of second air inlet holes 112c are further defined. The second air inlet holes 112c are provided to cool the aerosol entering the vaping channel 112a by introducing cold outside air during the vaping process.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the first air inlet holes 112b are disposed at an end of the airway segment 112 near the matrix segment 111, and the second air inlet holes 112c are disposed at an end of the airway segment 112 away from the matrix segment 111. The aperture of the second air inlet hole 112c is less than the aperture of the first air inlet hole 112b, so as to allow a majority of the airflow to enter through the first air inlet holes 112b and drive the aerosol generated by the matrix segment 111 through the vaping channel 112a and the filter nozzle segment 113 for the user to inhale, thereby realizing the vaping process of the aerosol. A small portion of the airflow enters through the second air inlet holes 112c because the aperture of the second air inlet hole 112c is less, and the amount of airflow that enters through the second air inlet hole 112c is small, which will not produce an obvious dilution effect on the aerosol while can appropriately reduce the temperature of the aerosol that enters the filter nozzle segment 113, so as to enable the user to vape the aerosol with a moderate temperature, satisfying the user's vaping experience.
In some embodiment, the second air inlet holes 112c are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112. In some embodiments, the first air outlet holes and the second air inlet holes 112c are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112, so as to provide a more uniform air intake in each radial direction of the airway segment 112.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the airway segment 112 includes multiple second air inlet holes 112c, the air inlet holes 112c being disposed at an end of the airway segment 112 away from the matrix segment 111. The multiple second air inlet holes 112c are spaced apart along the axial direction of the airway segment 112. In some embodiments, the multiple second air inlet holes 112c are evenly spaced along the axial direction of the airway segment 112. By spacing the multiple second air inlet holes 112c along the axial direction of the airway segment 112, the temperature of the airflow in the airway segment 112 may be further reduced to improve the vaping experience of the user.
In some embodiments, the multiple second air inlet holes 112c are evenly distributed at an end of the airway segment 112 away from the matrix segment 111. Specifically, the airway segment 112 includes multiple second air inlet hole sets 112d disposed at the end of the airway segment 112 away from the matrix segment 111. Each second air inlet hole set 112d include multiple second air inlet holes 112c. The multiple second air inlet hole sets 112d are spaced apart along an axial direction of the airway segment 112, and the multiple second air inlet holes 112c in each second air inlet hole set 112d are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112. By providing the multiple second air inlet hole sets 112d, the temperature of the airflow in the airway segment 112 may be reduced to a greater extent, thereby improving the vaping experience of the user.
In a second implementation, as shown in FIG. 2, multiple first air inlet holes 112b and two second air inlet hole sets 112d are arranged on the side wall of the airway segment 112, and each of the two second air inlet hole sets 112d includes multiple second air inlet holes 112c. The multiple first air inlet holes 112b are uniformly disposed along the circumferential direction at a side of the airway segment 112 close to the matrix segment 111, and the two second air inlet hole sets 112d are disposed on a side of the airway segment 112 close to the filter nozzle segment 113; the multiple second air inlet holes 112c in each second air inlet hole set 112d are uniformly spaced along the circumferential direction of the airway segment 112.
In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure 100 according to a third implementation of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure 100 according to a fourth implementation of the present disclosure. A cooling medium 112e may further be arranged within the airway segment 112 for cooling the aerosol entering the airway segment 112 to improve the vaping experience of the user. The material of the cooling medium 112e may be polylactic acid or acetate.
In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, the cooling medium 112e is disposed on an inner side wall of the airway segment 112 along an axial direction of the airway segment 112 and avoids the position of the first air inlet hole 112b. The cooling medium 112e may be arranged on a portion of the inner side wall of the airway segment 112 or on the entire inner side wall of the airway segment 112. In other embodiments, the cooling medium 112e may be arranged in a side wall of the airway segment 112, or the cooling medium 112e may be arranged on an outer side wall of the airway segment 112.
In a third implementation, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling medium 112e runs through the airway segment 112 in the axial direction of the airway segment 112, i.e., the cooling medium 112e extends from the first opening 111b to a position where the airway segment 112 is connected to the filter nozzle segment 113. The cooling medium 112e is arranged on the entire inner side wall of the airway segment 112 and avoids the position of the first air inlet hole 112b. The cooling medium 112e has a hollow cavity, and a space enclosed by an inner surface of the cooling medium 112e forms the vaping channel 112a. During the vaping process, when the airflow flows through the vaping channel 112a, the cooling medium 112e can cool the airflow from all directions.
In some embodiments, the airflow can travel within the cooling medium 112e, and the aerosol within the airway segment 112 can flow through the cooling medium 112e, such that the cooling medium 112e is able to uniformly cool the aerosol within the airway segment 112. In a fourth implementation, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling medium 112e is filled in the vaping channel 112a and is disposed at an end of the airway segment 112 away from airway matrix segment 111. After entering the vaping channel 112a from the first air inlet hole 112b, the airflow carries the aerosol generated by the matrix segment 111 to flow through the cooling medium 112e, and the cooling medium 112e can uniformly cool the aerosol so as to make the temperature of the aerosol inhaled by the user more moderate, which improves the user's vaping experience.
In some embodiments, the filter nozzle segment 113 may be filled with another cooling medium 112e in addition to the filter medium 114, thereby cooling the aerosol flowing through the filter nozzle segment 113.
In some embodiments, the side wall of the airway segment 112 may include the cooling medium 112e to cool the airflow within the vaping channel 112a. The above methods for cooling the airflow within the vaping channel 112a may be used in combination and are not limited to each being used separately.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol matrix structure 100 according to a fifth implementation of the present disclosure. The inner side wall of the airway segment 112 may further be arranged with a support medium 112f for supporting the airway segment 112, for preventing the vaping process of the aerosol matrix structure 100 from being affected caused by the airway segment 112 deforming, collapsing, or even blocking the vaping channel 112a.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the support medium 112f is arranged on the inner side wall of the airway segment 112 along the axial direction of the airway segment 112 and avoids the position of the first air inlet hole 112b. The support medium 112f may be arranged on a portion of the inner side wall of the airway segment 112 or on the entire inner side wall of the airway segment 112.
In a fifth implementation, as shown in FIG. 5, the support medium 112f runs through the airway segment 112 along the axial direction of the airway segment 112, i.e., the support medium 112f extends from the first opening 111b to a position where the airway segment 112 is connected to the filter nozzle segment 113. The support medium 112f is arranged on the entire inner side wall of the airway segment 112 and avoids the position of the first air inlet hole 112b. An interior of the support medium 112f is hollow, i.e., the support medium 112f has a hollow cavity, and a space enclosed by an inner surface of the support medium 112f forms the vaping channel 112a. In the fifth implementation, the material of the airway segment 112 is a paper material, the support medium 112f is acetate fiber, and the support medium 112f can effectively prevent deformation and collapse of the paper material. The acetate fiber in the sixth implementation, in addition to being the support medium 112f, may further be used as the cooling medium 112e to cool down the airflow in the vaping channel 112a.
The present disclosure also provides an aerosol generation device 200, referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The aerosol generation device 200 is configured for heating and baking the aerosol matrix structure 100 and generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user.
The aerosol generation device 200 includes a heating device 210 and the aerosol matrix structure 100. The heating device 210 includes a power supply assembly 211 and a heating assembly 212, and the power supply assembly 211 is connected to the heating assembly 212 for supplying power to the heating assembly 212. The heating assembly 212, when energized, can heat the heat-generating body 121 in the aerosol matrix structure 100, for heating the aerosol-generating matrix 120 to form an aerosol.
The aerosol matrix structure 100 in the aerosol generation device 200 may refer to the structure and function of the aerosol matrix structure 100 covered in any of the embodiments above, and may realize the same or similar technical effects, which will not be repeated herein.
The power supply assembly 211 includes a battery (not shown) and a controller (not shown), which is electrically connected to both the battery and the heating assembly 212. The battery is configured to provide power to the heating assembly 212 to heat the aerosol matrix structure 100. The controller is configured to control the start and stop of the heating of the heating assembly 212, and can control parameters such as power and temperature of the heating.
In the aerosol generation device 200, compared to the related art in which the heating member 121 is arranged in the heating device 210, and heat generated by the heating member conducts the heat to the aerosol-generating matrix 120 through a series of mediums, such as air and paper material wrapped around the aerosol-generating matrix 120, the embodiments of the present disclosure set the aerosol-generating matrix 120 in the heat-generating body 121, and the heat-generating body 121 can directly act as a heating member to generate heat to heat the aerosol-generating matrix 120 inside the heat-generating body 121. The heat is transferred directly from the heat-generating body 121 to the aerosol-generating matrix 120, thereby saving the medium for heat transfer and thus reducing heat loss during conduction.
In the embodiments, the matrix segment 111 of the aerosol matrix structure 100 in the aerosol generation device 200 defines a sealed cavity 111d, and the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is disposed in the sealed cavity 111d. The aerosol-generating matrix 120 may be in direct contact with an inner surface of the confined cavity 111d.
By defining the confined cavity 111d in the matrix segment 111 of the aerosol matrix structure 100 in the aerosol generation device 200, the aerosol-generating matrix 120 received in the confined cavity 111d can be kept in a confined state, such that the aerosol-generating matrix 120 will not fall out of the aerosol matrix structure 100 and into the heating device 210 during the use of the aerosol matrix structure 100. After vaping is completed, the residue of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 can be removed along with the aerosol matrix structure 100 and will not be left behind or adhered to the heating device 210, facilitating the cleaning of the heating device 210.
In addition, during the vaping process, the airflow does not pass through the aerosol-generating matrix 120 within the matrix segment 111, such that the cracking reaction of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 is not affected by cold air. In this way, the cracking reaction is stable, which is conducive to the consistency of the material composition of the generated aerosol, and thus conducive to the enhancement of the user's vaping taste.
Since the formed aerosol has a substitution effect on the gas in the confined cavity 111d, the oxygen content in the matrix segment 111 will decrease with the heating process, in which case the aerosol-generating matrix 120 will not undergo a combustion phenomenon even if the heating temperature is elevated. Therefore, the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating matrix 120 can be further increased to fully release the flavor components in the aerosol-generating matrix 120 and enhance the vaping taste of the user.
Finally, the vaping channel 112a and the multiple first air inlet holes 112b in communication with the confined cavity 111d are formed on the air channel section 113 by providing the airway segment 113, such that air can be fed through the first air inlet holes 112b during the vaping process, thereby realizing the inhalation of the aerosols formed in the matrix segment 111.
The above is only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation utilizing the contents of the specification and the accompanying drawings of the present disclosure, or directly or indirectly utilized in other related technical fields, are all similarly included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

An aerosol matrix structure, comprising:
a matrix segment, an airway segment arranged at an end of the matrix segment, and a filter nozzle segment arranged at the end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment;

wherein the matrix segment comprises an aerosol-generating matrix and a heat-generating body; the heat-generating body defines a confined cavity, and the aerosol-generating matrix is received in the confined cavity; an end of the confined cavity has a first opening, and another end of the confined cavity is confined;

the airway segment comprises a vaping channel and a plurality of first air inlet holes; the vaping channel is in communication with the confined cavity through the first opening; the vaping channel is in communication with an outside atmosphere through the plurality of first air inlet holes.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first air inlet holes are disposed on a side wall of the airway segment and at the end of the airway segment close to the matrix segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first air inlet holes are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the airway segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first air inlet holes are disposed at the end of the airway segment close to the matrix segment; the airway segment further comprises a plurality of second air inlet holes, and the plurality of second air inlet holes are disposed at an end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment, to cool an aerosol entering the vaping channel during a vaping process.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claims 4, wherein the plurality of second air inlet holes are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the airway segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 4, wherein the airway segment further comprises a plurality of second air inlet holes, and the plurality of second air inlet holes are disposed at an end of the airway segment away from the matrix segment and are spaced along an axial direction of the airway segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 4, wherein the aperture of each second air inlet hole is less than the aperture of each first air inlet hole.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein a cooling medium is arranged within the airway segment for cooling an aerosol entering the airway segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 8, wherein the cooling medium is disposed on an inner side wall of the airway segment and avoids positions of the plurality of first air inlet holes; the cooling medium runs through the airway segment along an axial direction of the airway segment; the cooling medium has a hollow cavity, and a space enclosed by inner surfaces of the cooling medium forms the vaping channel.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 8, wherein the cooling medium is filled in the vaping channel and disposed at an end of the vaping channel away from the matrix segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 8, wherein the material of the cooling medium is polylactic acid or acetate.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the filter nozzle segment is in communication with the airway segment, for filtering an aerosol being vaped by the airway segment; the filter nozzle segment is filled with a filter medium for filtering the aerosol being vaped by the airway segment.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the shape of each first air inlet hole is round, oval, diamond, or square.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the aperture of each first air inlet hole is 0.2mm-1mm.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 14, wherein the diameter of each first air inlet hole is 0.6mm-0.8mm.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the airway segment abuts against the end of the matrix segment having the first opening, and a straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 2mm-14mm.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 16, wherein the straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 4mm-10mm.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of first air inlet holes is 4-10.
The aerosol matrix structure according to claim 18, wherein each first air inlet hole has a round shape, the diameter of each first air inlet hole is 0.6mm-0.8mm, and a straight-line distance between each first air inlet hole and the first opening is 4mm-10mm.
An aerosol generation device, comprising:
the aerosol matrix structure according to claim 1; and

a heating device, comprising a power supply assembly and a heating device; wherein the power supply assembly is connected to the heating device for supplying power to the heating device; the heating device is configured to, when energized, cause the heat-generating body in the aerosol matrix structure to be heated, for heating and atomizing the aerosol-generating matrix to generate an aerosol.