EP4606241A1

EP4606241A1 - Aerosol generation device

Info

Publication number: EP4606241A1
Application number: EP23899914.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Zexin WU; Zhongli XU; Yonghai LI
Original assignee: Shenzhen FirstUnion Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen FirstUnion Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-08
Filing date: 2023-12-04
Publication date: 2025-08-27
Also published as: EP4606241A4; CN118160985A; WO2024120336A1

Abstract

An aerosol generation device (100), used for heating an aerosol generation product (1000) to generate an aerosol, and comprising: a heating cavity (230) used for receiving the aerosol generation product (1000); a cartridge (26) at least partially surrounding and defining the heating cavity (230); and a heater (27) at least partially extending in the cartridge (26) for insertion into the aerosol generation product (1000) for heating. The cartridge (26) and the heater (27) are thermally conductive to each other, so that the cartridge (26) can generate heat by receiving heat transferred by the heater (27). In use, the aerosol generation product (1000) can be heated by the heater (27) inserted into the aerosol generation product (1000), and can be heated by the cylinder (26) from the outer surface of the aerosol generation product (1000) at the same time. The coefficient of thermal conductivity of the cartridge (26) is greater than 10 W/m·K. According to the aerosol generation device (100), the aerosol generation product (1000) can be heated from the inside and the outside simultaneously by using heat from the heater (27).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202211574089.3, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on December 08, 2022 and entitled "AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of this application relate to the field of aerosol generation technologies through heating but not burning, and in particular, to an aerosol generation device.

BACKGROUND

Tobacco products (such as cigarettes, cigars, and the like) burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. Attempts are made to replace these tobacco-burning products by manufacturing products that release compounds without being burnt.
An example of the products is a heating apparatus that releases a compound by heating rather than burning a material. For example, the materials may be tobacco or other non-tobacco products, and the non-tobacco products may or may not include nicotine. In a known heating apparatus, a needle-shaped or pin-shaped or sheet-shaped heater is inserted into a tobacco or non-tobacco product for heating, to generate an aerosol.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of this application provides an aerosol generation device, configured to heat an aerosol generation product to generate an aerosol; the aerosol generation device includes:

a heating cavity, configured to receive the aerosol generation product;
a cylinder at least partially surrounding and defining the heating cavity; and
a heater at least partially extending in the cylinder, to be inserted into the aerosol generation product for heating, where
the cylinder and the heater are in thermal conduction with each other, so that the cylinder can generate heat by receiving heat transferred by the heater; during use, the aerosol generation product can be heated by the heater inserted into the aerosol generation product, and is heated by the cylinder from an outer surface; and thermal conductivity of the cylinder is greater than 10 W/m·K.

In some implementations, the cylinder includes iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, or an alloy containing at least one of iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, and silver.
In some implementations, the cylinder is of a non-circular cross-sectional shape.
In some implementations, further including:
a thermal conductive material layer surrounding and combined with the cylinder; and thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than the thermal conductivity of the cylinder.
In some implementations, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than 350 W/m·K.
In some implementations, the thermal conductive material layer includes at least one of a graphite flake, a grapheme film, a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, or a titanium foil.
In some implementations, an extension length of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than or equal to an extension length of the heater in the cylinder.
In some implementations, further including:
a thermal insulation material layer surrounding or encircling the thermal conductive material layer, to provide thermal insulation outside the thermal conductive material layer.
In some implementations, thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation material layer is lower than 0.05 W/m·K.
In some implementations, the thermal insulation material layer is flexible.
In some implementations, the thermal insulation material layer includes an aerogel.
In some implementations, a thickness of the thermal insulation material layer is greater than a thickness of the thermal conductive material layer.
In some implementations, the cylinder includes: a first end and a second end facing away from each other in a longitudinal direction;

the first end is open for receiving the aerosol generation product; the cylinder includes a bottom wall arranged at the second end; and
the heater penetrates from the outside of the bottom wall to the cylinder.

In some implementations, the bottom wall is in contact with the heater, so that the cylinder is in thermal conduction with the heater through the bottom wall, to receive heat of the heater.
In some implementations, the bottom wall is interference or tightly fitted with the heater, to at least partially hold the heater.
In some implementations, further including:
an extractor, movable or removable arranged in the cylinder; during use, the aerosol generation product is extracted from the cylinder by moving the extractor in the cylinder or removing the extractor from the cylinder; the extractor includes:

a holding wall, arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the extractor, for holding or supporting the aerosol generation product; and
one or more side walls extending in a longitudinal direction, for at least partially surrounding the aerosol generation product; the side wall defines at least one window; and the aerosol generation product at least partially protrudes or extends out of the side wall from the window, to abut against or contact with an inner surface of the cylinder.

Another embodiment of this application further proposes an aerosol generation device, including:

a heating mechanism, configured to receive and heat an aerosol generation product, to generate an aerosol; and
a power supply mechanism, configured to supply power to the heating mechanism;
the power supply mechanism includes:
- a proximal end and a distal end facing away from each other;
- a battery cell, close to the distal end for supplying power;
- a receiving cavity having an opening located at the proximal end; the heating mechanism can be at least partially received in the receiving cavity or removed from the receiving cavity through the opening;
- a first electrical contact, being at least partially exposed to the receiving cavity; and
- a circuit board, arranged with a circuit; the circuit board is located between the receiving cavity and the battery cell, and is operable to conduct a current between the battery cell and the first electrical contact;
- the heating mechanism includes:
  - a heating cavity, configured to receive the aerosol generation product;
  - a heater at least partially extending in the heating cavity, to be inserted into the aerosol generation product for heating; and
  - a second electrical contact, being in a conductive connection with the heater; and
  - when the heating mechanism is received in the receiving cavity, the first electrical contact can establish a conductive connection with the second electrical contact, so that the heating mechanism and the power supply mechanism form electrical conduction.

In some implementations, the first electrical contact includes an elastic conductive elastic pin; the conductive elastic pin can be selectively activated between an extended state and a compressed state and is biased to return to the extended state; and
the conductive elastic pin is pressed into the compressed state when the heating mechanism is received in the receiving cavity; and the conductive elastic pin is configured to be activated from the compressed state toward the extended state when the heating mechanism is moved out of the opening.
In some implementations, the power supply mechanism further includes a first magnetic element; and
the heating mechanism further includes a second magnetic element; and when the heating mechanism is received in the receiving cavity, the second magnetic element is in magnetic attraction with the first magnetic element, to stably hold the heating mechanism in the receiving cavity.
In some implementations, the aerosol generation device is of an approximately D-shaped cross-sectional shape.
In some implementations, the aerosol generation device has an asymmetry of rotating by 180° around a central axis.
In some implementations, the heating mechanism includes: a first end and a second end facing away from each other in a longitudinal direction; and

a main housing extending between the first end and the second end and at least partially defining an outer surface of the heating mechanism; the main housing is provided with a first installation space and a second installation space that are arranged in a longitudinal direction;
a cylinder, located at the first installation space and at least partially surrounding and defining the heating cavity; and
the second electrical contact is at least partially accommodated and held in the second installation space.

In some implementations, the heater penetrates from the second installation space to the cylinder.
In some implementations, the heater is provided with a conductive pin; and the conductive pin is electrically connected to the second electrical contact in the second installation space.
In some implementations, the cylinder and the heater are in thermal conduction with each other, so that the cylinder can generate heat by receiving heat transferred by the heater; and during use, the aerosol generation product can be heated by the heater to be inserted, and is heated by the cylinder from an outer surface.
In some implementations, thermal conductivity of the cylinder is greater than 10 W/m·K.
In some implementations, the cylinder includes iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, or an alloy containing at least one of iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, and silver.
In some implementations, further including:
a thermal conductive material layer surrounding and combined with the cylinder; and thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than the thermal conductivity of the cylinder.
In some implementations, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than 350 W/m·K.
In some implementations, the thermal conductive material layer includes at least one of a graphite flake, a grapheme film, a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, or a titanium foil.
In some implementations, an extension length of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than or equal to an extension length of the heater in the cylinder.
In some implementations, further including:
a thermal insulation material layer surrounding or encircling the thermal conductive material layer, to extract heat from the thermal conductive material layer.
In some implementations, thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation material layer is lower than 0.05 W/m·K.
In some implementations, a length of the thermal insulation material layer is greater than a length of the thermal conductive material layer.
In some implementations, the cylinder includes a bottom wall adjacent to the second installation space; and the heater penetrates from the outside of the bottom wall to the cylinder.
In some implementations, the bottom wall is in contact with the heater, so that the cylinder is in thermal conduction with the heater through the bottom wall.
In some implementations, the main housing is provided with a partition wall longitudinally arranged perpendicular to the main housing;

the partition wall is located between the first installation space and the second installation space, to separate or define the first installation space and the second installation space; the partition wall is provided with a hole; and
the cylinder has an inserting portion extending from the bottom wall; and the inserting portion is at least partially inserted into the hole, so that the cylinder is held in the first installation space.

In some implementations, further including:
a flexible sealing element, located between the inserting portion and the partition wall for providing sealing between them.
In some implementations, the heating mechanism further includes: an extractor, movable or removable arranged in the cylinder; during use, the aerosol generation product is extracted from the cylinder by moving the extractor in the cylinder or removing the extractor from the cylinder; the extractor includes:

In addition, in some implementations, an area of a surface of the aerosol generation product protruding or extending from the window to the outside of the side wall and/or an area of a surface on which the aerosol generation product abuts against or contacts with an inner surface of the cylinder are/is larger than an area of a surface surrounded by the side wall of the extractor. It is beneficial to heating the aerosol generation product by abutting against or contacting the inner surface of the cylinder as much as possible.
Alternatively, in some implementations, an area of a surface of the aerosol generation product protruding or extending from the window to the outside of the side wall and/or an area of a surface on which the aerosol generation product abuts against or contacts with an inner surface of the cylinder are/is larger than an area of a surface surrounded by the side wall of the extractor by at least 1.5 times.
In some implementations, the cylinder is of a non-circular cross-sectional shape.
Still another embodiment of this application further provides a heating mechanism for an aerosol generation device, including:

a first end and a second end facing away from each other in a longitudinal direction;
a heating cavity defining an opening located at the first end; the aerosol generation device can be removably received in the heating cavity through the opening;
a cylinder at least partially surrounding and defining the heating cavity;
a heater at least partially extending in the cylinder, to be inserted into the aerosol generation product for heating; the cylinder and the heater are in thermal conduction with each other, so that the cylinder can generate heat by receiving heat transferred by the heater; during use, the aerosol generation product can be heated by the heater to be inserted, and is heated by the cylinder from an outer surface; and
an electrical contact, at least partially extending from the second end to the heating mechanism; the electrical contact is in a conductive connection with the heater, to conduct a current on the heater.

The aerosol generation device can use the heat of the heater to heat the aerosol generation product from both the inside and the outside.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments are exemplarily described with reference to the corresponding figures in the accompanying drawings, and the descriptions are not to be construed as limiting the embodiments. Elements in the accompanying drawings that have same reference numerals are represented as similar elements, and unless otherwise particularly stated, the figures in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a heating mechanism in FIG. 1 is removed from a power supply mechanism;
FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a state in which a heating mechanism in FIG. 2 is removed from a power supply mechanism;
FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating mechanism from another perspective;
FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a heating mechanism from still another perspective;
FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view of a heating mechanism from a perspective;
FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded view of a heating mechanism from another perspective;
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of some components of a heating mechanism assembled to form a first module;
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a first module and some components further assembled to form a second module;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a second module and an extraction assembly further assembled to form a heating mechanism;
FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a heating mechanism from a perspective; and
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of operating an extraction assembly to extract an aerosol generation product from a heating cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To facilitate the understanding of this application, this application is described in more detail below with reference to accompanying drawings and specific implementations.
An embodiment of this application proposes an aerosol generation device, configured to accommodate an aerosol generation product and heat the aerosol generation product to generate aerosols for inhalation.
Further, in an optional implementation, a tobacco-contained material that releases volatile compounds from substrates when being heated is preferably used as the aerosol generation product; or, it may be a non-tobacco material suitable for electrical heating smoke generation after being heated. Preferably, a solid substrate is used as the aerosol generation product, which may include one or more of powders, particles, shreds, strips, or flakes of one or more of a vanilla leaf, a tobacco leaf, homogenized tobacco, or expanded tobacco; or, the solid substrate may include additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile flavor compounds, so as to be released when the substrate is heated.
Further, FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation device 100 according to a specific embodiment, and the aerosol generation device includes a plurality of components arranged in an external main body or an outer shell (which may be referred to as a housing). A total design of the external main body or the outer shell is variable, and a form or a configuration of the external main body that can define a total size and a shape of the aerosol generation device 100 is variable. Typically, an elongate main body may be formed by a single unitary housing, or an elongate housing may be formed by two or more separable main bodies.
For example, the aerosol generation device 100 may include a control main body at one end, where the control main body includes a housing including one or more reusable components (for example, a rechargeable battery and/or a storage battery of a rechargeable supercapacitor, and various electronic devices configured to control operations of the product), and include an external main body or an outer shell of a component configured to accommodate an aerosol generation product 1000 and heat the aerosol generation product.
Further, in the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generation device 100 includes:
an outer shell, substantially defining an outer surface of the aerosol generation device 100 and including a proximal end 110 and a distal end 120 that are opposite to each other along a length direction, where during use, the proximal end 110 is an end that facilitates operations to accommodate, heat, and inhale the aerosol generation product 1000; and the distal end 120 is an end away from a user.
In some examples, the outer shell may be made of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum or alloy. Other suitable materials including various plastics (for example, polycarbonate), metal-plating over plastic (metal-plating over plastic), ceramics, and the like may also be used.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an opening 111 is defined in the outer shell of the aerosol generation device 100 at the proximal end 110, and the user can removably accommodate the aerosol generation product 1000 in the aerosol generation device 100 through the opening 111. For example, when inhaling is needed, the user accommodates the aerosol generation product 1000 in the aerosol generation device 100 through the opening 111, and operates the aerosol generation device 100 to heat the aerosol generation product 1000, to generate an aerosol for inhaling. When inhaling is completed, the user moves the aerosol generation product 1000 out of the aerosol generation device 100 from the opening 111.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generation device 100 has a circumferential surface surrounding the aerosol generation device 100 in a circumferential direction; where the circumferential surface includes: a surface part 130, a surface part 140, a surface part 150, and a surface part 160 that are arranged in the circumferential direction; where the surface part 130, the surface part 140, and the surface part 160 are flat surfaces, and the surface part 150 is an arc-shaped curved surface. A radian of the surface part 150 in the circumferential direction is π, that is, the surface part 150 is in the shape of a semicircular arc.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface part 130 and the surface part 150 face away from each other in a width direction of the aerosol generation device 100; and the surface part 140 and the surface part 160 face away from each other in a thickness direction of the aerosol generation device 100. In addition, the surface part 140 and the surface part 160 are parallel.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface part 130 and the surface part 140 are perpendicular to each other, so that a right angle is formed between the surface part 130 and the surface part 140; and the surface part 130 and the surface part 160 are perpendicular to each other, so that a right angle is formed between the surface part 130 and the surface part 160.
Further, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generation device 100 and/or a circumferential surface of the aerosol generation device 100 are/is of a non-central symmetric shape. Alternatively, along a longitudinal central axis of the aerosol generation device 100, the aerosol generation device 100 and/or the circumferential surface of the aerosol generation device 100 have an asymmetry of rotating 180 degrees around the central axis. In the embodiment, the aerosol generation device 100 is of an approximately D-shaped cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, the circumferential surface of the aerosol generation device 100 is approximately D-shaped.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the aerosol generation device 100 includes:

a heating mechanism 20, configured to receive and heat an aerosol generation product 1000, to generate an aerosol; and
a power supply mechanism 30, configured to supply power to the heating mechanism 20.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the power supply mechanism 30 includes:

an end portion 310 and an end portion 320 along a length direction; where the power supply mechanism 30 defines a receiving cavity 311 at the end portion 310, and during use, the heating mechanism 20 can be received in the receiving cavity 311 of the power supply mechanism 30; and after the power supply mechanism 30 and the heating mechanism 20 are assembled and combined, the end portion 320 of the power supply mechanism 30 defines the distal end 120 of the aerosol generation device 100;
a battery cell 31, configured to supply power; where the battery cell 31 is arranged close to the end portion 320; and
a circuit board 32, for example, a PCB board; where the circuit board 32 is arranged or integrated with a circuit, to control the battery cell 31 to provide power for the heating mechanism 20. In some implementations, power provided by the circuit board 32 for the heating mechanism 20 is triggered by an input signal generated by a user by operating a control button or the like.

In addition, in an implementation of FIG. 3, the circuit board 32 is arranged between the battery cell 31 and the receiving cavity 311.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply mechanism 30 further includes:

an electrical contact 33, for example, an elastic conductive elastic pin, which can be selectively activated between an extended state and a compressed state and is biased to return to the extended state; where the electrical contact 33 is at least partially bare or extends into the receiving cavity 311, to establish a conductive connection to the heating mechanism 20 when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311; and
a magnetic attraction element 34, for example, a magnet, configured to be in magnetic attraction with the heating mechanism 20 when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311, so that the heating mechanism 20 can be stably received in the receiving cavity 311. In addition, when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311, a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic attraction element 34 and the heating mechanism 20 is greater than an elastic restoring force of the electrical contact 33, so that the electrical contact 33 is always pressed or compressed by the heating mechanism 20 to a compressed state, and electrical contact between the electrical contact 33 and the heating mechanism 20 is stable. When the heating mechanism 20 is moved out of the receiving cavity 311, the conductive elastic pin can be recovered or activated from the compressed state toward an elongated state, and in a recovery process, an outward pushing force is provided to promote removal of the heating mechanism 20.

Further, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the heating mechanism 20 includes:

an end portion 210 and an end portion 220 facing away from each other in a longitudinal direction;
an extraction cap 21, close to and defining the end portion 210;
a main housing 22, close to and defining the end portion 220; where the main housing 22 is open on a side of the end portion 220; and
an end cap 23, located at the end portion 220 and configured to close an open mouth of the main housing 22 at the end portion 220.

In addition, during use, the extraction cap 21 surrounds and is combined with a part of the main housing 22 close to the end portion 210; and the extraction cap 21, the main housing 22, and the end cap 23 jointly define an external surface of the heating mechanism 20.
In addition, during use, when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311 of the power supply mechanism 30, the main housing 22 and the end cap 23 are located in the receiving cavity 311; and the extraction cap 21 is located outside the receiving cavity 311, and abuts against the end portion 310 of the power supply mechanism 30 to be stopped.
Further, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
an electrical contact 24, at least partially extending from the end portion 220 into the heating mechanism 20; and the electrical contact 24 is partially exposed at the end portion 220, so that when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311, the electrical contact 24 contacts or abuts against the electrical contact 33 to make conduction, thereby establishing a conductive connection between the power supply mechanism 30 and the heating mechanism 20.
Further, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a magnetic attraction element 25, adjacent to or located at the end portion 220; and when the heating mechanism 20 is received in the receiving cavity 311, the magnetic attraction element 25 is in magnetic attraction with the magnetic attraction element 34, so that the heating mechanism 20 is stably received in the receiving cavity 311. In addition, due to a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic attraction element 25 and the magnetic attraction element 34, the elastic electrical contact 33 is partially compressed or pressed, which is beneficial for maintaining a stable electrical connection.
Further, referring to FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a cylinder 26, located in the main housing 22, and is arranged along a longitudinal extension of the heating mechanism 20; and a heating cavity 230 for receiving and heating the aerosol generation product 1000 is defined by at least a part of an inner hollow 263 of the cylinder 26. A port of the cylinder 26 toward the end portion 210 is open; and a port of the cylinder 26 toward the end portion 220 is basically closed. Specifically, the cylinder 26 has a bottom wall 264 arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at a second end, for closing the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26 at the second end. Further, during use, the aerosol generation product 1000 is received in the heating cavity 230 through the port of the cylinder 26 toward the end portion 210.
In addition, during implementation, the cylinder 26 is made of a metal material. For example, in some implementations, the cylinder 26 includes metal; or the cylinder 26 includes iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, or an alloy containing at least one of iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, and silver. For example, the cylinder 26 includes stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, silver alloy, copper alloy, or an alloy of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, silver alloy, and copper alloy.
In addition, the cylinder 26 has a flange 261 at a first end toward the end portion 210, and the flange 261 extends outward in a radial direction.
Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a support element 29 surrounding, through riveting or molding, at least a part of the cylinder 26 close to the first end, and combined with the flange 261; and after being assembled in the main housing 22, the support element 29 supports or fastens the cylinder 26 at the first end of the cylinder 26.
In addition, in some implementations, the support element 29 includes an organic polymer such as PEEK; and the support element 29 is molded by using an organic polymer material surrounding the first end and/or the flange 261 of the cylinder 26 in a mold. In addition, after being molded, the support element 29 is integrated with the cylinder 26; or the support element 29 and the cylinder 26 are non-detachable or inseparable. In addition, during implementation, the support element 29 is in a circular shape; and the support element 29 is combined with the first end of the cylinder 26.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a heater 27, constructed in a slender pin or needle or sheet shape; and after penetrating the bottom wall 264 of the second end of the cylinder 26, the heater 27 extends into or penetrates into the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26, to heat the aerosol generation product 1000 received in the cylinder 26.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the bottom wall 264 of the cylinder 26 is further provided with an annular inserting portion 262 extending away from the first end. During assembly, the heater 27 penetrates, in a manner such as riveting, the annular inserting portion 262, to be in the cylinder 26. In addition, the annular inserting portion 262 at least partially fastens and holds the heater 27. In addition, the annular inserting portion 262 is fastened and combined with the heater 27 in a manner such as riveting. In addition, the inserting portion 262 is convex relative to the bottom wall 264.
In addition, in some implementations, the heater 27 is at least one of a resistance heater, an electromagnetic induction heater, or an infrared heater. Alternatively, for example, a heater with a heating coil arranged in an outer shell of a pin is provided by an applicant in Chinese patent CN214386095U , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For another example, a heater for forming a resistance heating track on a pin or needle or sheet-like ceramic substrate is provided in Chinese patent CN104886775B , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In addition, in some implementations, the heater 27 has a length of approximately 15 mm to 20 mm; and a length in which the heater 27 extends into the cylinder 26 is approximately 12 mm to 15 mm. In addition, the annular inserting portion 262 has a length of approximately 3 mm; and during implementation, the annular inserting portion 262 surrounds and clamps the heater 27, so that the heater 27 is installed or assembled in the heating mechanism 20.
In addition, the annular inserting portion 262 and the heater 27 are in thermal conduction with each other. In addition, during implementation, the cylinder 26 includes metal; and thermal conductivity of the cylinder 26 is greater than 10 W/m·K. Alternatively, in some implementations, the thermal conductivity of the cylinder 26, which is made of stainless steel, is greater than 30 W/m·K. Alternatively, in some implementations, the thermal conductivity of the cylinder 26, which is made of aluminum alloy or copper alloy, is greater than 200 W/m·K. In some implementations, the thermal conductivity of the cylinder 26 is 10 W/m·K to 300 W/m·K.
Further, during implementation, when the aerosol generation product 1000 is received in the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26 and is heated, at least a part of the aerosol generation product 1000 is in contact with an inner surface of the cylinder 26; or the aerosol generation product 1000 and the cylinder 26 are in thermal conduction with each other.
Alternatively, in some other variant implementations, an induction coil is wrapped around or arranged outside the cylinder 26, two ends of the induction coil are connected to the electrical contact 24, and a changing magnetic field can be generated when the power supply mechanism 30 provides an alternating current, to induce the heater 27 to heat up. In addition, the cylinder 26 is made of a non-metal thermal conductive material, to at least partially receive heat from the heater 27, and heat the aerosol generation product 1000 from the periphery.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the following is arranged outside the cylinder 26:
a thermal conductive material layer 2610, which is covered on or adhered to or combined with the outside of the cylinder 26; and thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is greater than 350 W/m·K; and the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is greater than the thermal conductivity of the cylinder 26. For example, in a specific implementation, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 that is made of a synthetic graphite flake material is 700 W/m·K to 1500 W/m·K.
In addition, in some implementations, the thermal conductive material layer 2610 includes at least one of a graphite flake, a grapheme film, a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, or a titanium foil. In addition, the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is thin; for example, a thickness of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 of a graphite flake is 0.015 mm to 0.1 mm; and a thickness of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 of a metal foil such as a copper foil or a silver foil is 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.
Further, during implementation, the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is used for providing thermal equalization outside the cylinder 26, to evenly distribute or transfer heat transferred from the heater 27 to the bottom wall 264 to a circumferential wall of the cylinder 26. Further, the aerosol generation product 1000 is heated from the periphery. During the foregoing implementation, through thermal equalization or transfer of the thermal conductive material layer 2610, it is beneficial to improving a heat utilization rate of the heater 27.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the thermal conductive material layer 2610 extends from the bottom wall 264 toward the first end. In addition, a length d1 of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is approximately equal to an extension length of the heater 27 in the cylinder 26. Specifically, for example, during implementation shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the length d1 of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is approximately equal to the extension length of the heater 27 in the cylinder 26, and the length d1 is 12 mm to 15 mm. In addition, in a specific implementation, the length d1 of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is slightly greater than the extension length of the heater 27 in the cylinder 26. For example, the length d1 of the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is greater than the extension length of the heater 27 in the cylinder 26 by 1 mm. In addition, along a longitudinal direction of the cylinder 26, the thermal conductive material layer 2610 is basically aligned with or coincides with the heater 27.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a thermal insulation material layer 2620, for example, a wrapped or rolled aerogel layer or a flexible porous medium layer, configured to provide thermal insulation outside the thermal conductive material layer 2610 and/or the cylinder 26. The thermal insulation material layer 2620 is flexible; and the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is rolled or wrapped around the thermal conductive material layer 2610 and/or the cylinder 26. In addition, the thermal insulation material layer 2620 includes an aerogel, a porous polycarbonate, or the like.
In addition, in some implementations, thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is lower than 0.05 W/m·K. For example, in some specific implementations, the thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is 0.012 W/m·K to 0.024 W/m·K.
In addition, in some implementations, a thickness of the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is 2 mm to 8 mm. For example, a general specification thickness of an aerogel blanket is 3 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, or the like; and the thickness of the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is greater than the thickness of the thermal conductive material layer 2610. In addition, the thermal insulation material layer 2620 extends from the second end of the cylinder 26 to the support element 29; and the length of the thermal insulation material layer 2620 is greater than the length d1 of the thermal conductive material layer 2610.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the cylinder 26 and the heater 27 are accommodated or assembled in the main housing 22. Specifically, the main housing 22 is constructed in a tubular shape extending in a longitudinal direction of the heating mechanism 20; and two ends of the main housing 22 along the longitudinal direction are open. In addition, the main housing 22 includes:
a partition wall 223 longitudinally arranged perpendicular to the main housing 22; and an internal space of the main housing 22 is partitioned by the partition wall 223 to form an assembly space 224 and an assembly space 225; where the assembly space 224 is close to the end portion 210, and the assembly space 225 is close to the end portion 220.
In addition, after being assembled, the cylinder 26, the support element 29, and the like are all assembled and accommodated in the assembly space 224. The end cap 223 is at the end portion 220 and closes the assembly space 225.
In addition, after being assembled, both the magnetic attraction element 25 and the electrical contact 24 are at least partially accommodated or assembled in the assembly space 225; and the magnetic attraction element 25 and the electrical contact 24 are fastened or held by a structure such as a slot on the end cap 23.
In addition, the heater 27 includes a first conductive pin 273 and a second conductive pin 274, configured to supply power to the heater 27; and the first conductive pin 273 and the second conductive pin 274 are connected to the electrical contact 24 in the assembly space 225 to form conduction. In addition, after being assembled, the heater 27 penetrates the assembly space 224 from the assembly space 225.
In addition, the main housing 22 is provided with a first clamping slot 221 and a second clamping slot 222. During assembly, a clamping protrusion 292 of the support element 29 extends into the first clamping slot 221, to form a connection with the main housing 22. In addition, at least a part of the end cap 23 extends into or clamps into the second clamping slot 222, to form a connection with the main housing 22.
In addition, the support element 29 is of an annular shape; and after being assembled, the support element 29 is partially located between the cylinder 26 and the main housing 22. In addition, the support element 29 is further provided with a flexible sealing element 294, such as an annular O-shaped silicone rubber ring; and the sealing element 294 surrounds the support element 29, and is configured to provide sealing between the main housing 22 and the support element 29.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 12, the partition wall 223 of the main housing 22 has a hole for the heater 27 to penetrate.
Further, during assembly, the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26 is inserted into the hole of the partition wall 223, thereby being beneficial to assembly between the cylinder 26 and the main housing 22.
In addition, during implementation, the heating mechanism 20 further includes:
a sealing element 2710, made of a flexible material such as a silicone ring or a thermoplastic elastomer; the sealing element 2710 is configured to provide sealing between the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26 and the hole of the partition wall 223; or the sealing element 2710 is configured to provide sealing between the heater 27 and the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26.
Alternatively, in some other variant implementations, the sealing element 2710 such as a silicone ring may be omitted. Interference fit between the heater 27 and the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26 is implemented through riveting; and when the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26 is inserted into a hole assembly of the partition wall 223, interference fit is implemented through riveting or the like. Alternatively, in other implementations, the heater 27 and the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26 are soldered through spot soldering, so that the heater 27 and the inserting portion 262 are integrally connected and in thermal conduction with each other.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 11, the heating mechanism 20 is further provided with:
an extraction assembly including an extraction cap 21 and an extractor 28, configured to extract the aerosol generation product 1000 from the heating cavity 230.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 11, the extractor 28 extends in a longitudinal direction; and the extractor 28 includes:

at least one or more side walls 282 extending in the longitudinal direction; and during use, the at least one or more side walls 282 extending in the longitudinal direction may be arranged discretely or at intervals around a circumference of the extractor 28. In addition, a gap or a window 285 of the extractor 28 in a circumference is defined between one or more discretely arranged side walls 282;
and a connecting wall 281 located at one end of the extractor 28 is included, the connecting wall 281 is a longitudinally arranged ring perpendicular to the extractor 28; and during implementation, the extraction cap 21 is modeled around the connecting wall 281, or they are integrally connected through riveting, mechanical connection, or the like. In a specific implementation, the extraction cap 21 includes an organic polymer such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, PEEK, and the like, and is molded by precursors of these polymers surrounding the extractor 28 and is coupled to the connecting wall 281. In addition, the extraction cap 21 is integral with the extractor 28. In some implementations, the extractor 28 is metal, such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel; and the extraction cap 21 and the extractor 28 are prepared and integrally connected through a mold forming process of metal inlaying and injection molding. Alternatively, after being prepared, at least a part of the connection wall 281 of the extractor 28 is embedded in or extends into the extraction cap 21.

Further, the extractor 28 further includes:
a holding wall 283, configured to form a stop when the aerosol generation product 1000 is received in the extractor 28, specifically in the side wall 282, and the aerosol generation product 1000 abuts against the holding wall 283. In addition, the holding wall 283 is provided with a hole 284 for the heater 27 to penetrate.
In addition, during implementation, the extractor 28 of the extractor extends into the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26 in a removable or movable manner; and the extraction cap 21 of the extraction assembly is exposed outside the main housing 22 and abuts against the support element 29 to form a stop.
Further, FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram in which a user operates an extraction cap 21 of an extraction assembly to extract an aerosol generation product 1000 from a heating cavity 230 according to an embodiment; and during the extraction operation, the user clamps or holds the extraction cap 21 of the extraction assembly by using a finger to perform an operation, to drive the extractor 28 to be removed from the heating cavity 230 defined by the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26, so that the aerosol generation product 1000 is removed from the heating cavity 230 and is separated from the heater 27, thereby implementing the operation of extracting the aerosol generation product 1000.
Further, referring to FIG. 12, the hollow 263 and/or the heating cavity 230 of the cylinder 26 are/is not circular in cross section; or the cross section(s) of the hollow 263 and/or the heating cavity 230 are/is non-circular. In addition, the heating cavity 230 has a part 231 projecting outward in a radial direction; and when the extractor 28 extends into or is inserted into the heating cavity 230, the side wall 282 of the extractor 28 is located in the part 231 of the heating cavity 230. In addition, when the aerosol generation product 1000 is held in the extractor 28, a part 1100 of the aerosol generation product 1000 is projected or exposed outside the side wall 282 of the cylinder 28; and specifically, the part 1100 of the aerosol generation product 1000 extends out of the side wall 282 from the window 285 defined by the side wall 282 of the extractor 28.
In addition, the part 1100 that is of the aerosol generation product 1000 and that extends, projects, or is exposed outside the side wall 282, abuts against or contacts with or conforms to an inner surface of the cylinder 26; or the part 1100 that is of the aerosol generation product 1000 and that extends or projects or is exposed outside the side wall 282, abuts against, contacts with, or conforms to an inner surface of the heating cavity 230.
In addition, during use, to enable the extraction assembly to be movably or removably combined with the main housing 22, a magnetic attraction element 211 is arranged on the extraction cap 21 of the extraction assembly, and a magnetic attraction element 291 is arranged on an operating element 29; and when the extraction assembly is combined with the main housing 22, magnetic attraction is formed between the magnetic attraction element 211 and the magnetic attraction element 291, so that the extraction assembly is stably held on the main housing 22. When the aerosol generation product 1000 needs to be extracted, the user clamps or holds the extraction cap 21 of the extraction assembly by using a finger to perform an operation, and removes or moves the extraction assembly against an attraction force between the magnetic attraction element 211 and the magnetic attraction element 291, so that the extraction operation can be realized.
When the extraction assembly is combined with the main housing 22, the connection wall 281 of the extractor 28 is located between the magnetic attraction element 211 and the magnetic attraction element 291; and an avoidance port 2811 is provided on the connection wall 281, to avoid or prevent the connection wall 281 of a material such as an aluminum alloy from affecting or damaging magnetic attraction formed between the magnetic attraction element 211 and the magnetic attraction element 291.
Further, it is very convenient for the foregoing heating mechanism 20 to be divided into a plurality of modular modules for preparation and assembly, and is beneficial to production and assembly. Specifically, FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 show a process of performing modular assembly on components of the heating mechanism 20, and the process includes:

S10: As shown in FIG. 8, sequentially sleeve or wind or wrap a thermal conductive material layer 2610 and a thermal insulation material layer 2620 around a cylinder 26 with a molded support element 29, as shown by an arrow R1 in FIG. 8; and a first module 200a in FIG. 9 including the support element 29, the cylinder 26, the thermal conductive material layer 2610, and the thermal insulation material layer 2620 may be obtained.
S20: As shown in FIG. 9, the first module 200a is assembled into an assembly space 224 of the main housing 22 along an arrow R2 in FIG. 9, and during assembly, the first module 200a is inserted into a hole of a partition wall 223 of the main housing 22 by using an inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26, to provide positioning during the assembly process; and the clamping protrusion 292 of the support element 29 is connected to the first clamping slot 221.
S30: As shown in FIG. 9, extend the heater 27 into the cylinder 26 after penetrating from a lower side of the main housing 22 through the inserting portion 262 of the cylinder 26; and as shown by an arrow R3 in FIG. 9, an insertion process may be performed through riveting or the like, so that the heater 27 is partially clamped by the inserting portion 262, and the first conductive pin 273 and the second conductive pin 274 are exposed in the installation space 225; and the end cap 23 on which the electrical contact 24 and the magnetic attraction element 25 are installed is closed to a lower end of the main housing 22, to close the installation space 225, and then a second module 200b shown in FIG. 10 can be assembled.
S40: The extraction assembly that is on the extractor 28 and that is formed by molding or riveting and connecting the extraction cap 21 extends from an upper end of the main housing 22 along an arrow R4 in FIG. 10, the extractor 28 extends into the hollow 263 of the cylinder 26, and the heater 27 passes through the hole 284 of the holding wall 283; and after being assembled, a complete heating mechanism 20 shown in FIG. 11 can be obtained.

When needed, the user inserts the aerosol generation product 1000 from the end portion 210 into the heating cavity 230 for heating, as shown in FIG. 11. In addition, after the heating is completed, the user extracts the aerosol generation product 1000 from the heating cavity 230 by using the extraction assembly, as shown in FIG. 12.
Further, referring to FIG. 12, when the aerosol generation product 1000 is received and heated in the heating cavity 230 under the holding of the extraction assembly, the aerosol generation product 1000 can be heated by the heater 27 inserted into the aerosol generation product 1000; and the aerosol generation product 1000 can also be heated by partially abutting against the inner surface of the cylinder 26 and/or the heating cavity 230 and partially receiving heat transferred to the cylinder 26 from the thermal conductive material layer 2610. Further, during use, the foregoing heating mechanism 20 can heat on both an inner surface and an outer surface of the aerosol generation product 1000 by using heat of the heater 27, which is beneficial to improving a utilization rate of the aerosol generation product 1000; and it is also beneficial to improving a utilization rate of heat of the heater 27.
It should be noted that, the specification of this application and the accompanying drawings thereof illustrate preferred embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited to the embodiments described in the specification. Further, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, improvements or modifications may be made according to the above descriptions, and all these improvements and modifications shall fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of this application.

Claims

An aerosol generation device, configured to heat an aerosol generation product to generate an aerosol, comprising:
a heating cavity, configured to receive the aerosol generation product;

a cylinder at least partially surrounding and defining the heating cavity; and

a heater at least partially extending in the cylinder, to be inserted into the aerosol generation product for heating, wherein:
the cylinder and the heater are in thermal conduction with each other, to allow the cylinder to be able to generate heat by receiving heat transferred by the heater;

during use, the aerosol generation product is able to be heated by the heater inserted into the aerosol generation product, and is heated by the cylinder from an outer surface of the aerosol generation product; and

thermal conductivity of the cylinder is greater than 10 W/m·K.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylinder comprises iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, or an alloy containing at least one of iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, and silver.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylinder is of a non-circular cross-sectional shape.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
a thermal conductive material layer surrounding and combined with the cylinder, wherein thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than the thermal conductivity of the cylinder.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 4, wherein the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than 350 W/m·K.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 4, wherein the thermal conductive material layer comprises at least one of a graphite flake, a grapheme film, a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, or a titanium foil.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 4, wherein an extension length of the thermal conductive material layer is greater than or equal to an extension length of the heater in the cylinder.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a thermal insulation material layer surrounding or encircling the thermal conductive material layer, to provide thermal insulation outside the thermal conductive material layer.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 8, wherein thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation material layer is lower than 0.05 W/m·K.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 8, wherein the thermal insulation material layer is flexible.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 8, wherein the thermal insulation material layer comprises an aerogel.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the thermal insulation material layer is greater than a thickness of the thermal conductive material layer.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:
the cylinder comprises: a first end and a second end facing away from each other in a longitudinal direction;

the first end is open for receiving the aerosol generation product;

the cylinder comprises a bottom wall arranged at the second end; and

the heater penetrates from the outside of the bottom wall to the cylinder.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 13, wherein the bottom wall is in contact with the heater, to allow the cylinder to be in thermal conduction with the heater through the bottom wall, to receive heat of the heater.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 13, wherein the bottom wall is interference or tightly fitted with the heater, to at least partially hold the heater.
The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
an extractor, movable or removable arranged in the cylinder, wherein:
during use, the aerosol generation product is extracted from the cylinder by moving the extractor in the cylinder or removing the extractor from the cylinder; and

the extractor comprises:
a holding wall, arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the extractor, for holding or supporting the aerosol generation product; and

one or more side walls extending in a longitudinal direction, for at least partially surrounding the aerosol generation product, wherein the one or more side walls define at least one window, and the aerosol generation product at least partially protrudes or extends out of the one or more side walls from the window, to abut against or contact with an inner surface of the cylinder.