JP2019129759A - Cartridge for sucker, sucker having the cartridge, and aerosol generation method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cartridge for a sucker having a new structure, and a sucker.SOLUTION: There is provided a cartridge for a sucker having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction. The cartridge for a sucker includes a tank part for holding liquid, a heater for heating and atomizing the liquid, and a liquid transport member for transporting the liquid in the tank part toward the heater. The tank part includes a tank body, and a liquid introduction part for moving the liquid along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and introducing the liquid to the liquid transport member. The liquid introduction part includes a surface on the distal end side of the tank part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2C

Description

  The present invention relates to a cartridge for an aspirator, an aspirator provided with the same, and an aerosol generation method.

  Conventionally, a flavor inhaler for sucking a flavor without burning the material is known. For example, an electronic cigarette is known as such a flavor inhaler. Electronic cigarettes supply aerosols generated by atomizing aerosol-forming materials containing flavors such as nicotine to the user's mouth, or aerosols generated by atomizing aerosol-forming materials not containing flavors such as nicotine. The aerosol is supplied to the user's mouth after passing through a flavor source (for example, a tobacco source).

  Some electronic cigarettes include a tank or a reservoir for storing a liquid for generating an aerosol and a heater for atomizing the liquid. Some of such electronic cigarettes have an atomizer assembly in which a coiled heater is wound around a wick fluidly connected to a tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

US Pat. No. 8,285,569

  An object of the present invention is to provide an aspirator cartridge and an aspirator having a new structure.

  According to the first configuration, a cartridge for an aspirator having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction is provided. The cartridge for aspirator includes a tank portion that stores a liquid, a heater that heats and atomizes the liquid, and a liquid transport member that transports the liquid in the tank portion toward the heater. The tank section includes a tank body section and a liquid introduction section that moves the liquid along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and introduces the liquid into the liquid transport member. The liquid introduction part includes a surface on the distal end side of the tank part.

  According to a second aspect, in the cartridge for aspirator according to the first aspect, the liquid transport member has a first surface on the proximal end side and a second surface on the distal end side, and the heater includes: It is mounted on the first surface of the liquid transport member.

  According to the third aspect, in the cartridge for aspirator according to the second aspect, the second surface of the liquid transport member is in contact with the surface on the distal end side of the tank portion.

  According to the fourth aspect, in the cartridge for suction device of the second or third aspect, when the liquid is heated by the heater, the first surface of the liquid transport member is heated to a temperature higher than that of the second surface. Is done.

  According to the fifth embodiment, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the cartridge for the aspirator further includes an aerosol discharge port for discharging the aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid. At the proximal end.

  According to the sixth embodiment, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, an aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid is communicated with the chamber in which the heater is disposed and the chamber. An aerosol flow path passing therethrough. The chamber is located on a distal end side with respect to the tank main body portion in the first direction and on a proximal end side with respect to the liquid introduction portion.

  According to the seventh aspect, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, an aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid is communicated with the chamber in which the heater is disposed and the chamber. An aerosol flow path passing therethrough. A gas-liquid exchange member that divides an internal space of the chamber or the aerosol flow path and a space in the tank portion;

  According to the eighth embodiment, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to the seventh embodiment, the gas-liquid exchange member has a gap through which gas passes, and the dimension of the gap at the boundary surface with the tank section is a flow path breakage of the tank section. Less than the minimum area.

  According to the ninth embodiment, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first to eighth embodiments, the tank portion communicates the tank main body portion and the liquid introducing portion, and is a capillary tube larger than the tank main body portion. It further has an intermediate part having an action.

  According to the 10th form, in the cartridge for suction machines of the 9th form, the said intermediate part has a flow path narrower than the said tank main-body part.

  According to an eleventh aspect, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the height of the liquid level of the liquid stored in the tank main body portion is the amount of the liquid in the tank main body portion. It changes according to.

  According to the twelfth aspect, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to any one of the first aspect to the eleventh aspect, the liquid stored in the tank main body moves to the liquid introduction part, and the second through the liquid introduction part. It moves to the said liquid transport member along a direction, moves to the proximal end side through the said liquid transport member, and reaches the said heater.

  According to a thirteenth aspect, the aspirator cartridge according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects includes a battery unit configured to supply electric power to the heater of the aspirator cartridge.

  According to a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a method for atomizing a liquid to produce an aerosol in an aspirator cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction. The method includes a first step of transporting liquid present at the distal end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and transporting liquid transported in the second direction toward the proximal end. And a third step of heating the liquid transported toward the proximal end to generate an aerosol.

  According to a fifteenth aspect, the method of the fourteenth aspect further comprises the step of transporting the aerosol toward the proximal end.

  According to a sixteenth aspect, the method of the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect includes the step of transporting the liquid from the proximal end toward the distal end before the first step.

  According to the seventeenth aspect, there is provided an aspirator cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction. The cartridge for aspirator includes a tank portion that stores a liquid, a heater that heats and atomizes the liquid, and a liquid transport member that transports the liquid in the tank portion toward the heater. The heater contacts the liquid transport member. The aspirator cartridge further includes a gas-liquid exchange member for exchanging the liquid in the tank and the gas outside the tank.

According to an eighteenth aspect, in the cartridge for an aspirator according to the seventeenth aspect, the gas-liquid exchange member includes a porous member and is disposed apart from the heater.

It is a whole perspective view of the suction device concerning this embodiment. It is a permeation | transmission perspective view of a cartridge. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cartridge. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 2B. It is a top view of a cartridge. It is a bottom view of a cartridge. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow AA shown to FIG. 2C. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow BB shown to FIG. 2C. It is a permeation | transmission perspective view of the cartridge which concerns on the modification of this embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 3B. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow AA shown to FIG. 3C. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in the arrow BB shown to FIG. 3C. It is a permeation | transmission perspective view of the cartridge which concerns on the modification of this embodiment. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 4B. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 4C. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge in the direction of arrow BB shown in FIG. 4C. It is a permeation | transmission perspective view of the cartridge which concerns on the modification of this embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 5B. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow AA shown to FIG. 5C. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow BB shown to FIG. 5C. It is a permeation | transmission perspective view of the cartridge which concerns on the modification of this embodiment. FIG. 6B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 6B. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow AA shown to FIG. 6C. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in arrow BB shown to FIG. 6C.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an aspirator according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction device 10 includes a mouthpiece 11, a cartridge 20 (corresponding to an example of a suction device cartridge), and a battery unit 12. The cartridge 20 atomizes a liquid containing an aerosol forming material such as glycerin or propylene glycol and supplies the aerosol toward the mouthpiece 11. The aerosol forming material may include nicotine, for example. The battery unit 12 supplies power to the cartridge 20. The mouthpiece 11 guides the aerosol generated by the cartridge 20 to the user's mouth. After the suction device 10 is used for a predetermined period, the mouthpiece 11 and the cartridge 20 can be exchanged. Note that the mouthpiece 11 may not be replaced, and only the cartridge 20 may be replaced. In the present embodiment, the suction device 10 is described as including the mouthpiece 11, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the suction device 10 may not include the mouthpiece 11. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the cartridge 20 and the mouthpiece 11 are comprised as a separate member, you may form the cartridge 20 and the mouthpiece 11 integrally.

  Next, the cartridge 20 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2A is a transparent perspective view of the cartridge 20. FIG. 2B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20. FIG. 2C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 2B. FIG. 2D is a top view of the cartridge 20. FIG. 2E is a bottom view of the cartridge 20. FIG. 2F is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 2G is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 in the direction of arrow BB shown in FIG. 2C. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2F.

  The cartridge 20 has a side near the mouthpiece 11 shown in FIG. 1, that is, a side near the user's mouth when the user uses the aspirator 10, and a side near the battery unit 12. That is, the distal end 22 far from the user's mouth when the user uses the aspirator 10 is provided. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the direction connecting the proximal end 21 and the distal end 22 (vertical direction in FIGS. 2A and 2B) is referred to as the first direction, and the direction orthogonal thereto (left and right in FIGS. 2A and 2B). Direction) is referred to as a second direction.

  As illustrated, the cartridge 20 has a tank portion 24 defined by an upper wall 24a, a bottom wall 24b, and a substantially cylindrical side wall 24c connecting the upper wall 24a and the bottom wall 24b. A liquid holding member 25 (corresponding to an example of a liquid transport member) and a heater 26 are disposed inside the tank portion 24. The liquid holding member 25 can be formed of any porous member configured to transport a liquid containing an aerosol forming material toward the heater. Specifically, for example, the liquid holding member 25 can be formed of a porous ceramic, a solid member having an opening, a hollow tubular member, a flexible fibrous member, or the like. The liquid holding member 25 is preferably formed of a flexible fibrous member such as cotton or glass fiber so as to be in close contact with the heater 26. The heater 26 is configured to heat and atomize the liquid transported by the liquid holding member 25. The heater 26 may be, for example, a linear heater as in the illustrated example, or may be a heater having an arbitrary shape such as a mesh shape or a plate shape.

  The tank unit 24 includes therein a chamber 27 that is a space for the heater 26 to atomize the liquid, and an aerosol flow path 28 that communicates with the chamber 27. In the first direction, the chamber 27 is located on the distal end 22 side with respect to the tank main body 30 described later, and is located on the proximal end 21 side with respect to the liquid introducing portion 31 described later. At least a part of the heater 26 is disposed so as to be located in the chamber 27. The aerosol flow path 28 extends in the first direction of the cartridge 20 as shown. An aerosol discharge port 29 is formed at the proximal end 21 of the cartridge 20, that is, the upper wall 24 a, and the aerosol flow path 28 communicates with the aerosol discharge port 29. The aerosol generated in the chamber 27 passes through the aerosol flow path 28 and is discharged from the aerosol discharge port 29 to the outside of the cartridge 20. As shown in FIG. 1, when the aspirator 10 includes the mouthpiece 11, the aerosol discharged from the aerosol discharge port 29 reaches the mouth of the user through the mouthpiece 11. On the other hand, when the aspirator 10 does not include the mouthpiece 11, the aerosol discharged from the aerosol discharge port 29 reaches directly into the user's mouth.

  The tank unit 24 is configured to hold a liquid containing an aerosol forming material therein. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2C, the tank portion 24 includes a tank main body portion 30 mainly having a function of storing a liquid, a liquid introduction portion 31 that introduces a liquid into the liquid holding member 25, and a tank main body portion. 30 and an intermediate part 32 communicating with the liquid introducing part 31. The tank main body 30 is a space defined by the upper wall 24 a of the tank unit 24, a part of the side wall 24 c, the wall that defines the aerosol flow path 28, and the upper wall of the chamber 27. The tank body 30 does not include a porous member such as cotton inside, and the liquid in the tank body 30 can freely move according to the orientation of the cartridge 20. That is, it can be said that the level of the liquid level stored in the tank main body 30 changes according to the amount of liquid in the tank main body 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 2C and 2F, the intermediate portion 32 is a space defined by a part of the side wall 24 c of the tank portion 24 and the side wall of the chamber 27. The intermediate portion 32 has a flow path (cross section) narrower than that of the tank main body 30 and has a larger capillary action than the tank main body 30. Thereby, the liquid that has flowed into the intermediate portion 32 from the tank main body portion 30 into the intermediate portion 32 tends to stay in the intermediate portion 32 due to capillary action.

  As shown in FIGS. 2C and 2G, the liquid introduction part 31 is an area in the tank part 24 extending along the second direction, and has a larger capillary action than the tank body part 30. Further, it is preferable that at least a part of the liquid introduction part 31 has a narrower flow path (cross section) than the intermediate part 32 and has a larger capillary action than the intermediate part 32. As a result, the liquid held by the intermediate part 32 can easily flow into the liquid introduction part 31. The liquid introduction part 31 moves the liquid flowing in from the intermediate part 32 along the second direction. The liquid introduction part 31 is defined by the bottom wall 24 b of the tank part 24, a part of the side wall 24 c, and the bottom wall of the chamber 27. The liquid introduction part 31 includes a space in the tank part 24 located on the most distal end 22 side. In other words, the liquid introduction part 31 includes an inner surface of the bottom wall 24 b of the tank part 24, that is, a surface on the distal end 22 side of the tank part 24. Here, the surface on the distal end 22 side can also be referred to as the inner surface of the tank portion 24 on the most distal side where the liquid can reach. Since the liquid introduction part 31 is located on the most distal end 22 side of the tank part 24, the liquid remaining on the bottom part of the tank part 24 can be supplied to the liquid holding member 25, and the liquid in the tank part 24 remains. Can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, in the present embodiment, the liquid holding member 25 is disposed in the liquid introduction part 31. Thereby, the liquid introduction part 31 can supply the liquid toward the liquid holding member 25. 2B and 2C, the liquid holding member 25 is generally plate-shaped and has a first surface 25a on the proximal end 21 side and a second surface 25b on the distal end 22 side. . The first surface 25 a of the liquid holding member 25 is exposed in the chamber 27, and the heater 26 is placed on the first surface 25 a of the liquid holding member 25. In the present embodiment, the second surface 25b of the liquid holding member 25 is in contact with the surface on the distal end 22 side of the tank portion 24, and between the second surface 25b and the surface on the distal end 22 side of the tank. There is nothing. That is, the heater 26 is not located on the second surface 25b side. In other words, when the heater 26 is energized, the first surface 25a of the liquid holding member 25 is heated to a temperature higher than that of the second surface 25b. In this case, the temperatures of the first surface 25a and the second surface 25b are compared at positions where the first surface 25a and the second surface 25b face each other. The liquid holding member 25 may be composed of a plurality of porous members, for example, by laminating a plurality of cottons. In this case, the surface on the most distal end 22 side of the liquid holding member 25 corresponds to the second surface 25b.

  As shown in FIG. 2E, the bottom wall 24 b of the tank portion 24 has a pair of air inlets 33 that communicate with the chamber 27. When the user sucks from the mouthpiece 11, air flows into the chamber 27 from the air inlet 33 and reaches the aerosol outlet 29 through the aerosol channel 28 while taking in the aerosol generated in the chamber 27. Therefore, in the cartridge 20 of the present embodiment, the liquid holding member 25 that generates aerosol is located between the air inlet 33 and the aerosol outlet 29, and the first surface 25a faces the aerosol outlet 29 side. . Thereby, since the evaporation direction of the aerosol when the heater 26 is energized and the flow of the air flow at the time of suction match, the frequency of the generated aerosol contacting the wall surface constituting the flow path is reduced, and the wall surface of the chamber 27 It is possible to prevent the aerosol from condensing.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2G, an air flow path 36 through which the air flowing in from the air inlet 33 passes is provided between the air inlet 33 and the chamber 27. As shown in FIG. 2G, the cartridge 20 has a flow path wall portion 36 a that extends in the first direction from the bottom wall 24 b of the tank portion 24 and defines an air flow path 36. In the present embodiment, the air flow path 36 is defined by the flow path wall portion 36 a, the side wall 24 c of the tank portion 24, and the liquid holding member 25 or the electrode 34. The flow path wall 36 a is configured to separate the air flow path 36 and the liquid introduction part 31, and can prevent liquid from entering the air flow path 36 and the air inlet 33 from the liquid introduction part 31. . Note that a channel wall extending in the first direction may be further provided between the liquid holding member 25 or the electrode 34 and the side wall 24c of the tank portion 24. In this case, the air flow path 36 is defined by the pair of flow path wall portions 36a, the side wall 24c of the tank portion 24, and the flow path walls.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2F, both ends of the heater 26 are connected to a pair of electrodes 34. The pair of electrodes 34 passes from the first surface 25 a of the liquid holding member 25 through the pair of air inlets 33 and extends to the outer surface of the bottom wall 24 b of the tank portion 24. That is, the pair of electrodes 34 extends from the heater 26 to the outside of the cartridge 20. When the cartridge 20 and the battery unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 are assembled, the pair of electrodes 34 is configured to be connected to a battery terminal (not shown) of the battery unit 12. Thereby, the battery unit 12 can supply electric power to the heater 26 via the pair of electrodes 34.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the cartridge 20 has a gas-liquid exchange member 35 that partitions the internal space of the chamber 27 and the internal space of the aerosol flow path 28 and the internal space of the tank main body 30. In the present embodiment, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 constitutes a part of the upper wall of the chamber 27 and the wall surface of the aerosol flow path 28. The gas-liquid exchange member 35 is configured to exchange the liquid in the tank unit 24 and the gas outside the tank unit 24. Specifically, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 can introduce the air in the chamber 27 and the aerosol flow path 28 into the tank main body 30 in accordance with a decrease in the amount of liquid in the tank 24. Further, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 can prevent the liquid in the tank body 30 from entering the chamber 27 and the aerosol flow path 28. As an example, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 has a substantially annular shape. In addition, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 can be formed of any porous material that allows gas to pass but does not allow liquid to pass through (does not allow liquid to enter the chamber 27). Specifically, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 has a lower wettability of a liquid containing an aerosol-forming material than a liquid member or a porous member having a void size smaller than that of the liquid holding member 25 (that is, a contact angle). Can be formed of a member. Alternatively, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 can be formed by providing a fine opening on the wall surface of the chamber 27 or the aerosol flow path 28. In this case, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 is configured by a part of the wall surface of the chamber 27 or the aerosol flow path 28. The gas-liquid exchange member 35 is disposed away from the heater 26. Therefore, the heater 26 does not atomize the liquid held by the gas-liquid exchange member 35. As described above, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 is similar to the liquid holding member 25 in that it includes a porous member, but differs in function from the liquid holding member 25 in that it is not a member for generating aerosol.

  In the present embodiment, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 constitutes a part of both wall surfaces of the chamber 27 and the aerosol flow path 28, but is not limited thereto, and is not limited to any one of the wall surfaces of the chamber 27 and the aerosol flow path 28. You may comprise a part. In the present embodiment, the gas-liquid exchange member 35 is arranged so as to exchange gas and liquid with the space of the tank main body 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an arbitrary space in the tank 24, for example, the intermediate part 32. Or you may arrange | position so that liquid-liquid exchange with the liquid introduction part 31 may be carried out. In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the size of the gap of the gas-liquid exchange member 35 at the boundary surface with the tank portion 24 be smaller than the minimum value of the flow path cross-sectional area of the tank portion 24. As a result, the bubbles that pass through the gas-liquid exchange member 35 and flow into the tank portion 24 can be made smaller than the minimum value of the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the tank portion 24, and the bubbles stay in the tank portion 24. Can be suppressed. The channel cross-sectional area here refers to the cross-sectional area of the channel through which the liquid moves.

  Next, a modified example of the cartridge 20 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3A is a transparent perspective view of the cartridge 20 according to a modification of the present embodiment. FIG. 3B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 of FIG. 3A. 3C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 3C. FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 along the arrow BB shown in FIG. 3C. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3E. Note that a top view and a bottom view of the cartridge 20 are the same as FIG. 2D and FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the cartridge 20 includes a liquid holding member 37 having a substantially flat plate shape having a capillary action such as cotton in the liquid introducing portion 31. Unlike the cartridge 20 shown in FIGS. 2A to 2G, the chamber 27 of the cartridge 20 does not have a wall surface on the distal end 22 side and is open. The liquid holding member 25 and the liquid holding member 37 are arranged so as to close the opening on the distal end 22 side of the chamber 27. Thereby, the liquid from the liquid introduction part 31 is prevented from entering the chamber 27. Further, the liquid holding member 37 is disposed so as to come into contact with the surface of the tank portion 24 on the distal end 22 side. In addition, the tank part 24 does not have a wall surface (bottom wall 24b) in the distal end 22 side, and the whole distal end 22 side may open. In that case, the opening on the distal end 22 side of the tank portion 24 is closed by the liquid holding member 37.

  The liquid holding member 25 is placed on the surface of the liquid holding member 37 on the proximal end 21 side. The liquid holding member 25 is disposed in the chamber 27. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 3C, in this modification, a part of the liquid holding member 37 and the liquid holding member 25 are provided with a liquid transporting member 40 that transports the liquid introduced from the liquid introducing unit 31 to the heater 26. Configure. Therefore, a part of the liquid transport member 40 is disposed in the liquid introduction part 31.

  FIG. 4A is a transparent perspective view of the cartridge 20 according to a modification of the present embodiment. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 of FIG. 4A. 4C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 4B. FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 4C. FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 along the arrow BB shown in FIG. 4C. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4E. Note that a top view and a bottom view of the cartridge 20 are the same as FIG. 2D and FIG.

  As illustrated, the cartridge 20 has a pair of liquid holding members 37 in the liquid introduction portion 31. Unlike the cartridge 20 shown in FIGS. 2A to 2G, the chamber 27 of the cartridge 20 does not have a wall surface on the distal end 22 side and is open. As shown in FIG. 4C, the liquid holding member 37 and the liquid holding member 25 are arranged so as to close the opening on the distal end 22 side of the chamber 27. Thereby, the liquid from the liquid introduction part 31 is prevented from entering the chamber 27. Further, the liquid holding member 37 is disposed so as to contact the liquid holding member 25 so as to sandwich the liquid holding member 25 and to be separated from the surface of the tank portion 24 on the distal end 22 side. In addition to the function of supplying the liquid to the liquid holding member 25, the liquid holding member 37 introduces air in the chamber 27 into the tank portion 24 as the amount of liquid in the tank portion 24 decreases. It can have the function of.

  FIG. 5A is a transparent perspective view of the cartridge 20 according to a modification of the present embodiment. FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 5B. FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 taken along line AA shown in FIG. 5C. FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 in the direction of arrow BB shown in FIG. 5C. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5E. Note that a top view and a bottom view of the cartridge 20 are the same as FIG. 2D and FIG.

  As illustrated, the cartridge 20 has a pair of liquid holding members 37 in the liquid introduction portion 31. Unlike the modification examples shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E, the liquid holding member 37 is disposed away from the liquid holding member 25 so as to sandwich the liquid holding member 25. The chamber 27 of the cartridge 20 has a partially open wall surface (bottom wall) on the distal end 22 side. As illustrated in FIG. 5C, the liquid holding member 25 and the liquid holding member 37 are disposed so as to close the opening on the distal end 22 side of the chamber 27. Thereby, the liquid from the liquid introduction part 31 is prevented from entering the chamber 27. Further, the liquid holding member 37 is disposed away from the surface of the tank portion 24 on the distal end 22 side. In addition to the function of supplying the liquid to the liquid holding member 25, the liquid holding member 37 introduces air in the chamber 27 into the tank portion 24 as the amount of liquid in the tank portion 24 decreases. It can have the function of.

  FIG. 6A is a transparent perspective view of the cartridge 20 according to a modification of the present embodiment. 6B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 of FIG. 6A. 6C is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 20 at a position shifted by 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal section in FIG. 6B. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 in the direction of arrows AA shown in FIG. 6C. FIG. 6E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 20 in the direction of arrow BB shown in FIG. 6C. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6E. Note that a top view and a bottom view of the cartridge 20 are the same as FIG. 2D and FIG.

  As illustrated, the cartridge 20 has a pair of liquid holding members 37 in the liquid introduction portion 31. Unlike the cartridge 20 shown in FIGS. 2A to 2G, the chamber 27 of the cartridge 20 does not have a wall surface on the distal end 22 side and is open. As illustrated in FIG. 6C, the liquid holding member 25 and the liquid holding member 37 are arranged so as to close the opening on the distal end 22 side of the chamber 27. Thereby, the liquid from the liquid introduction part 31 is prevented from entering the chamber 27. The liquid holding member 37 is in contact with the liquid holding member 25 and the wall surface on the distal end 22 side of the chamber 27 so as to sandwich the liquid holding member 25, and is in contact with the surface on the distal end 22 side of the tank portion 24. Arranged. In addition to the function of supplying the liquid to the liquid holding member 25, the liquid holding member 37 introduces air in the chamber 27 into the tank portion 24 as the amount of liquid in the tank portion 24 decreases. It can have the function of.

  Next, the operation of the cartridge 20 described above will be described. First, a liquid containing an aerosol forming material is accommodated in the tank body 30 of the cartridge 20. The liquid accommodated in the tank main body 30 moves toward the distal end 22 through the intermediate portion 32. The liquid that has moved toward the distal end 22 reaches the liquid introducing portion 31. The liquid that has reached the liquid introduction part 31 moves in the second direction and reaches the liquid holding member 25 or the liquid transport member 40. The liquid holding member 25 or the liquid transport member 40 transports the liquid toward the proximal end 21. Specifically, the liquid holding member 25 or the liquid transport member 40 transports to the first surface 25a with which the heater 26 contacts by capillary action.

  When the user sucks air from the mouthpiece 11, for example, power is supplied from the battery unit 12 to the heater 26 by an air pressure sensor (not shown) of the battery unit 12. Thereby, the first surface 25a is heated by the heater 26, the liquid is atomized, and an aerosol is generated. Air that flows in through the air flow path 36 from the air inlet 33 in accordance with the suction of the user passes through the aerosol discharge port 29 with the aerosol generated in the chamber 27 and enters the mouth of the user. To reach.

  Generally, when the user inhales air from the mouthpiece 11, the user places the cartridge 20 in a lower position than the mouthpiece 11, that is, the distal end 22 of the cartridge 20 is positioned below. The aspirator 10 is held. Therefore, when the user uses the aspirator 10, the liquid in the tank portion 24 accumulates on the distal end 22 side due to gravity. For this reason, according to the cartridge 20 of the present embodiment, since the liquid introduction part 31 includes the surface of the tank part 24 on the distal end 22 side, the liquid accumulated on the distal end 22 side remains in the tank part 24. In addition, the liquid can be transported to the liquid holding member 25.

  In the cartridge 20 of this embodiment, the heater 26 is placed on the first surface 25 a of the liquid holding member 25. Thereby, since the evaporation direction of the aerosol when the heater 26 is energized and the flow of the air flow at the time of suction coincide with each other, the frequency of the generated aerosol coming into contact with the wall surface constituting the flow path is reduced. It is possible to prevent the aerosol from condensing on the wall surface.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims and the specification and drawings. Is possible. Note that any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention as long as the effects and advantages of the present invention are achieved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Aspirator 12 ... Battery part 20 ... Cartridge 21 ... Proximal end 22 ... Distal end 24 ... Tank part 25 ... Liquid holding member 25a ... 1st surface 25b ... 2nd surface 26 ... Heater 27 ... Chamber 28 ... Aerosol flow Path 29 ... Aerosol outlet 30 ... Tank body 31 ... Liquid introduction part 32 ... Intermediate part 34 ... Electrode 35 ... Gas-liquid exchange member 37 ... Liquid holding member 40 ... Liquid transport member

Claims (18)

An aspirator cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction, comprising:
A tank for storing liquid,
A heater for heating and atomizing the liquid;
A liquid transporting member that transports the liquid of the tank part toward the heater,
The tank section includes a tank body section, and a liquid introduction section that moves the liquid along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and introduces the liquid into the liquid transport member,
The aspirator cartridge, wherein the liquid introduction part includes a surface on the distal end side of the tank part. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 1,
The liquid transport member has a first surface on the proximal end side and a second surface on the distal end side, and the heater is placed on the first surface of the liquid transport member. A dexterous cartridge. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 2,
The liquid transport member is a cartridge for an aspirator in which the second surface is in contact with the surface on the distal end side of the tank portion. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 2 or 3,
When the liquid is heated by the heater, the first surface of the liquid transport member is heated to a temperature higher than that of the second surface. The aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The aspirator cartridge further comprises an aerosol discharge port at the proximal end for discharging the aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid. In the cartridge for suction devices as described in any one of Claim 1 to 5,
A chamber in which the heater is disposed;
An aerosol flow path that communicates with the chamber and through which the aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid passes,
The aspirator cartridge, wherein the chamber is located on a distal end side with respect to the tank main body portion in the first direction and on a proximal end side with respect to the liquid introduction portion. The aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
A chamber in which the heater is disposed;
An aerosol flow path that communicates with the chamber and through which the aerosol generated by atomizing the liquid passes,
An aspirator cartridge comprising a gas-liquid exchange member that partitions an internal space of the chamber or the aerosol flow path and a space in the tank portion. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 7, wherein
The aspirator cartridge, wherein the gas-liquid exchange member has a gap through which gas passes, and a dimension of the gap at a boundary surface with the tank unit is smaller than a minimum value of a flow path cross-sectional area of the tank unit. The aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The cartridge for an aspirator, wherein the tank portion further includes an intermediate portion that connects the tank main body portion and the liquid introduction portion and has a larger capillary action than the tank main body portion. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 9, wherein
The suction part cartridge, wherein the intermediate part has a narrower channel than the tank body part. The aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein
The height of the liquid level of the liquid accommodated in the tank main body is changed according to the amount of the liquid in the tank main body. The aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The liquid stored in the tank body moves to the liquid introduction part, moves to the liquid transport member along the second direction through the liquid introduction part, and moves to the proximal end side through the liquid transport member. A cartridge for the aspirator that reaches the heater. Aspirator cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
And a battery unit configured to supply electric power to the heater of the cartridge for the suction device. A method of atomizing a liquid to produce an aerosol in an aspirator cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction comprising:
Transporting the liquid present at the distal end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A second step of transporting the liquid transported in the second direction toward the proximal end;
A third step of heating the liquid transported towards the proximal end to produce an aerosol. The method of claim 14, wherein
The method further comprises transporting the aerosol toward the proximal end. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein
Transporting the liquid from the proximal end toward the distal end prior to the first step. An aspirator cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end in a first direction, comprising:
A tank for storing liquid,
A heater for heating and atomizing the liquid;
A liquid transporting member that transports the liquid of the tank part toward the heater,
The heater is in contact with the liquid transport member;
A cartridge for an aspirator, further comprising a gas-liquid exchange member for exchanging the liquid in the tank part and the gas outside the tank part. The aspirator cartridge according to claim 17, wherein
The aspirator cartridge, wherein the gas-liquid exchange member includes a porous member and is disposed apart from the heater.

Images