KR102542599B1 - Aerosol generating device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device includes a heater for heating an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol, and a heat absorber disposed outside the heater to correspond to a partial region of the heater to absorb heat from the partial region of the heater, wherein the heater comprises: A low temperature part corresponding to the heat absorber and a high temperature part different from the low temperature part are included, and the heat absorber absorbs heat of the low temperature part so that the temperature of the low temperature part is relatively lower than the temperature of the high temperature part. .

Description

Aerosol generating device and manufacturing method thereof {AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF}

Embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an aerosol generating device in which a single heater can have a plurality of heating temperatures by absorbing heat from a heater disposed to correspond to a partial region of the heater. and a manufacturing method thereof.

In recent years there has been a growing demand for alternative methods that overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for a method of generating an aerosol as an aerosol-generating material in the cigarette is heated, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning the cigarette.

Aerosol-generating articles such as cigarettes are sometimes required to be heated to two or more temperatures as needed. In order to heat the aerosol-generating article to a plurality of temperatures, the aerosol-generating device is generally equipped with a plurality of heaters. Alternatively, a plurality of heating temperatures are formed by controlling a single heater with two or more electrical signals.

However, since the size of the aerosol generating device is limited to a size that is easy for a user to carry, when the aerosol generating device includes two or more heaters, the internal arrangement structure becomes complicated, the weight increases, and the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, when a single heater is controlled by two or more electrical signals, the circuit design of the heater becomes complicated and power consumption increases.

A technical problem to be solved by the embodiments is to provide an aerosol generating device capable of heating an aerosol generating article to a plurality of temperatures by absorbing heat from a partial region of a single heater and a manufacturing method thereof.

Technical challenges of the present embodiments are not limited to those described above, and other technical challenges may be inferred from the following examples.

An aerosol generating device according to an embodiment includes a heater generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating article, and a heat absorber arranged outside the heater to correspond to a partial region of the heater to absorb heat from the partial region of the heater. The heater includes a low-temperature part corresponding to the heat absorber and a high-temperature part different from the low-temperature part, and the heat absorber absorbs heat of the low-temperature part so that the temperature of the low-temperature part is higher than the temperature of the high-temperature part. formed relatively low.

In addition, a method of manufacturing an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment includes preparing a synthetic resin film, disposing a conductive material on the film to form a film heater, and disposing a heat absorber in a portion of the film heater. and crimping the film heater so that the heat absorber faces outward, and assembling the film heater to surround an accommodation space accommodating an aerosol generating article, wherein the heater corresponds to the heat absorber. It includes a low temperature part, which is a partial region, and a high temperature part, which is a region different from the low temperature part, and the heat absorber absorbs heat of the low temperature part while the heater generates heat, so that the temperature of the low temperature part is relatively lower than the temperature of the high temperature part. is formed

According to the aerosol generating device and method of manufacturing the same according to the embodiments, the aerosol generating article can be heated to a plurality of heating temperatures by disposing or attaching a heat absorber to a partial region of the heater to adjust the burning rate of the aerosol generating article, Smoking sensation can be improved.

In addition, since a single heater can implement a plurality of heating temperatures by a simple configuration, the internal design of the aerosol generating device can be easily designed and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating examples in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.
3 and 4 are diagrams showing examples of cigarettes that can be used in the aerosol generating device according to the embodiments.
5 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
6 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of a portion of an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 .
8 is a block diagram of some components of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
9 is a partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of some elements of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 9;
11 is a partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .
12 is a flow chart of a manufacturing method of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a plan view of a heater manufactured by the method for manufacturing an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 .
14 is a perspective view of a state in which the heater of FIG. 13 is crimped.

The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present invention, but they may vary depending on the intention of a person skilled in the art, precedent, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in a specific case, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, not simply the name of the term.

When it is said that a certain part "includes" a certain component throughout the specification, it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as “…unit” and “…module” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating examples in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery 11 , a controller 12 and a heater 13 . In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 further comprises a vaporizer 14 . The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown including a vaporizer 14, but the vaporizer 14 may be omitted if necessary. In addition, a cigarette 2 may be inserted into the inner space of the aerosol generating device 1 .

Components related to the present embodiment are shown in the aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment can understand that other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating device 1 in addition to the components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

1 and 2 show that the aerosol generating device 1 includes the heater 13, but the heater 13 may be omitted if necessary.

1 shows a battery 11, a controller 12, a vaporizer 14, and a heater 13 arranged in a line. Also, in FIG. 2 , the vaporizer 14 and the heater 13 are shown arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . In other words, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1, the arrangement of the battery 11, the control unit 12, the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14 can be changed.

When the cigarette 2 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , the aerosol generating device 1 may activate the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 passes through the cigarette 2 and is delivered to the user.

If necessary, the aerosol generating device 1 can heat the heater 13 even when the cigarette 2 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 .

The battery 11 supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the battery 11 may supply power so that the heater 13 or the vaporizer 14 may be heated, and may supply power necessary for the control unit 12 to operate. In addition, the battery 11 may supply power necessary for the display, sensor, motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 1 to operate.

The controller 12 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . Specifically, the controller 12 controls the operation of the battery 11, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 1. In addition, the controller 12 may determine whether or not the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operable state by checking the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 1 .

The controller 12 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which programs executable by the microprocessor are stored. Also, those having ordinary knowledge in the art to which this embodiment belongs can understand that it may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The heater 13 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 11 . For example, if the cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the heater 13 may be positioned outside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 13 may increase the temperature of the aerosol generating material in the cigarette.

The heater 13 may be an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater 13 may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 13 is not limited to the above example, and may be applied without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be previously set in the aerosol generating device 1 or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 13 may be an induction heating type heater. Specifically, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the cigarette by an induction heating method, and the cigarette may include a susceptor capable of being heated by the induction heating type heater.

For example, the heater 13 may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and the inside or outside of the cigarette 2 may be heated according to the shape of the heating element. can be heated

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 1 . At this time, the plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed to be inserted into the cigarette 2 or disposed outside the cigarette 2 . In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed to be inserted into the cigarette 2, and others may be disposed outside the cigarette 2. In addition, the shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and may be manufactured in various shapes.

The vaporizer 14 may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may pass through the cigarette 2 and be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 can move along the air flow path of the aerosol generating device 1, and the air flow path allows the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 to pass through the cigarette and deliver to the user. It can be configured to be.

For example, vaporizer 14 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means and heating element may be included in the aerosol-generating device 1 as independent modules.

The liquid reservoir may store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit may be manufactured to be detachable from/attached to/from the vaporizer 14, or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 14.

For example, liquid compositions may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavors, or vitamin mixtures. Fragrance may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, etc., but is not limited thereto. Flavoring agents can include ingredients that can provide a variety of flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Liquid compositions may also contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid delivery means may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid reservoir to the heating element. For example, the liquid delivery means may be a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, or a ceramic heater, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heating element may be composed of a conductive filament such as nichrome wire, and may be disposed in a structure wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element may be heated by supplying current, and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element to heat the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 14 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include general-purpose components other than the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be manufactured in a structure in which external air may flow in or internal gas may flow out even when the cigarette 2 is inserted.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the aerosol generating device 1 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used for charging the battery 11 of the aerosol generating device 1 . Alternatively, the heater 13 may be heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 1 are coupled.

Hereinafter, examples of the cigarette 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

3 and 4 are diagrams showing examples of cigarettes that can be used in the aerosol generating device according to the embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the cigarette 2 includes a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22 .

Although filter rod 22 is shown as a single segment in FIG. 3, it is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 22 may be composed of a plurality of segments. For example, filter rod 22 may include a segment that cools the aerosol and a segment that filters certain components contained within the aerosol. Also, if necessary, the filter rod 22 may further include at least one segment performing other functions.

Cigarette 2 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 24 . At least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged may be formed in the wrapper 24 . As an example, the cigarette 2 may be wrapped by one wrapper 24 . As another example, the cigarette 2 may be overlappingly wrapped by two or more wrappers 24 . For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be wrapped by the first wrapper 241 and the filter rod 22 may be wrapped by the wrappers 242 , 243 , and 244 . In addition, the entire cigarette 2 may be repackaged by a single wrapper 245 . If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by wrappers 242 , 243 , and 244 .

The tobacco rod 21 contains an aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generating material may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may contain other additive substances such as flavoring agents, humectants and/or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer can be added to the tobacco rod 21 by spraying it to the tobacco rod 21 .

Tobacco rod 21 can be manufactured in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be made of a sheet or may be made of a strand. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may be made of a cut filler in which a tobacco sheet is chopped. Also, the tobacco rod 21 may be surrounded by a heat conducting material. For example, the thermal conduction material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto. For example, the heat conduction material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 can improve the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod by evenly distributing the heat transmitted to the tobacco rod 21, thereby improving the taste of the tobacco. . In addition, the heat conduction material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may function as a susceptor heated by an induction heating type heater. At this time, although not shown in the drawing, the tobacco rod 21 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the heat conducting material surrounding the outside.

Filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. On the other hand, the shape of the filter rod 22 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow inside. Also, the filter rod 22 may be a recess type rod. If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

In addition, at least one capsule 23 may be included in the filter rod 22 . Here, the capsule 23 may perform a function of generating a flavor or a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is wrapped in a film. The capsule 23 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the cigarette 3 may further include a shear plug 33 . The shear plug 33 may be located on one side of the tobacco rod 31 opposite to the filter rod 32 . The shear plug 33 can prevent the tobacco rod 31 from escaping to the outside, and prevents the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod 31 from flowing into the aerosol generating device (1 in FIGS. 1 and 2) during smoking. It can be prevented.

The filter rod 32 may include a first segment 321 and a second segment 322 . Here, the first segment 321 may correspond to the first segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. 4, and the second segment 322 may correspond to the third segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. can

The diameter and total length of the cigarette 3 may correspond to the diameter and total length of the cigarette 2 of FIG. 4 . For example, the length of the shear plug 33 is about 7 mm, the length of the tobacco rod 31 is about 15 mm, the length of the first segment 321 is about 12 mm, and the length of the second segment 322 is about 14 mm. may, but is not limited thereto.

The cigarette 3 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 35 . At least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged may be formed in the wrapper 35 . For example, the shear plug 33 is wrapped by the first wrapper 351, the tobacco rod 31 is wrapped by the second wrapper 352, and the first segment by the third wrapper 353 ( 321) may be wrapped, and the second segment 322 may be wrapped by the fourth wrapper 354. Also, the entire cigarette 3 may be repackaged by the fifth wrapper 355 .

In addition, at least one perforation 36 may be formed in the fifth wrapper 355 . For example, the perforation 36 may be formed in an area surrounding the tobacco rod 31, but is not limited thereto. Perforations 36 may serve to transfer heat generated by the heater 13 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the inside of the tobacco rod 31.

In addition, at least one capsule 34 may be included in the second segment 322 . Here, the capsule 34 may perform a function of generating a flavor or a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

5 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 . The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may correspond to the aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , and the aerosol generating article 2 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 It may correspond to cigarettes. Therefore, redundant descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

5 and 6, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment includes a heater 100, a heat absorber 200, a receiving space 300, cooling fins 400, and an air flow path 500. include

The heater 100 heats the aerosol-generating article 2 to generate an aerosol. Referring to FIG. 6 , the heater 100 may be an external heating type heater 100 that supplies heat from the outside of the aerosol generating article 2 . Also, the heater 100 may be a film type heater 100 .

The film heater 100 is a heating element formed in a planar shape by printing a conductive material (101 in FIG. 13) on a synthetic resin film. The synthetic resin film may be a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or a polyimide (PI) film. The film-type heater 100 is easy to control temperature, has excellent heating efficiency, and is easy to use in a small device due to its small volume.

The heater 100 of the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may be a film-type heater 100 in which a synthetic resin film is crimped. The film heater 100 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol generating article 2 . The heater 100 is crimped into a hollow cylindrical or tubular shape, and can heat the aerosol-generating article 2 from the outside by accommodating the aerosol-generating article 2 in a hollow formed therein.

The heat absorber 200 may lower the temperature of the heater 100 by absorbing heat from the heater 100 . Referring to FIG. 6 , the heat absorber 200 may be disposed outside the heater 100 to correspond to a partial area of the heater 100 . In other words, the heat absorber 200 is disposed outside the heater 100 and is disposed to correspond to only a partial area of the heater 100 to absorb heat, thereby lowering the temperature of only the partial area. Therefore, in the heater 100 , the temperature of a portion of the area where heat is taken away by the heat absorber 200 may be lower than the temperature of the remaining area.

The heat absorber 200 may include a material having a property of absorbing heat. For example, at least one of graphite, metal compound, and ceramic having excellent heat absorbing ability may be included. In addition, the heat absorber 200 may include a phase change material or a synthetic resin having heat absorption properties. In addition to this, any material may be included as long as it has a property of absorbing heat.

The heater 100 may include a low temperature part 110, which is a partial area corresponding to the heat absorber 200, and a high temperature part 120, which is a different location. Since the heat absorber 200 is disposed to correspond to the low temperature part 110 and absorbs heat from the low temperature part 110 , the temperature of the low temperature part 110 may be formed to be relatively lower than the temperature of the high temperature part 120 . For example, when electric power is supplied to the heater 100, the high-temperature part 120 may be heated up to about 300°C, and the low-temperature part 110 may be heated up to about 200°C by the heat absorber 200.

Positions of the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 are determined by the position of the heat absorber 200 . As shown in FIG. 6 , when the heat absorber 200 is disposed to correspond to the upper part of the heater 100, the low temperature part 110 is formed on the upper part of the heater 100, and the high temperature part 120 is of the heater 100. formed at the bottom The positional relationship between the high temperature part 120 and the low temperature part 110 is not limited. 6 shows an aerosol generating device 1 in which a low-temperature part 110 is formed above the heater 100 and a high-temperature part 120 is formed below the heater 100, but the low-temperature part 110 is the heater 100. ), or may be formed in the center of the heater 100.

The heat absorber 200 may be arranged to correspond to a partial area of the heater 100 in the extension direction of the aerosol generating article 2 . The direction of extension of the aerosol-generating article 2 herein refers to an axial direction connecting one end of the aerosol-generating article 2 to be inhaled by a user and the other end opposite to the one end. Referring to FIG. 3 , the axial direction connecting the tobacco rod 21 and the filter rod 22 is the extension direction of the aerosol-generating article 2 . That is, the direction of extension of the aerosol-generating article 2 means the longitudinal direction penetrating the upper and lower surfaces of the aerosol-generating article 2 .

The heat absorber 200 may absorb heat by arranging the film heater 100 crimped into a cylindrical or tubular shape to correspond to a partial area in the extension direction of the aerosol generating article 2 . At this time, in the film heater 100, the temperature of some regions where heat is absorbed by the heat absorber 200 is lower than the temperature of other regions having different locations, so that the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 can be formed. there is. In other words, in the direction of extension of the aerosol-generating article 2, the hot portion 120 and the cold portion 110 are partitioned.

The heater 100 may function as a multi-stage heater as a result of the heat absorber 200 disposed to correspond to the partial region so that the temperature of the partial region is relatively lower than that of other regions having different locations. A 'multi-stage heater' refers to a structure of a heater capable of heating separated regions of an aerosol-generating article to different temperatures by arranging a plurality of heaters step by step.

According to such an aerosol generating device 1, there is no need to provide two or more heaters 100 to heat the aerosol generating article 2 to different temperatures or to perform different electrical controls on each part of the heater 100, It is possible to form a plurality of heating temperatures by the heat absorber 200 . Therefore, by arranging the heat absorber 200 outside the heater 100, the same function as having a multi-stage heater can be performed, thereby reducing the number of parts, eliminating the need for complicated circuit design, and reducing manufacturing costs. have

Depending on the aerosol-generating article 2, it may be required to heat certain portions of the aerosol-generating article 2 to a relatively high temperature and certain portions of the aerosol-generating article 2 to a relatively low temperature. For example, if the aerosol-generating article 2 is partitioned into sections comprising different cut fillers, the optimum heating temperature may be different depending on the type of cut filler. At this time, the heater 100 forms the high temperature part 120 and the low temperature part 110 using the heat absorber 200, so that each section of the aerosol generating article 2 can be heated to an optimum heating temperature. Even when some parts of the aerosol-generating article 2 contain liquid or contain granules, it is possible to heat only those parts to different temperatures.

In addition, a plurality of heat absorbers 200 may be disposed as needed. A plurality of heat absorbers 200 may be disposed along the extension direction of the cigarette. In this case, the number of low-temperature parts 110 corresponding to the number of heat absorbers 200 is formed. Different areas of the aerosol-generating article 2 can thus be heated to different temperatures.

In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include an accommodating space 300 . The accommodating space 300 is a space accommodating the aerosol generating article 2 . As shown in FIG. 5, the accommodating space 300 may be located at the center of the aerosol generating device 1, but its location is not limited and may be located on one side of the aerosol generating device 1. The aerosol generating article 2 may be accommodated inside the accommodating space 300 , and the heater 100 may be disposed outside the accommodating space 300 .

The heater 100 may extend along at least a portion of the circumferential direction outside the accommodation space 300 . In addition, the heat absorber 200 may extend along at least a portion of the circumferential direction outside the heater 100 . At least a portion of the accommodation space 300 may be surrounded by the heater 100, and at least a portion of the heater 100 may be surrounded by the heat absorber 200.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when the accommodating space 300 has a cylindrical shape, the heater 100 may extend along at least a portion of the cylindrical shape in a circumferential direction and be formed in a curved shape. When the aerosol generating article 2 is accommodated inside the accommodation space 300, the heater 100 heats the outside of the aerosol generating article 2. The heat absorber 200 may extend along at least a portion of the circumferential direction outside the heater 100 to have the same curved shape as the heater 100 .

Also, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include cooling fins 400 . The cooling fins 400 protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the heat absorber 200 to emit heat absorbed by the heat absorber 200 to the outside. As shown in FIG. 6 , a plurality of cooling fins 400 may be formed along the extending direction of the cigarette.

When the heat absorber 200 is disposed inside the heater 100 to correspond to a partial area of the heater 100, the temperature of the partial area of the heater 100 may be temporarily lowered. As a result, the temperature difference can be reduced. In the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment, the cooling fins 400 continuously release heat from the heat absorber 200 to maintain a temperature difference between the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 .

In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include an air flow path 500 through which air flows. As shown in FIG. 5 , a plurality of airflow paths 500 may be formed adjacent to the accommodating space 300 . Air flowing through the air flow path 500 can effectively reduce the temperature of the cooling fins 400 by exchanging heat with the cooling fins 400 . Therefore, the temperature of the low-temperature part 110 of the heater 100 can be maintained, and the user's smoking feeling can be further improved. Details thereof will be described later with reference to the drawings.

7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of a portion of an aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 .

The heat absorber 200 may be movably disposed along the extension direction of the aerosol generating article 2 relative to the heater 100 . It may be necessary to change the positional relationship between the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 of the heater 100 as needed. Depending on the composition or structure of the aerosol-generating article 2, in some cases the cold section 110 should be located above the hot section 120, and vice versa. It may also be required to change the position of the cold part 110 during smoking. The location of the low-temperature portion 110 can be changed by disposing the heat absorber 200 to be movable relative to the heater 100 along the extension direction of the aerosol-generating article 2 .

Referring to FIG. 7A , the heat absorber 200 may be disposed to correspond to an upper portion of the heater 100 . At this time, the low temperature part 110 is located above the heater 100 . When power is supplied to the heater 100, the portion of the aerosol-generating article 2 corresponding to the hot portion 120 is heated to a relatively high temperature, and the portion corresponding to the cold portion 110 is heated to a relatively low temperature.

When the heat absorber 200 moves along the extension direction of the aerosol-generating article 2 relative to the heater 100, the heat absorber 200 will be disposed to correspond to the lower portion of the heater 100, as shown in FIG. 7B. can At this time, the low temperature part 110 is located under the high temperature part 120 . When the heat absorber 200 moves again, the positions of the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 may be changed again. The position of the low temperature part 110 can be changed as needed.

When the entire area of the aerosol-generating article 2 heated by the heater 100 is heated to a high temperature, the entire area is quickly burned and the feeling of smoking may not be constant, so it is necessary to control the burning speed. can In the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment, since the positions of the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 are changed as the heat absorber 200 moves, the aerosol generating article 2 can be evenly heated as a whole.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of some components of the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , the heat absorber 200 may include a driving unit 210 and a controller 220 . The driving unit 210 moves the heat absorber 200 to change a relative position of the heat absorber 200 with respect to the heater 100 . The drive unit 210 may include a motor and a gear, and any known means capable of moving the position of the heat absorber 200 may be applied. Also, the driving unit 210 may be operated by a user's manual manipulation.

The controller 220 may control driving of the driving unit 210 based on the operating time of the heater 100 . After the aerosol generating device 1 is operated, the controller 220 may control the driving unit 210 to move the heat absorber 200 to another position when a predetermined time elapses.

For example, when the heat absorber 200 is located above the heater 100 at the time when the heating of the heater 100 starts (see FIG. 7A), after the heater 100 is heated for a certain period of time, the controller 220 may control the driving unit 210 so that the heat absorber 200 is located under the heater 100 (see FIG. 7B). Since the high-temperature portion 120 is formed at the lower portion of the heater 100 for a certain period of time after the heater 100 is heated, the lower portion of the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated to a high temperature at the beginning of operation. When the heat absorber 200 moves after a lapse of time, the position of the high temperature part 120 moves upward, so that the upper part of the aerosol generating article 2 is heated to a high temperature. Thus, the entire aerosol-generating article 2 can be evenly heated during use of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

The controller 220 may also control the driving unit 210 to change the position of the heat absorber 200 according to the configuration of the aerosol-generating article 2 .

9 is a partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment.

The aforementioned cooling fins 400 protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the heat absorber 200 . The heat absorber 200 absorbs heat from a partial area of the heater 100, and the absorbed heat is released to the outside of the heat absorber 200 by the cooling fins 400. When the heater 100 is initially operated, even if the heat absorber 200 absorbs heat from a partial area of the heater 100 and the low temperature part 110 is formed, the heat absorber 200 continuously absorbs heat from the heater 100. If not, the thermal energy of the high-temperature part 120 may be transferred to the low-temperature part 110 and the temperature difference may decrease. Since the cooling fins 400 release heat absorbed by the heat absorber 200, the heat absorber 200 can continuously absorb heat from the heater 100, so that the heater 100 has a low temperature part 110 and a high temperature part 120. ) can be maintained continuously.

The cooling fins 400 may release heat from the heat absorber 200 to the outside by exchanging heat with air flowing through the air flow path 500 . At least some of the cooling fins 400 may be exposed to the air flow path 500 . The heat absorbed by the heat absorber 200 is transferred to the cooling fins 400 by conduction and transferred to the air flowing through the airflow path 500 by convection, thereby being discharged to the outside of the heat absorber 200 . Through the above cooling process, the heat absorber 200 can be effectively cooled without a separate fluid circuit.

The shape of the cooling fin 400 may be formed in an appropriate shape to improve the cooling efficiency of the heat absorber 200 . In FIG. 9 , the cooling fin 400 is shown as a protrusion protruding toward the air flow path 500, but is not limited thereto, and may be formed in a flat plate shape, a wedge shape, a spiral shape, or the like. In addition, the cooling fins 400 may be of an appropriate size so as not to obstruct the movement of air flowing through the airflow path 500 .

The airflow path 500 may supply air to the aerosol-generating article 2 . One end of the airflow path 500 may be formed on the upper surface of the aerosol generating device 1, and the other end may be formed in the accommodating space 300. The air introduced into one end of the air flow path 500 moves to the other end through the air flow path 500 and is supplied to the accommodation space 300, whereby it can be used to generate aerosol.

Since the air exchanges heat with the cooling fins 400 in the air flow path 500 and is supplied to the accommodation space 300, a sense of warmth may be added to the air. That is, since air heated by heat exchange with the cooling fins 400 is supplied to the accommodation space 300 to generate aerosol, the user's smoking sensation can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment may further include a heat insulating member 600 .

When the air flowing through the airflow path 500 comes into contact with the high-temperature portion 120 of the heater 100, the heat of the high-temperature portion 120 is transferred to the air, so that the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating article 2 may be lowered. In particular, when the outside temperature is low, when the cold outside air moves through the air flow path 500 and exchanges heat with the high-temperature part 120, the temperature of the heater 100 is lowered and the aerosol-generating article 2 may not be heated to an appropriate temperature. . Alternatively, a problem in that power consumption of the battery increases in order to maintain the temperature of the heater 100 may occur. In order to prevent this phenomenon, the aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment may further include a heat insulating member 600.

The heat insulating member 600 is disposed outside the high temperature part 120 of the heater 100 . The heat insulating member 600 may block heat exchange between the high-temperature portion 120 and the air by blocking contact between air flowing through the air flow path 500 and the high-temperature portion 120 . The heat insulating member 600 may be disposed to surround an outer circumferential surface of the high-temperature portion 120 . In order for the heat insulating member 600 to effectively block contact between the high-temperature part 120 and air, the heat insulating member 600 may have a shape corresponding to that of the heater 100 .

In addition, when the aerosol generating device 1 is continuously used, heat remaining in the heater 100 is emitted to the outside, and a lot of power may be consumed to reheat the heater 100. Since the heat insulating member 600 prevents the high-temperature part 120 from quickly cooling down and reduces power required for reheating the heater 100, power efficiency can be improved.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of some elements of the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 10 , the heat absorber 200 may have a cylindrical shape including a hollow to correspond to a partial area of the heater 100 . The heater 100 may be inserted into the hollow of the heat absorber 200 in the extending direction of the cigarette. The length of the heat absorber 200 is formed shorter than the length of the heater 100 to correspond to a partial region outside the heater 100 . A region where the heat absorber 200 and the heater 100 correspond among the entire region of the heater 100 becomes the low-temperature portion 110 .

The heat insulating member 600 is disposed to correspond to the high temperature part 120, which is a different region from the low temperature part 110 of the heater 100. The heat insulating member 600 may have a cylindrical shape including a hollow to correspond to the high temperature part 120 of the heater 100 . The heat insulating member 600 is disposed outside the high temperature part 120 and corresponds to the remaining area of the heater 100 that does not correspond to the heat absorber 200 . As a result, the low temperature part 110 of the heater 100 corresponds to the heat absorber 200, and the high temperature part 120 corresponds to the heat insulating member 600. A heat dissipation film is disposed between the heat absorber 200 and the heat insulation member 600 to block heat exchange.

As shown in FIG. 10 , a plurality of cooling fins 400 may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the heat absorber 200 and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction in order to increase a cooling effect of the heat absorber 200 . The plurality of cooling fins 400 may be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the heat absorber 200 to increase a contact area between the cooling fins 400 and air, thereby increasing a heat dissipation area. Therefore, the heat of the heat absorber 200 can be effectively dissipated.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 11 , the air flow path 500 may be formed to bypass the high temperature unit 120 in order to prevent heat exchange between the air flowing through the air flow path 500 and the high temperature unit 120 . When the air flow path 500 is formed to bypass the high-temperature portion 120, heat exchange between air flowing through the air flow path 500 and the high-temperature portion 120 can be prevented even without the heat insulating member 600. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the inner wall of the aerosol generating device 1 surrounds the high temperature part 120, and the air flow path 500 extends below the heater 100 and is connected to the accommodation space 300. can However, it is not limited to the air flow path 500 shown in FIG. 11, and any air flow path 500 may be formed so as not to contact the high-temperature part 120.

The heater 100 described above is a single heater 100, and the low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 are different only in temperature. The low temperature part 110 and the high temperature part 120 have the same calorific value per unit area and the same calorific value per unit time. In other words, rather than heating the aerosol-generating article 2 to different temperatures by arranging two or more heaters 100 and having different calorific values, one heater 100 heats the area corresponding to the heat absorber 200 is formed at a relatively low temperature. The aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiments may function as a multi-stage heater 100 while including only one heater 100 .

12 is a flow chart of a manufacturing method of an aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12, a method of manufacturing the aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment includes a film preparation step (S100), a film-type heater 100 forming step (S200), and a heat absorber 200 disposing step (S300). ) and a step of arranging the film heater 100 (S400).

In the film preparation step (S100), a film of the film heater 100 to be used in the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiments is prepared.

Considering that the temperature of the heater 100 used in the aerosol generating device 1 is heated up to about 350°C, a synthetic resin film having heat resistance of 350°C or higher is suitable. In addition, a film having excellent flexibility is suitable for manufacturing the film heater 100 . The film may be a synthetic resin film such as a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or a polyimide (PI) film having excellent electrical and thermal stability and excellent printing quality. The film may have a thickness of about 15 μm to about 80 μm, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The film may include a first film on which the conductive material 101 is disposed and a second film for protecting the conductive material 101 .

In addition, the film preparation step (S100) may include a cleaning process for removing foreign substances from the film.

In the step of forming the film heater 100 ( S200 ), the film heater 100 is formed by disposing the conductive material 101 on the prepared synthetic resin film.

The conductive material 101 may include a metal material having electrical resistance characteristics while having electrical conductivity. For example, one or more of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), gold (Au), and chromium (Cr) may be included.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the heater 100 manufactured by the manufacturing method of the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 .

In the step of forming the film heater 100 ( S200 ), a conductive material 101 is disposed on the film heater 100 . The conductive material 101 is disposed on the film and can be printed by various printing techniques.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the conductive material 101 may be printed in a specific pattern on the film. When power is supplied, heat is generated while current is applied to the conductive material 101 printed on the film. The printed pattern of the conductive material 101 is not limited to the pattern shown in FIG. 13 and may be modified as needed.

As an example of the arrangement of the conductive material 101, a photoresist may be coated on the first film to form a photosensitive coating layer. Photoresist coating may use any one of spin coating, slit and spin coating, slit coating, and capillary coating. The photoresist is melted by receiving ultraviolet light or light, and an embossed pattern may be formed on the first film. The surface of the embossed pattern formed in this process may be conductively coated using the conductive material 101 .

A conductive material 101 is disposed on the first film, and a second film is laminated thereon and bonded to form the film heater 100 . At this time, it can be bonded by adhesive bonding method.

In the step of disposing the heat absorber 200 ( S300 ), the heat absorber 200 is disposed on a partial area of the film heater 100 .

Referring to FIG. 13 , the heat absorber 200 is disposed to correspond to a partial area of the film type heater 100 . The heat absorber 200 may be attached to the film type heater 100 by an adhesive such as a binder. The heat absorber 200 may be formed in the form of a sheet and may be integrally formed with the film-type heater 100 by being attached to one surface of the film-type heater 100 .

14 is a perspective view of a state in which the heater 100 of FIG. 13 is crimped.

Referring to FIG. 14 , a heat absorber 200 may be attached to the outside of the film heater 100 to form a low temperature part 110 and a high temperature part 120 . When power is applied to the film heater 100, the temperature rises. Since the heat absorber 200 absorbs heat, the region where the heat absorber 200 is attached has a relatively lower temperature than other regions of the film heater 100 . Accordingly, the film heater 100 may include a low temperature part 110, which is an area where the heat absorber 200 is attached, and a high temperature part 120, which is a different location from the low temperature part 110.

The heat absorber 200 may include at least one of graphite, metal compound, and ceramic having excellent heat absorption ability. In addition, the heat absorber 200 may include a material having excellent flexibility.

In the step of arranging the film heater 100 (S400), the film heater 100 is crimped so that the heat absorber 200 faces the outside, and the film heater 100 accommodates the cigarette (300 in FIG. 5). ) is assembled to enclose the

The aerosol generating article 2 accommodated in the accommodating space 300 is heated by the film-type heater 100 surrounding the accommodating space (300 in FIG. 5). At this time, among the film heater 100, the low temperature part 110 to which the heat absorber 200 is attached is heated to a relatively low temperature, and the high temperature part 120 is heated to a relatively high temperature.

Those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment will be able to understand that it may be implemented in a modified form within a range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed methods are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the present invention.

1: aerosol-generating device 2: aerosol-generating article
100: heater 110: low temperature part
120: high temperature part 200: heat absorber
210: driving unit 220: controller
300: accommodation space 400: cooling fin
500: air flow pass 600: insulation member

Claims (15)

a heater that heats the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol; and
A heat absorber disposed outside the heater to correspond to a partial region of the heater, including a heat absorbing material, and absorbing heat from a partial region of the heater;
The heater includes a low-temperature part corresponding to the heat absorber and a high-temperature part different from the low-temperature part, and since the heat absorber absorbs heat of the low-temperature part, the temperature of the low-temperature part is relatively higher than the temperature of the high-temperature part. Low profile aerosol generating device. According to claim 1,
The heater is a film-type heater disposed to surround at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber is disposed to correspond to a partial region of the film heater in an extending direction of the aerosol generating article. According to claim 1,
Further comprising an accommodating space accommodating the aerosol-generating article,
The heater extends along at least a portion of the circumferential direction outside the accommodation space,
wherein the heat absorber extends along at least a portion of a circumferential direction outside of the heater. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber is movably disposed relative to the heater along a direction of extension of the aerosol generating article. According to claim 4,
The heat absorber includes a driving unit for moving the heat absorber relative to the heater and a controller for controlling the driving unit;
The controller controls the driving unit based on the operating time of the heater. According to claim 1,
and at least one cooling fin protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the heat absorber to release the heat absorbed by the heat absorber to the outside of the heat absorber. According to claim 6,
A plurality of cooling fins are formed to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the heat absorber in a circumferential direction. According to claim 6,
Further comprising an airflow path through which air is introduced,
An aerosol generating device wherein at least a portion of the cooling fin is exposed to the air flow path and exchanges heat with air flowing through the air flow path to emit heat. According to claim 8,
the airflow path supplies air to the aerosol-generating article;
The aerosol generating device further includes a heat insulating member disposed outside the high-temperature portion of the heater to block heat exchange between air flowing through the airflow path and the high-temperature portion of the heater. According to claim 8,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the air flow path bypasses the high-temperature portion of the heater to prevent the air flowing through the air flow path from exchanging heat with the high-temperature portion of the heater. According to claim 1,
The heater is a single heater, and the high-temperature portion and the low-temperature portion of the heater have the same calorific value per unit area and the same calorific value per unit time. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of heat absorbers are disposed along an extending direction of the aerosol generating article. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber includes at least one of graphite, a metal compound, and ceramic. A film preparation step of preparing a synthetic resin film;
Forming a film-type heater by disposing a conductive material on the film to form a film-type heater;
a heat absorber disposing step of disposing a heat absorber on a partial area of the film heater; and
A film-type heater arrangement step of crimping the film-type heater so that the heat absorber faces outward and assembling the film-type heater to surround an accommodation space accommodating an aerosol generating article; including,
The heater includes a low-temperature part corresponding to the heat absorber and a high-temperature part different from the low-temperature part, and the heat absorber absorbs heat of the low-temperature part while the heater generates heat, thereby increasing the temperature of the low-temperature part. A method of manufacturing an aerosol generating device in which is formed relatively lower than the temperature of the high-temperature portion. According to claim 14,
The heat absorber is attached to an outer circumferential surface of the film-type heater and integrally formed with the heater.

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