KR20210078347A - Aerosol generating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating apparatus including: a cavity accommodating at least a part of an aerosol forming base material; an elongated heater element extending in one direction of the cavity and arranged so as to penetrate the aerosol forming base material when the aerosol forming base material is accommodated in the cavity; and a light source irradiating the elongated heater element with light. Metal nanoparticles are arranged in the elongated heater element. The metal nanoparticles generate heat by receiving the light from the light source and by surface plasmon resonance. At least one uneven portion is formed in the elongated heater element. At least some of the metal nanoparticles are arranged on the at least one uneven portion.

Description

Aerosol generating device {AEROSOL GENERATING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to form an aerosol.

In recent years there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that overcome the disadvantages of traditional cigarettes. For example, there is increasing research on methods of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate in a cigarette rather than a method of burning a cigarette to generate an aerosol. In a heated aerosol generating device, a cigarette is heated using a heater.

Typically, the aerosol-forming substrate is heated to a temperature of several hundred degrees to release one or more volatile mixtures to form an aerosol. In most cases, this is accomplished by inserting a heater, such as a bladed heater element, or using an external heater, such as a tubular heater, to internally heat the aerosol-forming substrate.

However, since most of the heaters for internally or externally heating the aerosol-forming substrate are resistive heaters, electrical contact with a power source is necessarily required, which leads to limitations on the structure of the device.

An object according to an aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is an aerosol generating device that does not require electrical connection to a power supply by using heating by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) through metal nanoparticles. will provide

In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide an aerosol generating device that achieves uniform heating and maximization of heating efficiency by causing diffuse reflection of light irradiated to metal nanoparticles by an uneven portion arranged inside the heater element. will be.

Moreover, it is an object according to another aspect of the present invention to provide an aerosol generating device that performs more precise heating on a user-desired area by locally disposing different types of metal nanoparticles.

An aerosol-generating device according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a cavity accommodating at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, extending in one direction of the cavity, and when the aerosol-forming substrate is accommodated in the cavity, the An elongated heater element arranged to penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate and a light source irradiating light to the elongated heater element, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the elongate heater element, and the plurality of metal nanoparticles are Receiving light from the light source to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), at least one concavo-convex portion is formed in the elongate heater element, and at least some of the plurality of metal nanoparticles It may be arranged on the at least one concavo-convex part.

An aerosol-generating device according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a cavity accommodating at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, extending along at least a portion of a sidewall of the cavity, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate is disposed within the cavity When received, an annular heater element arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate and a light source irradiating light to the annular heater element, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the annular heater element, the plurality of of the metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), at least one concavo-convex portion is formed in the annular heater element, and the plurality of metal nanoparticles At least some of them may be arranged on the at least one concavo-convex part.

An aerosol-generating device according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a cavity accommodating at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, extending in one direction of the cavity, and when the aerosol-forming substrate is accommodated in the cavity, An elongated heater element arranged to penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate and a light source irradiating light to the elongated heater element, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the elongate heater element, and the plurality of metal nanoparticles They receive light from the light source to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and the first metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a first wavelength are in a first region of the elongate heater element. A second metal nanoparticle arranged and absorbing light of a second wavelength may be arranged in a second region of the elongate heater element.

An aerosol-generating device according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a cavity accommodating at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, extending along at least a portion of a sidewall of the cavity, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate is disposed within the cavity When received, an annular heater element arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate and a light source irradiating light to the annular heater element, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged on an inner surface of the annular heater element, The plurality of metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and the first metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a first wavelength are the annular heater element The second metal nanoparticles arranged in the first region of and absorbing light of the second wavelength may be arranged in the second region of the annular heater element.

According to the aerosol generating device of the present invention, since heating by surface plasmon resonance through metal nanoparticles is used, electrical connection to a power supply is not required, thereby simplifying the manufacture of the device.

In addition, since diffuse reflection of light irradiated to the metal nanoparticles is caused by the irregularities arranged inside the heater element, uniform heating is achieved, and heating efficiency is maximized compared to the supplied power.

Moreover, by locally disposing different types of metal nanoparticles, there is an effect of achieving more precise partial heating of a desired area by a user.

1, 2A to 2B are views showing examples in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-forming article.
4A is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing an operating state of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 4A .
5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted into an elongated heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A to 6C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of an uneven portion formed inside the elongated heater element of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process of allowing light from a light source to have an incident angle greater than or equal to a reference value by a lens included in the elongate heater element of FIG. 5 .
8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which different types of metal nanoparticles are coated on the uneven portion of FIG. 6A.
9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating various shapes of the concavo-convex portion of FIG. 6A .
10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an elongated heater element in which different types of metal nanoparticles are arranged in different regions.
11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted between an elongate heater element and an annular heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a cross-sectional view specifically illustrating the annular heater element of FIG. 11 .
13A and 13B are cross-sectional and plan views of a heater assembly including the elongate heater element and the annular heater element of FIG. 11 ;
14A and 14B are cross-sectional views of the heater assembly of FIGS. 13A and 13B in an operating position and an ejection position;
15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted between an elongate heater element and an annular heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention;
16A and 16B are cross-sectional views illustrating an example in which a plurality of light sources disposed below an elongate heater element and an annular heater element are independently arranged on each heater element in the aerosol generating device of FIG. 15 according to another embodiment; It is a flat view.
17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an annular heater element in which different types of metal nanoparticles are arranged in different regions.

Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail.

However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, in order to facilitate the overall understanding, the same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions of the same components are omitted.

1 is a diagram illustrating examples in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device. As shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 100 may include a battery 110 , a control unit 120 , a heater 130 , and a cavity 140 . The aerosol-forming article 200 may include a tobacco rod portion 210 comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a filter rod portion 220 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , an aerosol generating device 100 is a device that interacts with aerosol-forming substrates to generate an aerosol. An aerosol-generating system may represent a combination of an aerosol-generating device 100 and an aerosol-forming article 200 (eg, a cigarette) used with the device 100 . The aerosol generating system may be electrically operated or include additional components (not shown) such as a charger for recharging an electrical power supply within the electrical aerosol generating device.

An aerosol-forming article 200 may be inserted into the cavity 140 of the aerosol-generating device 100 . When the aerosol-forming article 200 is inserted into the cavity 140 , the aerosol-generating device 100 heats the heater 130 . The aerosol-forming substrate within the aerosol-forming article 200 is heated by the heated heater 130 , thereby generating an aerosol. The generated aerosol is delivered to the user through the filter of the aerosol-forming article 200 .

The battery 110 supplies power to the aerosol generating device 100 . The battery 110 may supply power required for the heating operation of the heater 130 and the control operation of the controller 120 . In addition, power required for the operation of ancillary components such as a display, a sensor, and a motor installed in the aerosol generating device 100 may be supplied. As an example, battery 110 may include any suitable power supply, such as a DC power supply. The power supply includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Alternatively, it may include a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lithium-based battery such as a lithium cobalt, lithium-iron phosphate, lithium titanate or lithium-polymer battery. have. The power supply may include a charge storage device such as a capacitor. The electrical power supply may require recharging and may include a capacitor to allow storage of sufficient energy for one or more uses of the aerosol generating device 100 . In one example, the electrical power supply may have sufficient capacity for continuous generation of the aerosol for a period of time on the order of about 5 minutes (the typical smoking time of a regular cigarette), and may allow multiple times of this time of 5 minutes. . In another example, the electrical power supply may have sufficient capacity to allow for a certain number of puffs or discrete activations.

The control unit 120 controls overall operations performed by the aerosol generating device 100 . Specifically, the controller 120 may control the operation of the battery 110 and the heater 130 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 100 . The controller 120 schedules operations of a plurality of components according to a user's input and manages whether an appropriate operation is performed. The controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol generating device 100 is in an operable state by checking the states of the components of the aerosol generating device 100 .

In an example, the control unit 120 may be configured to start supplying power to a light source for irradiating light with metal nanoparticles for surface plasmon resonance at a start time of a heating cycle. The control unit 120 may be configured to terminate the supply of power to the light source at the end of the heating cycle. In this case, the controller 120 may continuously supply power to the light source. In another example, the light source may be powered intermittently. Alternatively, power in the form of a pulse may be supplied. Power supply in the form of a pulse to the light source can increase the thermal relaxation of free electrons excited by surface plasmon resonance. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the heating efficiency of the heater element. Preferably, the controller 120 applies power in the form of continuous pulses with an interval between pulses of about 1 ps (picosecond) or less to the light source.

The controller 120 may be implemented with one or more processors (not shown). 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 processor and a memory in which a program executable in the processor is stored. In addition, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The heater 130 performs a heating operation using power supplied from the battery 110 . When the aerosol-forming article 200 is received in the cavity 140 , the heater 130 may be positioned inside the aerosol-forming article 200 . According to another embodiment, the heater 130 may be formed in a tubular shape to be positioned outside the aerosol-forming article 200 , and may heat the outside of the article 200 . According to another embodiment, the heater 130 may be provided both inside and outside to heat the inside and outside of the aerosol-forming article 200 together. The heated heater 130 generates an aerosol by raising the temperature of the aerosol-generating substrate included in the aerosol-forming substrate.

The heater 130 may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater 130 may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater 130 may be heated by flowing a current through the electrically conductive track. The heater 130 is not limited to the above-described example, and may be applicable without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 100 or may be set to a desired temperature by the user. The controller 120 may appropriately control the current supplied to the heater 130 in order to reach the set desired temperature and maintain the temperature.

As another example, the heater 130 may be an induction heating type heater. Specifically, the induction heating heater may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol-forming article 200 in an induction heating manner, the aerosol-forming article 200 comprising a susceptor capable of being heated by the induction heating heater can do. In this case, the susceptor may be provided in the aerosol generating device 100 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heater 130 may include an electrically resistive heater and/or an induction heating type heater, but may include a heater using surface plasmon resonance. A heater using surface plasmon resonance may be used together with at least one of the two heaters, but may not be used alone. A plurality of surface plasmon resonance-based heaters may be used, and heating of the inside and/or outside of the aerosol-forming article 200 is possible. The configuration of the surface plasmon resonance-based heater 130 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 17 .

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the heater 130 is illustrated as being disposed to be inserted into the interior of the aerosol-forming article 200 , but is not limited thereto. For example, the heater 130 may include a tubular heater element, a plate-type heater element, a needle-type heater element, or a rod-type heater element, depending on the shape of the heater element, inside or outside the aerosol-forming article 200 . It can be heated outside.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 100 . In this case, the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-forming article 200 or may be disposed outside the aerosol-forming article 200 . In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-forming article 200 , and others may be disposed outside the aerosol-forming article 200 . In addition, the shape of the heater 130 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1 , and may be manufactured in various shapes.

On the other hand, for cleaning the inner space of the aerosol generating device 100, even when the aerosol-forming article 200 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 100, the aerosol generating device 100 can heat the heater 130 have.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 1000 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 1100 , the controller 1200 , the heater 130 , and the cavity 140 . For example, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device 100 may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.).

In addition, the aerosol generating device 100 may be manufactured in a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal air may flow out even in a state in which the aerosol-forming article 200 is inserted.

Although not shown in FIG. 1 , as described above, the aerosol generating device 1000 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 100 . In this case, the heater 130 may be heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 100 are coupled.

The aerosol-forming article 200 may resemble a conventional combustible cigarette. For example, the aerosol-forming article 200 may be divided into a tobacco rod portion 210 comprising an aerosol generating material and a filter rod portion 220 comprising a filter or the like. Alternatively, the filter rod portion 220 of the aerosol-forming article 200 may also include an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, an aerosol-forming substrate made in the form of granules or capsules may be inserted into the filter rod portion 220 .

The entire tobacco rod portion 210 may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 100 , and the filter rod portion 220 may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a portion of the tobacco rod portion 210 may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 100 , and a portion of the tobacco rod portion 210 and the filter rod portion 220 may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol while holding the filter part 220 in the mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by the external air passing through the tobacco rod portion 210, the generated aerosol is passed through the filter rod portion 220 is delivered to the user's mouth.

As an example, external air may be introduced through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 100 . For example, the opening and closing of the air passage and/or the size of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 100 may be adjusted by the user. Accordingly, the amount of atomization, the feeling of smoke, and the like may vary. As another example, external air may be introduced into the interior of the aerosol-forming article 200 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the aerosol-forming article 200 .

2A and 2B are views illustrating examples in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device including a vaporizer. 2A and 2B , the aerosol generating device 100 may include a battery 110 , a control unit 120 , a heater 130 , and a vaporizer 150 .

2A and 2B , the aerosol-forming article 200 may be inserted into the inner space of the aerosol-generating device 100 . In the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B , the cavity is not shown separately, but the heater 130 is illustrated as being formed in a tubular shape, and the portion in which the tubular heater 130 is arranged is the cavity portion in which the aerosol-forming article 200 is accommodated. can be seen as Except that the heater 130 is changed from a needle type to a tubular type, it can be seen that the battery 110 and the control unit 120 perform the same functions as in the embodiment of FIG. 1 . However, the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B further includes the configuration of the vaporizer 150 than the embodiment of FIG. 1 . That is, the aerosol generating device 100 further includes a vaporizer 150 for generating an aerosol by heating the liquid composition between the controller 120 and the heater 130 . However, the arrangement of the vaporizer 150 is not necessarily between the controller 120 and the heater 130 .

Vaporizer 150 may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which may pass through aerosol-forming article 200 and delivered to a user. That is, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 150 may move along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 100 , in which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 150 passes through the aerosol-forming article 200 . and can be configured to be delivered to the user. In particular, since the amount of aerosol produced in a liquid composition can be of a significant amount, the significant amount of aerosol produced by the vaporizer 150 and the heat retained by the aerosol not only heats the aerosol-forming article 200 , but also heats the aerosol-forming article 200 . It may help to make the user feel a sufficient amount of mist.

In this embodiment, the vaporizer 150 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heater element. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means and heater element may be included in the aerosol generating device 100 as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit may store the liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising a tobacco-containing material comprising a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid comprising a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit may be manufactured to be detachable/attached from the vaporizer 150 in the form of a cartridge, or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 150 .

For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a fragrance, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, and the like. Flavoring agents may include ingredients that can provide a user with a variety of flavors or flavors. 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 include aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol. The liquid delivery means may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid reservoir to the heater element.

For example, the liquid delivery means may be, but is not limited to, a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

The heater element is an element for heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the heater element may be a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, or the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heater element may be composed of a conductive filament, such as a nichrome wire, and may be disposed in a structure wound around the liquid delivery means. The heater element may be heated by supply of an electric current controlled through the controller 120 , and may heat the liquid composition by transferring heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heater element. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 150 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

The vaporizer may be disposed in series with the aerosol-forming article 200 as shown in FIG. 2A , or may be disposed in parallel or parallel to the aerosol-forming article 200 as shown in FIG. 2B . If only the airflow passage (indicated by the dotted line) is connected, and there is no restriction on the flow of the airflow, the arrangement of the vaporizer 150 and the aerosol-forming article 200 may have any shape.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-forming article.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the aerosol-forming article 200 for generating an aerosol in conjunction with the aerosol generating device 100 may include a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3 , the filter rod 220 is illustrated as one segment, but is not limited thereto. That is, the filter rod 220 may be composed of a plurality of segments. The filter rod 220 may include a segment for cooling the aerosol and a segment for filtering a specific component contained in the aerosol. In addition, if necessary, the filter rod 220 may further include one or more segments that perform other functions.

The aerosol-forming article 220 may be wrapped by at least one cigarette paper 240 . Cigarette paper 240 may have at least one hole through which internal air flows out or external air flows in may be formed. As an example, the aerosol-forming article 200 may be wrapped by one cigarette paper 240 . As another example, the aerosol-forming article 220 may be wrapped by two or more cigarette papers 240 overlapping each other. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be packaged by the first cigarette paper, and the filter rod 220 may be packaged by the second cigarette paper. In addition, the tobacco rod 210 and the filter rod 220 wrapped by different cigarette papers may be entirely repackaged by the third cigarette paper.

When the tobacco rod 210 or the filter rod 220 is each composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be packaged by an individual cigarette paper. And, like the previous packaging method, the entire article 200 in which segments packaged by individual cigarette papers are combined may be repackaged by another cigarette paper.

Tobacco rod 210 includes an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate 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 210 may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, wetting agents and/or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer may be added to the tobacco rod 210 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 210 .

Tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured in a variety of ways. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured as a sheet or as a strand. Also, the tobacco rod 210 may be made of cut filler from which the tobacco sheet is chopped. In addition, the tobacco rod 210 may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. For example, the heat-conducting material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may improve the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod by evenly distributing the heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210, thereby improving the tobacco taste. . In addition, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may function as a susceptor that is heated by an induction heater. At this time, although not shown in the drawings, the tobacco rod 210 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the heat-conducting material surrounding the outside.

In one example, the tobacco rod 210 may include a plurality of aerosol-forming substrates. In this case, one may be composed of an aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid state, and one may be composed of an aerosol-forming substrate in a solid state. In another example, both may consist of an aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid state, or both, or an aerosol-forming substrate in a solid state. Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrates are maintained in a fixed position relative to each other.

Meanwhile, the tobacco rod 210 may have a cavity, a bore, or a channel extending in the longitudinal direction at the center of the aerosol-forming article 200 . This may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the elongate heater element, which will be described later. Alternatively, it may be formed with a dimension slightly smaller than the dimension of the elongate heater element. This allows the elongate heater element to be suitably received within the central cavity, bore or channel. and facilitates removal of the aerosol-forming substrate after use.

The filter rod 220 may be a cellulose acetate filter. Various shapes exist in the shape of the filter rod 220 . For example, the filter rod 220 may be a cylindrical rod, or a tubular rod including a hollow therein. Also, the filter rod 220 may be a recess type rod. If the filter rod 220 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

The filter rod 220 may be manufactured to generate flavor. As an example, the flavoring solution may be sprayed onto the filter rod 220 , and a separate fiber coated with the flavoring solution may be inserted into the filter rod 220 .

In addition, the filter rod 220 may include at least one capsule 230 . Here, the capsule 230 may perform a function of generating flavor or may perform a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 230 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 230 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

If the filter rod 220 includes a segment for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment may be made of a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material. For example, the cooling segment may be made of pure polylactic acid alone, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the cooling segment may be made of a cellulose acetate filter perforated with a plurality of holes. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above-described example, and as long as the aerosol can perform the function of cooling, it may be applicable without limitation.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 3 , the aerosol-forming article 200 according to an embodiment may further include a shear filter. The front-end filter is located on one side opposite to the filter rod 220 in the tobacco rod 210 . The shear filter can prevent the tobacco rod 210 from leaving the outside, and can prevent the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod 210 from flowing into the aerosol generating device during smoking.

4A is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing an operating state of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 4A .

4A and 4B, the aerosol generating device 100 is a lower case 10 and an upper case 20 that are detachably coupled to each other, and a cover installed to slide on the upper surface of the upper case 20 ( 24) is provided. The cover 24 slides through the cover guide 22 . In another embodiment, the cover 24 is not necessarily provided, and the article insertion opening 26 into which the aerosol-forming article 200 is inserted may be exposed. The exposure of the article insertion opening 26 is an important factor in facilitating the introduction of ambient light into the metal nanoparticles inside the aerosol generating device 100 .

A cover guide 22 and an article insertion opening 26 extending along the sliding movement direction of the cover 24 and open to connect the outside and the inside of the upper case 20 are provided on the upper surface of the upper case 20 . When the cover 24 slides along the cover guide 22 formed on the upper surface of the upper case 20 , the article insertion opening 26 is exposed to the outside. At this time, the article 200 is inserted into the article insertion opening 26 . can be inserted. Here, the article 200 is an example of a solid-phase aerosol generating source used in the aerosol generating device 100 .

Meanwhile, by sliding the cover 24 along the upper surface of the upper case 20 , various preparation operations may be performed in connection with the operation of opening the article insertion opening 26 . For example, the moment the article insertion opening 26 is opened by the cover 24 , a preliminary heating operation of a heater provided in the aerosol generating device 100 or an operation for recognizing a user may be performed, and further Various preparatory actions for aerosol generation may be performed.

On the outside of the lower case 10 of the aerosol-generating device 100, a UI button 12 (including a mechanical button) that can be manipulated by a user, and internal operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 by emitting light in various colors An LED 14 corresponding to an indicator indicating a status may be installed. The UI button 12 may include at least one of a push-button, a scroll-wheel, a touch-button, a touch-screen, and a microphone. This UI button 12 may be used by a user to activate the supply of power to a light source provided for heating through surface plasmon resonance. A plurality of UI buttons 12 may be provided to control activation of power supply to different light sources.

5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted into an elongated heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5 , the aerosol generating device 100 may include an elongate heater element 30 using surface plasmon resonance and a light source 40 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , an aerosol-generating device 100 includes a housing having a cavity for receiving an aerosol-forming article 200 . The aerosol-forming article 200 is inserted through an opening in one end of the housing. The device includes an elongate heater element 30 within the cavity. When the aerosol-forming article 200 is inserted into the cavity through the opening, the elongate heater element 30 penetrates the aerosol-forming article 200 and internally heats the aerosol-forming substrate within the aerosol-forming article 200 . In another example, an additional heater element (eg, an annular heater element) may be provided along the interior wall of the cavity. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 11 .

The elongate heater element 30 receives light from the light source 40 and generates heat by surface plasmon resonance. Here, surface plasmon resonance refers to collective resonance vibration of free electrons of metal nanoparticles, and represents a phenomenon that causes polarization of charges on the surface of metal nanoparticles. The collective resonance oscillation of the free electrons and thus the polarization of the charges are further stimulated by the light from the light source incident on the metal nanoparticles. Energy generated by vibrating free electrons is consumed by several different mechanisms, in which case heat may be generated. Therefore, when the metal nanoparticles are irradiated by a light source, the metal nanoparticles can generate heat by surface plasmon resonance.

The elongate heater element 30 generates heat by exposing a plurality of metal nanoparticles at a heating surface towards a light source. More specifically, plasmonic heating elements include a heating surface comprising a plurality of metal nanoparticles. In one example, such a heating surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface (outline surface) of the elongate heater element 30 . For example, a plurality of metal nanoparticles may be applied to an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the contoured surface of the elongate heater element 30 . In the present specification, the heating surface may refer to a surface on which metal nanoparticles are applied and directly heated, but may indicate a surface opposite to the surface on which the metal nanoparticles are disposed. For example, if the opposite surface is connected to the surface on which the metal nanoparticles are disposed and is made of a material with high thermal conductivity and is heated with the increase in temperature of the surface on which the metal nanoparticles are disposed, this can also be called a heating surface. . That is, when metal nanoparticles are arranged on the inner surface of a specific surface (for example, the contour surface of the heater element), the outer surface, which is the opposite surface, is connected to the surface on which the metal nanoparticles are arranged and is formed of a material with high thermal conductivity , the inner surface as well as the outer surface may be referred to as a heating surface. Especially if the aerosol-forming substrate is in contact with the outer surface. Here, the metal material having a high thermal conductivity preferably has a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or more at 20°C, and more preferably, has a thermal conductivity of about 60 W/mK or more.

On the other hand, incident light absorbed by the metal nanoparticles causes collective vibration of free electrons of the metal nanoparticles and polarization of charges on the surface of the nanoparticles. In order for the free electrons to recover to their initial state, the nanoparticles release excess energy in the form of heat. In this case, the nanoparticles used in the elongate heater element 30 preferably have a particle size equal to or smaller than the wavelength of the incident light. Therefore, when using metal nanoparticles having any diameter among various diameters, it is preferable to select a light source having an appropriate wavelength based on a given diameter. Conversely, when using a light source having any of various wavelengths, it is also important to appropriately select the diameter of the metal nanoparticles based on the given wavelength.

The plurality of metal nanoparticles may include at least one of gold, silver, platinum, copper, palladium, aluminum, chromium, titanium, rhodium, and ruthenium. It may be disposed in a basic form, or may be disposed in the form of a metal alloy, a metal mixture or a metal nitride. The plurality of metal nanoparticles may be a single metal or may be a mixture of different metals. The plurality of metal nanoparticles suitably have a maximum diameter equal to or smaller than the maximum emission wavelength of light from the light source 40 . More specifically, the metal nanoparticles preferably have a maximum diameter of less than 700 nanometers. Alternatively, it is preferred to have a maximum diameter of less than one of 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 150 and 100 nanometers.

Additionally, the elongate heater element 30 may have a different shape than a typical blade-shaped heater element. For example, the elongate heater element 30 may be a fin-type heater element with a thick body. By having the body having a thickness sufficient to have an area higher than the planar area of the blade, the heating surface exposed to the outside can be increased to improve heating efficiency. In another example, the elongate heater element 30 may have a three-dimensional shape, and may have a shape such as a cone, cylinder, cuboid, or flat blade. In the case of a blade, it is desirable to have a sufficient thickness.

The interior of the elongate heater element 30 may be constructed of a material that transmits light. Accordingly, the elongate heater element 30 may be referred to as an optical transmission core. The light transmission core transmits and guides the light from the light source to the heating surface. The optical transmission core serves as a conduit of light. The optical transmission core comprises an optically transparent or semi-transparent solid material. Alternatively, the interior may be configured as an empty space.

The elongate heater element 30 may continuously heat the aerosol-forming substrate during operation of the device. Continuous heating may mean that power is applied to the light source and heating occurs even when there is no airflow in the device. In another example, heating may be controlled to occur only when airflow is sensed within the device.

Additionally, the elongate heater element 30 may include a base having at least one of a lens 32 and a reflective surface. The lens 32 may refract light emitted from the light source 40 through the optical transmission core. The refracted light may be focused or scattered by the lens 32 . Accordingly, the amount of light transmitted to at least a portion of the heating surface or the entire heating surface may be varied. By adjusting the refractive index of the light, the amount of light reaching the heating surface can be controlled, or by focusing the light on a specific area, heating of a local area can be achieved. The reflective surface reflects light either through the lens or directly onto the heating surface. Light emitted from light source 40 may be reflected sequentially through a series of reflective surfaces. The light source 40 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the light transmission core.

The light transmission core may include a filter (not shown) for filtering a specific light among the lights emitted from the light source 40 . In this case, the specific light may represent light having a wavelength above or below a threshold value or light having a wavelength in a range between threshold values. The filter may be a color filter. For example, the optical transmission core may be doped with a die to absorb light having a specific wavelength of light, such as a specific wavelength of light in the visible light spectrum.

Optionally, the aerosol generating device 100 may have a plurality of elongate heater elements 30 . The plurality of elongate heater elements 30 may have the same shape or may have different shapes. A plurality of elongate heater elements 30 may share the same light source 40 . Alternatively, light may be received from different light sources 40 . The use of a plurality of elongate heater elements 30 results in the provision of multiple heating surfaces, thus achieving uniform heating of the aerosol-forming substrate. The heating temperature of each elongate heater element 30 may be individually controllable.

Optionally, the aerosol generating device 100 may comprise at least one of a vaporizer, a resistive heater element, an induction heater element, wherein the elongate heater element 30 is a vaporizer, a resistive heater element, and an induction heater element. It can be used with at least one.

The light source 40 receives power from the battery (refer to 110 of FIG. 1 ) described above and irradiates the light. The control unit (see 120 of FIG. 1 ) is communicatively connected to one or more light sources 40 and controls the application of power. According to an embodiment, the light source 40 may include at least one of an LED and a laser. The laser may include at least one of a solid state laser and a semiconductor laser. The light source 40 may include a plurality of light sources 40 . The light sources may include the same type or different types of light sources. The light source 40 may be a combination of a main light source and an auxiliary light source. The auxiliary light source may be controlled to operate only when the primary light source is not operating. The light source 40 may be arranged to irradiate only a portion of the plurality of metal nanoparticles. Alternatively, each of the plurality of light sources 40 may be arranged to irradiate different portions of the metal nanoparticles. The controller may control the plurality of light sources 40 to simultaneously irradiate different portions of the metal nanoparticles. Alternatively, different portions of the metal nanoparticles may be irradiated at different times.

The light source 40 may include a light source arranged to emit light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Alternatively, it may include a light source arranged to emit light beyond the visible region, such as at least one of an ultraviolet light source and an infrared light source. The configuration of the light source 40 with such a diverse range is suitable for exciting a wider range of nanoparticles, such as nanoparticles of various sizes or configurations. In one example, the light source 40 may be configured to emit light having a wavelength between 380 nanometers and 700 nanometers. More preferably, the light source may be configured to suit a maximum emission wavelength between about 495 and about 580 nanometers. Light in the above range of wavelengths is suitable to achieve maximum heating of the heater element by surface plasmon resonance.

The light emitted by the light source 40 may be controlled by a light quantity related factor, such as the number of photons emitted per second, by controlling the frequency, amplitude, or combination of frequency and intensity of the emitted light.

Meanwhile, when the control unit supplies power to the light source 40 , the elongate heater element 30 is heated to a preset operating temperature. In one example, the controller heats the elongate heater element 30 according to a pre-stored heating profile while the device 100 is in use. Since the light source 40 does not require a physical connection with the elongate heater element 30, it provides the advantage of being able to manufacture the device without structural constraints. In addition, since there is no direct damage to the heater element during operation of the device, the performance of the device can be maintained for a relatively long time. Moreover, since there is no physical contact with the power source, repair and replacement of the elongate heater element 30 is also easy.

Additionally, the elongate heater element 30 receives light from an external light source to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance. External light includes ambient light. Ambient light includes sunlight. Ambient light includes an artificial light source (eg, a fluorescent light) external to the aerosol generating device. When the ambient light is absorbed by the metal nanoparticles, the effect of preheating for facilitating the heating operation of the aerosol-generating device can be seen even though it is not enough to vaporize the aerosol-forming substrate. That is, ambient light penetrating through the opening exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device may serve to assist the light source of the aerosol generating device. This can slightly reduce power consumption. In one example, the device includes a module (not shown) for detecting ambient light to detect the amount of ambient light, and when the detected amount of light is greater than or equal to a certain threshold, automatically open an opening so that light can reach the metal nanoparticles. can be opened with In another example, the opening may be manually opened and closed by a user's manipulation to receive ambient light. In this way, the light received from the surroundings may be refracted or focused so as to reach the metal nanoparticles well through the lens of the aerosol generating device.

6A to 6C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of an uneven portion formed inside the elongated heater element of FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 6A , in order to better penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate, the elongate heater element 30 may be fin-shaped. Accordingly, the elongate heater element 30 may have a three-dimensional body. The three-dimensional body is capable of penetrating the interior of the aerosol-forming article as well as holding it in place. Through this, it is possible to uniformly heat the inside of the aerosol-forming substrate. The elongate heater element 30 includes a light transmission core 34 and a heating surface 38 . The heating surface 38 may be provided on the inner surface of the contour surface (outer peripheral surface) of the light transmission core 34 . According to an example, a plurality of metal nanoparticles causing surface plasmon resonance may be applied to at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the contour surface of the optical transmission core 34 . Here, the inner surface of the contour surface refers to a surface facing the inside of the optical transmission core 34 from the contour surface (or may be referred to as an outer circumferential surface) of the optical transmission core 34 with respect to the direction in which the contour surface is directed. means Conversely, by the outer surface is meant, in said contour plane, the surface which is external from the light transmission core 34 , ie which faces the cavity sidewall of the aerosol-forming substrate or device.

According to one embodiment, the concave-convex portion 36 may be formed on the inner surface of the contour surface of the optical transmission core 34 . The concave-convex part 36 means a part protruding or concave in order to induce diffuse reflection of light generated from the light source 40 . It may include one unevenness or a plurality of unevenness. For example, the concave-convex portion 36 may be arranged toward the inner center on the inner surface of the contour surface of the optical transmission core 34 in a shape and/or material such as coarse sandpaper. Due to the non-uniform inclination of the concave-convex portion 34, light reaching the concave-convex portion 34 may be reflected in an unpredictable direction, through which diffuse reflection of light is induced in the optical transmission core 34 to induce metal nano Light absorption into the particles can be more activated. This leads to improvement of heating efficiency. Here, the absorption of light means that light is used to stimulate free electrons of the metal nanoparticles in the corresponding portion for surface plasmon resonance.

Meanwhile, a plurality of metal nanoparticles may be coated on the uneven portion 36 . For example, the outer peripheral surface of the elongated heater element 30 may be formed of a base layer and a coating layer made of a plurality of nanoparticles. The substrate layer is selected from a material selected for the desired mechanical properties. The coating layer is a layer formed by applying a plurality of nanoparticles. The base layer may include at least one of a metal material, a polymer material, and a ceramic material. The base layer may include an electrically conductive material or an insulating material. In particular, the metal material of the base layer is composed of a material that reflects light, and reflects light in a portion where light is not absorbed through the metal nanoparticles. It is possible to maximize diffuse reflection.

The coating layer may be formed by depositing metal nanoparticles on the base layer through an appropriate process (eg, PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition, etc.)). The coating layer may be a continuous layer or may consist of discrete regions. On the substrate layer can exist spaced apart from each other.The spaced-apart region of the metal nanoparticles promotes heating of the partial region of the aerosol-forming substrate. More specifically, the surface of the elongate heater element 30 is non-stick coatings (non-stick coatings) or friction reducing coatings (including polyterafluoroethylen (PTFE) coatings).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the metal nanoparticles may be applied to only a partial region on the concavo-convex portion 36 . At this time, in the region of the concavo-convex portion 36 to which the metal nanoparticles are not applied, light is reflected by the base layer made of a material that reflects light, and the reflected light is a metal nano suitable for absorbing light through surface plasmon resonance. It moves until it reaches the particle. According to another example, the light source 40 may provide light of various wavelengths. At this time, the light of various wavelengths may reach metal nanoparticles in different regions on the uneven portion 36 to cause surface plasmon resonance. . In this case, reflection of light may occur in other metal nanoparticles that do not have surface plasmon, which have passed before reaching the specific metal nanoparticles. That is, the specific metal nanoparticles function as a material that absorbs light for surface plasmon resonance with respect to light of a first wavelength, but may function as a material that reflects light with respect to light of a second wavelength. However, when light is reflected, light of almost all wavelengths is absorbed by the plurality of metal nanoparticles on the concave-convex portion 36 of the optical transmission core by inducing diffuse reflection through the concave-convex portion 36, and heating energy through surface plasmon resonance make it usable as

In particular, the concavo-convex portion 36 faces the inside of the optical transmission core 34 , and metal nanoparticles are applied on the concave-convex portion 36 on the inner surface of the contour surface of the optical transmission core 34 according to surface plasmon resonance. Heating may take place.

In one example, the formation of the concave-convex portion 36 inside the optical transmission core 34 is performed by emptying the inside of the optical transmission core 34 and manufacturing the external shape of the optical transmission core 34, and subsequently to the inner wall of the external shape. There is a method of forming the concavo-convex portion 36 . Then, after the metal nanoparticles are applied on the formed uneven portions, the uneven portions 36 and the metal nanoparticles are protected through an additional coating. Then, a material (eg, glass, quartz, etc.) of the optical transmission core 34 may be filled into the inner wall of the optical transmission core 34 coated with metal nanoparticles. At this time, it may be preferable that the material of the outer shape of the optical transmission core 34, which is first formed before filling the material of the optical transmission core 34, is not a light-transmitting material. However, if the metal nanoparticles are applied to the outer surface of the contoured surface instead of the inner surface of the contoured surface on which the concave-convex portion 36 is formed, the concave-convex portion 36 may be formed of a transparent material or a translucent material.

In another example, after the optical transmission core 34 is produced by using the material of the optical transmission core 34 , the outer wall is polished to form the concave-convex portion 36 . Then, by applying metal nanoparticles on the outer wall of the optical transmission core 34 having the shape of the concavo-convex portion 36 and disposing a metal having high thermal conductivity on the applied metal nanoparticles, the optical transmission core 34 It is possible to form the metal nanoparticles coated on the shape of the concave-convex portion 36 and the concave-convex portion 36 toward the inside of the. In this case, the material of the concavo-convex part 36 itself may be made of metal nanoparticles.

In another example, after the optical transmission core 34 is created in a state in which the material of the optical transmission core 34 is filled, the uneven portion 36 is formed by injecting metal nanoparticles in the shape of the uneven portion 36 . It is also possible to form the shape and the metal nanoparticles thereon.

In a state in which the concave-convex portion 36 and the metal nanoparticles are formed inside the optical transmission core 34 , the outer surface 38 of the optical transmission core 34 is preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as metal. This is to ensure that the aerosol-forming article is located on the outside of the optical transmission core 34, so that the heating on the outer surface of the optical transmission core 34 is well made. The metal material having high thermal conductivity formed on the outer surface may include iron, nickel, aluminum, gold, silver, tungsten, or the like. Heat generated by the metal nanoparticles can be uniformly transmitted to the aerosol-forming substrate by using such a high thermal conductivity metal material to exchange heat with each other.

In another embodiment, metal nanoparticles may be applied to the outer surface of the contoured surface of the optical transmission core 34 so that heating according to surface plasmon resonance may be achieved. In some cases, metal nanoparticles may be applied to both the concave-convex portion 36 of the inner surface of the contour surface and the outer surface of the contour surface, and metal nanoparticles are not applied to the concave-convex portion 36, but metal nanoparticles only to the outer surface. They may be configured to be applied.

In another embodiment, the elongate heater element 30 may include an electrically resistive portion arranged to receive power from an electrical power supply. That is, in addition to the heat generated by surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of metal nanoparticles, heat may be provided through an electrical part. In this case, the metal nanoparticles may form an electrically resistive portion. At least one of the above-described base layer and the coating layer may form the electrical resistance portion. The electrically resistive portion may include an electrically resistive metal and an electrically resistive ceramic. The substrate layer may include an electrically resistive material as well as a textile material, the threads of the electrically resistive material forming at least a portion of the textile material. The aerosol-forming device may be arranged to supply power to generate heat according to the electrically resistive portion in addition to heat generation by surface plasmon coplanarity.

As previously described, the elongate heater element 30 includes a lens 32 for reflecting and focusing the light emitted from the light source 40 . The light transmission core 34 serves as a conduit for transmitting the light emitted from the light source 40 so that the heating surface 38 can be heated to a temperature between about 200 and 350 degrees. In one example, the optical transmission core 34 comprises glass. Glass is a relatively inexpensive material that shows good performance in optical properties such as optical transmittance. Above all, the glass is suitable to withstand elevated temperatures and thus can be placed as close to the heating surface as possible away from the problem of being damaged or degraded by heat from the heating surface. Alternatively, it may include other optically transmissive or translucent materials such as quartz or fluid.

6B shows an embodiment in which the inner region has a hollow shape. In this case, the concave-convex portion 36 may be formed toward the inside of the contour surface constituting the outer circumferential surface of the optical transmission core 34 . The light emitted from the light source 40 reaches the concave-convex portion 36 through the empty space inside, and the light is absorbed or reflected by the metal nanoparticles in the concave-convex portion 36 toward the other concave-convex portion 36 . Move. As in the embodiment of FIG. 6B , the overall weight of the aerosol generating device can be reduced by having the optical transmission core 34 having an empty chamber or void shape.

In the implementation of FIG. 6C , the concave-convex portion 36 may be formed only in a partial region of the optical transmission core 34 . In one example, the concave-convex portion 36 may be arranged only in the lower region of the optical transmission core. This configuration induces diffuse reflection of light from the lower side and allows a large amount of light to reach the upper part of the optical transmission core having a relatively small amount of light as the light is pulled up to the upper side, thereby achieving uniform heating. In another example, the concave-convex portion 36 may be arranged only in the upper region of the optical transmission core 34 . In this configuration, the light, which is not well absorbed even in the upper part, is diffusely reflected and is returned to the lower region so that the light does not exit the optical transmission core 34 . Through this, heating efficiency can be improved. At this time, in the region where the concavo-convex portion 36 is present, metal nanoparticles are arranged on the concave-convex portion 36 (eg, the inner surface of the contour surface), and in the region where the concavo-convex portion 36 is not present, metal nanoparticles are on the outer surface of the contour surface By arranging the particles, direct heating rather than heating by heat conduction on the outer surface can be achieved.

7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process of allowing light from a light source to have an incident angle greater than or equal to a reference value by a lens included in the elongate heater element of FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the lens 32 included in the base of the elongate heater element 30 adjusts the irradiation angle of the light generated from the light source 40 . _{In particular, the light (P 1} , P ₂ , P ₃ ) reaching the concave-convex portion 36 is arranged to have an angle equal to or greater than a predetermined value, so that diffuse reflection can occur more easily. The angle of incidence of the light _{P 1} of the first wavelength to the optical _{transmission core is θ 1 , the angle of incidence of the light P 2} of the second wavelength to the optical transmission core is θ ₂ , and the light P _{3 of the third wavelength is} ) when the incident angle to the optical transmission core is θ ₃ , θ ₁ , θ _{2 ,} and θ ₃ may be different angles. However, _{even if the angles of θ 1} , θ _{2 ,} and θ ₃ have different values, it is preferable to have an angle within a certain range. If it has a value close to 0 degrees, too much interference is received in reaching the concave-convex portion 36 in the optical transmission core. If it has a value close to 90 degrees, it is difficult to expect diffuse reflection in the concave-convex portion 36 . Therefore, it is preferable to adjust it so that it can be incident at an angle of about 30 degrees to 70 degrees. In particular, it may be more preferable to be incident at an angle of about 40 to 50 degrees.

8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which different types of metal nanoparticles are coated on the uneven portion of FIG. 6A.

Referring to FIG. 8 , as described above, the plurality of metal nanoparticles may be composed of different types of metal materials, and the different types of metal materials are suitable for absorbing light of different wavelengths. For example, metal A may absorb light having a wavelength in a first range, and metal B may absorb light having a wavelength in a second range. At this time, if the light source 40 is arranged as light sources 40-1, 40-2, 40-3 having a plurality of ranges of wavelength, and light of different wavelengths is independently controlled and irradiated, the different light sources The light emitted from (40-1, 40-2, 40-3) can be absorbed by metal nanoparticles of different materials. For example, since the light P ₁ emitted from the first light source 40-1 is not well absorbed by the A and B metal nanoparticles, it is reflected by the concave-convex portion 36 and is reflected by the C metal in the absorption region B. absorbed by nanoparticles. On the other hand, the light P ₂ emitted from the second light source 40 - 3 is not absorbed by the B and C metal nanoparticles but is reflected, and may be absorbed by the A metal nanoparticles in the absorption region (A). As described above, it is preferable to provide light sources of various wavelengths and various types of metal nanoparticles so that light can be well absorbed by specific metal nanoparticles after the diffuse reflection in the concave-convex portion 36 . In particular, it is preferable to match the light source with an appropriate wavelength and the material of the metal nanoparticles in consideration of the correspondence between the wavelength of the light source and the metal nanoparticles that absorb it. For example, gold (Au) may be matched to light in a wavelength range of about 480 to 580 nm. Here, in relation to the wavelength of light that matches the metal nanoparticles, not only the type of metal nanoparticles, but also the density, size and diameter of the metal nanoparticles, the type, shape, and optical constant of the substrate layer determine the amount of light absorbed by metal nanoparticles Since they are parameters affecting the wavelength, they can be considered together or independently.

In particular, since ambient light received from the outside is a mixture of light of various wavelengths, the provision of the concave-convex portion 36 and various types of metal nanoparticles as described above may be more important.

9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating various shapes of the concavo-convex portion of FIG. 6A .

Referring to FIGS. 9A to 9D , the concavo-convex portion may have a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, or a hexagon, and may have a curved shape such as a semicircle. In addition, this is not limited to the above example. In addition, the plurality of concavo-convex portions may be continuously arranged or may be arranged spaced apart. In this case, the separation distance may be equally spaced in the vertical and horizontal directions, or may be non-uniform intervals.

Further, when the concave-convex portion has a polygonal shape, it is preferable that the angle α formed from the inner wall of the optical transmission core has an angle equal to or greater than a certain angle. The predetermined angle is preferably 30 degrees or more so as to be suitable for forming diffuse reflection. More preferably, an angle of 40 degrees to 60 degrees is good. In addition, in the case of the concave-convex portion having a triangular shape, both angles formed with the inner wall of the core are not necessarily the same.

In another example, in consideration of the degree of arrival of nanoparticles and light, the height (h) of the uneven portion is preferably about 1um to 100um. That is, when it is assumed that the size of the nanoparticles is about 10 nm to 100 nm so that the nanoparticles can be arranged in the valleys of the concavo-convex portions, it is appropriate that the height h is about 50 to 200 times. Therefore, it may be desirable to be about 2.5 um to 10 um. More preferably, it is good that it is about 80 times to 150 times.

In another example, at least one of the shape, angle, and height of the concavo-convex portion may vary depending on the arrangement area. In one example, assuming a triangular shape, the concavo-convex portion of the lower region in the longitudinal direction may have a shape and an angle to easily transmit light to an upper side where light does not easily reach by arranging an upper surface to be elongated. Conversely, the concave and convex portions of the upper region are arranged so that the downward-facing surface is elongated, thereby helping the unabsorbed light to go down again. The reverse of the above example is also possible. In the case of height, the concave-convex portion having a relatively low height may be arranged at the lower portion, and the concave-convex portion having a relatively high height may be arranged at the upper portion. The reverse is also possible.

10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an elongated heater element in which different types of metal nanoparticles are arranged in different regions.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the same type of metal nanoparticles in the longitudinal direction of the optical transmission core 34 may be designed to be partially heated by focusing and arranging them in a specific region. For example, metal A that absorbs light of the first wavelength is placed in the lowermost region in the longitudinal direction of the optical transmission core 34 , and metal B that absorbs light of the second wavelength is placed in the longitudinal direction of the optical transmission core 34 . In the intermediate region, the C metal absorbing light of the third wavelength can be arranged in a concentrated manner in the uppermost region in the longitudinal direction of the optical transmission core 34 . In addition, the light source may include light 40 - 1 of a first wavelength, light 40 - 2 of a second wavelength, and light 40 - 3 of a third wavelength. At this time, it is preferable to separate the thermally conductive material arranged on the outer surface of the optical transmission core so as not to conduct heat between the outer surfaces of the different absorption regions to correspond to the division of the absorption regions. In this way, different types of metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a specific wavelength are concentrated in a specific area, and the heating area can be specified by allowing the user to independently control the light corresponding to the different types of metal nanoparticles. make it possible Accordingly, the user irradiates light of a specific wavelength so that only the area absorbing the light can be heated. The area to be concentrated is not necessarily specified with respect to the longitudinal direction of the optical transmission core 34 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be specifically arranged in different regions in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, the pointed portion of the upper end of the cylindrical portion of the optical transmission core 34 allows different types of metal nanoparticles to be sequentially disposed, so that all of the light that is not absorbed in the first to third wavelength absorption regions is processed or partially reflected. so that it can be processed again in the cylindrical part. If necessary, the pointed portion may be formed of a light reflective material so that all of the light reflected from the cylindrical portion can be processed again.

Optionally, an uneven portion may or may not exist on the inner wall of the optical transmission core 34 of the embodiment of FIG. 10 . In any case, it is free

11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted between an elongate heater element and an annular heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the annular heater element 50 may be used together with the elongate heater element 30 of FIG. 5 or may be used alone. The annular heater element 50 may be annularly formed for externally heating the aerosol-forming article 200 . The annular heater element 50 may be used concurrently with the elongate heater element 30 or may be used sequentially. It can be seen that the combined use of the elongate heater element 30 and the annular heater element 50 provides a more efficient heating system as it can promote uniform heating of the aerosol-forming substrate through a combination of internal and external heating.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11 , the elongate heater element 30 is shown to include concavo-convex portions on the inner wall, but the elongate heater element 30 without concavo-convex portions (without concavo-convex portions and metal nanoparticles applied to the outer surface of the contour surface) form) may be used. In another example, the elongate heater element 30 may be a resistive heater in the form of a fin or a blade. In another example, the elongate heater element 30 may be an induction heating heater.

Meanwhile, the annular heater element 50 includes a plurality of metal nanoparticles arranged to receive light from the light source 56 of the aerosol generating device, and generates heat by surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of metal nanoparticles. The light source 56 of the annular heater element 50 may be the same light source as the light source of the elongate heater element 30 , or may be different light sources if desired. In the latter case, the different light sources 56 may operate simultaneously or independently of the light sources 40 of the elongate heater element 30 . Also, the intensity of the light sources may be the same or may have different intensities.

Moreover, the elongate heater element 30 and the annular heater element 50 can be independently controlled via the control unit. For example, the two heater elements 30 , 50 may operate independently to achieve different temperatures, and may operate to heat at different times. That is, the heating profiles of the two heater elements 30 and 50 may be set differently.

The annular heater element 50 may extend along at least a portion of the cavity, preferably along the entire length of the cavity. This allows for the formation of a heating jacket around the aerosol-forming substrate. Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate is arranged to contact the outer surface of the aerosol-forming substrate when received within the cavity.

In another example, the annular heater element 50 may include a resistive heating portion arranged to be powered from an electrical power supply. During use, the electrically resistive portion is energized and heated. This electrical resistance portion functions as an additional heating source or replaces heat generated by surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of metal nanoparticles.

In another example, the annular heater element 50 may include an induction coil that creates an eddy current within the cavity to heat the susceptor. A wall of the cavity may include a susceptor.

12 is a cross-sectional view specifically illustrating the annular heater element of FIG. 11 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , an annular heater element 40 is provided along a sidewall of the cavity and mounted on a mount 70 . The annular heater element 40 includes an inner annular tube 54b and an outer annular tube 54a with an annular gap therebetween. The annular gap defines an air flow passageway 60 for providing ambient air to the aerosol-forming article.

The heating surface 52 is defined on the inner surface of the inner annular tube 52a and includes a plurality of metal nanoparticles for generating heat by surface plasmon resonance. Both the outer annular tube 52b and the inner annular tube 52a may be optically transparent or translucent. Accordingly, light emitted from the light source 56 may be transmitted through the annular tubes 52a and 52b. This arrangement allows the nanoparticles on the heating surface 52 to absorb light from the light source 56 and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance. The annular heater element 50 may operate independently of the elongate heater element 30 depending on the amount of heating of the elongate heater element 30 .

In one example, the heating surface 52 of the annular heater element 50 may include a substrate layer and a coating layer, which may be coated with metal nanoparticles such as silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or the like. At this time, a mixture of different types of metal nanoparticles may be applied to the heating surface 52 . Since the amount and density of nanoparticles are important factors in determining the amount of heating, it is desirable to apply as many nanoparticles as possible on a given heating surface 52 .

On the other hand, the light source 56 of the annular heater element 50 is preferably positioned away from the annular heater element 50 to define an air flow passage therebetween. This allows incoming air to flow between the light source 56 and the annular heater element 50 . The incoming air thus moves towards the cavity and into the aerosol-forming substrate held therein. This is advantageous because air can cool the light source 56 or other parts of the device other than the annular heater element 50 and the aerosol-forming article, which can reduce damage from heating. In particular, this portion of the air passage may be used to preheat the air prior to reaching the aerosol-forming substrate, and may cool portions of the device that do not require heating.

In another embodiment, an uneven portion (not shown) may be formed on at least one of the sidewalls of the inner annular tube 54a and the outer annular tube 54b of the annular heater element 50 . For example, by forming concave-convex portions on the two sidewalls of the air flow passage 60 to induce diffuse reflection of light reaching the concave-convex portions, and thereby maximize the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, heating efficiency can be improved. At this time, the metal nanoparticles are applied on the uneven portion on the side of the inner annular tube 54a of the air flow passage 60, and the heating surface 52 connected to the surface on which the uneven portions are arranged is formed of a metal material with high thermal conductivity. Thus, the heating surface 52 can be heated by heat exchange after heating through the metal nanoparticles. If the concave-convex portion is formed on the side of the outer annular tube 54b, it is preferable that the concave-convex portion is formed of a transparent or translucent material so as not to interfere with light transmission.

13A and 13B are cross-sectional and plan views of a heater assembly including the elongate heater element and the annular heater element of FIG. 11 ;

Referring to FIG. 13A , the heating surfaces 38 , 52 are preferably arranged as close as possible to the aerosol-forming substrate. The maximum proximity may mean a distance of 3 mm or less.

As previously described, an annular airflow passageway 60 extends between an air inlet 62 at the proximal end of the cavity and an air outlet 64 proximal to an air conduit 66 defining the distal end of the cavity. The air conduit 66 includes a porous wall 68 adjacent the aerosol-forming article when the aerosol-forming article is received in the cavity. In use, when the user puffs at the mouthpiece, air is supplied from the air inlet 62 , passes through the air flow passage 60 , and through the air conduit 66 , as shown in the air path in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13A . through an air outlet 64 to go to and through an air conduit 66 towards the aerosol-forming article. The air conduit 66 is configured such that the supply of air is evenly distributed across the width of the aerosol-forming substrate, thereby minimizing the creation of stagnant air pockets.

As the air passes through the heating surface 52 as it passes through the annular air flow passageway 60 , the air is first heated once before entering the aerosol-forming substrate, thereby providing hot air to the aerosol-forming substrate. Also, as previously discussed, ambient supplied airflow prevents overheating of other components such as LEDs.

In one example, heating surface 52 may include a plurality of discrete heating zones having different types of nanoparticles, different numbers of nanoparticle layers, or different nanoparticle densities. This allows for variability in temperature in different heating zones when exposed to a uniform light source. Selective heating is achieved.

Also, the creation of the coating layer of the annular heater element 50 is to apply metal nanoparticles, which is similar to that of the elongate heater element 30 . Even in the annular heater element 50, the metal nanoparticles may be applied by a non-stick coating and a friction reducing coating.

14A and 14B are cross-sectional views of the heater assembly of FIGS. 13A and 13B in an operating position and an ejection position;

14A and 14B , the elongate heater element 30 is movable relative to the annular heater element 50 in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus. In the embodiment of FIG. 14A , a heater assembly including an elongate heater element 30 and an annular heater element 50 is positioned in an operative position.

A lever 72 integrally formed with the mount extends outwardly through the slit 104 of the housing 102 . By moving the lever 72 along the slit 104 , the mount can be moved back and forth from the elongate heater element 30 to the ejection position, as shown in FIG. 14B . This allows the aerosol-forming article to be removed from the elongate heater element 30 without the need for the user to grab and remove a portion of the aerosol-forming article.

15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which an aerosol-forming article is inserted between an elongated heater element and an annular heater element of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15 , the annular heater element 50 is provided along the sidewall of the cavity, and in this case, metal nanoparticles are applied to at least one surface of the annular heater element 50 , and at the lower portion of the annular heater element 50 . The light may be received from the disposed light source 40 to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance. In this case, the light source 40 may be the same as the light source used in the elongate heater element 30 .

In one example, similarly to the concavo-convex portion of the elongate heater element 30 of FIG. 5 , the concavo-convex portions 51 and 53 may also be arranged on the inner wall of the air flow passage 60 of the annular heater element 50 . In the embodiment of FIG. 15 , the concave-convex portions 51 and 53 are depicted as being formed on both side walls of the air flow passage 60 , however, if necessary, they may be arranged only on the inner wall 51 of the portion abutting the aerosol-forming article. Alternatively, it may be arranged only on the outer side wall 53 of the inner wall 51 . By inducing diffuse reflection of light coming from the light source 40 below through the concavo-convex portions 51 and 53, heat generation according to the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon in the metal nanoparticles can occur efficiently. At this time, since the heating surface is the side of the inner wall where the concavo-convex portion 51 is present, the metal nanoparticles are preferably applied only on the concave-convex portion 51 . It is preferable that the outer surface (the surface in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate) opposite to the inner wall coated with the metal nanoparticles is formed of a metal material having high thermal conductivity to conduct heat from the surface of the metal nanoparticles. In addition, various technical features (see FIGS. 5 to 10 ) applied to the concavo-convex portion 36 of the elongate heater element 30 are identical or similar to the concave-convex portions 51 and 53 of the annular heater element 50 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

In addition, the inside of the air flow passage 60 may be formed as an empty space, and may be connected to the air inlet 62 . Thus, as in the embodiment of FIG. 13A , incoming air may reach the aerosol-forming article through the air outlet 64 and external conduit 66 along the air flow passageway 60 (where heating takes place). Because the light source 40 is disposed under the annular heater element 50 , the lens 80 and a reflective surface (not shown) on the underside of the annular heater element 50 , like that of the elongate heater element 30 . A base comprising a may be provided. The lens 80 allows light from the underlying light source 40 to be directed to a specific area of the inner wall of the air flow passage 60 .

16A and 16B are cross-sectional views illustrating an example in which a plurality of light sources disposed below an elongate heater element and an annular heater element are independently arranged on each heater element in the aerosol generating device of FIG. 15 according to another embodiment; It is a flat view.

16A and 16B , the light source 40 - 1 of the elongate heater element 30 and the light source 40 - 2 of the annular heater element 50 may be formed in different configurations. In one example, in the annular heater element 50 , the two light sources 40 - 1 and 40 - 2 can be controlled independently of each other. As in the embodiment of FIG. 15 , the annular heater element 50 includes an uneven portion on the inner wall and maximizes the efficiency of external heating through the light source 40 - 2 independently controlled from the light source 40 - 1 .

In addition, the type, density, particle size, etc. of the metal nanoparticles applied to one sidewall of the annular heater element 50 may be different from each other, and a mixture of different metal nanoparticles may be applied.

17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an annular heater element in which different types of metal nanoparticles are arranged in different regions.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the same type of metal nanoparticles in the longitudinal direction of the annular heater element 50 may be designed to be partially heated by focusing and disposing in a specific region. For example, metal A that absorbs light of the first wavelength is placed in the lowermost region in the longitudinal direction of the annular heater element 50 , and metal B that absorbs light of the second wavelength is placed in the longitudinal direction of the annular heater element 50 . In the middle region, the C metal absorbing the light of the third wavelength may be arranged concentrated in the uppermost region in the longitudinal direction of the annular heater element 50 . In addition, the light source may include light of the first wavelength, light of the second wavelength, and light of the third wavelength in the light source 40 - 2 . At this time, it is preferable to separate the thermally conductive material arranged on the outer surface of the annular heater element 50 to correspond to the division of the absorption area so that heat is not conducted between the outer surfaces of the different absorption areas. In this way, different types of metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a specific wavelength are concentrated in a specific area, and the heating area can be specified by allowing the user to independently control the light corresponding to the different types of metal nanoparticles. make it possible Accordingly, the user irradiates light of a specific wavelength so that only the area absorbing the light can be heated. The area to be concentrated is not necessarily specified with respect to the longitudinal direction of the annular heater element 50 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be specifically arranged in different regions in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Optionally, an uneven portion may or may not be present on the inner wall of the annular heater element 50 of the embodiment of FIG. 17 . In any case, it is free

Although described above with reference to the drawings and examples, it does not mean that the scope of protection of the present invention is limited by the drawings or examples, and those skilled in the art can appreciate the spirit of the present invention described in the claims below. And it will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof.

10: lower case 12: UI button
14: LED 20: upper case
22: cover guide 24: cover
26: article insertion opening 30: elongate heater element
32: lens 34: optical transmission core
36: uneven portion 38: heating surface
40: light source 40-1: first light source
40-2: second light source 40-3: third light source
50: annular heater element 51: concave-convex part
52: heating surface 53: uneven part
54a: outer annular tube 54b: inner annular tube
56: light source 60: air flow passage
62: air inlet 64: air outlet
66: air conduit 68: porous wall
70: mount 72: lever
80: lens 100: aerosol generating device
102: housing 104: slit
110: battery 120: control unit
130: heater 140: cavity
150 vaporizer 200 aerosol-forming article
210: tobacco rod 220: filter rod
230: capsule 240: cigarette paper

Claims (19)

a cavity receiving at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate;
an elongate heater element extending in one direction of the cavity and arranged to penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity; and
Including a light source for irradiating light to the elongate heater element,
A plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the elongate heater element,
The plurality of metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR),
At least one concavo-convex portion is formed on the elongate heater element,
At least some of the plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged on the at least one uneven portion, an aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
wherein the at least one concavo-convex portion is formed in an inward direction from an inner surface of an outline surface of the elongate heater element to cause diffuse reflection of light inside the elongate heater element. The method of claim 1,
the elongate heater element comprises an empty space therein;
The aerosol generating device, wherein the at least one concavo-convex portion is formed in a direction from the inner wall of the elongated heater element toward the empty space. The method of claim 1,
wherein the elongate heater element is formed in a non-empty form including a material that transmits light;
The at least one concave-convex portion is formed in a direction from the inner surface of the contour surface of the elongated heater element toward the inside. The method of claim 1,
The height of the concave-convex portion has a range of 50 to 200 times the diameter of one of the plurality of metal nanoparticles, an aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
wherein the elongate heater element comprises a lens;
wherein the light from the light source has an angle of incidence by the lens of 30° to 70° when it enters the elongate heater element via the lens. The method of claim 1,
The plurality of metal nanoparticles are formed by mixing different types of materials that absorb light of different wavelengths, an aerosol generating device. 8. The method of claim 7,
first metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a first wavelength are arranged in a first region of the elongate heater element,
and second metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a second wavelength are arranged in a second region of the elongate heater element. 9. The method of claim 8,
The light source includes a plurality of light sources,
The plurality of light sources comprises a light source of the first wavelength corresponding to the first metal nanoparticles and a light source of the second wavelength corresponding to the second metal nanoparticles, an aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
When the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity, the outer surface of the contoured face of the elongate heater element has a thermal conductivity of 10 to conduct heat generated from the plurality of metal nanoparticles to the aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol generating device comprising a metal material of W/mK or higher. The method of claim 1,
an annular heater element extending along at least a portion of a sidewall of the cavity and arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity. 12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising a second light source irradiating light to the annular heater element,
Second metal nanoparticles are arranged in the annular heater element,
The second metal nanoparticles receive light from the second light source to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), an aerosol generating device. 13. The method of claim 12,
The second light source is the same light source as the light source for irradiating light to the elongate heater element, an aerosol generating device. 13. The method of claim 12,
and the second light source is arranged under the annular heater element. a cavity receiving at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate;
an annular heater element extending along at least a portion of a sidewall of the cavity and arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity; and
A light source for irradiating light to the annular heater element,
A plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the annular heater element,
The plurality of metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR),
At least one concavo-convex portion is formed on the annular heater element,
At least some of the plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged on the at least one uneven portion, an aerosol generating device. 16. The method of claim 15,
the at least one concave and convex portion is arranged on the inner wall of the annular heater element for causing diffuse reflection of light inside the annular heater element. 17. The method of claim 16,
wherein the plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged only on at least one concavo-convex arranged on the inner wall of the side proximate to the aerosol-forming article among the at least one concavo-convex arranged on the inner wall of the annular heater element. a cavity receiving at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate;
an elongate heater element extending in one direction of the cavity and arranged to penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity; and
Including a light source for irradiating light to the elongate heater element,
A plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged in the elongate heater element,
The plurality of metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR),
first metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a first wavelength are arranged in a first region of the elongate heater element,
and second metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a second wavelength are arranged in a second region of the elongate heater element. a cavity receiving at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate;
an annular heater element extending along at least a portion of a sidewall of the cavity and arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received within the cavity; and
A light source for irradiating light to the annular heater element,
A plurality of metal nanoparticles are arranged on the inner surface of the annular heater element,
The plurality of metal nanoparticles receive light from the light source and generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR),
first metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a first wavelength are arranged in a first region of the annular heater element,
and second metal nanoparticles absorbing light of a second wavelength are arranged in a second region of the annular heater element.

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