KR20220064666A - Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes: an atomizer atomizing an aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol; a discharge passage for discharging the aerosol generated by the atomizer; a first discharge hole disposed at one end of the discharge passage to discharge the aerosol to the outside; a second discharge hole disposed at the other end of the discharge passage toward the atomizer and spaced apart from the first discharge hole along a direction crossing the direction of extension of the discharge passage; and a guide surface including a curved surface at least partially curved along the direction of extension of the discharge passage and guiding the aerosol generated by the atomizer to flow toward the first discharge hole along the curved surface.

Description

Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system including the same

The embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system including the same, and more particularly, to an aerosol generating device having a structure that can easily discharge an aerosol to the outside, and an aerosol generating system including the same.

In recent years, there is an increasing demand for technology to replace a method of supplying an aerosol by burning a conventional cigarette. For example, generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material in a liquid or solid state, or generating a vapor from an aerosol-generating material in a liquid state and passing the generated vapor through a solid fragrance medium to supply an aerosol having a flavor Research on such methods is in progress.

The aerosol generating device includes an atomizer for generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material, and a discharge passage for discharging the aerosol generated from the atomizer to the outside.

Conventionally, when the aerosol generated from the atomizer stays in the discharge passage for a long time, the aerosol does not reach the user's oral cavity quickly or a vortex is generated in the discharge passage, and the performance of the aerosol generating device is reduced. Therefore, a technology for easily discharging the generated aerosol to the outside is required.

Embodiments provide an aerosol generating device capable of easily discharging an aerosol to the outside and an aerosol generating system including the same.

Embodiments may implement an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system.

An aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment includes: an atomizer for generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol-generating material; a discharge passage for discharging the aerosol generated from the atomizer; a first discharge hole disposed at one end of the discharge passage so that the aerosol is discharged to the outside; a second discharge hole disposed at the other end of the discharge passage toward the atomizer and spaced apart from the first discharge hole in a direction transverse to the direction in which the discharge passage extends; and a guide surface including a curved surface at least partially curved along the extending direction of the discharge passage, and guiding the aerosol generated in the atomizer to flow along the curved surface toward the first discharge hole.

An aerosol generating system according to an embodiment includes an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment; and a receiving part connected to the aerosol-generating device and receiving an aerosol-generating article through which the generated aerosol passes.

The aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system according to the embodiments as described above can easily discharge the aerosol to the outside through the Coanda effect using a curved induction surface.

In addition, the aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system according to the embodiments reduce the time the aerosol stays in the discharge passage, thereby reducing the possibility of generating a vortex in the discharge passage.

In addition, since the aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system according to the embodiments can rapidly flow the aerosol in the discharge passage, the aerosol can be discharged to the outside at a relatively high temperature.

1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating examples in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.
3 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment;
4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 .
5 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 6A is an enlarged enlarged view of a part of the front sectional view of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .
6B and 6C are enlarged views of a part of a front sectional view to show a modified example of a part of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .
7 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
8A to 8C are views showing various modifications of the inlet passage.
9 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
10 is a schematic perspective view of some elements of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 ;
11 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment.
12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-generating article.

The terms used in the embodiments are selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering functions in the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there is a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, rather than the name of a simple term.

In the entire specification, when a part "includes" a certain element, this means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as “…unit” and “…module” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

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

1 and 2 are views showing examples in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.

1 and 2 , the aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery 110 , a control unit 120 , a heater 130 , and a vaporizer 140 . In addition, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be inserted into the inner space of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

Although the aerosol-generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a vaporizer, the embodiments are not limited by the way of implementation of such an aerosol-generating device and the vaporizer may be omitted in the aerosol-generating device 1 . there is. When the vaporizer is omitted from the aerosol-generating device 1 , the aerosol-generating article 200 comprises an aerosol-generating material such that when the aerosol-generating article 200 is heated by the heater 130 , the aerosol-generating article 200 becomes an aerosol can create

The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be further included in the aerosol generating device 1 . .

In addition, although it is shown that the heater 130 is included in the aerosol generating device 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 , if necessary, the heater 130 may be omitted.

1 illustrates that the battery 110, the control unit 120, the vaporizer 140, and the heater 130 are arranged in a line. In addition, FIG. 2 shows that the vaporizer 140 and the heater 130 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 . In other words, according to the design of the aerosol generating device 1 , the arrangement of the battery 110 , the control unit 120 , the vaporizer 140 , and the heater 130 may be changed.

When the aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1 , the aerosol-generating device 1 may actuate the vaporizer 140 to generate an aerosol from the vaporizer 140 . The aerosol generated by the vaporizer 140 passes through the aerosol generating article 200 and is delivered to the user. A description of the vaporizer 140 will be given in more detail below.

The battery 110 supplies the power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the battery 110 may supply power to the heater 130 or the vaporizer 140 to be heated, and may supply power necessary for the control unit 120 to operate. In addition, the battery 110 may supply power required to operate a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 1 .

The control unit 120 generally controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . Specifically, the control unit 120 controls the operation of the battery 110 , the heater 130 , and the vaporizer 140 , as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 1 . Also, the controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operable state by checking the state of each of the components of the aerosol generating device 1 .

The controller 120 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. In addition, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiment may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The heater 130 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 110 . For example, if a cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , the heater 130 may be located outside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 130 may raise the temperature of the aerosol generating material in the cigarette.

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 as current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, 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 1 or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 130 may be an induction heating type heater. Specifically, the heater 130 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the cigarette in an induction heating method, and the cigarette may include a susceptor capable of being heated by the induction heating heater.

1 and 2 , the heater 130 is illustrated as being disposed outside the aerosol-generating article 200 , but is not limited thereto. For example, the heater 130 may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, depending on the shape of the heating element, inside or outside the aerosol-generating article 200 . It can be heated outside.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 1 . In this case, the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200 , or may be disposed outside the aerosol-generating article 200 . In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200 , and others may be disposed outside the aerosol-generating article 200 . In addition, the shape of the heater 130 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , and may be manufactured in various shapes.

Vaporizer 140 may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may pass through aerosol-generating article 200 and delivered to a user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 140 may move along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 1 , in which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 140 passes through the cigarette to the user. It can be configured to be

For example, the vaporizer 140 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, the liquid delivery means and the heating element may be included in the aerosol-generating device 1 as independent modules.

The liquid reservoir 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 detachably/attached from the vaporizer 140 , or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 140 .

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

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

For example, the vaporizer 140 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 110 , the controller 120 , and the heater 130 . For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be manufactured to have a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal gas may flow out even in a state in which the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the aerosol generating device 1 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used for charging the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 1 . Alternatively, the heater 130 may be heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 1 are coupled.

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

The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , and a part of the first part and the second part may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol while biting the second part with the mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by passing the outside air through the first part, and the generated aerosol passes through the second part and 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 1 . For example, the opening and closing of the air passage and/or the size of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1 may be adjusted by the user. Accordingly, the amount of atomization, the feeling of smoking, and the like can be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air may be introduced into the interior of the aerosol-generating article 200 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the aerosol-generating article 200 .

3 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment, FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 5 is FIG. 4 It is a schematic front sectional view of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in.

3 to 5, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment is an atomizer 11 generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material 12a, the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 is At the other end of the discharge passage (2) to be discharged, the first discharge hole (2a) disposed at one end of the discharge passage (2) so that the aerosol is discharged to the outside, the discharge passage (2) toward the atomizer (11) disposed, at least a portion of the second discharge hole (2b) spaced apart from the first discharge hole (2a) along the direction transverse to the direction in which the discharge passage (2) extends, and at least a portion along the extension direction of the discharge passage (2) It includes a curved surface, and a guide surface 3 for guiding the aerosol generated by the atomizer 11 to flow toward the first discharge hole 2a along the curved surface.

Accordingly, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment can achieve the following effects.

First, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment can easily discharge the aerosol to the first discharge hole 2a through the Coanda effect using the induction surface 3 which is a curved surface. In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment reduces the time the aerosol stays in the discharge passage 2 through the guide surface 3, thereby reducing the possibility of generating a vortex in the discharge passage 2 can be reduced Accordingly, the overall performance of the aerosol generating device 1 can be improved.

Second, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may rapidly flow the aerosol in the discharge passage 2 . Therefore, in the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment, since the aerosol discharged from the second discharge hole 2b can reach the first discharge hole 2a at a relatively high temperature, the flavor felt by the user can be improved. there is.

The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may be formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole as shown in FIG. 3 , but this is exemplary and various types of the discharge passage 2 and the guide surface 3 to be described below As long as the embodiment can be included, it may be formed in a cylindrical shape or the like.

Hereinafter, the atomizer 11, the discharge passage (2), and the guide surface (3) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 and 5 , the atomizer 11 generates an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material 12a. The atomizer 11 may heat the aerosol generating material 12a. The atomizer 11 may generate an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol generating material 12a into a gas phase. The aerosol may refer to a mixture of vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material 12a and air in a gaseous state.

The atomizer 11 may be connected to a power supply (not shown) for receiving power. The power supply may include only a battery for supplying power to the atomizer 11 , and may include a control chip or a control circuit board for controlling the operation of the atomizer 11 together with the battery.

The atomizer 11 may be arranged inside the body 10 of the aerosol generating device 1 .

As an example, the atomizer 11 is a porous plate for absorbing the aerosol-generating material (12a), an absorbent portion connected to the porous plate to absorb and hold the aerosol-generating material (12a), and wound around the absorbent portion or with the absorbent portion and a heating unit disposed adjacent to or in contact with the absorbent unit to heat the aerosol generating material 12a to generate an aerosol.

The heating unit may be an electrically resistive heating element that generates heat by electricity supplied from a power supply. The heating element includes an electrically conductive track, and the heating element can be heated as an electric current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heating unit is not limited to the above-described example, and may be applied without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. The aerosol-generating material 12a absorbed by the absorbent part may be heated by the heating part, and as a result, an aerosol may be generated.

The heating element may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. It may be a metal or metal alloy including, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heating unit may be implemented as a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate on which an electrically conductive track is disposed, a ceramic heating element, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

As another example, although not shown, the atomizer 11 may generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material 12a by using an ultrasonic vibration method. The ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

The atomizer 11 may change the phase of the aerosol-generating material 12a by using an ultrasonic vibration method of atomizing the aerosol-generating material 12a with ultrasonic vibration. The atomizer 11 may include a vibrator for generating ultrasonic vibrations.

The vibrator can generate short-period vibrations. The vibration generated from the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration may be, for example, 100 kHz to 3.5 MHz. By the short-period vibration generated from the vibrator, the aerosol generating material 12a may be vaporized and/or atomized into an aerosol.

The vibrator may include, for example, piezoelectric ceramic, which generates electricity (voltage) by a physical force (pressure) and conversely generates vibration (mechanical force) when electricity is applied, thereby generating electricity and It is a functional material that can convert mechanical forces into one another. Therefore, vibration (physical force) is generated by the electricity applied to the vibrator, and the small physical vibration can split the aerosol generating material 12a into small particles and atomize it into an aerosol.

The vibrator may be electrically connected to the circuit by a pogo pin or a C-clip. Therefore, the vibrator may generate vibration by receiving a current from a pogo pin or a C-clip. However, the type of element connected to supply current to the vibrator is not limited by the above description.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include a storage unit 12 for accommodating the aerosol generating material 12a.

The reservoir 12 contains the aerosol generating material 12a. The storage unit 12 may be an empty space capable of accommodating the aerosol generating material 12a. The storage unit 12 may be disposed inside the body 10 . The aerosol generating material 12a stored in the storage unit 12 may be, for example, a liquid state or a gel state material. The aerosol generating material 12a may be maintained in a state impregnated by a porous material such as a sponge or cotton in a liquid state inside the storage unit 12 .

For example, the aerosol generating material 12a 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 capable of providing 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. In addition, the aerosol generating material 12a may include an aerosol former such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

6A is an enlarged view of a part of the front sectional view of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , and FIGS. 6B and 6C are modified examples of a part of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 . It is an enlarged view of a part of the front sectional view to show the

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6C , the discharge passage 2 is a passage through which the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 is discharged to the outside. The discharge passage 2 may extend along the first direction to discharge the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 to the outside.

At least a portion is curved between one end of the discharge passage (2) and the other end of the discharge passage (2), and the aerosol generated by the atomizer 11 is guided toward the other end of the discharge passage (2). 3) can be located. One end of the discharge passage 2 and the other end of the discharge passage 2 may be spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the first direction in which the discharge passage 2 extends.

One end of the discharge passage (2) is open to the outside, and the other end of the discharge passage (2) may be connected to the atomizer (11). The discharge passage 2 may be disposed inside the body 10 .

A mouthpiece 20 may be disposed at one end of the discharge passage 2 . The mouthpiece 20 may be a part of the aerosol generating device 1 that the user abuts against the oral cavity to inhale the aerosol.

The first discharge hole (2a) is disposed at one end of the discharge passage (2). The first discharge hole (2a) may be respectively connected to the discharge passage (2) and the outside so that the generated aerosol can be discharged to the outside. For example, the first discharge hole 2a may be included in the mouthpiece 20 .

The second discharge hole (2b) is disposed at the other end of the discharge passage (2). The second discharge hole (2b) may be respectively connected to the atomizer 11 and the discharge passage (2). The aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 may be discharged to the outside by sequentially flowing through the second discharge hole (2b), the discharge passage (2), and the first discharge hole (2a).

The second discharge hole (2b) may be spaced apart from the first discharge hole (2a) based on a second direction transverse to the first direction in which the discharge passage (2) extends. Accordingly, the aerosol passing through the second discharge hole (2b) may be discharged to the outside through the first discharge hole (2a) after moving a predetermined distance in the second direction.

4 to 6c, the guide surface 3 may include a curved surface to induce the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 to be discharged to the outside. Accordingly, in the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment, the so-called aerosol passing through the second discharge hole 2b flows along the surface of the guide surface 3 while maintaining a state in close contact with the guide surface 3 . Coanda effect can be promoted. Therefore, due to the Coanda effect by the guiding surface 3, the flow of the aerosol passing through the second discharge hole 2b is guided toward the guiding surface 3, so the attenuation of the speed of the aerosol is small compared to the free flow and the aerosol reach may be longer.

The guide surface 3 may include a curved surface curved toward the discharge passage (2). The guiding surface 3 is capable of directing the flow of first particles 1a of the aerosol (shown in FIGS. 6a to 6c ). The first particle 1a may be an aerosol in a gaseous state vaporized from the atomizer 11 . The guiding surface 3 may be the surface of the interior of the aerosol generating device 1 facing the discharge passage 2 .

The guide surface 3 may extend from the second discharge hole 2b to the first discharge hole 2a. Accordingly, the area through which the aerosol can easily flow along the guide surface 3 can be increased.

5 to 6C , the guide surface 3 may include a first guide surface 31 and a second guide surface 32 .

The first guide surface 31 may have a convex shape toward the center of the discharge passage (2). The first guide surface 31 may be connected to each of the atomizer 11 and the second guide surface 32 . The first guide surface 31 may be formed in a portion adjacent to the position of the second discharge hole 2b.

The second guide surface 32 is connected to the first guide surface 31 . The second guide surface 32 may extend in the first direction toward the first discharge hole 2a. The second guide surface 32 may be connected to the outside. The second guide surface 32 may be formed in a portion adjacent to the position of the first discharge hole 2a. Although not shown, the second guide surface 32 may include a concave curved surface curved in a direction away from the center of the discharge passage 2 .

The second guide surface 32 and the first guide surface 31 may be connected to each other by continuous surfaces without edges. Accordingly, the fluidity of the aerosol flowing along the guide surface 3 can be stabilized.

5 to 6c , the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include a preventing surface 4 .

The prevention surface 4 extends toward the second direction. The prevention surface 4 may collide with a second particle 1b (shown in FIGS. 6A-6C ), which is larger in size compared to the first particle 1a of the aerosol. The second particle 1b may be an aerosol in a liquid state that is not vaporized from the atomizer 11 . The second particle (1b) may be reduced in size to the first particle (1a) by colliding with the prevention surface (4).

The prevention surface 4 may function as a physical barrier to prevent the second particle 1b from being directly discharged into the first discharge hole 2a. Accordingly, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may reduce the possibility that the non-vaporized second particles 1b are directly inhaled into the user's oral cavity through the first discharge hole 2a.

The prevention surface 4 may protrude toward the guide surface 3 at a position spaced apart from the guide surface 3 . The prevention surface 4 may be formed on the inside of the body 10 at a position facing the guide surface 3 . In addition, the prevention surface 4 may include a surface extending in a direction transverse to the direction of the flow of the aerosol flowing through the discharge passage (2).

The prevention surface (4) is arranged towards the discharge passage (2). The prevention surface 4 may have a convex curved surface toward the discharge passage 2 . Accordingly, the prevention surface 4 performs the function of a physical barrier to prevent the second particle 1b from being directly discharged into the first discharge hole 2a, and at the same time performs a function of inducing the aerosol to be discharged to the outside. can

4 to 6c , the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include a guide surface 5 .

The guide surface 5 can be connected to the prevention surface 4 . One end of the guide surface 5 is connected to the prevention surface 4 , and the other end may be connected to the atomizer 11 . The prevention surface 4 may have one end facing the first discharge hole 2a, and the other end connected to the guide surface 5 . The guide surface 5 may include a surface extending along the direction of the flow of the aerosol flowing through the discharge passage 2 .

The guide surface 5 can guide the flow of the second particles 1b of the aerosol. Since the second particle 1b has a larger size than the first particle 1a and is relatively heavy compared to the first particle 1a, the path is not changed by the guide surface 3 and the guide surface 5 is can flow along. On the other hand, since the first particle 1a has a smaller size than the second particle 1b and is relatively light compared to the second particle 1b, the flow path of the first particle 1a is reduced by the Coanda effect. It can be changed in the second direction to flow along the guide surface 3 .

The guide surface 5 is arranged towards the discharge passage 2 . The guide surface 5 may be formed at a position facing the first guide surface 31 at a position spaced apart from the first guide surface 31 . Although not shown, the guide surface 5 may include a convex curved surface curved toward the center of the discharge passage 2 . The prevention surface 4 may be inclined with the guide surface 5 .

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the connection structure of the prevention surface and the guide surface will be sequentially described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C .

Referring to FIG. 6A , the prevention surface 4 may be approximately perpendicular to the guide surface 5 . The second particle (1b) collided with the prevention surface (4) may be reduced in size and converted into the first particle (1a) and then flow toward the first discharge hole (2a). Accordingly, the user may inhale the gaseous first particles (1a).

Referring to FIG. 6B , the prevention surface 4 may form an inclination of 110 degrees or less with respect to the extension direction of the guide surface 5 . In this embodiment, the prevention surface 4 may be inclined towards the first discharge hole 2a.

In order to compare the effect of the embodiment, a comparative example in which the prevention surface 4 and the guide surface 5 are inclined at 110 degrees or more was implemented and tested. According to one comparative example, it was observed that the second particle 1b did not sufficiently collide with the prevention surface 4 and was discharged to the first discharge hole 2a along the slope formed by the prevention surface 4 . Therefore, according to one comparative example, while the aerosol can be easily discharged along the first discharge hole 2a, there is a problem in that the possibility that the user inhales the second particle 1b in a liquid state increases.

Since the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment has an inclination of 110 degrees or less with the guide surface 5, the prevention surface 4 reduces the size of the second particle 1b so that the user inhales the liquid aerosol. It is possible to easily discharge the aerosol to the outside along the prevention surface (4) while reducing the possibility of doing so.

Referring to FIG. 6c , the prevention surface 4 may form an inclination of 70 degrees or more with the guide surface 5 . In this embodiment, the prevention surface 4 may be inclined towards the second discharge hole 2b. That is, the prevention surface 4 forms an inclination in a direction transverse to the direction in which the discharge passage 2 extends.

In order to compare the effect of the embodiment, another comparative example in which the prevention surface 4 and the guide surface 5 are inclined of 70 degrees or less was implemented and tested. According to another comparative example, it was observed that it is difficult for the first particles 1a to be discharged to the first discharge hole 2a along the prevention surface 4 . This is because the movement path of the first particle 1a is increased due to the excessive inclination between the prevention surface 4 and the guide surface 5 . Therefore, in another comparative example, while the size of the second particle 1b can be easily reduced, there is a problem in that the aerosol is difficult to be discharged along the first discharge hole 2a.

Since the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment forms an inclination of 70 degrees or more with the guide surface 5, the prevention surface 4 makes it easier to direct the aerosol to the first discharge hole 2a along the prevention surface 4 It can be exhaled while reducing the likelihood that the user inhales a liquid aerosol.

7 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the guide surface 3 may be disposed along the circumferential direction of the mouthpiece 20 . Accordingly, the aerosol generating device 1 according to another embodiment increases the area in which the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 flows along the guide surface 3 to enhance the Coanda effect. can The discharge passage 2 , the prevention surface 4 , and the guide surface 5 may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the mouthpiece 20 with the guide surface 3 as the center.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 , components not described are approximately the same as those described in the aerosol generating device according to an embodiment, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 and 7 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include an inlet passage 6 .

The inlet passage 6 is a passage through which external air is introduced into the aerosol generating device 1 . The inlet passage 6 may be connected to the atomizer 11 so that air is introduced into the atomizer 11 . The atomizer 11 may generate an aerosol using the air introduced into the inlet passage 6 . One end of the inlet passage 6 may be opened to the outside, and the other end may be connected to the atomizer 11 .

8A to 8C are views showing various modifications of the inlet passage.

8A to 8C , the inlet passage 6 may include a first inlet hole 61 and a second inlet hole 62 . The first inlet hole 61 may be disposed at one end of the inlet passage 6 so as to be opened to the outside. The second inlet hole 62 may be disposed at the other end of the inlet passage 6 so as to be connected to the atomizer 11 .

The second inlet hole 62 may have a smaller size than the first inlet hole 61 . Accordingly, the speed of the air passing through the inlet passage (6) can be increased toward the atomizer (11). This increase in air velocity is due to the Venturi effect as the pressure decreases when the fluid flows through a small portion in the inlet passage 6 . Therefore, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment can increase the speed of the air reaching the atomizer 11 so that the aerosol can easily flow into the discharge passage 2 .

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the inlet passage 6 for increasing the air inflow speed will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 and 7 , the size of the inlet passage 6 may be gradually reduced as it goes toward the atomizer 11 from the outside. In this embodiment, the inlet passage 6 may be formed entirely in a tapered shape.

Referring to FIG. 8A , both the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61 may have a constant size. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A , the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61 may communicate with each other.

Referring to FIG. 8B , the sizes of the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61 may gradually decrease toward the atomizer 11 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8B , a section having a constant size may be disposed between the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61 . That is, one end and the other end of the inlet passage 6 may be formed in a tapered shape.

Referring to FIG. 8C , both the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61 may have a constant size. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8c, between the second inlet hole 62 and the first inlet hole 61, a section having a size gradually decreasing toward the atomizer 11 may be disposed. That is, the middle portion of the inlet passage 6 may be formed in a tapered shape.

9 is a schematic front sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of some elements of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .

9 and 10 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include a rotating part 7 . The arrows shown in FIG. 9 schematically show the direction of the airflow formed by the rotating part 7 .

The rotating part (7) forms an airflow for discharging the aerosol generated from the atomizer (11) to the discharge passage (2). The rotating part 7 may form an airflow in which the aerosol flows toward the discharge passage 2 as it rotates. Therefore, the aerosol generating device 1 according to the embodiment can more easily flow the aerosol generated in the atomizer 11 to the discharge passage (2).

The rotating part 7 may be accommodated in the rotation receiving part 7a formed inside the main body 10 . The airflow formed by the rotating part 7 may flow to the discharge path 2 through the airflow path 70 communicating with the rotation receiving part 7a.

The airflow passage 70 may have one end connected to the rotation receiving unit 7a and the other end connected to the atomizer 11 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the airflow passage 70 may have one end connected to the rotation receiving part 7a and the other end connected to the discharge passage 2 . The airflow passage 70 may bypass the inlet passage 6 . The rotating unit 7 may rotate by receiving power from the battery 110 .

The rotating part 7 may include a rotating shaft 71 and a rotating blade 72 .

The rotation shaft 71 may provide a rotation center of the rotation unit 7 . For example, the rotating shaft 71 may pass through a portion of the main body 10 , so that one end of the rotating shaft 71 may be disposed inside the main body 10 .

The rotary blade 72 is coupled to the rotary shaft 71 to rotate together along the direction in which the rotary shaft 71 rotates. The rotary blade 72 can generate an airflow that flows the aerosol generated by the rotation into the discharge passage 2 . The rotary blade 72 may be integrally formed with the rotary shaft 71 .

A plurality of rotary blades 72 may be disposed along the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft 71 as shown in FIG. 10 .

Although not shown, the rotating unit 7 may include a driving unit that provides power to rotate the rotating shaft 71 . For example, the driving unit may be a motor that rotates the rotation shaft 71 by receiving power from the battery 110 , but is not limited thereto.

The rotating blade 72 may be disposed on the rotating shaft 71 to form an inclination with the lower surface of the rotation receiving portion 7a to smoothly flow the aerosol.

When the rotary blade 72 is obliquely coupled to the rotary shaft 71 , the airflow formed by the rotation of the rotary blade 72 may be pushed up along the surface of the rotary blade 72 . In this case, the airflow formed by the rotating part 7 may flow to the atomizer 11 or the discharge passage 2 along the airflow passage 70 . Therefore, in comparison with the comparative example in which the rotary blade 72 is disposed on the rotary shaft 71 in parallel with the second direction, the flow force through which the aerosol flows into the discharge passage 2 can be improved.

11 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment.

1, 2, and 11 , an aerosol-generating system 100 according to an embodiment may include an aerosol-generating device 1 , an aerosol-generating article 200 , and a receiving unit 60 . . Since the aerosol-generating device 1 has been described above, the aerosol-generating article 200 and the receiving unit 60 will be mainly described below.

11 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the receptacle 60 receives the aerosol-generating article 200 . The receptacle 60 may be connected to the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the receiving unit 60 may be connected to the mouthpiece 20 . Accordingly, the aerosol generated from the atomizer 11 passes through the second discharge hole 2b, the discharge passage 2, the first discharge hole 2a, and the aerosol-generating article 200 and is inhaled into the user's mouth. can be

One end of the receiving unit 60 may be opened to insert the aerosol-generating article 200 . The other end of the receiving part 60 may be connected to the mouthpiece 20 . The receptacle 60 and the aerosol generating device 1 may be integrally formed. Although not shown, a heater 130 for heating the aerosol-generating article 200 may be disposed in the receiving unit 60 .

Hereinafter, an example of the aerosol-generating article 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 12 .

12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-generating article.

12 , the aerosol generating article 200 includes a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220 . The first part described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a tobacco rod 210 , and the second part includes a filter rod 220 .

Although the filter rod 220 is shown as a single segment in FIG. 12 , it is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 220 may be composed of a plurality of segments. For example, the filter rod 220 may include a first segment for cooling the aerosol and a second segment for filtering certain components contained in the aerosol. In addition, if necessary, the filter rod 220 may further include at least one segment that performs another function.

The aerosol generating article 200 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 240 . At least one hole through which external air flows or internal gas flows may be formed in the wrapper 240 . As an example, the aerosol generating article 200 may be wrapped by one wrapper 240 . As another example, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be nestedly wrapped by two or more wrappers 240 . For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be packaged by the first wrapper, and the filter rod 220 may be packaged by the second wrapper. Then, the tobacco rod 210 and the filter rod 220 wrapped by an individual wrapper are combined, and the aerosol-generating article 200 as a whole may be repackaged by the third wrapper. If each of the tobacco rod 210 or the filter rod 220 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by an individual wrapper. In addition, the entire aerosol-generating article 200 to which segments packaged by individual wrappers are combined may be repackaged by another wrapper.

Tobacco rod 210 contains an aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generating material may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. The tobacco rod 210 may also contain other additive substances such as flavoring agents, wetting agents and/or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizing agent may be added to the tobacco rod 210 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 210 .

Tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured in various 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.

The filter rod 220 may be a cellulose acetate filter. On the other hand, the shape of the filter rod 220 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 220 may be a cylindrical rod, or a tube-type 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 fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 230 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

A person of ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment will understand that it can be implemented in a modified form within a range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed methods are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the present invention.

1: aerosol generating device 2: exhaust passage
2a: first discharge hole 2b: second discharge hole
3: guide surface 4: prevention surface
5: guide surface 6: inlet passage
7: rotation device 11: atomizer
12: storage unit 20: mouthpiece
60: accommodation unit 100: aerosol generating system
200: aerosol-generating article 31: first guide surface
32: second guide surface 61: first inlet hole
62: second inlet hole 70: airflow passage
1a: first particle 1b: second particle

Claims (15)

an atomizer that atomizes the aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol;
a discharge passage for discharging the aerosol generated from the atomizer;
a first discharge hole disposed at one end of the discharge passage so that the aerosol is discharged to the outside;
a second discharge hole disposed at the other end of the discharge passage toward the atomizer and spaced apart from the first discharge hole in a direction transverse to the direction in which the discharge passage extends; and
A guiding surface including a curved surface at least partially curved along the extending direction of the discharge passage, and guiding the aerosol generated in the atomizer to flow along the curved surface toward the first discharge hole; Containing, an aerosol generating device . The method of claim 1,
The guiding surface extends from the second outlet hole to the first outlet hole. The method of claim 1,
The guide surface includes a first guide surface connected to the atomizer and having a convex shape toward the discharge passage, and a second guide surface connected to the first guide surface and extending toward the first discharge hole. generating device. The method of claim 1,
It further includes; a mouthpiece including the first outlet hole;
wherein the guide surface is disposed along a circumferential direction of the mouthpiece. The method of claim 1,
The aerosol generating device further comprising; . 6. The method of claim 5,
A guiding surface connected to the prevention surface and guiding the flow of the second particle of the aerosol; further comprising, an aerosol generating device. 7. The method of claim 6,
The guide surface extends along the extension direction of the discharge passage,
wherein the prevention surface is inclined with respect to the guide surface. 8. The method of claim 7,
The prevention surface forms an inclination of 70 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less with the guide surface, an aerosol generating device. 6. The method of claim 5,
The prevention surface comprises a curved surface convex toward the discharge passage, an aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
The aerosol generating device further comprising a; inlet passage connected to the atomizer so that air is introduced into the atomizer. 11. The method of claim 10,
The size of the inlet passage gradually decreases from the outside toward the atomizer, an aerosol generating device. 11. The method of claim 10,
The inlet passage comprises a first inlet hole open to the outside, and a second inlet hole having a smaller size than the first inlet hole and connected to the atomizer. 13. The method of claim 12,
The inlet passage further comprises a section in which the size gradually decreases between the first inlet hole and the second inlet hole. The method of claim 1,
The aerosol generating device further comprising; 15. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and
an aerosol-generating device connected to the aerosol-generating device, the receptacle receiving an aerosol-generating article through which the aerosol generated from the atomizer passes.

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