KR20230060873A - Aerosol-generating apparatus having a plurality of heaters and aerosol-generating article used therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an aerosol generating device comprising a housing forming an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated, a heater unit heating the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodation space, and a control unit adjusting the temperature of the heater unit. The heater unit includes a first heater unit and a second heater unit arranged to heat different positions of the aerosol-generating article, and the control unit controls to individually adjust the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit. The aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention can generate various components or amounts of aerosol according to the consumer's preference even for one aerosol generating article.

Description

Aerosol generating device having a plurality of heaters and an aerosol generating article used therewith

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device having a plurality of heaters and an aerosol-generating article used therewith. Specifically, it relates to an aerosol-generating device having a plurality of heaters, each of which is arranged to heat different positions of the aerosol-generating article and whose temperature can be individually controlled, and an aerosol-generating article used therewith.

In recent years, demand for alternative products that overcome the disadvantages of traditional cigarettes is increasing. For example, there is an increasing demand for devices that generate aerosols by electrically heating a cigarette stick (eg, cigarette-style electronic cigarettes). Accordingly, research on an electrically heated aerosol generating device and a cigarette stick (or aerosol generating article) applied thereto is being actively conducted.

Specifically, the electrically heated aerosol generating device and the cigarette stick applied thereto use granules containing the corresponding components instead of plate leaves and leaf tobacco cut filler as the tobacco material of the cigarette stick, and a separate atomizing unit in the form of a cartridge in the electrically heated aerosol generating device It is being developed in various forms to meet the taste of consumers, such as introducing it. Nevertheless, there is a limit to satisfying various consumers, such as satisfying only consumers with specific preferences through a single cigarette stick and an electrically heated aerosol generating device.

Accordingly, the present inventors completed the present invention after studying an electrically heated aerosol generating device capable of generating aerosol of various components or amounts according to the consumer's preference even for one cigarette stick.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-7021388

It is intended to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of generating aerosols of various components or amounts according to consumer's preference even for one aerosol-generating article.

According to the first aspect of the present invention,

The present invention includes a housing forming an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated, a heater unit for heating the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodation space, and a control unit for adjusting the temperature of the heater unit, wherein the heater unit controls the temperature of the aerosol-generating article. It provides an aerosol generating device comprising a first heater unit and a second heater unit disposed to heat different positions, wherein the control unit individually controls the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating article comprises a first filter segment, a second filter segment and a cavity segment, the cavity segment being formed by the first filter segment and the second filter segment, wherein the cavity segment The segment is filled with tobacco granules and the first filter segment is located upstream of the cavity segment and contains an aerosol former.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first filter segment and the cavity segment of the aerosol-generating article are accommodated in an accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device, the first heater unit is positioned to heat the first filter segment, and the second The heater section is positioned to heat the cavity segment.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first heater unit is driven in a flexible mode or a lead-free mode, in the flexible mode, the first heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 180 ° C to 240 ° C, and in the lead-free mode, 1 The heater unit does not heat up.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the second heater unit is driven in one of a strong mode, a medium mode, and a weak mode, and in the strong mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 200 ° C to 260 ° C. In the medium mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 160°C to 200°C, and in the weak mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 150°C to 180°C.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the temperature of the first heater unit is less than 100° C., the second heater unit is driven in a strong mode.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first heater unit and the second heater unit are driven in a form of reheating when they deviate from a set range after being initially preheated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device further includes a switch disposed on an outer wall surface of the housing, the switch sets a flexible mode or smokeless mode for the first heater unit, and a second heater unit. Set strong mode, medium mode or weak mode for .

An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first heater unit capable of heating a first filter segment capable of generating aerosol and a second heater capable of heating a cavity segment capable of supplying tobacco components to the aerosol. By individually adjusting the parts, a large amount of nicotine is transferred even for one aerosol-generating article, giving a high satisfaction to consumers who prefer a strong tobacco taste as well as a small amount of nicotine and a soft tobacco taste. .

1 is a diagram schematically showing an aerosol generating device to which an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and illustrates that the aerosol generating device operates in a flexible mode.
2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device to which an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, illustrating that the aerosol generating device operates in a smokeless mode.
3 is a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific examples will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing a specific example, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the specific example, the detailed description will be omitted.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used in describing the components of the specific example. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, sequence, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another element, the element may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but there may be another element between the elements. It should be understood that may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

Elements included in one embodiment and elements having common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless described to the contrary, the description described in any one embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments, and specific descriptions will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

As used herein, the term “aerosol-generating device” means a device capable of generating an aerosol by applying an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. An exemplary structure of the aerosol-generating device is referred to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

In this specification, the term "aerosol-generating article" means an article capable of generating aerosol, such as cigarettes (cigarettes) and cigars. The aerosol-generating article may include one or more of an aerosol-forming agent and an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating article may include several segments, each with a different functionality. In general, aerosol-generating articles include combustion-type aerosol-generating articles that are directly lit and used as well as heated aerosol-generating articles used with an aerosol-generating device. In the present invention, a heated aerosol-generating article used with an aerosol-generating device is can be applied preferably.

As used herein, the term "aerosol former" means a substance capable of facilitating the formation of visible smoke and/or aerosol. Examples of the aerosol-generating material include, but are not limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. . In the art, aerosol formers may be used interchangeably with terms such as moisturizers and humectants.

In this specification, the term “aerosol-forming substrate” means a material capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol may contain volatile compounds. The aerosol-forming substrate may be solid or liquid.

For example, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may include a solid material based on tobacco raw materials such as leaf tobacco, cut filler, and reconstituted tobacco, and the liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain nicotine, tobacco extract, and/or various flavoring agents. It may contain a liquid composition based on it. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto. The aerosol-forming substrate may further include an aerosol former to stably form visible smoke and/or aerosol.

In this specification, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are terms used to indicate the relative position of the segments that make up the aerosol-generating article relative to the direction in which the user draws air with the aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating article includes an upstream end (ie, the portion through which the air enters) and an opposite downstream end (ie, the portion through which the air exits). When using the aerosol-generating article, the user may bite the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article. The downstream end is located downstream of the upstream end, while the term “end” may also be described as “end”.

In this specification, the term “puff” refers to a user's inhalation, and inhalation refers to a situation in which the user's mouth or nose is drawn into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

As used herein, the term “longitudinal direction” means a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device, and is intended to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of generating aerosols of various components or amounts according to consumer's preference even when a single aerosol-generating article is applied. 1 and 2 schematically illustrating an exemplary aerosol-generating device are provided herein to facilitate understanding of the aerosol-generating device. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a housing, heater units 13 and 14 and a control unit 12. The aerosol generating device 10 may further include a battery 11, and may further include general-purpose components for those skilled in the art in addition to the above components. For example, the aerosol generating device 10 includes an input module (eg, a button, a touchable display, etc.) for receiving a command from a user and an output module for outputting information such as device status and smoking information ( For example, an LED, a display, a vibration motor, etc.) may be further included. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol generating device 10 will be described in detail.

The housing forms the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 10 . When forming the exterior of the aerosol generating device 10, an accommodation space capable of accommodating the aerosol generating article 20 is formed. The housing may be preferably implemented with a material capable of protecting internal components.

The heater units 13 and 14 heat the aerosol-generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space. Specifically, when the aerosol-generating article 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device 10, the heater unit 13 may heat the aerosol-generating article 20 with power supplied from the battery 11. .

The heater parts 13 and 14 may be configured in various forms and/or methods.

The heater units 13 and 14 may be configured to include, for example, electrical resistive heating elements. For example, the heater unit 13 includes an electrically insulating substrate (for example, a substrate made of polyimide) and an electrically conductive track, and a heating element that generates heat as current flows through the electrically conductive track. can include However, it is not limited thereto, and the heating element may be applicable without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be previously set in the aerosol generating device 10 (for example, when a temperature profile is stored in advance) or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

As another example, the heater parts 13 and 14 may be configured to include a heating element operating in an induction heating method. Specifically, the heater unit 13 may include an inductor (eg, an induction coil) for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 by an induction heating method and a susceptor for induction heating by the inductor. can The susceptor may be located inside or outside the aerosol-generating article 20 .

As another example, the heater units 13 and 14 include a heating element for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 from the inside (hereinafter, abbreviated as “internal heating element”), and a heating element for heating from the outside (hereinafter, “external heating element”). Abbreviated as “heating element”) or a combination thereof. The internal heating element may have, for example, a tubular shape, a needle shape, or a rod shape, and may be arranged to pass through at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 20 . The external heating element may be formed in a plate-like, cylindrical shape, or the like, so as to enclose at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the shape, number, and arrangement of heating elements may be designed in various ways.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heater units 13 and 14 include a first heater unit 13 and a second heater unit 14 arranged to heat different positions of the aerosol-generating article 20, respectively. do. Since the first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 14 are located separately, they can come into contact with the aerosol-generating article 10 at different positions. The shape of the first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 14 is not particularly limited as long as they are located separately. As described above, an internal heating element in the form of a tubular, needle, or rod shape and an external heating element in the form of a plate or cylinder may be possible, and in the aerosol generating device 10 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 As one specific example, a cylindrical external heating element is used.

The battery 11 supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the battery 11 may supply power so that the heater parts 13 and 14 may heat the aerosol-generating article 20 and may supply power necessary for the controller 12 to operate. In addition, the battery 11 may supply power necessary for operating electrical components such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown) installed in the aerosol generating device 10.

The controller 12 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the controller 12 may control the operation of the heater units 13 and 14 and the battery 11, and may also control the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 10. The control unit 12 can control power supplied by the battery 11 and can also control heating temperatures of the heater units 13 and 14 . As described above, when the heater unit 13 includes the first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 14, the control unit 12 individually controls the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit. can be controlled to adjust. In addition, the control unit 12 may determine whether the aerosol generating device 10 is in an operable state by checking the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 10 .

The controller 12 may be implemented by at least one processor. The controller may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microcontroller and a memory storing programs that may be executed by the microcontroller. In addition, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the control unit 12 may be implemented with other types of hardware.

The aerosol-generating article 20 applied to the aerosol-generating device 10 may have a structure similar to that of a general combustion type cigarette. The aerosol-generating article 20 may include, for example, a first portion (eg, tobacco rod) comprising tobacco material (or aerosol-forming substrate) and a second portion (eg, filter rod) comprising a filter or the like. ) can be distinguished. The entirety of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a portion of the first portion may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, or the entire first portion and a portion of the second portion may be inserted. The user can smoke while holding the second part with his or her mouth.

3 schematically illustrating an exemplary aerosol-generating article is provided herein to facilitate understanding of the aerosol-generating article applied to the aerosol-generating device described above. According to one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating article 20 comprises a first filter segment 21 , a second filter segment 23 and a cavity segment 22 . The cavity segment 22 is formed by a first filter segment 21 and a second filter segment 23 . The first filter segment 21, the second filter segment 23, and the cavity segment 22 are components included in the above-described first part (or tobacco rod), and as the first part is heated, nicotine, Tobacco components (or tobacco components) may be supplied. Regarding the tobacco component in the first part, the cavity segment 22 may be filled with tobacco granules 22A, which is a tobacco material in the form of granules. The tobacco material included in the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention is not limited to tobacco granules, but may be preferably applied in the aerosol-generating device according to the present invention. The first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 basically have a function as a filter, but when the tobacco granules 22A are filled in the cavity segment 22, the tobacco granules 22A do not flow out. It also has the functionality of specifying which partitions can be retained. The first part including the first filter segment 21, the second filter segment 23 and the cavity segment 22 may be wrapped with a wrapper.

The first filter segment 21 is a filter segment forming the cavity segment 22 and may be located upstream of the cavity segment 22 . The first filter segment 21 has a basically similar configuration to the second filter segment 22 to be described later, but additional functionality is required. The first filter segment 21 may perform a function of preventing the tobacco granules 22A from falling off. In addition, the first filter segment 21 may allow the cavity segment 22 to be positioned at an appropriate position within the aerosol-generating device 10 when the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10. there is. In addition, the first filter segment 21 can prevent the tobacco rod from escaping to the outside, and can prevent the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod from flowing into the aerosol generating device 10 during smoking.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first filter segment 21 may include a paper material. In other words, the first filter segment 21 may be made of a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to secure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. A tobacco rod suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured. Specifically, the cellulose acetate fibers may be melted or contracted upon contact with the internal heating element, accelerating the dropping of the tobacco granules 22A. However, paper materials that are resistant to heat can greatly mitigate this phenomenon. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first filter segment 21 may include a water-resistant or oil-resistant paper material.

The second filter segment 23 is a filter segment forming the cavity segment 22 and may be located downstream of the cavity segment 22 . In addition to the cavity forming function, the first filter segment 21 may further perform aerosol filtration and cooling functions.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second filter segment 23 comprises a paper material. In other words, the second filter segment 23 may be made of a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to secure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. A tobacco rod suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured. Specifically, since the cellulose acetate fibers melt or shrink when heated to a certain temperature or higher, it is difficult to apply them to the portion of the tobacco rod heated by the heater units 13 and 14. On the other hand, since the paper material is hardly denatured by heat, it can be easily applied to the tobacco rod portion, and through this, a tobacco rod suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 10 can be manufactured. However, in another embodiment, the second filter segment 23 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter. In this case, the effect of improving the removal performance of the second filter segment 23 can be achieved.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second filter segment 23 may include a water-resistant or oil-resistant paper material. In this case, the smoke component (eg, moisture, aerosol former component) contained in the aerosol is absorbed while passing through the second filter segment 23, and the visible amount of atomization is reduced (eg, in the soft mode). The problem of reducing the amount of atomization) can be greatly alleviated. For example, when the first filter segment 23 includes a general paper material, the above-described smoke component may be absorbed due to the hygroscopicity of the paper material, thereby reducing the amount of visible atomization. However, when a water- or oil-resistant paper material is applied, absorption of the above-described smoke component hardly occurs, and thus the problem of reducing the amount of atomization can be solved.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the suction resistance of the first filter segment 21 or the second filter segment 23 may be 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 150 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, preferably 50 mmH ₂ 0 /60mm to 130mmH ₂₀ /60mm, 50mmH ₂₀ /60mm to 120mmH ₂₀ /60mm, 50mmH ₂₀ / _60mm to 110mmH 20/60mm, 50mmH ₂₀ /60mm to 100mmH ₂₀ /60mm, 50mmH ₂₀ /60mm to 90mmH ₂ 0/60mm, 50mmH ₂ 0/60mm to 100mmH ₂ 0/80mm or 50mmH ₂ 0/60mm to 70mmH ₂ 0/60mm. Within this numerical range, appropriate suckability can be ensured. In addition, the probability of generating vortices in the cavity segment 22 is increased by appropriate sucking, so that the effect of uniformly heating a plurality of tobacco granules 22A can be achieved.

Meanwhile, physical properties of paper materials included in the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 may vary.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the oil resistance of the paper material may be 4 or more (ie, 4 or more in the range of 1 to 12), preferably 5, 6, It can be 7 or 8 or more. Within this numerical range, the problem of reducing the visible amount of smoke (ie, the amount of visible smoke generated) due to the moisture absorption of the paper material (eg, the decrease in the amount of visible smoke in the softening mode) can be solved. .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the paper material may be 30 μm to 50 μm, preferably 33 μm to 47 μm, 35 μm to 45 μm, or 37 μm to 42 μm.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the basis weight of the paper material may be 20 g/m ² to 40 g/m ² , preferably 23 g/m ² to 37 g/m ² , 25 g/m ² to 35 g/m ² , 27 g/m ² to 33 g/m ² .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tensile strength of the paper material may be 2.5 kgf / 15 mm or more, preferably 2.8 kgf / 15 mm, 3.2 kgf / 15 mm or 3.5 kgf / 15 mm or more.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the elongation of the paper material may be 0.8% or more, preferably 1.0%, 1.2% or 1.5% or more.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the stiffness of the paper material may be greater than or equal to 100 cm ³ , preferably greater than or equal to 120 cm ³ , 150 cm ³ or 180 cm ³ .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ash content of the paper material may be 1.5% or less, preferably 1.2%, 1.0% or 0.8% or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the paper material may have a paper width of 80 mm to 250 mm, preferably 90 mm to 230 mm, 100 mm to 200 mm, 120 mm to 180 mm, or 120 mm to 150 mm. Within this numerical range, it was confirmed that the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 had an appropriate suction resistance and an appropriate amount of atomization was ensured.

An aerosol-generating article 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention is an article filled with tobacco granules 22A, and the aerosol-generating device 10 heats the aerosol-generating article 20 to a heating temperature of about 270 degrees or less. can act to do so. In this case, no visible smoke is generated or generation of visible smoke can be minimized during smoking, which is because the tobacco granules 22A are cut fillers (eg, leaf tobacco cut filler, sheet leaf cut filler), tobacco materials such as leaf cut leaves. This is because the moisture and/or aerosol former content is significantly less, which can reduce the generation of visible smoke. In addition, the tobacco granules 22A can exhibit sufficient taste even at a lower heating temperature than tobacco materials such as cut filler and leaf leaf (for example, the heating temperature of cut filler is usually 270 degrees or higher) (i.e., nicotine This is because the heating temperature of the heater unit 13 can be lowered, and generation of visible smoke can be further reduced as the heating temperature is lowered.

As described above, when the aerosol-generating article 20 includes tobacco granules 22A as a tobacco material, generation of aerosol or visible smoke may be reduced, so a configuration capable of supplementing this is required. With this configuration, a cartridge containing an aerosol former can be added to the aerosol generating device 10, but in the present invention, this configuration is intended to be included in the aerosol generating article 20 rather than the aerosol generating device 10.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first filter segment 21 includes an aerosol former. Considering the flow of aerosol within the aerosol-generating article 20, the aerosol needs to occur upstream of the cavity segment 22 in order for the generated aerosol to pass through the cavity segment 22 containing the tobacco granules; The first filter segment 21 may be preferable as the location of occurrence. The aerosol former may be applied in the form of being impregnated into the paper material constituting the first filter segment 21 . Examples of the aerosol former include glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but are not limited thereto. .

Additives commonly used in the art, such as perfumes, flavoring agents, and vitamin mixtures, may be used together with the aerosol former. The fragrance may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, etc., but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include a component capable of providing various flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto.

The cavity segment 22 is a segment having a cavity and may be located between the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 . That is, the cavity segment 22 may be formed by the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 .

The cavity segment 22 can be manufactured in a variety of ways. The cavity segment 22 may be manufactured in a form including, for example, a tubular structure such as a branch pipe. As another example, the cavity segment 22 may be manufactured by wrapping the cavity formed by the first filter segment 21 and the second filter segment 23 with a wrapper of an appropriate material. However, it is not limited thereto, and as long as the tobacco granules 22A can be filled, the cavity segment 22 may be manufactured in any way. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the cavity segment 22 can be freely selected within the range of 8 mm to 12 mm.

As shown in Figure 3, the cavity segment 22 may be filled with tobacco granules (22A). Generally, the tobacco granules 22A have significantly less moisture and/or aerosol former content than other types of tobacco material (e.g., leaf tobacco cut filler, leaf leaf, etc.), thereby greatly reducing the generation of visible smoke. Accordingly, a separate configuration capable of supplementing the generation of aerosol and visible smoke is required, and according to the above description, the first filter segment 21 may also have this configuration. The diameter, density, filling rate, composition ratio of constituent materials, heating temperature, etc. of the tobacco granules 22A may vary, which may vary depending on the embodiment.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the tobacco granules (22A) may be 0.3mm to 1.2mm. Within this numerical range, the proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 22A are ensured, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 22 can be increased.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the size of the tobacco granules 22A may be 15 mesh to 50 mesh, preferably 15 mesh to 45 mesh, 20 mesh to 45 mesh, 25 mesh to 45 mesh. Or it may be 25 mesh to 40 mesh. Within this numerical range, the proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 22A are ensured, the drop-off phenomenon is minimized, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 22 can be increased.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the density of the tobacco granules (22A) may be 0.5g/cm ³ to 1.2g/cm ³ , preferably 0.6g/cm ³ to 1.0g/cm ³ , 0.7g / cm ³ to 0.9 g/cm ³ or 0.6 g/cm ³ to 0.8 g/cm ³ . Within this numerical range, the proper hardness of the tobacco granules 22A is ensured, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 22 can be increased.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the hardness of the tobacco granules (22A) may be 80% or more, preferably 85% or 90% or more, more preferably 91%, 93%, 95% or 97% or more can Within this numerical range, the ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 22A is improved, and the crumb phenomenon is minimized, so that the ease of manufacture of the aerosol-generating article 20 can also be improved. In the present specification, the hardness of the tobacco granules 22A may be a value measured in accordance with the national standard test method KSM-1802 (“activated carbon test method”). Refer to the national standard KSM-1802 for the details of the hardness measurement method and the meaning of the measured values.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the filling rate of the tobacco granules 22A for the cavity segment 22 may be 80 vol% or less, preferably 70 vol%, 60 vol% or 50 vol% or less. Within this numerical range, the probability of occurrence of vortex flow in the cavity segment 22 may be increased. In addition, the filling rate of the tobacco granules 22A may be preferably 20% by volume, 30% by volume or 40% by volume or more in order to ensure an appropriate taste.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tobacco granules 22A may contain less than 20% by weight of moisture, preferably 15% by weight, 12% by weight, 10% by weight, 7% by weight or 5% by weight. It may contain the following moisture. Within this numerical range, generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced, and the smoke-free function of the aerosol generating device 10 can be easily implemented.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tobacco granules 22A may contain less than 10% by weight of aerosol formers, preferably 7%, 5%, 3% or 1% of aerosol by weight. Formers may be included. Alternatively, the tobacco granules 22A may not contain an aerosol former. Within this numerical range, generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced, and the smoke-free function of the aerosol generating device 10 can be easily implemented.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine content of the tobacco granules 22A on a wet basis is about 1.0% to 4.0%, preferably 1.5% to 3.5%, 1.8% to 3.0% or 2.0%. to 2.5%. Within this numerical range, an appropriate level of taste can be guaranteed.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the nicotine content of the tobacco granules 22A on a dry basis is 1.2% to 4.2%, preferably 1.7% to 3.7%, 2.0% to 3.2% or 2.2% to 2.2%. It may be 2.7%. Within this numerical range, an appropriate level of taste can be guaranteed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol-generating article 20 further comprises a cooling segment 24 and a mouthpiece segment 25. The cooling segment 24 and the mouthpiece segment 25 are components included in the above-described second part (or filter rod), and are positioned downstream of the tobacco rod to perform a filtering function for aerosol. The filter rod may include a filter material such as paper, cellulose acetate fibers, and the like. The filter rod may further include a wrapper wrapping the filter material.

The filter rod may be manufactured in various shapes. For example, the filter rod may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow therein. Also, the filter rod may be a recessed rod. If the filter rod 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 may be manufactured to generate flavor. As an example, flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod, or a separate fiber coated with flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter rod. As another example, the filter rod may include at least one capsule (not shown) containing hyangaek.

The filter rod may be composed of a cooling segment 24 for cooling the aerosol and a mouthpiece segment 25 for filtering the aerosol. Alternatively, in some cases, the filter rod may further include at least one segment performing another function.

The cooling segment 24 can be manufactured in a variety of shapes. The cooling segment 24 may be manufactured in the form of, for example, a paper pipe, a hollow cellulose acetate filter, a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes, a filter filled with a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material, and the like. However, it is not limited thereto, and the cooling segment 24 may be manufactured in any shape as long as it can perform the function of cooling the aerosol. The polymer material or biodegradable polymer material may be a woven material of polylactic acid (PLA), but is not limited thereto.

The mouthpiece segment 25 may be, for example, a cellulose acetate filter (ie, a filter made of cellulose acetate fibers), but is not limited thereto. The above description of the filter rod can also be applied to the mouthpiece segment 25 .

The aerosol-generating article 20 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper (not shown). The aerosol-generating article 20 may, for example, be wrapped by a wrapper. As another example, the aerosol-generating article 20 may be overlappingly wrapped by two or more wrappers. For example, a tobacco rod may be wrapped by a first wrapper and a filter rod may be wrapped by a second wrapper. Then, the tobacco rod and the filter rod wrapped by the individual wrappers are combined, and the entire aerosol-generating article 20 can be re-wrapped by the third wrapper. If each tobacco rod or filter rod is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by an individual wrapper. In addition, the entire aerosol-generating article 20 in which the segments wrapped by individual wrappers are combined may be re-wrapped by another wrapper. At least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged may be formed in the wrapper.

1 and 2, the first filter segment 21 and the cavity segment 22 of the aerosol-generating article 20 are accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device 10, and the first heater unit 13 ) may be positioned to heat the first filter segment 21, and the second heater unit 14 may be positioned to heat the cavity segment 23.

The first heater unit 13 and the second heater unit 14 may be driven in a form of being reheated when they deviate from a set range after being initially preheated. Hereinafter, the heating temperature range is a range of the temperature profile to which the above-described heating method is applied, and since the temperature may gradually drop when not heated, the heater unit is not necessarily driven to be maintained at a specific temperature. Nevertheless, a certain level of heat may be applied so that the temperature can be maintained as much as possible within the heating temperature range.

The first heater unit 13 that heats the first filter segment 21 may be driven in a flexible mode or a lead-free mode. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the flexible mode, the first heater unit 13 is heated to maintain a temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C., and in the lead-free mode, the first heater unit 13 is not heated. Specifically, the temperature range may be adjusted to 180°C or more, 190°C or more, or 200°C or more, or 240°C or less, 230°C or less, or 220°C or less. The temperature range in the soft mode is such that while a user smokes one aerosol-generating article 20, the replenished aerosol or visible smoke is sufficiently perceptible, while maintaining such aerosol or visible smoke until the smoking ends. This is the temperature set to be Exceeding the above temperature range may cause the aerosol or visible smoke to be exhausted before smoking is finished, and then the aerosol-former-free paper material may be directly heated and the smoking taste may be reduced.

The second heater unit 14 for heating the cavity segment 22 may be driven in one of a strong mode, a medium mode, and a weak mode. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the strong mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 200 ° C to 260 ° C, and in the medium mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 160 ° C to 200 ° C. In the weak mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 150°C to 180°C. Specifically, the temperature range of the steel mode may be adjusted to 200°C or more, 205°C or more, or 210°C or more, or 260°C or less, 255°C or less, or 250°C or less. The temperature range of the above modes may be adjusted to 160°C or higher, 165°C or higher, or 170°C or higher, or 200°C or lower, 195°C or lower, or 190°C or lower. The temperature range of the weak mode may be adjusted to 150°C or more, 155°C or more, or 160°C or more, or 180°C or less, 175°C or less, or 170°C or less.

The temperature ranges of the strong mode, medium mode, and weak mode are set to be adjustable according to the user's preference within the range in which tobacco components such as nicotine are transferred to some extent and problems such as burnt taste due to overheating do not occur, In the strong mode, medium mode, and weak mode, the composition of tobacco components in the aerosol is clearly distinguished, so that the user can realize various smoking sensations even with one aerosol generating device 10 and aerosol generating article 20. As described above, since the heating in the aerosol generating device 10 is not continuously performed throughout smoking, even if the temperature ranges partially overlap in each mode, considering the overall temperature profile, each mode is clearly distinguished. becomes

1 illustrates the operation of the aerosol-generating device 10 in a smokeless mode, and FIG. 2 illustrates the operation of the aerosol-generating device 10 in a smokeless mode. When the first heater unit is operated in soft mode, the second heater unit can be driven in all of the strong mode, medium mode, and weak mode, and when the first heater unit is operated in lead-free mode, only the second heater unit can be driven in strong mode. do. In the non-smoke mode, the transfer amount of the tobacco component from the tobacco material is very low, and the user may not feel the feeling of smoking at all in the medium mode and the weak mode. When the first heater unit is switched from the flexible mode to the lead-free mode, since there is a heating temperature of the first heater unit in the flexible mode, when the first heater unit drops to a temperature of less than 100 ° C, less than 80 ° C, or less than 60 ° C, the second When the heater section is in the other mode, it is switched to the strong mode.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device 10 further includes a switch disposed on an outer wall surface of the housing. The switch sets a flexible mode or a smokeless mode for the first heater unit and sets a strong mode, medium mode or weak mode for the second heater unit. According to the setting of the switch, the control unit may control the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit.

As described above, although the specific examples have been described with limited specific examples and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the above description. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from the method described, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. may be combined or combined in a different form than the method described, or other components may be used. Or even if it is replaced or substituted by equivalents, appropriate results can be achieved.

10: aerosol generating device
11: battery
12: control unit
13: first heater unit
14: second heater unit
20: aerosol-generating article
21: first filter segment
22: cavity segment
22A: Tobacco granules
23: second filter segment
24: cooling segment
25: mouthpiece segment

Claims (8)

a housing forming an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated;
a heater unit for heating an aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodating space; and
And a control unit for adjusting the temperature of the heater unit,
The heater unit includes a first heater unit and a second heater unit arranged to heat different positions of the aerosol-generating article, respectively;
The controller controls the temperature of the first heater unit and the second heater unit to individually adjust the aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
the aerosol-generating article comprises a first filter segment, a second filter segment and a cavity segment;
the cavity segment is formed by a first filter segment and a second filter segment;
Tobacco granules are filled in the cavity segments,
The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first filter segment is located upstream of the cavity segment and contains an aerosol former. The method of claim 2,
The first filter segment and the cavity segment of the aerosol-generating article are accommodated in the receiving space of the aerosol-generating device;
The first heater unit is positioned to heat the first filter segment,
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the second heater unit is positioned to heat the cavity segment. The method of claim 3,
The first heater unit is driven in a flexible mode or a lead-free mode,
In the soft mode, the first heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 180 ° C to 240 ° C,
The aerosol generating device, characterized in that the first heater unit is not heated in the smokeless mode. The method of claim 3,
The second heater unit is driven in one of a strong mode, a medium mode, and a weak mode,
In the strong mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 200 ° C to 260 ° C,
In the above mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 160 ° C to 200 ° C,
In the weak mode, the second heater unit is heated to maintain a temperature range of 150 ° C to 180 ° C. The method of claim 5,
The aerosol generating device, characterized in that, when the temperature of the first heater unit is less than 100 ° C, the second heater unit is driven in a strong mode. The method of claim 1,
The aerosol generating device, characterized in that the first heater unit and the second heater unit are driven in a form of reheating when they are out of a set range after being initially preheated. According to claim 4 or 5,
The aerosol generating device further includes a switch disposed on an outer wall surface of the housing,
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the switch sets a soft mode or smokeless mode for the first heater part, and sets a strong mode, medium mode or weak mode for the second heater part.

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