KR20230076056A - Ceramic atomizer for aerosol generating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ceramic atomizer, and in particular, the area of the suction surface in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate relative to the total volume, and the area of the atomizing surface capable of atomizing the liquid phase suctioned and transported through the suction surface while in contact with the air flow path It relates to a ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device capable of maximizing the
The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device of the present invention includes a first extension portion parallel to a first direction, a second extension portion parallel to a second direction forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first direction, and a first extension portion parallel to the first direction and a second direction. It is a bent structure made of a porous ceramic material, including a middle portion in contact with one surface of the first extension part and one surface of the second extension part at the intersection area and having a corner part formed on the outer surface.

Description

Ceramic atomizer of aerosol generating device {CERAMIC ATOMIZER FOR AEROSOL GENERATING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a ceramic atomizer, and in particular, the area of the suction surface in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate relative to the total volume, and the area of the atomizing surface capable of atomizing the liquid phase suctioned and transported through the suction surface while in contact with the air flow path It relates to a ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device capable of maximizing the

In general, an electronic cigarette refers to an electronic device made to inhale a solution containing nicotine filled in an exchangeable cartridge into an aerosol or gaseous state (atomization state).

Such an electronic cigarette can satisfy the desire to smoke instead of a regular cigarette, but does not contain harmful ingredients such as tar, thereby reducing harmful effects on the human body caused by cigarettes, and at the same time, it does not cause indirect harm from smoking. Due to its advantages, the number of users is increasing exponentially. That is, the electronic cigarette can be smoked indoors and has the same effect as smoking a cigarette while preventing damage caused by cigarettes that cause various diseases.

In particular, recently, electronic cigarettes that can enjoy various flavors by adding other flavors such as fruits to the taste of tobacco are also being released.

In such an electronic cigarette, when an atomizer containing liquid nicotine is coupled to a battery unit, a heating element of the atomizer heats up and vaporizes the liquid nicotine.

However, since the electronic cigarette of the related art as described above is composed of a wick for absorbing liquid nicotine and a coil for heating the wick, when used for a long time, the wick is carbonized, changing the taste and aroma of the smoke, and the heating area is small. A problem in that the amount of atomization or the amount of mist is reduced occurs.

The present invention is aerosol generation capable of maximizing the area of the suction surface in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and the area of the atomizing surface capable of atomizing the liquid transported through the suction surface while in contact with the air flow path relative to the total volume. It is an object of the apparatus to provide a ceramic atomizer.

The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device of the present invention includes a first extension portion parallel to a first direction, a second extension portion parallel to a second direction forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first direction, and a first extension portion parallel to the first direction and a second direction. It is a bent structure made of a porous ceramic material, including a middle portion in contact with one surface of the first extension part and one surface of the second extension part at the intersection area and having a corner part formed on the outer surface.

In addition, it is preferable that a curved portion is formed on the inner surface of the intermediate portion.

In addition, it is preferable that the curved portion has a concave shape toward the corner portion or a round shape.

In addition, the ceramic atomizer has a surface of the corner portion of the middle portion parallel to the outer surface of the first extension portion, at least a portion of the surface of the corner portion of the middle portion parallel to the outer surface of the second extension portion, and the outside of each of the first and second extension portions. It is preferred to have a heating element disposed on at least a portion of the side surfaces.

In addition, the heating member is insert-sintered or bonded to the outer surfaces of the first and second extension parts and the middle part, and the distance between the outer surface of the heating member and the outer surface of each of the first and second extension parts and the middle part is 0 to 0. It is preferably included in the range of 500 μm.

In addition, it is preferable that the angle between the first direction and the second direction falls within a range of 89° to 91°.

In addition, the pore diameter of the ceramic atomizer is preferably included in the range of 10 ~ 100㎛.

In addition, the porosity of the ceramic atomizer is preferably included in the range of 30 to 50%.

The present invention maximizes the area of the suction surface in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and the area of the atomization surface capable of atomizing the liquid transported through the suction surface while in contact with the air flow path, compared to the total volume, thereby increasing the amount of atomization. There is an effect that can be increased.

1 is a perspective view of a ceramic atomizer according to the present invention.
2 is a right side view of the ceramic atomizer of FIG. 1;
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid cartridge equipped with the ceramic atomizer of Figure 1;

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples and drawings. However, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, and includes various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like elements.

In this document, expressions such as "has", "may have", "includes", or "may include" refer to the presence of a corresponding feature (eg, numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). , which does not preclude the existence of additional features.

In this document, expressions such as "A or B", "at least one of A and/and B", or "one or more of A or/and B" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. . For example, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least one of A or B" includes (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, Or (3) may refer to all cases including at least one A and at least one B.

Expressions such as "first", "second", "first", or "second" as used herein may modify various elements, in any order and/or importance, and may refer to one element as another. It is used to distinguish from components, but does not limit the components. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of rights described in this document, a first element may be called a second element, and similarly, the second element may also be renamed to the first element.

A component (e.g., a first component) is "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to" another component (e.g., a second component); When referred to as "connected to", it should be understood that the certain component may be directly connected to the other component or connected through another component (eg, a third component). On the other hand, when an element (eg, a first element) is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element (eg, a second element), the element and the above It may be understood that other components (eg, a third component) do not exist between the other components.

As used in this document, the expression "configured to" means "suitable for", "having the capacity to", depending on the situation. ", "designed to", "adapted to", "made to", or "capable of" can be used interchangeably. The term "configured (or set) to" may not necessarily mean only "specifically designed to" hardware.

Terms used in this document are only used to describe a specific embodiment, and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field described in this document. Among the terms used in this document, the terms defined in general dictionaries may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning to the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in this document, in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. not interpreted In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this document.

In the present invention, the liquid or liquid aerosol cartridge accommodates a liquid or gel type aerosol-forming substrate (eg, perfume, nicotine, VG (vegetable glycerin), PG (propylene glycol), medicine, etc.) in an internal accommodation space do.

In the present invention, the liquid cartridge is configured to include a ceramic atomizer made of a porous ceramic material (or ceramic moisture absorber) so that the aerosol-forming substrate can be transported by capillarity in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate.

In the present invention, the ceramic atomizer is composed of a liquid suction surface in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate and an atomizing surface formed on a side surface not adjacent to the liquid suction surface. In this embodiment, a heating member is mounted on at least a portion of the non-screen.

The aerosol generating device according to the present invention includes a case in which a liquid cartridge is mounted, and a power terminal for supplying power to the liquid cartridge, and a power terminal for electrical connection with the power terminal is provided on the heating member.

1 is a perspective view of a ceramic atomizer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a right side view of the ceramic atomizer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a liquid cartridge equipped with the ceramic atomizer of FIG.

The ceramic atomizer 1 includes a plate-shaped first extension 10 parallel to a first direction, a plate-shaped second extension 20 parallel to a second direction forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first direction, and , The intersection area of the first direction and the second direction includes a middle part 15 contacting one surface of the first extension part 10 and one surface of the second extension part 20, respectively, and has a bent structure.

The first extension part 10 has an inner first surface 10a facing the liquid cartridge accommodating space 112 and in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a second outer surface opposite the first surface 10a. Including the surface 10b, one surface of the first extension part 10 is in contact with the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b, respectively, and the surface opposite to the one surface of the first extension part 10 is in contact with the second surface 10a. parallel to the direction One end surface in the longitudinal direction of the first extension part 10, the other end surface opposite to the first end surface, and each of the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b is parallel to the first direction.

The second extension part 20 has an inner first surface 20a facing the liquid cartridge accommodating space 112 and in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a second outer surface opposite the first surface 20a. Including the surface 20b, one surface of the first extension part 20 is in contact with the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b, respectively, and the opposite surface of the one surface of the second extension part 20 is in contact with the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b. parallel to the direction One end surface of the second extension part 20 in the longitudinal direction, the other end surface opposite to the first end surface, and each of the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b is parallel to the second direction.

The middle part 15 is in contact with the first surface 10a of the first extension part 10 and the first surface 20a of the second extension part 20, respectively, and faces the accommodation space 112 of the liquid cartridge, The curved portion 15a, which is an inner surface in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate, the second surface 10b of the second extension portion 20, and the second surface 20b of the second extension portion 20 are in parallel and in contact with each other, It has a corner portion 15b, which is an outer side opposite to the curved portion 15a. The curved portion 15a is concave or round toward the corner portion 15b. The curved portion 15a and the corner portion 15b are parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of each of the first extension portion 10 and the second extension portion 20 .

In this embodiment, an interior angle, which is an angle formed by the first extension portion 10 and the second extension portion 20 (the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction) is less than 180°, and the first surface forming this angle (10a), the first surface 20a, and the curved portion 15a become inner surfaces of the first extension portion 10, the second extension portion 20, and the middle portion 15, and the second surface 10b ), the second surface 20b, and the corner portion 15b become outer surfaces of the first extension portion 10, the second extension portion 20, and the middle portion 15.

The material of the ceramic atomizer 1, which is a ceramic moisture absorber including the first extension portion 10, the second extension portion 20, and the corner portion 15, is magnesium silicate ceramic, and the pores of the ceramic atomizer 1 The diameter is included in the range of 10 to 100 μm, and the porosity of the ceramic atomizer 1 is preferably included in the range of 30 to 50%.

The ceramic atomizer 1 is mounted on at least a portion of the second surface 10b of the first extension 10 and a portion of the corner portion 15b parallel to the second surface 10b. 1 mounted on the heating member 30a, at least a portion of the second face 20b of the second extension 10, and a portion of the corner portion 15b parallel to the second face 20b. It further includes a heating member composed of a second heating member 30b. The first and second heating members 30a and 30b may be integrally formed but bent in a bent shape, or may be electrically connected in series or parallel. The heating member is configured in the form of a metal heating wire, a hot plate, and a metal film, and is inserted and sintered on the outer surface of the ceramic atomizer 1 or inside the non-atom screen, or bonded. When the heating member is disposed on the outer surface of the ceramic atomizer 1, the gap between the atomizing surface (the first surface 10b, the corner portion 15b, and the first surface 20b, respectively) and the outer surface of the heating member Silver is preferably included in the range of 0 to 500 μm.

The ceramic atomizer 1 has a cross section parallel to the first direction (front view in FIG. 2, which is the right side of FIG. 1), which has a porous shape such as an 'L' shape, a hemisphere shape, a 'V' shape, etc. It includes a ceramic block made of a material, and preferably, an angle between the first extension part 10 and the second extension part 20 formed by the first direction and the second direction is perpendicular. In addition, it is preferable that the angle between the first direction and the second direction falls within a range of 89° to 91°.

In addition, the length of the first extension part 10 in the first direction and the length of the second extension part 20 in the second direction are equal to each other. In addition, the thickness of the first extension part 10 and the thickness of the second extension part 20 corresponding to the transfer distance of the liquid phase are the same so that the liquid phase conveyance amount is maintained constant. Each of the first and second extension portions 10 and 20 has a large area in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, respectively, and each of the curved portion 15a and the corner portion 15b Formed, the ratio of the liquid suction surface and the atomizing surface to the total area of the ceramic atomizer 1 is large. In addition, the area of the first extension 10 is greater than the combined area of the first surface 10a of the first extension 10, the first surface 20a of the second extension 20, and the curved portion 15a. Since the combined area of the second surface 10b, the second surface 20b of the second extension part 20, and the corner portion 15b is large, the atomization screen is formed wider than the liquid suction surface, and the amount of atomization can be increased. there is. That is, the liquid suction surface is formed on the inner surface of the ceramic atomizer 1, the atomization surface is formed on the outer surface of the ceramic atomizer 1, it is possible to increase the amount of atomization.

Since the curved portion 15a in this embodiment faces the atomizing surface of the ceramic atomizer 1 with the largest portion, it is composed of a curved surface so that the liquid phase is uniformly transferred to the atomizing surface. In another embodiment, instead of the curved portion 15a, a corner portion having the same structure (angular structure) as the corner portion 15b may be formed.

In FIG. 2 , it is preferable that the height of the ceramic atomizer 1 in the first direction and the length of the ceramic atomizer 1 in the second direction are the same.

3, when the ceramic atomizer 1 is mounted on the liquid cartridge 100, the air inlet 122 is formed in the second direction, the air outlet 124 is formed in the first direction, and the air inlet 122 is formed in the first direction. An airflow path is formed from the inlet 122 to the air outlet 124, and preferably a no-screen is disposed within the airflow path.

The liquid cartridge 100 surrounds a case 110 including an accommodation space 112 in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped in which an aerosol-forming substrate is accommodated, and at least a portion of the periphery of the case 110 in which the accommodation space 112 is formed. It is configured to include an air flow path forming unit 120 .

The case 110 is formed on the upper side and has a replenishment port for replenishment of the aerosol-forming substrate, and a supply port formed on the lower edge for communication between the accommodation space 112 and the air flow path. Since the cross section of the ceramic atomizer 1 in the first direction is 'L', the supply port is formed at the corner of the receiving space 112. The supplementary port is opened and closed by the stopper 180.

The air flow path forming unit 120 is formed while surrounding the periphery of the case 110 so as to pass through the supply port, and the air flow path is formed between the air inlet 122 and the air outlet 124 . A supply port is formed between the air inlet 122 and the air outlet 124 . The airflow path is formed to contact all or at least a part of the atomizing surface of the ceramic atomizer 1.

The ceramic atomizer 1 is mounted on the supply port so that the liquid suction surface is located inside the supply port and the atomization surface is in contact with the air flow path. When the ceramic atomizer 1 is mounted on the supply port, the sealing member 50 is provided between the ceramic atomizer 1 and the case to prevent leakage of the aerosol-forming material and to couple the ceramic atomizer 1 and the supply port. It is arranged and mounted between the supply ports of (110).

The aerosol-forming substrate is transferred to the atomizing surface through the liquid suction surface, and the aerosol-forming substrate is atomized in the atomizing surface by the heating operation of the first and second heating members 30a and 30b to change into an aerosol.

When the user performs an inhalation operation through the air outlet 124, the atomized aerosol in the non-screen is discharged to the outside through the air outlet 124 together with the air introduced through the air inlet 122.

The liquid cartridge 100 is provided with an electrical connector (not shown) for applying power from the body device to the first and second heating members 30a and 30b.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and anyone having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can do various things without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. Of course, variations are possible, and such variations are within the scope of the claims.

1: Ceramic atomizer 100: liquid cartridge

Claims (9)

a first extension parallel to the first direction;
a second extension parallel to a second direction forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first direction;
Including a middle portion in contact with one surface of the first extension and one surface of the second extension in the intersection area of the first direction and the second direction and having a corner portion formed on the outer surface,
Ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device, characterized in that the bent structure of a porous ceramic material. According to claim 1,
Ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device, characterized in that the curved portion is formed on the inner surface of the middle portion. According to claim 2,
Ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device, characterized in that the curved portion has a concave shape toward the corner portion. According to claim 1,
The ceramic atomizer has a surface of a corner portion of the middle portion parallel to the outer surface of the first extension portion, at least a portion of a surface of a corner portion of the middle portion parallel to the outer surface of the second extension portion, and outer surfaces of each of the first and second extension portions. A ceramic atomizer of an aerosol generating device, characterized in that it has a heating member disposed at least in part. According to claim 1,
The heating member is insert sintered or bonded to the outer surfaces of the first and second extensions and the intermediate portion,
The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device, characterized in that the interval between the outer surface of the heating member and the outer surface of each of the first and second extensions and the intermediate portion is in the range of 0 to 500 μm. According to claim 1,
The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device, characterized in that the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction belongs to the range of 89 ° ~ 91 °. According to claim 1,
The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device, characterized in that the pore diameter of the ceramic atomizer is included in the range of 10 ~ 100㎛. According to claim 1,
The ceramic atomizer of the aerosol generating device, characterized in that the porosity of the ceramic atomizer is in the range of 30 to 50%. A ceramic atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
An accommodation space accommodating an aerosol-forming substrate in liquid or gel form, and an air flow path forming unit forming an air flow path,
The liquid cartridge, characterized in that the inner surface of the ceramic atomizer is in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate of the accommodation space, and the entire or at least part of the outer surface of the ceramic atomizer is in contact with the air flow path.

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