RU2776252C9 - Apparatus for heating the smoking material (variants) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking devices.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to variants of implementation of an apparatus for heating the smoking material. Apparatus for heating the smoking material includes a smoking material heating chamber (4) and a smoking material (5) placed in a cartridge (11) containing a tube of the smoking material inserted into the smoking material heating chamber (4). The tube of the smoking material is placed around the smoking material heater (3) so that the smoking material (5) is located outside of the longitudinal outer surface of the heater (3). The smoking material heater (3) comprises multiple coaxial heating areas forming an elongated structure along the longitudinal axis of the smoking material heater (3) and adjacent to the smoking material (5), and the length of the cartridge (11) is equal to the length of the heater (3), so that the heater (3) can heat the cartridge (11) along the entire length thereof.

EFFECT: possibility of independent operation of the heating areas so that different areas can be activated at different times in order to heat the smoking material.

15 cl, 18 dwg

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to the heating of smoking material and related devices, methods and systems.

State of the art

Smoking products such as cigarettes and cigars burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these smoking articles in the form of products that release compounds without generating tobacco smoke. Examples of such products are so-called non-burning heated products, which release compounds by heating the tobacco rather than burning it.

Disclosure of invention

The present invention proposes a device, including: a chamber for heating smoking material; and smokable material housed in a cartridge comprising a smokable material tube inserted inside the smokable material heating chamber, the smokable material tube being disposed around the smokable material heater such that the smokable material is located outside the longitudinal outer surface of the heater. The smoking material heater contains several coaxial heating zones forming a substantially elongated structure (layout) along the longitudinal axis of the smoking material heater and adjacent to the smoking material, and the length of the cartridge is approximately equal to the length of the heater, so that the heater can heat the cartridge along its entire length.

In various embodiments, the device may further comprise a microcontroller configured to control the activation of the heater to heat the smokable material and coupled to the puff sensor in order to receive signals.

The heating zones are preferably configured to operate independently of each other so that different zones can be activated at different times to heat the smokable material.

There may be thermal insulation between adjacent heating zones.

The heating zones comprise solid discs and/or hollow rings.

The device includes a device body having an opening through which the cartridge can be inserted into the heating chamber, wherein the cartridge can be pushed into the opening and pushed directly into the heating chamber, and the body diameter is preferably about 9 to 18 mm. The device contains an energy source, wherein the body contains an approximately cylindrical tube with an energy source located on the side of its first end, and smoking material, a heater and a heating chamber are located on the side of its opposite, second end. The device contains air inlets that allow outside air to be drawn into the body and through the heated smoking material during puffing.

The device may have a mouthpiece through which the user of the device may inhale the vaporized components of the smoking material while using the device.

In one embodiment, the smokable material heater is configured to heat the first area of the smokable material to a first temperature sufficient to vaporize the component of the smokable material, and simultaneously heat the second area of the smokable material to a temperature lower than said first vaporization temperature, but sufficient to prevent condensation of the vaporized material. smoking material component.

The evaporation temperature is preferably 100°C or higher, such as 120°C or higher, in particular 150°C to 250°C. Said lower temperature is less than 120°C or less than 100°C.

The smoking material includes one or more of: tobacco, tobacco derivatives, loosened tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes.

The heater may be configured to heat the smokable material to vaporize the flavor compounds and nicotine in the smokable material without burning the smokable material.

The present invention also provides an apparatus including: a smoking material heater; a smokable material heating chamber configured to receive the smokable material therein so that it can be heated therein; and a smokable material, wherein the smokable material is placed in a cartridge introduced into the heating chamber, and the cartridge contains a smokable material tube placed around the heater so that the inner surface of the smokable material tube faces the longitudinal surface of the heater, and the smoking material heater comprises several coaxial zones heating, forming a substantially elongated structure along the longitudinal axis of the smokable material heater and adjacent to the smokable material, and heating zones contain solid disks, and the length of the cartridge is approximately equal to the length of the heater, so that the heater can heat the cartridge along its entire length.

Some features will also be described below in relation to respective devices and methods.

The device may be configured to control the temperature of the first area of the smokable material independently of the temperature of the second area of the smokable material.

As noted above, the heater may include a first heating zone adapted to heat the first area of the smokable material and a second heating zone adapted to simultaneously heat the second area of the smokable material.

Several heating zones can be operated separately and independently to simultaneously heat different areas of the smokable material to different temperatures.

The device may be configured to activate the first heating zone to heat the first area of the smokable material to a vaporization temperature and to activate the second heating zone to simultaneously heat the second area of the smokable material to a lower temperature.

The device may be configured to subsequently activate the first heating zone to heat the first region of smoking material to a lower temperature and activate the second heating zone to simultaneously heat the second region of smoking material to a vaporization temperature.

The device can be configured to subsequently activate the third heating zone to heat the third area of the smoking material to the evaporation temperature and activate the first and (or) second heating zone (s) to heat the first and (or) second areas of the smoking material to a lower temperature.

The device may be configured to sequentially heat different regions of the smokable material to a vaporization temperature while simultaneously heating regions of the smokable material not heated to that vaporization temperature to a lower temperature to prevent condensation of the vaporized components.

The device may have a smokable material heating chamber in which the smokable material is placed during heating.

The heating chamber can be located next to (adjacent) to the heater.

An appropriate method for manufacturing the device can be implemented.

A method for heating the smokable material may be carried out, which includes: heating the first region of the smokable material to a vaporization temperature to vaporize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation; and simultaneously heating the second region of the smokable material to a temperature lower than the vaporization temperature, but sufficient to prevent condensation of the vaporized components of the smokable material.

Further, to illustrate the invention, embodiments of its implementation are given with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Brief description of the drawings

in fig. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a device configured to heat smoking material to release flavor compounds and/or nicotine from the smoking material;

in fig. 2 shows a device capable of heating smoking material, in which the heater is located outside the smoking material heating chamber so as to direct heat in a radially inward direction to heat the smoking material therein;

in fig. 3 is a partially cut away perspective view of an apparatus capable of heating a smokable material in which the smokable material is placed around an elongate ceramic heater divided into radial heating sections;

in fig. 4 is an exploded view of a device capable of heating a smokable material, in which the smokable material is placed around an elongated ceramic heater divided into radial heating sections;

in fig. 5 is a partial sectional perspective view of an apparatus capable of heating a smokable material in which the smokable material is placed around an elongated infrared heater;

in fig. 6 is an exploded view of a device capable of heating a smokable material in which the smokable material is placed around an elongated infrared heater;

in fig. 7 schematically shows a portion of an apparatus capable of heating smoking material, wherein the smoking material is arranged around a plurality of longitudinal elongated heating sections spaced about a central longitudinal axis;

in fig. 8 is a perspective view of part of an apparatus capable of heating smokable material, in which areas of smokable material are located between pairs of vertically disposed heating plates;

in fig. 9 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 8 with the outer casing further shown;

in fig. 10 is an exploded view of a portion of an apparatus capable of heating smokable material, in which areas of smokable material are located between pairs of vertically disposed heating plates;

in fig. 11 is a flow diagram of a method for activating the heating zones and opening and closing the heating chamber valves during a puff;

in fig. 12 schematically shows the gas flow through a device capable of heating smoking material;

in fig. 13 is a graphical illustration of a heat curve that can be used to heat smoking material using a heater;

in fig. 14 is a schematic sectional view of a vacuum insulation section configured to isolate heated smoking material from heat loss;

in fig. 15 is a schematic view of another sectional view of a vacuum insulation section configured to isolate heated smoking material from heat loss;

in fig. 16 is a schematic sectional view of a low thermal conductivity thermal bridge providing an indirect path from a high temperature insulating wall to a low temperature insulating wall;

in fig. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermal shield and a thermally transparent window that is movable relative to an array of smokable material to selectively transfer heat energy through the window to different sections of the smokable material; and

in fig. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a device capable of heating smoking material, in which the heating chamber can be hermetically sealed with check valves.

Detailed description of the invention

As used herein, the term 'smoking material' includes any material that releases volatile components when heated and any tobacco-containing material, and may, for example, include one or more of the group consisting of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, loose tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes.

The device 1 for heating smoking material includes an energy source 2, a heater 3 and a heating chamber 4. The power source 2 may comprise a battery, such as a Li-ion battery, a nickel battery, an alkaline battery, and/or the like, and is electrically connected to the heater 3 to supply the heater 3 with electrical power when required. The heating chamber 4 is configured to accommodate the smokable material 5 so that the smokable material 5 can be heated in the heating chamber 4. For example, the heating chamber 4 may be located adjacent to the heater 3 so that the heat energy from the heater 3 heats the smokable material 5 contained therein to vaporize the flavors and nicotine in the smokable material 5 without burning the smokable material 5. In order to enable the user to device 1 to inhale the vaporized components when using the device 1, there is a mouthpiece 6. The smoking material 5 may be a tobacco mixture.

The heater 3 may be a substantially cylindrical elongated heater 3, and the heating chamber 4 may be located either outside the longitudinal outer surface of the heater 3 or inside it. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the heating chamber 4 may be positioned externally around the circular longitudinal surface of the heater 3. As a result, the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 may form coaxial layers around the heater 3. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the heating chamber 4 may be positioned within the longitudinal surface of the heater 3 such that the heating chamber 4 forms a core or other cavity within the heating surface. As will be clear from the following discussion, other shapes and configurations of the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4 can also be used.

The components of the device 1, for example, the energy source 2 and the heater 3 may be located in the housing 7. The housing 7 may be an approximately cylindrical tube in which the energy source 2 is located near its first end 8, and the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4 are located near its opposite , the second end 9. The energy source 2 and the heater 3 are extended along the longitudinal axis of the body 7. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the power source 2 and the heater 3 may be disposed along the central longitudinal axis of the housing 7 substantially end-to-end so that the end surface of the power source 2 substantially rests against the end surface of the heater 3. Between the power source 2 and the heater 3, thermal insulation may be provided. to prevent direct heat transfer from one to the other.

The length of the housing 7 may be about 130 mm, the length of the energy source may be about 59 mm, and the length of the heater 3 and the heating zone (chamber?) 4 may be about 50 mm. The diameter of the housing 7 may be from about 9 to 18 mm. For example, the diameter of the first end 8 of the body may be 15 to 18 mm, while the diameter of the mouthpiece 6 at the second end 9 of the body may be 9 to 15 mm. The heater 3 may have a diameter of about 2.0 to 13.0 mm, depending on the design of the heater. For example, a heater 3 located outside the heating chamber 4, as shown for example in FIG. 2 may have a diameter of about 9.0 to 13.0 mm, while the diameter of the heater 3 located inside the heating chamber 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 may be about 2.0 to 4.5 mm, such as about 4.0 to 4.5 mm, or about 2.0 to 3.0 mm. Alternatively, heaters with diameters outside of these ranges may be used. The heating chamber 4 may have a diameter of about 5.0 to 10.0 mm. For example, the heating chamber 4 located outside the heater 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 may have an outer diameter of about 10.0 mm along its outwardly facing surface, while the heating chamber 4 located inside the heater 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 may have a diameter of about 5.0 to 8.0 mm, such as about 3.0 to 6.0 mm. The diameter of the energy source 2 may be from about 14.0 to 15.0 mm, for example 14.6 mm, although other diameters of energy sources 2 can be used with equal success.

The mouthpiece 6 may be located at the second end 9 of the body 7, near the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5. The body 7 is adapted to be gripped by the user during the use of the device 1 so that the user can inhale the vaporized compounds of the smoking material through the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1.

The heater 3 may be a ceramic heater 3, examples of which are shown in FIG. 1-4. The ceramic heater 3 may, for example, comprise an alumina and/or silicon nitride ceramic base coated with thin metal sheets and sintered. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5 and 6, the heater 3 may be an infrared (IR) heater 3, such as an IR halogen lamp 3. The IR heater 3 may be lightweight and may reduce the overall weight of the device 1. For example, the mass of the IR heater may be 20 -30% lower than the mass of the ceramic heater 3 having the same heating power. The IR heater 3 also has a low thermal inertia and is therefore capable of heating the smokable material 5 very rapidly in response to a control input. The IR heater 3 may be configured to emit IR electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength in the range of about 700 nm to 4.5 µm. Another alternative would be to use a resistance heater 3, such as a high resistance wire wound around a ceramic insulating layer applied to the wall of the thermal insulation 18 discussed below.

As noted above and as shown in FIG. 1, the heater 3 may be located in the central region of the housing 7, and the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 may be placed around the longitudinal surface of the heater 3. With this arrangement, the heat energy emitted by the heater 3 may propagate radially outward from the longitudinal surface. heater 3 into heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the heater can be located near the outer surface of the housing 7, and the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5 can be located in the central part of the housing 7, internal relative to the longitudinal surface of the heater 3. In such a design, the heat energy emitted by the heater 3 propagates in a radial direction inward from longitudinal surface of the heater 3 into the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5.

The heater 3 may comprise several separate heating zones 10 as shown in FIG. 2 and 3. Heating zones 10 can be operated independently of each other so that different zones 10 can be activated at different times to heat smoking material 5. The arrangement of heating zones 10 in heater 3 can be of any geometry. However, in the examples shown in the drawings, the heating zones 10 are located in the heater 3 so that different heating zones 10 preferentially and independently heat different areas of the smokable material 5.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the heater 3 may comprise a plurality of coaxial heating zones 10 forming an elongated structure. The zones 10 may each contain a separate element of the heater 3. The heating zones 10 may, for example, all be coaxial with each other and with the longitudinal axis of the heater 3, thereby creating several independent heating zones along the length of the heater 3. Each heating zone 10 may contain a heating cylinder 10, having a finite length significantly less than the length of the heater 3 as a whole. Cylinders 10 may be solid disks, each having a depth equivalent to the length of said cylinder. A corresponding example is shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the cylinders 10 may be hollow rings as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the arrangement of the coaxial heating zones 10 forms the outer surface of the heating chamber 4 and provides heat radiation to the inside, mainly in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the chamber 4. The heating zones 10 are arranged so that their radially directed, or transverse, surfaces face each other. to each other along the length of the heater 3. The transverse surfaces of each zone 10 may touch the transverse surfaces of adjacent zones 10. Alternatively, the transverse surfaces of each zone 10 may be separated from the transverse surfaces of an adjacent zone(s) 10. Between such separated heating zones 10 there may be a thermal insulation 18, as will be shown in more detail below. An example of such a design is shown in Fig. 2.

However, when a particular heating zone 10 is activated, it transfers thermal energy to the smokable material 5 located radially in or around the heating zone 10 without appreciably heating the rest of the smoking material 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the smoking material heating zone 5 may comprise a ring of smoking material 5 located around the heating zone 10 that has been activated. The smokable material 5 can thus be heated in independent sections, such as annular or core sections, each section corresponding to a smokable material 5 located immediately within or around a specific heating zone 10 and having a mass and volume significantly less than that of an array of smokable material. generally.

In another alternative design shown in FIG. 7, the heater 3 may comprise a plurality of elongated longitudinally extending heating zones 10 located at various locations around the central longitudinal axis of the heater 3. Although in FIG. 7 longitudinally extending heating zones 10 are shown in different lengths, these longitudinally extending heating zones 10 may have generally the same length so that each of them extends essentially the entire length of the heater 3. Each heating zone 10 may contain, for example, an individual IR heating element 10, for example, an IR filament 10. In an embodiment, along the central longitudinal axis of the heater 3, an array of heat-insulating or heat-reflecting material can be located so that the heat energy emitted by each heating zone 10 propagates predominantly outward from the heater 3 into the heating chamber 4 and heats the smoking material 5. The distance between the central the longitudinal axis of the heater 3 and each of the heating zones 10 can be approximately the same. If desired, the heating zones 10 can be enclosed in a tube that is transparent to IR and (or) thermal radiation, or another casing that forms the longitudinal surface of the heater 3. The position of the heating zones 10 relative to other heating zones 10 inside the tube can be fixed.

Thus, when a particular heating zone 10 is activated, it transfers thermal energy to the smoking material 5 adjacent to that heating zone 10 without appreciably heating the rest of the smoking material 5. The heated section of the smoking material 5 may include a longitudinal section of the smoking material 5 arranged in parallel and immediately adjacent to the longitudinal zone 10 heating. Thus, as in the previous example, the smokable material 5 can be heated in independent sections.

As will be described in more detail below, each heating zone 10 can be activated individually and selectively.

The smoking material 5 may be placed in a cartridge 11 which may be inserted into the heating chamber 4 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge 11 may be a smokable material tube 11 which may be inserted around the heater 3 so that the inside surface of the smokable material tube 11 faces the longitudinal surface of the heater 3. The smokable material tube 11 may be hollow. The diameter of the hollow central part of the tube 11 may be substantially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the heater 3, so that the tube 11 fits tightly around the heater 3. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, cartridge 11 may be a substantially continuous rod of smokable material 5 that can be inserted into a heating chamber 4 located within heater 3 such that the outer longitudinal surface of rod 11 faces the inner longitudinal surface of heater 3. The length of cartridge 11 may be approximately is equal to the length of the heater 3, so the heater 3 can heat the cartridge 11 along its entire length.

In another alternative design of the heater 3, it is a coil-shaped heater. The spiral-shaped heater 3 may be screwable into the cartridge 11 and may include coaxial heating zones 10 adjacent to each other, operating in essentially the same way as the linear elongated heater 3 discussed above, described with reference to FIG. 1 and 3.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, 9 and 10, heaters 3 and smoking material 5 of other geometric shapes can be used. In particular, the heater 3 may include several heating zones 10 extending directly into the elongated heating chamber 4, which is divided into sections by heating zones 10. During use, the heating zones 10 extend directly into the elongated smoking material cartridge 11 or a sufficiently dense array of smoking material 5. Thus, the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4 is divided into separate sections, separated from each other by spaced heating zones 10. The heater 3, the heating chamber 4, and the smoking material 5 can all extend along the central longitudinal axis of the body 7. As shown in FIG. 8 and 10, each heating zone 10 may include a protrusion 10, such as a vertically positioned heating plate 10, extending into an array of smokable material 5. The protrusions 10 are discussed below in connection with the heating plates 10. The main plane of the heating plates 10 may be substantially perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis of the array of smoking material 5 and the heating chamber 4 and (or) the housing 7. The heating plates 10 can be parallel to each other, as shown in FIG. 8 and 10. Each section of smoking material 5 is enclosed between the main heating surfaces of a pair of heating plates 10 located on either side of the section of smoking material, and activation of one or both heating plates 10 will cause thermal energy to be transferred directly to the smoking material 5. The heating surfaces may have embossing to increase the surface area of the heating plate 10 in contact with the smoking material 5. In an embodiment, each heating plate 10 may have a heat reflective layer separating the plate 10 into two halves along its main plane. Each half of the plate 10 may thus form a separate heating zone 10, and may be independently activated to heat only the section of smoking material 5 directly opposite the half of the plate 10, instead of the smoking material 5 on either side of the plate 10. Adjacent plates may be activated 10, or their parts facing each other, for heating the smoking material section 5, which is located between adjacent plates located on opposite sides of the smoking material section 5.

An elongated smokable material cartridge or array 11 can be inserted between the heating chamber 4 and the heating plates 10 and removed by removing the body section 7 at the second end 9 of the body as described above. Heating zones 10 can be individually and selectively activated to heat different sections of smoking material 5 as needed.

Thus, when a particular heating zone 10 or pair of zones 10 is activated, thermal energy is transferred to the smokable material 5 immediately adjacent to the heating zone(s) 10 without substantially heating the remainder of the smoking material 5. The heated portion of the smoking material 5 may be a radial section of smokable material 5 located between heating zones 10, as shown in FIG. 8-10.

The body 7 of the device 1 may have an opening through which the cartridge 11 can be inserted into the heating chamber 4. The opening may, for example, be an annular opening located at the second end 9 of the housing so that the cartridge 11 can be inserted into the opening and pushed directly into the heating chamber 4. When using the device 1 for heating smoking material, the opening is preferably closed. Alternatively, the body section 7 at the second end 9 can be detached from the device 1 so that the smokable material 5 can be inserted into the heating chamber 4. As an example, the image in Fig. 10. The device 1 may, if desired, be provided with a user controlled smokable material ejector, such as an internal mechanism capable of sliding the used smoking material 5 off and/or away from the heater 3. The used smoking material 5 can, for example, be pushed back through the opening in the housing 7. Then, if necessary, a new cartridge 11 can be inserted.

Between the smokable material 5 and the outer surface 19 of the body 7, a thermal insulation 18 may be disposed. 14, vacuum insulation 18 may be used as insulation 18. For example, insulation 18 may comprise a layer delimited by a wall whose material 19 may be, for example, metal. The inner region or inner layer 20 of the insulation 18 may comprise an open-cell material, such as polymers, aerogels, or other suitable materials, which can be evacuated to a significant vacuum. The pressure in the inner region 20 may be between 0.1 and 0.001 mbar. The wall 19 of the insulation 18 has sufficient strength to withstand the force exerted on it by the pressure differential between the inner layer 20 and the outer surfaces of the wall 19 without collapsing the insulation 18. The wall 19 may, for example, be a stainless steel wall 19, about 100 µm. The thermal conductivity of the insulation 18 may be between 0.004 and 0.005 W/m⋅K. The heat transfer coefficient of the insulation 18 may be from about 1.10 to 1.40 W/m ² K in the temperature range from 100°C to 250°C, for example, from 150°C to 250°C. The gas conductivity of the insulation 18 is negligible. A reflective coating may be applied to the inner surfaces of the wall material 19 to minimize radiation loss through the insulation 18. The coating may, for example, be an aluminum IR reflective coating about 0.3 µm to 1.0 µm thick. The vacuum in the inner layer 20 means that the insulation 18 functions even when the thickness of the area of the inner layer 20 is very small. The insulating properties are essentially independent of the thickness. This helps to reduce the overall thickness of the device 1.

As shown in FIG. 14, the wall 19 includes an inward-facing section 21 and an outward-facing section 22. The inward-facing section 21 generally faces the smokable material 5 and the heating chamber 4. The outward-facing section 22 generally faces the outer surface of the housing 7. During operation of the device 1, the inward-facing section 21 may be warmer due to the thermal energy generated by the heater 3, while the outward-facing section 22 is cooler due to the insulation 18. Inward-facing section 21 and outward-facing section 22 may, for example, have essentially parallel longitudinally extending walls 19, the length of which is at least equal to the length of the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4. The inner surface of the outwardly facing wall section 22, ie, the surface facing the vacuum layer 20, may be coated to absorb the gas in the layer 20. A suitable coating may be a titanium oxide film.

As shown in FIG. 2, the total length of the thermal insulation array 18 may exceed the length of the heating chamber 4 and the heater in order to further reduce heat loss from the device 1 to the atmosphere outside the housing 7. For example, the length of the thermal insulation 18 may be about 70 to 80 mm.

As shown in the schematic drawings in FIG. 14 and 15, the inward-facing wall section 21 can be connected to the outward-facing wall section 22 at the edges of the insulation 18 via a thermal bridge 23, which will completely enclose and insulate the layer 20 with a vacuum. The thermal bridge 23 may be a wall 19 made of the same material as the inward and outward facing sections 21, 22. A suitable material is stainless steel, as discussed above. The thermal conductivity of the thermal bridge 23 is higher than the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer 20, and therefore, through it, in comparison with the layer 20, an undesirable outflow of heat from the device 1 may occur, resulting in a decrease in the heating efficiency of the smoking material 5.

To reduce heat loss through thermal bridge 23, it can be extended to increase its resistance to heat flow from inward-facing section 21 to outward-facing section 22. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 16. For example, the thermal bridge 23 may follow an indirect path between the inward-facing section 21 of wall 19 and the outward-facing section 22 of wall 19. The thermal bridge 23 is located in the longitudinal portion of the device 1 where there is no heater 3 and heating chamber 4. This means that the thermal bridge 23 gradually transitions from the inward section 21 to the outward section 22 in an indirect path, with the inner layer 20 gradually decreasing to zero at a point along the body 7 where the heater 3, the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5 are no longer present, whereby the outflow of heat from the device 1 is further limited.

As shown above with reference to FIG. 2, the heater 3 may be integrated with the thermal insulation 18. For example, the thermal insulation 18 may be a generally elongated hollow body, such as a cylindrical insulation tube 18, which is located coaxially around the heating chamber 4, and in which the heating zones 10 are integrated. The thermal insulation 18 may include a layer with recesses in the inwardly facing surface 21. The heating zones 10 are placed in these recesses so that the heating zones 10 face towards the smokable material 5 in the heating chamber 4. The surfaces of the heating zones 10 facing the heating chamber 4 may be flush with the inner surface 21 of the thermal insulation 18 in areas of the insulation 18 without recesses.

Integrating the heater 3 into the thermal insulation 18 means that the heating zones 10 are substantially surrounded by the insulation 18 on all sides of the heating zones 10 except those facing inward towards the smoking material heating chamber 4 . Due to this, the heat emitted by the heater 3 is concentrated in the smoking material 5 and is not dissipated to other parts of the device 1 or the atmosphere outside the casing 7.

The integration of the heater 3 with the thermal insulation 18 also reduces the total thickness of the combination of the heater 3 and the thermal insulation 18, as compared to the installation of a separate heater inside the thermal insulation layer 18. Due to this, the diameter of the device 1, in particular the diameter of the casing 7, can be reduced and the size of a conventional small product.

Alternatively, reducing the thickness by integrating the heater with thermal insulation 18 will allow a wider smoking material heating chamber 4 to be installed in the device 1, or to introduce additional components, without increasing the overall width of the body 7, compared to a device with a separate heater 3 located inside layer of thermal insulation 18.

The advantage of integrating heater 3 with insulation 18 is that the dimensions and weight of the combination of heater 3 and insulation 18 can be reduced compared to devices where the heater and insulation are not integrated. Reducing the size of the heater allows the housing diameter to be reduced accordingly. Reducing the weight of the heater, in turn, reduces the time to reach the operating mode and, thereby, reduces the warm-up time of the device 1.

In addition to, or alternatively to, the thermal insulation 18, a heat-reflecting layer may be provided between the transverse surfaces of the heating zones 10. The location of the heating zones 10 relative to each other may be such that the heat energy radiated from each heating zone 10 does not substantially heat adjacent heating zones 10 and instead radiates into the heating chamber 4 and smoking material 5. Each of the heating zones 10 may have substantially the same dimensions as the other zones 10.

The device 1 may include a controller 12, for example, a microcontroller 12, configured to control the operation of the device 1. The controller 12 has an electrical connection with other components of the device 1, for example, a power source 2 and a heater 3, due to which it can control their operation by sending and receiving signals. The controller 12 is particularly configured to control the activation of the heater 3 to heat the smoking material 5. For example, the controller 12 may be configured to activate the heater 3 to selectively activate one or more heating zones 10 in response to a puff by a user. through the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1. To do this, the controller 12 can be connected to the puff sensor 13 via a suitable communication connector. The puff sensor 13 is configured to detect the fact of a puff through the mouthpiece 6 and, in response, send a puff signal to the controller 12. An electronic signal may be used. The controller 12 may respond to the signal from the puff sensor 13 by activating the heater 3 and thereby heating the smokable material 5. The use of the puff sensor 13 to activate the heater 3 is not essential, however, and other means could alternatively be used to generate the control input. to activate the heater 3, for example, a user controlled trigger. The vaporized compounds released during heating may then be inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 6. The controller 12 may be located anywhere within the housing 7. For example, the controller may be located between the power source 2 and the heater 3/heating chamber 4 as shown in FIG. . four.

The controller 12 may be configured to activate or otherwise turn on individual heating zones 10 in a predetermined order or sequence. For example, the controller 12 may be configured to activate the heating zones 10 sequentially along or around the heating chamber 4. Each activation of heat zone 10 may be performed in response to puff detection by puff sensor 13, or may be triggered otherwise, such as after a predetermined amount of time elapses after activation of a previous heat zone 10 (e.g., activation of first zone 10), as will be described below. .

According to the diagram in FIG. 11, a particular heating method may include a first step S1 in which a control is detected, such as a first puff, followed by a second step S2 in which the first section of smokable material 5 is heated in response to the control. In the third step S3, the hermetically sealed inlet and outlet valves 24 may be opened to allow air to pass through the heating chamber 4 and out of the device 1 through the mouthpiece 6. In the fourth step, the valves 24 are closed. These valves 24 are described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2 and 18. At the fifth S5, sixth S6, seventh S7, and eighth S8 steps, the second section of smoking material 5 may be heated, for example in response to another control input, such as a second puff, with corresponding opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves 24 of the chamber. heating. At the ninth S9, tenth S10, eleventh S11 and twelfth S12 steps, the third section of smoking material 5 may be heated, for example, in response to another control action, for example, a third puff, with the corresponding opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves 24 of the heating chamber, and so Further. As shown above, in other embodiments other means than the puff sensor 13 may be used. Alternatively, means other than the puff sensor 13 may be used. For example, the user of device 1 may activate a control switch as an indication that he/she is taking a new puff.

This may heat a new section of the smokable material 5 to vaporize nicotine and flavor compounds for each new puff or in response to a certain amount of certain components, for example, nicotine and/or flavor compounds, released from the previous heated region of the smokable material 5. Number of zones 10 heating and/or independently heated sections of smokable material 5 may correspond to the number of puffs for which the cartridge 11 is designed. two, three or four puffs, so that the new section of smokable material 5 is only heated after several puffs have been made to heat the previous section of smokable material.

As briefly mentioned above, instead of activating each heating zone 10 in response to a separate puff, the heating zones 10 can be activated sequentially, one after the other, for example, after a given use time. This may be in response to an initial control input, a single, initial puff into the mouthpiece 6. For example, the heating zones 10 may be activated at regular, predetermined intervals during the intended puff period for a given smoking material cartridge 11. The predetermined intervals may correspond to the length of time required for the release of a given amount of certain components, such as nicotine and/or flavor compounds, from each section of smokable material. The puff period may, for example, be from about 60 to 240 seconds. Therefore, at least the fifth and ninth steps S5, S9 shown in FIG. 11 may be optional. The activation of each heating zone 10 may be continued for a predetermined period of time corresponding to the duration of the intervals mentioned above, or more, as will be described below. The controller 12 may be configured to indicate to the user that a replacement of the cartridge 11 is required, once for a particular cartridge 11 all heating zones 10 have been activated. The controller 12 can, for example, activate a light indication on the outer surface of the housing 7.

It should be borne in mind that the activation of individual heating zones 10, instead of activating the entire heater 3, means a decrease in the amount of energy required to heat the smoking material 5, compared to what would be required to fully activate the heater 3 during the entire puff period of the cartridge 11 Therefore, the maximum required output power of the power source 2 is also reduced. This means that the energy source 2 installed in the device 1 can be smaller and lighter.

The controller 12 may be configured to turn off the heater 3 or reduce the power supplied to the heater 3 between puffs. This saves energy and prolongs the service life of the energy source 2 . For example, when the device 1 is turned on by the user, or in response to some other control, such as a signal that the user has put the mouthpiece 6 in his mouth, the controller 12 may command the heater 3, or the next heating zone 10, to be used for heating. smokable material 5 to partial activation so as to produce heat to prepare the vaporization of the components of the smokable material 5. Partial activation does not heat the smokable material 5 to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the nicotine. A suitable temperature would be 100°C or lower, although temperatures below 120°C may be used. As an example, a temperature of 60°C to 100°C, such as 80°C to 100°C, can be used. The temperature may be below 100°C. In response to the detection of a puff by the puff sensor 13, or some other control, such as the expiration of a predetermined amount of time, the controller 12 may instruct the heater 3 or the corresponding heating zone 10 to further heat the smokable material 5 to rapidly vaporize the nicotine and other flavor compounds for their inhaled by the user. The temperature of the partially heated heating zone 10 can be raised to full evaporation temperature in a shorter time than if heating of the heating zone 10 were started from a "cold" state, ie without partial heating.

If the smokable material 5 contains tobacco, then a suitable temperature for the vaporization of nicotine and other flavor compounds may be 100°C or more, such as 120°C or more. For example, it can be a temperature from 100°C to 250°C, for example, from 100°C to 220°C or from 100°C to 200°C, or from 150°C to 250°C, or from 130°C up to 180°С. The temperature may be over 100°C. An example of a full activation temperature is 150°C, although other temperatures such as 250°C can also be used. To create a peak current for heating the smoking material 5 to the vaporization temperature, a large capacitor can be used, if desired. An example of a suitable heating profile is shown in FIG. 13, where the maximum values may correspond to the full activation of the various heating zones 10. It can be seen that the smokable material 5 is maintained at the vaporization temperature for about a puff period, which in this example is two seconds.

Below is a description of the three operating modes of the heater 3.

In the first mode of operation, during the full activation of a particular heating zone 10, all other heating zones 10 of the heater are disabled. Therefore, when a new heating zone 10 is activated, the previous heating zone is turned off. Power is supplied only to the activated zone 10. Heating zones 10 can be sequentially activated along the length of the heater 3 so that nicotine and aromatic compounds are evenly released from new parts of the smoking material 5 until the entire cartridge 11 is used up. This mode of operation provides a more uniform supply nicotine and smoking material flavor than when all heating zones 10 are fully activated during the heating period of the cartridge 11. As in other modes of operation described below, energy is saved due to the incomplete activation of the heating zones 10 during the heating period of the smoking material of the cartridge 11.

In the second mode of operation, once a heating zone 10 is activated, it remains fully activated until the heater 3 is turned off. Therefore, the power supplied to the heater 3 increases in steps as new heating zones 10 are activated by puffing from the cartridge 11. Continuous activation of heating zones 10 in the heating chamber 4 essentially prevents the condensation of components, for example, nicotine evaporated from the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4.

In a third mode of operation, during full activation of a certain heating zone 10, one or more of the other heating zones 10 may be partially activated. When one or more other heating zones 10 are partially activated, the other heating zone(s) 10 may be heated to a temperature sufficient to prevent the condensation of components, for example, nicotine evaporated from the smoking material 5 in the heating chamber 4, for example, to temperature 100°C. Other examples include the partial activation temperature ranges previously mentioned. The partial activation temperatures of the heating zones 10 are below the full activation temperatures of these zones. The smoking material 5 adjacent to the partially activated heating zones 10 is not heated to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the components of the smoking material 5. For example, when a new heating zone 10 is fully activated, the previously fully activated heating zone 10 is not completely deactivated, but only partially so that to continue to heat the smoking material 5 adjacent thereto to a lower temperature and thereby prevent the vaporized components from condensing in the heating chamber 4 . Keeping the preceding or any other heating zones 10 in a partially, rather than fully, activated state while one or more other heating zones 10 are fully activated prevents smoking material 5 in the vicinity of the fully activated zones 10 from being overheated and thereby avoids negative impact on the taste characteristics felt by the user of the device 1.

In any of the alternatives described above, heating zones 10 may either be heated to full operating temperature immediately after activation, or may be initially heated to a lower temperature, as described below, before being fully activated after a predetermined amount of time. with heating of smoking material 5 for evaporation of nicotine and other aromatic compounds.

The device 1 may include a thermal shield 3a located between the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4/smoking material 5. The thermal shield 3a is configured to significantly reduce the passage of thermal energy through the thermal shield 3a and thus can be used to selectively prevent heating of the smoking material 5 , even when the heater 3 is activated and emits thermal energy. As shown in FIG. 17, the thermal shield 3a may, for example, be a cylindrical layer of heat-reflecting material arranged coaxially around the heater 3. Alternatively, if the heater 3 is located around the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5, as previously described with reference to FIG. 2, the thermal shield 3a may be a cylindrical layer of heat-reflecting material located coaxially around the heating chamber 4 and coaxially within the heater 3. The thermal shield 3a may additionally or alternatively comprise a thermally insulating layer configured to isolate the heater 3 from the smoking material 5.

The thermal shield 3a comprises a heat-transparent window 3b, passing thermal energy through the window 3b into the heating chamber 4 and the smoking material 5. Therefore, the section of the smoking material 5 that is aligned with the window 3b is heated, while the rest of the smoking material 5 is not heated. Thermal shield 3a and window 3b can be rotated or otherwise moved relative to smoking material 5 so that different sections of smoking material 5 can be individually heated selectively by rotation or displacement of thermal shield 3a and window 3b. The result obtained is similar to that obtained by the selective and individual activation of the heating zones 10 described above. For example, thermal protection 3a and window 3b can discretely rotate or otherwise move in response to a signal from puff sensor 13. Alternatively or additionally, the thermal shield 3a and the window 3b can be discretely rotated or otherwise moved at the end of a predetermined heating period. Movement or rotation of the thermal shield 3a and window 3b can be controlled by electronic signals from the controller 12. Relative rotation or other displacement of the thermal shield 3a/window 3b and smoking material 5 can be performed by a stepper motor 3c controlled by the controller 12 as shown in FIG. 17. Alternatively, the thermal shield 3a and the window 3b can be rotated manually by the user using, for example, a drive mechanism on the housing 7. The thermal shield 3a does not have to be cylindrical, if desired, it may include one or more respectively arranged longitudinally extending elements and/or plates.

It should be borne in mind that a similar result can be obtained by rotating or moving the smoking material 5 relative to the heater 3, the heat shield 3a and the window 3b. For example, the heating chamber 4 can be rotated relative to the heater 3. In this case, the above description regarding the movement of the heat shield 3a can be used to move the heating chamber 4 relative to the heat shield 3a.

The thermal shield 3a may comprise a coating on the longitudinal surface of the heater 3. In this case, the surface area of the heater is left uncovered to form the heat-transparent window 3b. Heater 3 may be rotated or moved in another manner, such as under the control of controller 12, or user controls, to heat different sections of smoking material 5. Alternatively, heat shield 3a and window 3b may comprise a separate screen 3a that can be rotated or move in a different way relative to both the heater 3 and the smoking material 5, under the control of the controller 12 or using other user controls.

As shown in FIG. 7, the device 1 may have air inlets 14 which allow outside air to be drawn into the body 7 and through the heated smoking material 5 during puffing. The air inlets 14 may be openings 14 in the housing 7, and may be located upstream of the smoking material 5 and the heating chamber 4 at the first end 8 of the housing 7, as shown in FIG. 2, 12 and 18. The air drawn in through the inlets 14 passes through the heated smokable material 5 where it is enriched with vapors of the smokable material, such as flavor vapors, after which it passes through the exhaust valves 24 and is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 6. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 12, device 1 may have a heat exchanger 15 configured to warm the air before it enters smoking material 5 and/or cool the air before it is drawn through the mouthpiece 6. For example, heat exchanger 15 may be configured to using the heat extracted from the air entering the mouthpiece 6 to warm up the new air before it enters the smoking material 5.

In FIG. 18 shows the previously mentioned heating chamber 4 with insulation 18, which may have inlet and outlet valves 24, such as shut-off valves, sealing the heating chamber 4 when closed. The valves 24 may be check valves, from which the inlet valve(s) 24 passes the gas flow into the heating chamber 4, and the outlet valve(s) 24 exhausts the gas flow from the heating chamber 4. The passage of the gas flow in the opposite direction is prevented. Due to this, the valves 24 prevent unwanted air from entering and passing into the chamber 4, and can prevent the aromas of smoking material from escaping from the heating chamber 4. The inlet and outlet valves 24 may, for example, be installed in the insulation 18. Between puffs, the valves 24 may be closed by the controller 12 or other means, such as a user controlled actuator, so that all vaporized substances remain inside the chamber 4 between puffs. reaches, between puffs, the saturated vapor pressure, as a result of which the amount of evaporated substance depends only on the temperature in the heating chamber 4. This ensures that the amount of evaporated nicotine and aromatic compounds dispensed remains unchanged from puff to puff.

During puffing, the valves 24 are open so that air can flow through the chamber 4, carrying the vaporized components of the smoking material into the mouthpiece 6. The opening of the valves 24 may be by the action of the controller 12 or by other means. A membrane may be placed in valves 24 to ensure that no oxygen enters chamber 4. The valves 24 may be breath-actuated so that they open in response to detecting a puff in the mouthpiece 6. The valves 24 may close when a puff is detected. Alternatively, the valves 24 may close after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after they have been opened. The amount of time can be set by controller 12. If desired, mechanical or other suitable opening/closing means can be used to automatically open and close valves 24. For example, gas flow generated by the user through puffing can be used to open and close valves 24 into the mouthpiece 6. Thus, it is not necessary to use the controller 12 to activate the valves 24.

The mass of smokable material 5 heated by the heater 3, for example, by each heating zone 10, may be from 0.2 to 1.0 g. 100°C to 250°C, for example, any temperature in the range of 150°C to 250°C or other previously mentioned evaporation temperature ranges. The mass of the device 1 as a whole can be from 70 to 125 g. A battery 2 with a capacity of from 1000 to 3000 mAh and a voltage of 3.7 V can be used. Heating zones 10 can be configured to individually and selectively heat from about 10 to 40 sections of smoking material 5 in one cartridge 11.

It should be borne in mind that any of the alternatives described above may be used alone or in combination.

To consider the various aspects of the claimed invention and its presentation, the present description shows on specific examples of various embodiments of the possibility of implementing the invention (s), which provide high-performance devices and methods. The advantages and features given in the description refer to the implementation options and are not exhaustive and (or) exclusive. They are presented only to improve understanding and clarify the claimed features. It should be borne in mind that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, designs and (or) other features of the invention should not be considered as limiting the invention defined by the claims, or equivalents of the claims, and that within the scope of claims and (or) essence inventions, other embodiments and modifications may be used. Various embodiments may, respectively, contain, consist of, or essentially consist of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, and so on. In addition, the invention includes other variants of the invention, not claimed here, but which can be implemented in the future within the stated claims.

Claims (15)

1. A device for heating smoking material, including a chamber (4) for heating smoking material and smoking material (5) placed in a cartridge (11) containing a tube of smoking material inserted inside the chamber (4) for heating smoking material, wherein the smoking material tube is placed around the smoking material heater (3) so that the smoking material (5) is located outside the longitudinal outer surface of the heater (3), the smoking material heater (3) contains several coaxial heating zones forming an elongated structure along the longitudinal axis of the smoking material heater (3) and adjacent to the smoking material (5), and the length of the cartridge (11) is equal to the length of the heater (3), so that the heater (3) can heat the cartridge (11) along its entire length. 2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller (12) configured to control the activation of the heater (3) for heating the smoking material (5) and connected to the puff sensor (13) with the possibility of receiving signals. 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the heating zones are configured to operate independently from each other, so that different zones (10) can be activated at different times to heat the smoking material (5). 4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, in which there is thermal insulation (18) between adjacent heating zones. 5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating zones (10) comprise solid disks and/or hollow rings. 6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a housing (7) of the apparatus having an opening through which the cartridge (11) can be inserted into the heating chamber (4), wherein the cartridge (11) can be pushed into the opening and pushed directly into the chamber (4) heating, and the diameter of the body (7) is 9 to 18 mm. 7. The device according to claim 6, containing an energy source (2), wherein the body (7) contains a cylindrical tube with an energy source (2) located on the side of its first end (8), and smoking material (5), a heater (3 ) and the heating chamber (4) are located on the side of its opposite, second end (9). 8. A device according to claim 6 or 7, comprising air inlets (14) that allow outside air to be drawn into the housing (7) and through the heated smoking material (5) during puffing. 9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, having a mouthpiece (6) through which the user of the device can inhale the vaporized components when using the device. 10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the smoking material heater (3) is configured to heat the first area of the smoking material (5) to a first temperature sufficient to vaporize the smoking material component and simultaneously heat the second area of the smoking material (5) to a temperature lower than said first temperature, but sufficient to prevent condensation of the vaporized smoking material component. 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaporation temperature is 100°C or higher, such as 120°C or higher, in particular 150 to 250°C. 12. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said lower temperature is less than 120°C or less than 100°C. 13. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the smokable material comprises one or more of: tobacco, tobacco derivatives, loosened tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. 14. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heater (3) is configured to heat the smoking material (5) to vaporize the flavor compounds and nicotine in the smoking material (5) without burning the smoking material (5). 15. A device for heating smoking material, including: a heater (3) smoking material; a smoking material heating chamber (4) configured to accommodate smoking material (5) therein so that it can be heated therein; and smoking material (5), wherein the smoking material (5) is placed in the cartridge (11) introduced into the heating chamber (4), and the cartridge contains a smoking material tube placed around the heater (3) so that the inner surface of the tube (11) smoking material is facing the longitudinal surface of the heater (3), and at the same time, the smoking material heater (3) contains several coaxial heating zones forming an elongated structure along the longitudinal axis of the smoking material heater (3) and adjacent to the smoking material (5), and zones ( 10) heaters contain solid discs, and the length of the cartridge (11) is equal to the length of the heater (3), so that the heater (3) can heat the cartridge (11) along its entire length.

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