RU2796954C2 - Electronic aerosol generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an electronic aerosol generating device. The electronic aerosol generating device contains a power supply unit, an evaporative unit including a heating system with a heating element, and a liquid transportation element. The heating element contains flat dielectric substrate with at least one area of a resistive layer applied to it. At least one resistive layer contains lines of various width.

EFFECT: increase in the efficiency of an evaporation method.

16 cl, 9 dwg

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to an electronic device for generating an aerosol, in particular, to an electronic cigarette containing a power supply unit and an evaporative unit with a heating system. The invention can be used to deliver substances, in particular nicotine, in the form of an aerosol into the human respiratory tract.

State of the art

The custom of smoking has been known in the world for hundreds of years, and most recently the electronic atomizing cigarette has been invented. By eliminating burning, such a cigarette is an alternative to the traditional cigarette. In addition, due to the method of use and the similarity in appearance to a traditional cigarette, such a cigarette can serve as a substitute for conventional smoking. Instead of tobacco in solid form, e-cigarettes in most cases use a nicotine-containing liquid, for example, based on ethylene glycol or glycerin. The nicotine-containing liquid is heated, resulting in an aerosol, which is subsequently inhaled by the smoker. Usually, electronic cigarettes contain at least three main elements. The first element is the power source, which stores energy in any form, usually electrical. Such a source can be, for example, a cylindrical battery, allowing it to be charged and reused. The second element is the electronic board for controlling the functions of the device, and the third element is the heating system (in other words, the evaporator or atomizer). This system includes a container for storing nicotine-containing liquid and a heater capable of heating the material to its vaporization temperature.

For example, an electronic device for generating an aerosol in the form of an electronic cigarette is known from US 2012/204889 A1, in which the heating system comprises a heating element in the form of a resistive wire wound around a liquid transport element in the form of a wick.

A disadvantage of such an electronic cigarette is that it is difficult to install a resistance wire heating element, which increases the manufacturing time. As a result, the unit cost of production increases. In addition, the resistance wire heater often fails due to carbon deposits formed on the heating element when the nicotine-containing liquid is vaporized, thereby reducing the heater's heat dissipation capacity, which in turn reduces the vaporization efficiency. Ultimately, this leads to the burnout of the device. It is of course possible to clean the heater, for example by rinsing it under running water, but this method is very inconvenient for the user.

These problems are partly solved in the utility model of CN 203633510 U. This document describes an electronic device for generating an aerosol in the form of an electronic cigarette with a heating system (evaporator) containing a heating resistor made of metal, preferably stainless steel. The nicotine-containing liquid is applied to the surface of the resistive element by means of capillary force, the element passing through the resistor. In addition, said metal resistor can be made in the form of a hollow ceramic element with an internal hole through which the nicotine-containing liquid transport element passes.

The disadvantage of this technical solution is the high cost of the heating element in the form of a metal resistor, which increases the cost of manufacturing a cigarette. In addition, such a metal resistor is not designed to convert electrical energy into heat. In a specific design (with a spiral metal layer), it is also difficult to guide the nicotine-containing liquid transport element through the heating element.

From the document CN 203841119 U, another electronic device for generating an aerosol is known, which is made in the form of an electronic cigarette with an evaporator unit containing a heating element in the form of a plate with a MMH thermistor made using thick-film technology on stainless steel, and a cylindrical element for transporting nicotine-containing liquid under action of capillary force. This structure overcomes the disadvantages of an electronic cigarette with a resistance wire heating element, but since the heating element is an MMH thermistor, the manufacturing cost of this type of electronic cigarette is quite high. The high cost of MMH thermistors is due to the fact that stainless steel is used, in particular, for the production of a metal substrate. The processing of this material is very difficult, and its use for the production of elements of small dimensions, the shape of which differs from the plate, for example, tubular elements, is very expensive or even impossible in the case of small diameters. In addition, the manufacture of MMH thermistors is extremely difficult, since the substrate must be isolated from the resistive layer, and therefore additional processing steps are required, which increases the final cost of the heating system. In addition, the cost of the MMH thermistor for use in an electronic cigarette increases due to the need to control the accuracy of applying the insulating layer. An inaccurate application of the insulating layer may result in a short circuit, which may eventually lead to failure of the electronic cigarette power supply control system.

Disclosure of invention

The invention relates to an electronic device for generating an aerosol in the form of an electronic cigarette, which eliminates the disadvantages associated with the use of resistive wire, improves the efficiency of the evaporation method, and is also simpler and cheaper to manufacture compared to other alternative embodiments of devices without resistive wire.

According to the invention, an electronic device for generating an aerosol comprises a power supply unit and an evaporative unit, which includes a heating system with a heating element and a liquid transport element, in which the heating element consists of a dielectric substrate with at least one area of a resistive layer deposited on it.

Preferably, the substrate of the heating element is made of ceramic.

The heating element substrate may have a substantially cylindrical shape, or a substantially flat shape, or a substantially prismatic shape.

Preferably, the fluid transport element extends through the heating element.

Preferably, the fluid transport element surrounds the heating element.

Preferably, only the fluid transport element is in contact with the substrate.

The invention also relates to a method for generating an aerosol, in which liquid is supplied to the heating element through the liquid transport element, characterized in that the liquid is heated by means of a heating element containing a dielectric substrate with at least one area of a resistive layer deposited on it, to a predetermined temperature so that so that this liquid supplied to the heating element passes into a gaseous state upon contact with its surface.

The advantage of the design of the heating element of the electronic cigarette according to the invention lies primarily in the simplification of the maintenance (cleaning) of the heating element and its replacement due to the ease of removal of the nicotine-containing liquid transport element from the heating element. In addition, the manufacture of an electronic cigarette according to the invention can be made simpler and cheaper due to the use of ceramic-based thick-film technology heating element, which helps to eliminate electrical contacts, which are difficult to manufacture but are necessary for some heating elements. Thus, the cost of the electronic cigarette according to the invention can be reduced by the fact that the small ceramic elements forming the substrate of the heating element can be made not by machining, as in the case of stainless steel (or other metals), but by casting.

In addition, the thick film technology heating element can have a higher resistance to carbon deposits, which can significantly increase its service life compared to a conventional resistance wire heater.

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

In FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a power supply for an electronic cigarette according to the invention;

in fig. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic cigarette vaping unit according to the invention;

in fig. 3 - a heating element with a liquid transport element according to the first embodiment of a lamellar dielectric substrate, top view;

in fig. 4 - the same, perspective view;

in fig. 5 shows a heating element with a liquid transport element according to another embodiment, perspective view;

in fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electronic cigarette with a plate heating element according to the first embodiment;

in fig. 7 shows a cylindrical heating element according to the first embodiment with a liquid transport element according to the second embodiment, perspective view;

in fig. 8 - a cylindrical heating element according to another variant of its execution with a liquid transport element according to the second variant of execution;

in fig. 9 is an exploded view of an electronic cigarette according to the second embodiment of the cylindrical heating element.

Implementation of the invention

The electronic cigarette according to the invention has a modular design and contains two main blocks: a power supply unit 1 and a vaporization unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply 1 contains a battery 3, a printed circuit board 4 with an electrical circuit, a control element 5 that controls the operation of an electronic cigarette, a battery charging socket 6 and an information display 7. The power supply 1 is installed in a housing 8 (Fig. 6) for its mechanical protection, as well as to ensure appropriate visual and aesthetic perception.

The activation of the electronic cigarette occurs when the smoker activates the control element 5, located on the body 8 of the power supply 1. This leads to the activation of the control system with an electrical circuit located on the printed circuit board 4. The control consists in applying electrical voltage, the source of which is the battery 3, on the heating element 11 located in the evaporator block 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the evaporator unit 2 comprises a mouthpiece 9, a nicotine-containing liquid container 10, a heating element 11, a nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12, and inlets 13 located on the outer walls of the evaporator body 14, the above-mentioned evaporator elements being arranged in series to form an air channel. The evaporative unit 2 is placed in the housing 14 to ensure its mechanical protection, the tightness of the entire system as a whole and to prevent the possibility of leakage of nicotine-containing liquid into the environment. The vaporizer body 14 may be made of a transparent material or have a transparent material window to display the level of nicotine-containing liquid in the container 10. In addition, the vaporizer body 14 ensures that the appearance and aesthetic perception of the entire device is consistent.

The evaporation unit 2 is an element into which the nicotine-containing liquid is poured. The heating element 11 inside the vaporizer 2 generates heat and converts the nicotine-containing liquid into an aerosol, which the user then inhales through the electronic cigarette. The nicotine-containing liquid is supplied directly to the heater 11 via the nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12 . The liquid transport element 12 contacts the container 10 on one side. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the evaporator unit 2 and the power supply unit 1 may also contain elements other than those indicated in this example, or, conversely, may not contain some of these elements.

In FIG. 3-5 and 7-8 show embodiments of a heating element 11 according to the invention. In general, the heating element 11 comprises a substrate 11a serving as a heater in the form of a plate or cylindrical element made of a non-conductive material with a resistive layer 11b deposited thereon. It will be understood that the dielectric substrate may also be of other shapes, for example substantially prism-shaped. It is also understood that the term "essentially" includes forms of the base, similar to the aforementioned forms. The resistive layer 11b is applied to the substrate 11a by thick film technology. The nicotine-containing liquid is supplied to the surface of the heating element 11 by the nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12, preferably in contact only with the surface 11a. The task of the heater is to convert the input electrical energy into thermal energy (heat). The conversion of electrical energy into heat is possible by passing an electrical current through the resistive layer 11b deposited on the substrate 11a, preferably ceramic, by means of thick film technology. By passing an electric current through the resistive layer 11b, the ceramic substrate 11a is heated to a high temperature. Upon contact of the nicotine-containing liquid with the heated surface 11a of the substrate, the nicotine-containing liquid turns into an aerosol.

An aerosol in a gaseous state, formed as a result of the evaporation of a nicotine-containing liquid, is located in the region of the "air channel" connecting the mouthpiece 9 located in the upper part of the electronic cigarette with the air inlets 13 located in its lower part. When the smoker takes a puff by drawing in air through the mouthpiece 9, the aerosol formed as a result of the evaporation of the nicotine-containing liquid enters his lungs.

The information display 7 located on the power supply unit 1, which is controlled by the electronic circuit located on the printed circuit board 4, can display the current state and charge level of the battery 3, the number of puffs performed by the user in a given day, etc.

An additional function of the electronic system located on the printed circuit board 4 in the power supply 1 is to limit the operating time of the heating element 11 during a single use, detect a short circuit at the terminals of the external power supply 1, control the charge of the battery 3 from an external power source and form and amplitude of the voltage applied to the heating element 11 depending on the voltage level of the battery 3 so that the smoker gets an optimal and uniform feeling when using the electronic cigarette.

In FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a heating element 11 according to the invention. The heating element 11 is made in the form of a plate consisting of a dielectric substrate 11a with a resistive layer 11b deposited on it by means of thick-film technology, through which the nicotine-containing liquid transport element passes. The substrate 11a is made of a dielectric, for example ceramic. The advantage of this type of material is that for the production of such small elements, casting technology is used, and not mechanical processing, as, for example, in the case of stainless steel.

The resistive layer 11b is made of an electrically conductive material with resistive characteristics capable of converting electrical energy into heat when an electric current is passed through it. The resistive layer may be continuous or may form various contours such as straight lines (of various widths) or more complex shapes (FIG. 3). The resistance value of the resistive layer depends on the material from which it is made. The resistive layer can be applied to both the inner and outer sides of the substrate. Furthermore, on the substrate 11a, several areas of individual resistive layers 11b can be arranged to form separate heaters.

As mentioned above, the vaporization unit 1 uses the capillary effect to move the nicotine-containing liquid through the liquid transport element 12 directly to the hot surface of the heating element 11, thereby generating an aerosol. The ends of the liquid transport element 12 are located in the container 10 and are in direct contact with the nicotine-containing liquid.

Under the action of the capillary effect, the liquid transport element 12 is saturated along its entire length, as a result of which the nicotine-containing liquid is supplied to the surface of the heating element 11, preferably isolated from the container 10 by means of seals. The use of the nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12 in isolating the heating element 11 from the liquid in the container 10 allows the required amount of liquid to be supplied at one time. The amount of liquid supplied will be larger, the larger the area of contact of the nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12 with the surface of the heating element 11. Evaporation of the nicotine-containing liquid can occur on the surface of the substrate 11a or on the surface of the resistive layer 11b, and the preferred option is that the liquid contacts the substrate layer. because chemical reactions take place.

The nicotine-containing liquid transport element 12 in an electronic cigarette may be ceramic filament, mesh, cotton, or some other liquid-conducting element. The liquid transport element 12 may be wound around the heating element 11 (FIG. 8) or may pass through it (FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7). As shown in FIG. 4, 5, 7, the number of passes of the liquid transport element through the heating element 11 may be 1, 2 or more. An example of a ceramic thread can be found, for example, here: http://www.hangsenshop.eu/pl/51-sznurek-na-knoty-ekowool-silica. In FIG. 4, 5 and 7, 8, the resistive layer 11b is not shown for clarity, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may take various forms and may be located on the inner or outer layer of the substrate.

In FIG. 6 shows an electronic cigarette with a heating element 11 formed as a resistive layer 11b deposited on a ceramic substrate 11a according to the first embodiment, i. with a heating element 11 in the form of a plate. The main advantage of this approach lies in the elimination in the design of the evaporative unit of electrical wires used to connect the heating element 11 to the power supply 3. The connection of the heating element 11 to the power supply 3 is carried out by means of a resistive layer 11b deposited on the ceramic substrate 11, which has terminals 11c on substrate 11a to which the power supply is connected. The terminals 11c are fixed for maximum life, reducing the risk of damage when assembling and disassembling the heating element 11 compared to a solution using output wires.

The heating element 11 of this design, having an appropriate shape, is placed in the socket 16, which provides electrical connection of the heating element 11 installed in the evaporator unit 2 with the power supply 3. Such a connection makes it possible to easily and quickly install the heating element 11 in an electronic cigarette (the so-called "quick coupling"), which, in turn, provides a significant reduction in the cost of the product. Reduces cost by reducing installation time and reducing the number of components of the evaporator unit 2. Due to the fact that the terminals 11c are fixed, there is no need to use additional elements in the form of high temperature resistant wire insulation or seals that provide galvanic separation of the plus and minus of the heating element 11. The shape of the substrate 11a itself provides galvanic isolation.

The advantage of the electronic cigarette heating element 11 according to the first embodiment is that it makes tasks such as cleaning, maintenance, and replacement of the nicotine-containing liquid transport element as easy as possible for the user. The nicotine liquid transport element 12 is replaceable, the replacement operation is very simple and consists of removing the heating element 11 and inserting a new liquid transport element 12 into it, or possibly passing it through holes made in the substrate 11a of the heating element 11.

In FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of an electronic cigarette according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the heating element is in the form of a tube, in which the resistive layer 11b is applied to the outer or inner side of the tube 11, or both sides at the same time. As in the first embodiment, this evaporative unit uses the capillary effect to deliver the nicotine-containing liquid by the transport element directly to the hot outer surface of the cylindrical heater, resulting in the formation of an aerosol,

The ends of the liquid transport member 12 are located in a separate nicotine-containing liquid container 10 and are in direct contact with the nicotine-containing liquid. A part of the nicotine liquid transport element 12 is located outside the container 10 and directly contacts the outer surface of the heating element 11. The ends of the liquid transport element 12 transfer the nicotine liquid to the body of the nicotine liquid transport element 12 by capillary action, and therefore the nicotine liquid comes into contact with the surface of the heating element. element 11. After heating the heating element 11, an aerosol is formed.

By using a cylindrical heating element 11 and a liquid conveying element 12 with a circular cross-section, the contact surface area of these elements is greatly increased. As a result of an increase in the contact area, the amount of aerosol formed increases, since a larger amount of liquid falls on the heated surface.

In addition, as in the first embodiment, the heating element 11 of this design, having an appropriate shape, can be placed in a socket (not shown), which provides electrical connection of the heating element 11 installed in the evaporator unit with the power supply 3. Connecting such type is quick-release. Such a connection allows the heating element 11 to be easily and quickly installed in the electronic cigarette, which, in turn, provides a significant reduction in the cost of the product. Cost reduction is due to reduced assembly time and reduced number of components of the evaporator unit 2. Due to the fact that the terminals 11c are fixed, there is no need to use additional elements in the form of high-temperature resistant wire insulation or seals that provide galvanic separation of the plus and minus of the heating element 11. The substrate 11a itself provides the galvanic isolation.

The structure of the electronic cigarette according to the second embodiment also makes it easier to replace and maintain the heating element 11 in some cases. 10 with the liquid transport element 12 are replaceable elements, and they are replaced after the entire volume of the nicotine-containing liquid is used up.

The invention also relates to a method for creating an aerosol in an electronic device. According to this method, the evaporation of the liquid occurs on the surface (heating surface) due to a special heating element, which increases the efficiency of creating an aerosol. Such a method includes supplying liquid through the liquid transport element 12 to the heater 11, wherein the liquid is heated by the heating element 11, consisting of a dielectric substrate 11a with at least one area of the resistive layer (11b) deposited thereon, to a predetermined temperature at which there is a transition of the supplied liquid into a gaseous state upon contact with its surface of the heater. It is understood that the temperature of the heating element required to heat the liquid to the temperature necessary to create an aerosol of the nicotine-containing liquid depends on several factors, including the surface area of the contact between the liquid and the heating element, the flow rate of the liquid supplied, and the materials of which the heating element components are made. Depending on the type of liquid, the specialist will understand how to change the parameters of the heating element and its power supply in order to obtain the required temperature, which ensures the transformation of the liquid into an aerosol.

The invention is not limited to an electronic device for creating an aerosol from a nicotine-containing liquid. The specialist will understand that the invention also covers other electronic devices for creating an aerosol from a liquid of any chemical composition that is compatible with the materials used for the manufacture of the fluid transport element 12, in particular, the materials used for the manufacture of the heating element 11.

In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a protective layer covering the heater to protect it from physical or chemical damage. For example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the resistive layer of heater 11b may be covered with a layer of glass.

In some embodiments, the device may also include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heating element 11. The temperature sensor may be installed, for example, on the side of the dielectric substrate opposite the side with the resistive layer 11b. The measurements from the temperature sensor may be used to control the power supply to the heater to maintain a constant setpoint temperature of the heating element, for example by using feedback.

As stated above, the heating element may take many different forms, for example, it may or may not have openings for the fluid transport element to pass through.

To solve various technical problems and ensure progress in this field, the invention is illustrated by various possible options for its implementation. The advantages and features of the invention are characteristic only of the considered embodiments and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are discussed only to facilitate understanding of the present invention. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, design features, and/or other aspects of the invention do not in any way limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, and other embodiments may be used and modifications may be made without departing from the scope. the scope of this claim. Various embodiments may comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of known elements, components, parts, operations, means, and the like, other than those described above. In addition, it should be borne in mind that features of dependent claims can be combined with features of independent claims in combinations that differ from those indicated in the claims.

Claims (16)

1. An electronic device for generating an aerosol, comprising a power supply unit, an evaporative unit, including a heating system with a heating element, and a liquid transport element, characterized in that the heating element contains a flat dielectric substrate with at least one area of a resistive layer deposited on it. , and at least one resistive layer contains lines of different widths. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is made of ceramic. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid transport element passes through the heating element. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid transport element surrounds the heating element. 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that only the liquid transport element is in contact with the substrate. 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid transport element is a ceramic thread, mesh or cotton. 7. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that the resistive layer is deposited on the dielectric substrate using thick film technology. 8. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that the resistive layer is continuous. 9. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that on the substrate there are regions of separate resistive layers forming separate heaters. 10. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that the resistive layer is deposited on the inner and outer sides of the substrate. 11. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that the resistive layer has leads on the dielectric substrate for connecting the heating element to the power source. 12. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that it additionally contains a socket in which a heating element is located for its connection to a power source. 13. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that the heating element is made in the form of a tube. 14. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, characterized in that it additionally contains a protective layer covering the heating element. 15. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the device is configured to control the power supply to the heating element to maintain the desired temperature of this heating element. 16. An evaporative unit of an electronic device for generating an aerosol, comprising a liquid transport element and a heating element, characterized in that the heating element includes a flat dielectric substrate with at least one area of a resistive layer deposited on it, and at least one resistive layer contains lines of various widths.

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