RU2797290C1 - Smoking system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking system.

SUBSTANCE: smoking system is comprised of a consumable part containing a smoking substance, and a device that heats and sprays the smoking substance. The device is comprised of a chamber containing the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber. The chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains the compressing element, which compresses part of the consumable part, and non-compressing element. The compressing element and the non-compressing element have an inner surface and an outer surface. The consumable part contains the first part having the first hardness and the second part having the second hardness. The second part has an insertion direction of the consumable part different from the first part, and when the consumable part is located in the chamber at the desired position, the consumable part is located so that at least a part of the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element, and at the same time at least part of the second part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element.

EFFECT: increased efficiency of heat transfer from the heating block to the consumable part.

15 cl, 27 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoking system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the prior art, an aromatic inhaler is known for inhaling aromatics and the like without burning the material. The aroma inhaler includes, for example, a chamber containing a flavoring product and a heater that heats the flavoring product located in the chamber (for example, see PL 1-3).

LIST OF CITATIONS PATENT LITERATURE

[0003] PL 1: Japanese translation of PCT International Publication No. 2001/521123 PL 2: Japanese Patent No. 5963375 PL 3: International Publication WO 2016/207407

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking system comprising a consumable containing a smoking substance and a device that heats and atomizes the smoking substance. The device includes a chamber containing the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber. The chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains a compressing element, compressing a part of the consumable part, and a non-compressing element. The compressive element and the non-compressive element have an inner surface and an outer surface. The heating block is located on the outer surface of the compression element. The inner surface of the compressive member may also be referred to as a compressive surface that compresses the consumable portion, and the inner surface of the non-compressive member may also be referred to as a non-compressive surface that does not compress the consumable portion.

[0005] According to the first aspect, the consumable part is disposed substantially adjacent to the heating surface (the inner surface of the compressing member), and hence heat from the heating block can be effectively transferred to the consumable part. It should be noted that the consumable part contains a smoking substance, including tobacco and non-tobacco substances. The consumable part may or may not contain a mouthpiece. The consumable part that contains the mouthpiece may be a rod-shaped consumable part resembling a conventional cigarette containing tobacco or the like as a smokable substance. A consumable part that does not include a mouthpiece may be a consumable part in which the smoking substance itself, such as tobacco, is compressed into a tablet shape or the like, or a consumable part in which the smoking substance is wrapped in a breathable material, such as non-woven fabric, or sheet material such as paper. In addition, the heating block may also contain a heating element. The chamber may be, for example, a cylindrical container with a bottom or a cylindrical object without a bottom. The chamber is preferably formed using a material such as a high thermal conductivity metal such as stainless steel. This design allows efficient heating. The chamber walls preferably have a uniform thickness (including the case where the thickness is substantially uniform). This design allows you to evenly distribute heat throughout the chamber. The chamber thickness is equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 1.00 mm, for example, preferably equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 0.50 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 0.05 mm and less than or equal to 0.10 mm.

[0006] The heating block is preferably located without a gap with the outer surface of the compressing element (no gap between the outer surface of the compressing element and the heating block). In this document, the absence of a gap is also understood to mean that there is essentially no gap. With this design, the heating block is located near the outer surface of the compressing member, and therefore heat from the heating block can be transferred to the consumable part even more efficiently. It should be noted that the heating block may also contain an adhesive layer. In this case, the heating block containing the adhesive layer is preferably located without a gap with the outer surface of the compressing element.

[0007] The opening can preferably accommodate the consumable without compressing the latter. With this design, the consumable part can be easily inserted into the chamber. The shape of the opening in the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, or, in other words, the direction in which the consumable part is inserted into the chamber, or the direction in which the walls of the chamber as a whole extend (hereinafter simply denotes the longitudinal direction of the chamber), may be polygonal or elliptical in shape, but preferably has a round shape. With this design, the consumable part can be easily inserted into the hole.

[0008] The inner circumferential length of the locking element is preferably the same as the outer circumferential length of the expendable part before it is compressed by the compression element. It should be noted that in this document, "the same" includes the case where it is essentially the same. "Substantially the same" refers to a state in which the difference between the inner circumferential length of the locking element and the outer circumferential length of the disposable part before being compressed by the compression member is within ±6% of the inner circumferential length of the locking member, for example, preferably within ±4% , more preferably within ±2%. As described above, the locking element comprises a compressive element and a non-compressive element. In the case where the inner circumferential length of the locking member and the outer circumferential length of the wear part are substantially the same, the wear part is compressed by the compression member, whereby the outer circumferential shape of the wear part approximates the shape of the inner cross section of the locking member. Compared with the case in which the inner circumferential length and the inner circumferential shape of the fixing member are the same as the outer circumferential length and the outer circumferential shape of the consumable part, this smoking system produces a place where the consumable part is compressed by the compressing element and hence the efficiency heat transfer from the heating block to the consumable part can be increased. In addition, compared with the case in which the outer circumferential length of the consumable part is smaller than the inner circumferential length of the locking member, the inner circumferential surface (non-compressing surface) of the locking member substantially touches the outer circumferential surface of the consumable portion even at places where the consumable portion is not compressed. , and hence the heat transfer efficiency from the heating block to the consumable part can be improved. In addition, compared with the case in which the outer circumferential length of the wear part is larger than the inner circumference length of the fixing member, the wear part can be smoothly inserted into the fixing member, and the deformation caused by the outer circumferential surface of the wear part and the density inside the wear part (for example, , tobacco as one example of a smoking substance) can be attenuated. As a result, it is possible to alleviate uneven heating and uneven tightening resistance of each consumable part, which may occur due to deformation caused by density inside the consumable part. In addition, it can be said that, preferably, the inner circumferential length of the locking element is essentially the same as the outer circumferential length of the disposable part in the state of compression by the compressing element, and the inner circumferential length of the locking element can be taken as the inner circumferential length in a plane orthogonal to longitudinal direction of the chamber of the fixing element. In addition, the outer circumferential length of the outer circumferential length of the expendable part before it is compressed by the compression element, located at a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the locking element relative to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, can be taken as the "outer circumferential length of the expendable part before it is compressed by the compressing element" when the consumable part is compressed by the compressing element. In addition, the "external circumferential length of the expendable part in the state of its compression by the compressing element" can be taken as the outer circumferential length of the part of the outer circumferential length of the expendable part in the state of compression by the compressing element, located in a position corresponding to the internal circumferential length of the locking element relative to the longitudinal direction of the chamber.

[0009] The outer circumferential surface of the locking element preferably has the same shape and size (outer circumferential length of the locking element in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber) along the entire length of the chamber in the longitudinal direction. Such a structure can prevent the heating block from being loosely placed on the outer surface of the clamping member of the locking member, and as a result, the heating block can be easily mounted on the outer surface of the clamping member with substantially no gap.

[0010] When the consumable is placed inside the chamber at the desired position, the non-compressive member preferably touches the consumable in its uncompressed state. As used herein, a non-compressed state also includes a substantially non-compressed state. With this design, the gap between the wear part and the fixing member is essentially not created, and therefore, the efficiency of heat transfer from the heating block to the wear part can be further improved in the non-compressive member. The non-compressive element has an inner surface that is connected to a compressive element, in which the opposite inner surface is flat, and the inner surface of the non-compressive element can also be curved.

[0011] The inner surface of the non-compressive element of the locking element is preferably curved, connecting the ends of the inner surface of the compressing element in the circumferential direction of the chamber. With such a structure, the structure of the smoking system can be simplified, and furthermore, the non-compressive member can be cleaned more easily compared to, for example, the case where the inner surface has corners. In the case where the air gap described below is formed inside the chamber, the air gap can be more easily cleaned compared to the case where the inner surface has corners, for example. The shape of the inner surface of the non-compressive member in a plane orthogonal to the chamber longitudinal direction is preferably the same as the shape of the opening in a plane orthogonal to the chamber longitudinal direction at any position in the chamber longitudinal direction. In other words, the inner surface of the non-compressive member is preferably configured such that the inner surface of the chamber forming the opening extends in the longitudinal direction. With such a structure, the structure of the chamber can be simplified, and in the case where the air gap described below is formed inside the chamber, there are fewer obstacles to the flow of air flowing from the opening of the chamber. In addition, cleaning of the air gap is facilitated. It should be noted that "the circumferential direction of the camera" can also be considered as the "direction of rotation of the camera around the longitudinal axis".

[0012] The outer surface of the compression element may be curved or uneven, but preferably flat. It should be noted that in this document "flat surface" includes the case of a substantially flat surface. In terms of the flatness ratio of the compression member and the entire outer surface, the state in which "the outer surface of the compression member is substantially flat" refers to the state in which the ratio of the flatness of the compression member and the entire outer surface is, for example, 80% or more, preferably 90% or more, more preferably 95% or more.

[0013] Since the outer surface of the compression member is a flat surface, by connecting the strip electrodes to the heating block located on the outer surface of the compression member, the bending of the electrode strips can be prevented, thereby facilitating placement of the electrodes inside the device. In addition, compared with the case where the outer surface of the compression member is a curved or uneven surface, the heating block can be accurately positioned and easily positioned without gap on the outer surface of the compression member.

[0014] The inner surface of the compression element is preferably a flat surface. This design facilitates the insertion of the consumable part. As used herein, "flat surface" also includes the case of a substantially flat surface. In addition, the compression member preferably has a uniform thickness. With this design, more uniform heating can be applied. As used herein, "uniform thickness" also includes the case where the thickness is substantially uniform. The thickness of the compression member is equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 1.00 mm, for example, preferably equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 0.50 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 0.05 mm and less than or equal to 0.10 mm. With such a structure, obstacles to efficient heat transfer to the consumable part due to too large a volume of the compression member can be weakened, and a sufficiently strong compression member can be provided.

[0015] In the case where the inner surface of the compression member is a flat surface, the chamber may have only one compression member, but preferably the chamber has two or more compression members in the circumferential direction. With this structure, the consumable part is compressed at two or more places in the circumferential direction of the chamber, and hence the consumable part can be heated completely and evenly.

[0016] The locking element comprises two compressing elements facing each other, at least part of the distance between the inner surfaces of the two compressing elements is preferably less than the width of the disposable part inserted into the chamber at a location located between the compressing elements. Facing each other, the inner surfaces of the two compressing elements of the locking element may be flat surfaces.

[0017] In the case where the inner surfaces of the compression elements are flat surfaces, there may be three or more compression elements in the circumferential direction. The compressive elements may face each other, but may also face each of the non-compressive elements. If the non-compressing elements are arranged facing each other, the distance between the intersection point of lines extending perpendicularly from the center of the inner surface of each compressing element and the center of the inner surface of each compressing element in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber may be less than the radius of the inserted expendable part having a round cross section. As used herein, "round" also includes a substantially round shape.

[0018] The inner surfaces of the compressive elements preferably have pairs of flat compressive surfaces having a flat shape and facing each other, and the inner surfaces of the non-compressive elements preferably have pairs of curved non-compressive surfaces having a curved shape and facing each other, which connect the ends of the pairs of flat compressive surfaces surfaces. The curved non-compressive surfaces may have a generally arcuate cross section in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber. The fixing element can be made in the form of a cylindrical metal object of uniform thickness. As used herein, uniform thickness includes substantially uniform thickness. This design simplifies the chamber design and facilitates high-precision manufacturing. In addition, with this structure, the positions of the compressive and non-compressive elements can be selected in a balanced manner to ensure uniform heating, which facilitates the placement of the heating block on the outer surface of the compressive element with good positioning accuracy and also without gap, thereby improving the heating efficiency. The thickness of the locking element is equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 1.00 mm, for example, preferably equal to or greater than 0.04 mm and less than or equal to 0.50 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 0.05 mm and less than or equal to 0.10 mm. With such a structure, it is possible to eliminate obstacles to efficient heat transfer to the consumable part caused by an excessively large volume of the fixing member, and provide a sufficiently strong fixing member.

[0019] When the expendable part is located in the chamber at the desired position, the locking element may also have an air gap between the inner surface of the non-compressive element and the expendable part, while the air gap connecting the opening in the chamber and the end surface of the expendable part is located in the chamber at the desired location , or the hole in the chamber and the end surface of the consumable part are located inside the chamber and at a distance from the hole in the chamber. The air gap is a channel that allows air to flow from the opening in the chamber to the end surface of the consumable part when the user inhales, and since it is not necessary to provide a separate channel in the smoking system for introducing the supplied air to the consumable part, the design of the smoking system can be simplified, and, moreover, since the place where part of the air gap is formed in the non-compressive member is open, the air gap can be easily cleaned. In addition, the air passing through the air gap can be efficiently heated, and the heat energy of the heating block can be effectively used. In terms of factors such as draw resistance, the height of the air gap (amount of the largest distance between the inner surface of the non-compressive member and the wear part on a line extending radially outward from the center of the cross-section of the wear part located in the chamber at the desired position) is preferably equal to or greater than 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 0.2 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm, most preferably equal to or greater than 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

For example, when the locking element has at least two compressing elements spaced around the circumference of the chamber, and the expendable part is located in the chamber in the desired position, the fixing element preferably has an air gap between the inner surface of the non-compressing element connecting the two compressing elements and the expendable part, when In this case, the air gap connects the opening in the chamber and the end surface of the consumable part located in the chamber in the required position, or connects the opening in the chamber and the end surface of the consumable part located inside the chamber and away from the opening in the chamber. More preferably, there are two air gaps between the inner surfaces of the two non-compressive elements connecting the two compressing elements and the expendable part. Even more preferably, there are three or more air gaps between the inner surfaces of the three or more non-compressive elements connecting the three or more compression elements and the expendable part. With this design, it is possible to further reduce the unbalanced air flow inside the chamber and eliminate obstacles for more uniform heating.

[0020] The two compression members preferably face each other. In this case, it is possible to further reduce the unbalanced air flow inside the chamber and further eliminate obstacles for more uniform heating.

[0021] Preferably, there is no protrusion on the inner surface of the locking element. If the inner surface of the fixing element of uniform thickness has a protrusion, it may be difficult to place the heating block on the outer surface of the compressing element without a gap when the outer surface of the fixing element is recessed. In addition, if there is a protrusion on the inner surface of the fixing member, the thickness of the fixing member becomes uneven, which may prevent more uniform heating. However, the above problems can be avoided if the locking element does not have protrusions on its inner surface.

[0022] The chamber preferably has a first guide element having a conical surface that connects the inner surface of the chamber forming the hole with the inner surface of the compression element. The first guide element can be used to smoothly change the shape of the cross-section of the inner surface of the chamber from the hole to the compression element, which allows you to smoothly insert the consumable into the chamber. Preferably, the heating block is not located on at least one surface selected from the group consisting of: the outer surface of the chamber between the opening and the first guide element, the outer surface of the first guide element, and the outer surface of the non-compressive element. The inner surface corresponding to the above outer surfaces does not compress the consumable part, and therefore, without mounting the heating block on these outer surfaces, the energy for heating can be efficiently used.

[0023] The chamber preferably has a cylindrical non-locking element located between the opening and the locking element. In the state where the consumable part is located in the chamber at the required position, the gap between the inner surface of the non-compressive member and the consumable part is less than or equal to, for example, 3.0 mm, preferably less than or equal to 1.0 mm, more preferably less than or equal to 0.5 mm and equal to or greater than 0.4 mm. If the clearance is in the above range, the consumable part can be efficiently heated through the non-fixing member, and condensation of the aerosol passing through the inside of the consumable part can be weakened. In addition, with the above gap, the air passing through the gap can be efficiently heated, and the heat energy from the heating block can be efficiently used. In addition, by providing a gap equal to or greater than 0.4 mm, the consumable part can be easily inserted into the chamber. It should be noted that in this description, the expression "the state in which the consumable part is located in the chamber at the desired location" refers to the state in which the consumable part is correctly located at the predetermined location inside the chamber for generating aerosol from the consumable part (for example, in the case when the chamber has "bottom abutting against the inserted consumable" means the state in which the bottom element abuts against at least a portion of the consumable, or in the case where the device includes "an abutment against the inserted consumable" inside or outside the chamber , means a state in which the consumable part abuts against at least a portion of the abutment member).

[0024] The camera may include a lower element. Alternatively, the device may comprise, inside or outside the chamber, a thrust element abutting against a disposable portion inserted into the chamber. The lower element or thrust element preferably supports the part of the consumable located in the chamber in the required position, so that at least part of the end surface of the consumable part is open. In addition, in the case where the smoking system has the above-described air gap, the bottom member or stop member preferably supports the consumable part so that the open end surface of the consumable part is connected to the air gap. With such a structure, air can be drawn in from the end surface of the consumable part, and furthermore, the consumable part can be disposed in the longitudinal direction. The bottom element of the chamber comprises a bottom wall and side walls, and the width of the bottom element, limited by the side walls, can decrease towards the bottom wall. With this structure, when the consumable part inserted into the chamber reaches the lower member, the consumable part is compressed by the side walls and thereby positioned. The bottom element or anvil of the chamber comprises a bottom wall or anvil, and the bottom wall or anvil may also comprise a protrusion or recess. In addition, the bottom element or anvil of the chamber comprises a bottom wall or anvil, the bottom wall or anvil being also provided with an opening to draw air into the chamber.

[0025] The chamber may also include a cylindrical element having an opening at at least one of its ends. The heating block may be configured to start heating simultaneously for all of the compression elements or to perform heating in the same period of time.

[0026] The heating block is preferably located over the entire outer surface of the compression element. With such a structure, more uniform heat transfer from the heating block to the compressing member can be achieved, and as a result, the consumable portion held by the fixing member can be efficiently heated.

[0027] The device may also include strip electrodes extending from the heating block. Since the electrodes are in the form of a ribbon, the reliability of power supply to the heating block can be improved compared to the electrodes in the form of a string. The tape-shaped electrodes preferably extend from the flat outer surface of the compressing member to the outside thereof in a state in which the heating block is disposed on the outer surface of the compressing member. As described above, since the outer surface of the compression member is a flat surface, bending of the strip electrodes can be prevented, thereby facilitating placement of the electrodes inside the apparatus.

[0028] The heating block preferably includes a heating element and an electrically insulating element that covers at least one surface of the heating element. In addition, the electrical insulating element is preferably located inside the area of the outer surface of the locking element. In other words, the electrical insulating member is preferably positioned so as not to protrude from the outer surface of the locking member on the side of the first chamber guide member in the longitudinal direction. As described above, in the case where the first guide member is installed between the opening and the compressing member, the shape of the outer surface of the chamber and the outer circumferential length of the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber may differ between the first guide member and the fixing member. For this reason, by placing the electrical insulating member only on the outer surface of the fixing member, sagging can be prevented.

[0029] In addition, the device preferably has a sheeting (protective sheeting) that covers the chamber and the heating block and allows the heating block to be attached to the outer surface of the chamber. One example of a sheeting for attaching a heating block is a shrinkable sheeting that shrinks in response to some external force, more particularly a heat shrinkable sheeting or the like that shrinks when exposed to heat. Preferably, the protective sheeting, such as the heat shrinkable sheeting, has a shrinkage ratio that is higher in the circumferential direction than in the longitudinal direction of the chamber in a state in which the protective sheeting covers the chamber and the heater block. The heat shrinkable sheeting may also contain a material such as polyimide, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, gelatin, or a polysaccharide. By using a protective sheet, the heating element can be securely and tightly fixed to the outer surface of the chamber, thereby further improving the heating efficiency and stabilizing the structure around the chamber. In addition, the sheeting is preferably located on the outer surface of the locking element. In other words, the sheeting is preferably positioned such that it does not protrude above the outer surface of the locking member on the side of the first chamber guide member in the longitudinal direction. As described above, in the case where the first guiding member is located between the opening and the locking member, the shape of the outer surface of the chamber and the outer circumferential length of the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber may differ between the first guiding member and the locking member. For this reason, by positioning the sheeting only on the outer surface of the fixing member, sagging can be prevented.

[0030] The heating block may also include a first part located on the side opposite the hole and a second part located on the side of the hole. The specific power of the heater in the second part is preferably higher than the specific power of the heater in the first part, or the rate of temperature increase in the second part is preferably higher than the rate of temperature increase in the first part, or the heating temperature in the second part is preferably higher than the heating temperature in the first part for any equal time. In the state in which the consumable part is located in the chamber at the required position, the second part preferably covers the outer surface of the fixing member corresponding to at least 1/2 of the smoking substance contained in the consumable part in the longitudinal direction of the smoking substance. This design reduces the time from the moment the heating block is turned on to the moment when the first puff can be taken, and also reduces energy consumption.

[0031] In the state in which the consumable part is located in the chamber at the desired position, the upstream (upstream in the direction in which air and aerosol flow when the user inhales; the same applies hereinafter) the end of the heating block or heating element located on the outer surface of the compressing element is preferably located further downstream (downstream in the direction of air and aerosol movement when inhaled by the user; the same applies hereinafter) than the upstream end of the smokable substance in the expendable part. For example, the front end of the heating block or heating element is located at a distance equal to or greater than 1.0 mm and less than or equal to 10.0 mm further downstream than the front end of the smokable substance in the consumable part located in the chamber in the desired position, preferably located greater than 3.0 mm and less than or equal to 6.0 mm downstream, more preferably greater than 4.5 mm and less than or equal to 5.5 mm downstream. This arrangement prevents the aerosol from escaping from the upstream end of the smokable substance. Moreover, the above construction can have a positive effect on palatability.

[0032] In a state in which the consumable portion is located in the chamber at a desired position, the downstream end of the heating block or heating element located on the outer surface of the compressing member is preferably located further downstream than the downstream end of the smokable substance in the consumable portion . For example, the downstream end of the heating block or heating element is located at a distance equal to or greater than 1.0 mm and less than or equal to 10.0 mm further downstream than the downstream end of the smokable substance in the disposable part located in the chamber in the required position, preferably located at a distance equal to or greater than 2.0 mm and less than or equal to 5.0 mm downstream, more preferably located at a distance equal to or greater than 2.0 mm and less than or equal to 3.0 mm downstream flow. This design prevents aerosol condensation and also reduces energy consumption.

[0033] For any same period of time, the power density of the heating block heater located on the outer surface of the compressive element is preferably higher than the power density of the heating block heater covering the outer surface of the non-compressive element, or the temperature rise rate of the heating block located on the outer surface of the compressive element. element, preferably higher than the temperature rise rate of the heating block covering the outer surface of the non-compressive element, or the heating temperature of the heating block located on the outer surface of the compressive element, preferably higher than the heating temperature of the heating block located on the outer surface of the non-compressive element. According to this design, the smokable substance can be heated more efficiently when the coverage of the compressive element in the fixing element is equal to or greater than a certain range of values with respect to the area of the non-compressive element. The power density of the heating block heater located on the outer surface of the compressive element may also be the same as the power density of the heating block heater covering the outer surface of the non-compressing element. The temperature rise rate of the heating block located on the outer surface of the compressive element may also be the same as the temperature rise rate of the heating block covering the outer surface of the non-compressive element. The heating temperature of the heating block located on the outer surface of the compressive element may also be the same as the heating temperature of the heating block covering the outer surface of the non-compressive element. It should be noted that in this document "same" includes the case where it is essentially the same.

[0034] The heating block may include a heating element, and the heating element may be a heating track. The outer surface of the compressive element and the outer surface of the non-compressive element can be connected to each other at an angle, and between the outer surface of the compressive element and the outer surface of the non-compressive element, an interface can be formed. The heating path preferably extends only in a direction crossing the direction in which the interface runs, more preferably in a direction at right angles to the direction in which the interface runs. With such a structure, the heating track is not easily damaged and also not easily peeled off from the outer surface of the fixing member. It should be noted that, in this document, "right angle direction" also includes the case of substantially right angle direction.

[0035] The heating block may be, for example, a plate heater. The plate heater may have a structure in which a layer containing an electrically insulating material and a layer containing a heating track, as one example of a heating element, are stacked on top of each other. As another example, the heating block may be of a construction in which a layer containing a heating track is sandwiched between two layers containing an electrically insulating material. The electrical insulating material may be, for example, polyimide, and the heating track may be a metal, such as stainless steel. With this design, a flexible heating structure is obtained, which is easy to manufacture, as well as highly reliable.

[0036] The consumable part comprises a first part having a first hardness and a second part having a second hardness, wherein the second part is a part different from the first part in the insertion direction of the consumable part, wherein the first part may be located closer to the longitudinal end of the consumable part than the second part.

[0037] When the consumable part is located in the chamber in the desired position, the consumable part is preferably located in such a way that at least a part of the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element. In addition, the first hardness is equal to or greater than 65% and less than or equal to 90%, for example, preferably equal to or greater than 70% and less than or equal to 85%, more preferably equal to or greater than 73% and less than or equal to 82%, most preferably equal to or greater than 77% and less than or equal to 81%. With this design, the consumable part retains its shape more easily and is easier to insert into the locking element.

[0038] When the consumable part is located in the chamber in the desired position, the consumable part is preferably located so that at least part of the second part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element. In addition, the second hardness is equal to or greater than 90% and less than or equal to 99%, for example, preferably equal to or greater than 90% and less than or equal to 99%, more preferably equal to or greater than 92% and less than or equal to 98%, most preferably greater than or equal to equal to 95% and less than or equal to 98%. With this design, insertion is easy and the consumable part is firmly held.

[0039] The second hardness is preferably higher than the first hardness. According to this structure, it is possible to easily insert the consumable part into the fixing member and firmly hold the consumable part at the same time. In addition, due to the transition from a state in which only the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing member to a state in which the second portion is also pressed against the inner surface of the compressing member when the consumable is inserted into the chamber, the user can feel a change in resistance when the consumable is inserted. parts. As a result, during insertion, the user can know how far the consumable is already inserted into the chamber and use this information as a hint to determine how far the consumable must be inserted to reach the desired insertion position, thereby making it easier to position the consumable in the chamber. required position. Preferably, the first part and the second part are located side by side so that the user can clearly feel the change in resistance. In addition, the difference between the first hardness and the second hardness is preferably at least equal to or greater than 4%, more preferably equal to or greater than 10%, most preferably equal to or greater than 14%).

[0040] The term "hardness" as used herein means resistance to deformation. Hardness is usually expressed as a ratio. In the case where the wear part is a cylindrical rod, provided that Ds is the diameter of the wear part before the load is applied, and Dd is the diameter of the wear part in the direction in which the predetermined load is applied, when the load is applied in the direction of the diameter, the deformation d of the wear part parts under the application of a given load can be expressed as Ds - Dd. In this case, the hardness (in %) is expressed as Dd/Ds * 100 (%). The harder the material from which the consumable is made, the more the hardness approaches 100%.

[0041] For measuring Dd, a device sold under the trade name Hardness Tester H10 (Borgwaldt KS GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) is used under ambient temperature conditions in the range of 22 ± 2 degrees Celsius and relative humidity 60% in accordance with the ISO 187 standard to measure a load of 88 grams applied for 5 seconds.

[0042] Preferably, the length of the first part of the flow part in the longitudinal direction is less than or equal to the length of the inner surface of the compression member in the longitudinal direction, and when the flow part is located in the chamber at the desired position, the flow part is located in the chamber such that the first part of the flow part does not protrude from the inner surface of the compression element in the longitudinal direction. With such a construction, in the case where the smoking substance is contained in the first part, the smoking substance is compressed along the entire length in the longitudinal direction, thereby ensuring efficient heating and atomization of the entire smoking substance. In addition, when the consumable part is located in the chamber at the required position, the entire outer circumferential surface of the smokable substance of the consumable part is preferably covered by the locking member. With such a structure, the entire outer circumferential surface of the smokable substance is directly heated by the fixing member, and hence the smokable substance can be heated evenly and efficiently. In addition, when the expendable part is located in the chamber in the required position, the expendable part is preferably located in such a way that at least part of the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element, and at the same time at least part of the second part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element. With such a structure, in the case where the smoking substance is in the first part, efficient heating of the smoking substance and reliable holding of the consumable part can be simultaneously achieved by the compressing member.

[0043] The distance that the second part of the consumable part is inserted into the fixing member when the consumable part is located in the required position is preferably equal to or greater than 1.0 mm and less than or equal to 10.0 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 2.0 mm and less than or equal to 8.0 mm, most preferably greater than or equal to 4.0 mm and less than or equal to 6.0 mm. With such a structure, it is possible to simultaneously ensure an appropriate holding force for the consumable part and ease of insertion of the consumable part.

[0044] The chamber may also have a bottom element or an anvil element. The length of the lower element or abutment element of the chamber from the bottom wall or abutment surface against which the consumable part adjoins to the end on the side of the opening of the compressing element is greater than the length of the first part of the consumable part in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the length of the first part), and also preferably less than 1.5 times the length of the first part, more preferably less than 1.35 times the length of the first part. Additionally/alternatively, when the expendable part is located in the chamber in the required position, at least a part of the first part of the expendable part is preferably located closer to the opening than the central part of the locking element in the longitudinal direction. With this design, a change in resistance can be sensed before the first part of the consumable part abuts against the bottom wall or abutment surface of the chamber, and since the insertion position at which the change is felt can be set to a position relatively close to the desired insertion position of the consumable part, the consumable the part is more easily positioned in the desired position, and the feel for the user when using the device can be improved.

[0045] The first part preferably contains a smokable substance containing tobacco as one example of a flavor source. In addition, the first part may include a breathable plate element wrapped around the smokable substance, and a cover that is attached to the plate element and prevents the smokable substance from falling out. The lid is breathable and can be attached to the plate element, for example with an adhesive. The lid can also be attached to the plate element by friction. The lid may be, for example, a paper or acetate filter. The second part may contain a cylindrical element. The cylindrical element may be a paper tube or a hollow filter.

[0046] A hollow filter may be formed using a sealing layer containing one or more hollow channels and a wrapper covering the sealing layer. Since the fibers in the sealing layer have a high packing density, during inhalation, air and aerosol pass only through the hollow channel(s), and there is practically no flow inside the sealing layer. The hollow filter may also include a mouthpiece formed using an adjacent filter element or the like. to increase the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0047] The consumable may also include a first wrapping paper wrapped around the smokable substance. The length of the flow portion in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 mm to 90 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 75 mm, even more preferably 50 mm to 60 mm. The circumferential length of the consumable part is preferably 15 mm to 25 mm, more preferably 17 mm to 24 mm, even more preferably 20 mm to 23 mm. In addition, the length of the smoking substance in the consumable part can be from 18 to 22 mm, the length of the first wrapping paper can be from 18 to 22 mm, the length of the hollow filter element can be from 7 to 9 mm, and the length of the filter element can be from 6 mm. up to 8 mm.

[0048] The smoking substance in the disposable part may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated to a predetermined temperature. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and depending on the purpose, extracts and/or components thereof from any of the various types of natural substances can be selected. Examples of the aerosol source include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The amount of the aerosol source contained in the smokable substance (weight percent based on the total weight of the smoking substance) is not particularly limited, but from the point of view of generating a sufficient amount of aerosol as well as imparting a pleasant inhalable flavor, this amount is usually equal to or greater than 5% by weight. , preferably equal to or greater than 10% by weight, and moreover usually less than or equal to 50% by weight, preferably less than or equal to 20% by weight.

[0049] For the smokable substance in the consumable part, tobacco, such as a leaf blade, midrib, or other known plant material, can be used as a flavor source. In addition, a flavor source such as tobacco can be formed into crumbs, sheets, threads, powder, granules, pellets, slurry, porous form, and the like. In the case where the circumferential length of the smoking substance is 20 mm to 23 mm and the length is 18 mm to 22 mm, the quantity range of the smoking substance such as tobacco may be 200 mg to 400 mg, for example, preferably 250 mg up to 320 mg. The moisture content of a smokable substance such as tobacco (in weight percent relative to the total weight of the smokable substance) is, for example, from 8 to 18 wt. %), preferably from 10 to 16 wt. %. With this moisture content, the coloration of the stranded billets is reduced and satisfactory rollability is achieved during production. In addition, the consumable portion is more easily deformed to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the locking member. The size and preparation method of the cut tobacco used as one example of the smoking substance is not specifically limited. For example, dried tobacco leaf cut into pieces with a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm can be used. In addition, the dried tobacco leaf can be pulverized so that the average particle size is about 20 µm to 200 µm, and then its uniform particles can be processed into sheets and cut into pieces with a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm and used. In addition, the product obtained by forming the sheets treated as above without cutting can also be used as a smokable substance. The smoking substance may also contain one or more aromatic substances. The type of fragrance is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferable from the point of view of imparting a pleasant inhalable fragrance.

[0050] The consumable portion may also include a second wrapping paper that is different from the first wrapping paper and that is used to wrap at least one of the cylindrical element, the hollow filter element, and the filter element. The second wrapping paper may also wrap a portion of the first wrapping paper used to wrap the smokable substance. The first wrapping paper and the second wrapping paper of the consumable may be made, for example, from a base paper having a basis weight of 20 to 65 g/m ² . The thickness of the first wrapping paper and the second wrapping paper is not particularly limited, but in terms of stiffness, air permeability and ease of adjustment during papermaking, the thickness is usually 10 µm to 100 µm.

[0051] A filler may be included in the first wrapping paper and the second wrapping paper of the consumable. The filler content may be from 10% to 60% by weight relative to the total weight of the first wrapping paper and the second wrapping paper, preferably from 15% to 45%) by weight. In the present embodiment, the filler content is preferably 15% to 45% by weight based on the preferred density range (25 to 45 g/m ² ). As the filler, for example, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin and the like can be used. Paper containing a filler like the above has a bright white color, which is preferable in terms of appearance for use as wrapping paper for a consumable part, and can keep its whiteness permanently. By including a large amount of such filler, the whiteness of the wrapping paper according to ISO can be set to, for example, equal to or greater than 83%). In addition, from the practical point of view of being used as a wrapping paper for a consumable part, the first wrapping paper and the second wrapping paper preferably have a tensile strength equal to or greater than 8 N/15 mm. With this structure, the wrapping paper is not easily torn even when the consumable held in the fixing member is pulled out. Tensile strength can be improved by reducing the filler content. In particular, the tensile strength can be improved by reducing the filler content below the upper filler content limit given in the base weight ranges given above by way of example.

[0052] The locking element comprises a first locking element, and the chamber comprises a second locking element located farther from the opening than the first locking element. In the state in which the consumable part is held by the first and second fixing elements of the chamber, the second fixing element is configured to compress the consumable part more than the first fixing element, and/or the inner cross-sectional area of the second fixing element is smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the first fixing element. element in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the camera. With this design, the draw resistance during smoking can be adjusted by pressing the second locking member. Since the second locking element is separate from the first locking element, the second locking element can be shaped to provide the desired draw resistance, regardless of the shape of the first locking element suitable for optimal heating. The heating block need not be located on the outer surface of the second compression element. In particular, by not arranging the heating block on the second fixing member, in the case where the part of the consumable part compressed by the second fixing member, such as the cap described above, does not contain the smoking substance, heating that does not contribute to the efficient heating of the smoking substance can be avoided, and the energy can be used efficiently.

[0053] The first locking element may include a first compressive element that compresses a portion of the wear part and a first non-compressive element. The second locking element may include a second compressive element that compresses part of the consumable part, and a second non-compressive element. Due to the fact that the first fixing element includes the first compression element, the consumable part is substantially close to the heating surface (the inner surface of the pressing element) in the first fixing element, and therefore heat from the heating block can be efficiently transferred to the consumable part.

[0054] The chamber preferably includes a second guide element having a conical surface that connects the inner surface of the first compression element with the inner surface of the second compression element. The second guide element can be used to smoothly change the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the chamber from the first compression element to the second compression element, which allows the consumable part to be smoothly inserted into the chamber.

[0055] The first locking element may have a pair of first compressing surfaces facing each other, and the second locking element may have a pair of second compressing surfaces facing each other. The shortest distance between the second pressing surfaces is preferably less than the shortest distance between the first pressing surfaces. The second compression surfaces may be flat surfaces. As used herein, a flat surface includes a substantially flat surface. In a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, the compressing surfaces of the second locking element, in the case where the second compressing surfaces are flat surfaces, may be oriented in the same direction as the compressing surface of the chamber of the first locking element. This design simplifies the manufacture of the chamber and facilitates the insertion of the consumable part.

[0056] The second locking element can also be located at the end of the chamber. In particular, in the case where the smoking substance at the front end of the consumable part is compressed by the second locking member, by shrinking and sealing at said end, it is possible to reduce the number of situations in which the smoking substance falls into the inside of the chamber when the consumable part is removed from the chamber after smoking.

[0057] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking system comprising a consumable containing a smoking substance and a device that heats and atomizes the smoking substance. The device includes a chamber containing the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber. The inner circumferential length of the chamber is the same as the outer circumferential length of the consumable before it is installed in the chamber, and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber is different from the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the consumable before the consumable is installed in the chamber. camera. As used herein, "same" includes the case where it is substantially the same. "Substantially the same" refers to a state in which the difference between the inner circumferential length of the chamber and the outer circumferential length of the consumable before it is installed in the chamber is, for example, within ±6% of the inner circumferential length of the chamber, preferably within ± 4%, more preferably within ±2%.

[0058] According to the second aspect, the consumable part is located substantially near the heating surface (the inner surface of the chamber), and therefore heat from the heating block can be efficiently transferred to the consumable part. In particular, since the inner circumferential length of the chamber and the outer circumferential length of the consumable part are substantially the same, and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber differs from the cross-sectional shape of the consumable part to be placed in the chamber, the consumable part is compressed by the inner surface of the chamber, and the outer circumferential shape the consumable part approximately coincides with the inner circumferential shape of the inner surface of the locking element. Compared with the case where the inner circumferential length and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber are the same as the outer circumferential length and the cross-sectional shape of the consumable part, in this smoking system, a place is formed where the consumable part is compressed by the chamber and hence the efficiency of heat transfer from heating block to the consumable part can be increased. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the consumable portion is smaller than the inner circumferential length of the chamber, the inner circumferential surface (non-compressive surface) of the chamber substantially touches the outer circumferential surface of the consumable portion even at places where the consumable portion is not compressed, and therefore the efficiency of heat transfer from the heating element to the consumable part can be improved. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the consumable part is larger than the inner circumferential length of the chamber, the consumable part can be inserted into the chamber smoothly, and the deformation caused by the outer circumferential surface of the consumable part and the density inside the consumable part (for example, tobacco as one example of a smoking substance) can be weakened. As a result, it is possible to eliminate uneven heating and uneven tightening resistance of each consumable part, which may occur due to deformation due to density inside the consumable part. It can also be said that, preferably, the inner circumferential length of the chamber is essentially the same as the outer circumferential length of the consumable part in the state of its compression by the chamber, and the inner circumferential length of the chamber can be taken as the inner circumferential length in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber. In addition, the "external circumferential length of the expendable part before it is placed in the chamber" can be taken as the external circumferential length of the part of the external circumferential length of the expendable part before it is placed in the chamber, which is located in a position corresponding to the internal circumferential length of the chamber with respect to the longitudinal direction of the chamber when the consumable is placed in the chamber. In addition, the outer circumferential length of the part of the outer circumferential length of the consumable part in the chamber compression state, which is located at a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the chamber with respect to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, can be taken as the "outer circumferential length of the expendable part in the state of its compression by the chamber".

[0059] It should be noted that the features of another aspect may be combined or applied to the second aspect, provided that the implementation of the second aspect and the effect of the implementation of the second aspect is not impaired. In addition, the camera according to the second aspect may also include a locking element according to another aspect.

[0060] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking system comprising a consumable containing a smoking substance and a device that heats and atomizes the smoking substance. The device includes a chamber containing the consumable part. The chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains a compressing element that presses a part of the consumable part. The device contains an induction coil that heats at least the compressing element. The compressing element contains a current collector, which is heated by an induction coil.

[0061] According to the third aspect, the consumable part is compressed by the heating surface (the inner surface of the compressing member), while the compressing member that compresses the consumable portion is heated by the inductive coil, and therefore heat from the compressing member can be effectively transferred to the consumable part. The current collector can be located on the outer or inner surface of the compressing element or closed by it, the current collector can be enclosed in the walls of the chamber forming the compressing element, or the walls of the chamber forming the compressing element can be made in the form of a current collector.

[0062] The induction coil may be formed using a solid wire, but in terms of effective heat dissipation, it may also be a stranded wire. The solid wire or stranded wire preferably comprises a material selected from at least one of the group consisting of copper, aluminium, nickel, silver, gold and their alloys such as, for example, stainless steel. The sheath material of the stranded wire may be, for example, polyimide or polyester.

[0063] The induction coil may be wound in a three-dimensional helix (three-dimensional twisted shape) or a flat helix (two-dimensional twisted shape). The shape of an induction coil can be cylindrical (obtained by bending a bulk helical coil or a flat helical coil) or flat. The induction coil may be adjacent to the chamber, may surround the chamber, or may extend into the interior of the chamber, but positioning the induction coil to surround the chamber effectively energizes the chamber compressive element. One induction coil or multiple induction coils may be provided. As an example of a structure surrounding the chamber, the induction coil may be in the form of a three-dimensional spiral surrounding the chamber, may be configured such that a flat helical coil is curved to surround the chamber, or may be configured to contain a plurality of flat coils surrounding the chamber, but due to the simple design of the induction coil in the form of a three-dimensional spiral to surround the chamber, the costs can be reduced.

[0064] The frequency applied to the induction coil may be approximately equal to or greater than 80 kHz and less than or equal to 500 kHz, preferably approximately equal to or greater than 150 kHz and less than or equal to 250 kHz, more preferably equal to or greater than 190 kHz and less than or equal to 210 kHz. Alternatively, the frequency applied to the induction coil may be equal to or greater than 1 MHz and less than or equal to 30 MHz, preferably equal to or greater than 2 MHz and less than or equal to 10 MHz, more preferably equal to or greater than 5 MHz and less than or equal to 7 MHz. These frequencies can be determined by taking into account properties such as the material and shape of the current collector.

[0065] The device may also be positioned to operate in a fluctuating electromagnetic field having a maximum magnetic flux density of approximately equal to or greater than 0.5 Tesla (T) and less than or equal to 2.0 Tesla (T).

[0066] The term "susceptor" in the present description means a material that can convert electromagnetic energy into heat, and refers to a material designed to heat the "smoking substance". The current collector is located in a place where heat can be transferred to the "smoking substance". When the pantograph is inside a fluctuating electromagnetic field, eddy currents induced in the pantograph and magnetic hysteresis losses inside the pantograph cause it to heat up.

[0067] The current collector preferably comprises a material selected from at least one in the group consisting of aluminum, iron, nickel, and their alloys (eg, nichrome and stainless steel). The pantograph and current lines flowing through the pantograph preferably have closed loops surrounding the space in which the consumable part is located. With such a structure, eddy currents can be efficiently generated in the heat generating portion of the chamber.

[0068] The current collector may be of any shape and may be, for example, granular, rod-shaped, ribbon-like, annular, or tubular. If the pantograph has closed electrical circuits, eddy currents can be efficiently generated. You can arrange several current collectors having the same shape, or you can arrange several current collectors having different shapes.

[0069] It should be noted that features of the other aspect may be combined with or applied to the third aspect as long as the implementation of the third aspect and the effect of the implementation of the third aspect are not impaired.

[0070] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device that heats and atomizes a smokable substance. The device includes a chamber containing the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber. The chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a fixing element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains a compressing element, which compresses a part of the consumable part, and a non-compressing element. The compressive element and the non-compressive element have an inner surface and an outer surface. The heating block is located on the outer surface of the compression element.

[0071] According to the fourth aspect, the consumable part is located substantially near the heating surface (the inner surface of the compressing member), and therefore heat from the heating unit can be efficiently transferred to the consumable part.

[0072] Placing the heating block on the outer surface of the compression member as described above is just one example of a design whereby heat is efficiently transferred to the consumable through the chamber due to the consumable being substantially close to the heating surface of the chamber. In a fourth aspect, a device is provided that heats and atomizes a smoking substance, the device may include a chamber containing a consumable part and a heating block that heats a consumable part placed in the chamber, the chamber may have an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the expendable part, wherein the fixing element may contain a compressing element that compresses a part of the consumable part, and a non-compressing element, each compressing and non-compressing element can have an inner and outer surface, and the consumable part can be heated by means of a compressing element. In addition, the heating block is not limited to specific features, but may be a heating block located on the outer surface of the compressing element, as described above, or a current collector may be included in the compressing element, while the compressing element can be heated by an electromagnetic field and/ or magnetic field lines generated by an induction coil and the like as described above.

[0073] the Heating block is preferably located on the outer surface of the compressing element without a gap. In this document, the absence of a gap is also understood to mean that there is essentially no gap. With such a structure, the consumable part is substantially close to the heating surface (the inner surface of the compression member), and therefore heat from the heating block can be transferred to the consumable part even more efficiently. It should be noted that the heating block may also contain an adhesive layer. In this case, the heating block containing the adhesive layer is preferably located relative to the outer surface of the compressing element without a gap.

[0074] The inner surfaces of the compressive elements preferably have pairs of flat compressive surfaces having a flat shape and facing each other, the inner surfaces of the non-compressive elements preferably have pairs of curved non-compressive surfaces having a curved shape and facing each other, which connect the ends of the pairs of flat compressive surfaces , and more preferably, the thickness of the compressive and non-compressive members is uniform (which also includes the case that they are substantially uniform) and the same (which also includes the case that they are substantially the same). Accordingly, the structure of the chamber is simplified and precise manufacturing is facilitated, and the compressive and non-compressive elements can be arranged in a balanced manner to achieve uniform heating, which facilitates the placement of the heating block on the outer surface of the compressive element with good positioning accuracy, and also without gap, which improves efficiency. heating.

[0075] It should be noted that the features of the other aspect may be combined or applied to the fourth aspect, provided that the implementation of the fourth aspect and the effect of the implementation of the fourth aspect is not impaired.

[0076] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a consumable used in any of the aforementioned smoking systems. The expendable part contains the first part compressed by the compressing element of the chamber, the mouthpiece and the second part located between the first part and the mouthpiece.

[0077] It should be noted that features of the other aspect may be combined with or applied to the fifth aspect as long as the implementation of the fifth aspect and the effect of the implementation of the fifth aspect are not impaired.

[0078] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device that heats and atomizes a smokable substance contained in a consumable part. The device includes a chamber containing the consumable part. The chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains a compressing element that compresses part of the consumable part. The device contains an induction coil that heats at least the compressing element. The compressing element contains a current collector, which is heated by an induction coil.

[0079] It should be noted that features of the other aspect may be combined with or applied to the sixth aspect as long as the implementation of the sixth aspect and the effect of the implementation of the sixth aspect are not impaired.

[0080] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking system comprising a consumable containing a smoking substance and a device that heats and atomizes the smoking substance. The device comprises a chamber containing the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber, the chamber having an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a fixing element that holds the consumable part. The fixing element contains a compressing element that compresses part of the consumable part, and a non-compressing element. The compressive element and the non-compressive element have an inner surface and an outer surface. The wear part comprises a first part having a first hardness and a second part having a second hardness, the second part being a part different from the first part in the insertion direction of the wear part. When the disposable part is located in the chamber in the required position, it is located in such a way that at least part of the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element, while at the same time at least part of the second part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element.

[0081] According to the seventh aspect, in the case where the smokable substance is contained in the first part, efficient heating of the smokable substance and strong holding of the consumable part can be achieved by the compressing member at the same time. It should be noted that features of the other aspect may be combined or applied to the seventh aspect as long as the implementation of the seventh aspect and the effect of the implementation of the seventh aspect are not impaired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0082] [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a smoking system according to the first embodiment.

[Fig.2] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the heating unit shown in FIG. 1.

[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the camera.

[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the chamber taken along the arrows 4-4 shown in FIG. Z.

[FIG. 5A] FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 5A-5A in FIG. 4.

[FIG. 5B] FIG. 5B is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 5B-5B of FIG. 4.

[FIG. 5C] FIG. 5C is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 5C-5C in FIG. 4.

[FIG. 6A] FIG. 6A shows a longitudinal section of a chamber containing a non-compressive element in which the consumable part is located in the chamber in the desired position.

[FIG. 6B] FIG. 6B is a longitudinal section through a chamber containing a compression member in which a disposable portion is positioned in the chamber in a desired position.

[FIG. 7A] FIG. 7A is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 7A-7A shown in FIG. 6B.

[Fig.7B] Fig. 7B is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 7B-7B shown in FIG. 6B.

[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a schematic sectional view illustrating another example of a camera compression member.

[Fig.9] Fig. 9 is a schematic sectional view illustrating another example of a camera compression member.

[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a schematic sectional view illustrating another example of a camera compression member.

[Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a schematic sectional view illustrating another example of a camera compression member.

[Fig.12] Fig. 12 is a schematic sectional view of the consumable part.

[Fig.13] Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the consumable before and after the application of the load.

[Fig.14] Fig. 14 is a schematic sectional view of a chamber in a smoking system according to the second embodiment.

[FIG. 15A] FIG. 15A is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 18A-18A in FIG. 14.

[FIG. 15B] FIG. 15B is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 18B-18B shown in FIG. 14.

[Fig.16] Fig. 16 is a schematic sectional view of a heating unit installed in a smoking system according to the third embodiment.

[Fig.17] Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 20-20 shown in FIG. 16.

[Fig. 18] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of a smoking system according to the fourth embodiment.

[FIG. 19A] FIG. 19A is a longitudinal sectional view of a chamber containing a non-compressive member according to the fourth embodiment, wherein the consumable portion is positioned in the chamber at a desired position.

[FIG. 19B] FIG. 19B is a longitudinal sectional view of a chamber containing a compression member according to a fourth embodiment in which the consumable portion is positioned in the chamber at a desired position.

[FIG. 20A] FIG. 20A is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 23A-23A shown in FIG. 19V.

[FIG. 20B] FIG. 20B is a sectional view of the camera taken along arrows 23B-23B shown in FIG. 19V.

DESCRIPTION OF OPTIONS

[0083] <First Embodiment>

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding structural elements are designated by the same reference numbers, and the description of these elements is not duplicated. Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a smoking system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the smoking system 100 includes a disposable portion 110 containing the smoking substance and a device 120 that heats and atomizes the smoking substance. The first embodiment illustrates an example of the case where the user takes the consumable part 110 into his mouth and performs a puff. The air inhaled by the user is directed into the user's mouth by airflow 100A, airflow 100C, and airflow 100B, for example, in the above order.

[0084] The consumable portion 110 is a base material containing a smokable substance such as tobacco that can be smoked with flavor, and is in the form of a rod extending, for example, in the longitudinal direction. Consumable part 110 may be, for example, a tobacco rod.

[0085] The device 120 includes a battery 10, a control circuit 20, and a heater 30. The battery 10 stores energy that is used by the device 120. For example, the battery 10 is a lithium ion battery. The battery 10 can also be charged from an external power source.

[0086] The control circuit 20 includes a CPU, a memory, and the like. and controls the operation of the device 120. For example, the control circuit 20 starts heating the consumable portion 110 in response to an operation performed by a user on an input device such as a push button, slider, or switch, which is not shown in the drawings, and stops heating the consumable portion 110 after certain time. The control circuit 20 may also stop heating the consumable 110 when the number of puffs performed by the user exceeds a certain value, even if a certain time has not yet elapsed since the heating of the consumable 110 began. For example, a puff is detected by a sensor that is not shown in the drawings.

[0087] Alternatively, the control circuit 20 may start heating the consumable portion 110 in response to the start of a puff, and terminate the heating of the consumable portion 110 in response to the end of a puff. The control circuit 20 may also stop heating the consumable part 110 if a certain time has elapsed since the beginning of the puff action, even if the puff action has not yet ended. In this embodiment, the control circuit 20 is located between the battery 10 and the heating unit 30, preventing heat transfer from the heating unit 30 to the battery 10.

[0088] The heating unit 30 is a unit that heats the consumable portion 110. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heating unit 30 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the heater assembly 30 includes a top cover 32, a heating block 40, and a chamber 50. The chamber 50 is configured to receive a consumable portion 110. The heating block 40 is configured to heat a consumable portion 110 placed in the chamber 50. The top cover 32 acts as a guide when insertion of the consumable part 110 into the chamber 50, and may also be configured to attach the chamber 50 to the device 120.

[0089] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the camera 50. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the camera 50 taken along the arrows 4-4 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5A is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 5A-5A shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5B is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 5B-5B shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5C is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 5C-5C shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3 and 4, the chamber 50 may be a bottomed cylindrical member having an opening 52 into which the consumable 110 is inserted and a locking member 60 holding the consumable 110. It should be noted that the chamber 50 may also be a cylindrical object without a bottom. The chamber may be made of metal with high thermal conductivity, such as, for example, stainless steel. This design allows for efficient heating from chamber 50 to consumable 110.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 4 and 5C, the locking member 60 includes a compression member 62 that compresses a portion of the wear portion 110 and a non-compressive member 66. The compression member 62 has an inner surface 62a and an outer surface 62b. The non-compressive member 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b. As shown in FIG. 2, the heating block 40 is located on the outer surface 62b of the compression element 62. The heating block 40 is preferably located on the outer surface 62b of the compression element 62 without a gap. It should be noted that the heating block 40 may also include an adhesive layer. In this case, the heating block 40 containing the adhesive layer is preferably located without a gap on the outer surface of the compression member 62.

[0091] the Opening 52 in the chamber 50 can preferably accommodate the consumable part 110 without compression of the latter. The shape of the opening 52 in the chamber 50 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50, or in other words, the direction in which the consumable portion 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, or the direction in which the sides of the chamber 50 generally extend, may be polygonal or elliptical, but preferably is round.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 3 and 5C, the outer surface 62b of the compression member 62 is a flat surface. Since the outer surface 62b of the pressing member 62 is a flat surface, by connecting the strip electrodes 48 to the heating block 40 located on the outer surface 62b of the pressing member 62, bending of the strip electrodes 48 can be avoided. As a result, the electrodes 48 can be easily placed inside the device 120. In addition, compared with the case where the outer surface 62b of the compression member 62 is a curved or uneven surface, the heating block 40 can be accurately and easily positioned without a gap on the outer surface 62b of the compression member 62. As shown in FIG. 4 and 5C, the inner surface 62a of the compression member 62 is a flat surface. Also, as shown in FIG. 4 and 5C, the thickness of the compression member 62 is the same.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 3, 4 and 5C, in the first embodiment, the chamber 50 includes two or more compression elements 62 located in the circumferential direction of the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 4 and 5C, the two compression members 62 of the lock member 60 face each other. At least part of the distance between the inner surfaces 62a of the two compressing elements 62 is preferably less than the width of the consumable portion 110 inserted into the chamber 50 at a location located between the compressing elements 62. As shown in the drawings, the inner surfaces 62a of the compressing elements 62 are flat surfaces.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 5C, the inner surfaces 62a of the compressive members 62 have pairs of flat shaped compressive surfaces facing each other, and the inner surfaces 66a of the non-compressive members 66 have pairs of curved non-compressive surfaces having a curved shape and facing each other, which connect the ends of the pairs of flat compressive surfaces. As shown in the drawings, the curved non-compressive surfaces may generally have an arcuate cross section in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 5C, locking member 60 is designed as a cylindrical metal object of uniform thickness.

[0095] FIG. 6A shows a longitudinal section of the chamber 50, including the non-compressive member 66, in which the expendable portion 110 is located in the chamber 50 in the desired position. Fig. 6B shows a longitudinal section of the chamber 50, including the compression members 62, in which the expendable portion 110 is located in the chamber 50 in the desired position. Fig. 7A is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 7A-7A shown in FIG. 6B. Fig. 7B is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 7B-7B shown in FIG. 6B. It should be noted that in Fig. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the flow portion 110 before compression to make it easier to understand how the flow portion 110 is compressed by the compression members 62.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 7B, the air gap 67 between the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 and the consumable portion 110 is substantially maintained even if the consumable portion 110 is positioned in the chamber 50 and the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compression members 62 and deformed. Air gap 67 may connect opening 52 of chamber 50 to an end surface (lower end surface in FIGS. 6A and 6B) of consumable portion 110 located within chamber 50. Air gap 67 may also connect opening 52 of chamber 50 to an end surface (lower end surface on Fig. 6A and 6B) of the consumable part 110 located inside the chamber 50 at a distance from the opening 52 of the chamber 50. With this design, it is not necessary to provide a separate channel in the smoking system 100 for introducing air supplied to the consumable part 110, and therefore the design of the smoking room system 100 can be simplified. In addition, since the place where the portion of the air gap 67 formed in the non-compressive member 66 is open, the passage can be easily cleaned. In terms of factors such as draw resistance, the height 67 of the air gap between the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 and the consumable part 110 is preferably equal to or greater than 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm, more preferably equal to or greater than 0.2 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm, most preferably equal to or greater than 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 3-6, chamber 50 has bottom member 56. As shown in FIG. 6B, bottom member 56 supports a portion of consumable 110 inserted into chamber 50 such that at least a portion of the end surface of consumable 110 is exposed. In addition, the lower member 56 may support a portion of the wear portion 110 such that the open end surface of the wear portion 110 is connected to the air gap 67.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 4, 6A and 6B, the lower element 56 of the chamber 50 has a bottom wall 56a and may further have side walls 56b. The width of the bottom element 56, defined by the side walls 56b, may decrease towards the bottom wall 56a. As shown in FIG. 5C and 7B, the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 of the locking member 60 is curved in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50.

[0099] The shape of the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50 is preferably the same as the shape of the opening 52 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50 at any position in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. In other words, the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 is preferably designed such that the inner surface of the chamber 50, which forms the opening 52, extends in the longitudinal direction.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 2-4, the chamber 50 preferably includes a cylindrical non-locking member 54 located between the opening 52 and the locking member 60. In a state in which the expendable portion 110 is positioned in the chamber 50, between the non-latching member 54 and the consumable portion 110.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 4-7, the outer circumferential surface of the locking member 60 preferably has the same shape and size (outer circumferential length of the locking member 60 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the locking member 60) along the entire length of the locking member 60 in the longitudinal direction.

[0102] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, 4, 5B and 6B, the chamber 50 preferably has a first guide element 58 having a tapered surface 58a which connects the inner surface of the chamber 50 forming the opening 52 to the inner surfaces 62a of the compression members 62.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 2, the heating side 40 includes a heating element 42. The heating element 42 may be, for example, a heating track. As shown, for example, in FIG. 5C, the outer surfaces 62b of the compressive members 62 and the outer surface 66b of the non-compressive member 66 may be connected to each other at an angle, an interface 71 may be formed between the outer surfaces 62b of the compressive members 62 and the outer surface 66b of the non-compressive member 66a. The heating path preferably extends in a direction crossing the direction in which the interface 71 runs (longitudinal direction of the chamber), preferably in a direction at right angles to the direction in which the interface 71 runs.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the heating element 42, the heating block 40 preferably includes an electrically insulating element 44 that covers at least one surface of the heating element 42. In the present embodiment, the electrically insulating element 44 is positioned to cover surfaces on either side of the heating element. In addition, the electrical insulating member 44 is preferably located within the outer surface area of the locking member 60. In other words, the electrical insulating member 44 is preferably positioned so as not to protrude beyond the outer surface of the locking member 60 on the first guide member 58 from the side of the chamber 50 in the longitudinal direction. As described above, the first guide member 58 is located between the opening 52 and the compression members 62, and therefore the shape of the outer surface of the chamber 50 and the outer circumferential length of the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber can vary in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. For this reason, the placement of the electrical insulating element 44 on the outer surface of the locking element 60 helps to prevent the occurrence of sagging.

[0105] In addition, the device 120 preferably has a sheet covering that covers the chamber 50 and the heating block 40 and secures the heating block 40 to the outer surface of the chamber 50. With this design, the heating block 40 can be fixed firmly and close to the outer surface of the chamber 50 , thereby further improving the heating efficiency and stabilizing the structure around the chamber 50. In addition, the sheeting is preferably placed on the outer surface of the fixing element 60. In other words, the sheeting is preferably located so as not to protrude above the outer surface of the fixing element 60 from the side of the first guide element 58 of the chamber 50 in the longitudinal direction. As described above, the first guiding member 58 is located between the opening 52 and the fixing member 60, and therefore the shape of the outer surface of the chamber 50 and the outer circumferential length of the chamber in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber may vary in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. For this reason, By positioning the sheeting on the outer surface of the fixing member 60, sagging can be prevented.

[0106] Preferably, the heating block 40 is not located on at least one of the surfaces selected from the group consisting of the outer surface of the chamber 50 between the opening 52 and the first guide element 58, or, in other words, on the outer surface of the non-latching element 54, on the outer surface of the first guide element 58 and on the outer surface of the non-compressive element 66. The heating block 40 is preferably located on all outer surfaces 62b of the compressing elements 62.

[0107] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the device 120 includes ribbon electrodes 48 extending from the heating block 40. In a state where the heating block 40 is disposed on the outer surfaces 62b of the compressing members 62, the ribbon electrodes 48 preferably extend from the flat outer surfaces 62b of the compressing members 62 to the outside of the outer surfaces 62b of the compressing members 62 62.

[0108] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, 6A and 6B, the heating block 40 includes a first part 40a located on the side opposite the opening 52 and a second part 40b located on the side of the opening 52. The power density of the heater of the second part 40b is preferably higher than the power density of the heater of the first part 40a. Alternatively, the temperature increase rate in the second part 40b is preferably greater than the temperature increase rate in the first part 40a. Alternatively, the heating temperature of the second part 40b is preferably greater than the heating temperature of the first part 40a for any equal time. In a state in which the consumable portion 110 is positioned in the chamber 50, the second portion 40b preferably covers the outer surface of the fixing member 60 corresponding in the longitudinal direction of the smokable substance to at least 1/2 of the smokable substance contained in the disposable portion 110.

[0109] In the embodiment described above, the chamber 50 includes a pair of compression elements 62 facing each other, but the shape of the chamber is not limited to this. Fig. 8-11 are schematic cross sections illustrating other examples of compression members 62 of chamber 50. FIG. 8-11, the cross-section of the consumable 110 before compression is shown with a dotted line to make it easy to understand how the consumable 110 is compressed by the compression members 62. In the example shown in FIG. 8, chamber 50 includes three compressive members 62 having flat inner surfaces 62a and one non-compressive member 66 (inner surface 66a). Among the three compressing members 62, a pair of compressing members 62 (inner surfaces 62a) face each other. The remaining compression element 62 and non-compressive element 66 are located between the pair of compression elements 62 and facing each other. As shown in FIG. 8, the distance between a pair of compression members 62 having flat inner surfaces 62a is less than the diameter of the insertable consumable portion 110 having a circular cross section. With this construction, when the consumable portion 110 is placed inside the chamber 50, the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the inner surfaces 62a of the compressing members 62.

[0110] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the chamber 50 includes three compression elements 62 (inner surfaces 62a) and three non-compressive elements 66 (inner surfaces 66a) located between each of the three compression elements 62. The inner surfaces 62a of the compression elements 62 are flat surfaces, while the inner surfaces 66a non-compressive elements 66 are curved surfaces. Each compression element 62 faces a corresponding non-compressive element 66. In the section shown in FIG. 9, that is, in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, the distance between the point P1 where the lines extending perpendicular from the center C1 of the inner surface 62a of each compressing member 62 and the center C1 of each of the inner surfaces 62a of the compressing members 62 intersect is less than the radius of the inserted consumable part. 110 having a circular cross section. With this design, when the consumable portion 110 is placed inside the chamber 50, the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compression members 62.

[0111] In the example shown in FIG. 10, chamber 50 includes one compressive member 62 (inner surface 62a) and one non-compressive member 66 (inner surface 66a). The inner surface 62a of the compressive member 62 is a flat surface, while the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 is a curved surface. The cylindrical locking element 60 is formed by a compressive element 62 and a non-compressive element 66.

[0112] In the example shown in FIG. 11, chamber 50 includes four compressive members 62 (inner surfaces 62a) and four non-compressive members 66 (inner surfaces 66a). The inner surfaces 62a of the compression members 62 are flat surfaces, while the inner surfaces 66a of the non-compressive members 66 are curved surfaces connecting the inner surfaces 62a of adjacent compression members 62. Two of the compression members 62 (inner surfaces 62a) face each other and the remaining two the compressing members 62 (inner surfaces 62a) face each other. At least one of the distances between one pair of compressing elements 62 (inner surfaces 62a) facing each other, or the distance between another pair of compressing elements 62 (inner surfaces 62a) facing each other, is less than the diameter of the consumable part 110. At this construction, when the consumable portion 110 is placed inside the chamber 50, the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compression members 62.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 8-11 above, there may be at least one compression member 62 in the circumferential direction of chamber 50, but there may also be three or more. In addition, the compressive elements 62 may be positioned to face each other, but may also be positioned facing each of the non-compressive elements 66. Also, as in the examples shown in FIG. 8 and 10, in the case where the flow portion 110 is compressed in the direction of the pressure exerted by the compression member 62 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber (in FIG. 110 is subjected to downward pressure from the top of the figure), a support may also be provided between the consumable portion 110 and the device 120 so that the consumable portion 110 does not move or come into contact with the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66. The support may be installed in a location corresponding to the smoking substance of the consumable portion. 110, but may also be located in an inappropriate position. It should be noted that although in FIG. 8-11 shows the consumable portion 110 before compression, in the case where there is an air gap 67 between the non-compressive member 66 and the consumable portion 110, even if the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compression member 62 and deformed, the air gap 67 between the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 and the consumable part 110 is essentially saved. On the other hand, as in the fourth embodiment described below, the consumable portion 110 can also be compressed by the compressing member 62 and deformed such that the inner surface 66a of the non-compressible member 66 and the consumable portion 110 are in contact.

[0114] Next, the consumable part 110 used in the smoking system 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of consumable portion 110. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the consumable portion 110 comprises the smokable substance 111, the cylindrical element 114, the hollow filter element 116, and the filter element 115. The smokable substance 111 is wrapped with the first wrapping paper 112. The cylindrical element 114, the hollow filter element 116, and the filter element 115 are wrapped with the second wrapping paper 113, different from the first wrapping paper 112. The second wrapping paper 113 also wraps a portion of the first wrapping paper 112 used to wrap the smokable substance 111. With this design, the cylindrical member 114, the hollow filter element 116, and the filter element 115 are connected to the smokable substance 111. However, the second wrapping paper the paper 113 can also be omitted and the first wrapping paper 112 can be used to connect the cylindrical element 114, the hollow filter element 116 and the filter element 115 with the smoking substance 111. to prevent lips from sticking to the user's lips from sticking to the second wrapping paper 113. The portion of the consumable 110 coated with the lip-preventing agent 117 functions as the mouthpiece of the consumable 110.

[0115] In the present embodiment, the part corresponding to the smoking substance 111 and the first wrapping paper 112 is designated as the first part S1. In addition, at least part of the part corresponding to the cylindrical member 114 is designated as the second part S2. More specifically, the portion of the cylindrical member 114 wrapped with the second wrapping paper 113 not covered by the lip-preventing agent 117 is referred to as the second portion S2.

[0116] The first part S1 contains a smoking substance 111, such as, for example, tobacco. In addition, in the first part S1, the first wrapping paper 112 wrapping the smokable substance 111 may be a breathable sheet member. A lid may also be installed at the end of the first part S1 to prevent the smokable substance 111 from falling out. The lid may be attached to the first wrapping paper 112, for example, with an adhesive. The lid can also be attached to the first wrapping paper 112 using friction. The lid may be, for example, a paper or acetate filter. The cylindrical member 114 installed in the second part S2 may be a paper tube or a hollow filter.

[0117] In the example shown in the drawings, the consumable part 110 includes a smokable substance 111, a cylindrical element 114, a hollow filter element 116, and a filter element 115, but the design of the consumable part 110 is not limited to this. For example, the hollow filter element 116 may be omitted, and the cylindrical element 114 and the filter element 115 may be located next to each other.

[0118] As shown in the drawings, the first part S1 of the consumable part 110 is located closer to the longitudinal end of the consumable part 110 than the second part S2. The first part S1 has a first hardness and the second part S2 has a second hardness. The first hardness is preferably equal to or greater than 65% and less than or equal to 90%, more preferably equal to or greater than 70% and less than or equal to 85%, most preferably equal to or greater than 13% and less than or equal to 82%.

[0119] When the wear part 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, the wear part 110 is positioned such that at least a portion of the second part S2 is pressed against the inner surface 62a of the compression member 62. The second hardness is preferably equal to or greater than 90% and less than or equal to 99%. , more preferably greater than or equal to 90% and less than or equal to 98%, most preferably greater than or equal to 92% and less than or equal to 96%. With this design, insertion is easy and the consumable part 110 is firmly held by the locking member 60.

[0120] The second hardness is preferably higher than the first hardness. According to this structure, the consumable part 110 can be easily inserted into the fixing member 60 at the same time and firmly held. In addition, when the consumable part 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, due to the transition from the state in which only the first part S1 is pressed against the inner surface 62a of the pressing member 62 to the state in which the second part S2 is also pressed against the inner surface 62a of the pressing member 62, the user may feel a change in resistance as the consumable 110 is inserted. As a result, during insertion, the user can know how far the consumable 110 is already inserted into the chamber 50 and use this information as a hint to determine how far further the consumable 110 should be inserted. to reach the desired insertion position, thereby facilitating the placement of the consumable 110 in the desired position. This change in resistance can be felt more clearly in the case where the first part S1 and the second part S2 are located next to each other, as shown in FIG. 12.

[0121] As described above, the term "hardness", as used in this description, means resistance to deformation. Hardness is usually expressed as a ratio. On FIG. 13 shows a cross section of the flow portion 110 before and after application of a load F. As shown in the drawing, let Ds denote the diameter of the flow portion before application of the load, and let Dd denote the diameter of the flow portion 110 after application of a predetermined load in the direction of load application. The deformation d of the consumable part under the application of a given load can be expressed as Ds - Dd. In this case, the hardness (in %) is expressed as Dd/Ds * 100 (%).

[0122] Preferably, the length of the first portion S1 of the flow portion 110 in the longitudinal direction is less than or equal to the length of the inner surface 62a of the compression member 62 in the longitudinal direction, and when the flow portion 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, the flow portion 110 is positioned in the chamber 50 such that the first part S1 of the consumable part 110 does not protrude from the inner surface 62a of the compressing member 62 in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. In addition, when the consumable portion 110 is located in the chamber 50 in a desired position, the entire outer circumferential surface of the smoking substance of the consumable portion 110 is preferably covered by the locking member 60 .

[0123] The distance at which the second part S2 of the consumable part 110 is inserted into the fixing member 60 when the consumable part 110 is located inside the chamber 50 at the desired position is preferably equal to or greater than 1.0 mm and less than or equal to 10.0 mm, more preferably is equal to or greater than 2.0 mm and less than or equal to 8.0 mm, most preferably equal to or greater than 4.0 mm and less than or equal to 6.0 mm.

[0124] The length of the chamber 50 from the bottom wall 56a to the end of the compression member 62 on the side of the opening 52 is longer than the length of the first part S1 of the expendable part 110 in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the length of the first part), and also preferably less than 1.5 times the length of the first part S1, more preferably less than 1.35 of the specified length. Further, when the consumable portion 110 is inserted into the chamber 50, at least a portion of the first portion S1 of the consumable portion 110 is preferably located closer to the opening 52 than the central portion of the locking member 60 in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the end of the first part S1 on the side of the second part S2 is preferably closer to the hole 52 than the central part of the locking member 60 in the longitudinal direction. With such a structure, a change in resistance may be felt because the second part S2 begins to be inserted into the fixing member 60 before the first part S1 of the consumable part 110 abuts against the bottom wall 56a of the chamber 50, and since the insertion position at which the change is felt can be set to a position relatively close to the desired insertion position of the consumable 110, the consumable 110 is easier to position, and the user's feel of using the device can be improved.

[0125] <Second Embodiment>

Next, the smoking system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the smoking system 100 according to the second embodiment, the structure of the chamber 50 differs from that of the chamber in the smoking system 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 14 is a schematic sectional view of a chamber 50 provided in the device 120 of the smoking system 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 15A is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 18A-18A shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 15B is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 18B-18B shown in FIG. 14. In particular, the camera 50 according to the second embodiment differs from the camera 50 according to the first embodiment in that it has a first fixing element 70 and a second fixing element 76.

[0126] The first locking element 70 is configured to retain the consumable 110 inserted into the chamber 50. The second locking element 76 is located further from the opening 52 in the chamber 50 than the first locking element 70, and is configured to retain the consumable 110 inserted into chamber 50. The first locking element 70 includes first compression elements 72 that compress a portion of the wear portion 110 and first non-compressive elements 73. The first compression elements 72 have inner surfaces 72a and outer surfaces 72b. The first non-compressive members 73 have inner surfaces 73a and outer surfaces 73b. The second locking element 76 includes second compression elements 77 that compress a portion of the consumable part 110 and second non-compressive elements 78. The second compression elements 77 have inner surfaces 77a and outer surfaces 77b. The second non-compressive members 78 have inner surfaces 78a and outer surfaces 78b.

[0127] In a state in which the consumable portion 110 is held by the first locking member 70 and the second locking member 76, the second locking member 76 is configured to compress the consumable portion 110 more than the first locking member 70. Specifically, for example, the inner cross-sectional area the second locking member 76 is smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the first locking member 70 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50, as shown in FIG. 15A and 15B. Because the inner surfaces 72a of the first compression members 72 compress the wear portion 110, the wear portion 110 is substantially close to the heating surface (the inner surfaces 72a of the first compression members 72) in the first lock member 70, and hence the heat from the heating block 40 can be effectively transferred to the expendable part 110. At the same time, the smoking resistance can be adjusted by compressing the second locking element 76. The heating block 40 does not need to be located on the outer surfaces 77b of the second compressing elements 77. In particular, due to the lack of a heating block 40 on the second locking member 76, in the case where the portion of the consumable portion 110 that is compressed by the second locking member 70 is the above-described cover, heating that does not contribute to efficient heating of the smoking substance can be eliminated.

[0128] As shown in FIG. 14, the chamber 50 has a second guide 79 having a tapered surface 79a that connects the inner surfaces 72a of the first compression members 72 to the inner surfaces 77a of the second compression members 77. The second guide 79 can be used to smoothly change the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the chamber 50 from of the first compression elements 72 to the second compression elements 77, which allows the consumable part 110 to be smoothly inserted into the second locking element 76.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 15A, the inner surfaces 72a of the first compression members 72 of the first lock member 70 face each other. In other words, the inner surfaces 72a of the first compression members 72 form a pair of first compression surfaces. As shown in FIG. 15B, the inner surfaces 77a of the second compression members 77 of the second lock member 76 face each other. In other words, the inner surfaces 77a of the second compression members 77 form a pair of second compression surfaces. The shortest distance between the second pressing surfaces is preferably less than the shortest distance between the first pressing surfaces. In addition, in the embodiment shown in the diagrams, the first compressing surfaces and the second compressing surfaces are flat surfaces. As shown in FIG. 15A and 15B, the compressing surfaces of the second locking member 76 and the compressing surfaces of the first locking member 70 face the same direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 14, the second locking member 76 is located at the end of the chamber 50. With this structure, in the case that the smoking substance at the end of the consumable portion 110 is compressed, the compression performed by the second locking member 76 compresses the smoking substance at the end of the consumable portion 110 and reduces the number of situations in which the smokable substance falls out inside the chamber 50 when the expendable part 110 is removed from the chamber 50 after smoking.

[0131] The inner surfaces 72a and outer surfaces 72b of the first compression member 72 and the inner surfaces 77a and outer surfaces 77b of the second compression member 77 may have similar characteristics to the inner surfaces 62a and outer surfaces 62b of the compression members 62 of the first embodiment. In addition, the inner surfaces 73a and outer surfaces 73b of the first non-compressive member 73 and the inner surfaces 78a and outer surfaces 78b of the second non-compressive member 78 may have similar characteristics to the inner surfaces 66a and outer surfaces 66b of the non-compressive members 66 of the first embodiment.

[0132] <Third Embodiment>

Next, the smoking system 100 configured according to the third embodiment will be described. In the smoking system 100 according to the third embodiment, the structures of the chamber 50 and the heating element 40 differ from those of the smoking system 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 16 is a schematic sectional view of the heating unit 30 installed in the device 120 of the smoking system 100 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 17 is a schematic sectional view of chamber 50 taken along arrows 20-20 shown in FIG. 16. In FIG. 16 top cover 32 shown in FIG. 2 is not shown.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 15 and 16, the shape of the chamber 50 is approximately the same as that of the chamber 50 according to the first embodiment. On the other hand, in addition to the heating block 40, the heating unit 30 configured according to the third embodiment has an induction coil 46 that heats the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 15, the inductive coil 46 may also be positioned to surround the compressive member 62 of the chamber 50. With this arrangement, energy can be efficiently supplied to the heat generating portion of the chamber 50. It should be noted that the inductive coil 46 may also be cylindrical.

[0134] Compression element 62 of chamber 50 includes current collector 63, which is heated by induction coil 46. Current collector 63 may be located on the outer surface 62b or inner surface 62a of the compression element 62, Current collector 63 may be enclosed in the walls of the chamber 50, forming a compression element 62, or the walls of the chamber 50 forming the compressive element 62 may be made in the form of a current collector. The current collector 63 preferably comprises a material selected from at least one in the group consisting of aluminum, iron, nickel, and their alloys (eg, nichrome and stainless steel).

[0135] In the third embodiment, the non-compressive member 66 of the chamber 50 also includes a current collector 63. With this design, as shown in FIG. 17, the current collector 63 and the lines of the current flowing through the current collector 63 are formed into loops surrounding the space in which the consumable part 110 is located (the interior of the chamber 50).

[0136] As described above, in the third embodiment, at least the compression member 62 includes a current collector 63, where the current collector 63 is heated by the induction coil 46.

[0137] <Fourth embodiment>

Next, the smoking system 100 configured according to the fourth embodiment will be described. In the smoking system 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the air passages of the smoking system 100 and the structure of the chamber 50 differ from those of the smoking system 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating the smoking system 100 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0138] As shown in FIG. 18, in the smoking system 100 according to the fourth embodiment, there is essentially no air intake gap between the heating unit 30 and the consumable part 110. As shown in FIG. 18, in the smoking system 100, an air inlet 30a is formed at the bottom of the heating unit 30, and an air passage 15 is formed to suck air into the opening 30a. In the example shown in the drawings, the air passage 15 extends with the connection of the opening 30a and the bottom of the smoking system 100 (on the opposite side of the heating unit 30 from the opening 52 in the chamber 50 through which the consumable part 110 is inserted). The air passage 15 may be of any shape that connects the opening 30a to the outside of the smoking system 100. With this arrangement, the air inhaled by the user is directed from below the smoking system 100 through the ends of the consumable portion 110 and into the user's mouth as shown by the airflow line 100D.

[0139] FIG. 19A is a longitudinal sectional view of a chamber 50 comprising a non-compressive member 66 according to the fourth embodiment, with the consumable portion 110 positioned in the chamber 50 in a desired position. Fig. 19B is a longitudinal sectional view of a chamber 50 comprising a compression member 62 according to the fourth embodiment, with the consumable portion 110 positioned in the chamber 50 in a desired position. On FIG. 20A is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 23A-23A shown in FIG. 19V. Fig. 20B is a sectional view of camera 50 taken along arrows 23B-23B shown in FIG. 19V. It should be noted that in Fig. 20B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the consumable 110 before compression to make it easy to understand how the consumable 110 is compressed by the compression elements 62.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 19B, when the expendable portion 110 is located in the chamber 50 in the desired position, the locking member 60 has substantially no gap between the inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66 and the consumable portion 110. Also, as shown in FIG. 19A and 19B, an opening 30a is provided in the bottom wall 56a of the lower member 56 of chamber 50 to allow air to enter chamber 50.

[0141] The non-compressive member 66 preferably touches the consumable 110 in a non-compressive state when the consumable 110 is placed within the chamber 50. As used herein, the non-compressive state includes a substantially non-compressible state.

[0142] In the fourth embodiment, the inner circumferential length of the locking member 60 is the same as the outer circumferential length of the disposable portion 110 before being compressed by the compressing member 62. It should be noted that "same" herein includes the case of substantially the same.

[0143] As described above, the locking member 60 includes a compression member 62 and a non-compressive member 66. In the case where the inner circumferential length of the locking member 60 and the outer circumferential length of the wear portion 110 are substantially the same, a portion of the wear portion 110 is compressed by the compression member 62, in whereby the outer circumferential shape of the wear portion 110 approximates the shape of the inner cross section of the locking member 60. Compared to the case where the inner circumferential length and the inner circumferential shape of the locking member 60 are the same as the outer circumferential length and outer circumferential shape of the wear portion 110, in the smoking system 100, a place is formed where the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compressing member 62, and hence the heat transfer efficiency from the heating unit 40 to the consumable portion 110 can be improved. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the wear part 110 is smaller than the inner circumferential length of the locking member 60, the inner circumferential surface (inner surface 66a of the non-compressive member 66) of the locking member 60 substantially touches the outer circumferential surface of the wear portion 110 even in where the consumable portion 110 does not compress and therefore the heat transfer efficiency from the heating block 40 to the consumable portion 110 can be improved. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the wear portion 110 is larger than the inner circumferential length of the locking member 60, the wear portion 110 can be inserted into the locking member 60 smoothly, and the deformation caused by the outer circumferential surface of the wear portion 110 and the density inside consumable part 110 (for example, tobacco) can be weakened. As a result, uneven heating and uneven resistance to tightening of each wear part 110, which may occur due to deformation due to density inside the wear part 110, can be eliminated.

[0144] It should be noted that it can be said that, preferably, the inner circumferential length of the locking element 60 is essentially the same as the outer circumferential length of the consumable part 110 in the state of compression by the compressing member 62, and the inner circumferential length of the locking element 60 can be taken the inner circumferential length in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50 of the locking element 60. In addition, the "outer circumferential length of the expendable part 110 before it is compressed by the compressing element 62" can be taken as the outer circumferential length of the outer circumferential length of the outer circumferential length of the expendable part 110 before being compressed by the compressing element 62 located at a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the locking member 60 with respect to the position in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50 when the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the compressing member 62. In addition, beyond the "outer circumferential length of the consumable portion 110 in a state of compression by the compressing member 62 »the outer circumferential length of a part of the outer circumferential length of the consumable part 110 in the state of its compression by the compressing member 62, located at a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the fixing member 60, with respect to the location in the longitudinal direction of the chamber, can be taken.

[0145] In the fourth embodiment, the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50 (fixing element 60) can also be the same as the outer circumferential length of the consumable part 110 before it is placed in the chamber 50, and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber 50 (fixing element 60) in the plane , orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber, may also differ from the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the disposable portion 110 prior to the insertion of the consumable portion 110 into the chamber 50. As used herein, "same" includes the case of substantially the same.

[0146] According to the present embodiment, the consumable portion 110 is located substantially near the heating surface (the inner surface 62a of the compressing member 62 of the chamber 50), and therefore heat from the heating block 40 can be efficiently transferred to the consumable portion 110. In particular, , since the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50 and the outer circumferential length of the consumable portion 110 are essentially the same, and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber 50 differs from the cross-sectional shape of the consumable portion 110 placed in the chamber 50, part of the consumable portion 110 is compressed by the inner surface of the chamber 50, and the outer the circumferential shape of the consumable part 110 approximately coincides with the inner circumferential shape of the inner surface of the locking member 60. Compared with the case where the inner circumferential length and the inner circumferential shape of the chamber 50 are the same as the outer circumferential length and the cross-sectional shape of the consumable part 110, in the smoking system 100, a place is formed where the consumable part 110 is compressed by the chamber 50, and therefore the heat transfer efficiency from the heating element 40 to the consumable part 110 can be improved. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the consumable portion 110 is smaller than the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50, the inner circumferential surface (non-compressive surface) of the chamber 50 substantially touches the outer circumferential surface of the consumable portion 110 even at places where the consumable portion 110 is not compressed, and therefore the heat transfer efficiency from the heating element 40 to the consumable part 110 can be improved. In addition, compared with the case where the outer circumferential length of the consumable portion 110 is larger than the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50, the consumable portion 110 can be inserted into the chamber 50 smoothly, and the deformation caused by the outer circumferential surface of the consumable portion 110 and the density inside the consumable portion 110 (for example, tobacco) may be weakened. As a result, uneven heating and uneven resistance to tightening of each wear part 110, which may occur due to deformation due to density inside the wear part 110, can be eliminated.

[0147] It can also be said that, preferably, the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50 is essentially the same as the outer circumferential length of the consumable part 110 in the state of compression by the chamber 50, and the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50 can be taken as the inner circumferential length in the plane, orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 50. In addition, the outer circumferential length of the outer circumferential length of the portion of the outer circumferential length of the consumable portion 110 before it is placed in the chamber 50, which is located in a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50, with respect to the location of the chamber 50 in the longitudinal direction when the consumable portion 110 is placed in the chamber 50. In addition, the "outer circumferential length of the disposable portion 110 in the state of compression by the chamber 50" can be taken as the outer circumferential length of the outer circumferential length portion the consumable part 110 in a state of compression by the chamber 50 located at a position corresponding to the inner circumferential length of the chamber 50 with respect to the location of the chamber 50 in the longitudinal direction.

[0148] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the claims, description and drawings. It should be noted that any form or material not directly described in the description and drawings is still within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, as long as the implementations and effects of the invention described in this application are demonstrated. Moreover, forms, degrees of comparison, and the like, expressed at least "substantially" in the description, are not intended to be limited to only "a form, degree of comparison, and the like." in exact match" but also include "shapes, degrees of comparison, or the like in a range in which at least the intended effect occurs."

LIST OF ITEMS

[0149] 40: heating block

40a: first part

40b: second part

42: heating element

44: electrical insulating element

46: telecoil

48: electrode

50: camera

52: hole

54: non-locking element

58: first guide

58a: conical surface

60: locking element

62: compression element

62a: inner surface

62b: outer surface

63: pantograph

66: non-compressive element

66a: inner surface

66b: outer surface

67: air gap

70: first locking element

72a: inner surface

72b: outer surface

73a: inner surface

73b: outer surface

76: second locking element

77a: inner surface

77b: outer surface

78a: inner surface

78b: outer surface

79a: conical surface

100: smoking system

110: consumable

111: smoking substance

120: device

S1: first part

Claims (20)

1. A smoking system containing a consumable part containing a smoking substance, and a device that heats and sprays a smoking substance, while the device comprises a chamber that accommodates the consumable part, and a heating block that heats the consumable part placed in the chamber, the chamber has an opening through which the consumable part is inserted, and a locking element that holds the consumable part, while the fixing element contains a compressing element that compresses the consumable part the consumable part, and the non-compressive element, and the compressive element and the non-compressive element have an inner surface and an outer surface, the consumable part comprises a first part having a first hardness and a second part having a second hardness, the second part being a part different from the first part in the insertion direction of the consumable part, and, when the expendable part is located in the chamber in the required position, the expendable part is located in such a way that at least part of the first part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element, and at the same time at least part of the second part is pressed against the inner surface of the compressing element. 2. The system of claim. 1, in which the first hardness is equal to or greater than 65% and less than or equal to 90%. 3. The system of claim. 1, in which the second hardness is equal to or greater than 90% and less than or equal to 99%. 4. The system of claim. 1, in which the second hardness is greater than the first hardness. 5. The system according to claim. 1, in which the first part and the second part are located next to each other. 6. The system of claim. 1, in which the difference between the first hardness and the second hardness is at least 4% or more. 7. The system of claim. 1, in which the first part contains a smokable substance containing tobacco. 8. The system of claim. 1, in which the second part contains a cylindrical element, which is a paper tube or a hollow filter. 9. The system according to claim. 1, in which the part of the consumable located in the specified hole is inserted into it without compression. 10. The system of claim. 1, in which in a state in which the flow part is located in the chamber at the desired position, the downstream end of the heating block or heating element, located on the outer surface of the compressing element, is located downstream than the downstream the end of the smoking substance in the consumable part. 11. The system of claim. 1, in which the length of the first part of the expendable part in the longitudinal direction is less than or equal to the length of the inner surface of the compression element in the longitudinal direction, and when the expendable part is located in the chamber in the desired position, it is located in the chamber in such a way that the first part of the consumable part does not protrude from the inner surface of the compressing element. 12. The system of claim. 1, in which the distance that the second part of the expendable part is inserted into the locking element, when the expendable part is located in the desired position, is equal to or greater than 1.0 mm and less than or equal to 10.0 mm. 13. The system according to claim. 1, in which the camera contains a lower element or thrust element, while the length of the lower element or thrust element of the chamber from the bottom wall or thrust surface, against which the consumable part abuts, to the end of the compression element on the side of the hole, is greater than the length of the first part of the consumable part in the longitudinal direction, and less than 1.5 times the length of the first part, and/or when the expendable part is located in the chamber in the required position, at least a part of the first part of the expendable part is located closer to the specified hole than the central part of the locking element in the longitudinal direction. 14. The system of claim. 1, in which the chamber contains the first guide element having a conical surface that connects the inner surface of the chamber, forming the specified opening, with the inner surface of the compression element. 15. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-14, in which, when the consumable part is located in the chamber in the desired position, the fixing element between the inner surface of the non-compressive element and the consumable part has an air gap that connects the specified opening in the chamber and the end surface of the consumable part located in the chamber in the required position, or the specified opening in the chamber and the end surface of the consumable part located inside the chamber and remote from the specified opening in the chamber.

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