US20240065325A1

US20240065325A1 - Atomizing assembly, atomizing device and aerosol generating device

Info

Publication number: US20240065325A1
Application number: US17/962,628
Authority: US
Inventors: Chunhua Zhang
Original assignee: Shenzhen Damai Developement Co Ltd; Shenzhen Damai Development Co ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Damai Developement Co Ltd; Shenzhen Damai Development Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-26
Filing date: 2022-10-10
Publication date: 2024-02-29
Also published as: CN115363278B; CN115363278A

Abstract

An atomizing device and an aerosol generating device are provided. The atomizing device includes a main body, a reservoir and an atomizing assembly. The atomizing assembly includes a support element provided with a hollow channel that extends though the support element, a side peripheral wall of the hollow channel being provided with a feeding hole configured to transfer an atomizing medium, and an atomizing element provided in the hollow channel and covering the feeding hole, an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element and an inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel cooperatively enclosing an air passage, the atomizing element being in contact with the atomizing medium through the feeding hole to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DISCLOSURE

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202211037651.9, filed on Aug. 26, 2022, entitled “ATOMIZING ASSEMBLY, ATOMIZING DEVICE AND AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE,” the entire contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a field of atomizing devices, in particular to an atomizing assembly, an atomizing device, and an aerosol generating device.

BACKGROUND

Smoke produced by the burning of cigarettes contains harmful substances such as tar, and long-term inhalation of the harmful substances will cause great harm to the human body. In order to overcome the harmful substances produced by the burning of the cigarette, low-hazard cigarette substitutes such as e-liquid electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn electronic cigarettes have emerged.
However, the conventional electronic cigarette has a problem that an atomizing core is easily blocked and cannot work.

SUMMARY

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an atomizing assembly, an atomizing device and an aerosol generating device are provided.
An atomizing assembly includes a support element provided with a hollow channel that extends though the support element, a side peripheral wall of the hollow channel provided with a feeding hole configured to transfer an atomizing medium, and an atomizing element provided in the hollow channel and covering the feeding hole, an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element and an inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel cooperatively enclosing an air passage, the atomizing element being in contact with the atomizing medium through the feeding hole to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.
Atomizing cores of conventional electronic cigarettes are easily blocked by the atomizing medium such as e-liquid and the air cannot be pass through the atomizing core. When the user is smoking, a microphone inside the electronic cigarette cannot detect an airflow change, thus the atomizing core cannot work. Compared with conventional electronic cigarettes, at least following beneficial effects of the above-mentioned atomizing assembly of the present disclosure are provided.
First, the atomizing medium can contact the atomizing element through the feeding hole, the atomizing element can transfer the atomizing medium therein, and part of the atomizing medium can be transferred into the air passage and atomized in the air passage to form an aerosol for suction. It should be emphasized that, the air passage is formed by enclosing the atomizing element and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel of the support element, that is, a part of the air passage is formed by a part of the atomizing element, and another part of the air passage is formed by a part of the support element, that is, only part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element will introduce the atomizing medium into the air passage, and the support element can prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred from the outer wall surface of the support element and/or the inside of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel, especially to prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred to a portion of the support element exposed in the hollow channel. In this way, it can avoid that the introduction amount of the atomizing medium in the air passage is too high in a unit time and block the ventilation passage, and at the same time, it can also reduce the possibility that the droplets in the peripheral surface of the air passage gather to form a liquid film due to surface tension, which blocks the air passage, therefore ensuring a continuity of the air passage. In this way, a related equipment can always detect the airflow change through the air passage when the user sucks, the atomizing assembly can start to work normally when the airflow change is detected.
Second, compared with additional components such as sensing pipes for detecting changes in airflow, the solution of the present disclosure can be considered as a modification of the atomizing core, by controlling the amount of the atomizing medium entering the air passage, on the one hand, the process and the structure of the atomizing core are simpler, which can reduce a manufacturing cost and a manufacturing difficulty, on the other hand, an internal space of the product is saved, which is conducive to realizing the simplification and miniaturization of the product, and is more favored by users.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing element is made of a porous material with a first porosity, the support element is made of a non-porous material or a porous material with a second porosity, the second porosity is lower than the first porosity. That is, the support element is made of a non-porous material, and the atomizing element is made of a porous material with a certain porosity. Or, both the support element and the atomizing element are made of porous materials with a certain porosity, and a porosity of the support element is lower than that of the atomizing element. It should be understood that the atomizing element is made of the porous material, and the atomizing media such as e-liquid can infiltrate into the atomizing element for transferring. If the support element is made of a non-porous material or a porous material with a low porosity, it is difficult for the atomizing media such as e-liquid to infiltrate into the support element and be transferred inside the support element. In addition, the advantages of this arrangement also include that the porosity of the support element is low, and the compressive strength is higher, which can significantly enhance the overall structural strength of the atomizing assembly and facilitate product assembly.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing element and the support element are integrally sintered. The atomizing element and the support element are directly sintered into one body, which is more reliable in structure, effectively improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates automated production. Sintering can refer to a mutual bonding of green solid particles of porous materials such as ceramics at high temperature, the grains grow, the voids (pores) and grain boundaries gradually decrease, the total volume of solid particle shrinks and the density of solid particle increases through the transfer of substances, and finally becomes a dense polycrystalline sintered body with a certain microstructure. It should be noted that the non-porous material and the porous material can be connected by sintering, and no harmful substances are produced in this process, which can ensure the safety of the atomizing core.
In one of the embodiments, the support element is configured to inhibit the atomizing medium from being transferred from an outer wall surface of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel.
In one of the embodiments, the support element is configured to inhibit the atomizing medium from being transferred from an inside of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel.
In one of the embodiments, the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel is provided with a barrier layer configured to inhibit a transferring of the atomizing medium. For example, the barrier layer may be formed by sintering a low-porosity porous material or a non-porous material on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel. For another example, the barrier layer may be a liquid-impermeable metal tube or an inorganic non-metallic tube. For another example, the barrier layer may also be a coating with hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, etc. For another example, the barrier layer is arranged on the support element of the hollow channel or an area where the support element and the atomizing element are connected.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing element is provided with an atomizing cavity that extends through the atomizing element, the atomizing cavity is parallel to the air passage, and the atomizing element separates the atomizing cavity from the air passage, in other words, the atomizing cavity and the air passage are not in communication with each other in a radial direction of the support element. The following beneficial effects of above arrangement are provided.
First, the atomizing element can introduce the part of the atomizing medium transferred by the atomizing element into the atomizing cavity. When the atomizing cavity and the air passage are both in a non-blocking state, both of them can generate aerosols, so as to ensure a concentration of the aerosol and the user's suction taste.
Second, compared with the air passage, the atomizing cavity is substantially enclosed only by the atomizing element, so a supply of the atomizing medium to the atomizing cavity by the atomizing element may be more and faster. In some cases, even if there is too much atomizing medium in the atomizing cavity and the atomizing cavity is blocked, the air passage can be kept in the non-blocking state, so that the device can always detect the airflow change through the air passage when the user is inhaling, and the atomizer assembly can start to work when the airflow change is detected, and at the same time, the atomizing medium blocked and accumulated in the atomizing cavity is promoted to be atomized, so as to realize the atomizing cavity in the non-blocking state again.
Third, when the atomizing cavity is blocked by the atomizing medium, when the user starts to suck, the atomizing assembly starts to work, the atomizing cavity may still be in the blocking state, and the atomizing cavity may not be able to generate aerosol in the first time. However, the unblocked air passage has a certain amount of atomizing medium, which can be atomized to form a certain amount of aerosol in the first time to immediately supply the user's suction, ensuring better user experience.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing assembly further includes a heating element, the heating element is embedded in the atomizing element and located between the air passage and the atomizing cavity. Specifically, the heating element is embedded in the wall of the atomizing element that forms the side peripheral wall of the atomizing cavity, that is, the heating element is not exposed in the air passage and the atomizing cavity. The inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity and the part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element exposed in the air passage can be considered as a main atomizing area, that is, the atomizing cavity and the air passage are both the main atomizing area.
In one of the embodiments, at least part of the heating element is exposed in the air passage. For example, the heating element extends into the air passage but is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the air passage. For another example, the heating element is laid on the inner peripheral surface of the air passage. For another example, the heating element is embedded in the inner peripheral surface of the air passage, that is, only part of the heating element is located on the inner peripheral surface of the air passage, and only part of the heating element is exposed in the air passage. In such an embodiment, the air passage can be considered as the main atomizing area.
In one of the embodiments, at least part of the heating element is exposed in the atomizing cavity. For example, the heating element extends into the atomizing cavity but is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity. For another example, the heating element is laid on the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity. For another example, the heating element is embedded in the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity, that is, only part of the heating element is located on the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity, and only part of the heating element is exposed in the atomizing cavity. In such an embodiment, the atomizing cavity can be considered as the main atomizing area.
In one of the embodiments, the heating element includes a spiral heating wire, a metal heating sheet, a metal heating mesh, a resistive paste film or any combination thereof.
In one of the embodiments, a side of the atomizing element facing the feeding hole is further provided with a guiding portion, the guiding portion is embedded in the feeding hole and is in contact with the atomizing medium and is configured to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element, the guiding portion and the atomizing element are both made of porous materials, and a porosity of the guiding portion is higher than a porosity of the atomizing element.
The atomizing element and the guiding portion made of porous material have a “porous” shape at the microscopic level, and the atomizing medium such as e-liquid can be transferred in the atomizing element and the guiding portion through a capillary action. On the one hand, due to the higher porosity of the guiding portion, a speed of the guiding portion to absorb and transfer the atomizing medium is faster, that is, the guiding portion can increase the speed of the atomizing medium being transferred to the atomizing element, so as to prevent the atomizing element from drying out due to insufficient atomizing medium. On the other hand, the porosity of the atomizing element is low, the speed of the atomizing medium being transferred in the atomizing element will be reduced, which can prevent the atomizing medium from being introduced into the atomizing cavity too quickly and causing liquid leakage and blocking of the atomizing cavity, etc.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing assembly further includes an atomizing sleeve sleeved on an outer peripheral surface of the support element, a side peripheral wall of the atomizing sleeve is provided with a through hole in communication with the feeding hole, the atomizing medium enters the feeding hole through the through hole to be in contact with the atomizing element.
In one of the embodiments, a side of the atomizing element facing the feeding hole is further provided with a guiding portion, the guiding portion extends through the feeding hole, and at least part of the guiding portion extends into the through hole, the guiding portion is in contact with the atomizing medium and is configured to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.
The atomizing element is connected to the guiding portion, and the guiding portion extends through the feeding hole and extends into the through hole of the atomizing sleeve. Then the atomizing element can be matched with the atomizing sleeve through the guiding portion, which helps to enhance a sealing and firmness between the atomizing sleeve and the support element, the atomizing element, which is not easy to loosen and is easier to assemble.
In one of the embodiments, a side of the guiding portion away from the atomizing element is coplanar with an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve.
In one of the embodiments, an end of the guiding portion away from the atomizing element protrudes out of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve. When the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve is filled with the atomizing medium, and when a reservoir storing the atomizing medium is provided adjacent to the through hole on the outer side of the atomizing sleeve, the guiding portion protruding from the atomizing sleeve will extend directly into the atomizing medium, which can increase a contact area between the guiding portion and the atomizing medium, and improve the speed of the guiding portion to absorb and transfer the atomizing medium.
In one of the embodiments, a plurality of the air passages are provided.
In one of the embodiments, a plurality of the atomizing cavities are provided.
In one of the embodiments, the support element is tubular-shaped, the hollow channel extends through the support element in an axial direction thereof, and the air passage extends along the axial direction of the support element.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing element is provided with an atomizing cavity extending though the atomizing element, the atomizing cavity is extended along the axial direction of the support element.
An atomizing device includes a main body, a reservoir and the atomizing assembly according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the reservoir is provided in the main body, and the reservoir is configured to store the atomizing medium and transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element through the feeding hole.
In one of the embodiments, the atomizing device further includes a sensing element provided in the main body. The main body is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, one end of the atomizing cavity is in communication with the air inlet, the other end of the atomizing cavity is in communication with the air outlet. One end of the air passage is in communication with the air inlet, the other end of the air passage is in communication with the air outlet, the sensing element is configured to detect an airflow change of an airflow path between the air inlet and the air outlet. The sensing element can be a microphone, etc. that can detect the airflow change. For example, when at least one of the atomizing cavity and the air passage is in the non-blocking state, and when the user sucks at the air outlet, a negative pressure will be generated on a side of the sensing element adjacent to the air outlet, then the sensing element can send a signal to the atomizing device to start working and generate aerosol.
An aerosol generating device includes a power supply device and the atomizing device according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the power supply device is configured to be electrically connected to the atomizing device.
The aforementioned atomizing device and the aerosol generating equipment includes the atomizing assembly described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and therefore, at least following beneficial effects are provided.
First, the atomizing medium can contact the atomizing element through the feeding hole, the atomizing element can transfer the atomizing medium therein, and part of the atomizing medium can be transferred into the air passage and atomized in the air passage to form an aerosol for suction. It should be emphasized that, the air passage is formed by enclosing the atomizing element and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel of the support element, that is, a part of the air passage is formed by a part of the atomizing element, and another part of the air passage is formed by a part of the support element, that is, only part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element will introduce the atomizing medium into the air passage, and the support element can prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred from the outer wall surface of the support element or the inside of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel, especially to prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred to a portion of the support element exposed in the hollow channel. In this way, it can avoid that the introduction amount of the atomizing medium in the air passage is too high in a unit time and block the ventilation passage, and at the same time, it can also reduce the possibility that the droplets in the peripheral surface of the air passage gather to form a liquid film due to surface tension, which blocks the air passage, therefore ensuring a continuity of the air passage. In this way, a related equipment can always detect the airflow change through the air passage when the user sucks, the atomizing assembly can start to work normally when the airflow change is detected.
Second, compared with additional components such as sensing pipes for detecting changes in airflow, the solution of the present disclosure can be considered as a modification of the atomizing core, by controlling the amount of the atomizing medium entering the air passage, on the one hand, the process and the structure of the atomizing core are simpler, which can reduce a manufacturing cost and a manufacturing difficulty, on the other hand, an internal space of the product is saved, which is conducive to realizing the simplification and miniaturization of the product, and is more favored by users.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly, the drawings used in the embodiments will be described briefly. Apparently, the following described drawings are merely for the embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be derived by those of ordinary skill in the art without any creative effort.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is another top view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is another perspective view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is another cross-sectional view of the atomizing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is another schematic view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of reference numbers: 10, atomizing device; 11, atomizing assembly; 12, main body; 121, air inlet; 122, air outlet; 13, sensing element; 100, support element; 101, outer wall surface; 110, hollow channel; 111, inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel; 120, feeding hole; 130, air passage; 140, barrier layer; 200, atomizing element; 201, outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element; 210, atomizing cavity; 220, guiding portion; 300, atomizing sleeve; 310, through hole; 400, heating element; 20, power supply device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments in order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present disclosure, and not intended to limit the present disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 , according to an embodiment, an atomizing assembly 11 is provided including an atomizing element 200 and a support element 100. Specifically, the support element 100 is substantially hollow tubular-shaped, which can be a cylindrical tube, an elliptical tube, a cubic tube, etc. The exemplary shape used herein is intended for description, and is not intended to limit the shape of the support element 100. The support element 100 is provided with a hollow channel 110 that extends though the support element 100 in an axial direction of the support element 100. A feeding hole 120 for transferring an atomizing medium is provided on a side peripheral wall of the hollow channel 110, in other words, the feeding hole 120 is formed through a tube wall of the hollow tubular-shaped support element 100. The atomizing medium may refer to a material that can pass through the atomizing element 200 and provide volatile components, such as e-liquid, etc.
The atomizing element 200 is provided in the hollow channel 110 of the support element 100 and covers the feeding hole 120. Specifically, the support element 100 is sleeved on an outer peripheral surface 201 of the atomizing element 200 through the hollow channel 110, that is, the atomizing element 200 is located on an inner wall surface of the side peripheral wall of the hollow channel 110, and the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element 200 blocks the feeding hole 120. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7 , an air passage 130 is formed between the atomizing element 200 and an inner peripheral surface 111 of the hollow channel 110 of the support element 100, that is, at least part of the outer peripheral surface 201 of the atomizing element 200 and the inner wall surface of the side peripheral wall of the hollow channel 110 cooperatively enclose the air passage 130, and the air passage 130 extends along the axial direction of the support element 100. The atomizing element 200 is in contact with the atomizing medium through the feeding hole 120 to transfer the atomizing medium to the outer peripheral surface 201 of the atomizing element 200, that is, the atomizing medium is introduced into the air passage 130 from the outer peripheral surface 201 of the atomizing element 200.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7 , the support element 100 is configured to prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred from an outer wall surface 101 of the support element 100 or an inside of the support element 100 to the inner peripheral surface 111 of the hollow channel 110. For example, in some embodiments, the support element 100 is made of a non-porous material, and the atomizing element 200 is made of a porous material with a preset porosity. For another example, in other embodiments, both the support element 100 and the atomizing element 200 are made of porous materials with different porosities, and a porosity of the support element 100 is lower than that of the atomizing element 200. It should be understood that the atomizing element 200 is made of the porous material, and the atomizing media such as e-liquid can infiltrate into the atomizing element 200 for transferring. If the support element 100 is made of a non-porous material or a porous material with a low porosity, it is difficult for the atomizing media such as e-liquid to infiltrate into the support element 100 and be transferred inside the support element 100. In addition, the advantages of this arrangement also include that the porosity of the support element 100 is low, and the compressive strength is higher, which can significantly enhance the overall structural strength of the atomizing assembly 11 and facilitate product assembly.
It should be noted that the porous material may be ceramic, glass, etc., specifically, the ceramic porous material may be zirconia, silica, alumina, etc. The porosity of the porous material for preparing the atomizing element 200 may be in a range of 20% to 80%, and, the porosity of the porous material for preparing the atomizing element 200 may be 40% to 80%. The porosity of the porous material of the atomizing element 200 can be adjusted according to a composition of the e-liquid. For example, when the viscosity of the e-liquid is relatively large, the porous material with high porosity can be selected to make the atomizing element 200 to ensure a liquid guiding effect. The porosity of the support element 100 is 20% or less, and in principle, the lower the porosity of the support element 100, the better.
In a working process of the atomizing core of conventional electronic cigarettes, the atomizing medium such as e-liquid can form multiple droplets in the atomizing core with the influence of time and gravity, and the droplets will continue to gather without dripping under the action of surface tension, and the atomizing core may be blocked, and a microphone inside the electronic cigarette cannot detect an airflow change when the user smokes, thus causing the atomizing core to fail to work.
Compared with conventional electronic cigarettes, at least following beneficial effects of the above-mentioned atomizing assembly 11 of the present disclosure are provided.
First, the atomizing medium can be in contact with the atomizing element 200 through the feeding hole 120, the atomizing element 200 can transfer the atomizing medium therein, and part of the atomizing medium can be transferred into the air passage 130 and atomized in the air passage 130 to form an aerosol for suction. It should be emphasized that, as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the air passage 130 is formed by enclosing the atomizing element 200 and the inner peripheral surface 111 of the hollow channel 110 of the support element 100, that is, a part of the air passage 130 is formed by a part of the atomizing element 200, and another part of the air passage 130 is formed by a part of the support element 100, that is, only part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element 200 will introduce the atomizing medium into the air passage 130, and the support element 100 can prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred from the outer wall surface of the support element 100 or the inside of the support element 100 to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel 110, especially to prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred to a portion of the support element 100 exposed in the hollow channel 110. In this way, it can avoid that the introduction amount of the atomizing medium in the air passage 130 is too high in a unit time and block the ventilation passage, and at the same time, it can also reduce the possibility that the droplets in the peripheral surface of the air passage 130 gather to form a liquid film due to surface tension, which blocks the air passage 130, therefore ensuring a continuity of the air passage 130. In this way, a related equipment can always detect the airflow change through the air passage 130 when the user sucks, the atomizing assembly 11 can start to work normally when the airflow change is detected.
Second, compared with additional components such as sensing pipes for detecting the airflow change, the solution of the present disclosure can be considered as a modification of the atomizing core, by controlling the amount of the atomizing medium entering the air passage 130, on the one hand, the process and the structure of the atomizing core are simpler, which can reduce a manufacturing cost and a manufacturing difficulty, on the other hand, an internal space of the product is saved, which is conducive to realizing the simplification and miniaturization of the product, and is more favored by users.
In some embodiments, the atomizing element 200 and the support element 100 may be integrally sintered. The atomizing element 200 and the support element 100 are directly sintered into one body, which is more reliable in structure, effectively improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates automated production. Sintering can refer to a mutual bonding of green solid particles of porous materials such as ceramics at high temperature, the grains grow, the voids (pores) and grain boundaries gradually decrease, the total volume of solid particle shrinks and the density of solid particle increases through the transfer of substances, and finally becomes a dense polycrystalline sintered body with a certain microstructure. It should be noted that the non-porous material and the porous material can be connected by sintering, and no harmful substances are produced in this process, which can ensure the safety of the atomizing core.
Referring to FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, the atomizing element 200 is provided with an atomizing cavity 210 extending through the atomizing element 200, the atomizing cavity 210 is parallel to the air passage 130, and the air passage 130 and the atomizing cavity 210 are all extended along the axial direction of the support element 100. The atomizing element 200 separates the atomizing cavity 210 from the air passage 130, in other words, the atomizing cavity 210 and the air passage 130 are not in communication with each other in a radial direction of the support element 100. The following beneficial effects of above arrangement are provided.
First, the atomizing element 200 can introduce the part of the atomizing medium transferred by the atomizing element 200 into the atomizing cavity 210. When the atomizing cavity 210 and the air passage 130 are both in a non-blocking state, both of them can generate aerosols, so as to ensure a concentration of the aerosol and the user's suction taste.
Second, compared with the air passage 130, the atomizing cavity 210 is substantially enclosed only by the atomizing element 200, so a supply of the atomizing medium to the atomizing cavity 210 by the atomizing element 200 may be more and faster. In some cases, even if there is too much atomizing medium in the atomizing cavity 210 and the atomizing cavity 210 is blocked, the air passage 130 can be kept in the non-blocking state, so that the device can always detect the airflow change through the air passage 130 when the user is inhaling, and the atomizer assembly 11 can start to work when the airflow change is detected, and at the same time, the atomizing medium blocked and accumulated in the atomizing cavity 210 is promoted to be atomized, so as to realize the atomizing cavity 210 in the non-blocking state again.
Third, when the atomizing cavity 210 is blocked by the atomizing medium, when the user starts to suck, the atomizing assembly 11 starts to work, the atomizing cavity 210 may still be in the blocking state, and the atomizing cavity 210 may not be able to generate aerosol in the first time. However, the unblocked air passage 130 has a certain amount of atomizing medium, which can be atomized to form a certain amount of aerosol in the first time to immediately supply the user's suction, ensuring better user experience.
It should be noted that when the above-mentioned embodiment mentions the air passage 130 and the atomizing cavity 210, it does not indicate or imply that the number of the air passage 130 and the atomizing cavity 210 is specifically limited. It should be understood that at least one air passage 130 and at least one atomizing cavity 210 may be provided.
Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , one atomizing cavity 210 is provided, and two air passages 130 are provided and are respectively located on opposite sides of the atomizing cavity 210, and the two air passages 130 are radially separated from the atomizing cavity 210 by the side peripheral wall of the atomizing element 200.
In other embodiments, one air passage 130 may be provided, and a plurality of atomizing cavities 210 are provided on the atomizing element 200.
In other embodiments, one air passage 130 and one atomizing cavity 210 may be provided.
In other embodiments, a plurality of air passages 130 and a plurality of atomizing cavities 210 are provided.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 , the atomizing assembly 11 further includes a heating element 400 connected to the atomizing element 200, the heating element 400 may include a spiral heating wire, a metal heating sheet, a metal heating mesh, a resistive paste film or any combination thereof.
For example, in the embodiments shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 , the heating element 400 is embedded in the atomizing element 200 and located between the air passage 130 and the atomizing cavity 210. Specifically, the heating element 400 is embedded in the wall of the atomizing element 200 that forms the side peripheral wall of the atomizing cavity 210, that is, the heating element 400 is not exposed in the air passage 130 and the atomizing cavity 210. The inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity 210 and the part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element 200 exposed in the air passage 130 can be considered as a main atomizing area, that is, the atomizing cavity 210 and the air passage 130 are both the main atomizing area.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9 , at least part of the heating element 400 is exposed within the air passage 130. For example, the heating element 400 extends into the air passage 130 but is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the air passage 130. For another example, the heating element 400 is laid on the inner peripheral surface of the air passage 130. For another example, the heating element 400 is embedded in the inner peripheral surface of the air passage 130, that is, only part of the heating element 400 is located on the inner peripheral surface of the air passage 130, and only part of the heating element 400 is exposed in the air passage 130. In such an embodiment, the air passage 130 can be considered as the main atomizing area.
In some embodiments, at least part of the heating element 400 is exposed in the atomizing cavity 210. For example, the heating element 400 extends into the atomizing cavity 210 but is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity 210. For another example, the heating element 400 is laid on the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity 210. For another example, the heating element 400 is embedded in the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity 210, that is, only part of the heating element 400 is located on the inner peripheral surface of the atomizing cavity 210, and only part of the heating element 400 is exposed in the atomizing cavity 210. In such an embodiment, the atomizing cavity 210 can be considered as the main atomizing area.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 15 , in some embodiments, a side of the atomizing element 200 facing the feeding hole 120 is further provided with a guiding portion 220. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element 200 protrudes radially outward to form the guiding portion 220, and the guiding portion 220 is opposite to the feeding hole 120, and the guiding portion 220 is embedded in the feeding hole 120 and covering the entire feeding hole 120. The guiding portion 220 is in contact with the atomizing medium and is configured to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element 200. The guiding portion 220 and the atomizing element 200 are both made of porous materials with different porosities, and the porosity of the guiding portion 220 is higher than that of the atomizing element 200. The atomizing element 200 and the guiding portion 220 made of porous material have a “porous” shape at the microscopic level, and the atomizing medium such as e-liquid can be transferred in the atomizing element 200 and the guiding portion 220 through a capillary action. On the one hand, due to the higher porosity of the guiding portion 220, a speed of the guiding portion 220 to absorb and transfer the atomizing medium is faster, that is, the guiding portion 220 can increase the speed of the atomizing medium being transferred to the atomizing element 200, so as to prevent the atomizing element 200 from drying out due to insufficient atomizing medium. On the other hand, the porosity of the atomizing element 200 is low, the speed of the atomizing medium being transferred in the atomizing element 200 will be reduced, which can prevent the atomizing medium from being introduced into the atomizing cavity 210 too quickly and causing liquid leakage and blocking of the atomizing cavity, etc.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 , in one embodiment, the side of the guiding portion 220 away from the atomizing element 200 is coplanar with the outer peripheral surface of the support element 100. In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , a thickness of the guiding portion 220 may be less than a thickness of the side peripheral wall of the support element 100. In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , an end of the guiding portion 220 away from the support element 100 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the support element 100.
Referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, the atomizing assembly 11 further includes an atomizing sleeve 300 sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the support element 100, a side peripheral wall of the atomizing sleeve 300 is provided with a through hole 310 in communication with the feeding hole 120, the atomizing medium enters the feeding hole 120 through the through hole to be in contact with the atomizing element 200.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 , in some embodiments, the guiding portion 220 extends through the feeding hole 120, and at least a part of the guiding portion 220 extends through the feeding hole 120. The atomizing element 200 is connected to the guiding portion 220, and the guiding portion 220 extends through the feeding hole 120 and extends into the through hole 310 of the atomizing sleeve 300. Then the atomizing element 200 can be matched with the atomizing sleeve 300 through the guiding portion 220, which helps to enhance a sealing and firmness between the atomizing sleeve 300 and the support element 100, the atomizing element 200, which is not easy to loosen and is easier to assemble.
For example, as shown in FIG. 16 , in some embodiments, the guiding portion 220 does not protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve 300, and the thickness of the guiding portion 220 is less than the sum of the thicknesses of the support element 100 and the atomizing sleeve 300.
For another example, as shown in FIG. 17 , in some embodiments, the side of the guiding portion 220 away from the atomizing element 200 is coplanar with the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve 300.
For another example, as shown in FIG. 18 , in some embodiments, an end of the guiding portion 220 away from the atomizing element 200 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve 300. When the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve 300 is filled with the atomizing medium, and when a reservoir storing the atomizing medium is provided adjacent to the through hole 310 on the outer side of the atomizing sleeve 300, the guiding portion 220 protruding from the atomizing sleeve 300 will extend directly into the atomizing medium, which can increase a contact area between the guiding portion 220 and the atomizing medium, and improve the speed of the guiding portion 220 to absorb and transfer the atomizing medium.
In some embodiments, on the cross-section of the feeding hole 310, the guiding portion 220 fills the entire feeding hole 310, that is, the guiding portion 220 covers the entire feeding hole 310.
It should be understood that, the number of the feeding holes and the feeding parts 220 is not limited herein. For example, in some embodiments, one feeding hole 310 and one guiding portion 220 may be provided. For another example, in other embodiments, a plurality of the feeding holes 310 and a plurality of the guiding portions 220 may be provided, and the guiding portions 220 and the feeding holes 310 are in one-to-one correspondence in number and position. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , FIG. 10 , and FIG. 11 , two sides of the atomizing sleeve 300 are provided with the feeding hole 310, correspondingly, the two sides of the atomizing element 200 also protrude to form two guiding portions 220, one guiding portion 220 extends into one feeding hole 310, and the other guiding portion 220 extends into the other feeding hole 310.
Referring to FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel 110 is provided with a barrier layer 140 configured to inhibit the transferring of the atomizing medium. For example, the barrier layer 140 may be formed by sintering a low-porosity porous material or a non-porous material on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel 110. For another example, the barrier layer 140 may be a liquid-impermeable metal tube or an inorganic non-metallic tube. For another example, the barrier layer 140 may also be a coating with hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, etc.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 19 , an atomizing device 10 according to an embodiment is provided including a main body 12, a reservoir, and the atomizing assembly 11 according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The reservoir is configured to store the atomizing medium and transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element 200 through the feeding hole 120.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19 , in some embodiments, the atomizing device 10 further includes a sensing element 13 provided in the main body 12. The main body 12 is provided with an air inlet 121 and an air outlet 122. One end of the atomizing cavity 210 is in communication with the air inlet 121, the other end of the atomizing cavity 210 is in communication with the air outlet 122. One end of the air passage 130 is in communication with the air inlet 121, and the other end of the air passage 130 is in communication with the air outlet 122. The sensing element 13 is configured to detect the airflow change of an airflow path between the air inlet 121 and the air outlet 122. The sensing element 13 can be a microphone, etc. that can detect the airflow change. For example, when at least one of the atomizing cavity 210 and the air passage 130 is in the non-blocking state, and when the user sucks at the air outlet 122, a negative pressure will be generated on a side of the sensing element 13 adjacent to the air outlet 122, then the sensing element 13 can send a signal to the atomizing device 10 to start working and generate aerosol.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19 , in some embodiments, the sensing element 13 may be disposed between the air outlet 122 and the atomizing assembly 11. In other embodiments, the sensing element 13 may also be disposed between the air inlet 121 and the atomizing assembly 11. As long as the atomizing assembly 11 is not blocked, that is, at least one of the air passages 130 and the atomizing cavity 210 is in the non-blocking state, the sensing element 13 can work normally, thereby actuating the heating element 400 of the atomizing assembly 11 to work.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 19 , according to an embodiment, an aerosol generating device is provided including a power supply device 20 and the atomizing device 10 according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The power supply device 20 is configured to be electrically connected to the heating element 400 to enable the heating element 400 to generate heat.
The above-mentioned atomizing device 10 and the aerosol generating equipment can includes the atomizing assembly 11 described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and therefore, at least following beneficial effects are provided.
First, the atomizing medium can be in contact with the atomizing element 200 through the feeding hole 120, the atomizing element 200 can transfer the atomizing medium therein, and part of the atomizing medium can be transferred into the air passage 130 and atomized in the air passage 130 to form an aerosol for suction. It should be emphasized that, the air passage 130 is formed by enclosing the atomizing element 200 and the inner peripheral surface 111 of the hollow channel 110 of the support element 100, that is, a part of the air passage 130 is formed by a part of the atomizing element 200, and another part of the air passage 130 is formed by a part of the support element 100, that is, only part of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element 200 will introduce the atomizing medium into the air passage 130, and the support element 100 can prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred from the outer wall surface of the support element 100 or the inside of the support element 100 to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel 110, especially to prevent the atomizing medium from being transferred to a portion of the support element 100 exposed in the hollow channel 110. In this way, it can avoid that the introduction amount of the atomizing medium in the air passage 130 is too high in a unit time and block the ventilation passage, and at the same time, it can also reduce the possibility that the droplets in the peripheral surface of the air passage 130 gather to form a liquid film due to surface tension, which blocks the air passage 130, therefore ensuring a continuity of the air passage 130. In this way, a related equipment can always detect the airflow change through the air passage 130 when the user sucks, the atomizing assembly 11 can start to work normally when the airflow change is detected.
Second, compared with additional components such as sensing pipes for detecting changes in airflow, the solution of the present disclosure can be considered as a modification of the atomizing core, by controlling the amount of the atomizing medium entering the air passage 130, on the one hand, the process and the structure of the atomizing core are simpler, which can reduce a manufacturing cost and a manufacturing difficulty, on the other hand, an internal space of the product is saved, which is conducive to realizing the simplification and miniaturization of the product, and is more favored by users.
The foregoing descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any variation or replacement readily figured out by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure shall all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, “counterclockwise”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise” are based on the azimuth or position relationship shown in the attached drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element must have a specific azimuth, be constructed and operated in a specific azimuth, so it cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.
In addition, the terms “first” and “second” are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, “multiple” means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.
In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature “above” or “below” the second feature may be in direct contact with the first and second features, or the first and second features may be in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature is “above” the second feature, but the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or it only means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the second feature. The first feature is “below” of the second feature, which can mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.
In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms “mount”, “connect”, “contact”, “fix” and other terms should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they can be fixed connections, removable connections, or integrated. It can be mechanical connection or electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the connection within two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise expressly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific situation.
It should be noted that when an element is called “dispose on”, fixed to” or “arranged on” another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a centered element. When a element is considered to be “connected” to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there may be intermediate elements at the same time. The terms “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, “down”, “left”, “right” and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only, and do not mean that they are the only embodiments.
The foregoing descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any variation or replacement readily figured out by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure shall all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
The above-mentioned embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the technical solution. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the above-mentioned embodiments shall be included within the protection scope of this technical solution.
In the specification, the terms “an embodiment”, “other embodiment”, etc. means that a specific feature, structure, material or feature described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one implementation of the present disclosure embodiment or example. In the specification, schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the description of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the present application.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An atomizing assembly, comprising:

a support element provided with a hollow channel that extends though the support element, a side peripheral wall of the hollow channel being provided with a feeding hole configured to transfer an atomizing medium; and

an atomizing element provided in the hollow channel and covering the feeding hole, an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing element and an inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel cooperatively enclosing an air passage, the atomizing element being in contact with the atomizing medium through the feeding hole to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.

2. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing element is made of a porous material with a first porosity, the support element is made of a non-porous material or a porous material with a second porosity, the second porosity is lower than the first porosity.

3. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing element is integrally sintered with the support element.

4. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support element is configured to inhibit the atomizing medium from being transferred from an outer wall surface of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel.

5. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support element is configured to inhibit the atomizing medium from being transferred from an inside of the support element to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel.

6. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein a side of the atomizing element facing the feeding hole is further provided with a guiding portion, and the guiding portion is embedded in the feeding hole and is in contact with the atomizing medium and is configured to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.

7. The atomizing assembly according to claim 6, wherein the guiding portion and the atomizing element are both made of porous materials, and a porosity of the guiding portion is higher than a porosity of the atomizing element.

8. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing element is provided with an atomizing cavity that extends through the atomizing element, the atomizing cavity is parallel to the air passage, and the atomizing element separates the atomizing cavity from the air passage.

9. The atomizing assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a heating element, wherein the heating element is embedded in the atomizing element and located between the air passage and the atomizing cavity.

10. The atomizing assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a heating element, at least part of the heating element is exposed in the air passage or the atomizing cavity.

11. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an atomizing sleeve sleeved on an outer peripheral surface of the support element, wherein a side peripheral wall of the atomizing sleeve is provided with a through hole in communication with the feeding hole, the atomizing medium enters the feeding hole through the through hole to be in contact with the atomizing element.

12. The atomizing assembly according to claim 11, wherein a side of the atomizing element facing the feeding hole is further provided with a guiding portion, the guiding portion extends through the feeding hole, and at least a part of the guiding portion extends into the through hole, the guiding portion is in contact with the atomizing medium and is configured to transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element.

13. The atomizing assembly according to claim 12, wherein a side of the guiding portion away from the atomizing element is coplanar with an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve.

14. The atomizing assembly according to claim 12, wherein an end of the guiding portion away from the atomizing element protrudes out of an outer peripheral surface of the atomizing sleeve.

15. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support element is tubular-shaped, the hollow channel extends through the support element in an axial direction thereof, and the air passage extends along the axial direction of the support element.

16. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing element is provided with an atomizing cavity extending though the atomizing element, the atomizing cavity extends along the axial direction of the support element.

17. The atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the hollow channel is provided with a barrier layer configured to inhibit a transferring of the atomizing medium.

18. An atomizing device comprising a main body, a reservoir, and the atomizing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is provided in the main body and is configured to store the atomizing medium and transfer the atomizing medium to the atomizing element through the feeding hole.

19. The atomizing device according to claim 18, further comprising a sensing element provided in the main body, wherein the main body is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, one end of the air passage is in communication with the air inlet, the other end of the air passage is in communication with the air outlet, the sensing element is configured to detect an airflow change of an airflow path between the air inlet and the air outlet.

20. An aerosol generating device comprising the atomizing device according to claim 18, and a power supply device electrically connected to the atomizing device.