WO2023007525A1

WO2023007525A1 - Aerosol generation system

Info

Publication number: WO2023007525A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/027441
Authority: WO
Inventors: 泰弘小野; 玲二朗川崎; 寛手塚; 和俊芹田
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-07-26
Filing date: 2021-07-26
Publication date: 2023-02-02

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism that enables efficient aerosol generation in an induction heating-type suction device. [Solution] An aerosol generation system comprises: an induction heating unit that heats an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol; and a power supply unit that supplies power to the induction heating unit, wherein the induction heating unit has a hollow member configured to be hollow and is inserted into the aerosol-generating article, and an induction coil disposed inside the hollow member, and the temperature is raised by the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil.

Description

Aerosol generation system

The present invention relates to an aerosol generation system.

Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that produce substances that are inhaled by the user are widespread. For example, the suction device uses a base material including an aerosol source for generating an aerosol and a flavor source for imparting a flavor component to the generated aerosol to generate an aerosol imparted with a flavor component. A user can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the flavor component-applied aerosol generated by the suction device. The action of the user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as puffing or puffing action.

Until now, suction devices that heat the substrate using a heater that generates heat due to electrical resistance have been the mainstream. However, in recent years, attention has been focused on an induction heating suction device that generates an aerosol by induction heating a susceptor using an electromagnetic induction source configured as a coil. For example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses a technique in which a blade-shaped susceptor is inserted into a substrate, and the susceptor is induction-heated by a coil arranged to surround the substrate and the susceptor to generate an aerosol. .

WO2018/220558

However, with the technique described in Patent Document 1, the magnetic field generated by the coil leaks out without penetrating into the susceptor, making it difficult to efficiently raise the temperature of the susceptor.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that enables efficient generation of aerosol in an induction heating suction device. .

In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, an induction heating unit that heats an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol and a power supply unit that supplies power to the induction heating unit, The induction heating unit has a hollow member configured to be hollow and inserted into the aerosol-generating article, and an induction coil arranged inside the hollow member, and is heated by a fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil. , an aerosol generating system is provided.

The hollow member may be a first susceptor that generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates.

The induction heating unit has a second susceptor that is arranged inside the induction coil and generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field enters, and the hollow member is heated by heat transfer from the second susceptor. You may

The second susceptor may contact the inner wall of the hollow member at least at one point.

The tip of the second susceptor may contact the inner wall of the tip of the hollow member.

At least one protrusion may be provided on the side surface of the second susceptor, and the induction coil may be arranged on a portion of the side surface of the second susceptor where the protrusion is not provided.

The projection may be spirally provided.

The projection may contact the inner wall of the hollow member.

The protrusion may generate heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates.

The projection may be a heat-conducting member.

The protrusion may be provided with a through-hole in which a wiring connecting one end of the induction coil and the power supply unit is arranged.

A heat transfer layer having heat transfer properties may be arranged on the inner wall of the hollow member, and the second susceptor may be in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member at least one point via the heat transfer layer.

The induction coil may be coated with a member having insulation and heat resistance.

The aerosol-generating system further comprises a storage unit having an internal space and an opening communicating the internal space with the outside, and capable of containing the aerosol-generating article inserted into the internal space through the opening; may be arranged to protrude into the internal space from a bottom portion of the accommodating portion opposite to the opening.

A distal end of the hollow member that is inserted into the aerosol-generating article may be tapered.

The hollow member may be a cylindrical column, an elliptical column, or a rectangular column that is hollow.

The induction coil may be wound at an angle of 10° or more with respect to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the induction heating section.

The aerosol-generating system may include the aerosol-generating article.

The aerosol-generating article may contain an aerosol source in the portion into which the induction heating section is inserted.

As described above, according to the present invention, a mechanism is provided that enables efficient aerosol generation in an induction heating suction device.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of a suction device typically. 1 is a see-through perspective view of an induction heating section according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a sectional view of an induction heating part concerning this embodiment. It is a sectional view of the induction heating part concerning the 1st modification. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an induction heating unit according to a second modified example; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an induction heating unit according to a third modified example;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

<1. Configuration example of suction device>
The suction device according to this configuration example generates an aerosol by heating a substrate including an aerosol source from inside the substrate. This configuration example will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction device 100 according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a storage unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, an induction heating unit 121, and a storage unit 140. including. The suction is performed by the user while the stick-shaped base material 150 is accommodated in the accommodation section 140 . Each component will be described in order below.

The power supply unit 111 accumulates power. The power supply unit 111 supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100 . The power supply unit 111 may be composed of, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power supply unit 111 may be charged by being connected to an external power supply via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like. Also, the power supply unit 111 may be charged in a state of being disconnected from the device on the power transmission side by wireless power transmission technology. Alternatively, only the power supply unit 111 may be detached from the suction device 100 or may be replaced with a new power supply unit 111 .

The sensor unit 112 detects various information regarding the suction device 100 . The sensor unit 112 then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116 . As an example, the sensor unit 112 is configured by a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112 detects a numerical value associated with the user's suction, the sensor unit 112 outputs information indicating that the user has performed suction to the control unit 116 . As another example, the sensor unit 112 is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, that receives information input from the user. Among other things, sensor unit 112 may include a button for instructing start/stop of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112 then outputs the information input by the user to the control unit 116 . As another example, the sensor section 112 is configured by a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the induction heating section 121 . Such a temperature sensor detects the temperature of the induction heating part 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the conductive track of the induction heating part 121, for example. The sensor unit 112 may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 housed in the housing unit 140 based on the temperature of the induction heating unit 121 .

The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. As an example, the notification unit 113 is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In this case, the notification unit 113 emits light in different light emission patterns when the power supply unit 111 is in a charging required state, when the power supply unit 111 is being charged, when an abnormality occurs in the suction device 100, and the like. . The light emission pattern here is a concept including color, timing of lighting/lighting out, and the like. The notification unit 113 may be configured by a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, a vibration device that vibrates, or the like, together with or instead of the light emitting device. In addition, the notification unit 113 may notify information indicating that suction by the user has become possible. Information indicating that the suction by the user is enabled is notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped base material 150 heated by the induction heating unit 121 reaches a predetermined temperature.

The storage unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100 . The storage unit 114 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. An example of the information stored in the storage unit 114 is information regarding the OS (Operating System) of the suction device 100, such as control details of various components by the control unit 116. FIG. Another example of the information stored in the storage unit 114 is information related to suction by the user, such as the number of times of suction, suction time, total suction time, and the like.

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the suction device 100 and other devices. The communication unit 115 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. As such a communication standard, for example, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like can be adopted. As an example, the communication unit 115 transmits information about suction by the user to the smartphone so that the smartphone displays information about suction by the user. As another example, the communication unit 115 receives new OS information from the server in order to update the OS information stored in the storage unit 114 .

The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the general operations within the suction device 100 according to various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 116 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters, etc. that change as appropriate. The suction device 100 executes various processes under the control of the controller 116 . Power supply from power supply unit 111 to other components, charging of power supply unit 111, detection of information by sensor unit 112, notification of information by notification unit 113, storage and reading of information by storage unit 114, and communication unit 115 Transmission and reception of information is an example of processing controlled by the control unit 116 . Other processes executed by the suction device 100, such as information input to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 116. FIG.

The housing part 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped base material 150 while housing a part of the stick-shaped base material 150 in the internal space 141 . The accommodating portion 140 has an opening 142 that communicates the internal space 141 with the outside, and accommodates the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142 . For example, the housing portion 140 is a cylindrical body having an opening 142 and a bottom portion 143 as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141 . The accommodating part 140 is configured such that the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped base material 150 at least in part in the height direction of the cylindrical body, and the stick-shaped base material 150 inserted into the inner space 141 is held in the container. The stick-shaped substrate 150 can be held by pressing from the outer periphery. The containment portion 140 also functions to define a flow path for air through the stick-shaped substrate 150 . An air inlet hole, which is an inlet for air into the flow path, is arranged, for example, in the bottom portion 143 . On the other hand, the air outflow hole, which is the exit of air from such a channel, is the opening 142 .

The stick-shaped base material 150 is a stick-shaped member. The stick-type substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152 .

The base material portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating to produce an aerosol. The aerosol source may be tobacco-derived, such as, for example, a processed product of cut tobacco or tobacco material formed into granules, sheets, or powder. Aerosol sources may also include non-tobacco sources made from plants other than tobacco, such as mints and herbs. By way of example, the aerosol source may contain perfume ingredients such as menthol. If the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a medicament for inhalation by the patient. The aerosol source is not limited to solids, and may be, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and liquids such as water. At least a portion of the base material portion 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141 of the accommodation portion 140 while the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the accommodation portion 140.

The mouthpiece 152 is a member held by the user when inhaling. At least part of the mouthpiece 152 protrudes from the opening 142 when the stick-shaped base material 150 is held in the housing 140 . Then, when the user holds the mouthpiece 152 protruding from the opening 142 in his/her mouth and sucks, air flows into the housing 140 through an air inlet hole (not shown). The air that has flowed in passes through the internal space 141 of the housing portion 140 , that is, through the base portion 151 and reaches the inside of the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base portion 151 .

The induction heating unit 121 heats the aerosol source by induction heating to atomize the aerosol source and generate an aerosol. Induction heating is a process of causing a susceptor to generate heat by penetrating a varying magnetic field into the susceptor. For example, the induction heating part 121 is arranged so as to protrude from the bottom part 143 of the housing part 140 into the internal space 141 of the housing part 140 . Therefore, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the housing portion 140, the portion of the induction heating portion 121 that protrudes into the internal space 141 is pierced into the substrate portion 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 so that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. It is inserted inside the substrate 150 . Then, when the induction heating part 121 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from inside the stick-shaped substrate 150 and atomized to generate an aerosol. 2 and 3, the induction heating unit 121 includes an induction coil 20 as an electromagnetic induction source for generating a varying magnetic field and a susceptor pin 30 as a susceptor. When an alternating current is supplied to the induction coil 20, the susceptor pin 30 is induction-heated by a fluctuating magnetic field (more specifically, an alternating magnetic field) generated from the induction coil 20 to generate heat. As a result, the temperature of the induction heating unit 121 is increased. As an example, power may be supplied and an aerosol may be generated when the sensor unit 112 detects that a predetermined user input has been performed. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 heated by the induction heating unit 121 reaches a predetermined temperature, the suction by the user becomes possible. After that, when the sensor unit 112 detects that a predetermined user input has been performed, the power supply may be stopped. As another example, power may be supplied and aerosol may be generated during a period in which the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has inhaled.

The power supply unit 111 is an example of a power supply unit that supplies power to the induction heating unit 121 (more specifically, the induction coil 20). Stick-type substrate 150 is an example of an aerosol-generating article containing an aerosol source. The stick-shaped substrate 150 contains an aerosol source in the portion where the induction heating portion 121 is inserted, that is, the substrate portion 151 . The suction device 100 and stick-shaped substrate 150 cooperate to generate an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. As such, the combination of suction device 100 and stick-type substrate 150 may be viewed as an aerosol generating system.

<2. Detailed Configuration of Induction Heating Unit>
FIG. 2 is a see-through perspective view of the induction heating section 121 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the induction heating section 121 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the induction heating unit 121 according to this embodiment includes a hollow member 10, an induction coil 20, and a susceptor pin 30. Then, as described above with reference to FIG. 1 , the induction heating part 121 is arranged so as to protrude from the bottom part 143 into the internal space 141 .

In these figures, the direction of the tip side where the induction heating part 121 is inserted inside the stick-shaped base material 150 (that is, the direction of the opening 142) is also referred to as the upward direction. On the other hand, the direction opposite to the upward direction (that is, the direction of the bottom portion 143) is also referred to as the downward direction. The vertical direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the induction heating section 121 , the housing section 140 and the internal space 141 .

Each component of the induction heating unit 121 will be described in detail below.

The hollow member 10 is a hollow member. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hollow member 10 may be a hollow column. The hollow member 10 is made of a member having heat resistance and heat conductivity. For example, hollow member 10 is made of one or more materials selected from a group of materials including, for example, aluminum, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, copper, and stainless steel.

The hollow member 10 is inserted into the stick-shaped base material 150 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tip 19 (that is, the upward end) of the hollow member 10 inserted into the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be tapered. For example, tip 19 of hollow member 10 may be configured as a cone or as a truncated cone. By forming the tip 19 of the hollow member 10 into a sharp shape in this manner, the induction heating section 121 can be more easily inserted into the stick-shaped base material 150 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an induction coil 20 is arranged inside the hollow member 10 . A susceptor pin 30 is arranged inside the induction coil 20 .

The induction coil 20 is a solenoid type coil. The induction coil 20 generates a varying magnetic field (ie, alternating magnetic field) when an alternating current is applied. The induction coil 20 is arranged to wrap around the susceptor pin 30 . When an alternating current is applied to the induction coil 20 , a fluctuating magnetic field is generated that circulates between the space inside and outside the induction coil 20 .

The induction coil 20 is coated with a member having insulation and heat resistance. As an example, the induction coil 20 is coated with an insulating and heat-resistant resin or ceramic. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent damage to the induction coil 20 due to heat transfer from the susceptor pin 30 .

The induction coil 20 is desirably wound at an angle of 10° or more with respect to the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the induction heating section 121 . That is, it is desirable that the angle θ shown in FIG. 3 is 10° or more. There may be restrictions on the diameter of the induction coil 20, such as the need to keep the diameter of the induction coil 20 below a predetermined value. Even in that case, the number of turns of the induction coil 20 can be ensured while satisfying the constraint by increasing the angle θ. In addition, there may be restrictions on the space inside the hollow member 10 , such as the space inside the hollow member 10 being narrow due to the thickness of the hollow member 10 . Even in that case, the number of turns of the induction coil 20 can be ensured while satisfying the constraint by increasing the angle θ.

Here, the power supply unit 111 may be a DC (Direct Current) power supply. In that case, the power supply unit 111 supplies AC power to the induction coil 20 via a DC/AC (Alternate Current) inverter. Thereby, the induction coil 20 can generate a varying magnetic field to raise the temperature of the susceptor pin 30 .

The susceptor pin 30 is a susceptor (corresponding to a second susceptor) that generates heat when a fluctuating magnetic field penetrates. As shown in FIG. 2, the susceptor pin 30 may be cylindrical. The susceptor pin 30 is arranged inside the induction coil 20 where the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil 20 is concentrated. Therefore, the susceptor pin 30 receives most of the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil 20, and can efficiently, ie rapidly generate heat.

The susceptor is made of a conductive material. When a fluctuating magnetic field penetrates a susceptor made of a conductive material, eddy currents are induced and the susceptor is heated according to the electrical resistance of the susceptor. Such a heating mechanism is also called resistive heating. Furthermore, it is desirable that the susceptor be made of a ferromagnetic material. This is because a combination of resistance heating and magnetic hysteresis heating can increase the heating efficiency. Magnetic hysteresis heating is the process of heating a magnetic material with the reorientation of the magnetic dipoles in response to the penetration of a varying magnetic field. Induction heating in the present invention includes at least resistance heating and may include magnetic hysteresis heating. The susceptor is made of one or more materials selected from a group of materials including, for example, aluminum, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, copper, and stainless steel.

The induction heating unit 121 is heated by the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil 20 . Specifically, the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the induction coil 20 penetrates the susceptor pin 30 arranged in the space inside the induction coil 20, and the susceptor pin 30 generates heat. The temperature of the hollow member 10 rises due to heat transfer from the susceptor pin 30 . In a state in which the induction heating part 121 is inserted into the stick-shaped base material 150, the susceptor pin 30 is induction-heated to raise the temperature of the hollow member 10, thereby heating the stick-shaped base material 150 from the inside to generate an aerosol. becomes possible.

The susceptor pin 30 contacts the inner wall of the hollow member 10 at least at one point. Such a configuration facilitates heat transfer from the susceptor pin 30 to the hollow member 10, making it possible to raise the temperature of the hollow member 10 efficiently.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip 39 (that is, the upward end) of the susceptor pin 30 may contact the inner wall of the tip 19 of the hollow member 10 . With such a configuration, the temperature of the tip 19 of the hollow member 10 can be most efficiently raised. When the stick-shaped base material 150 is inserted into the internal space 141 , the tip 19 of the hollow member 10 is inserted deepest into the base material portion 151 . Therefore, it is possible to efficiently raise the temperature of the base material portion 151 and efficiently generate the aerosol.

A fixing part (not shown) is provided on the rear end side (that is, downward side) of the induction heating part 121 . A fixing part (not shown) is a structural member that fixes the hollow member 10 to the housing of the suction device 100 . It is desirable that the fixed part is made of a heat-resistant material such as PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone). According to such a configuration, even if the induction heating part 121 generates high heat, the induction heating part 121 can be kept fixed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the induction coil 20 and the susceptor pin 30 are arranged inside the hollow member 10, and the temperature of the hollow member 10 is raised by heat transfer from the induction-heated susceptor pin 30. As a result, the stick-shaped base material 150 into which the induction heating part 121 (more specifically, the hollow member 10) is inserted is heated from the inside to generate an aerosol. Here, the susceptor pin 30 is arranged inside the induction coil 20 where the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil 20 is concentrated. Therefore, the susceptor pin 30 receives most of the fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil 20, and can efficiently, ie rapidly generate heat. Such a configuration enables efficient generation of aerosol. That is, it is possible to improve power usage efficiency.

<3. Variation>
(1) First Modification FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an induction heating unit 121 according to a first modification. As shown in FIG. 4 , an induction heating section 121 according to this modification includes a hollow member 10 , an induction coil 20 and a susceptor pin 30 . The configurations of the hollow member 10 and the induction coil 20 are as described in the above embodiment.

At least one protrusion 31 is provided on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 . The induction coil 20 is arranged on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 where the protrusion 31 is not provided. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the projection 31 may be spirally provided. In that case, the induction coil 20 is arranged in the groove 32 sandwiched between the spirally provided projections 31 . According to such a configuration, the induction coil 20 is arranged so as to be buried in the groove 32 on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30, so it is possible to prevent the induction coil 20 from being displaced.

As shown in FIG. 4, the projection 31 provided on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 contacts the inner wall of the hollow member 10. As shown in FIG. According to such a configuration, the hollow member 10 and the susceptor pin 30 are in contact with each other in addition to the tip 39 of the susceptor pin 30 . Furthermore, when the protrusion 31 is provided in a spiral shape, the hollow member 10 and the susceptor pin 30 are in contact with each other over the entire vertical direction. Therefore, heat can be more easily transferred from the susceptor pin 30 to the hollow member 10, and the temperature of the hollow member 10 can be raised more efficiently.

The protrusion 31 provided on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 generates heat when a fluctuating magnetic field penetrates. That is, the protrusion 31 is also a susceptor. As an example, the susceptor pin 30 may be configured as a screw-like member having a spirally provided projection 31 . According to such a configuration, since the projection 31 itself that contacts the inner wall of the hollow member 10 generates heat, it is possible to raise the temperature of the hollow member 10 more efficiently.

The susceptor pin 30 is provided with a through hole in which a wiring connecting one end of the induction coil 20 and the power supply section 111 is arranged. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a protrusion 31 provided on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 may be provided with a through hole 33 in which a wiring 21 connecting one end of the induction coil 20 and the power supply unit 111 is arranged. . Specifically, a through hole 33 penetrating in the vertical direction may be provided in each of the projections 31 forming each spiral step. Then, the wire 21 on the tip side of the induction coil 20 passes through the through hole 33 and is pulled out of the hollow member 10 from the lower end side and connected to the power supply section 111 . On the other hand, the rear end of the induction coil 20 is also pulled out of the hollow member 10 from the lower end and connected to the power supply section 111 . With such a configuration, it becomes possible to apply power from the power supply unit 111 to the induction coil 20 .

In the above description, an example in which the projections 31 provided on the side surfaces of the susceptor pin 30 are susceptors has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The protrusion 31 provided on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 may be a heat-conducting member. That is, a heat-conducting member configured as the protrusion 31 may be arranged on the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 . Materials having thermal conductivity include metals such as copper and fine ceramics such as silicon carbide. With such a configuration as well, efficient heat transfer from the susceptor pin 30 to the hollow member 10 can be achieved, and the temperature of the hollow member 10 can be efficiently raised.

Also, the projection 31 may be provided on the inner wall of the hollow member 10 instead of the susceptor pin 30 . In that case, the projections 31 provided on the inner wall of the hollow member 10 come into contact with the side surfaces of the susceptor pins 30 . With such a configuration as well, efficient heat transfer from the susceptor pin 30 to the hollow member 10 can be achieved, and the temperature of the hollow member 10 can be efficiently raised.

(2) Second Modification FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an induction heating unit 121 according to a second modification. As shown in FIG. 5, an induction heating section 121 according to this modification includes a hollow member 10, an induction coil 20, a susceptor pin 30, and a heat transfer layer 40. As shown in FIG. This modification is an example in which a heat transfer layer 40 is added to the first modification.

The heat transfer layer 40 is a member having heat transfer properties. The thermal conductivity here is a concept including thermal conductivity and thermal radiation. The heat transfer layer 40 is made of one or more materials selected from a group of materials including, for example, copper, graphite, and aluminum.

The heat transfer layer 40 is arranged on the inner wall of the hollow member 10 . For example, the heat transfer layer 40 is formed in the form of a film and arranged so as to be in close contact with the entire side surface of the inner wall of the hollow member 10 .

The susceptor pin 30 is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member 10 through the heat transfer layer 40 at at least one point. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the spiral projections 31 provided on the side surfaces of the susceptor pins 30 are in contact with the heat transfer layer 40 arranged on the inner wall of the hollow member 10 . With such a configuration, the heat transfer layer 40 can diffuse the heat received from the spiral projections 31 provided on the side surfaces of the susceptor pins 30 to the entire area of the hollow member 10 . Therefore, of the hollow member 10, a portion corresponding to the helical projection 31 (that is, contacting with the heat transfer layer 40 interposed therebetween), a portion corresponding to the portion of the groove 32 sandwiched between the helical projections 31, It is possible to reduce the temperature difference that occurs between and raise the temperature of the hollow member 10 more uniformly and efficiently.

(3) Third Modification In the first modification and the second modification, an example in which the projection 31 is spirally provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Another configuration example of the projection 31 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an induction heating section 121 according to a third modified example. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a ring-shaped protrusion 31 is provided in the central portion of the side surface of the susceptor pin 30, and the internal space of the hollow member 10 is divided into upper and lower spaces. An induction coil 20A is arranged in the upper space, and an induction coil 20B is arranged in the lower space. The protrusion 31 is provided with a through-hole 33 in which a wiring 21A connecting one end of the induction coil 20A and the power supply section 111 is arranged. Thus, the induction heating part 121 may have a plurality of induction coils 20, and the induction coils 20 may be arranged in each of a plurality of portions of the side surface of the susceptor pin 30 where the projections 31 are not provided. .

According to such a configuration, heat can be more easily transferred from the susceptor pin 30 to the hollow member 10 and the temperature of the hollow member 10 can be raised more efficiently than at least the examples shown in FIGS. becomes. Moreover, compared to the first modification and the second modification, the induction heating section 121 can be manufactured easily, and the occurrence of manufacturing defects can be suppressed. Note that the number of protrusions 31 may be appropriately designed according to the desired rate of temperature increase.

Also in this modified example, the heat transfer layer 40 may be provided as in the second modified example.

(4) Fourth Modification In the above embodiment, an example in which the susceptor pins 30 of the induction heating portion 121 are induction-heated has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

As an example, the hollow member 10 may be a susceptor (corresponding to a first susceptor) that generates heat when a fluctuating magnetic field penetrates. In this case, the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the induction coil 20 penetrates the hollow member 10 outside the induction coil 20, causing the hollow member 10 to generate heat. According to such a configuration, it is possible to directly raise the temperature of the hollow member 10 in contact with the stick-shaped base material 150 and efficiently heat the stick-shaped base material 150 .

If the hollow member 10 is a susceptor, the induction heating section 121 does not have to have the susceptor pin 30 . In that case, the induction heating unit 121 heats only the hollow member 10 .

Of course, the induction heating part 121 may have the susceptor pin 30 as the susceptor together with the hollow member 10 as the susceptor. In that case, more susceptors can receive the varying magnetic field, so that the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be heated more efficiently.

(5) Fifth Modification In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the hollow member 10 was a hollow cylinder, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The hollow member 10 may be an elliptical cylinder configured to be hollow. In addition, the hollow member 10 may be a hollow prism. As an example of a prism, the hollow member 10 may be configured as a quadrangular prism, and the tip of the quadrangular prism may be configured in a quadrangular pyramid shape. A cross-sectional view in that case is similar to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.

The shape of the susceptor pin 30 is also not limited to a cylinder. For example, the susceptor pin 30 may be prismatic or elliptical.

<4. Supplement>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

The following configuration also belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.
(1)
an induction heating section for heating an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol; a power supply section for supplying power to the induction heating section;
with
The induction heating unit is
a hollow member configured to be hollow and inserted into the aerosol-generating article;
an induction coil disposed inside the hollow member;
and is heated by a fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil,
Aerosol generation system.
(2)
The hollow member is a first susceptor that generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates,
The aerosol generating system according to (1) above.
(3)
The induction heating unit has a second susceptor that is arranged inside the induction coil and generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field enters,
The hollow member is heated by heat transfer from the second susceptor.
The aerosol generating system according to (1) or (2) above.
(4)
the second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member at least at one point;
The aerosol generating system according to (3) above.
(5)
the tip of the second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the tip of the hollow member;
The aerosol generating system according to (4) above.
(6)
at least one protrusion is provided on a side surface of the second susceptor;
the induction coil is arranged on a portion of the side surface of the second susceptor where the projection is not provided;
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (3) to (5) above.
(7)
wherein the projection is spirally provided;
The aerosol generating system according to (6) above.
(8)
wherein the protrusion is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member;
The aerosol generating system according to (6) or (7) above.
(9)
the projection generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates;
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (6) to (8) above.
(10)
The protrusion is a member having heat conductivity,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (6) to (8) above.
(11)
The protrusion is provided with a through-hole in which a wiring connecting one end of the induction coil and the power supply unit is arranged,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (6) to (10).
(12)
A heat transfer layer having heat transfer properties is disposed on the inner wall of the hollow member,
The second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member at least one place through the heat transfer layer.
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (3) to (11).
(13)
The induction coil is coated with a member having insulation and heat resistance,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (12) above.
(14)
The aerosol generating system comprises:
further comprising a storage unit having an internal space and an opening that communicates the internal space with the outside, and capable of containing the aerosol-generating article inserted into the internal space through the opening;
The induction heating unit is arranged so as to protrude into the internal space from a bottom portion of the housing portion on the opposite side of the opening,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (13) above.
(15)
The tip of the hollow member that is inserted into the aerosol-generating article is tapered.
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (14) above.
(16)
The hollow member is a cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, or a prism configured to be hollow,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (15) above.
(17)
The induction coil is wound at an angle of 10° or more with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the induction heating unit,
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (16) above.
(18)
wherein the aerosol-generating system comprises the aerosol-generating article;
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (17) above.
(19)
The aerosol-generating article contains an aerosol source in a portion into which the induction heating element is inserted.
The aerosol generating system according to any one of (1) to (18) above.

100 suction device 111 power supply unit 112 sensor unit 113 notification unit 114 storage unit 115 communication unit 116 control unit 121 induction heating unit 140 storage unit 141 internal space 142 opening 143 bottom 150 stick-shaped substrate 151 substrate 152 mouthpiece 10 hollow member REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 19 tip of hollow member 20 induction coil 30 susceptor pin 31 projection 32 groove 49 tip of susceptor pin 40 heat transfer layer

Claims

an induction heating section for heating an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol; a power supply section for supplying power to the induction heating section;
with
The induction heating unit is
a hollow member configured to be hollow and inserted into the aerosol-generating article;
an induction coil disposed inside the hollow member;
and is heated by a fluctuating magnetic field generated from the induction coil,
Aerosol generation system.
The hollow member is a first susceptor that generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates,
2. The aerosol generating system of claim 1.
The induction heating unit has a second susceptor that is arranged inside the induction coil and generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field enters,
The hollow member is heated by heat transfer from the second susceptor.
3. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1 or 2.
the second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member at least at one point;
4. The aerosol generating system of claim 3.
the tip of the second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the tip of the hollow member;
5. The aerosol generating system of claim 4.
at least one protrusion is provided on a side surface of the second susceptor;
the induction coil is arranged on a portion of the side surface of the second susceptor where the projection is not provided;
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 3-5.
wherein the projection is spirally provided;
7. The aerosol generating system of claim 6.
wherein the protrusion is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member;
8. Aerosol generating system according to claim 6 or 7.
the projection generates heat when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates;
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 6-8.
The protrusion is a member having heat conductivity,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 6-8.
The protrusion is provided with a through-hole in which a wiring connecting one end of the induction coil and the power supply unit is arranged,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 6-10.
A heat transfer layer having heat transfer properties is disposed on the inner wall of the hollow member,
The second susceptor is in contact with the inner wall of the hollow member at least one place through the heat transfer layer.
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 3-11.
The induction coil is coated with a member having insulation and heat resistance,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-12.
The aerosol generating system comprises:
further comprising a storage unit having an internal space and an opening that communicates the internal space with the outside, and capable of containing the aerosol-generating article inserted into the internal space through the opening;
The induction heating unit is arranged so as to protrude into the internal space from a bottom portion of the housing portion on the opposite side of the opening,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-13.
The tip of the hollow member that is inserted into the aerosol-generating article is tapered.
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-14.
The hollow member is a cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, or a prism configured to be hollow,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-15.
The induction coil is wound at an angle of 10° or more with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the induction heating unit,
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-16.
wherein the aerosol-generating system comprises the aerosol-generating article;
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-17.
The aerosol-generating article contains an aerosol source in a portion into which the induction heating element is inserted.
Aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1-18.