WO2023105736A1

WO2023105736A1 - Cartridge accommodation lid, body unit of aerosol generation device, aerosol generation device, and non-combustion type inhaler

Info

Publication number: WO2023105736A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/045452
Authority: WO
Inventors: 弦也若林
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-12-10
Filing date: 2021-12-10
Publication date: 2023-06-15

Abstract

This cartridge accommodation lid comprises: a lid base portion that has a pivot shaft and pivots around the pivot shaft; a lock piece connected to a pivotal end portion of the lid base portion via a first biasing member; and a slide cover that covers the lock piece and is attached to the lid base portion so as to be slidable in a biasing direction in which the lock piece is biased. The slide cover includes a locking portion disposed on the side against which the lock piece is pressed by biasing of the first biasing member, the locking portion locking the lock piece, and a guide portion that permits movement of the lock piece away from the locking portion, toward the side opposite to the side against which the lock piece is pressed.

Description

Cartridge accommodation lid, main unit of aerosol generator, aerosol generator, and non-combustion inhaler

The present invention relates to a cartridge storage lid, an aerosol generator main unit, an aerosol generator, and a non-combustion inhaler.

Conventionally, non-combustion inhalers that inhale aerosols and enjoy flavors have been known. This type of non-combustion type inhaler includes, for example, a cartridge containing an aerosol source, a body unit of an aerosol generator containing the cartridge in a detachable manner, and a flavor imparting flavor to the aerosol atomized by the body unit. and a source container.

As this non-combustion type inhaler, for example, the electronic cigarette described in Patent Document 1 below is known. In this electronic cigarette, a battery is detachably housed in a case body, and a cover for covering the battery is attached to the case body in a pivotal (hinge) manner.

Chinese Utility Model Publication No. 206808665

The above conventional cover has a locking piece that engages with the case body. The lock piece is attached to the cover via a spring. The surface of the cover is formed with an opening through which the operating portion of the lock piece is exposed. A user can unlock the cover by putting a finger on the operating portion of the lock piece through the opening of the cover and pulling the lock piece.

By the way, in the cartridge accommodating portion that accommodates the cartridge, the cover that closes the opening is required to be highly airtight so that the aerosol does not leak out. In the configuration of the prior art described above, when the user closes the cover, a part of the cover surface touched by the user (the operating portion of the lock piece) moves. Therefore, it is difficult to close the cover, and in some cases, the cover may not be sufficiently locked, which may impair airtightness.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the surface of the cover touched by the user from moving when the cartridge housing lid is closed.

In order to achieve the above object, a cartridge housing lid according to an aspect of the present invention is provided with a lid base that is provided with a rotation shaft and that rotates around the rotation shaft. a lock piece connected via a first biasing member; a slide cover covering the lock piece and attached to the lid base so as to be slidable in a biasing direction in which the lock piece is biased; The slide cover is arranged on the side to which the lock piece is pressed by the bias of the first biasing member, and has a locking portion that locks the lock piece, and the and a guide portion that allows the movement of the lock piece to the side opposite to the side against which the lock piece is pressed.
According to this aspect, when the cartridge housing lid is closed, the lock piece covered with the slide cover moves inside the slide cover, so that the surface of the cover touched by the user can be prevented from moving.

In the cartridge housing lid, a surface of the cover facing away from the lock piece of the slide cover may be formed with unevenness extending in a direction crossing the urging direction.
According to this aspect, when opening the cartridge housing lid, the slide cover can be slid by hooking the user's finger or the like on the uneven surface of the cover.

In the cartridge housing lid, an electrode is arranged on the side of the lock piece opposite to the slide cover, and the lock piece is provided with a long hole extending in the urging direction to avoid interference with the electrode. may be
According to this aspect, even if the slide cover is slid to open the cartridge housing lid, the lock piece does not interfere with the electrode due to the elongated hole. Abrasion can be suppressed.

A main unit of an aerosol generating device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cartridge housing part that houses a cartridge, and the above-described cartridge housing lid that opens and closes an opening of the cartridge housing part.
According to this aspect, since the above-described cartridge storage lid is incorporated, the cartridge storage lid can be easily closed, and the airtightness of the cartridge storage portion can be easily ensured.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the cartridge containing portion may include a surrounding wall surrounding a peripheral portion of the cartridge containing lid when the cartridge containing lid is closed.
According to this aspect, when the cartridge housing lid is closed, the periphery of the cartridge housing lid is completely covered with the surrounding wall of the main unit. Therefore, even if the main unit is dropped, it is possible to prevent the cartridge housing cover from being damaged or displaced, thereby making it easier to ensure the airtightness of the cartridge housing portion.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the cartridge housing portion has a locked surface that moves the lock piece against the bias of the first biasing member when the cartridge housing lid is closed. You may have a piece.
According to this aspect, the locking piece can be moved by the inclined surface of the locked piece without sliding the slide cover when closing the cartridge housing lid.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the cartridge containing portion forms a collision wall with which the tip of the locking piece collides with the force of the first biasing member after the locking piece passes through the locked piece. You may prepare.
According to this aspect, when the cartridge housing cover is closed, the lock piece collides with the collision wall to generate a sound, so that the user can recognize that the lock has been applied.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the collision wall may be made of metal.
According to this aspect, a metallic sound effect is obtained in the collision sound of the lock piece, so that the user can more easily recognize that the lock has been applied.

The main unit of the aerosol generating device may further include a second biasing member that biases the cartridge housing lid toward the opening side in the rotation direction of the cartridge housing lid.
According to this aspect, when the cartridge housing lid is insufficiently locked, the cartridge housing lid is opened by the biasing force of the second biasing member, so that the user can easily recognize that the cartridge housing lid has been forgotten to be closed.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the cartridge housing lid may be opened at an acute angle with respect to the cartridge housing portion by the biasing force of the second biasing member when the lock by the lock piece is released. good.
According to this aspect, even if the main unit falls with the cartridge housing lid open, the probability that a load is applied in the direction in which the cartridge housing lid closes increases, and damage to the cartridge housing lid is suppressed. can be done.

The main unit of the aerosol generating device may include a physical stopper that allows the cartridge storage lid to open at an acute angle or more.
According to this aspect, when the cartridge housing lid is opened at an acute angle by the second biasing member and is about to open further, the opening of the cartridge housing lid is permitted until it abuts against the physical stopper. It is possible to further reduce the probability that the cartridge housing lid will be damaged.

In the main unit of the aerosol generating device, the cartridge housing lid has a seal portion that seals the opening of the cartridge housing portion, and the seal portion is configured to move the cartridge housing portion in the rotation direction of the cartridge housing lid. It may have an annular projection that protrudes toward the side that closes the opening of the portion.
According to this aspect, since the direction in which the cartridge housing lid is closed coincides with the direction in which the annular projection of the seal portion protrudes, it becomes easier to ensure the airtightness of the cartridge housing portion.

An aerosol generating device according to an aspect of the present invention includes the main unit described above, and a cartridge containing an aerosol source and inserted into the cartridge containing portion of the main unit.
According to this aspect, since the main unit including the above-described cartridge storage lid is provided, the cartridge storage lid can be easily closed, and the airtightness of the cartridge storage portion can be easily ensured.

A non-combustion inhaler according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the aerosol generator described above and a flavor source container attached to the aerosol generator.
According to this aspect, a flavor can be added to the aerosol.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the surface of the cover touched by the user from moving when the cartridge housing lid is closed.

1 is a left side perspective view of an aspirator according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view of an aspirator according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view of an aspirator according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view of an aspirator according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a bottom view of an aspirator according to one embodiment. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the suction device which concerns on one Embodiment from the bottom face side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 4; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mouthpiece according to one embodiment; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main unit according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an inner assembly according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a heating module according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge housing lid according to one embodiment; 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cartridge housing lid according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view of a cartridge housing lid according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lock of the cartridge housing lid according to one embodiment is released; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cartridge housing lid according to one embodiment is opened by a second biasing member; It is a left side view of an aspirator concerning one embodiment. It is a left view of the state which removed the outer case from the suction device which concerns on one Embodiment. 4 is a perspective view of a cover member according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a rear view of the cover member which concerns on one Embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view along XXII-XXII shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of area A shown in FIG. 5; FIG.

A non-combustion inhaler (hereinafter simply referred to as an inhaler) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Aspirator]
FIG. 1 is a left perspective view of an aspirator 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right perspective view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment viewed from the bottom side.
The inhaler 1 is a so-called non-combustion type inhaler, and obtains flavor by inhaling an aerosol atomized by heating through a flavor source.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inhaler 1 includes a main unit 2, a cartridge 3 (also called an atomization unit), a flavor source container 4, and a mouthpiece 5. The cartridge 3 is removably housed in the cartridge housing portion 10 of the main unit 2 . The flavor source container 4 is detachably attached to the heating module 11 of the main unit 2 . The mouthpiece 5 is detachably attached to the flavor source container 4 .

The body unit 2 includes a housing section 12. The housing part 12 is formed in the shape of a flat and rounded box as a whole. The housing portion 12 has a pair of main surface portions 12A and a peripheral wall portion 12B. Here, "a pair of" principal surface portions 12A means that one principal surface portion (first principal surface portion 12A1) and the other principal surface portion (second principal surface portion 12A2) are arranged to face each other. The first main surface portion 12A1 and the second main surface portion 12A2 are not limited to the meaning that the shapes of the details are the same.

When the housing 12 is assumed to be a hexahedron surrounded by six quadrangles, the pair of main surface portions 12A form a pair of opposing surfaces (the surfaces with the widest area in this embodiment) of the hexahedron. say the part. Also, the peripheral wall portion 12B is a portion forming the remaining four faces of the hexahedron excluding the pair of principal face portions 12A. The peripheral wall portion 12B is also referred to as a portion that connects the peripheral edges of the pair of main surface portions 12A arranged to face each other.

The housing part 12 includes an outer case 13, a display cover 14, and an inner case 20, as shown in FIG. The outer case 13 is formed by combining a first case 13A and a second case 13B. The first case 13A has a first main surface portion 12A1 and a first peripheral wall portion 12B1 provided along the periphery of the first main surface portion 12A1. Further, the second case 13B has a second main surface portion 12A2 and a second peripheral wall portion 12B2 provided on the peripheral edge of the second main surface portion 12A2.

The first peripheral wall portion 12B1 of the first case 13A, the second peripheral wall portion 12B2 of the second case 13B, the display cover 14, and the inner case 20 form the peripheral wall portion 12B. The peripheral wall portion 12B is formed with a mating surface between the first peripheral wall portion 12B1 of the first case 13A and the second peripheral wall portion 12B2 of the second case 13B.

As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral wall portion 12B is formed with four corner portions 12C (corner portions). The four corners 12C include a first corner 12C1 in which the heating module 11 is arranged, a second corner 12C2 in which the opening of the cartridge accommodating section 10 (see FIG. 6) is arranged, and a charging terminal 21 (see FIG. 6). 5) is arranged, and a fourth corner 12C4 is arranged with the input device 15 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, the display cover 14 is provided from the heating module 11 arranged at the first corner 12C1 to the fourth corner 12C4. The display cover 14 is formed with a through hole 14a for arranging the input device 15 (push button). The outer surface of the display cover 14 is lower than the outer surface of the outer case 13 . That is, the input device 15 is arranged in the recess.

The input device 15 may be arranged below the outer surface of the outer case 13 . In other words, at least part of the input device 15 may be arranged below the outer surface of the outer case 13 . Preferably, the entire input device 15 is arranged below the outer surface of the outer case 13 . In other words, it is preferable that the contact detection portion (button surface) of the input device 15 is arranged at a position that does not reach the outer surface of the outer case 13 .

As shown in FIG. 1, a window portion 16 is provided between the first corner portion 12C1 and the second corner portion 12C2 of the peripheral wall portion 12B. Through the window portion 16, the liquid remaining amount of the aerosol source in the cartridge 3 housed inside the cartridge housing portion 10 can be checked. The window portion 16 is formed by an opening portion 13a provided in the outer case 13 and a cover member 17 that covers the opening portion 13a. A first air inlet 18</b>A (to be described later) is provided in the gap between the opening 13 a and the cover member 17 to take air (outside air) into the housing 12 .

The outer case 13 has an exposed portion 13b that exposes a portion of the inner case 20 at the second corner 12C2. A second air inlet 18B (to be described later) is provided in the gap between the inner case 20 and the outer case 13 in the exposed portion 13b to take air (outside air) into the housing portion 12 . As shown in FIG. 2, the outer case 13 also has an exposed portion 13b that exposes a portion of the inner case 20 at the third corner 12C3, but the second air inlet 18B is not provided at the third corner 12C3. Not provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second corner 12C2 is provided with an opening for the cartridge accommodating portion 10. As shown in FIG. The opening of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 can be opened and closed by a cartridge accommodating lid 100 (described later) provided at the bottom of the housing portion 12 (inner case 20). As shown in FIG. 5, a charging terminal 21 is provided at the third corner portion 12C3. The inner case 20 has an opening 20a through which the charging terminal 21 is exposed.

In the following description, of the pair of main surface portions 12A (the first main surface portion 12A1 and the second main surface portion 12A2), the side on which the first main surface portion 12A1 is arranged is the front side, and the second main surface portion 12A2 is arranged. The side to be hit is called the rear side. 4, the side on which the heating module 11 is arranged is called the left side, and the side where the input device 15 is arranged is called the right side. The heating module 11 protrudes from the housing 12 as shown in FIG. The side from which the heating module 11 protrudes is called the upper side, and the opposite side is called the lower side.

Also, in the drawings, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system may be set, and the positional relationship of each member may be explained with reference to this XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction (also referred to as the thickness direction) of the suction device 1, the Y-axis direction is the lateral direction (also referred to as the width direction) of the suction device 1, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction of the suction device 1. direction (also called height direction).

That is, the first corner portion 12C1 (heating module 11) is arranged at the upper left of the housing portion 12. The second corner portion 12C2 (cartridge housing portion 10) is arranged at the lower left of the housing portion 12. As shown in FIG. The third corner portion 12C3 (charging terminal 21) is arranged on the lower right side of the housing portion 12. As shown in FIG. The fourth corner portion 12C4 is arranged on the upper right side of the housing portion 12 . Also, the first corner portion 12C1 (heating module 11) and the third corner portion 12C3 (charging terminal 21) are arranged on a diagonal line of the housing portion 12. As shown in FIG. The second corner portion 12C2 (cartridge housing portion 10) and the fourth corner portion 12C4 (input device 15) are arranged on a diagonal line of the housing portion 12. As shown in FIG.

Further, the positional relationship of each member may be described with reference to the main axis O of the cartridge accommodating portion 10. The main axis O is the central axis of the cylindrical cartridge accommodating portion 10 . The direction in which the main axis O extends is called the axial direction (Z-axis direction described above), the direction orthogonal to the main axis O is called the radial direction, and the direction around the main axis O is sometimes called the circumferential direction.

<Flavor source container>
A flavor source container 4 (also referred to as a tobacco capsule) shown in FIG. 6 contains a flavor source and adds flavor to the aerosol atomized by the cartridge 3 . As raw material pieces constituting the flavor source, shredded tobacco and a molded product obtained by forming tobacco raw materials into granules can be used. Also, the flavor source may be composed of plants other than tobacco (for example, mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). Further, the flavor source may be provided with a flavor such as menthol. Further, the flavor source may be a plant-derived carrier (cellulose or the like) or other carrier (including an inorganic carrier) carrying a fragrance. The flavor source container 4 is attached to the heating module 11 of the main unit 2 .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7 , the flavor source container 4 includes a bottomed cylindrical container body 41 and a filter 42 that covers the opening of the container body 41 . The peripheral wall 41 a of the container body 41 is inserted inside the capsule holder 61 of the heating module 11 . The upper side of the peripheral wall 41 a of the container body 41 protrudes from the capsule holder 61 . A mouthpiece 5 is attached to the upper side of the peripheral wall 41a.

A flange portion 41b extending radially outward is annularly provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 41a. The flange portion 41b abuts the upper opening edge of the capsule holder 61 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction). Inside the peripheral wall 41a of the container body 41, a flavor source storage chamber 41c is formed. A bottom wall 41d of the container body 41 is formed with a plurality of fine holes 41e penetrating in the axial direction.

The filter 42 is made of nonwoven fabric, for example. The filter 42 is arranged inside the peripheral wall 41 a of the container body 41 . The filter 42 closes the opening of the container body 41 to form a flavor source storage chamber 41 c inside the flavor source container 4 . The flavor source described above is accommodated in the flavor source accommodation chamber 41c.

<Mouthpiece>
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the mouthpiece 5 according to one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 8, the mouthpiece 5 includes a cylindrical mouthpiece 51 that a user holds in his/her mouth, and a mouthpiece base 52 to which the mouthpiece 51 is attached. The mouthpiece 51 is, for example, a soft resin molding made of a resin material such as silicone resin. The mouthpiece base 52 is, for example, a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polypropylene resin.

As shown in FIG. 7, the mouthpiece base portion 52 includes an insertion cylinder portion 52a inserted into the inside of the mouthpiece portion 51 and an outer fitting cylinder portion connected to the lower end of the insertion cylinder portion 52a and externally fitted to the flavor source container 4. 52b and . A step is formed on the outer surface between the insertion tube portion 52a and the outer fitting tube portion 52b, and an annular groove 52c recessed axially downward (-Z side) is formed on the upper surface of this step. ing. The lower end of the mouthpiece 51 is formed with an insertion portion 51a that is inserted into the annular groove 52c.

<Cartridge>
The cartridge 3 shown in FIG. 6 stores a liquid aerosol source and atomizes the liquid aerosol source. The cartridge 3 is formed in a columnar shape, and is housed inside the housing portion 12 from a cartridge housing portion 10 provided at the bottom portion of the housing portion 12 .

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the cartridge 3 includes a tank 31, a gasket 32, a mesh body 33, an atomization container 34, a heating section 35, and a heater holder . A tank 31 stores an aerosol source. The tank 31 is translucent so that the remaining amount of liquid in the aerosol source can be checked.

Here, “translucency” refers to the property of a substance through which light passes, which is “transparency” in which the transmittance is extremely high and the other side can be seen through the substance, and the property of transmitting light in the same way as “transparency”. However, because the transmitted light is diffused or the transmittance is low, unlike "transparent", it includes a state in which the shape of the other side cannot be clearly recognized through the material. In other words, even frosted glass, opalescent plastic, etc. have translucency.

The tank 31 is formed in a capped tubular shape. A top wall 31a of the tank 31 is formed with a through hole 31b. A flow pipe 31c (also referred to as an inner peripheral wall) connected to the through hole 31b is vertically provided on the top wall 31a. The channel tube 31c serves as a channel for the atomized aerosol. The flow pipe 31c is connected to the outer peripheral wall 31d of the tank 31 via a plurality of ribs 31e. The ribs 31e are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to be radial when viewed from the axial direction (see FIG. 22 described later).

As shown in FIG. 9, the outer peripheral wall 31d of the tank 31 extends downward (-Z side) from the lower end of the flow pipe 31c. Two engagement holes 31f are formed near the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 31d. The two engaging holes 31 f are for fixing the heater holder 36 to the tank 31 . The two engaging holes 31f are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the outer peripheral wall 31d with the main axis O interposed therebetween. In the state in which the cartridge 3 is housed in the cartridge housing portion 10 , the central axis of the cartridge 3 coincides or substantially coincides with the main axis O of the cartridge housing portion 10 .

The gasket 32 is an annular plate member that covers the bottom of an annular space (liquid storage chamber 31g) formed between the outer peripheral wall 31d of the tank 31 and the channel pipe 31c. The gasket 32 positions the mesh body 33 and holds the posture of the mesh body 33 . A plurality of openings 32 a are formed in the gasket 32 . The openings 32a are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The mesh body 33 is in contact with the liquid storage chamber 31g through the opening 32a of the gasket 32 and wetted.

The mesh body 33 is a member that is porous and has liquid absorption properties. The mesh body 33 is made of, for example, cotton-based fiber material, glass-based fiber, or the like. The mesh body 33 is also formed in substantially the same annular shape as the gasket 32 . That is, the channel tube 31c can be inserted into the center of the mesh body 33 in the radial direction. The opening 32 a of the gasket 32 is closed by the mesh body 33 to form a liquid storage chamber 31 g inside the tank 31 . A liquid aerosol source is stored in the liquid storage chamber 31g.

The atomization container 34 is made of an elastic member, for example, a resin material such as silicone resin. The atomization container 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The upper opening edge of the peripheral wall 34a of the atomization container 34 is in contact with the outer peripheral edge of the mesh body 33 in the axial direction. That is, the mesh body 33 is sandwiched between the gasket 32 and the atomization container 34 . A fitting portion 34b is formed on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 34a of the atomization container 34 so as to fit into the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall 31d of the tank 31 .

Inside the peripheral wall 34a of the atomization container 34, an atomization chamber 34c is formed. The atomization chamber 34 c communicates with the flow pipe 31 c of the tank 31 . A bottom wall 34d of the atomization container 34 is formed with an opening 34e. A heating unit 35 is arranged in the atomization chamber 34c.
The heating section 35 is for atomizing the liquid aerosol source. The heating unit 35 includes a wick 35a connected to the mesh body 33 and a heating wire 35b for heating the wick 35a.

The wick 35a is a substantially cylindrical member that is porous and has liquid absorption properties. The wick 35a is curved and deformed into a substantially U shape. More specifically, the wick 35a has two axially extending portions extending in the axial direction and a radially extending portion connecting the two axially extending portions. The two axial extensions are arranged to overlap in the X-axis direction and are connected to the mesh body 33 respectively. As a result, the aerosol source absorbed by the mesh body 33 is sucked up by the wick 35a.

The heating wire 35b is spirally wound around the radially extending portion of the wick 35a. Both ends of the heating wire 35b extend toward the heater holder 36 along the axial direction. Both ends of the heating wire 35b are electrically connected to two flat electrodes 36h provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall 36d of the heater holder 36, respectively. When the heating wire 35b is energized through the two plane electrodes 36h, the wick 35a is heated. As the wick 35a is heated, the aerosol source absorbed by the wick 35a is atomized.

The heater holder 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The peripheral wall 36 a of the heater holder 36 is inserted outside the peripheral wall 34 a of the atomization container 34 and inside the outer peripheral wall 31 d of the tank 31 . The top opening edge of the peripheral wall 36a abuts on the fitting portion 34b of the atomization container 34 in the axial direction. Two engaging pieces 36b that engage with two engaging holes 31f of the outer peripheral wall 31d of the tank 31 are formed at the upper end of the peripheral wall 36a. Between the tank 31 and the heater holder 36, the gasket 32, the mesh body 33, and the atomization container 34 are installed in this order in the axial direction.

The lower side of the peripheral wall 36a of the heater holder 36 is exposed from the tank 31. The lower side of this peripheral wall 36 a has substantially the same outer diameter as the outer peripheral wall 31 d of the tank 31 . Two intake holes 36c are formed through the peripheral wall 36a in the radial direction. The two air intake holes 36c are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the peripheral wall 36a with the main axis O interposed therebetween.

The two intake holes 36c communicate the outside of the cartridge 3 (the cartridge housing space 10A of the cartridge housing portion 10) and the atomization chamber 34c. The bottom wall 36d of the heater holder 36 is also formed with an air intake hole 36e penetrating in the axial direction, but it is not necessary. The intake hole 36e also communicates the outside of the cartridge 3 (the cartridge housing space 10A of the cartridge housing portion 10) with the atomization chamber 34c.

A plate-like isolation wall 36f is erected in the axial direction on the bottom wall 36d of the heater holder 36. The isolation wall 36f extends in the radial direction, and both ends thereof are connected to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 36a. Two slits are formed through the bottom wall 36d in the axial direction. The two slits are arranged with the isolation wall 36f interposed therebetween, and the bent portions of the two plane electrodes 36h are inserted. The isolation wall 36f prevents the two flat electrodes 36h and both ends of the heating wire 35b connected to the two flat electrodes 36h from being short-circuited.

<Body unit>
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the main unit 2 according to one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, the main unit 2 includes an inner assembly 20A in which various parts are assembled in an inner case 20. As shown in FIG. The inner assembly 20A is sandwiched between the first case 13A and the second case 13B of the outer case 13 together with the plate-shaped cushion material 19, and covers the front side and the back side thereof.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the inner assembly 20A according to one embodiment. Note that FIG. 11 shows a state in which the heating module 11 and the cartridge housing lid 100 are removed from the inner assembly 20A.
As shown in FIG. 10, the inner assembly 20A includes an inner case body 22, a power supply 23, a main substrate 24, a display device 25, a sensor 26, a light source 27, a vibrator 28, a flexible printed circuit board 29, It has

The inner case main body 22 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin or ABS resin. The inner case main body 22 includes a cartridge accommodating portion 10 that accommodates the cartridge 3 and a power supply accommodating portion 22A that accommodates the power supply 23 . The cartridge housing portion 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the Z-axis direction. The power source accommodating portion 22A is continuous with the +Y side of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 and is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape extending in the Z-axis direction.

A cartridge abutting portion 22b is fitted in the axially upper (+Z side) opening of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 . The cartridge contact portion 22b is an elastic body made of a resin material such as silicone resin. As shown in FIG. 7, the cartridge contact portion 22b includes a first ring portion 22b1, a cylindrical portion 22b2, and a second ring portion 22b3. An annular projection 10B that protrudes radially inward is formed on the inner wall surface of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 on the axially upper side (+Z side).

The first ring portion 22b1 is arranged axially above (+Z side) the annular projection 10B. The first ring portion 22b1 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the annular protrusion 10B and extends to the inner wall surface of the cartridge accommodating portion 10. As shown in FIG. The first ring portion 22b1 contacts the bottom wall 41d of the flavor source container 4 inside the capsule holder 61 . The surface of the first ring portion 22b1 facing the bottom wall 41d of the flavor source container 4 may be a flat surface, or may have a groove formed in accordance with the shape of the leg portion of the bottom wall 41d.

The first ring portion 22b1 serves as a non-slip for the flavor source container 4 and a sealing chamber for the fine holes 41e of the flavor source container 4. It should be noted that the first ring portion 22b1 may not come into contact with the bottom wall 41d of the flavor source container 4. In this case, the contact portion between the flavor source container 4 and the capsule holder 61 in the flange portion 41b can form a seal portion that prevents the introduction of outside air. The cylindrical portion 22b2 is arranged radially inside the annular projection 10B. The cylindrical portion 22b2 axially connects the inner diameter side of the first ring portion 22b1 and the inner diameter side of the second ring portion 22b3.

The second ring portion 22b3 is arranged axially lower (-Z side) than the annular projection 10B. The second ring portion 22b3 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the annular projection 10B, contacts the lower surface of the annular projection 10B, and is formed in an inverted truncated cone shape whose diameter decreases axially downward. A seal ring 22b4 is formed at the lower end of the second ring portion 22b3. Due to the seal ring 22b4, the contact of the second ring portion 22b3 with respect to the cartridge 3 is no longer planar contact, and the contact pressure with respect to the cartridge 3 increases.

A communication hole 22b5 is formed in the center of the first ring portion 22b1, the cylindrical portion 22b2, and the second ring portion 22b3. The communication hole 22b5 allows the through hole 21b of the tank 31 of the cartridge 3 and the fine hole 41e of the flavor source container 4 to communicate with each other. A seal ring 22b4 of the second ring portion 22b3 is formed in a double annular shape. This seal ring 22b4 contacts the top wall 31a of the tank 31 around the through hole 31b of the cartridge 3, thereby forming a highly airtight double seal.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the heating module 11 according to one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 12 , the heating module 11 includes a heater section 60 , a capsule holder 61 that houses the heater section 60 , and a design ring 62 fitted onto the capsule holder 61 .

The heater section 60 includes a film heater 60a, a pipe member 60b, and a shrinkable tube 60c. The film heater 60a is, for example, a heating element such as a heating wire sandwiched between heat-resistant films. The film heater 60a is cylindrically wound around the outer peripheral surface of the pipe member 60b.

The flavor source container 4 attached to the capsule holder 61 is inserted inside the pipe member 60b. The pipe member 60b is made of, for example, a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel. The shrinkable tube 60c is attached to the radially outer side of the film heater 60a, and brings the film heater 60a into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe member 60b by elastic contraction, thermal contraction, or the like.

The capsule holder 61 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin or ABS resin. The capsule holder 61 has a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction, and its axial upper side is tapered into a truncated cone shape. A snap fit 61a is provided at the axial lower end of the capsule holder 61 . The snap fit 61a is fitted to a convex portion 10a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge housing portion 10 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12, the design ring 62 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the capsule holder 61. A stepped portion 61b into which the design ring 62 is fitted is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the capsule holder 61. As shown in FIG. The design ring 62 has a color and luster different from those of the capsule holder 61 and improves the design of the main unit 2. - 特許庁The design ring 62 is made of, for example, an anodized aluminum material.

As shown in FIG. 11, a stopper ring 22c is fitted onto the lower end portion 10b of the cartridge accommodating portion 10. As shown in FIG. Like the design ring 62, the stopper ring 22c is made of, for example, anodized aluminum. A first opening 10c is formed in the peripheral surface on the left side (−Y side) of the cartridge accommodating portion 10. As shown in FIG. The first opening 10c is formed in the shape of an elongated hole extending in the axial direction.

A cover member 17 is adhered to the peripheral surface on the left side (-Y side) of the cartridge housing portion 10 via an adhesive sheet 17b. The cover member 17 is translucent and closes the first opening 10c. Thereby, the liquid remaining amount of the aerosol source of the cartridge 3 housed in the cartridge housing portion 10 can be confirmed through the cover member 17 and the first opening 10c.

The cover member 17 is formed with two communication holes 17a. Also, the cartridge accommodating portion 10 is formed with two communication holes 10d communicating with the two communication holes 17a. The communication holes 17a and 10d provide spatial communication between the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B shown in FIG.

The power source accommodating portion 22A has an opening on the front side (+X side), and accommodates the power source 23 through the opening. The power source 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the Z-axis direction. The power supply 23 is electrically connected to the main board 24 via wiring. The power supply 23 is, for example, a storage battery (secondary battery), and can be charged via a charging terminal 21 provided on the main board 24 . Note that the power source 23 is not limited to a rechargeable secondary battery, and may be a supercapacitor or the like. Also, the power supply 23 may be a primary battery. If the power source 23 is a primary battery, the charging terminal 21 is unnecessary.

The inner case main body 22 includes a top plate 22B, a side plate 22C, and a bottom plate 22D that surround the power source accommodating portion 22A. The cartridge housing portion 10 is arranged at a position facing the side plate 22C in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and the four sides of the power source 23 are the top plate 22B, the side plate 22C, the bottom plate 22D, and the cartridge housing portion. Surrounded by 10.

The top plate 22B faces the upper end of the power supply 23 with a gap in the Z-axis direction. A disk-shaped cushion material 23a is inserted into the gap between the top plate 22B and the power supply 23. As shown in FIG. Also, the bottom plate 22D faces the lower end of the power supply 23 with a gap in the Z-axis direction. A disk-shaped cushion material 23a is inserted into the gap between the bottom plate 22D and the power supply 23. As shown in FIG.

The top plate 22B holds the display device 25 and the input device 15. The display device 25 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display. The display device 25 is electrically connected to the main board 24 via a flexible printed board 25a. The display device 25 is arranged on the lower side (-Z side) of the display cover 14 . The display cover 14 is snap-fitted to both left and right ends of the top plate 22B. The display cover 14 is translucent so that the display surface of the display device 25 can be checked.

The input device 15 is, for example, a push button. The input device 15 has a switch button 15a, a switch holder 15b, and a switch board 15c. The switch board 15c is provided on the second end portion 29b of the flexible printed board 29 . The switch button 15a is arranged on the switch substrate 15c. The switch button 15a is attached to the display cover 14 through a switch holder 15b. Note that the input device may be a touch panel. That is, the input device 15 should just be a contact detection part.

A second opening 10e is formed on the right (+Y side) peripheral surface of the cartridge housing portion 10 . The second opening 10e is formed in the shape of an elongated hole extending in the axial direction. A sensor holder 26a is adhered to the right (−Y side) peripheral surface of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 via an adhesive sheet 26c. The sensor holder 26a holds the sensor 26. As shown in FIG. The sensor 26 is a so-called puff sensor that detects user's suction. Examples of the sensor 26 include a pressure sensor that detects pressure, an airflow sensor that detects airflow, and a temperature sensor that detects temperature. The sensor 26 of the present embodiment has a detecting portion on the side facing the cartridge housing portion 10 . The detector detects, for example, the behavior of the diaphragm that deforms according to pressure fluctuations as a change in capacitance.

A pedestal portion 26b is formed on the sensor holder 26a. A light source 27 is mounted on the pedestal portion 26b. The light source 27 is, for example, an LED light. The sensor holder 26 a is translucent and also serves as a light guide member that guides the light from the light source 27 into the cartridge housing portion 10 . The sensor holder 26a is made of polycarbonate resin, for example. Polycarbonate resin gives the sensor holder 26a holding the sensor 26 an appropriate hardness and a good translucency for serving also as a light guide member. As for the translucency of the sensor holder 26a, it is preferable that the transmissivity is lower than that of transparent so that the transmitted light is diffused.

The light source 27 is electrically connected to the sub-board 27a. A vibrator 28 is electrically connected to the sub-board 27a through wiring. The vibrator 28 abuts on the second case 13B side (see FIG. 22 described later). The vibrator 28 operates at predetermined timing (for example, timing when the input device 15 is pressed) to vibrate the outer case 13 . The sub-board 27 a is electrically connected to the main board 24 via the third end 29 c of the flexible printed board 29 .

The main board 24 is held by the side plate 22C. The main board 24 has a plate shape extending along the XZ plane. A charging terminal 21 is mounted on the lower end of the main board 24 . The main board 24 is connected directly or indirectly via a flexible printed board 29 to the various electronic components described above.

Here, the "main board" refers to the largest board among the boards accommodated inside the casing section 12. The main board 24 is larger than the sub-board 27a and the switch board 15c of the input device 15 described above. Note that when only one board is housed inside the housing section 12, that board is the "main board". Further, when two boards of the same size are housed inside the housing 12, the board provided with an electronically controlled arithmetic unit such as a CPU or a microcomputer is referred to as a "main board".

The flexible printed board 29 is electrically connected to a first end 29a electrically connected to the main board 24, a second end 29b electrically connected to the switch board 15c, and the sub board 27a. It has a third end 29c and a fourth end 29d with a contact pad 29e. The contact pad 29e (fourth end 29d) is held by the bottom plate 22D. A cap member 22d that covers the charging terminal 21 is attached to the bottom plate 22D. Further, a bearing portion 22D1 for mounting the cartridge housing lid 100 is formed on the bottom plate 22D.

<Cartridge storage lid>
A cartridge housing lid 100 shown in FIG. 6 opens and closes the cartridge housing section 10 provided at the bottom of the housing section 12 . The cartridge housing lid 100 is attached to the housing portion 12 (inner case 20) in a pivot manner (hinge manner).

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge housing lid 100 according to one embodiment. FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cartridge housing lid 100 according to one embodiment. FIG. 15 is a plan sectional view of the cartridge housing lid 100 according to one embodiment. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cartridge housing lid 100 according to one embodiment is unlocked.
As shown in FIG. 13, the cartridge housing lid 100 includes a projecting electrode 101, an electrode holder 110, a seal portion 120, a metal holder 130, an electrode substrate 140, a slide cover 150, a lock piece 160, and a first A biasing member 170 , a lid base portion 180 , a rotating shaft 190 and a second biasing member 200 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 14, the projecting electrode 101 is inserted into the cartridge housing space 10A inside the cartridge housing portion 10 with the cartridge housing lid 100 closed. A tip portion of the protruding electrode 101 is biased toward +Z side by a spring member accommodated inside the protruding electrode 101, and is displaceable in the Z-axis direction. That is, the tip portion of the projecting electrode 101 extends toward the cartridge 3, and is displaced to the -Z side when the cartridge 3 is inserted. Even in this state, the tip portion of the projecting electrode 101 is biased toward the +Z side, so contact with the cartridge 3 can be ensured.

Three protruding electrodes 101 of this embodiment are provided so that alignment with the two flat electrodes 36h of the cartridge 3 is not required. As shown in FIG. 6, the two flat electrodes 36h of the cartridge 3 are each formed in a 180° semicircular shape. On the other hand, the projecting electrodes 101 are arranged at intervals of 120° at positions corresponding to the three vertices of an equilateral triangle, as shown in FIG. As a result, at least two of the three projecting electrodes 101 come into contact with the two planar electrodes 36h. Therefore, the heating portion 35 of the cartridge 3 can be reliably heated by the energization from the projecting electrode 101 .

The electrode holder 110 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polyamide resin. As shown in FIG. 13 , the electrode holder 110 includes a disk-shaped top plate portion 111 and three projecting portions 112 projecting downward from the bottom surface of the top plate portion 111 . Three through holes 113 into which the projecting electrodes 101 are inserted are formed in the top plate portion 111 . The three through holes 113 are formed at positions corresponding to the three protrusions 112 .

The seal portion 120 is a soft resin molding made of a resin material such as silicone resin. The seal portion 120 includes a plate-like base portion 121 and a cylindrical portion 122 protruding upward from the upper surface of the base portion 121 . The base portion 121 has a semicircular shape in plan view on the left side (−Y side) and a rectangular shape in plan view on the right side (+Y side).

The cylindrical portion 122 is arranged on the left side (-Y side) of the base portion 121 . The electrode holder 110 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 122 . Inside the cylindrical portion 122, three through holes 123 are formed into which the three projecting portions 112 of the electrode holder 110 are inserted. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 122 is arranged above the top plate portion 111 of the inserted electrode holder 110 and supports the bottom portion of the cartridge 3 when the tip portion of the projecting electrode 101 moves downward.

An annular projection 124 protruding upward is formed around the cylindrical portion 122 on the upper surface of the base portion 121 . That is, the annular projection 124 protrudes in the direction of rotation of the cartridge housing cover 100 (circumferential direction around the X-axis) to the side that closes the opening of the cartridge housing portion 10 (counterclockwise tangential direction in this embodiment). there is As shown in FIG. 14, the annular projection 124 is elastically deformed by contacting the lower opening edge of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 from below. As a result, the opening of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 is hermetically sealed over the entire circumference.

Returning to FIG. 13, the metal holder 130 is made of a high-strength metal material such as stainless steel. The metal holder 130 is formed by pressing a metal plate, for example. The metal holder 130 is formed with three through holes 131 communicating with the three through holes 123 of the seal portion 120 . Three protrusions 112 of the electrode holder 110 are inserted into the three through holes 131 of the metal holder 130 .

A rectangular opening 132 is formed on the right side (+Y side) of the three through holes 131 of the metal holder 130 . A pair of slide rails 133 are formed on the metal holder 130 . The pair of slide rails 133 are formed by bending both sides of the metal holder 130 in the X-axis direction into a crank shape. Further, an insertion portion 134 is formed on the right side (+Y side) of the opening 132 of the metal holder 130 . The insertion portion 134 is inserted in the Y-axis direction into an insertion groove 185 formed in the lid base portion 180 .

The electrode substrate 140 is a rigid substrate in which conductor wiring such as copper is provided on an insulator such as polychlorinated biphenyl. The electrode substrate 140 is attached to the lower surface of the metal holder 130 by fitting or bonding. The electrode substrate 140 is formed with three through holes 141 communicating with the three through holes 131 of the metal holder 130 . Three projecting electrodes 101 projecting from the lower ends of the three through holes 123 of the seal portion 120 are inserted into the three through holes 141 of the electrode substrate 140 .

Three spring contacts 142 are provided on the right side (+Y side) of the three through holes 141 of the electrode substrate 140 . The three spring contacts 142 are arranged at positions corresponding to the openings 132 of the metal holder 130 . The three spring contacts 142 are electrically connected to the three projecting electrodes 101 via conductor wiring (not shown). The three spring contacts 142 contact the contact pads 29e when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, as shown in FIG. That is, the three protruding electrodes 101 are electrically connected to the main substrate 24 via the contact pads 29e when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, and the energization is controlled.

Returning to FIG. 13, the slide cover 150 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin or ABS resin. The slide cover 150 includes a cover bottom wall 151 forming the lower surface (cover surface) of the cartridge housing lid 100 and a cover peripheral wall 152 protruding upward from the peripheral edge of the cover bottom wall 151 . The cover bottom wall 151 has a semicircular shape in plan view on the left side (−Y side) and a rectangular shape in plan view on the right side (+Y side).

The left side (-Y side) of the cover peripheral wall 152 is formed in a semicircular shape in plan view. The right side (+Y side) of the cover peripheral wall 152 extends in parallel in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) from both ends of the semi-arc portion. An upper end portion 152a of the semicircular portion of the cover peripheral wall 152 abuts on the lower surface of the metal holder 130 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. A through-hole 156 is formed in the semicircular portion of the cover peripheral wall 152 , through which the claw portion 161 of the lock piece 160 is inserted in the Y-axis direction.

A pedestal portion 153 , a cover slide groove 154 , and a lock release groove 155 are provided in front and rear pairs inside the parallel portion of the cover peripheral wall 152 . The pair of pedestals 153 are in contact with the electrode substrate 140 arranged inside the cover peripheral wall 152 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. A pair of slide rails 133 of the metal holder 130 are engaged with the pair of cover slide grooves 154 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. A pair of locked portions 162 of the lock piece 160 are engaged with the pair of lock release grooves 155 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the pair of unlocking grooves 155 includes locking portions 155a and guide portions 155b. The lock portion 155a is a wall portion that locks the lock piece 160 and is arranged on the side (−Y side) against which the lock piece 160 is pressed by the Y-axis direction bias of the first biasing member 170 . The guide portion 155b is a groove portion that allows the movement of the lock piece 160 to the opposite side (+Y side) to the side against which the lock piece 160 is pushed away from the locking portion 155a.

Here, "the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed" can be rephrased as the front side in the biasing direction (-Y side) when the first biasing member 170 is a coil spring. In addition, when the first biasing member 170 is a coil spring, "the side opposite to the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed" can be rephrased as the biasing direction rear side (+Y side). If the first biasing member 170 is a torsion spring and the lock piece 160 is rotationally biased, the front side in the rotation direction (also referred to as the downstream side in the rotation direction) of the lock piece 160 is the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed. , and the rear side in the rotation direction of the lock piece 160 (also referred to as the upstream side in the rotation direction) is "the side opposite to the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed."

The locking portion 155a forms the left (-Y side) end of the unlocking groove 155. As shown in FIG. The locking portion 155a forms an XZ plane facing the locked portion 162 of the lock piece 160 in the Y-axis direction, and is in surface contact with the locked portion 162. As shown in FIG. The guide portion 155b extends to the right (+Y side) from the locking portion 155a. The right (+Y side) end of the guide portion 155b is open. The slide rail 133 of the metal holder 130 is arranged on the side (+Y side) opposite to the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed. The slide rail 133 faces the locked portion 162 of the lock piece 160 with a gap in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the slide rail 133 prevents the engaged portion 162 from coming off from the guide portion 155b.

As shown in FIG. 14, on the surface of the slide cover 150 facing the opposite side (-Z side) of the lock piece 160 (the lower surface of the cover bottom wall 151), the biasing direction (Y-axis) of the first biasing member 170 is provided. direction) are formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the unevenness 150a of the present embodiment extends in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the biasing direction (Y-axis direction), and concaves and convexes are alternately formed in the biasing direction. there is As a result, the user's finger or the like can be hooked on the unevenness 150a to slide the slide cover 150 in the Y-axis direction. Note that the unevenness 150a is not limited to a linear groove (or projection) extending in the X-axis direction, and may be a V-shaped groove (or projection) or the like when viewed from the bottom.

As shown in FIG. 13 , a pair of projecting portions 157 protrude upward from the upper end portion of the parallel portion of the cover peripheral wall 152 . The pair of protrusions 157 is arranged on the side (+Y side) opposite to the side against which the lock piece 160 is pressed with respect to the pair of front and rear edge portions 135 provided on the left (−Y side) semicircular portion of the metal holder 130 . be done. The pair of edge portions 135 faces the pair of protrusions 157 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the pair of edge portions 135 serve as retainers for the slide cover 150 biased by the first biasing member 170 .

The lock piece 160 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polyacetal resin. The lock piece 160 includes a claw portion 161 , a pair of locked portions 162 and a spring mounting portion 163 . The claw portion 161 is formed on the front side (-Y side) of the locking piece 160 in the biasing direction. As shown in FIG. 15, the claw portion 161 extends forward in the biasing direction (-Y side) from the through hole 156 of the cover peripheral wall 152 while the locked portion 162 is in contact with the locking portion 155a of the slide cover 150. protrude. In this state, the claw portion 161 is locked to the stopper ring 22c. As a result, the cartridge housing lid 100 is locked in the closed state.

As shown in FIG. 14, the stopper ring 22c has a collision wall 22c1, a surrounding wall 22c2, and a locked piece 22c3. The collision wall 22c1 is a portion into which the claw portion 161 in the locked state is inserted, and the thickness of the stopper ring 22c is partially reduced. As a result, the collision wall 22c1 is easily vibrated, and when the lock piece 160 collides with the cartridge housing lid 100, the collision wall 22c1 emits a metallic sound like a click sound, and is locked. The user can recognize that.

The surrounding wall 22c2 surrounds the cover peripheral wall 152 of the slide cover 150 when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed. The surrounding wall 22c2 extends to a position below the bottom surface of the cover bottom wall 151 (cover surface). Surrounding wall 22 c 2 may extend at least to the same position as the lower surface of cover bottom wall 151 . Preferably, the surrounding wall 22c2 extends to a position below the lower surface of the cover bottom wall 151. As shown in FIG. When the surrounding wall 22c2 extends below the lower surface of the cover bottom wall 151 as in the present embodiment, the cover surface of the cartridge housing lid 100 is arranged at a position that does not reach the lower end of the surrounding wall 22c2. Therefore, the cartridge housing lid 100 can be completely enclosed.

The locked piece 22c3 protrudes rightward (+Y side) from the lower side of the collision wall 22c1 on the inner wall surface of the stopper ring 22c. The locked piece 22c3 has a flat upper surface and an inclined lower surface. When the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, the locked piece 22c3 can move the lock piece 160 to the right (+Y side) against the bias of the first biasing member 170 by the inclined surface on the lower side. . Further, after the locking piece 160 passes through the locking piece 22c3, the locking piece 22c3 locks the claw portion 161 protruded to the -Y side by the biasing force of the first biasing member 170 on the upper surface side plane. can be done.

Returning to FIG. 13, the pair of locked portions 162 are provided on both sides of the lock piece 160 in the X-axis direction. The pair of engaged portions 162 are formed in a rectangular plate shape in plan view. The spring mounting portion 163 is provided on the rear side (+Y side) of the lock piece 160 in the biasing direction. One end of the first biasing member 170 is fixed to the spring mounting portion 163 . An elongated hole 164 extending in the Y-axis direction (biasing direction) for avoiding interference with the projecting electrode 101 is provided on the upper surface side of the locking piece 160 configured as described above. Three long holes 164 are formed corresponding to the three projecting electrodes 101 . The length of the elongated hole 164 in the Y-axis direction corresponds to the movement stroke of the lock piece 160 in the Y-axis direction.

The first biasing member 170 is formed from a spring member such as a coil spring. The first biasing member 170 is not limited to a spring member, and may be an elastic body such as rubber as long as it can bias the lock piece 160 toward the -Y side. The other end of the first biasing member 170 on the +Y side is attached to a spring attachment portion 183 provided at the rotating end portion 180A of the lid base portion 180, as shown in FIG. Note that the pivoting end portion 180A of the lid base portion 180 can also be said to be the pivoting end portion of the lid base portion 180 that swings about the pivot shaft 190 .

The lid base 180 is a hard resin molding made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin or ABS resin. The lid base portion 180 includes an insertion hole 181, an accommodation groove 182, as shown in FIG. 13, and a spring attachment portion 183, a slide groove 184, and an insertion groove 185, as shown in FIG. . The insertion hole 181 penetrates the lid base 180 in the X-axis direction, as shown in FIG. A rotating shaft 190 is inserted into the insertion hole 181 . The rotating shaft 190 is made of, for example, a high-strength metal material such as stainless steel.

The accommodation groove 182 is arranged on an extension line of the insertion hole 181 . As shown in FIG. 15, the second biasing member 200 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 182 . The second biasing member 200 is formed of a spring member such as a torsion spring. The second urging member 200 urges the cartridge housing lid 100 to open in the rotation direction of the cartridge housing lid 100 (counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 190 in this embodiment). If there is, it is not limited to the spring member, and may be an elastic body such as rubber.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cartridge housing lid 100 according to one embodiment is opened by the second biasing member 200. As shown in FIG. 17, the main unit 2 is shown upside down assuming that the cartridge 3 is inserted.
When the lock by the lock piece 160 is released, the cartridge housing lid 100 opens at an acute angle θ1 as shown in FIG. The acute angle θ1 is set to about 85°, for example, with the bottom surface of the main unit 2 (housing portion 12) as a reference. Note that the acute angle θ1 is not limited to 85° as long as the angle allows the cartridge 3 to be inserted into the cartridge housing portion 10 without interfering with the cartridge housing lid 100 .

The main unit 2 has a physical stopper 22d1 that allows the cartridge housing lid 100 to be opened at an acute angle θ1 or more. The physical stopper 22d1 of this embodiment is formed by a cap member 22d attached to the inner case main body 22. As shown in FIG. The cartridge housing lid 100 can be opened up to an angle θ2 at which the slide groove 184 of the lid base 180 contacts the physical stopper 22d1. The angle θ2 is set to an obtuse angle of about 95°, for example, with the bottom surface of the main unit 2 (housing portion 12) as a reference. The angle θ2 may be an acute angle instead of an obtuse angle as long as it is larger than the acute angle θ1, or may be a right angle of 90°.

The slide groove 184 is formed on the lower surface side of the lid base 180, as shown in FIG. The slide groove 184 is a portion where the cover bottom wall 151 of the slide cover 150 slides, and is recessed upward by the thickness of the cover bottom wall 151 . The insertion portion 134 of the metal holder 130 is inserted into the insertion groove 185 as described above.

<Air inlet>
FIG. 18 is a left side view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 19 is a left side view of the suction device 1 according to one embodiment with the outer case 13 removed. In addition, in FIG. 19, the first air flow path 70 and the second air flow path 80 are represented with a dot pattern to improve visibility.
As shown in FIG. 18, a peripheral wall portion 12B of the housing portion 12 is formed with a first air inlet 18A and a second air inlet 18B.

The first air inlet 18A draws air into the cartridge housing space 10A from the window 16 between adjacent corners 12C (first corner 12C1 and second corner 12C2 in this embodiment) of the peripheral wall 12B. The housing portion 12 includes an opening portion 13a formed between adjacent corner portions 12C of the peripheral wall portion 12B and a cover member 17 provided in the opening portion 13a. A first air inlet 18A is formed in the gap.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the cover member 17 according to one embodiment. FIG. 21 is a rear view of the cover member 17 according to one embodiment. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXII-XXII shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 20, the cover member 17 includes a first outer protrusion 17A, a plate portion 17B, an inner protrusion 17C (see FIG. 21), and a second outer protrusion 17D.

The first outer protrusion 17A is formed on the surface facing the outside (-Y side) of the plate portion 17B. The first outer projection 17A is inserted into the opening 13a of the outer case 13, as shown in FIG. The cover member 17 is translucent, and the liquid remaining amount of the aerosol source in the cartridge 3 housed in the cartridge housing portion 10 can be checked through the first outer projection 17A.

The first outer projection 17A, like the opening 13a of the outer case 13, is formed in the shape of an elongated hole extending in the main axis direction (Z-axis direction). The first outer projection 17A is slightly smaller than the opening 13a. A first air inlet 18A is formed in the gap between the first outer protrusion 17A and the opening 13a. A part of the first outer projection 17A may be in contact with the inner wall surface of the opening 13a. The first air inlet 18A is an inlet of a first air flow path 70 that takes outside air into the housing 12 by user's suction.

The first air inlet 18A is annularly formed along the opening edge of the opening 13a of the outer case 13 (also called the peripheral edge of the first outer projection 17A). The size of the first air inlet 18A may be such that it cannot be completely blocked by a user's finger. For example, the dimension in the main axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the first air inlet 18A is preferably equal to or greater than the width of the first finger-to-finger joint of an average adult thumb (for example, 2.0 cm or greater). Also, the distance in the X-axis direction between the two slits extending parallel to the main axis direction of the first air inlet 18A may be equal to or greater than the first finger-to-finger width of the average thumb of a general adult.

It should be noted that the first air inlet 18A may have only one or two slits extending parallel to the main axis direction as long as it is large enough not to be blocked by a user's finger. That is, the first air inlet 18A may be formed in a slit shape along the edge of the opening 13a of the outer case 13. As shown in FIG.

The plate portion 17B is arranged so as to overlap the inner side of the outer case 13 . The plate portion 17B is interposed between the outer case 13 and the cartridge housing portion 10. As shown in FIG. The cartridge housing portion 10 side (+Y side) of the plate portion 17B is curved along the peripheral surface of the cartridge housing portion 10 . The outer case 13 side (-Y side) of the plate portion 17B is curved along the inner wall surface of the peripheral wall portion 12B.

As shown in FIG. 20, the plate portion 17B is formed with a communication hole 17a that communicates with the cartridge housing space 10A. A first air flow path 70 and a case fitting hole 17b1 are formed in the plate portion 17B. Two communication holes 17a are formed with the first outer projection 17A interposed therebetween in the X-axis direction. Two sets of case fitting holes 17b1 are formed in the plate portion 17B, two above and two below the communication hole 17a, with the first outer projection 17A interposed therebetween in the X-axis direction. The outer case 13 is hooked into the four case fitting holes 17b1.

As shown in FIG. 22, the communication hole 17a is arranged at a location where the cover member 17 and the outer case 13 overlap. That is, the communication hole 17 a is arranged inside the outer case 13 and covered with the outer case 13 . Therefore, the communication hole 17 a cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the outer case 13 . Further, the communication hole 17a cannot be closed directly with a finger unless the outer case 13 is removed.

The communication hole 17a allows fluid communication between the first air inlet 18A and the inside of the cartridge housing portion 10. The communication hole 17a communicates with the communication hole 10d formed in the cartridge housing portion 10, and allows fluid communication between the first air inlet 18A and the inside of the cartridge housing portion 10 over a short distance. If the communication hole 10d is not formed, the air taken into the housing portion 12 through the communication hole 17a flows into the cartridge housing portion 10 through all the gaps of the cartridge housing portion 10.

The first air flow path 70 forms a space (flow path) connecting between the first air inlet 18A and the communication hole 17a. As shown in FIG. 20 , the first air flow path 70 has a plane portion 71 and two recesses 72 . The flat portion 71 is formed around the first outer projection 17A on the plate portion 17B. The flat portion 71 is formed by flattening a part of the curved surface of the plate portion 17B on the outer case 13 side (−Y side), and is recessed on the +Y side from the surface of the first outer projection 17A. A pair of the second outer protrusions 17D are arranged above and below the first outer protrusion 17A with the flat portion 71 interposed therebetween. The pair of second outer protrusions 17D supports the mating surfaces of the outer case 13 from the inside.

The two recesses 72 are formed at the edge on the +X side and the edge on the -X side of the plane portion 71 . The recessed portion 72 has a lower bottom surface on the +Y side than the planar portion 71 . In other words, the concave portion 72 is recessed on the -Y side from the plane portion 71 . A communication hole 17 a is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 72 . The bottom surface of the recess 72 is formed wider than the opening area of the communication hole 17a.

As shown in FIG. 21, the inner projection 17C is formed on the inner surface of the plate portion 17B on the cartridge housing portion 10 side (+Y side). The inner protrusion 17C is inserted into a first opening 10c formed in the peripheral surface of the cartridge accommodating portion 10, as shown in FIG. Like the first opening 10c of the cartridge accommodating portion 10, the inner protrusion 17C is formed in the shape of an elongated hole extending in the main axis direction (Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIG. 18, the second air inlet 18B takes air into the cartridge housing space 10A from the second corner 12C2 of the peripheral wall 12B. The housing portion 12 includes an inner case 20 and an outer case 13 that covers the inner case 20 and has an exposed portion 13b that exposes a portion of the inner case 20 at a corner portion 12C. The second air inlet 18B is formed in the gap between the inner case 20 and the outer case 13 at the exposed portion 13b.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of area A shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 23, the second air inlet 18B is formed in an arc shape in the gap between the inner case 20 and the outer case 13. As shown in FIG. The second air inlet 18B opens toward the -Z side. That is, the second air inlet 18B is different in location from the first air inlet 18A, and the opening direction is 90° different from the first air inlet 18A facing the -Y side.

Returning to FIG. 18, the edge of the exposed portion 13b of the outer case 13 is convexly curved toward the +Z side. The housing part 12 has a projecting part 90 around the second air inlet 18B. The projecting portion 90 is formed by the outer case 13 . In other words, the projecting portion 90 is formed by the step between the inner case 20 and the outer case 13 . That is, even if the user's finger touches the periphery of the second air inlet 18B, the protruding portion 90 (outer case 13) around the exposed portion 13b forms a step, forming a gap between the exposed portion 13b and the user's finger. The second air inlet 18B is less likely to be blocked. It should be noted that the projecting portion 90 is not limited to the outer case 13 and may be formed by projecting a part of the inner case 20 .

The housing part 12 has a first air flow path 70 that communicates the first air inlet 18A and the communication hole 17a, and a second air flow path 80 that communicates the second air inlet 18B and the communication hole 17a. are doing. The second air flow path 80 extends from the exposed portion 13b of the second corner portion 12C2 to the +Z side, passes through a part of the first air flow path 70, and reaches the communication hole 17a. The second air flow path 80 is bent in a U-shape (substantially C-shape) until it joins the first air flow path 70 . As shown in FIG. 19, the bent portion of the second air flow path 80 includes a pair of inner-case-side projections 81 provided on the outer surface of the inner case 20 and an outer-case-side projection fitted to the pair of inner-case-side projections 81 . It is formed so as to bypass the projection 82 (see FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 18, the first air flow path 70 has a shorter flow path length to the communication hole 17a than the second air flow path 80 does. That is, the first air flow path 70 has a lower ventilation resistance than the second air flow path 80 . Therefore, more air flows through the first air channel 70 than through the second air channel 80 . Thus, in normal use, the first air inlet 18A will be the main air inlet and the second air inlet 18B will be the secondary air inlet when the first air inlet 18A is blocked.

The communication hole 17a has a channel cross-sectional area smaller than both the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B. Therefore, even if one of the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B is blocked, the cross-sectional area of the passage is finally narrowed in the communication hole 17a, so that the amount of air sucked into the cartridge housing space 10A is reduced. The flow rate and flow velocity can be kept approximately constant. That is, the communication hole 17a functions as an air resistance rate controlling portion.

It should be noted that although two communication holes 17a are provided in the present embodiment, the flow channel cross-sectional area of one (one) of the two communication holes 17a is compared here. That is, the flow passage cross-sectional area of one communication hole 17a is larger than the opening area of the first air inlet 18A in the gap between the opening 13a of the outer case 13 and the first outer protrusion 17A of the cover member 17 (see FIG. 18). Small is fine. In addition, the flow passage cross-sectional area of one communication hole 17a is larger than the opening area of the second air inlet 18B in the gap between the outer case 13 and the inner case 20 at the exposed portion 13b of the second corner portion 12C2 (see FIG. 23). Small is fine. More preferably, the channel cross-sectional area of one of the communication holes 17 a should be smaller than the minimum channel cross-sectional area of each of the first air channel 70 and the second air channel 80 .

<How to assemble the aspirator>
As shown in FIG. 6, when assembling the aspirator 1, first, the cartridge housing lid 100 provided at the bottom of the housing section 12 of the main unit 2 is opened. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the slide cover 150 is moved to the +Y side by putting a finger on the unevenness 150a provided on the cover surface of the slide cover 150 .

The slide cover 150 is locked to the locked portion 162 of the lock piece 160, as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the slide cover 150 is moved to the +Y side, the lock piece 160 can be moved to the +Y side, and as shown in FIG. 16, the locked state of the stopper ring 22c by the lock piece 160 can be released. .

Here, the locking piece 160 is provided with a long hole 164 extending in the biasing direction (Y-axis direction) to avoid interference with the projecting electrode 101 . As a result, even if the slide cover 150 is slid when the cartridge housing lid 100 is opened, the lock piece 160 does not interfere with the projecting electrode 101 due to the elongated hole 164 .

When the locked state is released, the second biasing member 200 biases the cartridge housing lid 100 to open. When the cartridge housing lid 100 is opened, the cartridge 3 is housed in the cartridge housing portion 10 . After the cartridge 3 is accommodated in the cartridge accommodating portion 10, the cartridge accommodating lid 100 is closed against the bias of the second biasing member 200. As shown in FIG.

When the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, first, the claw portion 161 of the locking piece 160 contacts the inclined surface on the lower side of the locked piece 22c3, and the locking piece 160 resists the biasing force of the first biasing member 170. Move to the +Y side. Thereby, the locking piece 160 can get over the locked piece 22c3.

Here, the slide cover 150 is provided with a guide portion 155b that allows the lock piece 160 to move to the +Y side. Therefore, only the lock piece 160 moves inside the slide cover 150, and when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, the cover surface (slide cover 150) touched by the user can be prevented from moving.

After passing through the locked piece 22c3, the locking piece 160 collides with the collision wall 22c1 of the stopper ring 22c due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 170. The user can recognize that the lock has been applied by the collision sound at this time. When the cartridge housing lid 100 is locked, the cover peripheral wall 152 of the slide cover 150 is completely covered with the surrounding wall 22c2 of the stopper ring 22c.

By the above, the insertion of the cartridge 3 is completed. The flavor source container 4 and the mouthpiece 5 may be attached to the heating module 11 of the main unit 2 before the cartridge 3 is inserted. By attaching the mouthpiece 5 to the heating module 11, the assembly of the inhaler 1 is completed.

<How to use the aspirator>
When using the aspirator 1 described above, the user first presses the input device 15 shown in FIG. At this time, for example, the main unit 2 may be programmed to be activated by pressing the input device 15 multiple times. When the main unit 2 is activated, for example, the heating module 11 heats the flavor source container 4 to make the flavor stand out.

Subsequently, the user sucks while holding the mouthpiece 5 in his/her mouth. Then, the air inside the cartridge containing portion 10 flows, and the sensor 26 shown in FIG. 22 detects the puff. When the sensor 26 detects the puff, the heating wire 35b of the cartridge 3 shown in FIG. 9 is energized and the heating wire 35b generates heat. When the heating wire 35b generates heat, the liquid aerosol source impregnated in the wick 35a is heated and atomized. The atomized aerosol is inhaled together with air (outside air) taken in by inhalation.

Air (outside air) is normally taken in mainly from the first air inlet 18A in the gap between the outer case 13 and the cover member 17, as shown in FIG. The air taken in from the first air inlet 18A flows into the inside of the cartridge accommodating portion 10 via the flat portion 71, the recessed portion 72, the communicating holes 17a, and the communicating holes 10d of the first air flow path . As shown in FIG. 9, the air that has flowed into the cartridge containing portion 10 flows into the atomization chamber 34c through the intake hole 36c and the opening 34e of the cartridge 3. As shown in FIG.

The atomized aerosol fills the atomization chamber 34c, and along with the air that has flowed into the atomization chamber 34c, passes through the flow path pipe 31c, the through hole 31b, and the communication hole 22b5 of the cartridge contact portion 22b to the upper side. sucked up by The atomized aerosol-air mixture then enters the user's mouth through the flavor source container 4 and the mouthpiece 5 . This allows the user to enjoy the flavor.

[Effect]
The cartridge housing lid 100 described above includes a lid base portion 180 which is provided with a rotation shaft 190 and rotates about the rotation shaft 190 , and a rotation end portion 180 A of the lid base portion 180 via a first biasing member 170 . The slide cover 150 includes a connected lock piece 160 and a slide cover 150 covering the lock piece 160 and attached to a lid base 180 so as to be slidable in an urging direction in which the lock piece 160 is urged. is arranged on the side where the lock piece 160 is pressed by the biasing force of the first biasing member 170, and the locking portion 155a that locks the lock piece 160 and the lock piece 160 that is separated from the locking portion 155a are pressed. and a guide portion 155b that allows movement of the lock piece 160 to the opposite side.
According to this configuration, when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, the lock piece 160 covered with the slide cover 150 moves inside the slide cover 150, so that the cover surface of the slide cover 150 touched by the user does not move. can be made

Further, in this embodiment, the cover surface of the slide cover 150 facing away from the lock piece 160 is formed with an unevenness 150a extending in a direction intersecting the biasing direction.
According to this configuration, when opening the cartridge housing lid 100, the slide cover 150 can be slid by hooking a user's finger on the unevenness 150a of the cover surface.

In addition, in this embodiment, the locking piece 160 is provided with a protruding electrode 101 (electrode) arranged on the opposite side of the slide cover 150 , and the locking piece 160 extends in the biasing direction to prevent interference with the protruding electrode 101 . A clearance slot 164 is provided.
According to this configuration, even if the slide cover 150 is slid when the cartridge housing lid 100 is opened, the locking piece 160 does not interfere with the protruding electrode 101 due to the elongated hole 164 , so electrical contact between the protruding electrode 101 and the cartridge 3 is maintained. does not move, and friction and wear of electrical contacts can be suppressed.

The main unit 2 of the aerosol generating device of the present embodiment includes a cartridge housing section 10 housing the cartridge 3 and a cartridge housing lid 100 opening and closing the opening of the cartridge housing section 10 .
According to this configuration, since the cartridge housing lid 100 described above is incorporated, the cartridge housing lid 100 can be easily closed, and the airtightness of the cartridge housing section 10 can be easily ensured.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cartridge housing portion 10 includes a surrounding wall 22c2 that surrounds the cover peripheral wall 152 (peripheral portion) of the cartridge housing lid 100 when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed.
According to this configuration, when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, the cover peripheral wall 152 of the cartridge housing lid 100 is completely covered with the surrounding wall 22c2 of the main unit 2. As shown in FIG. For this reason, even if the main unit 2 were to fall, the cartridge storage lid 100 can be prevented from being damaged or displaced, and the airtightness of the cartridge storage section 10 can be easily ensured.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the cartridge housing portion 10 includes a locked piece 22c3 having an inclined surface for moving the lock piece 160 against the bias of the first biasing member 170 when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed. Prepare.
According to this configuration, the locking piece 160 can be moved by the inclined surface of the locked piece 22c3 without sliding the slide cover 150 when closing the cartridge housing lid 100. FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cartridge accommodating portion 10 includes the collision wall 22c1 with which the tip of the locking piece 160 collides with the force of the first biasing member 170 after the locking piece 160 passes the locked piece 22c3. .
According to this configuration, when the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed, the locking piece 160 collides with the collision wall 22c1 to generate a sound, so that the user can recognize that the cartridge is locked.

Further, in this embodiment, the collision wall 22c1 is made of metal.
According to this configuration, a metallic sound effect can be obtained in the impact sound of the lock piece 160, so that the user can more easily recognize that the lock has been applied.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second biasing member 200 is provided to bias the cartridge housing lid 100 in the rotational direction of the cartridge housing lid 100 toward the opening side.
According to this configuration, when the cartridge housing lid 100 is insufficiently locked, the cartridge housing lid 100 is opened by the biasing force of the second biasing member 200, so that the user can easily recognize that the cartridge housing lid 100 has been forgotten to be closed. .

Further, in the present embodiment, the cartridge housing lid 100 opens at an acute angle θ1 with respect to the cartridge housing section 10 by the force of the second biasing member 200 when the lock by the lock piece 160 is released.
According to this configuration, even if the main unit 2 were to fall with the cartridge housing lid 100 open, there is a high probability that a load would be applied in the closing direction of the cartridge housing lid 100, resulting in damage to the cartridge housing lid 100. can be suppressed.

Further, in this embodiment, a physical stopper 22d1 is provided to allow the cartridge housing lid 100 to be opened at an acute angle θ1 or more.
According to this configuration, when the cartridge housing lid 100 is opened at the acute angle θ1 by the second biasing member 200 and is about to be further opened, the cartridge housing lid 100 is allowed to open until it abuts against the physical stopper 22d1. , the probability of damage to the cartridge housing lid 100 can be further reduced by this allowable amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cartridge housing lid 100 has a seal portion 120 that seals the opening of the cartridge housing portion 10, and the seal portion 120 is positioned in the cartridge housing portion 10 in the rotation direction of the cartridge housing lid 100. It has an annular projection 124 that protrudes toward the side that closes the opening of the.
According to this configuration, the direction in which the cartridge housing lid 100 is closed coincides with the direction in which the annular projection 124 of the seal portion 120 protrudes, so airtightness of the cartridge housing portion 10 can be easily ensured.

The aerosol generating device of this embodiment includes a main unit 2 and a cartridge 3 that accommodates an aerosol source and is inserted into a cartridge accommodating section 10 of the main unit 2 .
According to this configuration, since the main unit 2 incorporating the cartridge housing lid 100 described above is provided, the cartridge housing lid 100 can be easily closed, and the airtightness of the cartridge housing section 10 can be easily ensured.

The non-combustion type inhaler of this embodiment includes the aerosol generator and the flavor source container 4 attached to the aerosol generator.
According to this configuration, flavor can be added to the aerosol.

In addition, in this embodiment, the following effects are also obtained.

The body unit 2 of the aerosol generating device of the present embodiment described above includes a housing portion 12 having a cartridge housing space 10A provided therein. Air is supplied to the cartridge housing space 10A from between the peripheral wall portion 12B provided with a plurality of corner portions 12C and the pair of main surface portions 12A or the adjacent corner portions 12C of the peripheral wall portion 12B. It has a first air inlet 18A that takes in air and a second air inlet 18B that takes in air from the corner 12C of the peripheral wall 12B into the cartridge housing space 10A.
According to this configuration, since the locations of the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B are completely different, it becomes difficult to block both the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B.
The first air inlets 18A may be provided not only between the adjacent corner portions 12C of the peripheral wall portion 12B but also on the pair of main surface portions 12A. That is, either one of the pair of main surface portions 12A may be provided with a through hole for forming the first air inlet 18A. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent both the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B from being blocked.

In the present embodiment, the housing portion 12 includes the inner case 20 and the outer case 13 that covers the inner case 20 and has an exposed portion 13b that exposes a portion of the inner case 20 at the corner portion 12C. The second air inlet 18B is formed in the gap between the inner case 20 and the outer case 13 at the exposed portion 13b.
According to this configuration, the second air inlet 18B is formed in the gap between the exposed inner case 20 and the outer case 13 at the corner portion 12C of the housing portion 12, and is formed in a portion other than the corner portion 12C of the housing portion 12. Since the shape is completely different from that of the first air inlet 18A, it is difficult to block both the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the edge of the exposed portion 13b is curved.
According to this configuration, since the edge of the exposed portion 13b is not straight but curved, it is difficult for the second air inlet 18B to be completely blocked even if the user's finger touches it.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing part 12 has a projecting part 90 around the second air inlet 18B.
According to this configuration, even if the user's finger touches the periphery of the second air inlet 18B, the projecting portion around the exposed portion 13b forms a step and forms a gap between the exposed portion 13b and the user's finger. The air inlet 18B is less likely to be blocked.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing part 12 has a protruding part 90 around the second air inlet 18B, and the protruding part 90 is formed by the outer case 13 .
According to this configuration, since the projecting portion 90 around the exposed portion 13b is formed integrally with the outer case 13, the projecting portion 90 can be easily formed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing part 12 includes a communication hole 17a communicating with the cartridge housing space 10A, a first air flow path 70 communicating the first air inlet 18A and the communication hole 17a, and a second air flow path 70. and a second air flow path 80 that communicates between the inlet 18B and the communication hole 17a.
According to this configuration, since more air flows through the first air flow path 70 than the second air flow path 80, the first air inlet 18A is used as the main air inlet, and the second air inlet 18B is used as the sub air inlet. Can be used as an inlet.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first air flow path 70 has a shorter flow path length to the communication hole 17 a than the second air flow path 80 .
According to this configuration, the first air flow path 70 has a lower ventilation resistance than the second air flow path 80, and air can be easily sucked from the main first air inlet 18A.

Further, in the present embodiment, the communication hole 17a has a channel cross-sectional area smaller than that of both the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B.
According to this configuration, even if one of the first air inlet 18A and the second air inlet 18B is blocked, the cross-sectional area of the passage is finally narrowed in the communication hole 17a, so that the air is sucked into the cartridge housing space 10A. The flow rate and flow velocity of the air drawn can be kept substantially constant.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing portion 12 includes an opening portion 13a formed between adjacent corner portions 12C of the peripheral wall portion 12B, and a cover member 17 provided in the opening portion 13a. A first air inlet 18A is formed between the member 17 and the opening 13a.
According to this configuration, since the first air inlet 18A is formed in the gap between the opening 13a of the housing 12 and the cover member 17 provided in the opening 13a, the first air inlet 18A is blocked by a finger. hard to come off.

The aerosol generating device of this embodiment includes a main unit 2 and a cartridge 3 that accommodates an aerosol source and is inserted into a cartridge accommodation space 10A of the main unit 2 .
According to this configuration, since the main unit 2 described above is incorporated, it is possible to prevent the air inlet from being completely blocked by the user.

<Modification>
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes in configuration are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the foregoing description, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol without combustion, the inhaler 1 in which the flavor source container 4 is configured to be detachable has been described as an example, but only this configuration is described. is not limited to As another example of the aerosol generating device, it may have a configuration without the flavor source container 4 (a configuration with only a mouthpiece that does not contain a flavor source) like an electronic cigarette. In this case, a flavored aerosol source is housed in the cartridge 3, and the flavored aerosol is generated by the aerosol generator.
That is, in the above-described embodiment, an aerosol generator that does not include the flavor source container 4 but includes the main unit 2 and the cartridge 3 may be called an aerosol generator. Moreover, the main body unit of the aerosol generating device may be defined as the main body unit 2 without the flavor source container 4 and the cartridge 3 .
Note that the aerosol source is not limited to liquid, and may be solid.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the cartridge housing portion 10 is formed in a tubular shape surrounding the periphery of the cartridge 3 has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this. The cartridge housing portion 10 may have any structure as long as it can hold the cartridge 3 . In other words, the cartridge accommodating portion 10 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may have a triangular tubular shape, a square tubular shape, a polygonal tubular shape, or a different shape other than the polygonal tubular shape.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the housing portion 12 is formed in a generally rounded and flat box shape has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. The shape of the housing portion 12 may be a rectangular parallelepiped, other polyhedrons, or a solid other than the polyhedron.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the main unit 2 is activated by pressing the input device 15 has been described. good too.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiment with well-known components within the scope of the present invention, and the modifications described above may be combined as appropriate.

The present invention relates to a cartridge storage lid, a main unit of an aerosol generator, an aerosol generator, and a non-combustion type inhaler, and to prevent the surface of the cover touched by the user from moving when the cartridge storage lid is closed. can be done.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Inhaler, 2... Main unit, 3... Cartridge, 4... Flavor source container, 5... Mouthpiece, 10... Cartridge accommodating part, 10a... Convex part, 10A... Cartridge accommodating space, 10b... Lower end part, 10B... Circular Projection 10c First opening 10d Communication hole 10e Second opening 11 Heating module 12 Housing 12A Main surface 12A1 First main surface 12A2 Second main surface Surface part 12B... Peripheral wall part 12B1... First peripheral wall part 12B2... Second peripheral wall part 12C... Corner part 12C1... First corner part 12C2... Second corner part 12C3... Third corner part 12C4... Third corner part 4 corners 13 outer case 13a opening 13A first case 13b exposed portion 13B second case 14 display cover 14a through hole 15 input device 15a switch button 15b Switch holder 15c Switch substrate 16 Window 17 Cover member 17a Communication hole 17A First outer protrusion 17b Adhesive sheet 17B Plate 17b1 Case fitting hole 17C... inner protrusion, 17D... second outer protrusion, 18A... first air inlet, 18B... second air inlet, 19... cushion material, 20... inner case, 20a... opening, 20A... inner assembly, 21... charging terminal , 21b...through hole 22...inner case main body 22A...power source accommodating portion 22b...cartridge contact portion 22B...top plate 22b1...first ring portion 22b2...cylindrical portion 22b3...second ring portion 22b4 Seal ring 22b5 Communication hole 22c Stopper ring 22C Side plate 22c1 Collision wall 22c2 Surrounding wall 22c3 Locked piece 22d Cap member 22D Bottom plate 22d1 Physical stopper 22D1... Bearing portion 23... Power source 23a... Cushion material 24... Main substrate 25... Display device 25a... Flexible printed circuit board 26... Sensor 26a... Sensor holder 26b... Pedestal part 26c... Adhesive sheet 27 Light source 27a Sub-substrate 28 Vibrator 29 Flexible printed circuit board 29a First end 29b Second end 29c Third end 29d Fourth end 29e Contact pad , 31... tank 31a... top wall 31b... through hole 31c... channel pipe 31d... outer peripheral wall 31e... rib 31f... engagement hole 31g... liquid storage chamber 32... gasket 32a... opening , 33 mesh body 34 atomization container 34a peripheral wall

34b fitting portion

34c atomization chamber

34d bottom wall 34e opening 35 heating portion 35a wick 35b electrical Heat wire 36 Heater holder 36a Peripheral wall

36b Engagement piece

36c Suction hole

36d Bottom wall

36e Suction hole

36f Separation wall

36h Plane electrode 41 Container body 41a Peripheral wall , 41b... flange part 41c... flavor source storage chamber 41d... bottom wall 41e... fine hole 42... filter 51... mouthpiece part 51a... insertion part 52... mouthpiece base part 52a... insertion tube part 52b Outer fitting tube portion 52c Annular groove 60 Heater portion

60a Film heater

60b Pipe member

60c Shrinkable tube 61 Capsule holder 61a Snap fit 61b Stepped portion 62 Design ring , 70 First air flow path 71 Flat portion 72 Recess 80 Second air flow path 81 Inner case side projection 82 Outer case side projection 90 Projection 100 Cartridge housing lid , 101... Protruding electrode 110... Electrode holder 111... Top plate part 112... Protruding part 113... Through hole 120... Seal part 121... Base part 122... Cylindrical part 123... Through hole 124... Annular Projection 130 Metal holder 131 Through hole 132 Opening 133 Slide rail 134 Insertion portion 135 Edge 137 Protrusion 140 Electrode substrate 141 Through hole 142 Spring contact 150 Slide cover 150a Unevenness 151 Cover bottom wall 152 Cover peripheral wall 152a Top end 153 Base 154 Cover slide groove 155 Unlock groove 155a Locking portion , 155b... Guide part 156... Through hole 157... Projection part 160... Lock piece 161... Claw part 162... Locked part 163... Spring attachment part 164... Long hole 170... First biasing Member 180 Lid base 180A Rotating end 181 Insertion hole 182 Accommodating groove 183 Spring mounting portion 184 Slide groove 185 Insertion groove 190 Rotating shaft 200 Third 2 urging members, A: area, O: main axis, θ1: acute angle, θ2: angle

Claims

a lid base provided with a rotation shaft and rotating around the rotation shaft;
a locking piece connected to the rotating end of the lid base via a first biasing member;
a slide cover that covers the lock piece and is attached to the lid base so as to be slidable in an urging direction in which the lock piece is urged;
The slide cover
a locking portion disposed on a side to which the lock piece is pressed by the biasing force of the first biasing member and locking the lock piece;
and a guide portion that allows the lock piece to move in a direction opposite to the side against which the lock piece is pressed, the cartridge housing lid being spaced apart from the locking portion.
The cartridge housing lid according to claim 1, wherein the cover surface of the slide cover facing away from the lock piece is formed with projections and depressions extending in a direction intersecting with the biasing direction.
an electrode arranged on the opposite side of the lock piece to the slide cover,
3. The cartridge housing lid according to claim 1, wherein said locking piece is provided with an elongated hole extending in said urging direction and avoiding interference with said electrode.
a cartridge housing section that houses the cartridge;
A body unit of an aerosol generating device, comprising: the cartridge housing lid according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which opens and closes the opening of the cartridge housing section.
5. The body unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the cartridge housing portion includes a surrounding wall that surrounds the periphery of the cartridge housing lid when the cartridge housing lid is closed.
6. The cartridge accommodating portion according to claim 4, wherein the cartridge accommodating portion includes a locked piece having an inclined surface for moving the locking piece against the bias of the first biasing member when the cartridge accommodating lid is closed. A main unit of the described aerosol generator.
7. The aerosol generator according to claim 6, wherein the cartridge accommodating portion includes a collision wall with which the tip of the locking piece collides with the locking piece after the locking piece passes through the locked piece due to the biasing force of the first biasing member. The main unit of the equipment.
The body unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 7, wherein the collision wall is made of metal.
The body unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising a second biasing member that biases the cartridge housing lid to open in the direction of rotation of the cartridge housing lid.
10. The main body of the aerosol generating device according to claim 9, wherein the cartridge housing lid is opened at an acute angle with respect to the cartridge housing section by the force of the second biasing member when the lock by the lock piece is released. unit.
The body unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 10, comprising a physical stopper that allows opening of the cartridge storage lid at an acute angle or more.
The cartridge storage lid has a seal portion that seals the opening of the cartridge storage portion,
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein the seal portion has an annular projection that protrudes toward a side that closes the opening of the cartridge housing portion in the rotational direction of the cartridge housing lid. body unit.
a main unit according to any one of claims 4 to 12;
a cartridge containing an aerosol source and inserted into the cartridge containing portion of the main unit.
an aerosol generating device according to claim 13;
a flavor source container attached to the aerosol generator.