WO2023148364A1

WO2023148364A1 - Aerosol generating system

Info

Publication number: WO2023148364A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/052773
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pier Paolo MONTICONE; Layth Sliman BOUCHUIGUIR
Original assignee: Jt International Sa
Priority date: 2022-02-07
Filing date: 2023-02-06
Publication date: 2023-08-10

Abstract

An aerosol generating system comprises a case 10 and a cover 12, the cover 12 having at least one magnet 24, 26 adapted to interact both with at least one ferritic element 14, 16 provided on the case 10 and an object outside the system, such as a metal surface so as to hold the system to the outside object, when oriented vertically.

Description

Aerosol generating system

Technical field

The invention relates to an aerosol generating system comprising a case and a removable cover as well as a method for using an aerosol generating system .

Technical background

Aerosol generating system have become popular as a replacement for conventional smoking articles . Such systems often have a case and a removable cover, which are appropriately connected to each other .

According to US 7293565 B2 an electronic cigarette can be stored in a stand . WO 2019 084161 Al is related to an aerosol generating system comprising a removable member which can be held by magnets .

Summary of the invention

The present invention provides an aerosol generating system and a method of using the same , which improve usability thereof .

This is , firstly, achieved by the subj ect matter of claim 1 .

Accordingly, the aerosol generating system comprises a case and a cover, wherein the cover has at least one magnet , in particular a permanent magnet or electromagnet , adapted to interact both with at least one element made of soft ferromagnetic material , non necessarily containing iron, in particular a ferritic element , provided on the case and an object outside the system, such as a ferritic metal surface, so as to hold the system to the outside object, when oriented vertically. In this context, whenever ferritic is mentioned, soft ferromagnetic material, non necessarily containing iron is meant, and whenever a metal surface interacting with a megnet is mentioned, this necessarily has to be ferritic.

This essentially allows the system to be attached to or held by a metal object, such as a leg of a table, a metal board, for example in a shop for displaying same, possibly only the cover and/or the system or the cover in different colors, a refrigerator door or similar. In this manner, essentially horizontal surfaces, such as a desk's surface can be kept free of the aerosol generating system and the freed space can be used otherwise. Moreover, by essentially sticking the system to an outside object, the described space-saving effect can be obtained without the need for any additional accessory, such as a base or a stand. As an additional benefit of at least one magnet provided strong enough to allow attachment to an outside object, the holding force between the cover and the case will also increase, which avoids unwanted or unintentional separation of the cover from the case.

In particular, the magnet provided in the cover is typically sufficiently far on the outside of the system as a whole, so that the described effect of the system being held by a vertically oriented outside object can be obtained without excessively strong and/or large magnets.

Preferred embodiments are described in further claims.

Taking into account the object of holding the system to a vertically oriented object and the friction coefficients involved, it has been found beneficial to provide at least one magnet in a manner to hold the system to the outside object with the force of at least the weight of the system divided by (considering the static friction coefficient) 0.7, preferably 0.3, in particular at least 1.3 N, preferably at least 3.0 N. These numerical values are based on metal surfaces, concrete like surfaces or rubber mat like surfaces as well as the weight of the system corresponding to a mass of 95 g . In particular, a single magnet with a diameter of 3 mm and a thickness of 2 mm has proven suf ficient , but there can also be two or more , correspondingly smaller magnets .

I f at least two magnets are provided on the cover with opposite polari zation and/or orientation, and interacting magnets are provided on the case and cover with the same polari zation, even a symmetric cover can only be fitted to the case in a correct and defined manner/orientation .

Providing the case with a hall sensor and the system with an electronic circuit adapted to measure the strength of at least one magnet leads to the additional advantage of automatically detecting non-original covers that have attractions of abnormal force .

Molding at least one magnet and/or ferritic element into the cover or case or overmolding the magnet and/or ferritic element with plastic material of the cover or case respectively provides the additional advantage of avoiding steps or gaps as well as currently required additional attachment means , such as a double-sided sticky tape or glue .

Nevertheless , providing at least one magnet on the cover or case in a recessed manner to form a gap in order to avoid direct contact with the ferritic element , it will advantageously avoid creating a heat bridge which would otherwise be present , i f one magnet is in contact with another magnet or an interacting ferritic element . Consequently, the cover can provide a better shielding against heat . Moreover, by this measure , an ef fect called mechanical overconstraining can be avoided, which describes the fact that the relative position of cover and case is already defined by mechanically contact along the circumferential edge , and contacting magnets or contact between the magnet and the ferritic element would also define the relative position between cover in case . The mentioned gap can avoid this contact and, as a consequence , overconstraining which in turn increases the tolerable manufacturing tolerances . In particular, in order to allow attachment to a vertically surface , the magnets involved will be strong enough to hold the cover to the case also when the described gap is present .

Both the necessary holding force can be ensured, and the desired thermal insulation ef fect can be obtained, when the gap resulting from the one or more recesses in the cover and/or case at the location of the magnet or ferritic element is 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 millimeters .

The above-described ef fects can also be obtained, when the one or more gap is at least partly filled with elastic material , such as silicone rubber .

Providing one or more magnet or ferritic element as an electromagnet will provide the additional advantage that the electromagnet can be powered in a manner to ensure holding and can also be powered in a manner to reverse the attraction force so as to separate the cover from the case . This can also be achieved, i f the electromagnet is not powered, but it is powered only to push away the cover . In any case , this avoids the current need for a small groove , into which an appropriate tool or fingernail can be inserted in order to remove the cover from the case . Thus , both usability and visual appearance are improved . The electromagnet can be provided with an appropriate driver, and/or can be driven by a battery and/or controlled by a microcontroller . The microcontroller in turn can be controlled by user input which can for example be provided by a button, but the microcontroller can also be appropriately controlled by an accelerometer and/or a strain gauge acting as user input .

It is to be mentioned with regard to the above-described recess features on the one hand and electromagnet features on your hand, that all of these are independent from the features of the independent claims of the present application, in other words they can be provided by themselves and lead to signi ficant advantages , even i f there is no magnet adapted to hold the system to an outside obj ect . Nevertheless , also the recess ( es ) and/or the electromagnet can be combined with any other features described herein .

The invention, secondly, provides a novel method of using an aerosol generating system, in which at least one magnet is used to attach the system to an obj ect outside the system, such as a metal surface . Preferred embodiments of the novel method essentially correspond to those of the system described above and hereinafter . In particular, any features described merely with regard to the system are applicable to the method as well and vice versa .

Brief description of the drawings

Hereinafter, the invention will be described with reference to nonlimiting examples thereof and with reference to the drawings , in which

Figure 1 shows case and cover of the system described herein, and

Figure 2 shows in principle a gap between a gap and a ferritic element .

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

As can be taken from figure 1 , cover 12 and case 10 of the system described herein essentially have a rectangular shape in a plan view with rounded corners . For the intended interaction, both the cover 12 and case 10 has , approximately at the middle along the shorter dimension of the rectangle and at a position of about 10 to 20% of the length from the end magnets 24 and 26 and ferritic elements 14 and 16 respectively . In other words , as compared to the current product of the applicant called "Ploom" , where the cover comprises the ferritic elements , the positions of magnets 24 , 26 and ferritic elements 14, 16 are exchanged for each other. This allows the magnets 24, 26 provided in the cover 12 to be used in accordance with the invention, i.e. for attaching the system to an outside object. This is enabled by the fact that the magnets 24, 26 provided in the cover 12 are closer to an outside surface of the system as a whole than the ferritic elements 14, 16.

This can also be taken from the schematic drawing of figure 2, in which the cover 12 is shown at the left side, and the case 10 at the right. In the embodiment shown in figure 2, both the magnet 24 and the ferritic element 14 are provided with a recess to the surface 18 of the cover 12 and the case 10 respectively. The resulting gap 20 is in the embodiment shown filled with an elastic material, but can also be left unfilled. In any case, the above-described advantages with regard to avoiding a heat bridge, allowing greater tolerances etc. can be obtained.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating system comprising a case (10) and a cover (12) , the cover (12) having at least one magnet (24, 26) adapted to interact both with at least one ferritic element (14, 16) provided on the case (10) and an object outside the system, such as a metal surface so as to hold the system to the outside object, when oriented vertically.

2. The aerosol generating system of claim 1, wherein at least one magnet (24, 26) is adapted to hold the system to the outside object with a force of at least the weight of the system divided by 0,7, preferably divided by 0,3, in particular at least 1,3 N, preferably at least 3,0 N.

3. The aerosol generating system of one of claims 1 to 2, wherein at least two magnets (24, 26) are provided on the cover (12) with opposite polarization and/or orientation, and two interacting magnets are provided on the case and cover with the same polarization.

4. The aerosol generating system of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the case (10) has a hall sensor and the system has an electronic circuit adapted to measure the strength of at least one magnet (24, 26) .

5. The aerosol generating system of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one magnet (24, 26) and/or ferritic element (14, 16) is at least partly molded into the cover (12) or case (10) .

6. The aerosol generating system of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one magnet (24, 26) and/or ferritic element (14, 16) is provided on the cover (12) or case (10) in a recessed manner to form a gap in the surface (18) of the cover (12) or case (10) .

7. The aerosol generating system of claim 6, wherein the gap(s) (20) has/have a total depth of 0,5 to 2 mm.

8. The aerosol generating system of claim 6 or 7, wherein the gap(s) are at least partly filled with elastic material, such as silicone rubber.

9. The aerosol generating system of one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one magnet (24, 26) or ferritic element (14, 16) is an electromagnet.

10. The aerosol generating system of claim 9, wherein at least one electromagnet is adapted to be powered with a polarization opposite to that of a cooperating magnet.

11. A method of using an aerosol generating system, in which at least one magnet (24, 26) is used to attach the system to an object outside the system, such as a metal surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the system is attached to the outside object oriented vertically.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein opposite polarization of at least two magnets (24, 26) and two interacting magnets are used to allow a cover (12) to be combined with a case (10) in a defined orientation only.

14. The method of any of the claims 10 to 13, wherein a hall sensor is used to measure the strength of at least one magnet (24, 26) .

15. The method of any of the claims 10 to 14, wherein an electromagnet is switched to disconnect a cover (12) from a case (10) .