WO2023148910A1

WO2023148910A1 - Flavor inhaler, and smoking system

Info

Publication number: WO2023148910A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/004365
Authority: WO
Inventors: 康信井上; 干城隅井; 学山田
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2022-02-04
Filing date: 2022-02-04
Publication date: 2023-08-10
Also published as: TW202332386A

Abstract

This flavor inhaler comprises: an accommodation part for accommodating at least a smokeable substance of a consumer product that includes the smokeable substance and a hollow member; a heater disposed within the accommodation part, the heater being configured to heat the smokeable substance accommodated in the accommodation part; at least one first opening formed in a portion of the heater so as to communicate with the interior of the hollow member when the smokeable substance is accommodated in the accommodation part; and a first air flow path that allows communication between the first opening and the exterior of the flavor inhaler.

Description

Flavor sucker and smoking system

The present invention relates to flavor inhalers and smoking systems.

Conventionally, flavor inhalers for inhaling flavors without burning materials have been known. Such flavor inhalers are configured to cool components produced by the heating of smokable substances contained in consumables for inhalation by a user of the flavor inhaler (hereinafter simply referred to as the "user"). (See Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent No. 5877618 Japan Special Table No. 2019-518450

In such a flavor suction device, if the flow path for cooling is lengthened, it becomes difficult to make the flavor suction device or consumables compact. In addition, in a channel where steam generated by heating a smokable substance (hereinafter simply referred to as steam) tends to stay or diffuse, condensation of steam on the wall surface and adhesion of aerosol generated by cooling the steam to the wall surface may cause The amount of flavor components that are inhaled is reduced. Therefore, it is desirable to cool the steam efficiently.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to efficiently cool the vapor generated by heating the smokable substance.

According to the first aspect, a flavor inhaler is provided. The flavor inhaler comprises a consumable product comprising a smokable substance, a container for containing at least the smokable substance, and a container disposed in the container for heating the smokable substance contained in the container. at least one first opening; and a first air flow path communicating between the first opening and the outside of the flavor inhaler, wherein the smokable substance is contained in the containing portion. When formed, a second airflow path is formed through which vapor generated by said heating passes, said first opening communicating downstream of said smokable material in said second airflow path.

According to the first aspect, the steam passing through the second air flow path can be efficiently cooled by the air introduced from the first air flow path. As a result, the flow path for cooling the steam can be shortened, and the flavor inhaler or consumable can be constructed compactly. In addition, it is not necessary to complicate the structure of the flavor inhaler and the consumables, and it is possible to suppress vapor condensation on the wall surface or adhesion of aerosol to the wall surface, thereby suppressing reduction in the inhaled flavor components.

A gist of a second aspect is that in the first aspect, at least part of the first air flow path is formed inside the heater.

According to the second aspect, the storage section that stores the smokable substance, the heater, and the first air flow path can be configured compactly, so that the flavor inhaler can be made compact.

A gist of a third aspect is that in the second aspect, the heater has an inner tube defining the first air flow path therein.

According to the third aspect, it is possible to suppress the influence of the air in the first air flow path on the heating element of the heater. Also, by adjusting the inner diameter of the inner tube, it is easy to adjust the flow rate of the first air flow path and the flow rate of the other flow paths.

A fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the heater has a heating element and a gap between the heating element and the inner tube.

According to the fourth aspect, heat transfer between the air in the first air flow path and the heating element of the heater can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air passing through the first air flow path from interfering with the heating of the heating element and the heat of the heating element from interfering with the cooling of the vapor by the air.

The gist of the fifth aspect is that, in the fourth aspect, the end portion of the inner tube on the first opening side is formed so that the first air flow path and the gap do not communicate with each other.

According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to prevent vapor or aerosol from flowing into the gap and giving adverse effects such as deterioration of heater parts.

According to a sixth aspect, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the heater is configured to penetrate the smokable substance when the smokable substance is stored in the storage portion, and the smokable substance The gist of the invention is that the first opening is formed in a portion of the heater passing through.

According to the sixth aspect, the heater is arranged in the vicinity of the smokable substance and can efficiently heat the smokable substance. Also, the vapor generated by heating the smokable substance can be efficiently cooled by the air from the first air flow path.

A seventh aspect is according to the sixth aspect, wherein the heater is rod-shaped and has a second opening on its side surface, and the first air flow path communicates the second opening with the outside of the flavor inhaler. The gist is to do.

According to the seventh aspect, since the air is introduced from the plurality of openings of the first air flow path, steam can be cooled over a wide range.

According to an eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the consumable item further includes a hollow member, and the second opening is positioned outside the hollow member when the smokable substance is accommodated in the accommodating portion. The gist is that it is formed.

According to the eighth aspect, even if the hollow member has a plurality of openings, the air emitted from the second opening of the first air flow path can flow into the plurality of openings, so that the air passes through the hollow member. Steam can be cooled over a wide range.

The gist of the ninth aspect is that in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the interior of the hollow member is partitioned by partition walls.

According to the ninth aspect, the partition wall reinforces the hollow member, making it difficult for the shape of the hollow member to change. Therefore, various materials such as paper can be used to form the hollow member.

A gist of a tenth aspect is that in the eighth aspect or the ninth aspect, the hollow member is a center hole filter.

According to the tenth aspect, it is possible to provide a flow path for vapor or aerosol while supporting smokable substances by the outer wall of the center hole filter.

According to an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, an air inlet that communicates between the storage portion and the outside of the flavor inhaler is provided, and when the smokable substance is stored in the storage portion, the The gist is that said second air flow path is formed passing through an air inlet and said smokable substance in that order.

According to the eleventh aspect, the air from the outside can efficiently carry the vapor generated by heating the smokable substance and efficiently cool it downstream of the smokable substance.

A twelfth aspect is, in the first to eleventh aspects, when the suction is performed, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first air flow path and the second air flow path is The gist of the invention is that the first air flow path is formed such that the gas flow rate ratio is 0.4 or more and 0.7 or less.

According to the twelfth aspect, the vapor can be efficiently cooled without excessively reducing the amount of aerosol carried by the air from the second air flow path. Therefore, the user can inhale an appropriate amount of cooled flavoring ingredient.

A thirteenth aspect is any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein when the suction is performed, the air in the second air flow path flows along the inner surface of the storage portion and then flows into the smokable substance. The gist is that the air inlet is formed so as to.

According to the thirteenth aspect, since the heat of the heater is blocked by the air flowing along the inner surface of the housing portion, it is possible to prevent the outer wall of the flavor inhaler from becoming hot and difficult for the user to handle.

The gist of the fourteenth aspect is that the first opening is formed so as to surround the central axis along the longitudinal direction of the heater.

According to the 14th aspect, during cooling, the steam can be cooled more uniformly by suppressing bias in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

A gist of a fifteenth aspect is that in any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, the heater is a pin-type heater.

According to the fifteenth aspect, since the first air flow path is easily formed inside the heater, the flavor inhaler can be manufactured efficiently.

According to the sixteenth aspect, a smoking system is provided. The smoking system comprises the flavor inhaler of any of the first through fifteenth aspects and the consumable.

According to the sixteenth aspect, the steam passing through the second air flow path can be efficiently cooled by the air introduced from the first air flow path. As a result, the passage for cooling the steam can be shortened, and the smoking system can be made compact. In addition, it is not necessary to complicate the structure of the flavor inhaler and the consumables, and it is possible to suppress vapor condensation on the wall surface or adhesion of aerosol to the wall surface, thereby suppressing reduction in the inhaled flavor components.

1 is a schematic side cross-section of a smoking system according to one embodiment; It is a schematic side view which shows an example of the heating part of the said embodiment. Fig. 10 is a schematic side view showing the heating part inserted into the consumable; It is a schematic longitudinal section of a heating part. It is a schematic cross section of a heating part. It is a schematic diagram showing the first air flow path and the second air flow path in the above embodiment. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-section of a heating unit according to modification 1; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a first air flow path and a second air flow path in modification 1; FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a hollow member in modification 1;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-section of the smoking system according to this embodiment. The smoking system according to this embodiment has a consumable product 10 and a flavor inhaler 1000 . Flavor inhaler 1000 is preferably a portable or handheld device. In FIG. 1, illustration of a wall portion 70 and a flange 72 (FIG. 2A), which will be described later, is omitted.

The consumable 10 has a stopper element 18 , a smokable substance 16 heated by the flavor inhaler 1000 , a hollow member 15 , a paper tube portion 14 and a filter portion 12 . Hollow member 15 of consumable 10 is located between smokable material 16 and paper tube portion 14 . The hollow member 15 is preferably, but not limited to, a center hole filter from the viewpoint of supporting the smokable substance 16 by its outer wall and providing a flow path for the aerosol, but it promotes heat exchange in the hollow portion. It may further have a structure. The shape of the hollow member 15 is not particularly limited as long as it has a hollow portion through which vapor and aerosol can pass. The paper tube portion 14 and the hollow member 15 can function as a cooling portion that cools the steam introduced into the hollow member 15 . The inside of the paper tube portion 14 may be filled with a material such as a sheet for increasing the contact area with the steam and promoting the cooling of the steam. The stopper element 18 is provided on the tip side of the consumable material 10 , that is, at a position where the consumable material 10 first comes into contact with the heater 62 of the heating section 60 to be described later when the consumable material 10 is inserted into the flavor inhaler 1000 . The stopper element 18 functions to prevent the smokable substance 16 from falling off the tip of the consumable 10 and may be, for example, an acetate filter, a center hole filter, a neo filter, a paper filter, or the like. Alternatively, the stopper element 18 may include a cylindrical wrapping sheet and a stopper sheet having both ends connected to different positions on the inner surface of the wrapping sheet in the circumferential direction. The stopper sheet can be a piece of paper whose end-to-end length is greater than the diameter of the wrapping sheet.

Flavor inhaler 1000 is configured to heat solid or liquid smokable substance 16 to atomize smokable substance 16 . The smokable material 16 constitutes part of the consumable article 10, for example in the shape of a column extending along its longitudinal direction. Consumable material 10 may be, for example, a tobacco stick in which smokable material 16 comprises tobacco. The smokable material 16 contained in the consumable 10 may contain an aerosol source that is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate a vapor and the vapor is cooled to form an aerosol. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and/or constituents thereof can be selected depending on the application. Aerosol sources can include, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. Smokable material 16 may be tobacco such as lamina, backbone, or other known botanicals. Also, the shape of the smokable substance 16 such as tobacco may be shredded, sheet-like, string-like, powdery, granular, pellet-like, slurry-like, porous, or the like. Flavor components contained in smokable material 16 also volatilize upon heating and are contained in vapors and aerosols.

The flavor inhaler 1000 has a battery 23 and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 24. The battery 23 stores power used by the flavor inhaler 1000 . For example, battery 23 is a lithium ion battery. Battery 23 may be rechargeable by an external power source.

The PCB 24 is composed of a CPU, memory, etc., and controls the operation of the flavor inhaler 1000. For example, the PCB 24 controls the heater 62 to start heating the smokable substance 16 in response to user operation of an input device such as a push button or a slide switch (not shown), and heats the smokable substance 16 after a certain period of time. exit. The PCB 24 may terminate heating of the smokable material 16 even before a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the start of heating of the smokable material 16 when the number of puffs by the user exceeds a predetermined value. For example, a puff action is detected by a sensor (not shown).

Alternatively, the PCB 24 may begin heating the smokable substance 16 upon initiation of the puffing action and terminate heating of the smokable substance 16 upon termination of the puffing action. The PCB 24 may terminate heating of the smokable material 16 even before the end of the puffing action if a certain amount of time has passed since the beginning of the puffing action.

In the illustrated example, the flavor inhaler 1000 has an insertion end 1100 into which the consumable 10 is inserted and is configured to receive a stick-shaped consumable 10 . Also, as shown, the battery 23 and PCB 24 may be aligned in the orientation of inserting the consumable 10 into the flavor inhaler 1000 . In this specification, the direction in which the consumable material 10 is inserted or the longitudinal direction of the flavor inhaler 1000 is sometimes referred to as the axial direction. In addition, the circumferential direction in this specification means the circumferential direction about the axis in the axial direction, and the radial direction means the direction orthogonal to the axial direction.

The flavor inhaler 1000 has a housing 30 , a storage section 42 , a heating section 60 and a cap section 80 . Heating portion 60 is configured to heat smokable substance 16 . Specifically, for example, the heating portion 60 has a shape that can be inserted into the smokable substance 16 and is configured to heat the smokable substance 16 from the inside. More specifically, the heating portion 60 has a bar-shaped heater 62 that is inserted into the smokable substance 16 and a flange portion 64 for securing the heater 62 to the support 50 . The heater 62 extends axially. The flange portion 64 extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction, specifically in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. Heater 62 may have, for example, a heating track or the like capable of being resistively heated on or within it.

The heater 62 has an air introduction portion 69C. Specifically, the air introduction part 69C is formed at the end of the rod-shaped heater 62 . A first opening 101 of the first air flow path 100 is formed in the air introduction portion 69C. The first air flow path 100 communicates between the first opening 101 and the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000 . The air introduction portion 69C is a portion of the heater 62 that is located inside the hollow member 15 when the smokable substance 16 is stored in the storage portion 42 . Therefore, at this time, the first opening 101 is positioned inside the hollow member 15 . A first opening 101 is formed in the heater 62 so as to communicate with the interior of the hollow member 15 when the smokable substance 16 is contained in the containing portion 42 . The first opening 101 is formed to surround the central axis Ax along the longitudinal direction of the heater 62 . As a result, it is possible to cool the steam, which will be described later, more uniformly without deviation in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heater 62 .

From the viewpoint of facilitating formation of the first air flow path 100, the heater 62 is preferably a pin-type heater. Specifically, the pin-type heater may be cylindrical, for example. The shape of the cross section orthogonal to the insertion direction of the pin-type heater may not be a perfect circle, and may be, for example, an ellipse. The shape of the cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction of the pin-type heater may be rectangular, but a circular or elliptical shape is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the resistance when the heater 62 is inserted into the consumable material 10 .

Electric power from the battery 23 is supplied to the heater 62 . Specifically, the heater 62 is provided with leads 66 and may be electrically connected to the PCB 24 and/or the battery 23 via the leads 66 . The flavor inhaler 1000 may have an induction coil that inductively heats the heater 62 . In this case, heater 62 can be inductively heated by an induction coil as a susceptor. Specifically, the heater 62 is inserted inside the smokable substance 16 and is inductively heated by an induction coil (not shown) to heat the smokable substance 16 . If the flavor inhaler 1000 has an induction coil, at least one of the housing 30, the container 42, and the cap 80 is preferably magnetically permeable and non-conductive (electrically insulating). This makes it difficult for at least one of the housing 30, the accommodating portion 42, and the cap portion 80 to generate heat due to the induction coil, and the heater 62 can efficiently generate heat. Materials having magnetic permeability and non-conductivity (electrical insulation) include, for example, glass, plants, wood, paper, and resins such as PEEK. The induction coil can be, for example, a planar coil or a cylindrical coil. In a state in which the consumable item 10 is positioned at a desired position within the container portion 42, the induction coil is arranged on the opposite side of the consumable item 10 via the bottom wall 44 of the container portion 42, which will be described later, or on the other side of the container portion 42, which will be described later. It may be provided so as to surround the side wall 43 .

The container 42 is generally cylindrical and is configured to contain at least the smokable substance 16 of the consumable product 10 . Specifically, the housing portion 42 has a cylindrical side wall 43 and a bottom wall 44 . Side wall 43 surrounds smokable substance 16 and stopper element 18 of consumable 10 positioned at a desired location within receptacle 42 . As shown in FIG. 1, the heater 62 of the heating section 60 passes through the opening 44A of the bottom wall 44, and a portion of the heater 62 including the resistance heating element 68 (FIG. 4) is positioned inside the housing section 42. .

As shown in FIG. 1 , it is preferable that a gap S1 is provided along the entire circumference between the smokable substance 16 of the consumable material 10 contained in the container 42 and the side wall 43 of the container 42 . This may reduce the transfer of heat from the heater 62 and the heated smokable substance 16 to the container 42 and the housing 30 than if the sides of the consumable 10 were in contact with the container 42 . As a result, the temperature rise of the surface of the housing 30 can be reduced, and the heat taken from the smokable substance 16 by the container 42 can be reduced.

The housing 30 surrounds at least the housing portion 42 . Specifically, the housing 30 surrounds the outer circumferences of the heating section 60 and the housing section 42 . As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 30 has an air inlet 32 and an end portion 38 having an opening into which the receiving portion 42 and the cap portion 80 are inserted.

The air inlet 32 communicates between the storage section 42 and the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000 . End 38 constitutes one end of housing 30 . The receiving portion 42 and the cap portion 80 are inserted from the end portion 38 when the flavor inhaler 1000 is assembled. Specifically, the cap portion 80 can be detachably attached to the housing 30 . The cap portion 80 has an opening 81 for inserting the consumable 10 .

Next, the details of the heater 62 will be described. FIG. 2A is a schematic side view showing an example of the heating section 60 of this embodiment. 2B is a schematic side view showing the heating unit 60 inserted into the consumable 10. FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heating section 60. As shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3. FIG. In each figure, the dimensions of each part have been changed for clarity. As shown in FIG. 2A, the heating section 60 has a heater 62 and a wall section 70 attached to the heater 62 .

The heater 62 has a resistance heating element 68 and a cover 67 that covers the outer surface of the resistance heating element 68 . As a result, since the resistance heating element 68 does not come into direct contact with the smokable substance 16, it is possible to prevent the resistance heating element 68 from being soiled by the smokable substance 16, physical damage to the resistance heating element 68, and the like. Specifically, in the illustrated example, the heater 62 has a hollow tubular body 65 . Thereby, the heat capacity can be reduced as compared with the case where the heater 62 is solid.

A first air flow path 100 is formed inside the heater 62 . An inner tube 130 that defines the first air flow path 100 is formed inside the tubular body 65 . The inner tube 130 extends in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 65 . In the example of this embodiment, the tubular body 65 and the inner tube 130 are cylindrical around the same axis (see FIG. 4). The inner tube 130 can be made of a metal such as stainless steel that is easy to process, or a material with low thermal conductivity (for example, a resin material). . A gap S3 is formed between the inner tube 130 and the tubular body 65 . That is, a gap S3 exists between the inner tube 130 and the resistance heating element 68. As shown in FIG. In this way, the first air flow path 100 is surrounded by the inner tube 130 and the gap S3 is provided, so that the air in the first air flow path 100 and the resistance heating element 68 provided in the tubular body 65 heat transfer can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the air passing through the first air flow path 100 from interfering with the heating of the resistance heating element 68 and the heat of the resistance heating element 68 from inhibiting the cooling of steam by the air. .

An end portion 130D of the inner tube 130 on the side of the first opening 101 is formed so that the first air flow path 100 and the gap S3 are not communicated at the end portion 130D. In the illustrated example, the end portion 130D is connected to the inner wall surface 620 of the heater 62 . As a result, heated vapor or aerosol can be prevented from flowing backward from the first opening 101 and adversely affecting the components of the heater 62 . In the example of FIG. 3, the inner wall surface 620 is a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heater 62, but it is not limited to this as long as the backflow of vapor or aerosol can be prevented. A first hole 111 is formed in the inner pipe 130 at a portion facing a non-heat generating portion 69B of the heater 62, which will be described later, to communicate the first air flow path 100 and the gap S3. A second hole 112 is formed in the tubular body 65 to communicate the gap S3 and the outside of the heater 62 . The second hole 112 is connected to the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000 via a channel (not shown) so that air can move. The first hole 111 and the second hole 112 form a connection flow path 110 that connects the inside of the inner pipe 130 and the outside of the heater 62 . Note that the first hole 111 and the second hole 112 may be connected by a pipe so that the first air flow path 100 does not communicate with the gap S3.

The formation of the heater 62 in the illustrated example is performed as follows. First, the resistance heating element 68 is formed on the outer surface of the tubular body 65, and the cover 67 integrally formed with the air introduction part 69C is arranged on the outer surface of the resistance heating element 68. As shown in FIG. By sintering the tubular body 65, the resistance heating element 68, the air introduction part 69C and the cover 67, an integrated hollow heater main body is formed. An inner tube 130 is attached to the inner wall of the hollow heater body with a heat-resistant adhesive. The tubular body 65, the air introduction part 69C and the cover 67 can be made of an insulator such as ceramic. By arranging the cover 67 on the outer surface of the resistance heating element 68, the strength of the heater 62 can be improved and the heating can be made uniform.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3, the flavor inhaler 1000 is configured such that the heater 62 is formed between the heater 62 and the stopper element 18 when the heater 62 is inserted into the smokable substance 16. It has a gap S2 (in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 5 and 7, the gap S2 is schematically indicated by a dashed line). This allows the heater 62 to be at least partially spaced from the stopper element 18 so that heat transfer to the stopper element 18 is inhibited while the smokable substance 16 is heated by the heater 62 . Therefore, melting or damage to the stopper element 18 can be suppressed, and heat loss due to heat transfer to the stopper element 18 can also be suppressed. The heating portion 60 is disposed between the heater 62 and the stopper element 18 and has a wall portion 70 in contact with the stopper element 18 and spaced apart from the heater 62 . The wall portion 70 includes a tapered surface 71 whose diameter decreases from the rear end side to the front end side of the heater 62 and a flange 72 . Note that the wall portion 70 may not be provided in the heating portion 60 .

As shown in FIG. 2B, the heater 62 is configured to penetrate the smokable substance 16 when the smokable substance 16 is contained in the container 42, and the air introduction portion 69C of the heater 62 passing through the smokable substance 16 is A first opening 101 is formed. Therefore, the first opening 101 is configured to be exposed inside the hollow member 15 . This allows the heater 62 to be positioned near the smokable substance 16 to efficiently heat the smokable substance 16 . Also, the vapor generated by the heating of the smokable substance 16 and entering the hollow member 15 can be efficiently cooled by the air from the first air flow path 100 .

In this embodiment, the heater 62 has a heat-generating portion 69A and a non-heat-generating portion 69B positioned along the insertion direction (the axial direction or longitudinal direction of the heater 62). Specifically, for example, the heating portion 69A corresponds to the portion where the resistance heating element 68 of the heater 62 is arranged, and the non-heating portion 69B corresponds to the lead wire connected to the resistance heating element 68 (more than the resistance heating element 68). It corresponds to a portion where a conductor portion with low resistance) is arranged.

As shown, the heat generating portion 69A is preferably located closer to the tip of the heater 62 than the non-heat generating portion 69B. This allows the non-heat generating portion 69B to overlap the stopper element 18 and the heat generating portion 69A to overlap the smokable substance 16 in the axial direction (insertion direction of the heater 62). In the heater 62, the air introducing portion 69C formed on the tip side of the heat generating portion 69A preferably has a projection shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip. This allows the heater 62 to be easily inserted into the consumable 10 .

In this embodiment, the tubular body 65, the cover 67, the air introduction portion 69C, and the wall portion 70 can be made of metal such as stainless steel that is easy to process, or a material with low thermal conductivity (eg, resin material).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the accommodating portion 42 schematically showing the first air flow path 100 and the second air flow path 200. FIG. The first air flow path 100 and the second air flow path 200 are each schematically indicated by arrows. As described above, the first air flow path 100 passes through a flow path (not shown) from the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000, the second hole 112, the first hole 111, the inner pipe 130, and the first opening of the air introduction portion 69C. 101 is a flow path.

The second air flow path 200 is a flow path formed when the smokable substance 16 is stored in the storage portion 42 . The air passing through the second air flow path 200 flows from the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000 through the air inlet 32 into the storage section 42 , and then flows along the inner surface 420 of the storage section 42 . The flow path along this inner surface 420 is defined by the inner surface 420 and the outer wall 19 of the consumable 10 . Air passing through the second air flow path 200 then passes through the stopper element 18 as appropriate, then through the smokable material 16 and into the hollow member 15 along with the steam produced by the heating. Thus, the flavor inhaler 1000 and the consumable material 10 are configured so that the first air flow path 100 and the second air flow path 200 join at the hollow member 15 . In other words, the first opening 101 communicates downstream of the smokable material 16 in the second airflow path 200 . The first air flow path 100 is a flow path that communicates downstream of the second air flow path 200 without passing through the smokable substance 16 .

In the smoking system of this embodiment, when the smokable substance 16 is stored in the storage portion 42, the second air flow path 200 is formed to pass through the air inlet 32, the smokable substance 16 and the hollow member 15 in this order. be. As a result, the vapor generated by heating the smokable substance 16 can be efficiently introduced into the hollow member 15 and the introduced vapor can be efficiently cooled by the air introduced from the first air flow path 100 .

When the user inhales, let the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first air flow path 100 be a first flow rate Q1, and let the flow rate of the gas flowing through the second air flow path 200 be a second flow rate Q2. The ratio of the first flow rate Q1 to the total flow rate Q1+Q2 obtained by adding the first flow rate Q1 and the second flow rate Q2 is preferably 0.4 or more, more preferably 0.5 or more. As the ratio of the first flow rate Q1 increases, the steam can be cooled more efficiently. The ratio of the first flow rate Q1 to the total flow rate Q1+Q2 is preferably 0.7 or less, more preferably 0.6 or less. If the ratio of the first flow rate Q1 is too high, the amount of steam introduced into the hollow member 15 will decrease, and the amount of flavor components that will be drawn in will decrease.

The flavor inhaler 1000 of this embodiment includes at least one first opening 101 and a first air flow path 100 that communicates between the first opening 101 and the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000 , and the container 42 contains a smokable substance. When 16 is accommodated, a second air flow path 200 is formed through which steam generated by heating passes, and first opening 101 communicates downstream of smokable material 16 in second air flow path 200 . As a result, the air introduced from the first air flow path 100 can efficiently cool the steam passing through the second air flow path 200 . As a result, the flow path for cooling steam can be shortened, and the flavor inhaler 1000 or the consumable product 10 can be made compact. In addition, there is no need to complicate the structure of the flavor inhaler 1000 and the consumable material 10, and condensation of vapor on the wall surface or adhesion of aerosol to the wall surface can be suppressed, and reduction in the inhaled flavor component can be suppressed.

The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and can be combined with the above-described embodiment or other modifications. In the following modified examples, the same reference numerals are used to refer to parts having the same structures and functions as those of the above-described embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(Modification 1)
In the embodiments described above, the heater may be provided with a plurality of openings communicating with the first air flow path.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a heating section 60A of this modified example. 60 A of heating parts differ from the heating part 60 of the above-mentioned embodiment by the point provided with the heater 62A instead of the above-mentioned heater 62. FIG. Heater 62A differs from heater 62 of the above-described embodiment in that it includes tubular body 65A, cover 67A, inner tube 130A, and connecting tubes 150A and 150B.

Each of the connection pipes 150A and 150B connects the inside of the inner pipe 130 and the outside of the heater 62 so that air can move. Connection pipes 150A and 150B communicate second openings 102A and 102B with the interior of inner pipe 130, respectively. The second openings 102A and 102B are openings formed on the side surface of the rod-shaped heater 62A. The connecting tubes 150A and 150B are formed in openings of the inner tube 130, the tubular body 65 and the cover 67, respectively. The number of second openings 102A and 102B is not particularly limited, and may be one or three or more. The effect of introducing air can be obtained without the connecting pipes 150A and 150B. Also, the second openings 102A and 102B may be provided in an air introducing portion 69C forming an end portion of the heater 62A.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the accommodating portion 42 schematically showing the first air flow path 100A of this modified example. The first air flow path 100A and the second air flow path 200 are each schematically indicated by arrows. At the time of suction, in the first air flow path 100A, air flows out through the first opening 101, and also flows out to the side of the heater 62A through the second openings 102A and 102B. The first air flow path 100A of this modification communicates the first opening 101 with the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000, and also communicates the second openings 102A and 102B with the outside of the flavor inhaler 1000. In this way, the air flows into the hollow member 15S (FIG. 8) from the plurality of openings through the first air flow path 100A, and thus the inside of the hollow member 15S is wider than when there is only one opening. Steam is cooled. In this modification, unlike the first opening 101, the second openings 102A and 102B are arranged on the side surface of the rod-shaped heater 62, so that the air from the first opening 101 and the air from the second openings 102A and 102B , can efficiently cool a wider range of steam.

The second openings 102A and 102B are formed on the outer side of the hollow member 15S at positions closer to the distal end than the hollow member 15S when the smokable substance 16 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 42. Here, the outer side of the hollow member 15S includes a region on the tip side of the hollow member 15S and the inner side of the consumable product 10 . If the hollow member 15S is divided into a plurality of regions, there is a possibility that the air from the first opening 101 can pass through only one region. In this modification, the second openings 102A and 102B are formed at positions outside the hollow member 15S when the smokable substance 16 is stored in the storage portion 42. As shown in FIG. As a result, the air from the second openings 102A and 102B on the tip side of the hollow member 15S expands in the radial direction before flowing into the hollow member 15S, so that it can pass through many regions of the hollow member 15S and be cooled. can.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a hollow member 15S suitable for the flavor inhaler of this modified example. The hollow member 15S is an S-type filter. The hollow member 15S includes a cylindrical side wall 151 and an S-shaped partition wall 150S. A space 152 inside the hollow member 15S is separated by a partition wall 150S. Since such an S-type filter is supported by the partition walls 150S, it can be made of various materials including flexible materials such as paper. In this modified example, steam can be cooled particularly efficiently when the hollow member 15S provided with such a partition 150S is used. The shape of the partition wall 150S is not necessarily S-shaped and is not particularly limited. Also, in this modified example, a hollow member without a partition may be used. Even in this case, the second openings 102A and 102B have the effect of cooling steam over a wide range.

(Modification 2)
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration is such that the first opening communicates with the interior of the hollow member. However, if the first opening communicates downstream of the smokable material 16 in the second airflow path, the hollow member need not be disposed. For example, instead of hollow members, consumables may be provided with segments filled with structures that increase surface area and promote heat exchange. Examples of such structures include low density filter segments or folded polymer films.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, specification and drawings. is possible. Any shape or material that is not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention as long as it produces the action and effect of the present invention.

10: Consumables 15, 15S: Hollow member 16: Smokable substance 32: Air inlet 42: Storage parts 62, 62A: Heaters 65, 65A: Tubular bodies 67, 67A: Cover 68: Resistance heating element 69A: Heating part 69B: Non-heat generating portion 69C: Air introduction portion 70: Wall portions 100, 100A: First air flow path 101: First openings 120A, 120B: Second openings 130, 130A: Inner tube 130D: Inner wall surface of heater 200: Second air Flow path 420: Inner surface 620 of housing portion: Inner wall surface of heater 1000: Flavor sucker Ax: Center axes S1, S2, S3 of heater: Gap

Claims

A flavor inhaler,
a containment portion of a consumable article containing smokable substance containing at least said smokable substance;
a heater disposed within the container and configured to heat the smokable substance contained in the container;
at least one first opening;
a first air flow path communicating between the first opening and the outside of the flavor inhaler;
with
When the smokable substance is stored in the storage part, a second air flow path is formed through which the steam generated by the heating passes,
The first opening is a flavor inhaler communicating downstream of the smokable material in the second airflow path.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein at least part of said first air flow path is formed inside said heater.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 2, wherein the heater has an inner tube therein defining the first air flow path.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 3, wherein the heater has a heating element and a gap between the heating element and the inner tube.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 4, wherein the end of the inner tube on the first opening side is formed so that the first air flow path and the gap are not communicated with each other.
the heater is configured to penetrate the smokable substance when the smokable substance is received in the container, and the first opening is formed in a portion of the heater that passes through the smokable substance; A flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 2 to 5.
The heater is rod-shaped and has a second opening on its side surface,
7. The flavor inhaler according to claim 6, wherein said first air flow path communicates said second opening with the outside of said flavor inhaler.
the consumable further comprises a hollow member;
8. The flavor inhaler according to claim 7, wherein said second opening is formed outside said hollow member when said smokable substance is accommodated in said accommodating portion.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 8, wherein the interior of said hollow member is partitioned by a partition wall.
The flavor inhaler according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the hollow member is a center hole filter.
further comprising an air inlet that communicates between the container and the outside of the flavor inhaler,
11. Any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein when said smokable substance is stored in said storage portion, said second air flow path passing through said air inlet and said smokable substance in this order is formed. The flavor inhaler according to .
When the suction is performed, the ratio of the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first air flow path to the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first air flow path and the second air flow path is 0.4 or more, 0.4 or more. 12. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first air flow path is formed to be 7 or less.
The air inlet is formed such that when the suction is performed, the air flows along the inner surface of the container in the second air flow path and then flows into the smokable substance. Item 13. The flavor inhaler according to any one of Items 1 to 12.
The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first opening is formed so as to surround the central axis along the longitudinal direction of the heater.
The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the heater is a pin-type heater.
A smoking system comprising a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 15 and the consumable.