WO2023211189A1

WO2023211189A1 - Porous hygroscopic body cartridge

Info

Publication number: WO2023211189A1
Application number: PCT/KR2023/005765
Authority: WO
Inventors: 임동욱; 현승목
Original assignee: 주식회사 이엠텍
Priority date: 2022-04-27
Filing date: 2023-04-27
Publication date: 2023-11-02

Abstract

An embodiment relates to a porous hygroscopic body cartridge and, in particular, to a porous hygroscopic body cartridge which can transfer a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate to at least one side while accommodating the aerosol-forming substrate or absorbing moisture therefrom, and can be discarded without environmental pollution when the aerosol-forming substrate is consumed. According to an embodiment, the porous hygroscopic body cartridge comprises a first porous hygroscopic body and a second porous hygroscopic body, wherein an accommodation space with one side open is formed in at least one of the first and second porous hygroscopic bodies, the first porous hygroscopic body is coupled and attached to the second porous hygroscopic body, and the accommodation space is closed from the outside.

Description

Porous moisture absorber cartridge

The embodiment relates to a porous hygroscopic cartridge, in particular, capable of transporting a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate to at least one side while receiving or absorbing the aerosol-forming substrate, and capable of being disposed of without environmental pollution upon consumption of the aerosol-forming substrate. It relates to a porous moisture absorbent cartridge.

In general, an electronic cigarette refers to an electronic device made to inhale a solution containing nicotine filled in a replaceable cartridge into an aerosol or gaseous state (atomized state).

Such electronic cigarettes can satisfy the desire to smoke in place of regular cigarettes, and do not contain harmful ingredients such as tar, thereby reducing the harmful effects on the human body caused by cigarettes. At the same time, they do not cause the indirect damage of smoking. Due to its advantages, the number of users is increasing explosively. In other words, electronic cigarettes allow smoking indoors and have the same effect as smoking cigarettes while preventing the damage caused by cigarettes that cause various diseases.

In particular, in recent years, electronic cigarettes have been released that allow users to enjoy a variety of flavors by adding other flavors, such as fruit, to the taste of cigarettes.

In these electronic cigarettes, when an atomizer containing liquid nicotine is connected to the battery unit, the heating element of the atomizer generates heat and creates a haze that vaporizes the liquid nicotine.

However, the cartridge containing the liquid nicotine of the prior art as described above is made of plastic material, so there is a problem that it may cause environmental pollution when discarded when the liquid nicotine is consumed.

The embodiment aims to provide a porous moisture absorbent cartridge that can transport a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate to at least one side while receiving or absorbing the aerosol-forming substrate, and can be disposed of without environmental pollution upon consumption of the aerosol-forming substrate. Do it as

An embodiment is provided with a first porous hygroscopic body and a second porous hygroscopic body, and a receiving space with one side open is formed in at least one of the first and second porous hygroscopic bodies, and the first porous hygroscopic body and the second porous hygroscopic body are provided. The porous moisture absorbent is bonded and attached, and the receiving space is closed to the outside.

In addition, it is preferable that the first or second porous moisture absorbent absorbs moisture from the aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid or gel state so that the aerosol-forming substrate is accommodated in the receiving space.

Additionally, it is preferable that at least one of the first and second porous moisture absorbers has hydrophilic properties.

In addition, it is preferable that the heater unit is mounted on the outer surface of the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties.

Additionally, the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties is preferably composed of beads.

In addition, raw materials for porous moisture absorbers with hydrophilic properties include magnesium silicate, aluminum silicate, silicate silicate, zeolite, titanium oxide, titanium carbide, zirconia, silica, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, mullite, cordierite, tungsten carbide, zirconium carbide, It is preferably composed of one or more materials selected from the group containing aluminum nitride.

Additionally, it is preferable that a waterproof coating layer is formed on the outer surface of the first porous moisture absorber or the second porous moisture absorber.

In addition, either the first porous hygroscopic material or the second porous hygroscopic material is hydrophobic, an accommodation space is formed in the porous hygroscopic material with hydrophobic properties, and the raw materials for the porous hygroscopic material with hydrophobic properties are alumina, zirconia, and oxidation. Including one or more materials selected from the group including yttrium, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, plsterite, steatite, beta-spodumene, zircon, zircondierite, coredierite, mullite, and porcelain. It is desirable to have it configured.

Additionally, before the first porous moisture absorbent or the second porous moisture absorbent absorbs moisture from the aerosol-forming substrate, it is preferable that the first porous moisture absorbent and the second porous moisture absorbent are sintered and bonded.

The embodiment accommodates or absorbs moisture in the aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid or gel state, and transfers at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate to the surface on which the heater unit is mounted so that the aerosol-forming substrate can be atomized, and when the aerosol-forming substrate is consumed, the aerosol-forming substrate is atomized. This has the effect of allowing the porous hygroscopic cartridge to be disposed of without environmental pollution.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure and manufacturing process of a porous moisture absorbent cartridge according to an embodiment.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a porous moisture absorbent cartridge in which an aerosol-forming substrate is absorbed and accommodated.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a porous moisture absorbent cartridge equipped with a heater unit.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a perspective view of a porous moisture absorbent cartridge according to other embodiments.

Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail through the drawings. However, this is not intended to be limiting to specific embodiments, and the described embodiments should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numbers may be used for similar components.

In this document, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “includes,” or “may include” refer to the existence of the corresponding feature (e.g., a numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). , and does not rule out the existence of additional features.

In this document, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or/and B,” or “one or more of A or/and B” may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. . For example, “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, or “at least one of A or B” (1) includes at least one A, (2) includes at least one B, or (3) it may refer to all cases including both at least one A and at least one B.

As used herein, expressions such as "first", "second", "first", or "second" may describe various elements in any order and/or importance, and may refer to one element as another. It is only used to distinguish from components and does not limit the components. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, a first component may be renamed a second component without departing from the scope of rights described in this document, and similarly, the second component may also be renamed to the first component.

A component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to” another component (e.g., a second component). When referred to as being “connected to,” it should be understood that any component may be directly connected to the other component or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component). On the other hand, when a component (e.g., a first component) is said to be “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component (e.g., a second component), It may be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between other components.

The expression “configured to” used in this document may mean, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” or “having the capacity to.” It can be used interchangeably with ", "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term “configured (or set) to” may not necessarily mean “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression “a device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” working with other devices or components.

Terms used in this document are merely used to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field described in this document. Among the terms used in this document, terms defined in general dictionaries may be interpreted to have the same or similar meaning as the meaning they have in the context of related technology, and unless clearly defined in this document, they may be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. It is not interpreted. In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be interpreted to exclude embodiments of this document.

In Figure 1(a), the first porous moisture absorbent 10 and the second porous moisture absorbent 20 constituting the porous moisture absorbent cartridge are manufactured, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the first porous moisture absorbent 10 includes a cylindrical base 12 and an extension 14 protruding downward from the lower side of the base 12. .

The second porous moisture absorbent 20 is open only at the top and includes a main body 22 with an opening 24 formed on the upper side. The horizontal cross-section of the main body 22 is circular, and the main body 22 is in the form of a pipe with only the top open. In another embodiment, the horizontal cross-section of the main body 22 may have a semicircular, polygonal, or star-shaped shape. An open receiving space S1 is formed in the main body 22 and communicates with the outside through the opening 24.

At least one of the first porous hygroscopic body 10 and the second porous hygroscopic body 20 may have hydrophilic properties. In this embodiment, the first porous moisture absorbent 10 has hydrophilic properties, and the second porous moisture absorbent 20 has hydrophobic properties. However, the second porous moisture absorbent 20 may also have hydrophilic properties.

In this embodiment, the raw materials of the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophobic properties are alumina, zirconia, yttrium oxide, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, plsterite, steatite, beta-spodumene, zircon, zircon dierite, and core dierite. It is composed of one or more materials selected from the group including, mullite, and porcelain.

In this embodiment, the raw materials of the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties are magnesium silicate, aluminum silicate, silicate silicate, zeolite, titanium oxide, titanium carbide, zirconia, silica, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, mullite, cordierite, tungsten carbide, It is composed of one or more materials selected from the group including zirconium carbide and aluminum nitride. In particular, a porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties can perform the function of absorbing or transporting an aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid or gel state.

Additionally, the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties is composed of spherical beads made of the above-mentioned raw materials. The diameter or size of the beads of the porous moisture absorbent ranges from 10 to 300 ㎛. Pores are also formed in each bead of the porous moisture absorbent.

Each of the first porous moisture absorbent 10 and the second porous moisture absorbent 20 is manufactured by a press mold method. Beads made of raw materials of the first porous moisture absorbent 10 are introduced into the first mold corresponding to the structure or shape of the first porous moisture absorbent 10, and molds corresponding to the shape of the second porous moisture absorbent 20 are added. After the raw materials of the second porous moisture absorber 20 are added to the second mold, a press is applied to each of the first and second molds, as shown in (a) of FIG. 1, the first and second porous moisture absorbers ( 10) and (20) are each manufactured. The pressure of the press applied from above ranges from 0.001 to 5 tons.

The first and second

porous moisture absorbers

10 and 20 separated from each of the first and second molds are put into the drying space of the drying device and dried. The drying temperature, which is the temperature of the drying space, is in the range of 30 to 50 ℃.

As shown in Figure 1 (b), the extension portion 14 of the first porous moisture absorbent 10 is inserted into the receiving space S1 through the opening 24 of the second porous moisture absorbent 20, and the extension portion 14 is inserted into the receiving space S1. The lower side of the first porous moisture absorbent 10 outside the portion 14 is assembled by contacting the upper side of the second porous moisture absorbent 20.

Figure 1(c) is a vertical cross-sectional view after assembly, in which a receiving space S1 closed to the outside is formed between the first and second porous moisture absorbers 20.

Next, the assembled porous moisture absorbent cartridge 100 in Figure 1 (b) is put into a sintering furnace and sintered. The sintering furnace temperature in this sintering treatment process ranges from 600 to 1500°C. In one embodiment, the sintering treatment process includes a first sintering process conducted at a first sintering temperature of 500 ° C. for 1 hour, and a second sintering process conducted for 20 minutes at a second sintering temperature of 800 ° C., which is higher than the first sintering temperature. It may consist of a process and a third sintering process conducted for 20 minutes at a third sintering temperature of 1,000° C., which is higher than the second sintering temperature.

By the above sintering process, the extension portion 14 of the first porous moisture absorber 10 is bonded and attached to the inner surface of the main body 22 where the receiving space S1 is formed, and the second portion outside the extension portion 14 is attached. 1 The lower side of the porous moisture absorbent 10 is bonded and attached to the upper side of the second porous moisture absorbent 20, so that the first and second

porous moisture absorbers

10 and 20 are bonded and attached to each other.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a porous moisture absorbent cartridge in which the aerosol-forming substrate 30 is absorbed and accommodated.

A receiving case for accommodating an aerosol-forming substrate (30) in a liquid or gel state within a porous moisture absorbent cartridge (102) composed of the first and second porous moisture absorbers (10) and (20) bonded together during the sintering process described above. By inserting it into the porous moisture absorbent cartridge 102, the aerosol-forming substrate 30 is allowed to absorb moisture.

As shown in FIG. 2, the aerosol-forming substrate 30 is absorbed by the first or second

porous moisture absorbers

10 and 20 and is accommodated in the receiving space S1. Here, the aerosol-forming substrate is absorbed through the hydrophilic porous hygroscopic body and is accommodated in the receiving space S1, and is also absorbed within the hydrophilic porous hygroscopic body.

Here, the aerosol-forming base 30 is a substance containing at least one of fragrance, nicotine, VG (vegetable glycerin), PG (propylene glycol), flavoring agent, caffeine, tonic, CBD, etc., and is in a liquid or gel state. have

After removing the porous moisture absorbent cartridge 102 that has absorbed moisture from the aerosol-forming substrate 30 from the housing case, a waterproof coating for waterproofing is applied to the outer surface of the second porous moisture absorbent 20 or the first porous moisture absorbent 10. is performed to form a waterproof coating layer to prevent the moisture-absorbed aerosol-forming substrate from leaking.

In FIG. 2, a heater unit 40 is mounted on a porous moisture absorbent cartridge 104 on which a waterproof coating has been performed. The heater unit 40 is mounted on a hydrophilic porous hygroscopic body that can absorb moisture and transfer the aerosol-forming substrate to the outer surface. In this embodiment, it is mounted on the outer surface of the hydrophilic first porous hygroscopic body 10. .

The heater unit 40 includes a heating wire 42 that generates thermal energy when power is applied, and first and

second power terminals

44 and 46 connected to both ends of the heating wire 42, respectively.

The porous hygroscopic material cartridge in Figure 4 (a) has a first porous hygroscopic material (10a) in the form of a pipe with a receiving space (S2) open at the lower side, and a receiving space (S3) with an open upper side in the form of a pipe. It is configured to include a second porous moisture absorber (20a).

The lower side 16a of the first porous moisture absorber 10a and the upper side 26a of the second porous moisture absorber 20a are bonded and attached by a sintering process as described above. Due to this combination and attachment, the accommodation space S2 of the first porous moisture absorber 10a and the accommodation space S3 of the second porous moisture absorbent 20a are communicated, and an accommodation space closed to the external space is formed. .

In the porous moisture absorbent cartridge 100 of Figure 1 (b), the first porous moisture absorbent 10 has the function of a cover or lid, and the second porous moisture absorbent 20 has the function of accommodating the aerosol-forming substrate. On the other hand, in the porous moisture absorbent cartridge of Figure 4 (a), when the first and second porous moisture absorbers (10a) and (20a) are respectively provided with receiving spaces (S2) and (S3) and attached. , the receiving space S2 and the receiving space S3 are in communication, and the aerosol-forming substrate is absorbed and accommodated.

FIG. 4(b) shows a porous hygroscopic cartridge having a square pillar shape with a receiving space formed therein, unlike the porous hygroscopic cartridge of FIG. 1 or the porous hygroscopic cartridge of FIG. 4(a).

The porous moisture absorbent cartridge in this embodiment is inserted into an aerosol generating device that applies power or heat energy, and aerosol is generated from the outer surface (screenless screen) where the heater unit 40 is mounted. In addition, the porous moisture absorbent cartridge allows the moisture-absorbed or received aerosol-forming substrate to be transferred to the outer surface where the heater unit 40 is mounted, thereby continuously generating aerosol. Additionally, when the aerosol-forming substrate is used up, the porous moisture absorbent cartridge can be disposed of without environmental pollution.

As explained above, it is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made by anyone skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the claims. Of course, such changes are within the scope of the claims.

Claims

a first porous moisture absorbent;

Provided with a second porous moisture absorbent,

A receiving space open on one side is formed in at least one of the first and second porous moisture absorbers,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge, wherein the first porous moisture absorbent and the second porous moisture absorbent are bonded and attached, and the receiving space is closed to the outside.
According to claim 1,

A porous hygroscopic material cartridge, wherein the first or second porous hygroscopic material absorbs moisture from an aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid or gel state, and the aerosol-forming substrate is accommodated in a receiving space.
According to claim 2,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge, characterized in that at least one of the first and second porous moisture absorbents has hydrophilic properties.
According to claim 3,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge, characterized in that a heater unit is mounted on the outer surface of a porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties.
According to claim 3,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge characterized in that the porous moisture absorbent with hydrophilic properties is composed of beads.
According to any one of claims 3 to 5,

Raw materials for porous moisture absorbers with hydrophilic properties include magnesium silicate, aluminum silicate, silicate silicate, zeolite, titanium oxide, titanium carbide, zirconia, silica, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, mullite, cordierite, tungsten carbide, zirconium carbide, and aluminum nitride. A porous moisture absorbent cartridge comprising one or more materials selected from the group comprising.
According to claim 2,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge, characterized in that a waterproof coating layer is formed on the outer surface of the first porous moisture absorbent or the second porous moisture absorbent.
According to claim 2,

Either the first porous hygroscopic body or the second porous hygroscopic body is hydrophobic, and a receiving space is formed in the porous hygroscopic body having a hydrophobic nature,

Raw materials for porous moisture absorbents with hydrophobic properties include alumina, zirconia, yttrium oxide, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, psterite, steatite, beta-spodumene, zircon, zircondierite, coredeerite, mullite, and porcelain. A porous moisture absorbent cartridge comprising at least one material selected from the group containing porcelain.
According to claim 2,

A porous moisture absorbent cartridge, wherein the first porous moisture absorbent and the second porous moisture absorbent are sintered and bonded before the first porous moisture absorbent or the second porous moisture absorbent absorbs the aerosol-forming substrate.