WO2024095387A1

WO2024095387A1 - Aerosol generation device

Info

Publication number: WO2024095387A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/040965
Authority: WO
Inventors: 竜児酒井
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2022-11-02
Filing date: 2022-11-02
Publication date: 2024-05-10

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an aerosol generation device with an enhanced waterproof property. [Solution] Provided is an aerosol generation device that comprises: a holding portion that has a cylindrical structure into which an aerosol-generating base material is inserted; a body portion provided on a bottom surface of the cylindrical structure; a gap formed in the bottom surface along the outline of the body portion; and a convex portion protruding from the body portion to cover an opening of the gap.

Description

Aerosol Generator

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device.

Inhalation devices such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers that generate substances to be inhaled by users are in widespread use. Inhalation devices can generate aerosols by heating an aerosol source. This allows users to taste the flavor of the aerosol by inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.

In such suction devices, the aerosol generated from the aerosol source may condense and generate droplets inside the suction device. Therefore, the following Patent Document 1 discloses that the gap inside the tube that houses the aerosol source is sealed with a sealing material to prevent the generated droplets from damaging the circuitry, etc.

JP 2020-188794 A

However, the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is intended to prevent small amounts of moisture, such as droplets, from penetrating the gap, and was not designed to anticipate a situation in which a large amount of water is injected into the holding part that houses the aerosol source, such as when the holding part is washed with water. Therefore, there was a need to prevent water from penetrating into the inside of the device, even when a large amount of water is injected into the holding part that houses the aerosol source.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved aerosol generating device that can further improve waterproofing.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generating device having a cylindrical structure, comprising a holding section into which an aerosol-generating substrate is inserted, a main body section provided on the bottom surface of the cylindrical structure, a gap formed in the bottom surface along the outer shape of the main body section, and a convex section protruding from the main body section so as to cover the opening of the gap.

The convex portion may protrude so that the width of the opening after covering is 0.2 mm or less.

At least the surface of the protrusion may be made of a water-repellent material.

The protrusions may be made of a silicon-based resin material, a fluorine-based resin material, or a ceramic material.

The protrusion may be provided so that the height of the tip of the protrusion is equal to or greater than the height of any point from the center of the main body to the protrusion.

The gap may be sealed with a sealing member provided inside the gap.

The device may further include an opposing protrusion that is provided on the opposite side of the protrusion and overlaps with the protrusion.

The gap may be provided between the main body and a housing that holds the main body from the outside.

The gap may be provided between the main body and a heating section that protrudes from the bottom surface into the cylindrical structure and heats the aerosol-generating substrate.

As described above, the present invention makes it possible to further improve the waterproofing of the aerosol generating device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a suction device. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first configuration example of the bottom of the holding portion; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional shape of a protrusion. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional shape of a protrusion. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional shape of a protrusion. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional shape of a protrusion. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which a plurality of protrusions protrude from the first fixing portion. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which a plurality of protrusions protrude from a first fixing portion and an opposing protrusion protrudes from a housing. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second configuration example of the bottom of the holding portion. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a model for deriving the amount of water flowing through a gap when no protrusion is provided. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a model for deriving the amount of water flowing through a gap when a convex portion is provided.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

1. Configuration example of suction device
First, a configuration example of a suction device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The suction device according to this configuration example can generate an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source from inside the substrate. Hereinafter, this configuration example will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction device 100 according to this example configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a memory unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, and a holding unit 140. In the suction device 100, a stick-shaped substrate 150 is housed in the holding unit 140, and the user performs suction. Each component will be described in order below.

Note that the suction device 100 and the stick-type substrate 150 work together to generate an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. Therefore, the combination of the suction device 100 and the stick-type substrate 150 may be considered as an aerosol generation system.

The power supply unit 111 accumulates power. The power supply unit 111 supplies power to each component of the suction device 100. The power supply unit 111 may be configured, for example, as a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. The power supply unit 111 may be charged by connecting to an external power source via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable or the like. The power supply unit 111 may also be charged using wireless power transmission technology while not connected to the power transmitting device. Alternatively, the power supply unit 111 may be provided so as to be removable from the suction device 100, or so as to be replaceable with a new power supply unit 111.

The sensor unit 112 detects various information related to the suction device 100 and outputs the detected information to the control unit 116. As an example, the sensor unit 112 may be configured with a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow sensor, or a temperature sensor. In this way, when the sensor unit 112 detects a numerical value associated with the user's suction, it can output information indicating that the user has performed suction to the control unit 116. As another example, the sensor unit 112 may be configured with an input device that accepts input of information from the user, such as a button or a switch. In particular, the sensor unit 112 may include a button that instructs the start/stop of aerosol generation. In this way, the sensor unit 112 can output information input by the user to the control unit 116. As yet another example, the sensor unit 112 may be configured with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heating unit 121. In this way, the sensor unit 112 can determine the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 contained in the holding unit 140 by detecting the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121, for example.

The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. As an example, the notification unit 113 is configured with a light-emitting device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). With this, the notification unit 113 can emit light in different light-emitting patterns when the power supply unit 111 needs charging, when the power supply unit 111 is charging, or when an abnormality occurs in the suction device 100. The light-emitting pattern here is a concept that includes color and timing of turning on/off. The notification unit 113 may be configured with a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, and a vibration device that vibrates, together with or instead of the light-emitting device. In addition, the notification unit 113 may notify information indicating that the user is able to inhale. Information indicating that the user is able to inhale can be notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 heated by the heating unit 121 reaches a predetermined temperature.

The storage unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100. The storage unit 114 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. One example of information stored in the storage unit 114 is information about the OS (Operating System) of the suction device 100, such as control information for various components by the control unit 116. Another example of information stored in the storage unit 114 is information about suction by the user, such as the number of suctions, the time of suction, or the cumulative suction time.

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the suction device 100 and other devices. The communication unit 115 performs communication in compliance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Such communication standards may include, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). As one example, the communication unit 115 may transmit information regarding the user's suction to a smartphone in order to cause the smartphone to display the information regarding the user's suction. As another example, the communication unit 115 may receive new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 114.

The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 116 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the programs and arithmetic parameters to be used, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate. The suction device 100 executes various processes based on the control of the control unit 116. Power supply from the power supply unit 111 to each of the other components, charging of the power supply unit 111, detection of information by the sensor unit 112, notification of information by the notification unit 113, storage and reading of information by the memory unit 114, and transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 115 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 116. Other processes executed by the suction device 100, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 116.

The holding part 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while accommodating a part of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The holding part 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the holding part 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and the bottom part 143 as the bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. The holding part 140 is configured so that the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in at least a part of the height direction of the cylindrical body, and can hold the stick-shaped substrate 150 by compressing the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 from the outer periphery. The holding part 140 also has the function of defining an air flow path through the stick-shaped substrate 150. An air inlet hole, which is an entrance of air into such a flow path, is arranged, for example, in the bottom part 143. On the other hand, the air outlet hole, which is the outlet for air from this flow path, is opening 142.

The stick-shaped substrate 150 is a stick-shaped aerosol-generating substrate. The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152.

The substrate 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may include tobacco-derived materials, such as processed products in which cut tobacco or tobacco raw materials are formed into granules, sheets, or powder. The aerosol source may also include non-tobacco-derived materials generated from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint or herbs). When the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may include a drug for the patient to inhale. Note that the aerosol source is not limited to solids, and may be, for example, a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water. At least a portion of the substrate 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141 of the holding portion 140 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held by the holding portion 140.

The suction mouth portion 152 is a member that is held in the user's mouth when inhaling. At least a part of the suction mouth portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the holding portion 140. When the user holds the suction mouth portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the inside of the holding portion 140 through an air inlet hole (not shown). The air that has flowed in passes through the internal space 141 of the holding portion 140, i.e., passes through the substrate portion 151, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

The heating unit 121 generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. The heating unit 121 is configured in a blade shape and is arranged so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 into the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140. Therefore, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the inside of the stick-shaped substrate 150 so as to pierce the substrate portion 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150. Then, when the heating unit 121 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the inside of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and atomized, generating an aerosol. The heating unit 121 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111. As an example, when the sensor unit 112 detects that a specific user input has been performed, the powered heating unit 121 generates heat, and the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 reaches a specific temperature, generating an aerosol from the stick-shaped substrate 150. This allows the inhalation device 100 to enable the user to inhale. Thereafter, when the sensor unit 112 detects that a specific user input has been performed, the power supply to the heating unit 121 may be stopped. As another example, aerosol may be generated by the powered heating unit 121 during the period in which the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has performed inhalation.

In the suction device 100 according to this embodiment, a convex portion is provided to cover the gap formed in the bottom 143 of the holding part 140, thereby making it possible to prevent water injected into the internal space 141 of the holding part 140 from flowing into the gap. The structure of the bottom 143 of the holding part 140 will be described in detail below.

<2. Bottom structure of holding part>
(2.1. First Configuration Example)
A first configuration example of the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the first configuration example of the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140.

As shown in FIG. 2, a main body 160 is provided on the bottom 143 of the holding part 140. The main body 160 includes a first fixing part 161 and a second fixing part 162, and supports the heating part 121 by clamping the flange part 122 and the extension part 123 extending from the heating part 121 between the first fixing part 161 and the second fixing part 162. The main body 160 is housed in a housing 164 having a cylindrical structure.

The heating unit 121 is a blade-type heater that heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140. The heating unit 121 is inserted into the inside of the stick-shaped substrate 150 held in the internal space 141 by penetrating the bottom 143 from the outside of the holding unit 140 and protruding into the internal space 141. The heating unit 121 may be, for example, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater that generates heat when electricity is applied.

The flange portion 122 is a convex portion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the heating portion 121 at the other end opposite to one end of the heating portion 121 that protrudes into the internal space 141 of the holding portion 140. The flange portion 122 is clamped in the extension direction of the heating portion 121 by the first fixing portion 161 and the second fixing portion 162 via the horizontal support portion 163. The flange portion 122 may be made of a material that does not generate heat when electricity is passed through it.

The extension portion 123 extends in the extension direction of the heating portion 121 from the second surface S2 opposite the first surface S1 of the flange portion 122 from which the heating portion 121 protrudes. The extension portion 123 is clamped by the second fixing portion 162 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the extension portion 123. In this way, the heating portion 121 can extend in a direction perpendicular to the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140 by fixing the flange portion 122 and the extension portion 123 by the first fixing portion 161 and the second fixing portion 162. The extension portion 123, like the flange portion 122, may be made of a material that does not generate heat when electricity is passed through it.

The first fixing portion 161 supports the first surface S1 of the flange portion 122 on the side where the holding portion 140 is provided. Meanwhile, the second fixing portion 162 supports the second surface S2 of the flange portion 122 on the side opposite the side where the holding portion 140 is provided via the horizontal support portion 163. As a result, the flange portion 122 is fixed by being clamped in the extension direction of the heating portion 121 by the first fixing portion 161 and the second fixing portion 162.

The first fixing portion 161 is provided with a recessed structure with an opening on one side opposite the side on which the holding portion 140 is provided. The second fixing portion 162 is housed inside the recessed structure of the first fixing portion 161 together with the flange portion 122, and has a protruding portion 1621 that spreads out toward the inner side surface of the recessed structure of the first fixing portion 161. The second fixing portion 162 is fixed to the first fixing portion 161 so that it will not come off by having the protruding portion 1621 protrude and fit into a notch 1611 provided on the side surface of the first fixing portion 161.

The horizontal support portion 163 is provided between the second surface S2 of the flange portion 122 and the second fixing portion 162. The horizontal support portion 163 controls the inclination of the heating portion 121 so that the heating portion 121 protrudes vertically into the internal space 141 of the holding portion 140 by controlling the second surface S2 of the flange portion 122 to be parallel to the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140. Specifically, the horizontal support portion 163 may be configured with multiple hemispheres or convex structures, and each apex of the multiple hemispheres or convex structures may be included in the same plane parallel to the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140. In this way, the horizontal support portion 163 supports the second surface S2 of the flange portion 122 on a surface parallel to the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140, thereby ensuring the perpendicularity of the heating portion 121 to the bottom portion 143.

The housing 164 has a cylindrical structure and houses the main body 160 inside the cylindrical structure. For example, the housing 164 may be a cylindrical structure made of a metal material such as stainless steel and is provided so as to surround the side of the main body 160.

In the first configuration example, a gap 171 is formed between the first fixing part 161 and the housing 164 along the outer shape of the first fixing part 161. The gap 171 is sealed by a sealing member 170 that is sandwiched between the housing 164 and the first fixing part 161 inside the gap 171. The sealing member 170 is a ring-shaped member made of an elastic material or a metallic material. For example, the sealing member 170 may be an O-ring, a gasket, or a seal washer made of rubber, silicone resin, various organic resins, aluminum, or the like.

In the suction device 100 according to this embodiment, a convex portion 144 protrudes from the first fixing portion 161 at the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140 so as to cover the opening of the gap 171. As a result, the suction device 100 can reduce the amount of water flowing into the gap 171 by narrowing the opening of the gap 171 with the convex portion 144.

The sealing member 170 also seals the gap 171 by generating stress between the housing 164 and the first fixed part 161 due to the restoring force caused by elastic deformation. Therefore, if a force is applied to the sealing member 170 in the extension direction of the gap 171 due to water pressure or the discharge pressure of the water flow, the sealing member 170 may deform and the seal of the gap 171 may be broken. In the suction device 100 according to this embodiment, the water flow flowing into the gap 171 can be blocked by the convex part 144, so that it is possible to prevent the water flow from directly hitting the sealing member 170 or to prevent excessive water pressure from being applied to the sealing member 170. Therefore, the suction device 100 can prevent the water injected into the internal space 141 from entering the inside of the suction device 100 by preventing the deformation of the sealing member 170. This makes it possible to further improve the waterproofing of the suction device 100.

However, the convex portion 144 does not have to be provided so as to completely cover the opening of the gap 171. For example, the convex portion 144 may be provided so that the width of the opening of the gap 171 after being covered by the convex portion 144 is 0.2 mm or less. Even in such a case, the convex portion 144 can increase the resistance when water flows into the gap 171, and therefore the amount of water flowing into the gap 171 can be reduced. Furthermore, the convex portion 144 can prevent the water flow from directly hitting the sealing member 170, thereby improving the waterproofing of the suction device 100.

The convex portion 144 may be provided so that at least the surface is water-repellent. In this way, the water-repellent properties of the convex portion 144 can further prevent water from penetrating the gap 171. For example, the convex portion 144 may be entirely made of a water-repellent material, or the surface may be coated with a water-repellent material. Examples of water-repellent materials include a silicon-based resin material, a fluorine-based resin material, and a ceramic material.

The shape of the convex portion 144 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the opening of the gap 171. However, in order to more reliably prevent water from entering the gap 171, it is preferable that the height of the end of the convex portion 144 be equal to or greater than the height of the surface of the first fixing portion 161 on which the convex portion 144 is provided.

The shape of such convex portion 144 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 6. Figs. 3 to 6 are explanatory diagrams that show schematic examples of the cross-sectional shape of convex portion 144.

The convex portion 144 may be configured in a shape having a rectangular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 3, or in a shape having a triangular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Furthermore, it may be configured in a shape having a cross-sectional shape that includes a curve as shown in FIG. 6.

Here, the height P2 of the tip of the convex portion 144 may be the same as the height P1 of any face of the first fixing portion 161 on which the convex portion 144 is provided (i.e., on the same plane), as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Alternatively, the height P2 of the tip of the convex portion 144 may be higher than the height P1 of any face of the first fixing portion 161 on which the convex portion 144 is provided, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. When the height P2 of the tip of the convex portion 144 is equal to or higher than the height P1 of any face of the first fixing portion 161, the convex portion 144 can prevent water from flowing into the convex portion 144 along the slope from the first fixing portion 161 to the convex portion 144. Therefore, the convex portion 144 of the above shape can suppress the inflow of water into the gap 171, thereby further improving the waterproofness of the suction device 100.

Furthermore, a modified example of the first configuration example will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which multiple

convex portions

144A, 144B protrude from the first fixing portion 161. Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which multiple

convex portions

144A, 144B protrude from the first fixing portion 161 and an opposing convex portion 165 protrudes from the housing 164.

7,

multiple protrusions

144A, 144B may protrude from the first fixing portion 161 to cover the opening of the gap 171. For example, the

multiple protrusions

144A, 144B may be arranged to overlap in the extension direction of the gap 171. Furthermore, the areas that the

multiple protrusions

144A, 144B cover the opening of the gap 171 may be the same as each other or may be different from each other. In this way, the suction device 100 can further suppress the inflow of water into the gap 171 by the

multiple protrusions

144A, 144B, thereby further improving the waterproofing.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, a facing convex portion 165 may be further provided on the housing 164 facing the multiple

convex portions

144A, 144B. The facing convex portion 165 can form a zigzag flow path between the

convex portions

144A, 144B by fitting with the facing

convex portions

144A, 144B. Therefore, the facing convex portion 165 can further increase the resistance when water flows from the internal space 141 of the holding portion 140 into the gap 171. In this way, the suction device 100 can further improve its waterproofing by further suppressing the flow of water into the gap 171.

In the first configuration example, the main body 160 including the first fixing portion 161 and the second fixing portion 162 is provided with a protrusion 144. The protrusion 144 protrudes from the main body 160 so as to cover the opening of the gap 171 formed between the main body 160 and the housing 164, thereby suppressing the inflow of water into the gap 171. The protrusion 144 also blocks the opening of the gap 171, thereby preventing water from directly inflowing into the gap 171. In this way, the protrusion 144 can prevent the sealing member 170 from being deformed by water pressure, thereby preventing the sealing ability of the gap 171 from decreasing. Therefore, the protrusion 144 can suppress the inflow of water from the internal space 141 into the inside of the suction device 100, thereby improving the waterproofness of the suction device 100.

(2.2. Second configuration example)
A second configuration example of the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the second configuration example of the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140.

As shown in FIG. 9, a main body 160 is provided on the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140. The main body 160 includes a first fixing portion 161 and a second fixing portion 162, and supports the heating portion 121 by clamping the flange portion 122 and the extension portion 123 extending from the heating portion 121 between the first fixing portion 161 and the second fixing portion 162. Note that the heating portion 121, the flange portion 122, the extension portion 123, the first fixing portion 161, and the second fixing portion 162 are substantially similar to those in the first configuration example, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

In the second configuration example, a gap 171 is formed between the first fixing portion 161 and the heating portion 121, extending in the extension direction of the heating portion 121 along the outer shape of the first fixing portion 161. The opening of the gap 171 is covered by a protrusion 144 that protrudes from the first fixing portion 161 toward the heating portion 121. That is, in the second configuration example, the position where the gap 171 is formed in the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140 is different from the first configuration example.

Even in such a case, as in the first configuration example, the convex portion 144 can increase the resistance when water flows into the gap 171 by narrowing the width of the opening of the gap 171, and therefore the amount of water leaking into the gap 171 can be reduced. Furthermore, the convex portion 144 can prevent water from flowing directly into the gap 171 by covering the gap 171 formed in the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140. Therefore, the convex portion 144 can improve the waterproofing of the suction device 100.

<3. Effects>
Next, the effect of the above-mentioned convex portion 144 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a model for deriving the amount of water flowing through the gap 171 when the convex portion 144 is not provided. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a model for deriving the amount of water flowing through the gap 171 when the convex portion 144 is provided. For simplification, Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 assume that no sealing member 170 is provided inside the gap 171.

10 , when the width or diameter of internal space 141 of retaining part 140 is D and the opening width of gap 171 is _h1 , the amount of water passing through gap 171 of length L is expressed by the following formula (1) where the viscosity of water at a specified temperature is η. In formula (1), _P1 is the pressure of water flowing into gap 171, and _P2 is the pressure of water passing through gap 171.

11 , if the width or diameter of internal space 141 of retaining part 140 is D and the opening width of gap 171 after being covered with convex part 144 is _h2 , the amount of water passing through convex part 144 of height L is expressed by the following formula (2) where η is the viscosity of water at a predetermined temperature. In formula (2), _P1 is the pressure of water flowing into convex part 144, and _P2 is the pressure of water passing through convex part 144.

As shown in the above formulas (1) and (2), the amount of water passing through gap 171 is proportional to the cube of the opening width of gap 171 relative to internal space 141. Therefore, by narrowing the opening width of gap 171 with convex portion 144, suction device 100 can significantly reduce the amount of water that penetrates gap 171.

The above describes in detail the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or revised examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the suction device 100 is provided with a heating unit 121 having a blade-like structure that heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. As long as a gap 171 is formed in the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140, the heating method of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the suction device 100 is not particularly limited. For example, the suction device 100 may be provided with a heating unit such as a film heater that heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the outside, or may be provided with a heating unit such as a susceptor that is inductively heated by a fluctuating magnetic field.

The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.
(1)
a holder having a cylindrical structure into which the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted;
A main body portion provided on a bottom surface of the cylindrical structure;
a gap formed on the bottom surface along the outer shape of the main body;
a protrusion protruding from the main body so as to cover an opening of the gap;
An aerosol generating device comprising:
(2)
The aerosol generating device described in (1) above, wherein the convex portion protrudes so that the width of the opening after covering is 0.2 mm or less.
(3)
The aerosol generating device according to (1) or (2), wherein at least the surface of the convex portion is made of a water-repellent material.
(4)
The aerosol generating device according to (3) above, wherein the convex portion is made of a silicon-based resin material, a fluorine-based resin material, or a ceramic material.
(5)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (4), wherein the convex portion is arranged so that the height of the tip of the convex portion is greater than or equal to the height of any point from the center of the main body portion to the convex portion.
(6)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (5), wherein the gap is sealed by a sealing member provided inside the gap.
(7)
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (6), further comprising an opposing convex portion provided on the opposite side of the convex portion and overlapping with the convex portion.
(8)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (7), wherein the gap is provided between the main body and a housing that holds the main body from the outside.
(9)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (7), wherein the gap is provided between a heating section that protrudes from the bottom surface into the inside of the cylindrical structure and heats the aerosol generating substrate, and the main body section.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Suction device 121 Heating part 122 Flange part 123 Extension part 140 Holding part 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom part 144 Convex part 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate part 152 Suction port part 160 Main body part 161 First fixing part 162 Second fixing part 163 Horizontal support part 164 Housing 170 Sealing member 171 Gap

Claims

a holder having a cylindrical structure into which the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted;
A main body portion provided on a bottom surface of the cylindrical structure;
a gap formed on the bottom surface along the outer shape of the main body;
a protrusion protruding from the main body so as to cover an opening of the gap;
An aerosol generating device comprising:
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion protrudes so that the width of the opening after covering is 0.2 mm or less.
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the surface of the convex portion is made of a water-repellent material.
The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion is made of a silicon-based resin material, a fluorine-based resin material, or a ceramic material.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the height of the tip of the convex portion is greater than or equal to the height of any point from the center of the main body portion to the convex portion.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gap is sealed by a sealing member provided inside the gap.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an opposing convex portion provided on the opposite side of the convex portion and overlapping the convex portion.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gap is provided between the main body and a housing that holds the main body from the outside.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gap is provided between the main body and a heating section that protrudes from the bottom surface into the cylindrical structure and heats the aerosol-generating substrate.