CN111466615A

CN111466615A - Aerosol generating device

Info

Publication number: CN111466615A
Application number: CN201910012532.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 廖振龙; 林永辉; 欧阳杰; 陈斌; 林晓航
Original assignee: Shenzhen Royal Tobacco Industrial Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Royal Tobacco Industrial Ltd
Priority date: 2019-01-07
Filing date: 2019-01-07
Publication date: 2020-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-07
Also published as: CN111466615B

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising: a housing defining a receiving cavity for receiving an aerosol-generating article; a heater assembly comprising a heater for insertion into an aerosol-generating article to heat an aerosol-generating substance therein to generate an aerosol and a base to which the heater is secured; a cartridge movably coupled to the housing, the cartridge being hollow inside and the heater assembly being fixed therein, the base enclosing a space against leakage of the substance with an inner wall of the cartridge. The cylindrical body not only plays a role of connecting the pushing mechanism, but also forms a space for preventing the leakage of substances with the heater assembly, thereby avoiding the leakage of pollutants, saving the space of a transmission structure, ensuring that the internal structure is compact and firm and the installation is simple and convenient.

Description

Aerosol generating device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device.

Background

The heating non-combustible cigarette, also called a low-temperature cigarette or a new cigarette, is mainly characterized in that tobacco is heated by an external heat source instead of being ignited. Because the heating temperature is far lower than the combustion temperature, the harmful components generated by high-temperature combustion thermal cracking and thermal synthesis of tobacco can be effectively reduced, and the release amount of chemical components of mainstream smoke is greatly reduced.

Plug-in heated cryogenic cigarettes are a relatively common form and international application PCT/EP2012/073135 discloses an extractor for an aerosol-generating device comprising: a sliding receptacle for receiving a smoking article; and a sleeve for receiving the sliding receptacle. The sliding receptacle is slidable in the sleeve between a first position in which the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article is positioned to be heated by the heater and a second position in which the aerosol-forming substrate is substantially separated from the heater. The convenience of extractor operation is another problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

Based on this, there is a need for an aerosol-generating device.

The present invention provides an aerosol-generating device comprising:

a housing defining a receiving cavity for receiving an aerosol-generating article;

a heater assembly comprising a heater for insertion into an aerosol-generating article to heat an aerosol-generating substance therein to generate an aerosol and a base to which the heater is secured;

a cartridge movably coupled to the housing, the cartridge being hollow inside and the heater assembly being fixed therein, the base enclosing a space against leakage of the substance with an inner wall of the cartridge.

In one embodiment, the shape of the base is matched with the hollow inside of the cylinder, and the outer edge of the base is tightly attached to the inner wall of the cylinder.

In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism is connected or movably coupled to the cartridge to push the cartridge to move relative to the housing.

In one embodiment, the cartridge surrounds the heater.

In one embodiment, the cylindrical body is provided with a notch, and the protrusion on the base falls into the notch and is limited.

In one embodiment, the slot extends along the length of the cartridge.

In one embodiment, a connecting piece is fixedly arranged at one end of the cylindrical body far away from the heater, and the pushing mechanism is connected or movably connected with the cylindrical body through the connecting piece.

In one embodiment, the heating device further comprises a fixing auxiliary member, wherein the fixing auxiliary member is arranged in the hollow interior of the cylindrical body, one end of the fixing auxiliary member is abutted against the base of the heater, and the other end of the fixing auxiliary member is abutted against the connecting member.

In one embodiment, the housing is provided with a cross member which is inserted into the slot and slides along the slot during movement of the cartridge.

In one embodiment, the cross beam penetrates through the cylindrical body perpendicular to the length direction of the cylindrical body.

In an embodiment, the heater slides under traction of the cartridge between a heating position in which the heater is inserted into the aerosol generating substance and a separating position in which the heater is separated from the aerosol generating substance.

In an embodiment, the pushing mechanism includes a push button movably coupled to the housing.

In one embodiment, the push button is fixedly connected with the heater assembly, and the moving direction of the push button is consistent with the moving direction of the heater assembly.

In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism further comprises a transmission assembly for coupling the base and the push button, the push button moving in a direction opposite to the heater assembly.

In one embodiment, the transmission assembly includes a gear, the base is provided with an external thread, the push button is provided with an external thread, and the gear is respectively engaged with the external threads on the base and the push button.

In an embodiment, the pushing mechanism includes a knob movably coupled to the housing.

In one embodiment, the cylindrical body is provided with an external thread, the knob is provided with an internal thread, and the external thread on the cylindrical body is meshed with the internal thread on the knob.

In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism comprises at least one of an electric motor, a pneumatic pump, a hydraulic pump, and an electromagnet.

In an embodiment, further comprising an extraction assembly for assisting disengagement of the aerosol-generating article from the receiving cavity, the extraction assembly comprising a shoe abutting an air inlet end of the aerosol-generating article, the shoe being movable along the length of the receiving cavity.

In one embodiment, the heater further comprises a linkage assembly configured to trigger the shoe to move towards the insertion opening of the receiving cavity when the heater approaches or reaches the separation position.

In one embodiment, the linkage assembly includes a limiting member for limiting the bottom support to the bottom of the accommodating cavity, and a traction member for generating an acting force with the limiting member, and when the heater approaches or reaches the separation position, the traction member pulls the limiting member to separate from the limiting member for limiting the bottom support.

In one embodiment, the shoe is connected to a spring element which pulls the shoe in the direction of the insertion opening of the receiving space.

In one embodiment, the linkage assembly includes a first element disposed on the shoe and a second element that engages the first element when the heater is near or reaches the disengaged position.

In an embodiment, the first element and the second element are combined by any one of magnetic attraction, adhesion and buckling.

In one embodiment, the second element is a part of the cylinder or is connected with the cylinder, and the shoe moves towards the insertion opening of the accommodating cavity under the traction of the cylinder.

In an embodiment, the walls of the housing defining the receiving cavity comprise side walls and a bottom wall, the bottom wall being apertured to allow insertion of a heater into an aerosol-generating article received in the receiving cavity.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical body is used for fixing the heater assembly, and a space for preventing material leakage is formed by the cylindrical body and the heater assembly, so that pollutants are prevented from leaking out, meanwhile, the cylindrical body also plays a role of connecting the pushing mechanism, the space of a transmission structure is saved, the internal structure is compact and firm, and the installation is simple and convenient.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic structural view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 2 is a diagram of an uncapped use of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 3 is a schematic structural view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a heated position;

figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a disconnected position;

figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention returning from a disconnected position to a heated position;

figure 7 is a schematic structural view of a movement mechanism of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the motion mechanism of FIG. 7;

figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device movement mechanism provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device movement mechanism provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device movement mechanism provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of an extraction assembly of an aerosol-generating device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device movement mechanism provided in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

In the present invention, when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no intervening elements present. When an element is referred to as being "coupled" to another element, the elements engage one another to perform a machine function, including both dynamic and static couplings. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and the like as used herein are for illustrative purposes only. The various objects of the drawings are drawn to scale for ease of illustration and not to scale for actual components.

The term "aerosol-generating substance" as used in the embodiments of the present invention refers to a smoking substance, which is a substance that can generate an odor and/or nicotine and/or smoke upon heating or combustion, i.e. a substance that can be atomized, i.e. a smoking material. The tobacco material can be solid, semi-solid and liquid. Solid tobacco materials are often processed into sheet-like products due to considerations such as breathability, assembly, and manufacture, and are also commonly referred to as sheet, and filamentary sheet is also referred to as sheet filament. The tobacco material discussed in the embodiments of the present invention may be natural or synthetic tobacco liquid, tobacco oil, tobacco gum, tobacco paste, tobacco shred, tobacco leaf, etc., for example, the synthetic tobacco material contains glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine, etc. The tobacco liquid is liquid, the tobacco tar is oily, the tobacco gel is gelatinous, the tobacco paste is pasty, the tobacco shreds comprise natural or artificial or extracted tobacco shreds, and the tobacco leaves comprise natural or artificial or extracted tobacco leaves. The smoking material may be heated in the form of an enclosure with other materials, such as in a heat-degradable package, for example a microcapsule, from which the desired volatile material is derived after heating.

The tobacco material of the embodiment of the invention may or may not contain nicotine. The tobacco material containing nicotine may include at least one of natural tobacco leaf product, tobacco liquid, tobacco oil, tobacco glue, tobacco paste, tobacco shred, tobacco leaf, etc. prepared from nicotine. The tobacco liquid is in water state, the tobacco tar is in oil state, the tobacco gum is in gel state, the tobacco paste is in paste state, the tobacco shred comprises natural or artificial or extracted tobacco shred, and the tobacco leaf comprises natural or artificial or extracted tobacco leaf. The nicotine-free tobacco material mainly contains fragrant substances, such as spices, and can be atomized to simulate smoking process and quit smoking. In one embodiment, the flavoring comprises peppermint oil. The smoking material may also include other additives such as glycerin and/or propylene glycol.

An "aerosol-generating article" according to embodiments of the present invention refers to a product, such as a cigarette, cartridge or rod, preferably a disposable article, containing a smoking material, capable of generating an aerosol, such as smoke or a mist, upon heating. The aerosol-generating article is not capable of providing electrical energy by itself.

An "aerosol-generating device" as described in embodiments of the present invention refers to a device, such as a smoking article, for providing electrical energy to an aerosol-generating article.

Referring to fig. 1 to 8, an aerosol-generating device 100 for heating an aerosol-generating article 200 to generate an aerosol for consumption by a user is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide an aerosol-generating device 100 comprising a housing 110, a heater assembly 120 and a cartridge 140, the housing 110 being arranged to receive an aerosol-generating article 200, in use a heat-generating portion 121 of the heater assembly 120 extending into a receiving cavity 111 of the housing 110, the aerosol-generating article 200 being heatable by insertion into the receiving cavity 111 of the housing 110 to generate an aerosol. Since the tobacco material as the smoking material is prepared by using natural tobacco components and/or other smoking materials, a small amount of oily liquid materials including tar can overflow during heating, a small amount of solid residues of the tobacco material can also leak out, and the liquid and solid materials can remain on the cigarette accommodating cavity 111 and the heater 121 of the smoking material, and if the liquid and solid materials leak out, the liquid and solid materials can enter the inner space, so that the smell substances can affect the use and cannot be cleaned, and especially the liquid materials can cause serious damage to equipment when flowing into a circuit board or a region where a battery is located. The present invention uses the cylinder 140 to surround and fix the heater assembly 120 to form a space 160 for preventing material leakage, for example, the cylinder 140 has an inner hollow, the heater assembly 120 is fixed in the inner hollow, and the base 122 and the inner wall of the cylinder 140 surround the space 160 for preventing material leakage, so that liquid material generated by heating or solid material such as tobacco shred can be confined in the space 160 without polluting other places, and further causing damage to electronic components. In addition, the cartridge 140 also acts as a connection pushing mechanism 130, the pushing mechanism 130 acting directly on the cartridge 140 to movably couple it to the housing 110, and thereby bring the heater assembly 120 out of the receiving cavity 111, while the aerosol-generating article 200 is still placed in the receiving cavity 111, thereby achieving separation of the heater 121 from the aerosol-generating article 200, avoiding adhesion between the heater 121 and the heated aerosol-generating substance, and facilitating removal of the aerosol-generating article 200.

In one embodiment, the shape of the base 121 is adapted to the hollow interior of the cylinder 140, the upper surface of the base 121 is an unopened complete surface, and the outer edge of the base 121 is tightly fitted with the inner wall of the cylinder 140, so that the upper surface of the base 121 and the inner wall of the cylinder 140 define a space 160 for preventing the substance from leaking, and the residue cannot leak from the contact position because the base 121 and the cylinder 140 are tightly fitted, so that the substance cannot leak as long as the inner walls of the base 121 and the cylinder 140 are not opened.

In the aerosol-generating device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 is provided with an accommodating cavity 111 for accommodating the aerosol-generating article 200; in one embodiment, the housing 110 has an opening 112 in communication with the receiving cavity 111 for insertion of the aerosol-generating article 200 from the opening 112 into the receiving cavity 111, and the opening 112 may also be a cigarette insertion opening or an insertion opening of the receiving cavity. The wall of the housing 110 defining the receiving cavity 111 may include a side wall 113 and a bottom wall 114, which are connected to each other to form a cup-shaped structure for defining the receiving cavity 111. Preferably, the shape of the receiving cavity 111 is adapted to the shape of the aerosol-generating article 200 so that the aerosol-generating article 200 is not easily carried out by the mouth when inserted into the receiving cavity 111, nor is the aerosol-generating article 200 squeezed to cause excessive deformation to increase the resistance to draw.

Preferably, the tube wall of the cylindrical body 140 extends towards the opening 112, and surrounds the outer periphery of the heater 121, so as to protect the heater 121, and to enable the substance leakage-proof space 160 to extend towards the opening 112, and the residue can be collected in the space 160 completely, thereby facilitating centralized cleaning.

Preferably, the housing 110 includes an upper cover 116, and the receiving cavity 111 is located in the upper cover 116, so that the upper portion of the cylindrical body 140 is exposed when the upper cover 116 is removed, thereby facilitating cleaning.

In the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the heater assembly 120 includes a heater 121 and a base 122 for fixing the heater 121, and the base 122 may fix the heater 121 by embedding, clamping, or the like, or may be integrally molded, for example, by injection molding or ceramic sintering. The heater 121 is for insertion into an aerosol-generating article 200 to heat an aerosol-generating substance therein to generate an aerosol; the heater 121 comprises one or more electrical heating elements, preferably of electrically resistive material, which when energised convert electrical energy into heat energy to generate heat to enable the aerosol-generating substance to be heated to generate an aerosol, the electrical heating elements preferably being combined with an insulating material such as ceramic to form a strong needle, rod or sheet shaped heater 121 for at least partial insertion into the aerosol-generating substance of the aerosol-generating article 200.

In the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pushing mechanism 130 is connected or movably coupled to the cartridge 140, and pushes the cartridge 140 to move relative to the housing 110. Under the traction of the cylinder 140, the pushing mechanism 130 pushes the heater 121 to slide between the heating position and the separation position. The heating position is a position where the heater 121 extends into the accommodating chamber 111, and the separation position is a position where the heater 121 exits away from the accommodating chamber 111. For example, the pushing mechanism 130 may be configured to push the heater assembly 120 to slide under an external force between a heating position in which the heater 121 is fully inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200 and a separating position in which the heater 121 extends into the receiving cavity 111 at the deepest position, wherein the receiving cavity 111 may be heated to generate an aerosol as long as the aerosol-generating article 200 is received therein; the separation position is a position in which the heater 121 has fully exited the receiving cavity 111, and for the furthest position in which the heater 121 has exited away from the receiving cavity 111, the heater 121 is no longer in contact with the aerosol-generating article 200 within the receiving cavity 111. As the heater assembly 120 is urged to slide between the heating position to the separating position after the aerosol-generating article 200 has been heated, the heater 121 is gradually withdrawn from the receiving cavity 111, effecting separation of the heater 121 from the aerosol-generating article 200.

Preferably, the heating position is a position in which the heater 121 heats the aerosol-generating article 200, and when the heater assembly 120 is in this position, waiting for the aerosol-generating article 200 to be inserted into the receiving cavity 111, or having the aerosol-generating article 200 inserted into the receiving cavity 111 waiting to be heated or being heated, this position may also be referred to as the working position. The separation position is a position in which the heater 121 is fully separated from the aerosol-generating article 200, and when the heater assembly 120 is in this position, indicating that the heater 121 has been fully separated from the aerosol-generating article 200, the aerosol-generating article 200 may be removed directly. When the heated aerosol-generating article 200 is removed, the heater assembly 120 needs to be pushed back into position to extend into the receiving cavity 111, awaiting the next operation.

The movement mechanism and movement of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig. 9-13 in conjunction with the previous embodiment in one movement position. In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism 130 includes a push button 131, and the push button 131 is movably coupled to the housing 110. For example, the push button 131 may slide along the housing 110, and for convenience of description, the direction in which the heater assembly 120 moves toward the opening 112 is referred to as a first direction 141, and the direction in which the heater assembly 120 exits from the receiving cavity 111 is referred to as a second direction 142, and it is apparent that the first direction 141 is also the direction in which the heater assembly 120 moves from the separated position to the heating position, as the receiving cavity 111 is fixed relative to the housing 110, in the form that the heater assembly 120 is pushed upward, that is, the heater assembly 120 is pushed toward the aerosol-generating article 200; the second direction 142 is also the direction of movement of the heater assembly 120 from the heating position to the detached position, as evidenced by the heater assembly 120 being backed, i.e., the heater assembly 120 being moved away from the aerosol-generating article 200. The portion of the push button 131 outside the housing 110 may be designed to facilitate finger force, and may be provided with protrusions or lines to increase the friction force when the push button 131 is operated.

Preferably, the housing 110 is provided with a sliding slot for limiting the push button 131, and the push button 131 can slide along the sliding slot under the action of an external force, for example, the sliding slot is in a straight shape, and the opening direction of the straight shape is parallel to both the first direction 141 and the second direction 142, and the cylindrical body 140 and the heater assembly 120 are driven to move in the process of sliding the push button 131 in the sliding slot. The push button 131 is positioned in the chute at a position corresponding to the position of the heater assembly 120, e.g., the push button 131 moves from one end of the chute to the other end, drawing the heater assembly 120 to slide between the heating position and the disengaged position.

In an embodiment, the moving direction of the push button 131 is the same as the moving direction of the heater assembly 120 (see fig. 9), for example, the push button 131 may be directly and fixedly connected to the heater assembly 120, the first position and the second position of the chute (not shown in the figure) may be two ends of a linear chute, respectively, and the push button 131 moves from the bottom end to the top end of the chute, that is, the push button 131 is pushed along the first direction 141 to drive the heater assembly 120 to move from the separation position to the heating position; the push button 131 moves from the top end to the bottom end of the chute, i.e. the push button 131 is pushed along the second direction 142, which drives the heater assembly 120 to move from the heating position to the separation position.

In an embodiment, the pushing mechanism 130 further includes a gear 132 for coupling the base 122 and the pushing button 131, so that the base 122 and the pushing button 131 are movably coupled, and the transmission of the pushing force can be realized under the condition that the two moving directions are not completely consistent (see fig. 10). For example, the push button 131 moves in a direction opposite to the heater assembly 120. The first position and the second position of the sliding chute can be two ends of a linear sliding chute respectively, and the push button 131 moves from the bottom end to the top end of the sliding chute, namely, the push button 131 is pushed along the first direction 141 to drive the heater assembly 120 to move from the heating position to the separation position; the push button 131 moves from the top end to the bottom end of the chute, i.e. the push button 131 is pushed along the second direction 142, which drives the heater assembly 120 to move from the separation position to the heating position. Preferably, the gear 132 includes a threaded opening, the cylindrical body 140 is provided with an external thread, the push button 131 is provided with an external thread, the gear 132 is engaged with the external threads of the cylindrical body 140 and the push button 131, respectively, the external threads of the cylindrical body 140 and the push button 131 are substantially parallel, the gear 132 is clamped, and the pushing force of the push button 131 is transmitted to the cylindrical body 140 through the gear 132 and the moving directions of the two are reversed. It should be particularly noted that the chute may be shaped as an arc, a spiral, etc., and the heater assembly 120 is moved in the first direction 141 and the second direction 142 by providing a combination of transmission members to form different gears 132 to transmit the thrust.

In an embodiment, the pushing mechanism 130 pushes the heater assembly 120 back, i.e. moves the heater assembly 120 from the detached position to the heating position, at which time the heater 121 abuts the aerosol-generating article 200 and ejects it from the receiving cavity 111 or pushes it a distance for easy removal by a user if the aerosol-generating article 200 is not removed.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise an extraction assembly 150, wherein the extraction assembly 150 is configured to assist in pushing the aerosol-generating article 200 out of the receiving cavity 111 after the heater assembly 120 is withdrawn away from the receiving cavity 111, and preferably, the pushing mechanism 130 triggers the extraction assembly 150 after pushing the heater assembly 120 to a position withdrawn away from the receiving cavity 111, and the extraction assembly 150 pushes the aerosol-generating article 200 to move along the length direction of the receiving cavity 111, i.e. along the first direction 141, to directly eject it or push it for a distance for easy removal by a user.

The extraction assembly 150 is used to assist in disengaging the aerosol-generating article 200 from the receiving cavity 111, and preferably the extraction assembly 150 comprises a shoe 151 that abuts the air inlet end of the aerosol-generating article 200 and a linkage assembly that triggers the extraction assembly 150, the shoe 151 being movable along the length of the receiving cavity 111, the length of the receiving cavity 111 being the direction of extension between the bottom of the receiving cavity 111 and the opening 112, and also the direction of insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating article 200 from the receiving cavity 111. In an alternative embodiment, the shoe 151 may be provided as part of the housing cavity 111, for example in place of the bottom wall 114.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, the linkage assembly includes a limiting member 152 for limiting the bottom bracket 151 at the bottom of the accommodating cavity 111, and a pulling member 153 for generating an acting force with the limiting member 152, wherein when the heater 121 approaches or reaches the separating position, the pulling member 153 pulls the limiting member 152 to separate from the limiting of the bottom bracket 151. In a preferred embodiment, the retaining member 152 is a movable hook detachably connected to the bottom bracket 151, that is, the movable hook 152 retains the bottom bracket 151 at the bottom of the accommodating cavity 111, and when the pushing mechanism 130 pushes the heater assembly 120 to a position far away from the accommodating cavity 111, the pushing mechanism 130 pulls the movable hook 152 to separate from the bottom bracket 151. The pulling member 153 may be a part of the cylindrical body 140 or connected to the cylindrical body 140, when the heater 121 approaches or reaches the separation position, the pulling member 153 moves along with the cylindrical body 140 to approach the movable hook, and then acts by any one of magnetic attraction, adhesion, and buckling, so that the bottom bracket 151 is separated, and then the bottom bracket 151 moves towards the opening 112 of the accommodating cavity 111 under the action of external force. In this embodiment, the elastic member 157 is preferably used to pull the bottom support 151 to move away from the bottom of the accommodating cavity 111, for example, the elastic member 157 is a tension spring, one end of the tension spring is connected to the opening 112 of the accommodating cavity 111, and the other end of the tension spring is connected to the bottom support 151 to provide a pulling force to pull the bottom support 151 to move towards the opening 112, so that the bottom support 151 moves towards the opening 112 to support the aerosol-generating article 200 away from the accommodating cavity 111 for the purpose of assisting detachment. When the auxiliary aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into the receiving cavity 111, the aerosol-generating article 200 and the shoe 151 are pushed together by external force to the bottom of the receiving cavity 111, thereby causing the shoe 151 to engage with the movable catch 152, such that the shoe 151 cannot "return", i.e. the shoe 151 cannot move in the direction of the opening 112, until triggered by the pushing mechanism 130 to disengage the shoe 151 from the movable catch 152.

In an embodiment, the walls of the housing 110 defining the receiving cavity 111 comprise a side wall 113 and a bottom wall 114, which are connected to form a cup-like structure, the bottom wall 114 being perforated for allowing a heater 121 to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200 received in the receiving cavity 111. The aerosol-generating article 200 further comprises a filter 210 disposed at the gas outflow end of the aerosol-generating article 200, opposite to the gas inflow end, which also becomes the gas inflow end. When the aerosol-generating article 200 is disposed in the receiving cavity 111 of the aerosol-generating device 100, the filter 210 may be exposed from the opening 112 for inhalation by a user, with the gas inflow end abutting the bottom wall 114, thereby perforating the bottom wall 114 and allowing air to flow into the aerosol-generating article 200. As the user draws, the heater 121 heats the aerosol generating substance to form an aerosol containing aerosol. The aerosol is then carried in an air flow to the mouth of the user. As air flows through and adjacent to the aerosol-generating substance, the air flows through the open holes in the bottom wall 114, the size and shape of the holes being operable to manage the air flow and hence the characteristics of the aerosol.

Preferably, the movable hanging buckle 152 can move along a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the accommodating cavity 111, the length direction of the accommodating cavity 111 is also the extending direction of the heater 121, when the movable hanging buckle 152 is close to the accommodating cavity 111, the bottom support 151 is limited at the bottom of the accommodating cavity 111, and when the movable hanging buckle 152 is far from the accommodating cavity 111, the movable hanging buckle 152 is separated from the bottom support 151.

In one embodiment, the linkage assembly includes a first member 154 disposed on the shoe and a second member 155 that engages the first member 154 when the heater 121 approaches or reaches the disengaged position, it being understood that the direction of movement of the second member 155 after engagement with the first member 154 is the same. For example, the second element 155 is a part of the cartridge 140 or is connected to the cartridge 140, i.e., the second element 155 is in the same direction as the cartridge 140, and when the cartridge 140 pulls the heater assembly 120 to move in the first direction 141, the second element 155 gradually approaches the first element 154 until the second element 155 engages the first element 154 when the heater 121 approaches or reaches the separation position; the second element 155 then moves with the first element 154 in the second direction 142 with the cartridge 140, which draws the shoe 151 away from the base of the cavity 111 and assists in the removal of the aerosol-generating article 200 from the cavity 111.

Preferably, the second member 155 and the first member 154 are magnetically attracted, adhered, or snapped, for example, the second member 155 and the first member 154 can be magnetically attracted to each other, and the magnetic attraction can also push the shoe 151 and the aerosol-generating article 200 to move away from the bottom of the receiving cavity 111 when the cartridge 140 moves in the second direction 142. For example, the first element 154 is a magnet 154 'arranged on the shoe 151, the second element 155 is an iron ring 155' fitted on the outside of the housing cavity 111, the iron ring 155 'abuts against the top end of the cylindrical body 140 under the thrust action of a spring 156, the spring 156 is connected at one end to the opening 112 communicating with the housing cavity 111 and at the other end to the iron ring 155', the spring 156 provides continuous thrust to push the iron ring 155 'to abut against the top end of the cylindrical body 140 and to move the iron ring 155' together with the cylindrical body 140. When the heater 121 approaches or reaches the separation position, the magnet 154 'is attracted to the iron ring 155', and the magnetic attraction force can also push the shoe 151 and the aerosol-generating article 200 to move away from the bottom of the accommodating chamber 111 when the cylinder 140 moves from the first direction 141 to the second direction 142.

Of course, the combination can be replaced by a magic tape, an adhesive, or a snap-fit manner, such as a detent, a button, or the like, for example, the first element 154 is a thimble, the second element 155 is a bayonet provided on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 140, when the heater 121 reaches the separation position, the thimble falls into the bayonet, and is further combined together, and when the cylindrical body 140 moves along the second direction 142, the collet 151 and the aerosol-generating product 200 are driven to move toward the opening 112 of the accommodating cavity 111.

Referring to fig. 13, in the aerosol-generating device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pushing mechanism 130 includes a knob 135, and the knob 135 is movably coupled to the housing 110. The rotation of knob 135 along housing 110 pushes heater assembly 120 to slide between a position extending into cavity 111 and a position withdrawn away from cavity 111. For example, the cylindrical body 140 may have an external thread on its outer circumference, the knob 135 may have a cylindrical shape and an internal thread on its inner circumference, and the external thread of the cylindrical body 140 may be engaged with the internal thread of the knob 135. The knob 135 disposed on the outer circumference of the housing 110 may be designed to facilitate finger force, and may be provided with protrusions or textures to increase the friction force when the knob 135 is operated. Except for the different pushing action of the knob 135 on the heater assembly 120, the movement of other structures of this embodiment is the same as that of the previous embodiment, and will not be described herein again.

In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism 130 can first push the cartridge 140 to move along the first direction 141, and then the cartridge 140 moves along the second direction 142 until "returning". The movement of the cartridge 140 in the first direction 141 may urge the walls of the tube defining the receiving cavity 111 together with the aerosol-generating article 200 inserted therein in a direction towards the opening 112, effecting a pushing out of the aerosol-generating article 200. In order to avoid pulling back the aerosol-generating article 200 during the "returning" of the movement of the tubular body 140 in the second direction 142, a limiting mechanism may be provided to fix the tube wall defining the receiving cavity 111, so that the tubular body 140 and the heater 121 both move in the returning direction, but the tube wall defining the receiving cavity 111 and the aerosol-generating article 200 do not return, thereby separating the aerosol-generating article 200 from the heater 121.

It should be particularly noted that the pushing mechanism 130 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the driving force may be provided in other forms, for example, other forms of pushing mechanisms 130 including, but not limited to, an electric motor, a pneumatic pump, a hydraulic pump, an electromagnet, etc. to push the heater assembly 120 to slide between the position of extending into the accommodating cavity 111 and the position of withdrawing away from the accommodating cavity 111, which all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 7, the cylindrical body 140 is provided with a notch 143, and the protrusion 123 on the base 122 falls into the notch 143 and is limited. The base 122 is provided with a protrusion 123, the protrusion 123 may be single or multiple, and the number of the protrusion 123 is the same as the number of the notches 143, the protrusion 123 is adapted to the shape of the notches 143, and the protrusion 123 is mounted in the notches 143, i.e. limited and cannot rotate.

In one embodiment, the slot 143 extends along the length of the barrel 140 to the end of the barrel 140, such that the protrusion 123 on the base 122 can slide into and fit along the slot 143. In order to prevent the heater assembly 120 from sliding out of the slot 143, a fixing aid 145 is disposed to abut against the base 122 of the heater 121, the fixing aid 145 is disposed in the hollow interior of the cylindrical body 140, and the fixing aid 145 is fixedly connected to the cylindrical body 140 by at least one of screws, glue, interference fit, and the like.

In one embodiment, a connecting member 144 is fixedly disposed at an end of the cylindrical body 140 away from the heater 121, and the pushing mechanism 130 is connected or movably coupled to the cylindrical body 140 through the connecting member 144. For example, the pushing mechanism 130 uses the motor 134 as a power source, and is movably coupled to the connecting member 144 through the screw rod 133, the screw rod 133 is provided with an external thread, the connecting member 144 is provided with an internal thread, and the screw rod 133 penetrates through the connecting member 144 and meshes the threads of the two. The rotation of the motor 134 drives the screw rod 133 to rotate, and the screw rod 133 further pushes the cylindrical body 140 to move along the first direction 141 and the second direction 142. In order to prevent the rotation of the screw 133 from driving the cylindrical body 140 to rotate, a cross member (not shown) is provided on the housing 110, and the cross member is inserted into the slot 143, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body 140, so that the cylindrical body 140 is prevented from rotating and can only move in the first direction 141 and the second direction 142, and the cross member slides along the slot 143 during the movement of the cylindrical body 140. For example, the two notches 143 are oppositely disposed, and the cross beam passes through the two notches 143 and then penetrates through the cylindrical body 140 perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body 140.

Preferably, the connecting member 144 is fixed to an end of the cylindrical body 140 away from the heater 121, and the cylindrical body 140 has a hollow interior, and in order to fix the base 122, the fixing auxiliary member 145 may be directly disposed in the hollow interior of the cylindrical body 140, one end of the fixing auxiliary member abuts against the base 122 of the heater 121, the other end of the fixing auxiliary member abuts against the connecting member 144, the fixing auxiliary member 145 is fixed by the connecting member 144, and the base 122 is restrained at the extreme end of the notch 143 so as not to move. In addition, the fixing aid 145 preferably also has an inner hollow so that the screw 133 has a space into which it can enter during rotation.

Other pushing mechanisms 130, such as a pneumatic pump, a hydraulic pump, an electromagnet, etc., can also fully achieve the aforementioned purpose, for example, the pneumatic pump and the hydraulic pump are directly used to replace the motor 134, and the transmission rod is used to replace the lead screw 133 to be connected with the connecting member 144, so as to push the cylindrical body 140; in the embodiment using an electromagnet as the pushing mechanism 130, an electromagnet is used instead of the motor 134, a magnetic element is used instead of the connecting element 144, when the electromagnet attracts the magnetic element, the cylindrical body 140 is pushed to move in the first direction 141, when the electromagnet repels the magnetic element, the cylindrical body 140 is pushed to move in the second direction 142, the electromagnet preferably can change the direction of the magnetic field, and the direction of the magnetic field can be changed by changing the flow direction of the current, thereby facilitating the control of the moving direction of the cylindrical body 140.

The technical features of the embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined, and for the sake of brevity, all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments described above are not described, but should be considered as being within the scope of the present specification as long as there is no contradiction between the combinations of the technical features.

The above-mentioned embodiments only express several embodiments of the present invention, and the description thereof is more specific and detailed, but not construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that, for a person skilled in the art, several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept, which falls within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device, comprising:

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 in which the base is shaped to fit within the internal hollow of the cartridge, the outer edge of the base fitting closely against the internal wall of the cartridge.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 in which the urging means is connected or movably coupled with the cartridge, urging the cartridge to move relative to the housing.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 in which the cartridge surrounds the heater.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 in which the cartridge has a slot, the projection on the base falling into and retaining the slot.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5 in which the slot extends along the length of the cartridge.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 6 in which a connector is fixedly provided at an end of the cartridge remote from the heater, the push mechanism being connected or movably coupled to the cartridge via the connector.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 7, further comprising a fixing aid disposed within the hollow interior of the cartridge, one end of the fixing aid abutting the base of the heater and the other end of the fixing aid abutting the connector.

9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 8 in which the housing is provided with a cross-member which is inserted into the slot and slides along the slot during movement of the cartridge.

10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 9 in which the cross-member extends through the cartridge perpendicular to its length.

11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 in which the heater slides under traction of the cartridge between a heating position in which the heater is inserted into the aerosol-generating substance and a separating position in which the heater is separated from the aerosol-generating substance.

12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, wherein the pushing mechanism comprises a push button movably coupled to the housing.

13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 12, wherein the push button is fixedly connected to the heater assembly, and the direction of movement of the push button coincides with the direction of movement of the heater assembly.

14. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 12, wherein the push mechanism further comprises a transmission assembly for coupling the base and the push button, the push button moving in a direction opposite to the heater assembly.

15. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the transmission assembly comprises a gear, wherein the base is provided with an external thread and the push button is provided with an external thread, and wherein the gear engages with the external threads on the base and the push button, respectively.

16. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, wherein the pushing mechanism comprises a knob movably coupled to the housing.

17. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the cartridge is provided with external threads and the knob is provided with internal threads, the external threads on the cartridge engaging the internal threads on the knob.

18. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, wherein the pushing mechanism comprises at least one of an electric motor, a pneumatic pump, a hydraulic pump, an electromagnet.

19. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, further comprising an extraction assembly for assisting in the disengagement of the aerosol-generating article from the receiving cavity, the extraction assembly comprising a shoe abutting an air inlet end of the aerosol-generating article, the shoe being movable along the length of the receiving cavity.

20. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 19, further comprising a linkage assembly configured such that the heater, when approaching or reaching the detached position, triggers movement of the shoe towards the insertion opening of the receiving chamber.

21. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 20, wherein the linkage assembly comprises a retaining member for retaining the shoe at the bottom of the receiving cavity, and a pulling member for exerting a force on the retaining member, the pulling member pulling the retaining member out of retaining engagement with the shoe when the heater is near or at the spaced-apart position.

22. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 21 in which the mounting is connected to a resilient member which urges the mounting towards the insertion opening of the receiving chamber.

23. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 20, wherein the linkage assembly comprises a first element disposed on the shoe and a second element which engages with the first element when the heater is near or reaches the detached position.

24. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 23, wherein the first element is coupled to the second element by any one of magnetic attraction, adhesion, or snap-fit.

25. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 24 in which the second element is part of or connected to the cartridge, the shoe being drawn towards the insertion opening of the receiving chamber by the cartridge.

26. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the housing defining the receiving cavity comprise side walls and a bottom wall, the bottom wall being apertured for allowing a heater to be inserted into an aerosol-generating article received in the receiving cavity.