Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
  • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/20—Devices using solid inhalable precursors

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating apparatus.
• a typical aerosol generating apparatus may comprise a power supply, an aerosol generating unit that is driven by the power supply, an aerosol precursor, which in use is aerosolised by the aerosol generating unit to generate an aerosol, and a delivery system for delivery of the aerosol to a user.
• a drawback with known aerosol generating apparatuses is accessing internal components for cleaning, in particular those components that come in direct contact with the aerosol consumable.
• a further drawback with known aerosol generating apparatuses is the difficulty in correctly positioning the aerosol precursor for aerosol generation, particularly in heat-not-burn devices.
• the present disclosure provides aerosol generating apparatus that comprises a body and heating system, the heating system comprising a heating element and a supporting frame.
• the supporting frame comprises a heater portion, wherein the heater portion defines a heating chamber about the heating element.
• the guide hole extends from an end face of the supporting frame to the heating chamber.
• a width of the guide hole in the guiding portion is less than a width of the heating chamber defined by the heater portion.
• a side wall of the supporting frame comprises an aperture for exposing the heating element.
• the user may more easily access the heating element for cleaning, thereby improving the cleanliness, hygiene and efficiency of the apparatus.
• the heating element is open and accessible to the user from an aperture other than the aperture through which a consumable is provided for generating aerosol.
• the aperture through which a consumable is provided is typically sized equivalently to the consumable, which can make accessing the heating element with a cleaning tool difficult. Therefore, the act of cleaning the heating element is simplified by providing an alternative access point in the form of the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame.
• the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame may pass through the entire frame, i.e., there may be apertures on opposite sides of the supporting frame to form a through hole exposing the heating element from multiple sides.
• the consumable By providing a guide hole for locating a consumable in contact with the heating element in the supporting frame, the guide hole being separate from the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame, the consumable may be guided to the heating element on insertion into the apparatus, thereby ensuring good thermal contact between the consumable and the heating element and improving the efficiency of the device.
• the provision of such a guide hole is particularly prescient in the examples where an aperture is provided in a side wall of the supporting frame because providing such an aperture means that there is at least a portion of the supporting frame where the consumable will not be supported or guided onto the heating element. Accordingly, a dedicated guide hole may ensure the proper insertion of the consumable even when the supporting frame is provided with an aperture in its side wall.
• the consumable passes through the guiding portion on its way to the heating portion when being inserted into the apparatus and travelling towards the base of the heating element.
• Such an arrangement ensures that the consumable is properly aligned, for example with a heating element in the heating portion, before the consumable arrives at the heating portion, thereby significantly reducing the risk of misaligning the consumable with the heating element. Accordingly, the use of the apparatus is simplified for the user and the efficiency of generating the aerosol is improved through better thermal contact between the consumable and the heating element.
• the guide hole may be sized to fit closely to the width of the consumable in order to provide accurate guidance to the consumable on insertion, whilst the heating portion may be of a greater width, because the guiding of the consumable is no longer required after the guiding portion, in order to provide sufficient airflow through the consumable during inhalation by the user.
• the apparatus is adapted to adjust between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the aperture is closed by the body, and wherein in the second configuration the aperture is open.
• the user may selectively open and close the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame to selectively expose and conceal the heating element.
• the apparatus when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the apparatus may be in the first configuration where the aperture is closed and the heating element is concealed.
• the apparatus may be in the second configuration where the aperture is open and the heating element is exposed. In this way, the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element.
• the supporting frame in the first configuration is at a first position, and wherein in the second configuration the supporting frame is at a second position, different from the first position.
• the user may manually move the supporting frame between first and second positions in order to selectively close and open the aperture respectively.
• the supporting frame when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the supporting frame may be in the first position where the aperture is closed and the heating element is concealed.
• the supporting frame may be in the second position where the aperture is open and the heating element is exposed. In this way, the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element.
• the user may easily identify which configuration the apparatus is in, thereby further improving the ease of use of the apparatus.
• the body in the first configuration the body is in a first position, and wherein in the second configuration the body is in a second position.
• the user may manually move the body between first and second positions in order to selectively close and open the aperture respectively, for example by concealing and revealing the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame.
• the body when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the body may be in the first position where the aperture is closed, i.e., concealed, and the heating element is concealed.
• the apparatus is not in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is not active, the body may be in the second position where the aperture is open, i.e., revealed, and the heating element is exposed.
• the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element. Further, as there is a positional change in the supporting frame between the first and second positions, the user may easily identify which configuration the apparatus is in, thereby further improving the ease of use of the apparatus.
• the present disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus that comprises a body and heating system, the heating system comprising a heating element and a supporting frame.
• the supporting frame comprises a guiding portion, wherein the guiding portion has a guide hole for locating a consumable in contact with the heating element.
• the supporting frame comprises a heater portion, wherein the heater portion defines a heating chamber about the heating element.
• the guide hole extends from an end face of the supporting frame to the heating chamber.
• a width of the guide hole in the guiding portion is less than a width of the heating chamber defined by the heater portion.
• the heating element extends longitudinally through the heating chamber and extends at least partially into the guide hole.
• the consumable By providing a guide hole for locating a consumable in contact with the heating element in the supporting frame, the guide hole being separate from the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame, the consumable may be guided to the heating element on insertion into the apparatus, thereby ensuring good thermal contact between the consumable and the heating element and improving the efficiency of the device.
• the provision of such a guide hole is particularly prescient in the examples where an aperture is provided in a side wall of the supporting frame because providing such an aperture means that there is at least a portion of the supporting frame where the consumable will not be supported or guided onto the heating element. Accordingly, a dedicated guide hole may ensure the proper insertion of the consumable even when the supporting frame is provided with an aperture in its side wall.
• the consumable By providing a supporting frame with a guiding portion and a heater portion, arranged between a base of the heating element and the guiding portion, the consumable passes through the guiding portion on its way to the heating portion when being inserted into the apparatus and travelling towards the base of the heating element.
• Such an arrangement ensures that the consumable is properly aligned, for example with a heating element in the heating portion, before the consumable arrives at the heating portion, thereby significantly reducing the risk of misaligning the consumable with the heating element. Accordingly, the use of the apparatus is simplified for the user and the efficiency of generating the aerosol is improved through better thermal contact between the consumable and the heating element.
• the guiding portion may be sized to fit closely to the width of the consumable in order to provide accurate guidance to the consumable on insertion, whilst the heating portion may be of a greater width, because the guiding of the consumable is no longer required after the guiding portion, in order to provide sufficient airflow through the consumable during inhalation by the user.
• the consumable may contact the heating element before exiting the guiding portion, thereby significantly reducing the risk of misaligning the consumable with the heating element. Accordingly, the use of the apparatus is simplified for the user and the efficiency of generating the aerosol is improved through better thermal contact between the consumable and the heating element.
• the apparatus is adapted to adjust between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the aperture is closed by the body, and wherein in the second configuration the aperture is open.
• the user may selectively open and close the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame to selectively expose and conceal the heating element.
• the apparatus when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the apparatus may be in the first configuration where the aperture is closed and the heating element is concealed.
• the apparatus may be in the second configuration where the aperture is open and the heating element is exposed. In this way, the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element.
• the supporting frame in the first configuration is at a first position, and wherein in the second configuration the supporting frame is at a second position, different from the first position.
• the user may manually move the supporting frame between first and second positions in order to selectively close and open the aperture respectively.
• the supporting frame when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the supporting frame may be in the first position where the aperture is closed and the heating element is concealed.
• the supporting frame may be in the second position where the aperture is open and the heating element is exposed. In this way, the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element.
• the user may easily identify which configuration the apparatus is in, thereby further improving the ease of use of the apparatus.
• the supporting frame is slidably received within the body between the first and second positions. In this way, the apparatus may be changed between the first and second configurations without having to fully detach the supporting frame from the body. Accordingly, the convenience of switching between the first and second configurations may be improved as the user is not required to fully attach and detach the supporting frame in order to change between the configurations.
• the supporting frame is attached to the body in the first configuration and fully detached from the body in the second configuration.
• the access of the user to the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame may be improved, thereby improving the convenience of cleaning the heating element.
• the body in the first configuration the body is in a first position, and wherein in the second configuration the body is in a second position.
• the user may manually move the body between first and second positions in order to selectively close and open the aperture respectively, for example by concealing and revealing the aperture in the side wall of the supporting frame.
• the body when the apparatus is in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is active, the body may be in the first position where the aperture is closed, i.e., concealed, and the heating element is concealed.
• the apparatus is not in use for producing an aerosol, and the heating element is not active, the body may be in the second position where the aperture is open, i.e., revealed, and the heating element is exposed.
• the safety of the apparatus is improved as well as the convenience for cleaning the heating element. Further, as there is a positional change in the supporting frame between the first and second positions, the user may easily identify which configuration the apparatus is in, thereby further improving the ease of use of the apparatus.
• the apparatus further comprises a movable cap, wherein the moveable cap is adapted to selectively close the guide hole.
• the moveable cap is adapted to selectively close the guide hole.
• the present disclosure provides a system for generating an aerosol.
• the system comprises a consumable and the aerosol generating apparatus described above.
• the aerosol generating apparatus is adapted to receive the consumable within the guide hole and the width of the guide hole is similar to a width of the consumable.
• the width of the guide hole is the same as the width of the consumable, such that the consumable is slidably receivable within the guide hole.
• the consumable is held in a tight fit in the guide hole in order to accurately locate the consumable to the heating element on insertion into the apparatus.
• the aerosol generating apparatus may be portable.
• the term "portable” may refer to the apparatus being for use when held by a user.
• an "aerosol” may include a suspension of precursor, including as one or more of: solid particles; liquid droplets; gas. Said suspension may be in a gas including air.
• An aerosol herein may generally refer to/include a vapour.
• An aerosol may include one or more components of the precursor.
• a "precursor” may include one or more of a: liquid; solid; gel; loose leaf material; other substance.
• the precursor may be processed by an aerosol generating unit of an aerosol generating apparatus to generate an aerosol.
• the precursor may include one or more of: an active component; a carrier; a flavouring.
• the aerosol generating unit 4 is provided by the above-described heating system 52 and the delivery system 8 is provided by the above-described flow path and mouthpiece of the consumable 70.
• the side wall 150 of the supporting frame 130 comprises an aperture 160 exposing the heating element 120 for cleaning.
• Apertures 160 may be provided in side walls 150 on opposing sides of the supporting frame 130 in order to define a through-hole through the supporting frame 130, exposing the heating element 120 from multiple sides for cleaning.
• the apparatus 100 is shown adjusting between a first configuration (shown in Figs. 5A and 5C ) and a second configuration (shown in Figs. 5B and 5D ) according to different embodiments.
• first configuration the supporting frame 130 is in a first position relative to the body 165 where the aperture 160 is closed by the body 165.
• second configuration the supporting frame 130 is in a second position relative to the body 165 where the aperture 160 is open.
• the first and second configurations may be reached by moving either the supporting frame 130 or the body 165 depending on the implementation of the apparatus 100.
• Fig. 5C and Fig. 5D show an example where the supporting frame 130 is slidably received within the body 165 in the first position and where the supporting frame 130 is slid partially out of the body 165 to expose the heating element 120, respectively.
• an aerosol generating apparatus 200 which may be implemented in any of the preceding examples, comprises a body and heating system 210 comprising a heating element 220.
• the apparatus 200 comprises a supporting frame 230 having a longitudinally extending guide hole 240 for locating a consumable in contact with the heating element 220.
• the guide hole 240 may be sized and shaped according to the consumable to be provided to the apparatus 200, thereby forcing a consumable received in the guide hole 240 to move along a desired path of travel.
• the apparatus 130 comprises a supporting frame 330 having a longitudinally extending guide hole 340 for locating a consumable in contact with the heating element 320.
• the guide hole 340 may be sized and shaped according to the consumable to be provided to the apparatus 300, thereby forcing a consumable received in the guide hole 140 to move along a desired path of travel.
• the supporting frame 330 comprises a guiding portion 370 and a heater portion 380 arranged between the base of the heating element 320 and the guiding portion 370.
• a width 375 of the guide hole 340 in the guiding portion 370 is less than a width 385 of the heating chamber in the heater portion 385.
• the heating element 320 extends longitudinally through the heating chamber in the heater portion 380 and extends into the guide hole 340 in the guiding portion 370.
• the side wall 350 of the supporting frame 330 comprises an aperture 160 exposing the heating element 320 for cleaning.
• Apertures 360 may be provided in side walls 350 on opposing sides of the supporting frame 330 in order to define a through-hole through the supporting frame 330, exposing the heating element 320 from multiple sides for cleaning.

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Citations (5)

• 2024
  • 2024-02-15 EP EP24157749.3A patent/EP4602941A1/fr active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-02-13 WO PCT/EP2025/053818 patent/WO2025172416A1/fr active Pending

Patent Citations (5)

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