HK1262377B - Cartridge for aerosol inhaler, aerosol inhaler provided with same, and heat-generating sheet for aerosol inhaler - Google Patents

Description

Cartridge for aerosol inhaler, aerosol inhaler equipped with a cartridge for aerosol inhaler, and heating sheet for aerosol inhaler

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cigarette cartridge for an aerosol inhaler, an aerosol inhaler equipped with the cigarette cartridge for an aerosol inhaler, and a heating sheet for an aerosol inhaler.

Background Art

Aerosol inhalers are known that generate aerosol as the user inhales and delivers the aerosol to the user. An example of such an aerosol inhaler is an electronic cigarette, which uses electrical heating, such as with a heating coil, to atomize (aerosolize) an aerosol-generating liquid in an atomizing unit. Aerosol-generating liquids are liquids used to generate aerosols, and examples include glycerin (G) and propylene glycol (PG).

For example, an aerosol-generating liquid is immersed in and retained in a reservoir made of cotton, for example. A core rope made of glass fiber, for example, draws the aerosol-generating liquid from the reservoir using capillary action and delivers it to the vicinity of the electric heating coil. Furthermore, the electric heating coil is typically made of nickel-chromium wire, for example, and is wound around a core rope made of glass fiber. However, in such embodiments, the resistance value may vary depending on the degree of winding of the electric heating coil relative to the core rope, which can lead to quality variations and increase the cost of inspection.

In this regard, for example, a technology has been proposed that makes the heater material of the atomizing unit itself porous to impart liquid absorption capacity. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an aerosol inhaler that utilizes a heater having a capillary structure using a fabric structure, an open-pore fiber structure, an open-pore sintered structure, an open-pore foam, or an open-pore precipitation structure.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: (Japan) Patent No. 5612585

Summary of the Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of the heat generation characteristics required of a heater used in an aerosol inhaler.

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and its object is to provide a technology for reducing local heating of the heater in an aerosol inhaler used for atomizing an aerosol-generating liquid by providing a heating sheet with a sufficient resistance value required for the heater used in the aerosol inhaler.

Means for solving technical problems

The aerosol inhaler cartridge of the present invention, which is used to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, comprises: a liquid storage portion, which stores an aerosol-generating liquid; a heating sheet, which is provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and atomizes the aerosol-generating liquid supplied from the liquid storage portion by generating heat when electricity is passed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; the heating sheet is formed of a porous material and is provided with gaps to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and form a serpentine circuit portion.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, a technology can be provided for providing a heating sheet of an aerosol inhaler for atomizing an aerosol-generating liquid with a sufficient resistance value required for a heater used in the aerosol inhaler, thereby reducing localized heating of the heater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette as an example of an aerosol inhaler according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette as an example of the aerosol inhaler according to the first embodiment.

FIG3 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the cigarette cartridge according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a planar structure of the porous heat generating sheet according to the first embodiment.

FIG5 is a plan view of the heater portion in the porous heat generating sheet according to the first embodiment.

FIG6 is a diagram showing the electric wires when power is supplied to the heater portion of the porous heat generating sheet according to the first embodiment with imaginary lines.

FIG7 is a plan view of a heater portion of a porous heat generating sheet according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG.

FIG8 is a plan view of a heater portion of a porous heat generating sheet according to a second modification of the first embodiment.

FIG9 is a plan view of a heater portion of a porous heat generating sheet according to a third modification of the first embodiment.

FIG10 is a plan view of a heater portion of a porous heat generating sheet according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment.

FIG11 is a plan view of a heater portion of a porous heat generating sheet according to a fifth modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a cigarette cartridge according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a cigarette cartridge according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a cigarette cartridge according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a cigarette cartridge according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a cartridge according to a first modification of the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a porous heat generating sheet according to a second modification of the fifth embodiment.

FIG18A is a diagram showing an electronic cigarette according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG18B is a diagram showing a cigarette cartridge according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG19A is a diagram showing an electronic cigarette according to a modification of the sixth embodiment.

FIG19B is a diagram showing a cartridge according to a modification of the sixth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Here, embodiments of the aerosol inhaler, a cigarette cartridge used in the aerosol inhaler, and a porous heating sheet according to the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in this embodiment do not limit the technical scope of the invention.

<Implementation Method 1>

Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of an electronic cigarette 1, which is an example of an aerosol inhaler (flavor inhaler) according to Embodiment 1. The electronic cigarette 1 includes a main body 2 and a mouthpiece 4. The main body 2 includes a main body housing 20, which houses a battery 21, an electronic control unit 22, and the like. The battery 21 may be, for example, a so-called rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery.

The electronic control unit 22 is a computer that controls the entire electronic cigarette 1. The electronic control unit 22 may be, for example, a microcontroller having a circuit board (not shown) on which a processor, memory, and the like are mounted.

The main body side shell 20 is, for example, a shell with a bottom cylindrical shape, and a battery 21 and an electronic control unit 22 are arranged from the bottom surface 20a side. In addition, a hollow storage chamber 23 for storing the cigarette cartridge 3 is formed on the side of the open end 20b located at the upper end of the main body side shell 20. The cigarette cartridge 3 is a component that integrates a liquid tank (liquid storage unit) and a porous heating sheet, which will be described in detail later, wherein the liquid tank (liquid storage unit) stores an aerosol generating liquid that generates an aerosol by atomizing by utilizing electric heating, and the porous heating sheet heats and atomizes the aerosol generating liquid. In the electronic cigarette 1 of this embodiment, the electronic control unit 22 and the battery 21 can be set from the bottom surface 20a side, and a display device such as an LED and a display can also be set at any position of the cylindrical shell with a bottom.

The electronic control unit 22 and the battery 21 are connected via electrical wiring. The electronic control unit 22 controls the supply of power from the battery 21 to the porous heating sheet, which serves as the atomization unit of the cigarette cartridge 3. Furthermore, for example, a user-operated inhalation switch (not shown) may be provided on the main body housing 20. The inhalation switch is connected to the electronic control unit 22 via electrical wiring. When the electronic control unit 22 detects that the inhalation switch is turned on, it controls the battery 21 to supply power to the porous heating sheet of the cigarette cartridge 3.

Next, the mouthpiece 4 will be described. The mouthpiece 4 is hinged to the main body 2 via a hinge 5. Figure 1 shows the mouthpiece 4 in an open position, allowing for replacement (storage and removal) of the cigarette cartridge 3 from the storage chamber 23 of the main body 2. When the mouthpiece 4 is in the open position, the storage chamber 23 is exposed to the outside.

On the other hand, Figure 2 shows the mouthpiece 4 in a closed position, rotated approximately 90° from the open position. When the mouthpiece 4 is in the closed position, the upper portion of the storage chamber 23 and the cigarette cartridge 3 stored therein are covered by the mouthpiece 4. However, in the electronic cigarette 1 of this embodiment, the mouthpiece 4 and the main body 2 (battery assembly) can be detachable. The engagement mechanism between the mouthpiece 4 and the main body 2 is not particularly limited, and known connection methods such as screw connection or connection via a sleeve component, such as a fitting connection, can be used.

The mouthpiece 4 has a housing 41. The housing 41 of the mouthpiece 4 tapers toward the front end to facilitate easy holding by the user, and an inhalation port 42 is formed at the front end. Furthermore, an air inlet 43 is provided in the housing 41 of the mouthpiece 4. Furthermore, a cylindrical baffle wall 44 connected to the inhalation port 42 is provided within the housing 41 of the mouthpiece 4, forming an internal passage 45 through the baffle wall 44. The internal passage 45 of the mouthpiece 4 communicates with the inhalation port 42 and the air inlet 43. When the user smokes, external air drawn into the housing 41 from the outside through the air inlet 43 passes through the internal passage 45 and reaches the inhalation port 42. An atomization chamber 45a is formed in the internal passage 45 near the upper surface of the cigarette cartridge 3. The cigarette cartridge 3 vaporizes the aerosol-generating liquid stored in the liquid tank through electrical heating, and generates aerosol by mixing the vaporized aerosol-generating liquid with air in the atomization chamber 45a. The generated aerosol is introduced into the inhalation port 42 through the atomization chamber 45 a and the internal passage 45 , and the user can inhale the aerosol through the inhalation port 42 .

It should be noted that the electronic cigarette 1 can also be a suction sensor (not shown) provided on the main body side shell 20 instead of the smoking switch, and the user's smoking requirement can be detected by using the suction sensor to detect the user's suction (puffing) of the suction port 42. In this case, the suction sensor can also be connected to the electronic control unit 22 via electrical wiring. When the suction sensor detects the user's suction (puffing) of the suction port 42, the electronic control unit 22 controls the battery 21 so that the battery 21 supplies power to the porous heating sheet described later in the cigarette cartridge 3. In addition, in the present invention, as the suction sensor, a pressure sensor or a thermal flow meter (MEMS flow rate sensor, etc.) that detects the negative pressure generated by the user's suction can be used. In addition, although the atomization chamber 45a is provided on the mouthpiece 4, the storage chamber 23 on the side of the main body 2 (battery assembly) can also be deepened to provide the atomization chamber 45a on the main body 2. In this case, it is preferred that the air intake 43 is also provided on the main body 2 (refer to Figures 18A, 19A, etc.).

Figure 3 shows the schematic structure of the cigarette cartridge 3 of this embodiment. The upper figure shows the upper surface of the cigarette cartridge 3, and the lower figure shows the longitudinal section of the cigarette cartridge 3. In this embodiment, the cigarette cartridge 3 has a liquid tank 31 for storing an aerosol-generating liquid inside. The liquid tank 31 is, for example, a cylindrical bottle-shaped shell having a circular bottom 31a, a cover 31b, and a cylindrical side wall 31c, but its shape is not particularly limited. A liquid storage space 31d for storing an aerosol-generating liquid is formed inside the liquid tank 31, and an aerosol-generating liquid is stored in the liquid storage space 31d. The aerosol-generating liquid can be, for example, a mixture of glycerin (G), propylene glycol (PG), nicotine liquid, water, flavorings, etc. The mixing ratio of the materials contained in the aerosol-generating liquid can be appropriately changed. In the present invention, the aerosol-generating liquid may not contain nicotine liquid.

In addition, a liquid supply component 32 for supplying aerosol generating liquid to the porous heating sheet described later is arranged on the upper side of the liquid storage space 31d of the liquid tank 31. The liquid supply component 32 can be, for example, a cotton fiber. In the present embodiment, the liquid supply component 32 can be fixed to, for example, the back side of the cover 31b of the liquid tank 31. It should be noted that, in the present invention, the liquid supply component 32 may not be provided. Mark 7 shown in FIG3 is a porous heating sheet that is atomized by heating the aerosol generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31. In addition, mark Lv in FIG3 is a mark that illustrates the initial liquid level of the aerosol generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d). When manufacturing the electronic cigarette 1, the liquid level of the aerosol generating liquid is adjusted to the initial liquid level Lv by storing a specified amount of aerosol generating liquid in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d). By setting the initial liquid level Lv above the liquid supply member 32, in other words, by filling the aerosol generating liquid above the lower end of the liquid supply member 32, the aerosol generating liquid can be stably supplied to the porous heat generating sheet.

The porous heating sheet 7 is folded inward into a roughly C-shape when viewed from the side. When not in use, at least a portion of the porous heating sheet 7 is in direct contact with the aerosol-generating liquid in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d) or indirectly via the liquid supply component 32. The porous heating sheet 7 is a wick-and-heater that has both the function of a wick that directly or indirectly draws up and holds the aerosol-generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31, and the function of a heater that atomizes the pre-held aerosol-generating liquid by electric heating when the user smokes. The porous heating sheet 7 includes: a flat heater portion 71 arranged opposite to the surface of the cover portion 31b of the liquid tank 31, a first draw-up portion 72a and a second draw-up portion 72b folded downward from the heater portion 71. Hereinafter, the first draw-up portion 72a and the second draw-up portion 72b will be collectively referred to as the "draw-up portion 72".

The lid 31b of the liquid tank 31 is formed with an insertion hole 31e for inserting the pull-up portion 72 into the liquid tank 31. The pull-up portion 72 is inserted into the liquid storage space 31d through this insertion hole 31e. In this embodiment, although a pair of pull-up portions 72 are connected to the heater portion 71 by folding in both sides of the heater portion 71, the number of pull-up portions 72 is not particularly limited. It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 3, the front end of the pull-up portion 72 can, for example, extend into the interior of the liquid supply component 32 made of cotton fibers, or can extend toward the liquid storage space 31d while penetrating the liquid supply component 32. In the present invention, the various components can be arranged so that a portion of the pull-up portion 72 abuts the surface of the liquid supply component 32. The contact area between the pull-up portion 72 and the liquid supply component 32, or the contact surface of the pull-up portion 72 with the liquid supply component 32 (e.g., the upper end surface or side surface of the liquid supply component 32), can be appropriately varied.

The porous heating sheet 7 can at least temporarily retain the aerosol-generating liquid. The material used for the porous heating sheet 7 is not particularly limited as long as it can be used as a core rope and heater to atomize the pre-retained aerosol-generating liquid by electric heating when the user smokes. The porous heating sheet 7 can be, for example, a porous metal body containing nickel, nickel-chromium, stainless steel (SUS), etc. In addition, if it is a conductive material that can generate heat when electricity is applied, ceramics such as silicon carbide (SiC) can be used. The porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment has a three-dimensional network structure. The three-dimensional network structure contains voids and has a structure in which at least part of the voids are connected, that is, an open-pore structure. The porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment constructed as described above has the function of pumping up liquid by capillary action. As an example of a porous metal body with such an open-pore structure, Celmet (trade name) manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. can be exemplified. Celmet (trade name) is a porous metal body containing nickel (Ni), or a porous metal body containing a nickel and chromium (Cr) alloy.

The thickness of the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment is preferably 0.1 to 3.0 mm, more preferably 0.2 to 1.0 mm. In addition, in the porous heating sheet 7, the total area of the portion that functions as a heater is preferably 1 to 250 mm ² , more preferably 3 to 150 mm ^2. In addition, when the porous heating sheet 7 is rectangular, the aspect ratio (long side: short side) of the portion that functions as a heater is preferably 1:1 to 3:1, more preferably 1:1 to 2:1. The number of linear circuit portions possessed by the porous heating sheet 7 is preferably 2 to 20, more preferably 5 or more and 15 or less. The number of bent circuit portions of the serpentine circuit possessed by the porous heating sheet 7 is preferably 1 to 19, more preferably 4 to 14.

Figure 4 shows the planar structure of the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment. It should be noted that Figure 4 shows the porous heating sheet 7 unfolded, that is, before the pull-out portion 72 is folded inward relative to the heater portion 71. The dotted line in the figure indicates the boundary between the heater portion 71 and the pull-out portion 72.

In the example shown in Figure 4, the porous heating sheet 7 has a rectangular planar shape. The shape of the porous heating sheet 7 is not particularly limited, and may be a parallelogram, rhombus, or the like. Marks 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are the left, right, top, and bottom sides of the porous heating sheet 7. The porous heating sheet 7 is provided with a plurality of slits 8 extending parallel to the top side 7c and the bottom side 7d. Hereinafter, the direction along the top side 7c and the bottom side 7d of the porous heating sheet 7 will be referred to as the lateral width direction of the porous heating sheet 7. In addition, the direction of the left side 7a and the right side 7b of the porous heating sheet 7 will be referred to as the up-down direction of the porous heating sheet 7.

The slit 8 is a cut that penetrates the porous heating sheet 7 in the thickness direction. The slit 8 can be made, for example, by a laser cutting method, but this is not particularly limited, and can also be made by punching. The laser cutting method is particularly advantageous for making fine slits. For example, the slit 8 can be formed in the porous heating sheet 7 by a YAG laser or a _CO2 laser. It should be noted that the width dimension of the slit 8 is not particularly limited. The width dimension of the slit 8 is the dimension in a direction orthogonal to the length dimension of the slit 8 extending along the lateral width direction of the porous heating sheet 7.

In the example shown in Figure 4, each slit 8 extends parallel to the left side 7a and the right side 7b of the porous heating sheet 7 toward the center side of the heater portion 71 in the transverse direction. Hereinafter, the slit 8 extending from the left side 7a of the porous heating sheet 7 will be referred to as the "first slit 8A", and the slit 8 extending from the right side 7b of the porous heating sheet 7 will be referred to as the "second slit 8B". As shown in Figure 4, in the porous heating sheet 7, the first slit 8A and the second slit 8B are extended differently from each other. In addition, the front end of the first slit 8A extends beyond the center position in the transverse direction of the heater portion 71 to the area on the right side 7b. On the other hand, the front end of the second slit 8B extends beyond the center position in the transverse direction of the heater portion 71 to the area on the left side 7a. As a result, the front ends of the first slit 8A and the second slit 8B overlap with each other along the direction in which the slits extend.

FIG5 is a top view of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 according to Embodiment 1. The mark 71a in the figure is the first end edge located at the bent boundary portion between the heater portion 71 and the first pull-out portion 72a. The mark 71b in the figure is the second end edge located at the bent boundary portion between the heater portion 71 and the second pull-out portion 72b. In addition, as shown in FIG5 , a positive electrode 9A and a negative electrode 9B are provided in the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7. The positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71 are connected to the battery 21 arranged in the main body 2 via a wire or the like. When power is supplied from the battery 21 to the porous heating sheet 7 based on a control signal from the electronic control portion 22, the circuit 10 connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71 is energized, so that the heater portion 71 generates heat.

As shown in FIG5 , the circuit 10 connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater section 71 is formed in a serpentine shape through the slit 8. More specifically, the circuit 10 includes a serpentine circuit section 11 formed by sequentially connecting a linear circuit section 110 and a folded circuit section 120 formed by folding the linear circuit section 110, a positive electrode circuit section 12 connected (connected) to one end 11a of the serpentine circuit section 11, and a negative electrode circuit section 13 connected (connected) to the other end 11b of the serpentine circuit section 11. Here, the positive electrode 9A is provided in the positive electrode circuit section 12, and the negative electrode 9B is provided in the negative electrode circuit section 13. The positive electrode circuit section 12 can occupy substantially the same area as the positive electrode 9A, or the positive electrode 9A can be provided in a portion of the positive electrode circuit section 12. Furthermore, the area occupied by the negative electrode circuit portion 13 and the negative electrode 9B may be substantially equal, and the negative electrode 9B may be disposed in a portion of the negative electrode circuit portion 13 .

Furthermore, as described above, the serpentine circuit portion 11 is formed in a serpentine shape by sequentially and alternately connecting the straight circuit portions 110 and the return circuit portions 120. The number of straight circuit portions 110 and return circuit portions 120 constituting the serpentine circuit portion 11 is not particularly limited. However, from the perspective of ensuring the circuit length of the serpentine circuit portion 11 and improving the resistance, it is preferable that the serpentine circuit portion 11 include a larger number of straight circuit portions 110 and return circuit portions 120.

In FIG5 , the straight circuit portion 110 of the serpentine circuit portion 11 is shaded with oblique lines, and the return circuit portion 120 is shaded with dotted lines. In addition, the positive-pole circuit portion 12 and the negative-pole circuit portion 13 are shaded with wavy lines. In FIG5 , the serpentine circuit portion 11 is formed by five straight circuit portions 110 represented by oblique line shades and four return circuit portions 120 represented by dotted lines. In addition, in the example shown in FIG5 , the serpentine circuit portion 11 has a plurality of straight circuit portions 110, and the straight circuit portions 110 are separated from each other by gaps 8 (first gap 8A, second gap 8B). In addition, as can be seen from FIG5 , the heater portion 71 of this embodiment is provided with gaps 8 (first gap 8A, second gap 8B) extending along the extension direction of the straight circuit portion 110 of the serpentine circuit portion 11.

Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG5 , one end 11a of the serpentine circuit portion 11 is formed by a straight circuit portion 110, and the positive-pole-mounted circuit portion 12 is connected to the straight circuit portion 110 located on the one end 11a side. However, the one end 11a side of the serpentine circuit portion 11 may be formed by a folded circuit portion 120, and the positive-pole-mounted circuit portion 12 may be connected to the folded circuit portion 120 located on the one end 11a side. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG5 , the other end 11b of the serpentine circuit portion 11 is formed by a straight circuit portion 110, and the negative-pole-mounted circuit portion 13 is connected to the straight circuit portion 110 located on the other end 11b side. However, the other end 11b side of the serpentine circuit portion 11 may be formed by a folded circuit portion 120, and the negative-pole-mounted circuit portion 13 may be connected to the folded circuit portion 120 located on the other end 11b side.

Because the porous heat generating sheet 7 constructed as described above has the function of pumping liquid by utilizing capillary action, the pumping portion 72 inserted into the liquid storage space 31d of the liquid tank 31 pumps the aerosol-generating liquid stored in the liquid storage space 31d directly from the liquid storage space 31d or indirectly from the liquid supply member 32 (see FIG3 ). Furthermore, the aerosol-generating liquid pumped from the liquid storage space 31d by the pumping portion 72 is also transferred from the pumping portion 72 to the heater portion 71 and retained by the porous heat generating sheet 7.

Here, when the user smokes, they press the smoking switch (not shown). Furthermore, when the electronic control unit 22 detects that the smoking switch is on, it outputs a control signal to the battery 21, which supplies power to the porous heating sheet 7 of the cigarette cartridge 3. As a result, current flows through the circuit 10 connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater section 71 in the porous heating sheet 7, causing it to energize and generate heat. At this time, according to the heater section 71 of this embodiment, since the slits 8 provided in the flat heater section 71 form a serpentine circuit section 11, the circuit length of the circuit 10 connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B can be appropriately extended, and the resistance between the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B can be increased. Furthermore, according to the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment, the resistance per unit area of the porous heating sheet, which functions as a circuit, can be increased compared to a case where no slits are provided. As a result, when power is applied to the heater section 71, sufficient heat generation in the heater section 71 can be ensured. This allows the aerosol-generating liquid to be sufficiently heated in the heater section 71 and to be smoothly atomized.

In particular, according to the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment, the serpentine circuit portion 11 includes a plurality of straight circuit portions 110. These straight circuit portions 110 are separated from each other by slits 8 (first slits 8A and second slits 8B), and the slits 8 are provided so as to extend along the extending direction of the straight circuit portions 110 of the serpentine circuit portion 11. This makes it possible to more effectively ensure the circuit length, thereby more easily achieving the effect of increasing the resistance between the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71.

Here, Figure 6 is a diagram showing the wire 14 when power is applied to the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 using imaginary lines. As shown in Figure 6, according to the heater portion 71 of this embodiment, since the return circuit portions 120 are discontinuous with each other, the return circuit portions 120 are connected to each other with straight circuit portions 110 (in other words, since the return circuit portions 120 and the straight circuit portions 110 are connected sequentially and alternately), the circuit length can be increased and the sudden direction changes of the wire 14 can be reduced. As a result, the resistance per unit volume of the heater portion 71 can be increased and an uneven distribution of electric field strength can be less likely to occur. As a result, the heat generation of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 when power is applied can be fully ensured, and localized heating of the heater portion 71 is less likely to occur. In other words, the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment is provided with a gap 8 to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B and form a serpentine circuit portion 11. This allows the heater portion 71 to have a sufficient resistance value, and localized heat generation in the heater portion 71 can be reduced.

Here, the mark Ls shown in Figure 6 is the length of the overlapping section where the adjacent first slits 8A and second slits 8B in the slit 8 overlap each other in their extension directions (hereinafter referred to as the "slit repeat length"). In addition, the mark Ws is the inner dimension of the interval between the adjacent first slits 8A and second slits 8B in the slit 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "slit interval"). The gap interval Ws is equivalent to the circuit width of the straight circuit portion 110 sandwiched between the adjacent first slits 8A and second slits 8B. In addition, the mark Wa is the circuit width of the return circuit portion 120 of the meandering circuit portion 11. In addition, the mark We is the effective electrode width of the positive electrode 9A. The effective electrode width We of the positive electrode 9A is the width dimension of the positive electrode 9A along the direction perpendicular to the direction of the current flowing from the positive electrode 9A to the circuit 10 (positive electrode setting circuit portion 12). In the porous heating sheet 7 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , the electrode effective width We is designed to be less than or equal to the circuit width of the smallest portion of the circuit width where the circuit width is narrowest in the circuit 10 connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B. In addition, the circuit width of the circuit 10 is a dimension in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of current flow in the circuit 10. In the example shown in FIG6 , the gap spacing Ws and the circuit width Wa of the return circuit portion 120 are set to be equal in size, and their sizes are equivalent to the circuit width of the smallest portion of the circuit width where the circuit width is narrowest in the circuit 10. That is, in the present embodiment, the circuit width Wa of the return circuit portion 120 and the gap spacing Ws are set to be relatively larger than the electrode effective width We of the positive electrode 9A.

Here, if the width of the circuit 10 cannot be sufficiently ensured relative to the electrode effective width We, that is, if there is a portion of the circuit where the width is smaller than the electrode effective width We, then the current density is likely to be localized in the portion where the width is small. In this regard, in this embodiment, the circuit width of the smallest portion of the circuit 10 (the circuit width Wa of the return circuit portion 120 and the gap spacing Ws) is set to be relatively larger than the electrode effective width We of the positive electrode 9A. Therefore, the porous heating sheet 7 can suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the electrodes, and can more effectively reduce the localized heating of the heater portion 71.

Moreover, the porous heating sheet 7 of this embodiment has the following structure, that is, as shown in Figure 6, it is formed by extending the positive electrode 9A in its plane in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the electrode effective width We (that is, the direction in which the current flows from the positive electrode 9A to the circuit 10 (positive electrode setting circuit part 12)), and does not include the front end of the slit 8 extending from the edge of the porous heating sheet 7 to the inside of the plane of the porous heating sheet 7 in the imaginary band region Ab (the shaded area in Figure 6) having a width equal to the electrode effective width We. Here, if the front end of the slit is included in the imaginary band region, it will result in an area where the flow of current is blocked by the slit and deformed, and an area that is not affected by the above-mentioned influence caused by the slit. That is, uneven heating is caused by the confusion of the wires. In response to this, in this embodiment, a structure is adopted in which the front end of the slit 8 extending from the edge of the porous heating sheet 7 to the inside is not included in the imaginary band region Ab, thereby suppressing the confusion of the electric field lines of the heater portion 71 and making it easy to make the heater portion 71 heat evenly.

Here, it is preferred that the gap repeat length Ls of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 is set to be greater than the gap interval Ws. The gap repeat length Ls is substantially equal to the length of the straight circuit portion 110. Therefore, by ensuring that the gap repeat length Ls is at least greater than the gap interval Ws, the circuit length of the serpentine circuit portion 11 can be easily ensured. Moreover, with respect to the heater portion 71, it is preferred that the plurality of straight-line slits 8 separating the straight circuit portions 110 from each other are arranged in parallel at constant intervals. That is, it is preferred that the slits 8 are arranged in parallel and the gap intervals Ws are constant. In this way, the circuit width of the serpentine circuit portion 11 of the heater portion 71 can be made substantially constant (refer to Figures 5, 6, etc.). As a result, with respect to the heater portion 71, it is difficult to generate localized heat in the serpentine circuit portion 11, and it is easy to make the heater portion 71 uniformly heated as a whole.

Moreover, in the heater portion 71 of the present embodiment, it is preferred that the circuit length of the meandering circuit portion 11 is set to a length greater than the linear dimension connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71. With such a structure, it is possible to more easily obtain the effect of increasing the resistance per unit volume of the heater portion 71. In the present invention, it is more preferred that the total value (ΣLs) of the gap repeat length Ls is set to be greater than the linear dimension connecting the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71. In addition, according to the porous heating sheet 7 of the present embodiment, it is possible to balance the amount of aerosol generating liquid that can be retained in the porous heating sheet 7 and the amount of heat generated when the porous heating sheet 7 is heated by applying standard power.

Modifications

Next, a modified example of the porous heat generating sheet 7 of this embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, components identical to those of the above embodiment will be designated by common reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted. Figures 7 to 11 are top views of the heater portion 71 of the porous heat generating sheet 7 of Modifications 1 to 5.

In the first variation shown in FIG7 , the positions of the positive electrode 9A and negative electrode 9B arranged in the positive-electrode circuit section 12 and the negative-electrode circuit section 13 differ from those in the configuration example shown in FIG5 . Specifically, in the first variation shown in FIG7 , the positive electrode 9A of the positive-electrode circuit section 12 is positioned near one end 11a of the serpentine circuit section 11. Furthermore, the negative electrode 9B of the negative-electrode circuit section 13 is positioned near the other end 11b of the serpentine circuit section 11. However, as in the configuration example shown in FIG5 , it is preferable to arrange the positive electrode 9A at the end opposite to the end of the positive-electrode circuit section 12 connected to one end 11a of the serpentine circuit section 11. This configuration can increase the length of the circuit 10 of the heater section 71. Similarly, it is preferable to arrange the negative electrode 9B at the end opposite to the end of the negative-electrode circuit section 13 connected to the other end 11b of the serpentine circuit section 11. This configuration can increase the length of the circuit 10 of the heater section 71.

8 to 10 , a meandering circuit portion 11 of the heater portion 71 can be formed by including, in addition to the first slits 8A and second slits 8B described above, a longitudinal slit 8C extending in the vertical direction of the porous heating sheet 7 (heater portion 71), or a transverse slit 8D extending from the longitudinal slit 8C in the transverse direction of the heater portion 71. In this way, the circuit 10 of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 can adopt various modified patterns.

In addition, the embodiment of the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B respectively arranged in the positive electrode circuit portion 12 and the negative electrode circuit portion 13 can be subjected to various modifications. For example, the shape and size of the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B can be appropriately changed. In addition, the positive electrode 9A can be arranged on the surface of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7, or on the back. Similarly, the negative electrode 9B can be arranged on the surface of the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7, or on the back. It should be noted that in Figure 8, the shaded area represents Ab in the imaginary band area. In the porous heating sheet 7 shown in Figure 8, the structure is also that within the imaginary band area Ab does not include the front end of the slit 8 (in the example of Figure 8, the longitudinal slit 8C) extending from the edge of the porous heating sheet 7 to the inside of its plane. In addition, the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 can also form a serpentine circuit portion 11 by providing a slit 8 to suppress the current density localization of the current flowing between the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 9B. Therefore, the meandering circuit portion 11 does not necessarily need to include the straight circuit portion 110 . For example, as shown in Modification 5 of FIG. 11 , the meandering circuit portion 11 may be formed by continuously connecting the turn-back circuit portions 120 .

In addition, the porous heating sheet 7 of the present embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 to 5 and the like has the draw-up portion 72 and the heater portion 71 continuously arranged by folding in both sides of the heater portion 71, but is not limited to this. For example, the porous heating sheet 7 may not include the draw-up portion 72. Moreover, other replacement methods may be used to draw up the aerosol generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31 and supply it to the heater portion 71. For example, the aerosol generating liquid in the liquid tank 31 may be supplied to the porous heating sheet 7 (heater portion 71) via the porous heating sheet 7 (heater portion 71) and the liquid supply component 32 in the liquid tank 31.

<Implementation Method 2>

Figure 12 shows a cigarette cartridge 3A according to Embodiment 2. The cigarette cartridge 3A shown in Figure 12 can be configured without the liquid supply component 32 provided in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d). Furthermore, the porous heat generating sheet 7A according to Embodiment 2 is configured such that the extraction portion 72 extends to near the bottom of the liquid tank 31, and the extraction portion 72 directly extracts the aerosol-generating liquid stored in the liquid storage space 31d.

<Implementation Method 3>

Figure 13 is a diagram of a cigarette cartridge 3B according to embodiment 3. The porous heating sheet 7B of the cigarette cartridge 3B shown in Figure 13 is composed only of a heater portion 71 and does not have a pumping portion 72. In the cigarette cartridge 3B, for example, a liquid supply component 32 formed in a cylindrical shape is provided in the liquid tank 31, and a porous heating sheet 7B is placed on the upper surface of the liquid supply component 32. The heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7B has the same structure as the heater portion 71 of the porous heating sheet 7 according to embodiment 1. The porous heating sheet 7B of this embodiment can pump up and hold the aerosol generating liquid from the back of the heater portion 71 that abuts against the upper surface of the liquid supply component 32. It should be noted that the shape of the liquid supply component 32 is not limited to the above-mentioned example.

<Implementation Method 4>

14 shows a cartridge 3C according to Embodiment 4. The porous heating sheet 7C of the cartridge 3C differs from the porous heating sheet 7 of Embodiment 1, which is folded into a substantially C-shape in side view, in that it has a U-shape in side view, but the other structures are the same.

<Implementation Method 5>

15 is a diagram showing a cartridge 3D according to Embodiment 5. The porous heating sheet 7D of the cartridge 3D has a single pull-out portion 72 connected to the right side 71b of the heater portion 71. The remaining structure is the same as that of the porous heating sheet 7 of Embodiment 1.

The porous heating sheet 7D has an overall flat plate shape, and the pull-out portion 72 is inserted into the liquid storage space 31d through an insertion hole 31e formed in the lid 31b of the liquid tank 31. That is, in the cigarette cartridge 3D, the porous heating sheet 7D is disposed within the liquid tank 31 in such a manner that the heater portion 71 of the flat plate-shaped porous heating sheet 7D is exposed to the exterior of the liquid tank 31 and the pull-out portion 72 is inserted and disposed within the interior of the liquid tank 31.

Figure 16 is a diagram of a cigarette cartridge 3E showing a modified example 1 of embodiment 5. The porous heating sheet 7E provided in the cigarette cartridge 3E has the same structure as the porous heating sheet 7D in Figure 15, except that a single pull-out portion 72 is connected to the lower side 7d of the heater portion 71. The porous heating sheet 7E has a flat plate shape as a whole, and the pull-out portion 72 is inserted into the liquid storage space 31d through the insertion hole 31e formed in the cover portion 31b of the liquid tank 31. That is, in the cigarette cartridge 3D, the porous heating sheet 7E is provided in the liquid tank 31 in such a manner that the heater portion 71 of the flat-plate-shaped porous heating sheet 7E is exposed to the outside of the liquid tank 31 and the pull-out portion 72 is inserted into and provided inside the liquid tank 31.

In addition, Figure 17 is a diagram of a porous heating sheet 7F according to a second variant of embodiment 5. The porous heating sheet 7F is connected to a single pull-out portion 72 on the right side 7b of the heater portion 71, and the porous heating sheet 7F is rolled into a cylindrical shape. In the illustrated example, an insulating component 73 is provided between the upper side 7c and the lower side 7d of the heater portion 71, and the upper side 7c and the lower side 7d of the heater portion 71 are insulated by the insulating component 73. It should be noted that in Figure 17, the illustration of the gap 8, the positive electrode 9A, and the negative electrode 9B of the heater portion 71 is omitted. In addition, instead of having the porous heating sheet 7F between the upper side 7c and the lower side 7d of the heater portion 71, the porous heating sheet 7F can also be rolled into a C-shape in a manner that forms a gap between the upper side 7c and the lower side 7d.

<Implementation Method 6>

FIG18A is a diagram showing an electronic cigarette 1G according to a sixth embodiment. FIG18B is a diagram showing a cartridge 3G according to a sixth embodiment. The cartridge 3G includes the porous heat generating sheet 7 illustrated in FIG4 . The liquid tank 31 of the cartridge 3G has a ring shape, and a hollow through-passage 33 is provided at its center. As shown in the figure, the hollow through-passage 33 of the liquid tank 31 of the cartridge 3G penetrates the liquid tank 31 in the vertical direction. As in the first embodiment, the porous heat generating sheet 7 is in contact with the aerosol generating liquid by inserting the pull-up portion 72 into the liquid storage space 31d through the insertion hole 31e provided in the cover portion 31b of the liquid tank 31.

The cigarette cartridge 3G is stored in the storage chamber 23 in such a manner that the cover 31b of the liquid tank 31 faces the inner side (inner side) of the storage chamber 23. That is, the cigarette cartridge 3G of embodiment 6 is stored in the storage chamber 23 in such a manner that it is upside down from the cigarette cartridge 3 of embodiment 1. That is, the cigarette cartridge 3G is arranged in such a manner that the bottom 31a side of the liquid tank 31 faces the mouthpiece 4. In the electronic cigarette 1G, an air intake port 43 is provided in the main body side shell 20 of the main body 2. The air taken into the main body side shell 20 from the outside through the air intake port 43, together with the aerosol generated by the porous heating sheet 7 of the cigarette cartridge 3G, passes through the hollow through-passage 33 and the internal passage 45 of the mouthpiece 4 to reach the suction port 42, and the user can inhale the aerosol from the suction port 42.

Figure 19A is a diagram of an electronic cigarette 1H showing a modified example of embodiment 6. Figure 19B is a diagram of a cartridge 3H showing a modified example of embodiment 6. In the cartridge 3H, as in the cartridge 3G, the liquid tank 31 is in the shape of a ring with a hollow through-passage 33 provided on the center side. A liquid supply component 32 made of, for example, cotton fiber is provided on the outer side of the cover 31b of the liquid tank 31 of the cartridge 3H. The liquid supply component 32 is disc-shaped and has an air vent 32a at a position corresponding to the hollow through-passage 33 of the liquid tank 31. In addition, a liquid supply hole 33f is provided on the cover 31b of the liquid tank 31 for supplying the aerosol generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d) to the liquid supply component 32.

The cigarette cartridge 3H of this embodiment has a porous heating sheet 7H composed only of a heater part 71 having the same structure as the porous heating sheet 7B of embodiment 3. In the example shown in Figure 19B, the porous heating sheet 7H is fixed to the liquid supply part 32 in a state where the end face of the porous heating sheet 7H is in contact with the outer surface of the liquid supply part 32. In the electronic cigarette 1H constructed in this way, the aerosol generating liquid stored in the liquid tank 31 (liquid storage space 31d) of the cigarette cartridge 3H is supplied to the porous heating sheet 7H (heater part 71) through the liquid supply part 32 and is retained in the heater part 71. In addition, when power is applied between the electrodes of the heater part 71, aerosol is generated by atomizing the aerosol generating liquid retained in the heater part 71.

In addition, as shown in Figure 19A, the electronic cigarette 1H is provided with an air intake port 43 in the main body side shell 20 of the main body part 2. The air taken into the main body side shell 20 from the outside through the air intake port 43, together with the aerosol generated in the porous heating sheet 7H (heater part 71), passes through the vent 32a of the liquid supply component 32, the hollow through-passage 33 of the liquid tank 31, and the internal passage 45 of the mouthpiece part 4 to reach the suction port 42, and the user can inhale the aerosol from the suction port 42.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various changes, improvements, combinations, etc. to the aerosol inhaler of the present invention, the cigarette cartridge used in the aerosol inhaler, and the porous heating sheet.

Description of Reference Numerals

1. Electronic cigarettes

2 Main body

21 Batteries

22 Electronic Control Unit

24 Storage cavity

3 cartridges

31 Liquid Tank

32 Liquid supply components

4. Mouthpiece

42 suction port

5 hinges

7. Porous heating sheet

71 heater unit

72 pull-out part

8 Gap

9A positive electrode

9B negative electrode

10 Circuit

11. Meandering circuit section

110 Linear Circuit Department

120 Foldback circuit

12 Positive electrode setting circuit

13 Negative electrode setting circuit

Claims (12)

1. A cartridge for an aerosol inhaler, comprising: Liquid storage section, which stores the liquid generated from aerosols; The heating element has a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and generates heat when electricity is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, thereby generating liquid atomization of the aerosol supplied from the liquid storage section; The heating element is formed of a porous material and has gaps to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive and negative electrodes, and forms a meandering circuit section. In the heating element, compared to the circuit width of the smallest part of the circuit connecting the positive and negative electrodes, the effective width of the positive electrode is relatively narrow in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the current flows out from the positive electrode. 2. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 1, wherein, The gap is arranged in a straight line on the heating element. 3. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 1, wherein, The heating element has multiple slits. 4. A cartridge for an aerosol inhaler, comprising: Liquid storage section, which stores the liquid generated from aerosols; The heating element has a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and generates heat when electricity is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, thereby generating liquid atomization of the aerosol supplied from the liquid storage section; The heating element is formed of a porous material and has gaps to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive and negative electrodes, and forms a meandering circuit section. The meandering circuit section is formed by sequentially connecting a straight circuit section that is in the shape of a straight line and a folded circuit section that is formed by folding back the straight circuit section. The positive electrode is provided in the positive electrode circuit section connected to one end of the meandering circuit section, and the negative electrode is provided in the negative electrode circuit section connected to the other end of the meandering circuit section. 5. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 4, wherein, The gap extends along the extension direction of the linear circuit section. 6. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 4, wherein, The heating element is provided with a plurality of slits arranged in parallel at constant intervals to separate the linear circuit sections from each other. 7. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 6, wherein, The repeating intervals that are repeated in the direction of extension of adjacent gaps separate the straight circuit sections from each other, and the length of the repeating intervals is set to be greater than or equal to the distance between adjacent gaps. 8. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 6 or 7, wherein, Adjacent gaps are separated from each other by repeating intervals that repeat in their extension direction. The total length of the repeating intervals is set to a length greater than or equal to the length of the straight line connecting the positive and negative electrodes. 9. The cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 1, wherein, The heating element is formed by extending the positive electrode in a direction orthogonal to the effective width direction of the electrode within the plane of the heating element, and does not include the front end of the slit extending from the edge of the heating element into the plane of the heating element within an imaginary strip region having a width equal to the effective width of the electrode. 10. An aerosol inhaler comprising a cartridge for an aerosol inhaler as described in claim 1 or 4. 11. A heating element for an aerosol extractor, comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein heating is generated when an electric current is applied between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby atomizing an aerosol-generating liquid supplied from the liquid storage section of the aerosol extractor. The heating element is formed of a porous material and has gaps to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive and negative electrodes, and forms a meandering circuit section. In the heating element, compared to the circuit width of the smallest part of the circuit connecting the positive and negative electrodes, the effective width of the positive electrode is relatively narrow in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the current flows out from the positive electrode. 12. A heating element for an aerosol extractor, comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein heating is generated when an electric current is applied between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby atomizing an aerosol-generating liquid supplied from the liquid storage section of the aerosol extractor. The heating element is formed of a porous material and has gaps to suppress the localization of the current density of the current flowing between the positive and negative electrodes, and forms a meandering circuit section. The meandering circuit section is formed by sequentially connecting a straight circuit section that is in the shape of a straight line and a folded circuit section that is formed by folding back the straight circuit section. The positive electrode is provided in the positive electrode circuit section connected to one end of the meandering circuit section, and the negative electrode is provided in the negative electrode circuit section connected to the other end of the meandering circuit section.