WO2020212009A1 - Heating element with eccentric through-opening for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, having: a main body having a thermally conductive material, the main body being cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged through-opening along an axis of extent of the main body for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol. A heating structure is arranged on an outer surface of the main body, the heating structure being arranged at least partially in an elongate manner along the axis of extent of the main body on a region of the main body with a maximum wall thickness.

Description

Heating element with eccentric through-opening for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol

Description

The present invention relates to a heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, having a base body having a thermally conductive material, the base body being designed cylindrically with a round, eccentrically arranged through opening along an expansion axis of the base body for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable material Aerosols. The present invention also relates to a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, as well as an evaporator unit for such a system.

Systems with heating elements for providing inhalable aerosols which heat a substance to form the aerosol are known from the prior art. These systems are often referred to as electronic cigarettes or just e-cigarettes. Such systems typically have a mouthpiece and an evaporator unit which includes a heating element. Depending on the system used, the substance can comprise a nicotine-containing product such as tobacco or a tobacco-like product and can be liquid, gaseous or solid. However, a substance without nicotine can also be provided. The aerosol that forms can then be directed past a nicotine-containing or nicotine-mixed body, or flow through this body in order to add nicotine to the aerosol.

In general, the substance is not burned as in a conventional cigarette, but only heated in order to obtain the inhalable aerosol. The heating element here heats the substance in a temperature range of approximately 200 ° C. to 400 ° C., so that the inhalable aerosol is created, which can be inhaled by the user of the system.

For example, lance-shaped, tubular or rod-shaped heating elements are known from the prior art. The substance that forms the aerosol is brought into contact with these heating elements. For example, US5665262A describes a tubular heating element which is formed from a metal sleeve, an insulation layer on the metal sleeve and a resistance element applied thereon.

JP2014216287A describes a heating element which is formed from a thin aluminum tube with an oxidized surface. A heating wire is wrapped around the thin aluminum tube.

US20170215474A1 describes a tubular heating element with a perforated aluminum cylinder as a thermal contact mediator between a NiCd heating wire that is wound around the aluminum cylinder. The tubular heating element is filled with the substance to form the aerosol.

DE102016115574A1 describes a tubular heating element with a carrier material made of glass or a glass ceramic and with metallic heating conductor structures.

US6222166B1 describes a heating element made of a metal with a high thermal expansion coefficient of> 16x10E-16 / ° C, e.g. the material can be an aluminum material with a dielectric layer, e.g. AI203, and a thick film resistance heater applied to it.

The heating elements known from the prior art, however, have the disadvantage that these heating elements have a long heating time and unevenly heat the substance to form the aerosol.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved heating element which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, to provide a heating element that can be manufactured inexpensively, has a short heating time and uniformly heats the substance to form the aerosol.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a heating element according to the subject matter of claim 1.

The heating element according to the invention for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol has for this purpose: a base body comprising a thermally conductive material, wherein the base body is cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged through opening along an expansion axis of the base body for receiving a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol; and

a heating structure arranged on an outer surface of the base body, the heating structure being arranged at least partially longitudinally along the expansion axis of the base body on a region of the base body with maximum wall thickness.

The base body ideally has high temperature stability and high thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the surface of the base body can have an electrically insulating material with good electrically insulating properties.

The cylindrical base body can have a diameter of less than or equal to 20 mm. The round through opening can extend along the expansion axis from a first end of the base body to a second end of the base body. According to the invention the round through opening is eccentric, i. the center of the through opening is arranged at a distance from the center of the base body. Thus, “base body” can be understood to mean an elongated hollow body with an uneven wall thickness.

The term “heating structure” can be understood to mean a heating resistor which is arranged on the outer surface of the base body and, in its simplest embodiment, has a metal wire, also called a heating conductor. For example, the heating structure can also be designed in the form of a conductor track which, for example, runs in a meandering manner. When a current flows through the conductor track, the intrinsic resistance of the conductor track generates heat. The heating power of the heating structure can be determined depending on the current flowing through the conductor track. The heating structure is arranged on the outer surface of the base body in an area along the circumference of the base body with a maximum wall thickness of the base body between the outer surface and the inner surface.

The heating structure can be arranged on the base body, for example, by screen printing and / or tape casting, or as a free-standing structure.

The substance for forming the aerosol can be arranged on the inner surface of the base body or in the passage opening. The invention is based on the surprising finding that, because of the eccentrically arranged passage opening, the substance for forming the aerosol can be heated more evenly and a heating element with a shorter heating time is provided.

In one example, the thermally conductive material comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a ceramic, in particular silver, aluminum, aluminum oxide, or steel.

In a further example, the heating structure is arranged on a maximum of 20% of a circumferential surface of the base body.

In this example, the heating structure is arranged on the base body on the area with maximum wall thickness and adjacent areas with decreasing wall thickness. Tests have shown that the heating structure does not have to be arranged over the entire surface of the base body, but that an arrangement of the heating structure on 20% of the circumferential surface is sufficient to achieve sufficient and even heating of the substance to generate the inhalable aerosol.

In a further example, the eccentric through opening is arranged in such a way that the minimum wall thickness of the base body corresponds to 5% -50% of the average wall thickness of the base body.

In one example, a flat section is arranged on the outer surface of the base body in the region of the base body with maximum wall thickness for arranging the heating structure on the base body.

In this example, a flat section or a flat surface is produced in the outer surface of the base body in the area with maximum wall thickness by removing or pressing in material of the base body, so that after the introduction of the flat surface, two areas with maximum wall thickness on the sides of the flat surface. In one example, the flat section extends along the extension direction from the first end of the main body to the second end of the main body. The heating structure can advantageously be arranged on the flat section in a particularly simple and secure manner. This also advantageously enables good thermal contact between the sleeve and the chip.

In one example, the flat section is arranged longitudinally on the outer surface of the base body and comprises a curve chord.

In another example, the heating structure is:

- printed on the base body, vapor-deposited or as a photo-structurable paste

applied, or

- arranged as a structured metal foil on the base body,

and an electrical insulation layer is arranged between the heating structure and the base body.

For example, the heating structure can be arranged particularly quickly and efficiently on the base body by means of a printing or vapor deposition process. If the conductor track is arranged as a structured metal foil, the structured metal foil can have a meander and at least a partial area of a conductor track of the meander can have a rounding that corresponds to a rounding of an outer diameter of the base body.

In one example, the electrical insulation layer comprises a metal oxide, a ceramic or a glass.

In yet another example, the heating structure is applied as a thin-film structure on a carrier substrate. In this example, the carrier substrate can comprise aluminum oxide.

In this way, chips that have already been manufactured, comprising at least one heating structure and optionally an additional temperature sensor, which are located on a common, rigid and flat carrier substrate, can advantageously be simply connected to the base body.

In one example, the heating element has at least one temperature sensor, arranged on the base body next to the heating structure.

The temperature sensor can for example be connected to evaluation electronics and transmit the current temperature of the heating structure to the evaluation electronics. In a further example, the temperature sensor has at least one supply line, the supply line being designed as a flat ribbon supply line or wire supply line, and wherein the supply line comprises at least a platinum material, a nickel material, an iron material, a copper material or a brass material, the supply line with gold is preferred, Silver or platinum coated.

The temperature sensor described in this example with flat leads advantageously allows a particularly space-saving arrangement.

In another example, the heating structure is designed in a meandering shape and has a structured steel alloy, a nickel-iron alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy or a platinum alloy, in particular with a resistance of 0.4 to 3 ohms, preferably 0.6 ohms .

The invention also proposes an evaporator unit for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, having a heating element according to the invention.

The invention also proposes a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, having a heating element according to the invention.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following

Description in which preferred embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to schematic drawings.

Show:

Figures 1a and 1b a schematic perspective view and a schematic

Cross-sectional view of one known from the prior art

Heating element;

Figures 2a and 2b a schematic perspective view and a schematic

Cross-sectional view of a heating element according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element according to a further embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 1a and 1b show a heating element 1 for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, as is known from the prior art. The heating element 1 comprises a tubular base body 4 made of a thermally conductive material and a heating structure 6 arranged on the base body 4. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the heating structure 6 is arranged on the outside of the base body 4. The substance for forming the aerosol can be arranged in the interior of the tubular base body 4. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the round through opening extends along the expansion axis from a first end of the base body 4 to a second end of the base body 4. In the heating elements known from the prior art, the round through opening is in the middle of the Base body 4 arranged, ie the center point of the through opening is also the center point of the base body 4. The wall thickness is therefore the same along the circumference of the base body 4.

The heating element 1 shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, however, has the disadvantage that this heating element 1 has a long heating time and the substance for forming the aerosol is heated unevenly.

Figures 2a and 2b show a schematic perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The heating element 10 shown differs from that shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b Heating element 10 in that the through opening 12 is arranged eccentrically or off-center in the base body 14. The through-opening 12 is typically arranged in a range from 0.1 to 0.5 mm off-center, the base body 14 having an outer diameter in a range from 6 to 10 mm. In the example shown, the base body 14 has a length and an outer diameter of 8 mm and a through opening 12 with a diameter of 7.1 mm, which is arranged 0.3 mm off the center.

The heating structure 16 shown runs along the extension direction of the base body 14 and in the embodiment shown has a width of 3 mm (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2b). In embodiments of the invention, the heating structure 16 is arranged on a maximum of 20% of a circumferential surface of the base body 14. The terms peripheral surface, perimeter, and outer surface 18a can be used interchangeably. In its simplest embodiment, the heating structure 16 comprises a metal wire, also called a heating conductor. For example, the heating structure 16 can also be designed in the form of a conductor track which, for example, runs in a meandering manner. When a current flows through the conductor track, the intrinsic resistance of the conductor track generates heat. The heating power of the heating structure 16 can be determined as a function of the current flowing through the conductor track. The heating structure 16 is arranged on the outer surface of the base body 14 in an area along the circumference of the base body 14 with a maximum wall thickness of the base body 14 between the outer surface 18a and an inner surface 18b of the base body 14.

Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a heating element 10 'according to a further embodiment of the invention.

A flat section 20 'is arranged on the outer surface 18a' of the base body 14 'with through opening 12' in the region of the base body 14 'with maximum wall thickness for the simplified arrangement of the heating structure 16' on the base body 14 '. The flat section can be created, for example, by removing or pressing in material from the base body 14 '. After the flat section 20 'has been introduced, the area with the maximum wall thickness disappears, but two areas with maximum wall thickness are created on the sides of the flat section 20'. In the embodiment shown, the flat section 20 ′ extends along the direction of extent from the first end of the base body 14 ′ to the second end of the base body 14 ′. Reference list

1 heating element - state of the art

4 Basic body - state of the art

Heating structure - state of the art

10 10 heating element

12 12 through opening

14, 14 ‘base body

16, 16 ‘heating structure

18a, 18a ‘outer surface

18b, 18b ‘inner surface

20 Flat section

Claims

Expectations 1. A heating element for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising: a base body (14, 14 ') having a thermally conductive material, the base body (14, 14') being cylindrical with a round, eccentrically arranged The passage opening (12, 12 ‘) is designed along an expansion axis of the base body (14, 14 ') to receive a substance for generating the inhalable aerosol; and a heating structure (16, 16 ') arranged on an outer surface of the base body (14, 14'), the heating structure (16, 16 ') at least partially longitudinally along the The axis of expansion of the base body (14, 14 ') is arranged on a region of the base body (14, 14') with a maximum wall thickness. 2. Heating element according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermally conductive material comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a ceramic, in particular silver, aluminum, aluminum oxide, or steel. 3. Heating element according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') is arranged on a maximum of 20% of a circumferential surface of the base body (14, 14'). 4. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the eccentric The passage opening (12, 12 ') is arranged so that a minimum wall thickness of the base body (14, 14') is 5% - 50% of an average wall thickness of the Base body (14, 14 ') corresponds. 5. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein on the outer surface of the base body (14 ') in the region of the base body (14') with a maximum Wall thickness a flat section (20) is arranged for arranging the heating structure (16 ') on the base body (14'). 6. Heating element according to claim 5, wherein the flat portion is longitudinally on the Outer surface of the base body (14 ') is arranged and comprises a curve chord. 7. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 '): - Is printed, vapor-deposited, or applied as a photo-structurable paste on the base body (14, 14 '), or - Is arranged as a structured metal foil on the base body (14, 14 '), and an electrical insulation layer is arranged between the heating structure (16, 16') and the base body (14, 14 '). 8. Heating element according to claim 7, characterized in that the electrical Insulation layer comprises a metal oxide, a ceramic or a glass. 9. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') is applied as a thin-film structure on a carrier substrate. 10. Heating element according to claim 9, characterized in that the carrier substrate Includes alumina. 11. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, having at least one temperature sensor arranged on the base body (14, 14 ') next to the heating structure (16, 16'). 12. Heating element according to claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor has at least one supply line, wherein the supply line is designed as a ribbon supply line or wire supply line, and wherein the supply line is at least one platinum material, a nickel material Comprises iron material, a copper material or a brass material, the supply line is preferably coated with gold, silver or platinum. 13. Heating element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating structure (16, 16 ') is designed in a meandering shape and a structured one Has a steel alloy, a nickel-iron alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy or a platinum alloy, in particular with a resistance of 0.4 to 3 ohms, preferably 0.6 ohms. 14. Vaporizer unit for a system for providing an inhalable aerosol, having a heating element according to one of claims 1 to 13. 15. System for providing an inhalable aerosol, comprising a heating element according to one of claims 1 to 13.