WO2024202055A1 - Aerosol generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

This aerosol generation device into which an aerosol generation article including an aerosol source is inserted comprises: an antenna that emits electromagnetic waves; and a heating element that generates heat by absorbing the electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna and heats the aerosol generation article.

Description

Aerosol Generator

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device.

In recent years, a heating method that irradiates microwaves onto an aerosol generating article (such as a capsule or stick) containing an aerosol source to heat the aerosol generating article has been attracting attention in aerosol generating devices such as heated tobacco products (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2021/013477

Aerosol generating devices are portable and have built-in batteries, so there is a demand for power saving so that they can be used for as long as possible. Therefore, even in heating methods using electromagnetic waves (microwaves), from the perspective of power saving, it is desirable to use electromagnetic waves to efficiently heat the aerosol-generating item.

The present invention aims to provide an aerosol generating device that can efficiently heat an aerosol product using electromagnetic waves.

In order to achieve the above object, an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an aerosol generating device into which an aerosol generating article including an aerosol source is inserted, and is characterized by comprising an antenna that emits electromagnetic waves, and a heating element that generates heat by absorbing the electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna and heats the aerosol generating article.

The present invention provides, for example, an aerosol generating device capable of efficiently heating an aerosol product using electromagnetic waves.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device Schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 1. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified configurations/arrangements of the tobacco stick, antenna, heating element, and heat storage body; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 2. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 2. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 3. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration/arrangement of a tobacco stick, an antenna, a heating element, and a heat storage body in Example 3.

The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Additionally, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

An aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the aerosol generating device 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the aerosol generating device 10 before an aerosol-generating article 30 and a mouthpiece 40 are attached, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the aerosol generating device 10 after the aerosol-generating article 30 and the mouthpiece 40 are attached. Figs. 1 and 2 show directions in an XYZ coordinate system in which the insertion direction of the tobacco stick 30 into the aerosol generating device 10 is the -Z direction.

The aerosol generating device 10 is configured to heat the aerosol-generating article 30 in response to an action (also called an atomization request) that requests atomization of the aerosol source, such as an inhalation action by a user, and to provide the user with a gas containing an aerosol, or a gas containing an aerosol and a flavoring substance. The aerosol generating device 10 is sometimes called an inhaler (atomizer), and in the following description, the aerosol generating device 10 may be referred to as "inhaler 10."

The aerosol-generating article 30 is an article including an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated, and is detachably (insertable) attached to the inhaler 10. In addition to the aerosol source, the aerosol-generating article 30 may include a flavor source that generates a flavor substance when heated. The flavor source may be a plant other than tobacco, such as mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc. In the case of this embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 30 is configured as a tobacco stick having a roughly cylindrical rod shape, but it does not have to be in a stick shape and may be in a capsule shape or cartridge shape. Hereinafter, the aerosol-generating article 30 may be referred to as a "tobacco stick 30".

The tobacco stick 30 may include, for example, a tobacco filling section 31 (tobacco rod section), a mouthpiece section 32, and tipping paper 33 that connects them together. The tobacco filling section 31 has a tobacco filler that has an aerosol source and a flavor source. The mouthpiece section 32 is connected coaxially to the tobacco filling section 31 by being wrapped around the tobacco filling section 31 with tipping paper 33. The tobacco stick 30 has a substantially constant diameter over its entire length in the Z-axis direction (longitudinal direction). The tobacco stick 30 may be provided with a filter at the end upstream of the tobacco filling section 31 to prevent the tobacco filler from falling out.

[Tobacco filling section]
The configuration of the tobacco packing section 31 is not particularly limited and may be of a general form. For example, the tobacco packing section 31 may be a tobacco packing wrapped in cigarette paper.

The tobacco filling includes, as a flavor source, for example, tobacco leaves, tobacco leaf extracts, and processed products thereof. In this embodiment, the tobacco filling includes tobacco shreds. The material of the tobacco shreds included in the tobacco filling is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and backbone can be used. In addition, the tobacco filling may be a shredded product (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet) made by crushing dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to obtain tobacco shreds, which are homogenized and processed into a sheet. Furthermore, the homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod may be shredded approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod and filled into the tobacco rod, which is a so-called strand type, or may be a product of extrusion molding or tablet molding of tobacco shreds. In addition, the width of the tobacco shreds is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less when filling the tobacco filling section 31. The content of dried tobacco leaves contained in the tobacco filling section 31 is not particularly limited, but may be 200 mg/rod or more and 800 mg/rod or less, and preferably 250 mg/rod or more and 600 mg/rod or less. This range is particularly suitable for a tobacco filling section 31 having a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm. Depending on the shape of the aerosol-generating article 30, a liquid mixture of glycerin, nicotine, flavoring, etc., or a glass fiber nonwoven fabric impregnated with such a liquid may be used as the tobacco filling material.

Various types of tobacco can be used for the tobacco leaves used in the production of shredded tobacco and homogenized sheets. Examples include flue-cured tobacco, burley, orient, native tobacco, other Nicotiana tabacum varieties, Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures of these. As for mixtures, the above varieties can be appropriately blended to achieve the desired flavor. Details of the above tobacco varieties are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009." There are several conventional methods for producing the homogenized sheets, that is, methods for grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into homogenized sheets. The first method is to produce a paper-making sheet using a papermaking process. The second method is to mix a suitable solvent such as water with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and then cast the homogenized material thinly on a metal plate or metal plate belt and dry it to produce a cast sheet. The third method is to mix a suitable solvent such as water with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and extrude them into a sheet to produce a rolled sheet. Details of the types of homogenizing sheets mentioned above are disclosed in the "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009."

The moisture content of the tobacco filling can be 10% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less, and preferably 11% by weight or more and 13% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco filling. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of stains on the roll and improves the suitability of the tobacco filling section 31 for rolling during production. There are no particular restrictions on the size of the tobacco shreds contained in the tobacco filling or the method of preparation thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less may be used. In addition, when using a crushed homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into a sheet, and then shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less may be used.

The tobacco filling contains an aerosol base material that generates aerosol smoke. The type of the aerosol base material is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and/or their constituents can be selected depending on the application. Examples of the aerosol base material include water, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol base material in the tobacco filling is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco filling.

The tobacco filling may contain a flavoring. The type of flavoring is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, the following flavorings may be used: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β -Carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3, 7-Dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl- 2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol On, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, immortelle absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone, anthraquinone, Methyl ranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, honeysuckle, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, gamma-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, delta-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, omega-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenyl guaethol, acetic acid Propyl, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, alpha-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl Examples of the fragrances include ethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), and ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), and menthol is particularly preferred. These fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of flavoring in the tobacco filling is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is usually 10,000 ppm or more, preferably 20,000 ppm or more, more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, and usually 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.

The cigarette paper is a sheet material for wrapping tobacco filler, and its composition is not particularly limited, and general materials can be used. For example, the base paper used for the cigarette paper can be cellulose fiber paper, and more specifically, hemp or wood or a mixture thereof. The basis weight of the base paper in the cigarette paper is, for example, usually 20 gsm or more, and preferably 25 gsm or more. On the other hand, the basis weight is usually 65 gsm or less, preferably 50 gsm or less, and more preferably 45 gsm or less. The thickness of the cigarette paper having the above characteristics is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking, it is usually 10 μm or more, preferably 20 μm or more, and more preferably 30 μm or more, and also usually 100 μm or less, preferably 75 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or less.

The shape of the wrapping paper for the tobacco filling section 31 (tobacco filling material) can be square or rectangular. When used as wrapping paper for wrapping the tobacco filling material (to make the tobacco filling section 31), the length of one side can be about 6 mm to 70 mm, the length of the other side can be 15 mm to 28 mm, and the preferred length of the other side can be 22 mm to 24 mm, with an even more preferred length being about 23 mm.

In addition to the pulp, the wrapping paper may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the wrapping paper. In the wrapping paper, in the preferred range of basis weight (25 gsm or more and 45 gsm or less), the filler is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. Furthermore, when the basis weight is 25 gsm or more and 35 gsm or less, the filler is preferably 15% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less, and when the basis weight is more than 35 gsm and 45 gsm or less, the filler is preferably 25% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less. As the filler, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc. can be used, but calcium carbonate is preferably used from the viewpoint of enhancing flavor and whiteness, etc.

Various auxiliary agents other than the base paper and fillers may be added to the wrapping paper. For example, a water resistance improver may be added to improve water resistance. Water resistance improvers include wet strength agents (WS agents) and sizing agents. Examples of wet strength agents include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Examples of sizing agents include rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more, etc. A paper strength agent may be added as an auxiliary agent, such as polyacrylamide, cationic starch, oxidized starch, CMC, polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, polyvinyl alcohol, etc. In particular, it is known that the use of a very small amount of oxidized starch improves air permeability (for example, JP 2017-218699 A). The wrapping paper may also be appropriately coated.

A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the wrapping paper, the front and back. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred. Examples include alginic acid and its salts (e.g., sodium salts), polysaccharides such as pectin, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and nitrocellulose, starch and its derivatives (e.g., ether derivatives such as carboxymethyl starch, hydroxyalkyl starch, and cationic starch, and ester derivatives such as starch acetate, starch phosphate, and starch octenyl succinate).

The length of the tobacco filling section 31 in the Z-axis direction can be changed as appropriate to suit the size of the product, but is, for example, 5 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more, more preferably 12 mm or more, even more preferably 18 mm or more, and is usually 70 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, even more preferably 25 mm or less.

[Suction mouth part]
The configuration of the mouthpiece 32 is not particularly limited and may be a general embodiment. For example, the mouthpiece 32 may be configured to include two segments (sections) consisting of a cooling segment and a filter segment. The cooling segment and the filter segment are arranged along the Z-axis direction (longitudinal direction) so that the cooling segment is located closer to the tobacco-packing section 31 than the filter segment. That is, the cooling segment is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the tobacco-packing section 31 and the filter segment in the Z-axis direction. The mouthpiece 32 may be configured so that the cooling segment abuts against the tobacco-packing section 31 and the filter segment, or so that a gap is formed between the tobacco-packing section 31 and the cooling segment, and between the cooling segment and the filter segment 122. The mouthpiece 32 may also be formed from a single segment.

The configuration of the cooling segment of the mouthpiece 32 is not particularly limited as long as it has the function of cooling the mainstream tobacco smoke, and an example is a cardboard processed into a cylindrical shape. In this case, the inside of the cylinder is hollow, and the vapor containing the aerosol base material and the tobacco flavor components is cooled by contacting the air inside the cavity.

One aspect of the cooling segment may be a paper tube formed by processing a single sheet of paper or a sheet of paper laminated together into a cylindrical shape. In addition, in order to increase the cooling effect by bringing room temperature outside air into contact with high-temperature steam, it is preferable that the paper tube has holes for introducing outside air around it. That is, the cooling segment is provided with vents, which are openings for taking in air from the outside. The number of vents in the cooling segment is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, a plurality of vents are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment. In addition, the group of vents arranged in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment may be formed in multiple stages along the Z-axis direction of the cooling segment. By providing the vents in the cooling segment, when the tobacco stick 30 is sucked, low-temperature air flows into the cooling segment from the outside, and the temperature of the volatile components and air flowing in from the tobacco filling section 31 can be reduced. In addition, the steam containing the aerosol base material and the tobacco flavor components is condensed by being cooled by the low-temperature air introduced into the cooling segment through the vents. This promotes the generation of aerosols and allows the size of the aerosol particles to be controlled. In addition, by applying a polymer coating such as polyvinyl alcohol or a polysaccharide coating such as pectin to the inner surface of the cardboard tube, the cooling effect can be increased by utilizing the heat absorption of the coating or the heat of dissolution associated with the phase change. The airflow resistance of this cylindrical cooling segment is zero _mmH2O .

When the cooling segment is filled with a sheet or the like for cooling the volatile components and air flowing from the tobacco filling section 31 into the cooling segment of the mouthpiece section 32, the total surface area of the cooling segment is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 300 ^mm2 /mm or more and 1000 ^mm2 /mm or less. This surface area is the surface area per mm of the length of the cooling segment in the air passage direction. The total surface area of the cooling segment is preferably 400 ^mm2 /mm or more, more preferably 450 ^mm2 /mm or more, while it is preferably 600 ^mm2 /mm or less, and more preferably 550 ^mm2 /mm or less.

It is desirable for the cooling segment to have a large total surface area for its internal structure. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the cooling segment may be formed by a thin sheet of material that is wrinkled to form channels, and then pleated, gathered, and folded. The more folds or pleats within a given volume of the element, the greater the total surface area of the cooling segment. The thickness of the constituent material of the cooling segment is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

It is also desirable to use paper as a material for the cooling sheet member from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load. The paper as a material for the cooling sheet desirably has a basis weight of 30 to 100 g/m ² and a thickness of 20 to 100 μm. From the viewpoint of reducing the removal of flavor source components and aerosol base components in the cooling segment, it is desirable for the paper as a material for the cooling sheet to have low air permeability, and the air permeability is preferably 10 Coresta or less. By applying a polymer porting such as polyvinyl alcohol or a coating of a polysaccharide such as pectin to the paper as a material for the cooling sheet, the cooling effect can be increased by utilizing the heat of dissolution associated with the heat absorption or phase change of the coating.

It is preferable that the ventilation holes in the cooling segment are located at a position 4 mm or more away from the boundary between the cooling segment and the filter segment. This not only improves the cooling capacity of the cooling segment, but also suppresses the retention of components generated by heating in the cooling segment, thereby improving the delivery amount of the components. It is preferable that the tipping paper 33 has an opening directly above the ventilation holes provided in the cooling segment (a position where they overlap vertically). It is preferable that the ventilation holes (openings) in the cooling segment are arranged so that the air inflow rate from the ventilation holes when inhaling at 17.5 ml/sec with an automatic smoking machine (the volumetric rate of air inflowing from the ventilation holes when the volumetric rate of air inhaled from the mouth end is 100% by volume) is 10 to 90% by volume, preferably 50 to 80% by volume, and more preferably 55 to 75% by volume. For example, the number of ventilation holes per ventilation hole group can be selected from the range of 5 to 50, and the diameter of the ventilation hole can be selected from the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and a combination of these selections can be achieved. The air inflow ratio can be measured by a method conforming to ISO9512 using an automatic smoking machine (for example, a single-cigarette automatic smoking machine manufactured by Borgwaldt). The length of the cooling segment in the Z-axis direction (airflow direction) is not particularly limited, but is usually 10 mm or more, preferably 15 mm or more, and usually 40 mm or less, preferably 35 mm or less, and more preferably 30 mm or less. It is particularly preferable that the length of the cooling segment in the Z-axis direction is 20 mm. By setting the length of the cooling segment in the Z-axis direction to the above lower limit or more, a sufficient cooling effect can be ensured and a good flavor can be obtained. In addition, by setting the length of the cooling segment in the Z-axis direction to the above upper limit or less, it is possible to suppress losses caused by the vapor and aerosol generated during use adhering to the inner wall of the cooling segment.

The configuration of the filter segment of the suction mouth portion 32 is not particularly limited as long as it has the function of a general filter, and an example of such a filter segment is cellulose acetate tow processed into a cylindrical shape. The single thread fineness and total fineness of the cellulose acetate tow are not particularly limited, but when the filter segment has a circumference of 22 mm, the single thread fineness is preferably 5 to 20 g/9000 m and the total fineness is preferably 12000 to 30000 g/9000 m. The cross-sectional shape of the fibers of the cellulose acetate tow may be a Y cross section or an R cross section. When the filter segment is formed by filling the cellulose acetate tow, 5 to 10% by weight of triacetin may be added to the cellulose acetate tow to improve the filter hardness. The filter segment may be composed of a single segment or multiple segments. When the filter segment is composed of multiple segments, for example, a hollow segment such as a center hole is arranged on the upstream side (tobacco-filled section 31 side), and an acetate filter with a mouth-end cross section filled with cellulose acetate tow is arranged as a downstream segment (mouth end side). This prevents unnecessary loss of the generated aerosol, and improves the appearance of the tobacco stick 30. In addition, from the viewpoint of changes in the sensation of smoking and the comfort of holding the tobacco stick in the mouth, an acetate filter may be arranged on the upstream side (tobacco-filled section 31 side), and a hollow segment such as a center hole may be arranged on the downstream side (mouth end side). In addition, the filter segment may be arranged using other alternative filter materials, such as a paper filter filled with sheet-like pulp paper, instead of an acetate filter.

General functions of filters in the filter segment include, for example, adjusting the amount of air mixed in when inhaling aerosols, reducing flavors, and reducing nicotine and tar, but it is not necessary for a filter to have all of these functions. Also, in electrically heated tobacco products, which tend to produce fewer components and have a lower tobacco filler filling rate compared to cigarette products, another important function is to prevent the tobacco filler from falling out while suppressing the filtering function.

The cross-sectional shape of the filter segment is substantially circular, and the diameter of the circle can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the product, but is usually 4.0 mm or more and 9.0 mm or less, preferably 4.5 mm or more and 8.5 mm or less, and more preferably 5.0 mm or more and 8.0 mm or less. If the cross section is not circular, the above diameter applies to a circle having the same area as the cross section. The perimeter of the filter segment can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the product, but is usually 14.0 mm or more and 27.0 mm or less, preferably 15.0 mm or more and 26.0 mm or less, and more preferably 16.0 mm or more and 25.0 mm or less. The length of the filter segment in the Z-axis direction can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the product, but is usually 5 mm or more and 35 mm or less, and preferably 10.0 mm or more and 30.0 mm or less. The shape and dimensions of the filter medium can be adjusted as appropriate so that the shape and dimensions of the filter segment are within the above range.

The airflow resistance of the filter segment per 120 mm of length in the Z-axis direction is not particularly limited, but is usually 40 mmH ₂ O or more and 300 mmH ₂ O or less, preferably 70 mmH ₂ O or more and 280 mmH ₂ O or less, and more preferably 90 mmH ₂ O or more and 260 mmH ₂ O or less. The above airflow resistance is measured according to the ISO standard method (ISO6565), for example, using a filter airflow resistance measuring device manufactured by Cerulean Co., Ltd. The airflow resistance of the filter segment refers to the air pressure difference between the first end face and the second end face when air is flowed at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/min) from one end face (first end face) to the other end face (second end face) in a state in which air does not pass through the side face of the filter segment. The unit of airflow resistance can generally be expressed in mmH ₂ O. It is known that the relationship between the airflow resistance of a filter segment and the length of the filter segment is proportional within the length range typically used (5 mm to 200 mm), and if the length of a filter segment is doubled, the airflow resistance also doubles.

The density of the filter medium in the filter segment is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.10 g/cm ³ or more and 0.25 g/cm ³ or less, preferably 0.11 g/cm ³ or more and 0.24 g/cm ³ or less, and more preferably 0.12 g/cm ³ or more and 0.23 g/cm ³ or less. The filter segment may be provided with a winding paper (filter plug winding paper) for winding the filter medium and the like from the viewpoint of improving the strength and structural rigidity. The mode of the winding paper is not particularly limited, and may include one or more rows of seams containing adhesive. The adhesive may include a hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive may further include polyvinyl alcohol. In addition, when the filter segment is composed of two or more segments, it is preferable that the winding paper winds these two or more segments together. The material of the winding paper in the filter segment is not particularly limited, and a known material can be used, and may also include a filler such as calcium carbonate.

The thickness of the roll paper is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 μm or more and 140 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or more and 130 μm or less, and more preferably 30 μm or more and 120 μm or less. The basis weight of the roll paper is not particularly limited, and is usually 20 gsm or more and 100 gsm or less, preferably 22 gsm or more and 95 gsm or less, and more preferably 23 gsm or more and 90 gsm or less. In addition, the roll paper may be coated or uncoated, but from the viewpoint of imparting functions other than strength and structural rigidity, it is preferable that it is coated with a desired material.

When the filter segment includes a center hole segment and a filter medium, the center hole segment and the filter medium may be connected, for example, by an outer plug wrapper (outer winding paper). The outer plug wrapper may be, for example, a cylindrical paper. The tobacco loading section 31, the cooling segment, and the connected center hole segment and filter medium may be connected, for example, by a mouthpiece lining paper. These connections can be made, for example, by applying glue such as vinyl acetate glue to the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper, and then inserting the tobacco loading section 31, the cooling segment, and the connected center hole segment and filter medium and rolling them up. These may also be connected in multiple separate instances using multiple lining papers.

The filter media of the filter segment may include a crushable additive release container (e.g., a capsule) that includes a crushable shell such as gelatin. The form of the capsule (also called "additive release container" in the art) is not particularly limited and may be any known form, for example, a crushable additive release container that includes a crushable shell such as gelatin. The form of the capsule is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a frangible capsule, preferably spherical in shape. The additive contained in the capsule may include any of the additives described above, but is preferably a flavoring agent or activated carbon. The flavoring agent may be, for example, menthol, spearmint, peppermint, fenugreek, or clove, medium chain triglyceride (MCT), or a combination thereof. In addition, one or more materials that help filter smoke may be added as an additive. The form of the additive is not particularly limited and is usually a liquid or solid. The use of capsules containing additives is well known in the art. Frangible capsules and methods for their manufacture are well known in the art.

A flavoring may be added to the filter material of the filter segment. By adding a flavoring to the filter material, the amount of flavoring delivered during use is increased compared to the conventional technology of adding a flavoring to the tobacco filling material that constitutes the tobacco filling section 31. The degree of increase in the amount of flavoring delivered is further increased depending on the position of the ventilation hole (opening) provided in the cooling segment. There is no particular restriction on the method of adding the flavoring to the filter material, and it is sufficient to add it so that it is dispersed approximately uniformly in the filter material to which the flavoring is to be added. The amount of flavoring added can be 10 to 100 volume % of the filter material. The flavoring may be added to the filter material before the filter segment is constructed, or after the filter segment is constructed. The type of flavoring is not particularly limited, but the same flavoring as that contained in the tobacco filling material described above may be used.

The filter segment includes a filter medium, and activated carbon may be added to at least a part of the filter medium. The amount of activated carbon added to the filter medium may be 15.0 m ^{2 /} cm 2 or more and 80.0 m 2 /cm ² or less in one tobacco stick ³⁰ as a value of the specific surface area of activated carbon × the weight of activated carbon / the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction of the filter medium. For convenience, the above-mentioned "specific surface area of activated carbon × the ^weight of activated carbon / the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction of the filter medium" may be expressed as "the surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area". This surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be calculated based on the specific surface area of activated carbon added to the filter medium of one tobacco stick 30, the weight of the added activated carbon, and the cross-sectional area of the filter medium. Incidentally, activated carbon may not be uniformly dispersed in the filter medium to which it is added, and it is not required that the above range be satisfied in all cross sections (cross sections perpendicular to the air flow direction) of the filter medium.

The surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is more preferably 17.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or more, and more preferably 35.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or more. On the other hand, it is more preferably 77.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or less, and more preferably 73.0 ^{m 2} /cm ² or less. The surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the specific surface area of the activated carbon and its added amount, and the cross-sectional area of the filter medium in the direction perpendicular to the direction of air flow. The calculation of the surface area of the activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area is calculated based on the filter medium to which activated carbon is added. When the filter segment is composed of a plurality of filter mediums, the cross-sectional area and length of only the filter medium to which activated carbon is added are used as the basis.

Examples of activated carbon include those made from wood, bamboo, coconut shells, walnut shells, and coal. The activated carbon may have a BET specific surface area of 1100 m ² /g or more and 1600 m ² /g or less, preferably 1200 m ² /g or more and 1500 m ² /g or less, and more preferably 1250 m ² /g or more and 1380 m ² /g or less. The BET specific surface area can be determined by a nitrogen gas adsorption method (BET multipoint method). The activated carbon may have a pore volume of 400 μL/g or more and 800 μL/g or less, more preferably 500 μL/g or more and 750 μL/g or less, and more preferably 600 μL/g or more and 700 μL/g or less. Pore volume can be calculated from the maximum adsorption amount obtained by using nitrogen gas adsorption method.The amount of activated carbon added per unit length of the filter medium in the direction of airflow is preferably 5mg/cm or more and 50mg/cm or less, more preferably 8mg/cm or more and 40mg/cm or less, and even more preferably 10mg/cm or more and 35mg/cm or less.By making the specific surface area of activated carbon and the amount of activated carbon added within the above range, the surface area of activated carbon per unit cross-sectional area can be adjusted to a desired one.

The activated carbon particles preferably have a cumulative 10% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D10) of 250 μm or more and 1200 μm or less. The activated carbon particles preferably have a cumulative 50% by volume particle diameter (particle diameter D50) of 350 μm or more and 1500 μm or less. The particle diameters D10 and D50 can be measured by a laser diffraction scattering method. An example of an apparatus suitable for this measurement is the laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution measuring apparatus "LA-950" manufactured by Horiba, Ltd. The powder is poured into the cell of this apparatus together with pure water, and the particle diameter is detected based on the light scattering information of the particles. The measurement conditions using the above measuring apparatus are as follows.
Measurement mode: Manual flow-type cell measurement Dispersion medium: Ion-exchanged water Dispersion method: Measured after 1 minute of ultrasonic irradiation Refractive index: 1.92-0.00i (sample refractive index) / 1.33-0.00i (dispersion medium refractive index)
Number of measurements: Measure twice using different samples

In addition, there are no particular limitations on the method for adding activated carbon to the filter medium of the filter segment, and it is sufficient to add the activated carbon so that it is dispersed approximately uniformly in the filter medium to which it is to be added.

[Tip paper]
The material of the tipping paper 33 is not particularly limited, and may be paper made of general plant fiber (pulp), a sheet using polymer-based chemical fiber (polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, etc.), a polymer-based sheet, metal foil, or a composite material combining these. For example, the tipping paper 33 may be made of a composite material in which a polymer-based sheet is bonded to a paper base material. Note that the tipping paper 33 referred to here means a sheet-like material that connects multiple segments in the tobacco stick 30, for example, connecting the tobacco filling portion 31 and the mouthpiece portion 32.

The basis weight of the tipping paper 33 is not particularly limited, but is usually 32 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less, preferably 33 gsm or more and 39 gsm or less, and more preferably 34 gsm or more and 38 gsm or less. The air permeability of the tipping paper 33 is not particularly limited, but is usually 0 Coresta units or more and 30,000 Coresta units or less, and preferably more than 0 Coresta units and 10,000 Coresta units or less. The air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is expressed as the flow rate (cm ³ ) of gas passing through an area of 1 cm ² per minute when the differential pressure between both sides of the paper is 1 kPa. 1 Coresta unit (1 Coresta unit, 1 C.U.) is cm ³ /(min·cm ² ) under 1 kPa.

The chip paper 33 may contain fillers other than the above-mentioned pulp, such as metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, gypsum, etc., and it is particularly preferable that the chip paper 33 contains calcium carbonate from the viewpoint of improving whiteness and opacity and increasing the heating rate. Furthermore, these fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

In addition to the pulp and fillers, various auxiliary agents may be added to the chip paper 33. For example, the chip paper 33 may contain a water resistance improver to improve water resistance. Water resistance improvers include wet strength agents (WS agents) and sizing agents. Examples of wet strength agents include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Examples of sizing agents include rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and highly saponified polyvinyl alcohol with a saponification degree of 90% or more.

A coating agent may be added to at least one of the two surfaces of the tipping paper 33, the front and back surfaces. There are no particular limitations on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce the permeability to liquids is preferred.

The method for manufacturing the tip paper 33 is not particularly limited, and general methods can be applied. For example, in the case of an embodiment in which pulp is the main component, a method can be used in which the texture is adjusted and made uniform during the papermaking process using a Fourdrinier papermaking machine, a cylinder papermaking machine, a combined cylinder and short-circuit papermaking machine, etc. using pulp. If necessary, a wet strength agent can be added to impart water resistance to the wrapping paper, or a sizing agent can be added to adjust the printing condition of the wrapping paper.

[Microwave shield]
The tobacco stick 30 (e.g., the mouthpiece 32) may be provided with a microwave shield (electromagnetic wave shield). The microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 is attached to the cooling segment of the mouthpiece 32 upstream of the vent hole, and is located inside the guide section 13 of the inhaler 10 when the tobacco stick 30 is inserted into the inhaler 10. This allows the microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 to cooperate with the guide section 13 of the inhaler 10 to prevent microwaves from leaking out of the inhaler 10. However, as long as the microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 is located inside the guide section 13 of the inhaler 10 when the tobacco stick 30 is inserted into the inhaler 10, for example, the microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 may be attached to the filter segment of the mouthpiece 32 or may be disposed adjacent to the filter segment of the mouthpiece 32. The microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 may also be disposed at the upstream or downstream end of another filter segment provided adjacent to the cooling segment of the mouthpiece 32. The microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 may be configured by placing a preformed shielding member at a predetermined position on the tobacco stick 30, or may be configured by printing on the filter segment of the mouthpiece 32. Note that, as described below, when a mouthpiece 40 equipped with a microwave shield 41 is attached to the inhaler 10, the tobacco stick 30 does not need to be provided with a microwave shield.

When the aperture ratio of the microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30 is designed in consideration of the blocking of microwaves and the airflow resistance, the aperture ratio is, for example, 10% or more, preferably 30% or more, and more preferably 50% or more. The aperture ratio is 90% or less, preferably 80% or less, and more preferably 70% or less. In the case of the above-mentioned aperture ratio of the microwave shield of the tobacco stick 30, the overall airflow resistance of the inhaler 10 and the tobacco stick 30 is 8 mmH ₂ O or more, preferably 10 mmH ₂ O or more, more preferably 12 mmH ₂ O or more, and 100 mmH ₂ O or less, preferably 80 mmH ₂ O or less, and more preferably 60 mmH ₂ O or less. In this case, it is possible to provide a system that achieves both the suppression of microwave leakage and a desirable airflow resistance with a simple device configuration. The airflow resistance is measured based on the ISO standard method (ISO6565) as described above.

Furthermore, the tobacco stick 30 configured as described above may be configured such that a part of the outer surface of the tipping paper 33 is covered with a lip release material. The lip release material refers to a material configured to assist in the easy separation of the contact between the lips and the tipping paper 33 without substantial adhesion when the user holds the mouthpiece portion 32 of the tobacco stick 30 in the mouth. The lip release material may contain, for example, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, etc. For example, the outer surface of the tipping paper 33 may be coated with the lip release material by applying an ethyl cellulose-based or methyl cellulose-based ink to the outer surface of the tipping paper 33.

The lip release material of the tipping paper 33 is disposed at least in a predetermined mouthpiece area that comes into contact with the lips of a user when the user holds the mouthpiece 32 in his/her mouth. More specifically, the lip release material-disposed area of the outer surface of the tipping paper 33 that is covered with the lip release material is defined as the area located between the mouthpiece end and the air hole of the mouthpiece 32.

The airflow resistance in the Z-axis direction per tobacco stick 30 configured as above is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ease of smoking, it is usually 8 _mmH2O or more, preferably 10 mmH2O or more, more preferably _{12 mmH2O} or more, and usually 100 _mmH2O or less, preferably 80 _mmH2O or less, more preferably 60 _mmH2O or less. The airflow resistance is measured, for example, using a filter airflow resistance meter manufactured by Cerulean Co., Ltd., in accordance with the ISO standard method (ISO6565:2015). The airflow resistance refers to the air pressure difference between the first end face and the second end face when air is flowed at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/min) from one end face (first end face) to the other end face (second end face) in a state in which air does not pass through the side face of the tobacco stick 30. The unit is generally expressed in _mmH2O . It is known that the relationship between the airflow resistance and the tobacco stick 30 is proportional within the normally used length range (length 5 mm to 200 mm), and if the length of the tobacco stick 30 is doubled, the airflow resistance also doubles.

The rod-shaped tobacco stick 30 preferably has a columnar shape that satisfies the requirement that the aspect ratio, defined as follows, be 1 or greater.
Aspect ratio = h/w

w is the width of the tip of the tobacco stick 30, h is the length in the Z-axis direction, and it is preferable that h≧w. The cross-sectional shape of the tobacco stick 30 is not particularly limited, and may be polygonal, rounded polygonal, circular, or elliptical. The width w of the tobacco stick 30 is the diameter when the cross-sectional shape of the tobacco stick 30 is circular, the major axis when the cross-sectional shape is elliptical, and the diameter of the circumscribed circle or the major axis of the circumscribed ellipse when the cross-sectional shape is polygonal or rounded polygonal. The length h of the tobacco stick 30 in the Z-axis direction is not particularly limited, and is, for example, usually 40 mm or more, preferably 45 mm or more, and more preferably 50 mm or more. Also, it is usually 100 mm or less, preferably 90 mm or less, and more preferably 80 mm or less. The width w of the tip of the tobacco stick 30 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, usually 5 mm or more, and preferably 5.5 mm or more. Also, it is usually 10 mm or less, preferably 9 mm or less, and more preferably 8 mm or less. The ratio of the length of the cooling segment and the filter segment of the mouthpiece 32 to the length of the tobacco stick 30 (cooling segment: filter segment) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the delivery amount of the flavor and the appropriate aerosol temperature, it is usually 0.60-1.40:0.60-1.40, preferably 0.80-1.20:0.80-1.20, more preferably 0.85-1.15:0.85-1.15, even more preferably 0.90-1.10:0.90-1.10, and particularly preferably 0.95-1.05:0.95-1.05. By setting the ratio of the length of the cooling segment and the filter segment of the mouthpiece 32 within the above range, the cooling effect, the effect of suppressing losses due to the adhesion of the generated steam and aerosol to the inner wall of the cooling segment, and the function of adjusting the air volume and flavor of the filter are balanced, and a good flavor and flavor intensity can be achieved.

<Configuration of the aspirator>
The inhaler 10 includes a case 11 in which various components described later are mounted. The case 11 includes a storage section 12 capable of storing a part of a tobacco stick 30 inserted from an opening 12a, a guide section 13 for guiding the insertion of the tobacco stick 30 from the opening 12a of the storage section 12, and an air flow path 14 communicating with the storage section 12 and capable of introducing air into the storage section 12. The storage section 12 may have an inner surface made of metal or the like in order to confine microwaves (electromagnetic waves) within the storage section 12. The air flow path 14 has an air intake 14a provided on the exterior of the case 11, and is provided so as to introduce air into the storage section 12 from the air intake 14a. The air flow path 14 may include a microwave shield 14b that allows air to pass through but blocks microwaves. The air flow path 14 is not limited to being provided on the side surface of the storage section 12 as shown in FIG. 1, but may be provided on the bottom or top surface of the storage section 12.

The aspirator 10 further includes a high-frequency oscillator 20, a waveguide 21, an antenna 22, a control unit 23, a power supply unit 24, a notification unit 25, a communication unit 26, and an object detection unit 27. These components 20 to 27 are mounted inside the case 11.

The high-frequency oscillator 20 includes, for example, a semiconductor (solid state) oscillator, and generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field (electromagnetic waves) of a predetermined frequency. The semiconductor oscillator is an oscillator configured with semiconductor elements such as, for example, an LDMOS transistor, a GaAs FET, a SiC MESFET, or a GaN HFET. The high-frequency electromagnetic field (electromagnetic waves) refers to an electromagnetic field between 3 Hz and 3 THz, including microwaves between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. The high-frequency oscillator 20 can generate microwaves with a frequency (for example, 2.40 to 2.50 GHz) suitable for heating the tobacco stick 30 (aerosol source). In this embodiment, the high-frequency oscillator 20 generates microwaves with a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The high-frequency oscillator 20 may also include an amplifier for amplifying the high-frequency electromagnetic field. In the high-frequency oscillator 20, the semiconductor oscillator itself may have the function of an amplifier, or an amplifier configured as an electronic component separate from the semiconductor oscillator may be provided.

Note that magnetron oscillators are also used as devices for generating high-frequency electromagnetic fields, but when a semiconductor oscillator is used as the high-frequency oscillator 20, it is possible to make the main body smaller than when a magnetron oscillator is used. Also, semiconductor oscillators can operate at lower voltages than magnetron oscillators, so frequency stability and output stability can be improved. However, the high-frequency oscillator 20 of this embodiment may be a magnetron oscillator, as it is only necessary to generate a high-frequency electromagnetic field of a specified frequency.

The microwaves generated by the high frequency oscillator 20 are guided to the antenna 22 through the waveguide 21. The waveguide 21 connects the high frequency oscillator 20 and the antenna 22, and guides the microwaves generated by the high frequency oscillator 20 to the antenna 22 to heat the tobacco stick 30 (aerosol source). For example, a waveguide or a coaxial cable can be used as the waveguide 21. When the high frequency oscillator 20 and the antenna 22 are directly connected, the waveguide 21 may be omitted. The antenna 22 also emits (radiates) the microwaves guided through the waveguide 21 into the storage section 12. In the example of FIG. 1, the antenna 22 is provided on the bottom surface of the storage section 12, but this is not limited thereto, and the antenna 22 may be provided on the side or top surface of the storage section 12.

In addition, in order to protect the high frequency oscillator 20, the waveguide 21 may be provided with an isolator for absorbing reflected waves returning to the high frequency oscillator 20 via the antenna 22. The waveguide 21 may also be provided with a power monitor that detects the power of the incident wave from the high frequency oscillator 20 and the power of the reflected wave from the antenna 22, and/or an impedance matching section that matches the impedance of the high frequency oscillator 20 with the impedance of the antenna 22 in a state in which the tobacco stick 30 is placed, thereby reducing the power of the reflected wave.

The control unit 23 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operation of the inhaler 10 in accordance with various programs. Specifically, the control unit 23 may control the high-frequency oscillator unit 20 to emit microwaves from the antenna 22 to heat the tobacco stick 30 in response to an atomization request from the user. The control unit 23 may also control the high-frequency oscillator unit 20 to heat the tobacco stick 30 in accordance with a desired heating profile that has been set in advance. The control unit 23 may be realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

The power supply unit 24 supplies power to the high-frequency oscillator unit 20 based on the control by the control unit 23. The power supply unit 24 is configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. By providing such a power supply unit 24, the inhaler 10 can be configured to be portable.

The notification unit 25 notifies the user of information based on the control by the control unit 23. Examples of information notified to the user include information indicating the detection of the insertion of the tobacco stick 30 into the storage unit 12, information indicating the start of heating the tobacco stick 30 by microwaves, information indicating the transition to a state in which the aerosol can be inhaled, error information, and remaining charge information of the power supply unit 24 (remaining battery charge information). The notification unit 25 may be composed of a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a vibration element such as a vibration motor, or a sound output element. The notification unit 25 may be composed of a display element (display) such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The notification unit 25 may be a combination of two or more elements of a light-emitting element, a vibration element, a sound output element, and a display element.

The communication unit 26 is an interface for acquiring information regarding the usage status of the suction device 10 and transmitting it to an external data server or a user's mobile terminal device, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a data server, etc.), and for receiving data from a data server, etc. The communication unit 26 can communicate with a data server, etc., for example, by Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a short-range wireless communication, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), which is a long-range wireless communication. Note that the communication between the communication unit 26 and a data server, etc. is not limited to the wireless communication described above, and may be another form of wireless communication or wired communication.

The object detection unit 27 detects the presence or absence of a tobacco stick 30 in the storage unit 12. The control unit 23 can thus determine whether or not the tobacco stick 30 is stored (inserted) in the storage unit 12 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 27, and control the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22 according to the determination result. For example, when the control unit 23 determines based on the detection result of the object detection unit 27 that the tobacco stick 30 is not stored in the storage unit 12, it prohibits the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22. On the other hand, when the control unit 23 determines based on the detection result of the object detection unit 27 that the tobacco stick 30 is stored (inserted) in the storage unit 12, it enables the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22. The object detection unit 27 can be configured, for example, as a capacitance-type proximity sensor, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured as a contact-type sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) or a photoelectric sensor. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the item detection unit 27 is provided on the bottom surface (the inner surface on the -Z direction side) of the storage unit 12, but it may be provided on the side or top surface of the storage unit 12, or on the guide unit 13.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the inhaler 10 of this embodiment may be fitted with a mouthpiece 40 that the user holds in their mouth to inhale gas (gas containing aerosol) from the storage section 12. The mouthpiece 40 may be attached to the guide section 13 of the inhaler 10 so as to cover the portion (mouthpiece section 32) of the tobacco stick 30 that protrudes from the inhaler 10 (storage section 12). The mouthpiece 40 is provided with a microwave shield 41 for blocking microwaves leaking out from the storage section 12 to the outside through the opening 12a and the guide section 13. The microwave shield 41 may be made of a metal mesh or the like so as to allow gas to pass through while blocking microwaves.

When using a mouthpiece 40 equipped with a microwave shield 41, the inhaler 10 may be provided with a mouthpiece detection unit 28 that detects whether the mouthpiece 40 is attached or not. This allows the control unit 23 to control the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22 based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 28. For example, when the control unit 23 determines that the mouthpiece 40 is not attached based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 28, it prohibits the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22. On the other hand, when the control unit 23 determines that the mouthpiece 40 is attached based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 28, it enables the emission of microwaves from the antenna 22. Note that the inhaler 10 may be configured so that the user directly applies the mouthpiece 32 of the tobacco stick 30 without using the mouthpiece 40. In this case, a microwave shield made of a metal mesh or the like to block microwaves may be provided on the mouthpiece 32 of the tobacco stick 30.

As described above, in the portable inhaler 10 having the power supply unit 24 (battery) therein, power saving is required so that it can be used for as long as possible, and it is desirable to efficiently heat the tobacco stick 30 using microwaves. For this reason, in the inhaler 10 of this embodiment, a heating element 15 (absorber) that absorbs microwaves emitted from the antenna 22 to generate heat and heat the tobacco stick 30, and a heat storage element 16 that stores heat and gradually releases the heat, are provided inside the storage part 12. This configuration of providing the heating element 15 and the heat storage element 16 improves the energy conversion efficiency of converting the microwaves emitted from the antenna 22 into heat, making it possible to efficiently heat the tobacco stick 30. Note that a portion of the microwaves emitted from the antenna 22 may be directly irradiated to the tobacco stick 30 without being absorbed by the heating element 15 (i.e., the tobacco stick 30 may be directly heated without passing through the heating element 15).

Below, examples of the configuration/arrangement of the heating element 15 and the heat storage element 16 are described. Here, below, examples are described in which both the heating element 15 and the heat storage element 16 are provided inside the storage section 12, but a configuration in which only the heating element 15 is provided inside the storage section 12 is also possible. In other words, the heat storage element 16 does not have to be provided inside the storage section 12. Even when only the heating element 15 is provided inside the storage section 12, it is possible to heat the tobacco stick 30 using microwaves more efficiently than when the heating element 15 is not provided inside the storage section 12.

[Example 1]
Figures 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration/arrangement of the tobacco stick 30, antenna 22, heating element 15, and heat storage body 16 in Example 1. Figure 3A shows a perspective view, and Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view. In Figures 3A and 3B, the direction in which microwaves are emitted from the antenna 22 is indicated by arrow A.

The heating element 15 is a member that generates heat (about 200°C) by absorbing microwaves emitted from the antenna 22, and can be made of a ceramic material such as titanium metal or titanium oxide. The heating element 15 is disposed inside the storage section 12 of the inhaler 10 (aerosol generating device), near at least a portion of the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling section 31) contained in the storage section 12, and generates heat by absorbing microwaves to heat the tobacco stick 30.

As a specific configuration, the heating element 15 is preferably arranged so as to contact at least a part of the tobacco stick (tobacco filling section 31) contained in the storage section 12 of the inhaler 10. This allows the heat generated by the heating element 15 to be efficiently transferred to the tobacco stick 30, and the tobacco stick 30 can be efficiently heated. The heating element 15 is preferably configured to guide the insertion of the tobacco stick 30 into the storage section 12 of the inhaler 10 and to hold the tobacco stick 30 inserted in the storage section 12. In this case, the heating element 15 may be configured as a cylindrical member that holds the tobacco stick 30. When the heating element 15 is configured as a cylindrical member, the cylindrical member may have a shape that has a bottom surface against which the tip of the tobacco stick 30 abuts, or may have a shape that does not have a bottom surface. This eliminates the need to provide a member separate from the heating element 15 for guiding the insertion of the tobacco stick into the storage section 12 or for holding the tobacco stick 30 in the storage section 12, which can be advantageous for simplifying the device configuration and reducing costs.

Here, in the configuration example of Figures 3A to 3B, the heating element 15 is provided so as to cover (surround) the entire outer periphery of the tobacco filling portion 31 in the circumferential direction of the tobacco stick 30 (the direction of rotation around the Z axis) for at least a portion of the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling portion 31) in the Z direction. However, the heating element 15 may also be provided so as to partially cover (surround) the outer periphery of the tobacco filling portion 31 in the circumferential direction of the tobacco stick 30 for at least a portion of the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling portion 31) in the Z direction.

The heat storage body 16 is a member that stores heat and gradually releases the heat, and may be made of, for example, a ceramic material. The heat storage body 16 is disposed in the vicinity of the heating body 15 inside the storage section 12 of the inhaler 10, and temporarily stores the heat generated by the heating body 15. For example, the heat storage body 16 may be disposed on the outer periphery of the heating body 15 in the circumferential direction of the tobacco stick 30. The heat storage body 16 may be made of a material that stores heat for a longer period of time and gradually releases the stored heat compared to the heating body 15. The heat storage body 16 may be made of a material that stores a larger amount of heat per unit volume compared to the heating body 15. By providing such a heat storage body 16, the heat generated by the heating body 15 can be efficiently stored. In other words, even when the emission (oscillation) of microwaves from the antenna 22 is stopped, the tobacco stick 30 can be heated or kept warm by the heat emitted from the heat storage body 16. This provides benefits such as power saving by reducing the microwave emission time, and shortening the time it takes for the tobacco stick 30 to reach a target temperature (e.g., the temperature at which aerosols are generated) after the microwaves are re-emitted (re-oscillated).

Here, the heat storage body 16 is not limited to the outer periphery of the heating element 15, and may be provided on a portion of the outer periphery of the tobacco stick 30 where the heating element 15 is not provided. As an example, as shown in FIG. 4, the heating element 15 and the heat storage body 16 may be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the tobacco stick 30. This configuration also makes it possible to efficiently generate heat in the heating element 15 and store/dissipate heat in the heat storage body 16. Alternatively, the entire outer periphery of the tobacco filling section 31 may be covered (surrounded) by the heating element 15, and the heating element 15 may be partially covered by the heat storage body 16. The heat storage body 16 may be arranged inside the heating element 15 (i.e., between the tobacco stick 30 and the heating element 15). In this case, the heat storage body 16 may be configured as a cylindrical member that accommodates the tobacco stick 30. When the heat storage body 16 is configured as a cylindrical member, the cylindrical member may have a shape that has a bottom surface against which the tip of the tobacco stick 30 abuts, or may have a shape that does not have a bottom surface.

The antenna 22 may be configured as a planar antenna (e.g., a patch antenna) arranged on the inner surface of the storage section 12 so as to emit microwaves into the storage section 12. In the configuration example of Figs. 3A to 3B, the antenna 22 is arranged on the bottom surface of the storage section 12 so as to emit microwaves toward the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling section 31) and the heating element 15. The bottom surface of the storage section 12 is the surface on the -Z direction side among the surfaces constituting the storage section 12, that is, the surface facing the tip of the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling section 31) inserted into the storage section 12. By arranging the antenna 22 in this way, it is possible to efficiently irradiate microwaves to the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco filling section 31) and the heating element 15. In other words, it is possible to heat the aerosol source in the tobacco stick 30 by directly irradiating the aerosol source with microwaves, and to heat the aerosol source via the heat generated by the heating element 15 by irradiating the heating element 15 with microwaves.

[Example 2]
Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration/arrangement of the tobacco stick 30, antenna 22, heating element 15, and heat storage body 16 in Example 2. Figure 5A shows a perspective view, and Figure 5B shows a cross-sectional view. In Figures 5A and 5B, the direction in which microwaves are emitted from the antenna 22 is indicated by arrow B. Note that matters other than those mentioned in Example 2 may follow those of Example 1.

In Example 2, the configuration/arrangement of the heating element 15 and the heat storage element 16 is similar to that of Example 1, but the configuration of the antenna 22 is different. As shown in Figs. 5A-5B, the antenna 22 in Example 2 is configured to be inserted into the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco loading section 31) when the tobacco stick 30 is inserted into the inhaler 10 (container section 12). Specifically, the antenna 22 is configured as a rod-shaped vertical antenna (e.g., a monopole antenna) and emits microwaves radially outward. With this configuration, the aerosol source in the tobacco stick 30 is directly irradiated with microwaves to heat the aerosol source, and the microwaves leaking out of the tobacco stick 30 can be absorbed by the heating element 15 to generate heat. In other words, the microwaves not used to heat the aerosol source in the tobacco stick 30 are used to generate heat from the heating element 15, so that the tobacco stick 30 can be efficiently heated using microwaves.

[Example 3]
Figures 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the configuration/arrangement of the tobacco stick 30, antenna 22, heating element 15, and heat storage body 16 in Example 3. Figure 6A shows a perspective view, and Figure 6B shows a cross-sectional view. In Figures 6A and 6B, the direction in which microwaves are emitted from the antenna 22 is indicated by arrow C. Note that matters other than those mentioned in Example 3 may follow those of Example 1.

In Example 3, as shown in Figs. 6A to 6B, the heating elements 15 and the heat storage elements 16 are alternately arranged along the insertion direction (-Z direction) of the tobacco stick 30 on the outside (surrounding) of the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco loading section 31) inserted into the inhaler 10 (container 12). The antenna 22 is provided individually for each of the heating elements 15 so that microwaves can be irradiated individually to each of the heating elements 15. In the configuration example of Figs. 6A to 6B, the antenna 22 can be arranged on the inner surface (surface on the ±Y direction side) of the container 12 so as to irradiate microwaves to the side surface (surface on the ±Y direction side) of each heating element 15. In this configuration, the heat generation in each heating element 15 can be individually controlled by individually controlling the intensity of the microwaves emitted from each antenna 22 and irradiated to each heating element 15. In other words, it becomes possible to precisely control the heating distribution of the tobacco stick 30 in the Z direction.

Here, in the configuration example of Figures 6A to 6B, three heating elements 15 and three heat storage elements 16 are provided, but the number of heating elements 15 and the number of heat storage elements 16 are not limited to three and can be set arbitrarily depending on the control accuracy of the heating distribution of the tobacco stick 30 in the Z direction. Also, in the configuration example of Figures 6A to 6B, an antenna 22 is provided individually for each of the multiple heating elements 15, but this is not limited thereto and a common antenna 22 may be provided for the multiple heating elements 15. In this case, although it is difficult to individually control the heat generation of each heating element 15, it is possible to uniformize the heating distribution of the tobacco stick 30 in the Z direction.

As described above, the inhaler 10 of this embodiment is provided with a heating element 15 that generates heat by absorbing microwaves, and a heat storage element 16 that stores heat and gradually releases the heat, in the storage section 12 into which the tobacco stick 30 (tobacco loading section 31) is inserted. This allows the tobacco stick 30 to be efficiently heated using microwaves, which can be advantageous in terms of reducing the power consumption of the inhaler 10.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, an example (microwave heating method) has been described in which the tobacco stick 30 and/or the heating element 15 in the storage unit 12 are heated by emitting electromagnetic waves (microwaves) generated by the high-frequency oscillator 20 from the antenna 22 into the storage unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a method in which the tobacco stick 30, the heating element 15 and/or the heat storage body 16 are dielectrically heated by changing the electromagnetic field (electromagnetic field intensity) generated in the storage unit 12 by controlling the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the antenna 22.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

An aerosol generating device into which an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol source is inserted, comprising:
An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves;
a heating element that generates heat by absorbing the electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna and heats the aerosol-generating article;
An aerosol generating device comprising: The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating element is disposed near at least a portion of the aerosol generating article inserted into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heating element is arranged so as to be in contact with at least a portion of the aerosol generating article inserted into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heating element is arranged to hold the aerosol generating article inserted into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the antenna is arranged around the heating element so as to emit electromagnetic waves toward the heating element. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the antenna is inserted inside the aerosol generating item when the aerosol generating item is inserted into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a heat storage body arranged in the vicinity of the heating body. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, characterized in that the heat storage body is arranged around the heating body. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, characterized in that the heating element and the heat storage element are arranged alternately outside the aerosol generating item inserted into the aerosol generating device along the insertion direction of the aerosol generating item.

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