Abstract
An air and/or aerosol heater (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150), especially for an e-cigarette, includes a tube (11, 21, 31, 34, 35, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151), in which air and/or aerosol can be heated, and includes a resistor element (12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 102, 112, 122, 132, 142, 152) arranged on the outer surface of the tube (11, 21, 31, 34, 35, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151) or on the inner surface of the tube (11, 21, 31, 34, 35, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151). The resistor element (12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 102, 112, 132, 142, 152) is fixed on the tube (11, 21, 31, 34, 35, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151).
Claims
1. An air and/or aerosol heater for an e-cigarette, the heater comprising: a tube in which air and/or aerosol can be heated; a resistor element arranged on an outer surface of the tube or on an inner surface of the tube, wherein the resistor element is fixed on the tube.
2. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tube has a wall thickness that is less than or equal to 0.6 mm.
3. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tube has a length that is less than or equal to 12 mm.
4. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tube is comprised of a material with a thermal conductivity that is greater than or equal to 2 W/mK.
5. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tube is a ceramic tube.
6. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 5, wherein the ceramic tube is manufactured from an alumina or steatite ceramic.
7. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 5, wherein the ceramic tube is densely sintered.
8. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the resistor element is fixed on the tube with at least one recess or groove arranged on the tube and/or with the use of at least one projection arranged on the tube.
9. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the resistor element is fixed on the tube with a covering in at least some sections, with a fixing layer or with a casting, in at least some sections, with a fixing layer.
10. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the resistor element is fixed on the tube by a comb fixing element.
11. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein an effective cross section of the resistor element is greater at tube ends and in a middle of the tube.
12. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 11, wherein an effective cross section of the resistor element is increased at the tube ends by turns of the resistor element, which are short-circuited with one another.
13. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the resistor element comprises an insulating oxidized resistance wire, which is wound turn to turn.
14. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a terminal section, in which an electrical connection is established to electrical supply lines, wherein the terminal section is thermally uncoupled from at least one section of the tube.
15. An air and/or aerosol heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the tube comprises a tube wall with at least one hole in the tube wall; and the resistor element is fixed by a section of the resistor element being guided through the at least one hole or is fixed to an auxiliary connection wire guided through the hole.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In the drawings:
[0027] FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0028] FIG. 1b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 1a;
[0029] FIG. 2a is a side view of a second embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0030] FIG. 2b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 2a;
[0031] FIG. 3a is a side view of a third embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0032] FIG. 3b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 3a;
[0033] FIG. 3c is a perspective view of the tube of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 3a;
[0034] FIG. 3d is a perspective view of a first alternative for the tube from FIG. 3c;
[0035] FIG. 3e is a perspective view of a second alternative for the tube from FIG. 3c;
[0036] FIG. 4a is a side view of a fourth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0037] FIG. 4b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 4a;
[0038] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view through a fifth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0039] FIG. 6a is a first side view of a sixth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0040] FIG. 6b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 6a;
[0041] FIG. 6c is a second view of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 6a;
[0042] FIG. 6d is a sectional view of a first variant of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 6a;
[0043] FIG. 6e is a sectional view of a second variant of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 6a;
[0044] FIG. 7a is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0045] FIG. 7b is a perspective view the tube of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0046] FIG. 7c is a perspective view of a first alternative connection possibility for the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0047] FIG. 7d is a perspective view a second alternative connection possibility for the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0048] FIG. 7e is a partially cut away side view of a variant of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a turns of the resistor element in the end area of the tube, which turns are short-circuited with one another;
[0049] FIG. 7f is a partially cut away side view of a third alternative connection possibility for the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0050] FIG. 7g is a perspective view of a fourth alternative connection possibility for the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0051] FIG. 8a is a perspective view of an eighth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0052] FIG. 8b is a perspective view of the tube of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 7a;
[0053] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view through a ninth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0054] FIG. 10a is an exploded view of a tenth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0055] FIG. 10b is a side view of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 10a;
[0056] FIG. 10c is a side view of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 10a in the connected state;
[0057] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a first variant of the air and/or aerosol heater shown in FIG. 10a;
[0058] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a second variant of the air and/or aerosol heater shown in FIG. 10a;
[0059] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a third variant of the air and/or aerosol heater shown in FIG. 10a;
[0060] FIG. 14a is a side view of an eleventh embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater;
[0061] FIG. 14b is a cross sectional view through the air and/or aerosol heater from FIG. 14a; and
[0062] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a twelfth embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0063] Referring to the drawings the reference symbols d and l are used in all figures for the wall thickness and the length of the respective tube, respectively, in which air and/or aerosol can be heated. It shall, moreover, be pointed out that all figures show greatly enlarged views of air and/or aerosol heaters according to the present invention.
[0064] The air and/or aerosol heater 10 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b has a tube 11 with a thickness d and with a length l, in which air and/or aerosol can be heated, and a resistor element 12, which is wound on the outer surface of the tube 11 and which is configured as a resistance wire. The resistor element 12 is fixed on the tube 11 with a fixing layer 13, which may be configured, e.g., as a ceramic putty or as a glass melt, which fully surrounds the tube 11 in this exemplary embodiment.
[0065] The embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 20 with tube 21 and with resistor element 22, which embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1a and 1b in that fixing layers 23a and 23b are arranged here in the areas of both ends of the tube 21, while no additional fixation is present in the area between the fixing layers 23a and 23b. Consequently, there is a fixation of the end areas only, which also prevents a slipping of the entire resistor element 22.
[0066] Another embodiment with a fixing layer is shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b. The embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 140 with tube 141 and resistor element 142, which is shown there, differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1a and 1b in that a strip-shaped fixing layer 143 is arranged here in a partial area of the circumference of the tube only, while no additional fixation is present in the remaining circumferential area of the tube.
[0067] The application of a fixing layer, as it is shown as an example in the exemplary embodiments discussed up to now, is also suitable, in principle, if needed, for an additional fixation when fixing devices having a different configuration, which are explained as examples in the exemplary embodiments discussed below.
[0068] In the embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 30 with a tube 31 and with a resistor element 32, which embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3a through 3c, a groove 33 milled helically in the tube 31 is used to fix the resistor element 32 configured as a resistance wire. A fixing layer, e.g., one as shown in FIG. 1a or FIG. 2a, may, of course, optionally be applied here as well. It is advantageous for this purpose if the width of the groove 33 is greater than the thickness of the resistor element 32. It may now be advantageous, in particular, to provide a groove with, e.g., a semicircular or semielliptical cross section, which can easily be prepared, especially if one is prepared according to a ceramic injection molding technology.
[0069] Instead of the tube shown as an individual tube in FIG. 3c, it is also possible, for example, to use the tube 34 shown in FIG. 3d with additional front-side projections 34a,b or the tube 35 shown in FIG. 3e with two additional, front-side slot-like (slot/slot shaped) recesses 35a,b and 35c,d passing through the tube wall. The projections 34a,b and recesses 35a-d support the fixation of the resistor element 32 and may advantageously be used during the initial fixation of the resistor element 32 on one of the front sides as a starting point for the winding process during the winding of the resistor element 32 into the groove 33, which brings advantages with it in terms of manufacturing technology. In addition, as will be explained in more detail below based on other exemplary embodiments, they can make possible a simple and reliable contacting with electrical terminals. Moreover, they lead to a thermal uncoupling of the terminal area for terminal wires, which terminal area is advantageously arranged at the respective projection 34a,b and in the respective section between the recesses 35a, 35b.
[0070] Yet another variant for configuring the tube is shown in the exemplary embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 150 with tube 151 and resistor element 152, which exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 15. A recess each, passing through the tube wall in the form of a slot 153, which slot preferably has a somewhat smaller width than the diameter of the resistor element 152 when viewed in the circumferential direction of the tube, is present here as a fixing device in the front-side end areas of the tube 151. The resistor element 152 is fixed here by clamping the end sections of the resistor element 152 in the slots 153. A fixed starting point, which facilitates an efficient and cost-effective manufacture, can also be created in this way for the winding process in a very simple manner.
[0071] The air and/or aerosol heater 40 shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b has a tube 41 with a wall thickness d and a length l, in which air and/or aerosol can be heated, and a resistor element 42 wound on the inner surface of the tube 41, which resistor element is configured as a resistance wire. Not shown for the sake of clarity is the fixing device, which may also be configured, e.g., as in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2 as a ceramic putty or as a glass layer, which is then arranged on the inner side of the tube or can be prepared, as in FIG. 3, by inserting the resistor element 42 into a groove provided in the inner wall of the tube.
[0072] The air and/or aerosol heater 50 shown in FIG. 5 has a tube 51 with a wall thickness d and the length l, in which air and/or aerosol can be heated, and an insulating, oxidized resistance wire 52 wound on the surface of the tube 51 as a resistor element. Because of this property of the resistor element, a dense winding can be performed, in which adjacent coils touch each other, which will then make possible an especially short embodiment having a small mass. The fixing device is likewise not shown here for the sake of clarity; it may also be configured, just as in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2, e.g., as a ceramic putty or as a glass layer, which is then arranged on the inner side of the tube, or it may be configured, as in FIGS. 3d and 3e, by end-side fixation at projections or recesses.
[0073] The air and/or aerosol heater 60 shown in FIGS. 6a-c has a tube 61 with a wall thickness d and a length l, in which air and/or aerosol can be heated, and a resistor element 62, which is wound on the outer surface of the tube 61 and which is configured as a resistance wire. Auxiliary wires 63, which are arranged in holes 64 in the tube wall of the tube 61, which tube wall can be locally reinforced for this at these locations to a wall thickness d′, are used for fixing the resistor element 62 on the tube 61. The mode of operation of this fixation possibility is similar to the end-side fixation described in connection with FIGS. 3d and 3e and offers essentially the same advantages. The auxiliary wires 63 may additionally also be used for power supply.
[0074] FIGS. 6d and 6e show variants of the air and/or aerosol heater from FIGS. 6a-c. Instead of the auxiliary wires 63, sections of the resistor element 62 are each guided through the holes 64 here, wherein one section of the resistor element 62 each is guided there and back again in one of the holes—as an example, the upper hole shown here.
[0075] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6d, this occurs by the resistor element 62 being twisted into the sections guided into the holes 64, wherein it is wound separately in the area, in which it runs on the tube 61 before it, twisted again, and runs back through the other hole.
[0076] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6e, which is simpler in terms of manufacturing technology, the resistor element 62 is guided through one of the holes 64, bent by 180° at the end of the hole and again guided back to the first end of the tube 61. The section wound on the tube 61 is connected thereto, which section is again dipped into a hole 64 and is guided through this hole.
[0077] In both cases, the guiding of the resistor through the hole makes a considerable contribution to the fixing of the resistor element 62 and to improving the defined positioning thereof on the tube 61. In addition, a fixing layer 65 may also be provided in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 6d and 6e for further improvement of the fixing. Such a fixing layer 65 may be configured, e.g., as a ceramic putty or as a glass layer and which encloses the tube 61 entirely or even only in some sections or is applied, e.g., in the form of a strip.
[0078] Different possibilities of establishing the necessary electrical connection shall now be discussed based on the embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 70 with tube 71 and resistor element 72, which embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b and in which the tube 71 shown separately in FIG. 7b has front-side projections 74a,b as fixing devices similarly to the tube shown separately in FIG. 3d. FIG. 7b shows for this a first variant, in which the sections of the resistor element 72 arranged on the projections 74a,b are wound tightly, so that there is an electrical connection between the coils of these sections in case of a resistor element whose surface is not insulated, the resistor element 72 being inserted in a twisted configuration in order to reduce the effective electrical resistance in the feed line sections. The resistance wire maybe drilled either with itself but also with an auxiliary wire having a better electrical conductivity, e.g., a copper or pure nickel auxiliary wire.
[0079] As an alternative to this, it is possible, as is shown in FIG. 7c, to establish the contact with a terminal wire 75 by crimping with a crimping element 76 or, as is shown in FIG. 7d, to wind the end section of the resistor element 72 firmly around the terminal wire 75, so that the terminal wire is pressed onto the respective projection 74a,b.
[0080] As shown especially in FIG. 7e, the effective cross section of the resistor element 72 can be increased at the tube ends by turns of the resistor element short-circuited with one another by a resistance weld connection 77 or a soldering point. This resistance weld connection 77 or this soldering point may then at the same time be connected with a crimping element 76, shown in FIG. 7f, to the terminal wire 75 or with a flat plug 78 shown in FIG. 7g (in a much less enlarged view contrary to the other components shown) to form a welded terminal.
[0081] These connection possibilities can, of course, be applied directly, especially also to the embodiments of an air and/or aerosol heater 80 with tube 81 and resistor element 82, which embodiment is shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b and in which the tube 81 shown separately in FIG. 8b is additionally provided with two front-side recesses 85a,b and 85c,d each, respectively, similarly to the tube shown separately in FIG. 8b.
[0082] The exemplary embodiment of an air and/or aerosol heater 90 with tube 91 and resistor element 92, which embodiment is shown in FIG. 9, shows yet another possibility of achieving fixation of the resistor element 92. Holes 93 are provided in this exemplary embodiment as fixing devices in the end sections of the tube 91 in the tube jacket thereof, and the resistance element 92, which is inserted optionally in a twisted form here as well, is threaded at least once and preferably several times through said holes in order to achieve fixation on the tube 91.
[0083] Another principle of fixing individual coils of the heating element on the air and/or aerosol heater will now be described with reference to FIGS. 10a through c as well as 11 through 13. The air and/or aerosol heater 100 shown in FIGS. 10a through 10c has, in addition to the tube 101 and the resistor element 102 arranged thereon, a fixing element 103 having a comb-like (comb/comb shaped) configuration, which is manufactured as a separate component, for example, according to a ceramic injection molding method, into which the resistor element 102 is coiled. The fixing element 103 may be fixed on the tube 101 by the resistor element 102, but it may also be fastened in another manner, e.g., bonded or sintered.
[0084] Sections 103a, 103b of the fixing element 103 project over the tube 101 on the front side in this exemplary embodiment, as a result of which it becomes possible, as is shown in FIG. 10c, to establish the electrical connection to terminal wires 105 in a manner similar to that described above in connection with FIG. 7d. It is, however, also possible, of course, to embody other types of electrical connection, especially the other alternatives described for this embodiment in the context of FIGS. 7a through 7e.
[0085] The air and/or aerosol heaters 110, 120, 130 with tube 111, 121, 131 and with resistor element 112, 122, 132 as well as with comb-like fixing elements 113, 123, 133 and 134, which are shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, show variants of this principle. The comb-like fixing element 113 is made in one piece with the tube 111 in the air and/or aerosol heater 110.
[0086] In the air and/or aerosol heater 120, the comb-like (comb/comb shaped) fixing element 123 is fitted with a precise fit on the tube 122 between two webs 125a, 125b, which stabilize it against displacement in the circumferential direction, which is a risk especially in the course of the winding process.
[0087] Two comb-like (comb shaped) fixing elements 133, 134, which are fitted with a precise fit between two respective webs 135a, 135b and 135c, 135d arranged on the tube, are provided opposite each other in the air and/or aerosol heater 130, said webs stabilizing the fixing element against displacement in the circumferential direction. It is, of course, also possible to use even larger numbers of fixing elements.
[0088] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
