Abstract
The invention relates to an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating device comprises a cavity. The cavity is configured to receive the aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate. The device further comprises a mouthpiece configured to close the cavity. The aerosol-generating device is configured such that a gap is provided between the mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity and the mouthpiece is closed.
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. Aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a cavity configured to receive the aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate; and a mouthpiece configured to close the cavity, wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured such that a gap is provided between the mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity and the mouthpiece is closed, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a first sealing element, wherein the first sealing element is sealingly arranged between the cavity and the mouthpiece and wherein the device comprises a second sealing element arranged at a sidewall of the cavity to provide a seal between the sidewall of the cavity and an aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity.
17. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a recessed region to provide the gap between an end face of the aerosol-generating article and the mouthpiece.
18. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element is arranged to prevent airflow from an external environment into the device via a boundary between the cavity and the mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is closed.
19. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element comprises foam.
20. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element is arranged surrounding the downstream end of the cavity.
21. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element is ring-shaped.
22. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the mouthpiece is pivotally connected to the aerosol-generating device.
23. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the device comprises a third sealing element arranged at an upstream portion of the cavity, and wherein the second sealing element is arranged at a downstream portion of the cavity.
24. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 23, wherein the second and third sealing elements comprise O-rings.
25. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a wrapping paper around the outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article, and wherein the wrapping paper is configured air impermeable.
26. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 25, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a first sealing wrapper, wherein the first sealing wrapper partly covers the wrapping paper and increases the diameter of the aerosol-generating article in the region of the first sealing wrapper.
27. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 26, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a second sealing wrapper, wherein the first sealing wrapper is arranged at an upstream portion of the aerosol-generating article and the second sealing wrapper is arranged at a downstream portion of the aerosol-generating article.
28. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 27, wherein the first sealing wrapper of the aerosol-generating article is arranged to sealingly contact the second sealing element of the aerosol-generating device, when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity of the aerosol-generating device.
29. Aerosol-generating system according to any of claim 27, wherein the second sealing wrapper of the aerosol-generating article is arranged to sealingly contact the third sealing element of the aerosol-generating device, when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity of the aerosol-generating device.
30. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element comprises compressible foam.
31. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element consists of foam.
32. Aerosol-generating system according to claim 16, wherein the first sealing element consists of compressible foam.
Description
[0093] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0094] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to the present invention;
[0095] FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to the present invention, wherein a mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating device is in an open position;
[0096] FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to the present invention, wherein a mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating device is in a closed position;
[0097] FIG. 3 shows two detailed views of the connection between a mouthpiece and the main body of the aerosol-generating device according to the present invention and of a sealing element of the aerosol-generating device;
[0098] FIG. 4 shows cross sectional views of opened and closed positions of the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating device; and
[0099] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an aerosol-generating system comprising the aerosol-generating device with further sealing elements and an aerosol-generating article with sealing wrappers:
[0100] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an aerosol-generating device 10. In the aerosol-generating device 10, an aerosol-generating article 12 is inserted into a cavity 14 of the aerosol generating device. A mouthpiece 16 is provided for closing the downstream end 18 of the cavity 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the mouthpiece 16 is configured detachable from a main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10. In the aerosol-generating device 10, air may flow into the cavity 14 at the upstream end 20 of the cavity 14 as indicated by the arrow. In the cavity 14, air may flow through the aerosol-generating article 12. Further elements depicted in FIG. 1 are an air inlet 22 arranged at the base of the cavity 14, an external heating element 24 arranged around the cavity 14 and a main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10.
[0101] FIGS. 2A and 2B show an embodiment of the aerosol-generating device 10 according to the present invention. Similar elements of the aerosol-generating device 10 according to the present invention and of the conventional aerosol-generating device 10 are denoted with the same reference signs. Particularly, FIG. 2 shows the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10 as well as the mouthpiece 16. An aerosol-generating article 12 is depicted inserted into the cavity 14 of the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10. Between the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10 and the mouthpiece 16 of the aerosol-generating device 10, a sealing element 28 is arranged. The sealing element 28 is arranged at the downstream end face 30 of the cavity 14 of the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10. The sealing element 28 may be arranged in a groove 42 (see FIG. 3) in the downstream end face 30 of the cavity 14. The sealing element 28 may be arranged adjacent a shoulder at the downstream end face 30 of the cavity 14 as can be seen in FIG. 2A. The sealing element 28 may be arranged radially outward of the shoulder. The sealing element 28 may be arranged around the circumference of the shoulder. The shoulder may be arranged directly adjacent the open downstream end of the cavity 14.
[0102] The mouthpiece 16 is pivotally attached to the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10. The attachment between the mouthpiece 16 and the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10 is realized by a hinge 32. The sealing element 28 is arranged between contact surfaces of the mouthpiece 16 and the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10, when the mouthpiece 16 is closed.
[0103] FIG. 2A shows the mouthpiece 16 in an opened arrangement. FIG. 2B shows the mouthpiece 16 in a closed arrangement.
[0104] The mouthpiece 16 may be dimensioned such that a gap 34 may be provided between the downstream end face 30 of the aerosol-generating article 12 and the mouthpiece 16 when the mouthpiece 16 is closed as shown in FIG. 2B. Hygiene is optimized since a user can draw directly on the mouthpiece 16 instead of on the aerosol-generating article 12. Further, the aerosol-generating article 12 is not damaged or deformed when the mouthpiece is closed by providing the gap 34.
[0105] The mouthpiece 16 may comprise a Venturi element. Consequently, the mouthpiece 16 may comprise a constricted airflow passage 36. Downstream of the constricted airflow passage 36, an outlet 38 of the mouthpiece 16 may be provided. The outlet 38 may have a diverging diameter downstream of the constricted airflow passage 36. The aerosol drawn through the mouthpiece 16 may expand in the outlet 38, which may aid aerosol formation and cooling of the aerosol.
[0106] In FIGS. 2A and 2B, a second sealing element 40 is depicted. The second sealing element 40 may be arranged at the sidewall of the cavity 14. The second sealing element 40 is configured as an O-ring and is mounted in a groove 42 in the sidewall of the cavity 14. The second sealing element 40 may prevent airflow around the aerosol-generating article 12.
[0107] FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view of the hinge 32 as well as of the sealing element 28 (as indicated by the circles in FIGS. 2A and 2B). In the top drawing of FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 16 is positioned in the open position. In bottom drawing of FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 16 is positioned in the closed position. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the sealing element 28 is sandwiched between the mouthpiece 16 and the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10, when the mouthpiece 16 is in the closed position. The sealing element 28 preferably comprises, preferably consists of, a foam material that can be elastically deformed during closing of the mouthpiece 16. After closing of the mouthpiece 16, air flow is prevented between an environment external to the device and the internal airflow path of the device via the junction or interface between the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10 and the mouthpiece 16. FIG. 3 also shows that the sealing element 28 is arranged in a groove 42 in the downstream end face 30 of the cavity 14 of the aerosol-generating device 10.
[0108] FIG. 4 shows the aerosol-generating device 10 with open mouthpiece 16 in the top drawing of FIG. 4 and with closed mouthpiece 16 in the bottom drawing of FIG. 4. Additionally, the bottom drawing of FIG. 4 indicates the airflow through the aerosol generating device. The airflow is not diluted by incoming ambient air at the join between the mouthpiece 16 and the device body 26 due to the sealing element 28 between the main body 26 of the aerosol-generating device 10 and the mouthpiece 16. Additionally, the airflow is forced through the aerosol-generating article 12 by providing the second sealing element 40 in the sidewall of the cavity 14. The mouthpiece 16 may comprise a Venturi element. The Venturi element may comprise a constricted airflow passage. The constricted airflow passage may be provided downstream of the gap 34. Downstream of constricted airflow passage, the diameter of the airflow channel through the mouthpiece 16 may increase. The increase in the diameter of the airflow channel may enable the aerosol to expand and cool down, thereby improving aerosol generation.
[0109] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment, in which a third sealing element 44 is arranged in the sidewall of the cavity 14 in addition to the second sealing element 40. In this case, the two sealing elements 40, 44 are arranged in a downstream region of the cavity 14 and in an upstream region of the cavity 14, respectively. Additionally, the aerosol-generating article 12 comprises sealing wrappers 46 in addition to a wrapping paper of the aerosol-generating article 12. The sealing wrappers 46 may be arranged around the outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article 12 to increase the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article 12 in the area of the sealing wrappers 46. The positioning of the sealing wrappers 46 may correspond to the second and third sealing elements 40, 44 of the aerosol-generating article 12. As can be seen on the left part of FIG. 5, when the aerosol-generating article 12 is inserted into the cavity 14 of the aerosol-generating device 10, the sealing wrappers 46 of the aerosol-generating article 12 engage the second and third sealing elements 40, 44 of the aerosol-generating device 10 so that airflow between the sidewall of the cavity 14 and the aerosol-generating article 12 is prevented.
