Abstract
The invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity. The cavity is configured to receive an aerosol-generating article. The device comprises a first sealing element arranged along a sidewall of the cavity. The first sealing element is arranged at an upstream portion of the cavity. The device comprises a second sealing element. The second sealing element is arranged at a downstream portion of the sidewall of the cavity. The device further comprises a power supply and a heating element. The heating element is an external heating element.
Claims
1. An aerosol-generating device comprising: a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article; a first sealing element arranged along a sidewall of the cavity, wherein the first sealing element is arranged at an upstream portion of the cavity; a second sealing element, wherein the second sealing element is arranged at a downstream portion of the cavity; a power supply; and a heating element, wherein the heating element is an external heating element.
2. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing element is arranged such that an airflow between the sidewall of the cavity and the received aerosol-generating article is prevented in the region of the first sealing element.
3. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein one or both of each of the first and second sealing elements are each arranged to provide a circumferential seal between the sidewall of the cavity and an aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity.
4. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second sealing elements are configured as O-rings.
5. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the sealing elements comprise thermo-resistant material.
6. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a recess in the sidewall of the cavity adjacent a base of the cavity.
7. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a movable bottom element arranged adjacent the base of the cavity.
8. An aerosol-generating article comprising: a wrapping paper around the outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article; and 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, and 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.
9. (canceled)
10. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 8, wherein the wrapping paper is configured air impermeable.
11. An aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 and an aerosol-generating article.
12. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 11, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprising: a wrapping paper around the outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article; 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, and 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.
13. The aerosol-generating according to claim 12, wherein the first sealing wrapper of the aerosol-generating article is arranged to contact the first sealing element of the aerosol-generating device, when the aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity of the aerosol-generating device.
14. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 12, wherein the second sealing wrapper of the aerosol-generating article is arranged to 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.
Description
[0077] Features described in relation to one aspect may equally be applied to other aspects of the invention.
[0078] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0079] FIGS. 1A to 10 show a cross-sectional view of different embodiments of the aerosol-generating device according to the invention;
[0080] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an aerosol-generating device with an inserted aerosol-generating article;
[0081] FIG. 3A shows an aerosol-generating article with sealing wrappers;
[0082] FIG. 3B shows the insertion of the aerosol-generating article into the aerosol-generating device and airflow direction;
[0083] FIG. 4A shows an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article not inserted in the device;
[0084] FIG. 4B shows the aerosol-generating device of FIG. 4A with inserted aerosol-generating article; and
[0085] FIG. 5 shows an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article received in the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device having a bottom element attached to the base of the cavity.
[0086] In FIG. 1A, an aerosol-generating device is depicted. The aerosol-generating device comprises a cavity 10. The cavity 10 is configured for receiving an aerosol-generating article 28 (the aerosol-generating article 28 is depicted in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). The cavity 10 comprises a first sealing element 12. The first sealing element 12 is arranged adjacent an upstream end 14 of the cavity 10. Additionally, a second sealing element 16 is arranged adjacent a downstream end 18 of the cavity 10.
[0087] FIG. 1A further shows a heating element 20. The heating element 20 is configured as an external heating element 20. The heating element 20 at least partly forms a sidewall 22 of the cavity 10. In other embodiments, the heating element 20 may be configured as an internal heating element 20, in which case the heating element 20 is preferably centrally arranged within the cavity 10 as a heating pin or heating blade. The heating element 20 may be an electrically resistive heating element 20. The heating element 20 may alternatively be an induction heating element 20.
[0088] The first sealing element 12 and the second sealing element 16 are arranged along the sidewall 22.
[0089] The aerosol-generating device may comprise further elements such as a main body comprising a power supply and a controller for powering the heating element 20. The aerosol-generating device may comprise further elements such as a button for activating the aerosol-generating device and a puff sensor for sensing a puff.
[0090] In FIG. 1A, an air inlet 24 is depicted at a base 26 of the aerosol-generating device. The air inlet 24 enables air to enter the cavity 10 at the upstream end 14 of the cavity 10. During operation, air is drawn through the aerosol-generating device by a user. When a user draws on the aerosol-generating article 28 received in the cavity 10, air is drawn into the cavity 10 through the air inlet 24. Subsequently, air is drawn through the aerosol-generating article 28 and towards the mouth of the user. A user may directly draw on the aerosol-generating article 28 or on a mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating device.
[0091] In FIG. 1A, the first sealing element 12 is arranged in contact with the heating element 20. The first sealing element 12 preferably comprises or consists of a thermally resistive material so that the first sealing element 12 may be protected from the elevated temperature of the heating element 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the second sealing element 16 is arranged distanced from the heating element 20 downstream of the heating element 20. The second sealing element 16 may potentially comprise or consist of a material that is not as resistant to elevated temperatures as the first sealing element 12. In FIG. 1A, the second sealing element 16 is arranged not in contact with the heating element 20.
[0092] However, different arrangements of the sealing elements are possible as shown in FIGS. 1B and 10. In FIG. 1B, the first sealing element 12 is arranged distanced from the heating element 20 upstream of the heating element 20 and the second sealing element 16 is arranged in contact with the heating element 20. In FIG. 10, the first sealing element 12 as well as the second sealing element 16 are arranged distanced from the heating element 20. In this embodiment, the first sealing element 12 is arranged upstream of the heating element 20 and the second sealing element 16 is arranged downstream of the heating element 20. It is also conceivable that both of the sealing elements 12, 16 are in contact with the heating element 20.
[0093] One or both of the first sealing element 12 and the second sealing element 16 are preferably O-rings. One or both of the first sealing element 12 and the second sealing element 16 may be arranged in corresponding grooves in the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 to prevent axial movement of the sealing elements during insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating article 28. The outer diameter of one or both of the first sealing element 12 and the second sealing element 16 may correspond to or may be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cavity 10. The inner diameter of one or both of the first sealing element 12 and the second sealing element 16 may correspond to or may be slightly smaller the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article 28.
[0094] When the aerosol-generating article 28 is inserted into the cavity 10, airflow between the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 and the aerosol-generating article 28 is substantially prevented by the first and second sealing elements 12, 16. In this regard, the first sealing element 12 arranged at the upstream region of the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 prevents that the air enters in the gap between the aerosol-generating article 28 and the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10, when the aerosol-generating article 28 is received in the cavity 10. Consequently, the air initially enters into the aerosol-generating article 28 after the air enters into the cavity 10 through the air inlet 24. The air subsequently travels in a downstream direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 through the aerosol-generating article 28. The second sealing element 16 arranged at a downstream region of the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 prevents that the air exits the aerosol-generating article 28 into the gap between the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 at the aerosol-generating article 28 downstream of the first sealing element 12. As a consequence, airflow is forced through a substrate portion 30 of the aerosol-generating article 28.
[0095] To further facilitate that the airflow through the aerosol-generating article 28, a wrapping paper 32 of the aerosol-generating article 28 surrounding the aerosol-generating article 28 may be configured air impermeable.
[0096] FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of the aerosol-generating article 28, in which the aerosol-generating article 28 comprises a first sealing wrapper 36 and a second sealing wrapper 38. The first sealing wrapper 36 and the second sealing wrapper 38 are provided in addition to the wrapping paper 32 of the aerosol-generating article 28. The wrapping paper 32 may be provided to connect the substrate portion 30 of the aerosol-generating article 28 with a filter portion 34 of the aerosol-generating article 28. The first sealing wrapper 36 of the aerosol-generating article 28 is configured to sealingly engage the first sealing element 12 of the aerosol-generating device, when the aerosol-generating article 28 is received in the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device. The second sealing wrapper 38 of the aerosol-generating article 28 is configured to sealingly engage the second sealing element 16 of the aerosol-generating device, when the aerosol-generating article 28 is received in the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device.
[0097] One or both of the first sealing wrapper 36 and the second sealing wrapper 38 preferably fully surround the outer circumference of the aerosol-generating article 28. One or both of the first sealing wrapper 36 and the second sealing wrapper 38 preferably increase the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article 28. A consequence of the increased outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article 28 is that the aerosol-generating article 28 is securely held in the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device after insertion of the aerosol-generating article 28 into the cavity 10. Particularly, the sealing engagement between the first sealing wrapper 36 and the first sealing element 12 and between the second sealing wrapper 38 and the second sealing element 16 is facilitated by the increased diameter of the aerosol-generating article 28 in the area of the first sealing wrapper 36 and in the area of the second sealing wrapper 38. As depicted in FIG. 3B, after insertion of the aerosol-generating article 28 into the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device, the first sealing wrapper 36 of the aerosol-generating article 28 abuts the first sealing element 12 of the aerosol-generating device and the second sealing wrapper 38 of the aerosol-generating article 28 abuts the second sealing element 16 of the aerosol-generating device. As a consequence, airflow is prevented between the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 and the aerosol-generating article 28 and airflow is forced through the aerosol-generating article 28.
[0098] FIG. 4A shows an embodiment, in which a recess 40 is provided adjacent the upstream end 14 of the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device. The recess 40 may fully surround the cavity 10. The recess 40 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity 10. The recess 40 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device. As can be seen in FIG. 4A, unwanted residues 42 may remain in the cavity 10 after the aerosol-generating article 28 is depleted and removed from the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 4B, during insertion of a fresh aerosol-generating article 28 into the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device, the unwanted residues 42 are scraped off of the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device by the fresh aerosol-generating article 28. Particularly, the first sealing wrapper 36 of the aerosol-generating article 28 may have a sufficient stiffness to enable a scraping action of unwanted residues 42 from the sidewall 22 of the aerosol-generating device. The first sealing wrapper 36 may be stiff. After the aerosol-generating article 28 has been inserted into the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device, the unwanted residues 42 that have been scraped off of the sidewall 22 of the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating article 28 can be pushed into the recess 40 at the base 26 of the cavity 10. As a consequence, the unwanted residues 42 do not accumulate at the base 26 of the aerosol-generating device or along the sidewalls of the cavity 10 and do not negatively impair airflow into the cavity 10 through the air inlet 24.
[0100] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment, in which a bottom element 44 is arranged adjacent the base 26 of the cavity 10. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the bottom element 44 is pivotably attached to the aerosol-generating device. The bottom element 44 may be attached to the aerosol-generating device by means of a hinge 46. The bottom element 44 can be opened to enable access to the base 26 of the cavity 10 of the aerosol-generating device. Particularly, opening of the bottom element 44 enables access to the recess 40 so as to clean unwanted residues 42 from the recess 40. Instead of configuring the bottom element 44 pivotably attached to the aerosol-generating device, in other embodiments, the bottom element 44 may be configured slidably attached to the aerosol-generating device. If the bottom element 44 is slidably attached to the aerosol-generating device, the bottom element 44 is preferably configured to slide in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device to enable opening of the cavity 10 at the upstream end 14 of the cavity 10. For example, the bottom element may be a drawn, slidable along rails of the device. The bottom element 44 may enable closing of the cavity 10 at the upstream end 14 of the cavity 10. A user may open the bottom element 44 after usage to remove any unwanted residues 42 from the cavity 10 and subsequently close the bottom element 44.
