DIRT-REPELLENT, HEAT-REFLECTIVE COATING FOR AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device for generating an inhalable vapor is provided, the aerosol-generating device including: a heating chamber configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, an inner wall of the heating chamber including a coating, the coating including a binder material and metal particles embedded in the binder material or the coating includes a metal alloy, and the coating being configured to be heat-reflective and dirt-repellent. A method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating device to generate an inhalable vapor is also provided.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating device for generating an inhalable vapor, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a heating chamber configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, wherein an inner wall of the heating chamber comprises a coating, wherein the coating comprises a binder material and metal particles embedded in the binder material or the coating comprises a metal alloy, and wherein the coating is configured to be heat-reflective and dirt-repellent.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the coating consists of a binder material and metal particles embedded in the binder material or the coating consists of a metal alloy.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the coating further comprises a nanostructure on a surface of the coating facing the inner wall of the heating chamber, and wherein the nanostructure is configured to increase a hydrophobicity of the surface.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the binder material comprises a polymeric material.

20. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 19, wherein the polymeric material has a low surface tension.

21. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 19, wherein the polymeric material comprises one or more of acrylic, amide, imide, carbonate, diene, polyester, ether, fluorocarbon, olefin, styrene, vinyl acetal, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl ester, vinyl ether, vinyl ketone, vinyl pyridine, and vinylpyrrolidione polymers.

22. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the binder material is configured as an enamel frit.

23. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the metal particles comprise one or more of aluminum, copper, gold, silver, or alloys thereof.

24. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the metal particles are disposed near a surface of the coating facing the inner wall of the heating chamber.

25. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the metal alloy comprises one or more of boron-aluminum-magnesium, nickel-chrome-chromic carbide, nickel-aluminum-molybdenum, aluminum-copper-iron, aluminum-copper-iron-chromium, and titanium and chromium based alloys.

26. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the coating comprises a single layer or multiple layers of metal alloys.

27. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 26, wherein the coating consists of a single layer of nickel-aluminum-molybdenum.

28. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 26, wherein the coating consists of a single layer of a quasi-crystal structure comprising aluminum-copper-iron or aluminum-copper-iron-chromium alloy.

29. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 26, wherein the coating consists of a layer of nickel-chrome-chromic carbide and a layer of nickel-aluminum-molybdenum, and wherein the nickel-aluminum-molybdenum layer is disposed directly on the inner wall of the heating chamber and the nickel-chrome-chromic carbide layer is disposed facing the inner wall of the heating chamber.

30. A method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating device to generate an inhalable vapor, the method comprising the following steps: i) providing a heating chamber configured to receive an aerosol-generating article; and ii) applying a coating to an inner wall of the heating chamber, wherein the coating comprises a binder material and metal particles embedded in the binder material or the coating comprises a metal alloy, and wherein the coating is configured to be heat-reflective and dirt-repellent.

Description

[0048] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a heating chamber of an aerosol-generating device according to the invention with a coating comprising a binder material and metal particles.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device, in which the coating comprises a surface nanostructure.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device, in which the coating consists of a metal alloy.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a heating chamber 10 of an aerosol-generating device according to the invention. An aerosol-generating article 14 containing aerosol-generating substrate is inserted in the heating chamber 10. A blade-shaped heating element 12 penetrates into the aerosol-generating article 14. The inner wall 16 of the heating chamber 10 is lined with a dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18. The coating 18 comprises a binder material 20 and metal particles 22 embedded within the binder material 20. The binder material 20 may comprise a polymeric material or an enamel frit.

[0053] The heating element 12 is configured for heating the aerosol-generating substrate contained in the aerosol-generating article 14 for generating an inhalable aerosol. The dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18 at least partially reflects the heat radiated by the heating element 12 and not fully absorbed by the aerosol-generating article 14. The heat is thus at least partly reflected back from the inner wall 16 of the heating chamber 10 towards the aerosol-generating article 14.

[0054] The dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18 is configured to reduce or prevent residues of the aerosol-generating substrate from adhering to the inner wall 16 of the heating chamber 10. Particularly during insertion and removal of aerosol-generating articles 14, formation of substrate residues on the surface of the inner wall 16 are reduced.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a surface nanostructure 24 of the dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18 lining the heating chamber 10. The surface nanostructure 24 enhances the hydrophobicity of the coating. The surface nanostructure 24 is configured to reduce adherence of residues of aerosol-generating substrate to the surface of the inner wall 16 of the heating chamber 10. The surface nanostructure 24 has the shape of nanoprotrusions on the surface of the dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows the dirt-repellent and heat-reflective coating 18 consisting of a metal alloy 26. The metal alloy 26 comprises a surface nanostructure 28 on the surface of the coating 18 facing the inner of the heating chamber 10. The surface nanostructure 28 increases the hydrophobicity of the coating 18 such that the coating possesses enhanced dirt-repellent properties.