AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE WITH PYROCATALYTIC MATERIAL

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device for generating an inhalable aerosol is provided, the aerosol-generating device including: a heating chamber including a sidewall; and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, a pyrocatalytic material being applied to one or more of the heating element and a sidewall of the heating chamber as a coating, and the heating element being configured for pyrocatalytic cleaning. A method for cleaning a heating chamber of an aerosol-generating device is also provided.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. An aerosol-generating device for generating an inhalable aerosol, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a heating chamber comprising a sidewall; and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, wherein a pyrocatalytic material is applied to one or more of the heating element and a sidewall of the heating chamber as a coating, and wherein the heating element is configured for pyrocatalytic cleaning.

16. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, wherein the pyrocatalytic material comprises a catalyst and a binder.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the binder is heat conductive.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, wherein the heating element is configured as a pin or as a blade.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, further comprising a closing means for at least partially closing the heating chamber.

20. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, further comprising a closing means for hermetically closing the heating chamber.

21. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 19, wherein the closing means comprises a lid.

22. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, wherein the lid is removably attachable or fixed to the aerosol-generating device.

23. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 19, wherein the closing means comprises a closeable air inlet.

24. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, wherein a thermal insulation layer is disposed between the sidewall of the heating chamber and the pyrocatalytic material or around the heating chamber.

25. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, further comprising an aerosol-generating substrate, which contains tobacco, wherein the pyrocatalytic material is configured for reducing a required temperature for pyrolysis of the tobacco below 380° C.

26. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, further comprising an aerosol-generating substrate, which contains tobacco, wherein the pyrocatalytic material is configured for reducing a required temperature for pyrolysis of the tobacco below 340° C.

27. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 15, wherein the pyrocatalytic material is configured for reducing a required temperature for pyrolytic cleaning to between 300° C. and 380° C.

28. A method for cleaning a heating chamber of an aerosol-generating device, the method comprising the following steps: i) providing the aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber configured to receive an aerosol-generating article containing an aerosol-generating substrate, and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber; ii) applying a pyrocatalytic material as a coating to one or more of the heating element and a sidewall of the heating chamber; and iii) heating the heating element for removing residues from one or more of the heating element and the sidewall of the heating chamber.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein a temperature of the heating element is during the heating step is increased above an aerosol-generating temperature and below 380° C.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein a temperature of the heating element is during the heating step is increased above an aerosol-generating temperature and below 340° C.

31. The method according to claim 28, wherein a temperature of the heating element during the heating step is increased to between 300° C. and 380° C.

Description

[0033] The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show in:

[0034] FIG. 1: a heating chamber of an aerosol-generating device according to the present invention with pyrocatalytic material applied to a heating element and the sidewall of the heating chamber;

[0035] FIG. 2: embodiments in which the pyrocatalytic material is applied only to the heating element or the sidewall of the heating chamber; and

[0036] FIG. 3: an embodiment of an external heating element.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a heating chamber 10 of an aerosol-generating device. A heating element 12 is arranged within the heating chamber 10. The heating element 12 is provided as a heating blade and is centrally aligned along the longitudinal axis of the heating chamber 10.

[0038] In FIG. 1, pyrocatalytic material comprising a catalyst 14 is applied to the heating element 12 as well as the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10. The pyrocatalytic material is provided as a coating and comprises the catalyst 14 as well as a binder 18.

[0039] The binder 18 is configured with high heat conductivity such that heat generated by the heating element 12 can be transferred towards the catalyst 14 as well as towards residues of aerosol-generating substrate sticking to the heating element 12 and the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 after removal of an aerosol-generating article.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows embodiments in which the pyrocatalytic material is only applied to the heating element 12 in FIG. 2A and only applied to the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 in FIG. 2B. When the pyrocatalytic material is only applied to the heating element 12, pyrocatalytic cleaning may be enabled on the surface of the heating element 12 with a temperature which is reduced in comparison to the typical temperature necessary for pyrocatalytic cleaning of 380° C. If the pyrocatalytic material is provided on the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10, pyrocatalytic cleaning may be facilitated on the surface of the heating element 12 as well as on the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 due to the fact that the temperature necessary for a pyrocatalytic cleaning on the sidewall 16 is lower in comparison to the temperature necessary on the surface of the heating element 12. In this regard, the heating element 12 may be configured to be heated to a temperature of around 380° C. on the surface of the heating element 12, while the temperature achievable on the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 may be lower. Due to the pyrocatalytic material provided on the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10, this lower temperature may still be sufficient to enable pyrocatalytic cleaning.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the heating element 12, in which the heating element 12 is provided as an external heater. In comparison to FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the heating element 12 is provided as an internal heater, the external heater shown in FIG. 3 is arranged surrounding the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10. The binder 18 and preferably also the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 may be provided in this embodiment with a high heat conductivity to enable heat transfer from the external heating element 12 through the sidewall 16 of the heating chamber 10 and the binder 18 towards the catalyst 14 as well as residues of aerosol-generating substance remaining in the heating chamber 10.