AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE INDUCTOR COILS

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, the chamber defining a heating zone; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, the first coil being a drive coil couplable to a source of alternating current, and the second coil being a resonant coil of a resonant circuit, the second coil being inductively couplable to the first coil.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: a housing having a chamber sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the chamber defines a heating zone; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, wherein the first coil is a drive coil couplable to a source of alternating current, and the second coil is a resonant coil of a resonant circuit, the second coil being inductively couplable to the first coil.

15. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the resonant circuit comprises the second coil and a capacitor.

16. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, further comprising: a power supply and a controller electrically connected to the first coil and configured to provide the alternating current.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the first coil forms part of a first circuit having a first resonant frequency, and the second coil forms part of the resonant circuit having a second resonant frequency, the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency being the same.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the first coil has a first magnetic axis and the second coil has a second magnetic axis, the first magnetic axis and the second magnetic axis being substantially parallel.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the first coil and the second coil are helical.

20. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the first coil and the second coil are planar.

21. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the first coil and the second coil are co-wound.

22. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, further comprising a DC/AC inverter configured to convert a DC current supplied by a DC power supply to the alternating current.

23. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, further comprising a susceptor element projecting into the heating zone, wherein the susceptor element is inductively heatable by one or both of the first coil and the second coil to heat at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is at least partially received in the chamber.

24. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 23, wherein the susceptor element is an elongate susceptor element configured to penetrate the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is received in the chamber.

25. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating device according to claim 14; and an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the aerosol-generating article is configured for use with the aerosol-generating device.

26. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 25, wherein the aerosol-generating article further comprises a susceptor element.

Description

[0122] The invention according to one or more of the aspects described above is further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0123] FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of an embodiment of an aerosol-generating system having an aerosol-generating device, in which inductor coil assembly and the susceptor element are also shown;

[0124] FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 1 in which the aerosol-generating article is removed from the chamber;

[0125] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of the system of FIG. 1;

[0126] FIG. 4 is a side view of the inductor coil assembly and susceptor element of the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 1, with all other components omitted for clarity;

[0127] FIG. 5 is an end view of the inductor coil assembly and susceptor element of FIG. 4;

[0128] FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of an embodiment of an aerosol-generating device, in which an inductor coil assembly and a susceptor element are also shown; and

[0129] FIG. 7 is a side view of an inductor coil assembly and susceptor element of an embodiment of an aerosol-generating device.

[0130] FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing electrical connections of a first, drive, coil and a second, resonant, coil for use in an embodiment of an aerosol-generating device.

[0131] FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show different views of an aerosol-generating system according to a first embodiment of the invention. The aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating device 100 according to a first embodiment and an aerosol-generating article 10 configured for use with the aerosol-generating device 10.

[0132] The aerosol generating device 100 comprises a device housing 110 defining a chamber 120 for receiving the aerosol-generating article 10. The proximal end of the housing 110 has an insertion opening 125 through which the aerosol-generating article 10 may be inserted into and removed from the chamber 120. An inductor coil assembly 130 is arranged inside the aerosol-generating device 100 between an outer wall of the housing 110 and the chamber 120. The inductor coil assembly 130 has a magnetic axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 120, which, in this embodiment, corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the inductor coil assembly 130 extends along part of the length of the chamber 120. In other embodiments, the inductor coil assembly 130 may extend along all, or substantially all, of the length of the chamber 120.

[0133] The aerosol-generating device 100 also includes an internal electric power supply 140, for example a rechargeable battery, and a controller 150, for example a printed circuit board with circuitry, both located in a distal region of the housing 110. The controller 150 and the inductor coil assembly 130 both receive power from the power supply 140 via electrical connections (not shown) extending through the housing 110. Preferably, the chamber 120 is isolated from the inductor coil assembly 130 and the distal region of the housing 110, which contains the power source 140 and the controller 150, by a fluid-tight separation. Thus, electric components within the aerosol-generating device 100 may be kept separate from aerosol or residues produced within the chamber 120 by the aerosol generating process. This may also facilitate cleaning of the aerosol-generating device 100, since the chamber 120 may be made completely empty simply by removing the aerosol-generating article. This arrangement may also reduce the risk of damage to the aerosol-generating device, either during insertion of an aerosol-generating article or during cleaning, since no potentially fragile elements are exposed within the chamber 120. Ventilation holes (not shown) may be provided in the walls of the housing 110 to allow airflow into the chamber 120. Alternatively, or in addition, airflow may enter the chamber 120 at the opening 125 and flow along the length of the chamber 120 between the outer walls of the aerosol-generating article 10 and the inner walls of the chamber 120.

[0134] The aerosol-generating device 100 also includes a susceptor assembly 160 located within the chamber 120. The susceptor assembly 160 includes a base portion 170 and an elongate susceptor element 180 attached to the base portion 170 and projecting into the chamber 120. The elongate susceptor element 180 is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the chamber 120 and with the magnetic axis of the inductor coil assembly 130. The elongate susceptor element 180 is positioned within the portion of the chamber 120 which is surrounded by the inductor coil assembly 130 so that it is inductively heatable by the inductor coil assembly 130. The portion of the chamber 120 which is surrounded by the inductor coil assembly is referred to herein as the heating zone. In this example, the elongate susceptor element 180 is positioned centrally within the chamber 120. That is, the elongate susceptor element 180 is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the chamber 120. The susceptor element 180 is tapered towards its free end to form a sharp tip. This may facilitate insertion of the susceptor element 180 into an aerosol-generating article received in the cavity. In this example, the base portion 170 is fixed within the chamber 120 and the susceptor element 180 is fixed to the base portion 170. In other examples, the base portion 170 may be removably coupled to the housing 110 to allow the susceptor assembly 160 to be removed from the chamber 120 as a single component. For example, the base portion 170 may be removably coupled to the housing 110 using a releasable clip (not shown), a threaded connection, or similar mechanical coupling.

[0135] The aerosol-forming article 10 includes an aerosol-forming segment 20 at its distal end. The aerosol-forming segment 20 contains an aerosol-forming substrate, for example a plug comprising tobacco material and an aerosol former, which is heatable to generate an aerosol.

[0136] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the inductor assembly and the elongate susceptor element in more detail. The inductor coil assembly 130 comprises a first inductor coil 131 and a second inductor coil 132 which are co-wound to form the inductor coil assembly 130. The first and second inductor coils 131, 132 are each formed from a wire having a plurality of turns, or windings, extending along its length. The windings of the first inductor coil 131 alternate with the windings of the second inductor coil 132 along the length of the inductor coil assembly 130, or combined coil. By co-winding the first and second inductor coils 131, 132, the longitudinal axes and magnetic axes of both coils are substantially the same. This is represented in FIG. 4 by the magnetic axis 135 of the inductor coil assembly 130. In each inductor coil, the wire may have any suitable cross-sectional shape, such as square, oval, or triangular. In this embodiment, each wire has a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, one or both wires may have a flat cross-sectional shape. For example, the first or second inductor coil may be formed from a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape and wound such that the maximum width of the cross-section of the wire extends parallel to the magnetic axis of the inductor coil assembly. Such flat inductor coils may allow the outer diameter of the inductor, and therefore the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating device, to be minimized.

[0137] In one configuration, the first and second inductor coils 131, 132 may both receive power from the power supply 140 via electrical connections (not shown) extending through the housing 110. The internal electric power supply 140 and controller 150 may be configured to provide an alternating current to the first and second inductor coils 131, 132 independently. This allows the first and second coils 131, 132 to be activated one at a time or simultaneously, depending on the desired heating effect.

[0138] In another, alternative, configuration, one of the coils may be an active or drive coil connected to a power supply and the other of the coils may be part of a resonant circuit and act as a resonant coil. This configuration is described further below in relation to FIG. 8.

[0139] In the configuration in which both coils receive power directly from a power supply, the first inductor coil 131 may have a first inductance and the second inductor coil 132 may have a second inductance, wherein the first inductance is greater than the second inductance. This means that the strength of the magnetic field generated by the first inductor coil 131 is greater than the strength of the magnetic field generated by the second inductor coil for a given current. With this arrangement, the aerosol-generating device 100 can produce three different heating effects purely by activating the first inductor coil 131 on its own, activating the second inductor coil 132 on its own, or activating both the first inductor coil 131 and the second inductor coil 132 simultaneously.

[0140] When the aerosol-generating device 100 is actuated, a high-frequency alternating current is passed through the first inductor coil 131 to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone at the distal end of the chamber 120 of the aerosol-generating device 100. The magnetic field preferably fluctuates with a frequency of between 1 and 30 MHz, preferably between 2 and 10 MHz, for example between 5 and 7 MHz. When an aerosol-generating article 10 is correctly located in the chamber 120, the susceptor element 180 is located within the aerosol-forming substrate 20 of the aerosol-generating article. The alternating field generates eddy currents within the susceptor element 180, which is heated as a result. Further heating is provided by magnetic hysteresis losses within the susceptor element 180. The heated susceptor element 180 heats the aerosol-forming substrate 20 of the aerosol-generating article 10 to a sufficient temperature to form an aerosol. The aerosol may then be drawn downstream through the aerosol-generating article 10 for inhalation by the user. Such actuation may be manually operated or may occur automatically in response to a user drawing on the aerosol-generating article 10, for example by using a puff sensor.

[0141] During initiation of the aerosol-generating device, the second inductor coil 132 may be used as a booster coil to reduce the time required for the susceptor element 180 to reach the desired operating temperature. In particular, during initiation of the aerosol-generating device, a high-frequency alternating current is passed through both of the first and second inductor coils 131, 132 to generate an alternating electromagnetic field within the heating zone of the chamber 120 of the aerosol-generating device 100. By activating both coils, the strength of the magnetic field is increased and so too is the rate at which the susceptor element is heated. Once the susceptor element has reached the desired operating temperature, the supply of power to the second inductor coil may be halted. This may facilitate efficient use of the aerosol-generating device. It may also help to prevent overheating.

[0142] Between activations, for example between puffs as sensed by a puff sensor, the high-frequency alternating current may be passed through the second inductor coil 132 only. As the inductance of the second inductor coil 132 is lower than that of the first inductor coil 131 the heating effect is less. Consequently, the second inductor coil 132 heats the elongate susceptor element 180 to an elevated temperature which is lower than the operating temperature. Once the aerosol-generating device 100 is reactivated, the high-frequency alternating current is again passed through the first inductor coil 131 only and the temperature of the elongate susceptor element 180 is returned to the desired operating temperature. The elevated temperature maintained by the second inductor coil 132 reduces the time required for the elongate susceptor element 180 to return to the operating temperature, relative to no heating between activations. This may facilitate consistent aerosol properties, particularly at the start of an activation when the temperature may otherwise have been lower. The losses from activation of the second inductor coil are lower than those experienced during activation of the first inductor coil. Thus, activating the second inductor coil between operations, rather than the first inductor coil or both the first and second inductor coils facilitates efficient operation of the aerosol-generating device.

[0143] The aerosol-generating device may further comprise a flux concentrator (not shown) positioned around the inductor coil assembly 130 and formed from a material having a high relative magnetic permeability so that the electromagnetic field produced by the inductor coil 130 is attracted to and guided by the flux concentrator. In this manner, the flux concentrator may limit the extent to which the electromagnetic field produced by the inductor coil assembly 130 extends beyond the housing 110 and may increase the density of the electromagnetic field within the chamber 120. This may increase the current generated within the susceptor elements to allow for more efficient heating. Such a flux concentrator may be made from any suitable material or materials having a high relative magnetic permeability. For example, the flux concentrator may be formed from one or more ferromagnetic materials, for example a ferrite material, a ferrite powder held in a binder, or any other suitable material including ferrite material such as ferritic iron, ferromagnetic steel or stainless steel. The flux concentrator is preferably made from a material or materials having a high relative magnetic permeability. That is, a material having a relative magnetic permeability of at least 5 when measured at 25 degrees Celsius, for example, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 80, or at least 100. These example values may refer to the relative magnetic permeability of the flux concentrator material for a frequency of between 6 and 8 MHz and a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

[0144] FIG. 6 illustrates an aerosol-generating device 200 according to a second embodiment.

[0145] The aerosol-generating device 200 of the second embodiment is similar in construction and operation to the aerosol-generating device 100 of the first embodiment and where the same features are present, like reference numerals have been used. However, unlike the aerosol-generating device 100 of the first embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 has an inductor coil assembly 230 in which the first and second inductor coils 231, 232 are planar coils disposed around part of the circumference of the chamber, on either side of the heating zone. The first and second inductor coils 231, 232 each lie on a curved plane which generally follows the circular shape of the chamber around which they extend. The first and second inductors 231, 232 are arranged such that their respective magnetic axes are parallel and substantially aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 220.

[0146] As with the first embodiment described above, in an alternative configuration, one of the coils may be a drive coil and one of the coils may be a resonant coil.

[0147] FIG. 7 illustrates an inductor coil assembly and elongate susceptor element of an aerosol-generating device according to a third embodiment. The inductor coil assembly 330 of the third embodiment is similar in construction and operation to the inductor coil assembly of the aerosol-generating device 100 of the first embodiment and where the same features are present, like reference numerals have been used. As with the aerosol-generating device 100 of the first embodiment, the first and second inductor coils 331, 332 are co-wound helical coils which form a combined coil around the heating zone. However, in this embodiment, the first and second inductor coils 331, 332 are co-wound along only part of their respective lengths. In particular, the first inductor coil 331 is co-wound at its distal end and extends proximally of the heating zone and the second inductor coil 332 is co-wound at its proximal end and extends distally of the heating zone.

[0148] Thus, the longitudinal positions of the first and second inductor coils relative to the chamber are different, although they overlap in the heating zone. Both of the first and second inductor coils extend beyond the heating zone in a longitudinal direction.

[0149] When a high-frequency alternating current is passed through the first inductor coil 331, an alternating magnetic field is generated within the heating zone and within a portion of the chamber which is distal of the heating zone. When a high-frequency alternating current is passed through the second inductor coil 332, an alternating magnetic field is generated within the heating zone and within a portion of the chamber which is proximal of the heating zone.

[0150] As with the first embodiment described above, in an alternative configuration, one of the coils may be a drive coil and one of the coils may be a resonant coil.

[0151] In an advantageous electrical configuration that may be used in conjunction with any aerosol-generating device or aerosol-generating system described herein, one of the coils may be electrically connected to a power supply and act as an active or drive, coil. The other of the coils may be part of a resonant circuit, along with a capacitor, and act as a resonant coil. FIG. 8. Illustrates a circuit diagram showing such a configuration. As shown, a first coil or drive coil 441, L.sub.s forms part of a class-E inverter. The second, or resonant, coil 435, L.sub.r forms part of a resonant circuit with a resonant capacitor 437, C.sub.r. The first coil 441 and second coil 435 form a resonant inductive coupling. The resonant frequencies of the first coil (F.sub.res1) and the second coil (F.sub.res2) correspond to the following equation:

F.sub.res1=[(L.sub.sC.sub.2).sup.1/2]

F.sub.res2=[(L.sub.rC.sub.r).sup.1/2]

The resonant frequencies of the first coil and the second coil are preferably matched by selecting appropriate values of L.sub.s, C.sub.2, L.sub.r, and C.sub.r. By matching the resonant frequencies, the current flow, and therefore magnetic field, can be maximised.

[0152] The transistor switch of the Class-E power inverter can be any type of transistor and may be embodied as a bipolar-junction transistor (BJT). More preferably, however, the transistor switch is embodied as a field effect transistor (FET) such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) or a metal-semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET).

[0153] The first coil 441 operates at a resonance frequency with a low Q factor, for example a Q factor of between 5 and 7. Current flowing through the first coil 441 produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field induces a current in the resonant coil 435, which changes the resonant capacitor 437. As the direction of current flow changes due to the AC supply, the magnetic field reverses direction. The resonant capacitor discharges, causing current to flow through the resonant coil 435 and contribute to the magnetic field. Use of the resonant circuit allows impedence to be modified. For example, one result is that more current is flowing through the two coils than would flow through one coil, and the Q factor is effectively increased. The magnetic field strength is proportional to current and is, therefore, increased by the addition of the resonant circuit. This leads to more efficient heating of a susceptor for a given power supply in an aerosol-forming article.

[0154] The presence of a susceptor in the alternating magnetic field produced by the first coil 441 and the second coil 435 produces a resistance in the electrical circuits associated with the first and second coil. This resistance is usually termed an equivalent resistance, as there is not a real electrical component in the circuit. Equivalent resistance due to the presence of a susceptor in the driving circuit is depicted by a first resistor 439, and equivalent resistance due to the presence of the susceptor in the resonant circuit is depicted by a second resistor 440.

[0155] The exemplary embodiments described above are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Other embodiments consistent with the exemplary embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art.