HEATER ASSEMBLY WITH CAVITY

Abstract

A heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device is provided, the heater assembly including a bushing defining an aperture at a first end of the bushing and a cavity at a second end of the bushing; a potting compound disposed within the cavity; and an elongate electrical heater extending from the first end of the bushing, where a portion of the elongate electrical heater extends through the aperture and into the cavity. An aerosol-generating device, an aerosol-generating system, and a method of assembling a heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device are also provided.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device, the heater assembly comprising: a bushing defining an aperture at a first end of the bushing and a cavity at a second end of the bushing; a potting compound disposed within the cavity; and an elongate electrical heater extending from the first end of the bushing, wherein a portion of the elongate electrical heater extends through the aperture and into the cavity.

17. The heater assembly according to claim 16, wherein the potting compound comprises at least one of a thermoset polymer, an epoxy resin, silicone, and combinations thereof.

18. The heater assembly according to claim 16, wherein the potting compound fills the cavity.

19. The heater assembly according to claim 16, wherein the portion of the elongate electrical heater extending through the aperture is received within the aperture by an interference fit.

20. The heater assembly according to claim 16, wherein the bushing comprises a first flange extending around either the first end of the bushing or the second end of the bushing.

21. The heater assembly according to claim 20, wherein the first flange extends around the first end of the bushing, and wherein the bushing further comprises a second flange extending around the second end of the bushing and an annular groove formed between the first flange and the second flange.

22. The heater assembly according to claim 21, further comprising an annular gasket disposed within the annular groove.

23. The heater assembly according to claim 16, wherein the bushing comprises a first end face through which the aperture is formed, a second end face in which the cavity is formed, and a cylindrical surface extending between the first end face and the second end face.

24. The heater assembly according to claim 23, wherein the bushing comprises a first flange extending around the first end of the bushing, a second flange extending around the second end of the bushing, and an annular groove formed between the first flange and the second flange, and wherein the annular groove is formed in the cylindrical surface.

25. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: a housing defining a device cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article; a heater assembly according to claim 16, the heater assembly being disposed within the housing at an upstream end of the device cavity, wherein the elongate electrical heater of the heater assembly extends from the first end of the bushing into the device cavity; a power supply; and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the power supply to the elongate electrical heater.

26. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating device according to claim 25; and an aerosol-generating article received within the device cavity.

27. A method of generating an aerosol, the method comprising: providing an aerosol-generating device according to claim 25; providing an aerosol-generating article; inserting the aerosol-generating article into the device cavity; and heating the aerosol-generating article using the elongate electrical heater.

28. A method of assembling a heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device, the method comprising: providing an elongate electrical heater; forming a bushing around a portion of the elongate electrical heater, the bushing defining an aperture at a first end of the bushing and a cavity at a second end of the bushing, wherein the portion of the elongate electrical heater within the bushing extends through the aperture and into the cavity, and wherein the elongate electrical heater extends from the first end of the bushing; depositing a potting compound within the cavity; and setting the potting compound.

Description

[0078] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0079] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0080] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly according to FIG. 1 with the addition of a gasket;

[0081] FIG. 3 shows an aerosol-generating system including the heater assembly of FIG. 1;

[0082] FIG. 4 shows a method of generating an aerosol, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0083] FIG. 5 shows a method of assembling a heater assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a heater assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The heater assembly 10 comprises a bushing 12 and an elongate electrical heater 14.

[0085] The bushing 12 comprises a first part 16 and a second part 18 secured together by an interference fit. The bushing 12 defines an aperture 20 at a first end 22 of the bushing 12 and a cavity 24 at a second end 26 of the bushing 12. A portion of the elongate electrical heater 14 extends through the aperture 20 and the cavity 24. The cavity 24 is filled with a potting material 28 to form a seal within the cavity 24 between the bushing 12 and the elongate electrical heater 14. The potting material 28 is omitted from FIG. 1 to show the cavity 24.

[0086] The bushing 12 comprises a first flange 30 at the first end 22 of the bushing 12 and a second flange 32 at the second end 26 of the bushing 12. An annular groove 34 is formed between the first and second flanges 30, 32. A cut-out 36 is formed in the second flange 34.

[0087] The bushing 12 also comprises a gasket 38 in the form of an O-ring positioned within the annular groove 34. The gasket 38 is omitted from FIG. 1 to shown the annular groove 34.

[0088] The elongate electrical heater 14 comprises an electrically insulating substrate 40 and a resistive heating element 42 formed on the electrically insulating substrate 40. The elongate electrical heater 14 also comprises two electrical contacts 44 for providing electrical connection between the resistive heating element 42 and control electronics of an aerosol-generating device comprising the heater assembly 10.

[0089] The heater assembly 10 comprises two pins 45 extending from the second end 26 of the bushing 12 to facilitate mechanical connection of the heater assembly 10 within an aerosol-generating device comprising the heater assembly 10.

[0090] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system 100 comprising an aerosol-generating device 102 and an aerosol-generating article 104.

[0091] The aerosol-generating device 102 comprises a housing 106 and the heater assembly 10 positioned within the housing 106. The gasket 38 forms a seal between the bushing 12 and an inner surface of the housing 106. The housing 106 comprises a projection 108 that is received within the cut-out 36 of the bushing 12 to ensure correct orientation of the heater assembly 10 within the housing 106.

[0092] The housing 106 defines a device cavity 110 for receiving the aerosol-generating article 104, wherein the elongate electrical heater 14 extends from the first end 22 of the bushing 12 into the device cavity 110. A controller 112 and a power supply 114 are positioned within the housing 106 between the heater assembly 10 and a closed end 116 of the housing 106.

[0093] The aerosol-generating article 104 comprises an aerosol-forming substrate 118 in the form of a tobacco plug, a hollow acetate tube 120, a polymeric filter 122, a mouthpiece 124 and an outer wrapper 126. When an upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 104 is received within the device cavity 110 of the aerosol-generating device 102, the elongate electrical heater 14 of the heater assembly 10 is received within the aerosol-forming substrate 118.

[0094] During use of the aerosol-generating system 100, the controller 112 controls a supply of electrical power from the power supply 114 to the elongate electrical heater 14 to heat the aerosol-forming substrate 118 and form an aerosol for delivery to a user through the mouthpiece 124. The potting material 28 and the gasket 38 substantially prevent the leakage of liquid from the aerosol-forming substrate 118 into the portion of the housing 106 containing the controller 112 and the power supply 114.

[0095] FIG. 4 shows a method 200 of generating an aerosol, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method comprises steps 202 and 204 of providing an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article respectively. The aerosol-generating device comprises a heater assembly according to the present invention. For example, the aerosol-generating device may be the aerosol-generating device 102 shown in FIG. 3. Similarly, the aerosol-generating article may be the aerosol-generating article 104 shown in FIG. 3.

[0096] In a step 206 the aerosol-generating article 104 is inserted into the device cavity 110 of the aerosol-generating device 102. In a step 208, the aerosol-generating article 104 is heated using the elongate electrical heater 14 of the heater assembly 10 of the aerosol-generating device 102.

[0097] FIG. 5 shows a method 300 of assembling a heater assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The heater assembly may be the heater assembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The method 300 comprises a step 302 of providing an elongate electrical heater 14.

[0098] In step 304 a portion of the elongate electrical heater 14 is inserted into a mould. In step 306, a bushing material comprising a resin is injected into the mould and around the portion of the elongate electrical heater 14 positioned within the mould. At step 308, the bushing material is set to form a bushing 12. The setting step comprises curing the resin. The bushing 12 formed in step 308 comprises an aperture 20 and a cavity 24, wherein a portion of the elongate electrical heater 14 extends through the aperture 20 and into the cavity 24 of the bushing 12, and wherein the elongate electrical heater 14 extends from the first end 22 of the bushing 12.

[0099] In step 310 a potting compound 28 is deposited within the cavity 24 and in step 312 the potting compound is set. The setting step may comprise at least one of drying and curing the potting compound 28.