AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE WITH SLIDING CONTACTS FOR MULTIPLE INDUCTION COILS

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: at least two heating arrangements, each heating arrangement including a heating coil, first, second, and third contacts, the first contact being arranged contacting a distal end of the heating coil, the second contact being arranged contacting a proximal end of the heating coil, and the third contact being arranged contacting the heating coil between the first and second contacts, and a sliding arrangement, the heating coils being arranged side by side parallel to a longitudinal axis of the device, the sliding arrangement being arranged adjacent the heating coils and configured to slide parallel to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the heating coils, the third contacts being mounted on the sliding arrangement, and an electrical contact point between each third contact and each respective heating coil being adaptable by sliding the sliding arrangement.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: at least two heating arrangements, each heating arrangement comprising: a heating coil, a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact, wherein the first contact is arranged contacting a distal end of the heating coil, wherein the second contact is arranged contacting a proximal end of the heating coil, and wherein the third contact is arranged contacting the heating coil between the first contact and the second contact, and a sliding arrangement, wherein the heating coils of the heating arrangements are arranged side by side parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device, wherein the sliding arrangement is arranged adjacent the heating coils and is configured to slide parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device and parallel to the heating coils, wherein the third contacts of the heating arrangements are mounted on the sliding arrangement, and wherein an electrical contact point between each third contact and each respective heating coil is adaptable by sliding the sliding arrangement.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the heating arrangements are configured as induction heating arrangements.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 17, wherein the heating arrangements further comprise a common susceptor, or wherein each heating arrangement further comprises a susceptor.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the heating coils are configured as induction coils.

20. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein each third contact is configured as a sliding contact.

21. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control supply of electrical current to the heating arrangements.

22. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, wherein for each of the heating arrangements the controller is further configured to supply electrical current at a given time only to a pair of the first, the second, and the third contacts.

23. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, wherein the sliding arrangement is at least partly electrically conductive, and wherein the controller is electrically connected with the sliding arrangement.

24. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, further comprising a communication interface configured to control operation of the controller.

25. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 24, wherein the communication interface is further configured as a button or as a wireless communication interface for communicating with an external device.

26. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, further comprising a motor, wherein the motor is operationally coupled with the sliding arrangement to facilitate sliding movement of the sliding arrangement.

27. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 26, wherein the motor is an electric linear motor.

28. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, further comprising a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate.

29. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 28, wherein the heating coils are arranged side by side parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cavity and at least partly surrounding the cavity.

30. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 29, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control supply of electrical current to the heating arrangements, wherein heating zones are created by the heating coils at least partly surrounding the cavity and by the controller supplying electrical current to the heating arrangements, and wherein an area of the heating zones is adaptable by sliding the sliding arrangement.

31. A system comprising an aerosol-generating device according to claim 16 and an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate.

Description

[0058] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0059] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the aerosol-generating device;

[0060] FIG. 2 shows operation of heating arrangements of the aerosol-generating device; and

[0061] FIG. 3 shows the structure of the heating arrangements of the aerosol generating device.

[0062] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating device according to the invention. The aerosol-generating device comprises a housing 10. Within the housing 10, heating arrangements 12 are arranged. Exemplarily, a first heating arrangement 12.1, a second heating arrangement 12.2 and a third heating arrangement 12.3 are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. However, the number of heating arrangements 12 is not fixed and can be adapted accordingly. The individual heating arrangements 12 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0063] The heating arrangements 12 are arranged surrounding a cavity 14 of the device. The cavity 14 is configured as a heating chamber. The cavity 14 is arranged near the proximal end of the device. The cavity 14 is configured for receiving an aerosol-generating article 16 comprising aerosol-forming substrate. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an aerosol-generating article 16 is received in the cavity 14. The heating arrangements 12 are configured for heating the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article 16.

[0064] The aerosol-generating device further comprises a power supply in the form of a battery 18. The battery 18 is configured for supplying electrical current to the heating arrangements 12. A controller 20 is provided for controlling supply of electrical current from the battery 18 to the heating arrangements 12. The electrical current is supplied in the form of an electrical current, DC or AC, depending on whether the coils act as resistive heaters or as inductive coils. In the case the coils act as inductive coils, the device also comprises a DC/AC converter (not shown), to convert the DC current from the battery to an alternating current.

[0065] The heating arrangements 12 extend over the longitudinal length of the cavity 14. The first heating arrangement 12.1 is arranged adjacent the proximal end of the cavity 22 and surrounds the proximal end of the cavity 22. The proximal end of the cavity 22 is open for insertion of the aerosol-generating article 16. The third heating arrangement 12.3 is arranged around the distal end of the cavity 24 and surrounds the distal end of the cavity 24. At the end face of the distal end of the cavity 24, a base of the cavity 14 is arranged. The second heating arrangement 12.2 is arranged between the first heating arrangement 12.1 and the third heating arrangement 12.3.

[0066] The heating arrangements 12 each have a hollow cylindrical shape to surround the hollow cylindrical cavity 14.

[0067] The heating arrangements 12 are preferably mounted by means of a mounting element 26. The mounting element 26 is elongate. The mounting element 26 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device. The heating arrangements 12 also extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device. Preferably, the longitudinal axes of the heating arrangements 12 and of the aerosol-generating device are identical.

[0068] The aerosol-generating device further comprises a sliding arrangement 28. The sliding arrangement 28 is elongate. The sliding arrangement 28 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating device. The sliding arrangement 28 is arranged opposite of the mounting element 26. The sliding arrangement 28 is arranged on one side of the cavity 14 distanced from the cavity 14 in a radial direction. The mounting element 26 is arranged on the other side of the cavity 14 distanced from the cavity 14 in an opposite radial direction relative to the radial direction of the sliding arrangement 28.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows the heating arrangements 12, the mounting element 26 and the sliding arrangement 28 in more detail. From FIG. 2A to 2D, operation of the heating arrangements 12 is shown.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 2, exemplarily in FIG. 2A, the heating arrangements 12 are mounted on the mounting element 26. Exemplarily, the mounting element 26 comprises a mounting strut 30 for each heating arrangement. The mounting strut 30 may hold the heating arrangement at any desired position. The mounting strut 30 and the mounting element 26 may be one or more of electrically conductive or may comprise an electrically conductive portion or may comprise an electrically conductive wire or may comprise an electrically conductive contact. Preferably, each mounting strut 30 and the mounting element 26 comprise two separate electrically conductive pathways for each heating arrangement. One of these electrically conductive pathways is connected to the battery 18 or to the controller 20 and to a distal end of the respective heating arrangement. The other of these electrically conductive pathways is also connected to the battery 18 or to the controller 20 and to the proximal end of the respective heating arrangement. One of the electrically conductive pathways comprises or contacts the first contact 34 of the respective heating arrangement and the other of the electrically conductive pathways comprises or contacts the second contact 36 of the respective heating arrangement.

[0071] Exemplarily, a first conductive pathway is provided and electrically connects the first contact 34 of the first heating arrangement 12.1 with the battery 18 or with the controller 20 via the mounting strut 30 adjacent the first heating arrangement 12.1 and via the mounting element 26. A second conductive pathway is provided and electrically connects the second contact 36 of the first heating arrangement 12.1 with the battery 18 or with the controller 20 via the mounting strut 30 adjacent the first heating arrangement 12.1 and via the mounting element 26. For the second heating arrangement 12.2, corresponding third and fourth conductive pathways may be provided and for the third heating arrangement 12.3, corresponding fifth and sixth conductive pathways may be provided.

[0072] Respective third contacts 38 of the heating arrangements 12 are mounted on the sliding arrangement 28. The sliding arrangement 28 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity 14, which is at the same time the longitudinal axis of the heating arrangements 12. A third contact 38 is mounted on the sliding arrangement 28 for each heating arrangement. The third contact 38 establishes the electrical contact point between the induction coil 32 of the heating arrangement and the battery 18 or the controller 20 via the sliding arrangement 28. In the example shown in FIG. 2, three third contacts 38 are provided for the three heating arrangements 12.

[0073] The respective first and second contacts of the heating arrangements 12 are fixed. These contacts are fixed on the mounting element 26. In other words, the mounting element 26, the mounting struts 30 and the first and second contacts of the respective heating arrangements 12 are fixed. In contrast, the third contacts 38 of the heating arrangements 12 are slidable along the longitudinal length of the heating arrangements 12 by means of the sliding movement of the sliding arrangement 28. The sliding movement of the sliding arrangement 28 can be facilitated by a motor, preferably an electric linear motor. The motor can be controlled by the controller 20. Control of the sliding arrangement 28 can be facilitated by the motor according to a predetermined regime, such as a function of the activation of the aerosol-generating device. Alternatively, the sliding movement of the sliding arrangement 28 can be facilitated by an actuator that is manually operated by the user.

[0074] Each heating arrangement comprises an induction coil 32 as shown in FIG. 3. The slidable third contact 38 is configured to contact the induction coil 32 of the respective heating arrangement. The third contact 38 is a sliding contact. The sliding arrangement 28 is electrically conductive. The third contact 38 of each heating arrangement is electrically connected with the battery 18 or with the controller 20 via the third contact 38 and the sliding arrangement 28. Electrical current (DC or AC, depending on whether the coils act as resistive heaters or inductors) is supplied to a pair of the first, second and third contacts 38 of each heating arrangement by the controller 20.

[0075] As exemplarily shown in FIG. 3, each heating arrangement comprises a first contact 34 at a proximal end of the heating arrangement, a second contact 36 at the distal end of the heating arrangement and the slidable third contact 38 between the first contact 34 and the second contact 36. Alternating electrical current might be supplied to the induction coil 32 between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38, as shown in FIG. 3. As a consequence, only this portion of the induction coil 32 will create an alternating magnetic field and a susceptor surrounded by this portion of the induction coil 32 will be heated. The part of the induction coil 32 between the third contact 38 and the second contact 36 with in this case not be supplied with an electrical current. As a consequence, this part of the induction coil 32 between the third contact 38 and the second contact 36 will not create an alternating magnetic field and a susceptor surrounded by this portion of the induction coil 32 will not be heated.

[0076] Supplying alternating electrical current between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38 is of course only exemplary. Alternatively, alternating electrical current might be supplied between the third contact 38 and between the second contact 36. As a further alternative, alternating electrical current might be supplied between the first contact 34 at the second contact 36. All of these different options are controlled by the controller 20. As shown in FIG. 3, all of the three heating arrangements 12 are controlled by the controller 20 such that alternating electrical current is supplied between the first contacts and the third contacts 38 of all of these heating arrangements 12 at the same time. This is also an example. Different pairs of contacts may be supplied with alternating electrical current for the different heating arrangements 12 differently. Also, only individual heating arrangements 12 may be supplied with alternating electrical current.

[0077] During operation, different heating regimes can be realized by the configuration and the operation of the heating arrangements 12 and the contacts and by the supply of alternating electrical current to the respective contacts.

[0078] The inner space of the cavity 14 surrounded by an individual induction coil 32 through which electrical current flows is a heating zone. Exemplarily, the inner space of the cavity 14 corresponding to an induction coil 32 between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38 is a first heating zone 40. For an individual heating arrangement, the first heating zone 40 is heated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. Within this first heating zone 40, an individual susceptor for this first heating zone 40 may be arranged. The susceptor can be pin or blade shaped and be arranged centrally within the cavity 14 or the susceptor can surround the cavity 14. Alternatively, a common susceptor is provided for all heating arrangements 12 as a pin or blade shaped susceptor being arranged centrally within the cavity 14 or as a susceptor surrounding the cavity 14.

[0079] The inner space of the cavity 14 corresponding to an induction coil 32 between the third contact 38 and the second contact 36 is a second heating zone 42. The inner space of the cavity 14 corresponding to an induction coil 32 between the first contact 34 and the second contact 36 is a third heating zone 44. The third heating zone 44 is the first heating zone 40 and the second heating zone 42.

[0080] The controller 20 is configured to control the supply of alternating electrical current to the first, second and third contacts 38 off each heating arrangement so that a desired heating zone is heated. In addition to choosing a suitable heating zone by the controller 20, the controller 20 is further configured to operate the sliding movement of the sliding arrangement 28 such that the size of the heating zones is modified. The size of the heating zones is modified due to the fact that the third contact 38 is slidable along the longitudinal length of the induction coil 32. By sliding the third contact 38 along the longitudinal length of the induction coil 32, the length of the induction coil 32 through which electrical current runs changes between the first contact 34 at the third contact 38 and between the third contact 38 at the second contact 36. In other words, changing the position of the third contact 38 by sliding the sliding arrangement 28 modifies the longitudinal length of the first heating zone 40 and of the second heating zone 42.

[0081] As an example, during initial operation of the aerosol-generating device, the first heating zone 40 of one or more heating arrangements 12 may be heated by the controller 20 controlling supply of alternating electrical current between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38. Subsequently, the shape of the first heating zone 40 may be gradually increased by the controller 20 sliding the sliding arrangement 28 in a distal direction so that the distance between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38 increases. Finally, the supply of alternating electrical current may be changed by the controller 20 from flowing between the first contact 34 and the third contact 38 to now flow between the third contact 38 and the second contact 36. As a consequence, the second heating zone 42 of one or more heating arrangements 12 may then be heated. This operation may optimize heating of the aerosol-forming substrate of an aerosol-generating article 16 received in the cavity 14 such that a homogeneous aerosol is generated.