AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE WITH SLIDING CONTACTS FOR INDUCTION COIL

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a heating arrangement including an induction coil, a first sliding arrangement including a first contact, the first sliding arrangement being arranged adjacent to the induction coil of the heating arrangement and being configured to slide parallel to a longitudinal axis of the induction coil, and the first contact being mounted on the first sliding arrangement and being arranged to contact the induction coil; and a second sliding arrangement including a second contact, the second sliding arrangement being arranged adjacent to the induction coil of the heating arrangement and being configured to slide parallel to a longitudinal axis of the induction coil, and the second contact being mounted on the second sliding arrangement and being arranged to contact the induction coil, in which alternating current is supplied to the induction coil between the first contact and the second contact.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: a heating arrangement comprising an induction coil, a first sliding arrangement comprising a first contact, wherein the first sliding arrangement is arranged adjacent to the induction coil of the heating arrangement and is configured to slide parallel to a longitudinal axis of the induction coil, and wherein the first contact is mounted on the first sliding arrangement and is arranged to contact the induction coil; and a second sliding arrangement comprising a second contact, wherein the second sliding arrangement is arranged adjacent to the induction coil of the heating arrangement and is configured to slide parallel to a longitudinal axis of the induction coil, and wherein the second contact is mounted on the second sliding arrangement and is arranged to contact the induction coil, wherein alternating current is supplied to the induction coil between the first contact and the second contact.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein one or both of the first contact and the second contact are configured as sliding contacts.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, further comprising a controller configured to control supply of alternating current to the induction coil via the first contact and the second contact.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 18, wherein the first sliding arrangement is at least partly electrically conductive, and wherein the controller is electrically connected with the first sliding arrangement and the first contact.

20. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 18, wherein the second sliding arrangement is at least partly electrically conductive, and wherein the controller is electrically connected with the second sliding arrangement and the second contact.

21. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, further comprising a first motor, wherein the first motor is operationally coupled with one or both of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement to facilitate sliding movement of one or both of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement.

22. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, wherein the first motor is an electric linear motor.

23. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 21, further comprising a second motor, wherein the second motor is operationally coupled with one of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement to facilitate sliding movement of one of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement, and wherein the first motor is configured to facilitate sliding movement of the other of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement.

24. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 23, wherein the second motor is an electric linear motor.

25. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 23, wherein one or both of the first motor and the second motor can only be operated unidirectionally during one operation cycle of the aerosol-generating device.

26. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the first sliding arrangement is electrically isolated from the second sliding arrangement.

27. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the first sliding arrangement is mechanically coupled to the second sliding arrangement so that the first and the second sliding arrangements are moved together.

28. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the first sliding arrangement is configured to mechanically slide independently from the second sliding arrangement.

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

30. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 29, wherein the induction coil is arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cavity and is at least partly surrounding the cavity.

31. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 30, wherein a heating zone is created by an area of the cavity that is surrounded by a part of the induction coil between the first and the second contacts.

32. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 31, wherein one or both of axial length and axial placement of the heating zone is adaptable by sliding one or both of the first sliding arrangement and the second sliding arrangement.

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

Description

[0070] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0071] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the aerosol-generating device;

[0072] FIG. 2 shows the configuration and the operation of sliding arrangements of the aerosol-generating device;

[0073] FIG. 3 shows the sliding arrangements from a different perspective; and

[0074] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the aerosol-generating device with the sliding arrangements arranged differently.

[0075] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating device comprises a cavity 10 for receiving an aerosol-generating article 12 comprising aerosol-forming substrate. The cavity 10 is configured as a heating chamber. The cavity 10 has a cylindrical shape. The aerosol-generating article 12 can be inserted into the cavity 10 at a proximal end of the aerosol-generating device.

[0076] The aerosol-generating device further comprises a heating arrangement 14. The heating arrangement 14 comprises an induction coil 16 and a susceptor. The susceptor can be configured as an internal susceptor having a pin or blade shape. An internal susceptor is arranged centrally within the cavity 10 and configured for penetrating into the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article 12, when the aerosol-generating article 12 is inserted into the cavity 10. Alternatively or additionally, the susceptor can be configured as an external susceptor surrounding the cavity 10. In any case, the susceptor is arranged within the induction coil 16 such that the induction coil 16 can generate an alternating magnetic field for heating the susceptor.

[0077] The aerosol-generating device further comprises a first sliding arrangement 18 and a second sliding arrangement 20. The individual sliding arrangements can be seen in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. The first sliding arrangement 18 comprises a first contact 22. The first contact 22 is configured to enable supply of alternating current to the induction coil 16. The first contact 22 establishes an electrical contact point to the induction coil 16. The second sliding arrangement 20 comprises a second contact 24. The second contact 24 is configured to enable supply of alternating current to the induction coil 16. The second contact 24 establishes an electrical contact point to the induction coil 16.

[0078] The first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 may be configured to be moved together. For this reason, the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 may be fixed together. As can be seen in FIG. 1, in this case the first contact 22 at the second contact 24 have a certain distance to each other. As can be seen in FIG. 2, if the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 slide, both the first contact 22 and the second contact 24 are moved together and remain distanced from each other with the same distance.

[0079] The distance between the first contact 22 and the second contact 24 establishes the longitudinal distance of a heating zone 26. The heating zone 26 is the area of the cavity 10 surrounded by the portion of the induction coil 16 between the first contact 22 at the second contact 24. This portion of the induction coil 16 is operated, when alternating current is supplied between the first contact 22 at the second contact 24. As a consequence, this portion of the induction coil 16 generates an alternating magnetic field to heat the susceptor that is surrounded by this portion of the induction coil 16.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 may be configured movable independently from each other. In this embodiment, the distance between the first contact 22 at the second contact 24 can be chosen as appropriate. As a consequence, the longitudinal length of the heating zone 26 can be chosen as appropriate.

[0081] The aerosol-generating device further comprises a controller 28. The controller 28 is configured to control the supply of alternating current between the first contact 22 and the second contact 24. The controller 28 is electrically connected with the first contact 22 and the second contact 24. The first sliding arrangement 18 is electrically connected with the first contact 22 and with the controller 28 or the first sliding arrangement 18 comprises an electrically conductive portion electrically connected with the first contact 22 and with the controller 28. The second sliding arrangement 20 is electrically connected with the second contact 24 and with the controller 28 or the second sliding arrangement 20 comprises an electrically conductive portion electrically connected with the second contact 24 and with the controller 28. The aerosol-generating device further comprises a battery 30. The controller 28 is configured to control the supply of DC current from the battery 30 to a DC/AC converter that is connected to the first and second contact 24s. Hereby the controller operates the heating arrangement 14 by controlling the supply of alternating current to the coil 16. The DC/AC converter is preferably a separate unit.

[0082] FIG. 2 shows operation of the heating arrangement 14 in more detail. From FIG. 2A to 2D, the sliding arrangement slides the first contact 22 and the second contact 24 from a distal end of the induction coil 16 to a proximal end of the induction coil 16. As a consequence, the heating zone 26 travels in a proximal direction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the distance between the first contact 22 and the second contact 24 remains the same. As a consequence, the longitudinal length of the heating zone 26 remains the same.

[0083] FIG. 3 shows the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20. The first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 are elongate. The first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 are mounted on a sliding rod 32. The sliding rod 32 is arranged in the aperture of a mounting element 34. This arrangement of the first sliding arrangement 18 and of the second sliding arrangement 20 enables an independent sliding movement of the first sliding arrangement 18 and of the second sliding arrangement 20. As a consequence, the distance between the first contact 22 at the second contact 24 can be controlled by the controller 28. The distance between the first contact 22 at the second contact 24 determines the longitudinal length of the heating zone 26. Thus, independently controlling the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20 enables control of the size of the heating zone 26.

[0084] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the aerosol-generating device with a different arrangement of the first sliding arrangement 18 and the second sliding arrangement 20. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first sliding arrangement 18 is arranged on one side of the cavity 10 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and the second sliding arrangement 20 is arranged on the opposite side of the cavity 10. As a consequence, the first contact 22 is arranged opposite of the second contact 24 on an opposite side of the cavity 10.