Abstract
An aerosol-generating system is provided, including a main unit including a power supply; and a cartridge removably mounted to the main unit and including: a liquid storage portion to store a liquid, a heater assembly including a flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element, including first and second surfaces, the first surface arranged in an upstream position to receive a liquid, and the second surface arranged in a downstream position to release the liquid in vaporized form, and a capillary body having a first elongated end and a second end, the first elongated end extending into the storage portion to contact the liquid, the second end contacting the first surface of the heating element, a cross-sectional area of the capillary body at the second end is greater than that at the first elongated end, the capillary body including capillary fibers at the first elongated end and at the second end.
Claims
1. An aerosol-generating system, comprising a main unit comprising a power supply; and a cartridge comprising a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid, a heater assembly comprising a flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element, comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being arranged in an upstream position configured to receive a liquid, and the second surface being arranged in a downstream position configured to release the liquid in vaporized form, and a capillary body having a first elongated end and a second end, the first elongated end extending into the liquid storage portion configured to contact the liquid, the second end contacting the first surface of the heating element, wherein a cross-sectional area of the capillary body at the second end is greater than a cross-sectional area of the capillary body at the first elongated end, wherein the capillary body comprises capillary fibers at the first elongated end of the capillary body in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element, and at the second end of the capillary body in a direction parallel to the plane of the flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element, and wherein the flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element further comprises a plurality of electrically conductive filaments and a part of the capillary fibers at the second end of the capillary body being aligned with the electrically conductive filaments of the flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element, and wherein the liquid storage portion and the heater assembly are provided in the cartridge, the cartridge being removably mounted to the main unit.
2. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, further comprising an elongated body, wherein the flat-shaped fluid-permeable heating element is arranged transverse to the elongated body.
3. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, further comprising electric circuitry connected to the heater assembly and to an electrical power source, and being configured to monitor an electrical resistance of the heater assembly or of one or more filaments of the heater assembly, and to control a supply of power from the electrical power source to the heater assembly dependent on the electrical resistance of the heater assembly or of the one or more filaments.
4. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the system is an electrically operated smoking system.
Description
(1) The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of the present invention as part of an aerosol-generating system;
(3) FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a heating element in the form of a rectangular flat mesh;
(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up cross-sectional view of capillary body and heating element according to an embodiment of the invention;
(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the linkage between a heating element and a capillary body according to a further embodiment of the present invention.
(6) FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a cartridge according to a further embodiment of the present invention;
(7) FIG. 1 shows in side view, an aerosol-generating system according to one embodiment of the invention. The aerosol-generating system comprises a liquid storage portion (8) containing a liquid (7), a flat-shaped heating element (1) and a capillary body (5). The heating element (1) comprises a first (1a) and a second (1b) surface wherein the first surface (1a) is arranged in an upstream position to receive the liquid (7) and the second surface (1b) is arranged in a downstream position to release the liquid (7) in vaporized form. In FIG. 1 the capillary body (5) has a first elongated end (6) at the bottom which is dipped into the liquid (7). The second end (9) of the capillary body (5) is spread out in contact with at the first surface (1a) of the heating element (1). When a user draws air via a mouthpiece (not shown), the outside air (10) is drawn into the e-cigarette via air inlets (11) provided near the heating element of the e-cigarette. The air arrives at a part (12) near the heating element where it combines with the vaporized e-liquid (13) and is subsequently guided to the mouthpiece.
(8) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the heating element (1), which is in the form of a flat rectangular mesh comprising a plurality of electrically conductive filaments. The heating element is electrically connected to a battery (2) via wires (3) and (4) at opposing end.
(9) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of an arrangement of the heater element (1) and a funnel-shaped capillary body according to one embodiment of the invention. It shows the heating element (1) and the top part (9) of the capillary body, comprising a plurality of capillary fibers (14). In this embodiment the capillary fibers (14) at the second end (9) of the capillary body (5) are bent or curved in a direction which is parallel to the plane of the flat heating element (1), thereby maximizing the surface of capillary fibers in direct contact with the heating element (1).
(10) FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connection between a capillary body (5) and a substantially flat-shaped heating element (1) according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the capillary body (5) is funnel-shaped and the second end (9) of the capillary body (5) is bent outwards in a direction which is parallel to the plane of the flat heating element (1). The capillary body (5) has a bore and its first elongated end (6) is bevelled. The heating element (1) and the second end (9) of the capillary body (5) are held together by an annular sealing member (15).
(11) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention. The liquid storage portion (8) to store the liquid (not shown) is cylindrical-shaped. The liquid in the liquid storage portion (8) is sealed by a membrane (16) prior assembly. In FIG. 5 the upper part shows the funnel-shaped capillary body (5) of FIG. 4 with a bevelled lower end. The capillary body (5) is linked to a flat heating element (1) by the annular sealing member (15). During assembly of the cartridge, membrane (16) is penetrated by the bevelled lower end of the funnel-shaped capillary body (5) thereby creating a hole (17). In use the bevelled lower end of the capillary body (5) extends through the hole (17) into the liquid in the liquid storage portion (8) and allows the liquid being transported through a bore of the funnel-shaped capillary body (5) to the heating element (1) by the use of capillary force. The annular sealing member (15) is configured to fit in the rim (18) of the cylindrical-shaped liquid storage portion (8) and establishes a substantially leak-tight connection between the liquid storage portion (8) and the connected capillary body (5) and heating element (1).
