Abstract
The invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a main body, a mouthpiece, which is configured removably attachable to the main body and a two-piece Venturi portion. The two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a main airflow channel extending between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and a constricted airflow channel arranged in the main airflow channel. The inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the main body when the mouthpiece is attached to the main body, and the outlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the mouthpiece or integrated with the mouthpiece.
Claims
1. Aerosol-generating device comprising a main body; a mouthpiece, which is configured removably attachable to the main body; and a two-piece Venturi portion, wherein the two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a main airflow channel extending between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and a constricted airflow channel arranged in the main airflow channel, and wherein the inlet portion is integrated with the main body, and the outlet portion is integrated with the mouthpiece.
2. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises at least one first air inlet arranged adjacent or upstream of the inlet portion, wherein the first air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel.
3. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one second air inlet arranged adjacent the main airflow channel, wherein the second air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel.
4. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the second air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel at the constricted airflow channel.
5. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the constricted airflow channel is configured as a venturi nozzle.
6. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet portion is configured converging towards the main airflow channel and the outlet portion is configured diverging from the the main airflow channel.
7. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a first portion of the main airflow channel, and the mouthpiece comprises a second portion of the main airflow channel.
8. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 7, wherein the first portion of the main airflow channel of the two-piece Venturi portion comprises a first portion of a venturi nozzle, and the second portion of the main airflow channel comprises a second portion of a venturi nozzle.
9. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is configured removably attachable to the first portion, wherein the inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is arranged in the second portion of the main body, and wherein the main body is configured such that an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate is insertable into a heating chamber of the main body, when the first portion and the second portion of the main body are detached.
10. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 9, wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal heating element, preferably a heating pin or heating blade, arranged in the heating chamber and configured for penetrating into the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the heating chamber.
11. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 9, wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises an induction coil arranged at least partly surrounding the heating chamber.
12. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a liquid storage portion configured to hold liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
13. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 12, wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises a heating element, preferably a mesh heater, or coil and wick heater, arranged downstream of the liquid storage portion.
14. Aerosol-generating device according to claim 10, wherein the heating element is configured as an electrically resistive heating element or inductive heating element comprising susceptor material.
15. System comprising an aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 and an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate.
Description
[0125] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0126] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating device, in which a main body and a mouthpiece each comprise parts of a two-piece Venturi portion;
[0127] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment, in which the aerosol-generating device comprises a two-piece main body and three air inlets;
[0128] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment, in which a heating element of the aerosol-generating device is configured as an inductive heating element; and
[0129] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the aerosol-generating device, in which an aerosol-forming substrate is provided in liquid form in a liquid storage portion, downstream of which a mesh heater is provided;
[0130] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating device 10. The aerosol-generating device 10 comprises a main body 12 and a mouthpiece 14. The main body 12 comprises a charging port 42, a power supply 44, electric circuity 48 and a heating element, preferably a mesh heater 58 and a liquid storage portion 60 for holding liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The mouthpiece 14 is removably attachable to the main body 12 by a connection portion. The connection portion is in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 a mechanical connection portion, preferably an O-ring 16 connection portion. Next to the mesh heater 58, FIG. 1 shows a two-piece Venturi portion. The two-piece Venturi portion is in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 a two-part element. The two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion 22, a constricted airflow channel 20 arranged in the main body 12 and an outlet portion 24 arranged in the mouthpiece 14. The constricted airflow channel 20 may be the part of a main airflow channel with the smallest diameter. The inlet portion 22 of the two-piece Venturi portion is in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 configured as a reduction of the diameter of an airflow channel from the mesh heater 58 to the constricted airflow channel 20 of the two-piece Venturi portion. The constricted airflow channel 20 forms a constricted airflow passage for air flowing through the two-piece Venturi portion. The outlet portion 24 diverges from the constricted airflow channel 20 towards a downstream end of the two-piece Venturi portion. Due to a constricted airflow passage of the constricted airflow channel 20 in comparison to the inlet portion 22 and the outlet portion 24 of the two-piece Venturi portion, the two-piece Venturi portion utilizes the venturi effect. The venturi effect leads to reduced pressure and increased velocity in the constricted airflow channel 20 of the two-piece Venturi portion and to an expansion of the air in the outlet portion to optimize aerosol formation.
[0131] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment, in which the two-piece Venturi portion is fully integrated into the mouthpiece 14. In this embodiment, the inlet portion 22, the constricted airflow channel 20 and the outlet portion 24 are all integrally arranged in the mouthpiece 14. The mouthpiece 14 can be partly inserted into the main body 12. When the mouthpiece 14 is inserted into the main body 12, the inlet portion 22 is arranged adjacent the mesh heater 58. Downstream of the inlet portion 22, the constricted airflow channel 20 is arranged. An O-ring 16 may be arranged in order to prevent leakage. However, the O-ring 16 is optional in this embodiment. Downstream of the constricted airflow channel 20, the outlet portion 24 is arranged. The diameter of the constricted airflow channel 20 is reduced in comparison to the diameter of the inlet portion 22 and of the outlet portion 24.
[0132] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the aerosol-generating device 10 comprises a two-piece Venturi portion. The main body 12 is configured as a two-piece main body. The main body 12 comprises a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b. The first portion 12a is configured attachable to the second portion 12b. An aerosol-generating article 18 comprising aerosol-forming substrate can be inserted into a heating chamber 62 of the first portion 12a of the main body. The aerosol-generating article can be held between the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the main body 12 after the first portion 12a is attached to the second portion 12b of the main body 12. The first portion 12a comprises a charging port 42, a power supply 44, electric circuity 48 and a heating element. The heating element is configured as an internal heating element, preferably a heating pin 50. The heating pin 50 runs through the the center of the aerosol-generating article 18, preferably through a substrate portion 36 of the aerosol-generating article 18 containing the aerosol-forming substrate. The second portion 12b comprises an inlet portion 22 of the two-piece Venturi portion. The second portion 12b further comprises a first part 20a of a constricted airflow channel 20 of the two-piece Venturi portion. Part of the heating pin 50 and part of the aerosol-generating article 18, preferably a filter portion 38 of the aerosol-generating article 18, may extend into the second portion 12b of the main body 12. The mouthpiece 14 comprises a second part 20b of the constricted airflow channel 20 and an outlet portion 24 of the two-piece Venturi portion. The mouthpiece 14 and the main body 12 may be, as shown in FIG. 3a, detached. In FIG. 3b, the main body 12 and the mouthpiece 14 are attached. The main body 12 comprises a first air inlet 26 at the first portion 12a of the main body 12, preferably upstream to the aerosol-generating article 18. A second air inlet 30 is provided at the mouthpiece 14, preferably adjacent the constricted airflow channel 20, more preferably adjacent the second part 20b of the constricted airflow channel 20. The aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise a third air inlet 32 at the main body 12, preferably downstream of the inlet portion 22 of the two-piece Venturi portion. The third air inlet 32 is preferably arranged at the second portion 12b of the main body 12. The air inlets 26, 30 and 32 may each be a pair of two air inlets, preferably arranged at two opposite sides of the main body 12 or the mouthpiece 14, as shown in FIG. 3b. The first air inlet 26 is fluidly connected with a main airflow channel 28. The main airflow channel 28 is the airflow channel of the two-piece Venturi portion. The second air inlet 30 is fluidly connected with a secondary airflow channel. The second air flow channel is the airflow channel of the second air inlet 30. The aerosol generating article 18 comprises in this embodiment shown in FIG. 3c a non-liquid aerosol-forming substrate comprising a filter portion 38, preferably a hollow acetate tube, and a substrate portion 36 comprising the non-liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The main body 12 and the mouthpiece 14 are connected to each other by a connection portion. The connection portion has a first connection portion 40a at the main body 12 and a second connection portion 40b at the mouthpiece 14. The connection portion is in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3a a male-female connection portion. The male connection portion is the first connection portion 40a and the female connection portion is the second connection portion 40b. FIG. 3a shows the main body 12 detached to the mouthpiece 14. FIG. 3b shows the main body 12 attached to the mouthpiece 14.
[0133] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment, in which the heating element is a inductive heating element comprising a inductive coil 52 and a susceptor 54. The susceptor 54 is embedded in the aerosol generating article 18, preferably in the substrate portion 36, as shown in FIG. 4c. The main body 12 and the mouthpiece 14 are connected to each other by a connection portion similar to the connection portion depicted in FIG. 3.
[0134] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment, in which the heating element is a mesh heater 58 and the main body 12 is a one piece main body. The main body 12 comprises in this embodiment shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, a liquid storage portion 60. The liquid storage portion 60 comprises liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The mesh heater 58 is arranged downstream of the liquid storage portion 60, preferably spanning an opening of the liquid storage portion 60. The opening of the liquid storage portion is provided at the downstream end of the liquid storage portion 60. The mesh heater 58 extends across the opening of the liquid storage portion. The main body 12 comprises an air inlet 56 upstream of the inlet portion 22 of the two-piece Venturi portion.
