An aerosol-generating device includes a casing housing a pod compartment extending in a longitudinal direction and an opening to provide access to the pod compartment, a heater arranged at a bottom end of the pod compartment, and a lever configured to apply a longitudinal constraint on a pod received inside the pod compartment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to European Application No. 23192096.8 filed Aug. 18, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, in particular to aerosol-generating devices, and more specifically to e-cigarettes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

E-cigarettes operate by heating a liquid solution-called e-liquid—to a certain temperature so that it produces an aerosol to be inhaled by the user. The e-liquid is typically stored in the storage reservoir of a e-liquid container called pod, that is either refillable by the user or disposable. The pod is placed in a compartment of a device, where it is heated by a dedicated heater.

A long-standing challenge in aerosol generating devices concerns the introduction and removal of pods in the device. These operations should not necessitate particular attention or effort by the user. Still, the pod should be held firmly in the device to steadily contact the heater so that heat is provided continuously and efficiently during a vaping session. In particular, the pod holder should be mechanically stable and should avoid disengagement due to vibrations or impacts. It should further be designed so that the pod cannot pop out of the device when dropped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to propose an aerosol-generating device in which introduction and removal of the pods are operated conveniently and which further provides a strong hold for the pod in use.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved through the features of independent claim1. Further advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims and the description.

An aerosol-generating device according to the invention comprises:a casing housing a pod compartment extending in a longitudinal direction between a top end and a bottom end, the pod compartment being arranged for accommodating a pod to be heated during an operation of the aerosol-generating device,an opening for insertion and removal of the pod in said pod compartment,a heater arranged at the bottom end of the pod compartment, anda lever pivotably mounted on the casing between an opened configuration in which it exposes the pod compartment through the opening and a closed configuration in which it closes the opening, wherein the lever is configured to apply a longitudinal constraint on the pod and towards the heater in the closed configuration and release said constraint in the opened configuration.

The lever is configured to apply a longitudinal constraint on a pod received inside the pod compartment upon pivoting from the opened towards the closed configuration, and then maintain a nominal longitudinal constraint on said pod in the closed configuration. Upon pivoting between its opened towards its closed configuration, the lever comes into longitudinal abutting contact with the pod and then longitudinally pushes on the pod, which hence is urged towards the heater.

The pod can be either actively displaced towards the heater (if the device provides a degree of freedom for longitudinal translation of the pod inside the compartment, as will be described hereafter) or simply blocked against any movement in the longitudinal direction and away from the heater.

Hence the device may be so configured that a rotation of the lever from its opened towards its closed configuration induces a translation of the pod towards the heater. Or, as an alternative, the pod may not be moved upon actuating the lever, which may act as a simple abutment or stop.

The lever finally releases the longitudinal constraint applied on the pod upon pivoting again in its opened configuration.

The insertion of a pod in the device occurs as follows: the pod is firstly placed inside the pod compartment, by the user. Once the pod is arranged in the compartment, typically with its main axis aligned or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the compartment, the lever is activated by the user to secure and/or adjust a longitudinal position of the pod inside the compartment. The position of the pod inside the pod compartment and in the closed configuration of the lever is called hereinafter operation position.

The invention hence provides a user-friendly removing and inserting system of the pod inside the device. With the particular lever mechanism, the opening of the pod compartment can be sufficiently large to facilitate insertion or removal of the pod when the lever is opened, but at the same time the pod can be tightly maintained inside the device (and in particular urged downwards towards the heater) when the lever is closed.

Furthermore, as the heater is part of the device, the pod complexity is reduced, and so are the related costs.

According to an example, the lever may have a curved sliding surface for sliding cooperation with the pod received in the pod compartment. The curved sliding surface allows the pod to be smoothly inserted and blocked against the heater, with no abrupt movement. Such user-friendly design also prevents that the pod and/or device be damaged upon use.

Advantageously, the lever may also be provided with a substantially planar blocking surface configured to be arranged orthogonally to the longitudinal direction in the closed configuration of the lever to apply the longitudinal constraint. In the closed configuration, the planar blocking surface cooperates with the pod to apply thereon the longitudinal constraint. Planar cooperation between the blocking surface and the pod tends to maintain the pod and lever in the closed configuration and prevents unexpected disengagement of the pod.

The heater has typically a contact zone, comprising for example a ceramic material surface portion, configured to interact with a heating interface of the pod.

Advantageously, a resulting pressing force between the pod and the heater in the closed configuration of the lever is between 10 and 20 N. This pressing force issues either from the pressure exerted by the sole lever or from a combination of this pressure exerted by the lever and that exerted on the heater by heater biasing means such as will be defined hereafter.

Due to the lever mechanism, the force required for opening or closing the lever is much lower (for example between 3-5 N depending on the lever length) than the pressure force actually applied by the lever on the pod (typically between 10 and 20 N as mentioned hereabove).

Typically, the device has a top end either provided with or configured to receive a mouthpiece and a bottom end, and the top end of the pod compartment is oriented towards the top end of the device and the bottom end of the pod compartment is oriented towards the bottom end of the device. In particular, a longitudinal direction of the device is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the pod compartment.

Typically, the pod compartment is fixed with respect to the casing.

Typically, the pod compartment is at least partially delimited by the casing and the opening for insertion and removal of the pod in the pod compartment is formed in the casing.

According to an example, the opening for insertion and removal of the pod in the pod compartment is a lateral opening, i.e. an opening oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal direction of the pod compartment.

According to an example, the lever may be pivotably mounted on the casing around a rotation axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

According to an example, the rotation axis may be located at a top or proximal end of the device.

According to an example, the lever may be an eccentric lever having a grasping portion and a cam-shaped base portion intersecting the rotation axis.

According to an example, the lever may be configured such that a distance, measured longitudinally between the rotation axis and the bottom surface of the base portion, is strictly smaller, preferably at least 20% smaller, in the opened configuration than in the closed configuration.

According to an example, the device may comprise at least one heater biasing member urging the heater towards the top end of the pod compartment. With such configuration, a sufficient pressure force is achieved between the pod and heater also with a limited force induced by the lever (and consequently by the user) itself. Hence heat transfer to the heating interface of the pod and global efficiency of the device are improved and the aerosol generated mass is relatively increased.

According to an example, the lever may be configured such that a distance, measured longitudinally between the rotation axis and the bottom surface of the base portion, is higher in an intermediate configuration between the opened and closed configurations than in the closed configuration.

In the case of a spring-loaded heater, this results in the pod being upwardly ejected when opening the pod compartment, hence further facilitating the removal thereof by the user.

Since the heater is integrated in the device and needs to be reused for the whole lifespan of the device, it should be well protected, especially when replacing the pod. In this context, it may be advantageous to provide a heater protector with a semi-automatic retraction mechanism.

According to an example, such heater protector may comprise a—for example plate-shaped-screen that is movable between a protection position in which the heater is shielded by said movable screen and a retracted position in which the heater is functional with respect to the pod for operation of the device, with the heater protector comprising at least one protector biasing member configured to urge the movable screen towards the protection position.

The protection position is typically a position where the heater is shielded by the movable screen against external objects getting closer to said heater within at least an angular sector of impingement.

The retracted position is typically a position where at least a contact zone of the heater protrudes from the movable screen.

According to an example, the device is arranged so that loading the pod in its operation-position inside the casing causes said pod to push the movable screen into the retracted position against the at least one protector biasing member.

According to an example, the movable screen is provided with an opening forming a passage for at least a contact zone of the heater. The opening is so arranged that the pod when in the operation-position contacts the heater at a contact zone of said heater through the opening of said movable screen, and the movable screen when in the protection position is maintained by the at least one protector biasing member at a distance above a level of the contact zone of the heater.

According to an example, the at least one protector biasing member comprises at least two springs, preferably three or four springs, which each extend between the movable screen and at least one supporting portion that is fixed relative to the casing.

According to an example, the heater protector further comprises guiding rods arranged for guiding and/or stopping a translation of the movable screen between the protection position and the retracted position.

According to an example, each guiding rod is provided with a hard stop at one end of said guiding rod, said hard stop being arranged to abut against the at least one supporting portion, thereby defining the protection position for the movable screen.

According to an example, the device further comprises linear bearings each arranged between one of the guiding rods and the at least one supporting portion, whereby each guiding rod slides in the corresponding linear bearing when the movable screen moves from the protection position to the retracted position or reverse.

According to an example, each spring is arranged around a respective one of the guiding rods.

According to an example, the at least one heater biasing member is selected such that a force applied by said heater biasing member(s) onto the heater is higher than a total return force that is applied by the at least one protector biasing member onto the movable screen.

According to an example, the lever may further comprise an integrated airpath configured to communicate with an airpath of a pod received in the pod compartment. Hence, the consumer's mouth comes in direct contact with the device and not the pod when vaping. Due to the longitudinal constraint applied on the pod by the lever in closed position, sealing is achieved easily between the airpath of the lever and that of the pod.

According to an example, the device may further comprise a sealing means at a bottom end of the integrated airpath.

According to an example, the integrated airpath may be formed in the cam-shaped portion of the lever and may define an opening at the planar blocking surface, in the case of an eccentric lever. In this case, the sealing means may be arranged around the opening.

In an alternative example, however, a fixed airpath may be formed in the upper portion of the casing and may be configured to communicate with an airpath of the pod once the pod is inserted in its compartment. In such example, the spring-loaded mechanism of the heater may urge the pod against sealing means surrounding the fixed air path at its bottom end.

Preferably, the integrated air path of the device communicates in straight arrangement with the air path of the pod.

In a second aspect, the invention is also achieved by a system for generating an aerosol, which comprises:a device as described hereabove, anda pod configured to be inserted in the pod compartment of said device.

In particular, the pod may comprise an airpath opened at a top end and a heating interface at a bottom end configured to cooperate with the heater.

The lever may also comprise an integrated airpath, with said integrated airpath being configured to be aligned and communicate with an airpath of the pod inserted in the pod compartment in the closed configuration of the lever.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to the appended figures, but the invention is not limited thereto. The described figures are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the figures, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to the practice of the invention.

FIG.1illustrates an aerosol-generating device100according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a pod200for use in combination with said device100.

The device100is delimited by a rigid frame10, herein called casing.

The device100extends in a longitudinal direction Z, between a top end101and a bottom end102.

Herein, the top end101of the device100is to be understood as the end of said device100that is directed towards the user's mouth, during vaping. The top end101is either provided with or configured to receive a mouthpiece on which the user draws when vaping.

The bottom end102of the device is opposite to the top end101, in the longitudinal direction Z.

More generally, when referring to any part of the device100or to a pod200that shall be inserted therein, a top end of the said part is oriented (or intended to be oriented) towards the top end of the device and a bottom end thereof is oriented (or intended to be oriented) towards the bottom end of the device, in the longitudinal direction.

A lateral direction is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Z, and a transversal plane X-Y is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Z.

As illustrated, the casing10may have an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction Z. This, however, shall not be considered limiting.

As shown inFIG.1, the device100has a pod compartment20for accommodating a pod200to be heated during use of said device100.

The pod compartment20extends between a top end21and a bottom end22and has an opening24for the insertion and removal of the pod200. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening24is a lateral opening (i.e., that opens in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z).

The device100further comprises heating means30for heating the pod200inside the compartment20. Said heating means30comprise a heater32arranged at a bottom end22of the pod compartment20, and an electrical power source36, typically a battery, housed inside the casing10and supplying the heater32.

The heater32is for example pin-shaped with at least one contact zone33at its top end oriented towards the interior of the pod compartment20. The contact zone comprises for example a surface made of ceramic material.

At its top end21, the pod compartment20is at least partially delimited in the longitudinal direction Z by at least one top end surface here in the form of two spaced apart lateral shoulders26a,26b. At its bottom end22, the pod compartment20is at least partially delimited in the longitudinal direction Z by at least one bottom end surface28surrounding the heater32. In the example, the bottom end surface28is formed by a part16of the casing10extending in a transversal plane.

A pod200, as illustrated inFIG.1, typically comprises a body210mostly of cylindrical or parallelepipedal shape having opposite top and bottom ends211,212, an internal liquid storage reservoir220to receive an e-liquid, an air-path230passing through the internal liquid storage reservoir220, eventually a closable opening (not shown) for refilling the reservoir220when it is empty, and a thermal interface250, rendered accessible through an opening214of the body210, typically at the bottom end212thereof. The thermal interface250can be formed by or be in contact with a wick arranged in fluid communication with the reservoir220. The wick can be formed by a solid porous element which conducts and evaporates the liquid to the air-path230upon heating through the thermal interface250.

In operation of the device, the thermal interface250of the pod200is in contact with the contact zone33of the heater32, so that the pod200and hence the e-liquid contained therein can be heated for producing an aerosol.

According to the invention, the device100comprises a lever40for closing the pod compartment20and maintaining the pod200inside the casing10and in close contact with the heater32.

As illustrated for instance inFIG.1, the lever40is pivotably mounted on the casing10between an opened configuration in which it exposes the pod compartment20and a closed configuration in which it closes the lateral opening24.

FIG.2illustrates the device100with the lever40in the opened configuration, before insertion of a pod200in the pod compartment20.FIGS.3and4illustrate a system300according to the invention, comprising the device ofFIG.1and a pod200inserted in the pod compartment20, with the lever40respectively in the opened and in the closed configuration.

The lever40is pivotably mounted on the casing10around a rotation axis X1orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Z.

According to a preferable embodiment, as illustrated, the lever40is an eccentric lever with a base portion44intersecting the rotation axis X1, and a covering portion46that serves as an obturator for the opening24of the pod compartment20, in the closed configuration of the lever40. The covering portion46is typically provided with a grasping part45, for example at its distal or bottom end, that facilitates actuation of the lever40by the user. In addition or as an alternative, the casing may also be provided with a notch or any otherwise adapted opening enabling the user to introduce a finger therein to lift the lever40.

In a sectional plane orthogonal to the rotation axis X1, as shown inFIGS.2to5, the base portion44has a cam-shaped profile, with a curved sliding surface arranged to contact and slide against the pod inserted inside the pod compartment upon pivoting the lever. A distance of the sliding surface to the rotation axis X1varies along the said surface. More specifically, the sliding surface47is arranged so that a distance L1, measured longitudinally between the rotation axis X1and the bottom surface of the base portion44(i.e along a longitudinal line passing through the axis X1), is strictly smaller, preferably at least 20% smaller, in the opened configuration (L1) than in the closed configuration (L1′).

Hence, the base portion44of the lever40comes into longitudinal abutting contact with the pod200in the closed configuration but is spaced therefrom in the opened configuration. In the closed configuration the lever40applies a longitudinal constraint on the pod200, which constraint is released again in the opened configuration.

This has several advantages:

While the longitudinal constraint applied on the pod200in the closed configuration ensures that it is tightly maintained inside the compartment20, the release of the longitudinal constraint in the opened position facilitates the insertion or removal of the pod200, hence facilitating operation by the user. Further, the contact between the thermal interface250of the pod200and the heater32is ensured during use, even in case the device10falls down or undergoes other impacts or vibrations.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the lever has-apart from its curved sliding surface47for sliding cooperation with the pod200—also a substantially planar blocking surface48extending from said curved sliding surface47and configured to be arranged transversally in the closed configuration of the lever40. This prevents unexpected disengagement once the pod200is blocked in its operation position.

According to an advantageous embodiment, as illustrated, the device10comprises at least one heater biasing means34urging the heater32towards the top end21of the pod compartment20.

The at least one heater biasing means34may comprise at least one spring, as shown inFIG.1, or at least one deformable blade or any other adapted resilient biasing means.

This embodiment reduces an effort that has to be provided by the user for closing the pod compartment20, while ensuring at the same time a sufficient pressing force between the pod200and the heater32. This also ensures a better contact between the heater32and the thermal interface250of the pod200.

The heater biasing means34also prevent vibrations/constraints applied on the pod200to be transmitted to the heater32. In particular when the heater32is made of a fragile material such as ceramic, this prevents that it gets broken if too much pressure is applied from the pod200or if the device100falls.

This pressure force between the pod200and heater32is a key issue for improving global efficiency of the device10and in particular increasing the aerosol collected mass (mass of aerosol collected after a defined number of puffs) by increasing the heat transfer efficiency between the heater and the pod.

To ensure good heat transfer, the pressure force should preferably be comprised between 10 and 20 N.

In the case of a spring-biased heater32as mentioned hereabove, the force that has to be applied on the lever40to close the pod compartment20and press the pod200sufficiently against the heater32is diminished: a part of the required pressing force is already provided by the heater biasing means34.

As an alternative, however, the heater32could also be fixed and the required pressing force may then correspond to the longitudinal constraint applied by the sole lever40.

When the pod200is manually inserted in the pod compartment20, in an opened configuration of the lever40, the pod200comes into abutment with the top end surfaces26a,26bsurrounding the lever40and with the heater32and/or the bottom end surface(s)28of the pod compartment20. As shown inFIG.3, the pod200extends in the longitudinal direction Z, inside the pod compartment20, once inserted therein by the user.

To ensure that the pod does not contact the lever40in the opened configuration, the top end surfaces26a,26bare arranged farther from the rotation axis X1(in the longitudinal direction Z) than the bottom surface of the base portion44in the opened configuration.

The top end surfaces26a,26bare further arranged closer to the rotation axis X1(in the longitudinal direction) than the bottom surface of the base portion44in the closed configuration.

As a consequence, when the lever40is moved in the closed configuration, the lever40comes into contact with the top end of the pod200and progressively pushes on the pod200downwards towards the bottom end102of the device100. The pod200is either moved towards the heater32, in particular in a case where the heater32is spring biased as in the illustrated embodiment, or simply maintained firmly against the heater32.

In the case of a spring biased heater32as illustrated inFIG.5, the cam-shaped base portion44may be further configured so that a distance L1, measured longitudinally between the rotation axis X1and the bottom surface of the base portion44, is higher in an intermediate configuration between the opened and closed configurations (L1″) than in the closed configuration (L1′).

The pressure exerted on the pod200is then higher in this intermediate configuration than in the closed configuration. Upon opening the lever40, the spring34is still further compressed and then released again, resulting in the pod200being ejected in the upward direction. The removal of the pod200is hence facilitated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lever40is located at a top end101of the device100and the lever40itself forms a mouthpiece. Accordingly, the lever40comprises an integrated airpath50through which the user draws the aerosol when vaping, and configured to communicate with the airpath230of the pod200received in the pod compartment20.

In the embodiment, the integrated airpath50is formed in the cam-shaped base portion44of the lever. The airpath50forms a rectilinear canal, provided with top and bottom openings51,52.

Advantageously, the canal has its top end portion54flared towards the top opening51, to facilitate interaction with the user's mouth.

To ensure that the aerosol does not leak between the pod200and lever40, the device100further comprises sealing means56at the bottom end52of the integrated airpath50.

The sealing means56may be a sealing ring, possibly a silicone sealing ring.

In the closed configuration of the lever40, the sealing means56surround the top opening of the airpath230of the pod200and provide an air-tight barrier between the airpath50of the lever40and that230of the pod200.

FIGS.6and7illustrate an aerosol-generating device100according to a second embodiment. All features common to the previous embodiment are not described again and shall be considered applicable to this second embodiment.

Here, the heater32is further protected by a heater protector60, that comprises a movable screen62and at least one protector biasing member64urging the movable screen62towards a protection position in which the heater32is shielded by said movable screen62against impingement of external objects within at least one angular sector.

In the protection position, it is (although possible) not mandatory that the movable screen62be arranged above the heater32in the longitudinal direction Z. As illustrated, the movable screen62may for example be arranged flush with the top heater surface (here the contacting surface33a).

The pod200is so configured that it maintains the movable screen62in a retracted position in which the heater32can interact with the heating interface250of said pod200for the operation of the aerosol-generating device100, when in the operation position.

Typically, the pod200is arranged to push the movable screen62into the retracted position against the at least one protector biasing member64, when displaced towards its operation position.

The heater protector60according to one possible embodiment is illustrated inFIG.7: The movable screen62is typically plate-shaped with an outer section substantially corresponding to an inner section of the pod compartment20and provided with an opening66configured to expose the heater32.

When in its operation-position, the pod200contacts the heater32at the contact zone33thereof through the opening66of the movable screen62.

A total return force that is applied by the at least one protector biasing member64onto the movable screen62shall be less that the force applied by a heater biasing member34on the heater32.

The at least one protector biasing member64comprises at least two springs, preferably three or four springs, preferably arranged symmetrically around the opening66.

Each protector biasing member64extends between the movable screen62and at least one supporting portion16that is fixed relative to the casing10.

Advantageously, guiding rods70can be provided for guiding the translation of the movable screen62between the protection position and the retracted position. Each spring64is typically arranged around a respective one of the guiding rods70.

For example, each guiding rod70may be provided with a hard stop72at one end, said hard stop72being arranged to abut against the at least one supporting portion16, thereby defining the protection position for the movable screen62.

The device may further comprise linear bearings74each arranged between one of the guiding rods70and the at least one supporting portion, whereby each guiding rod70slides in the corresponding linear bearing74when the movable screen62moves from the protection position to the retracted position or reverse.