Patent Publication Number: US-11641878-B2

Title: Aerosol-generating device

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to tobacco technology, and more specifically to an aerosol-generating device. 
     BACKGROUND OF ART 
     In recent years, with the increasing attention to health, people are aware of the harm of traditional cigarettes to health. The adverse effects of traditional cigarettes on health and environment have been concerned by countries all over the world. Tobacco producers have committed to provide consumers with less harmful tobacco products. Therefore, low-temperature heating and none-burning tobacco products, as a new form of tobacco consumption, have gradually gained popularity in the market and have been increasingly accepted by cigarette consumers over the world. 
     In the prior art, low-temperature heating and none burning tobacco products are usually provided with a heating cavity for accommodating a special cigarette, which the heater pierces for heating the tobacco so as to generate an aerosol. After smoking, the user can directly take out the cigarette and replace it with a new one. However, since the tobacco residue tends to adhere to the surface of the heater after heating, it is difficult to clean the heater. Also because of the adhesion force of the heater to the tobacco, the integrity of the cigarette is likely to be destroyed when directly taken out, resulting in the tobacco being scattered in the heating cavity and the removal difficulty. 
     PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A. disclosed an aerosol-generating device configured to receive a smoking article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate. The device comprises a heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate to form the aerosol. An extractor is configured to extract the smoking article received in the aerosol-generating device, and includes a sliding receptacle configured to receive the smoking article, and a sleeve configured to receive the sliding receptacle. The sliding receptacle is slidable in the sleeve between a first position, in which the substrate of the smoking article is positioned so as to be heated by the heater, and a second position, in which the substrate is substantially separated from the heater. In this technical solution, by the sliding receptacle sliding from the first position to the second position, the tobacco residue adhering to the surface of the heater can be scraped off, and the integrity of the cigarette is maintained. The cigarette is taken out when the receptacle is at the second position, and it is possible to prevent the tobacco left in the sliding receptacle. However, this aerosol-generating device does not have a mouthpiece, and one end of the cigarette is directly exposed to the outside. Moreover, the cigarette is fixed directly in the sliding receptacle by a clamping device on the sliding receptacle in the first position. If a user does not slide the sliding receptacle from the first position to the second position after smoking, and directly pulls it out at the first position, part of the tobacco will be left in the device since the cigarette is still clamped in the sliding receptacle by the clamping device, and making the removal difficult. 
     In addition, China Tobacco Industry (Hubei) Co., Ltd. also disclosed an electric heating device similar to the above where the cigarette can be taken out easily. No mouthpiece is provided, and one end of the cigarette is directly exposed to the outside. The electric heating device is not provided with a clamping device for fixing the cigarette. During smoking, the cigarette may fall off, and the tobacco residue generated in the heating process is also likely to fall off, and may hurt the user. Defect of no mouthpiece setting also include the cigarette being pulled out by mistake. 
     Therefore, to provide an aerosol-generating device that fixes the aerosol-generating substrate during smoking and prevents the user from pulling out the aerosol-generating substrate directly during removal is a problem to be solved in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     The technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating device which fixes an aerosol-generating substrate during smoking and prevents the user from pulling out the aerosol-generating substrate directly during removal of the aerosol-generating substrate. 
     In order to solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device comprising: 
     an extractor, comprising a storage portion and a mouthpiece that are detachably connected to each other, the storage portion and the mouthpiece jointly defining a cavity for accommodating an aerosol-generating substrate; and 
     a main body, which is detachably connected to the extractor and further comprises a heater configured to pierce into the cavity and for heating the aerosol-generating substrate; wherein, the storage portion is disposed between the main body and the mouthpiece, when the storage portion and the mouthpiece are respectively subjected to forces in directions that are opposite in the axial direction, the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body expands radially outward, so that the mouthpiece is detached from the storage portion; and 
     prior to the extractor being detached from the main body, the main body restricts the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body from expanding radially outward. 
     Further, the storage portion and the mouthpiece are connected by engaging or screw threading. 
     Further, the storage portion is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body. 
     Further, the inner side of the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body is provided with a gap, and the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body can be deformed inward when subjected to a radially inward force. 
     Further, the radially inward force is a radially inward force applied by the main body to the mouthpiece during the separation of the extractor from the main body. 
     Further, the storage portion is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body; the mouthpiece is engaged with the main body, and the end of the mouthpiece is inserted into the main body. 
     Further, the mouthpiece has two or more cantilevers, by which the mouthpiece is engaged with the storage portion and the main body. 
     Further, the cantilever is provided with a convex portion, the main body is provided with a concave portion, and the cantilever and the main body are engaged through the convex portion on the cantilever and the concave portion on the main body, alternatively, the cantilever is provided with a concave portion, the main body is provided with a convex portion, and the cantilever and the main body are engaged through the concave portion on the cantilever and the convex portion on the main body. 
     Further, the main body is provided with a guiding slot, along which the cantilever slides to a predetermined engaging position; and the aerosol-generating device is further provided with a heating indicator, the end of the mouthpiece away from the main body is eccentrically provided with a suction hole communicating with the cavity, and when the extractor slides to the predetermined engaging position, the suction hole is biased to the side where the heating indicator is. 
     Further, the storage portion is provided with a guiding portion on its outer surface, and the cantilever is provided with a guiding groove on its inner surface, wherein the mouthpiece and the storage portion can be engaged at a predetermined engaging position by fitting of the guiding portion with the guiding groove. 
     Further, the end of the cantilever connected to the main body has an uneven outer surface. 
     Further, the end of the storage portion away from the main body is provided with an eyelet, through which the heater can be at least partially inserted into the cavity. 
     In summary, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device. The cavity defined together by the storage portion and the mouthpiece for accommodating the aerosol-generating substrate can effectively fix the aerosol-generating substrate, hereby preventing the aerosol-generating substrate or a tobacco residue from falling during a smoking process. In addition, when a user directly pulls an extractor out of a main body, that is, the storage portion and the mouthpiece are subjected to an axially force, the mouthpiece can radially expand outward such that the mouthpiece is separated from the storage portion. Before the extractor is detached from the main body, the main body would restrict the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body from radially expanding outward. In this way, before the extractor is detached from the main body, the storage portion and the mouthpiece cannot be separated because the mouthpiece cannot radially expand outward, thereby preventing the user from directly and unintentionally pulling out the aerosol-generating substrate so as to ensure the cleanness of the cavity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure is further described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic structural view of an aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic view showing the semi-exploded structure of the aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic exploded view of the aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic cross-sectional structural view of the aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is a partial cross-sectional enlarged structural view of the aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is an enlarged schematic exploded view of an extractor according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Elements are numbered as follows:
       100 —main body     111 —circuit control board     112 —circuit board bracket     113 —button     114 —indicator     121 —case     122 —bottom cover     130 —support     131 —guiding slot     140 —heater     151 —charging board     152 —battery     200 —extractor     210 —mouthpiece     211 —cantilever     212 —suction hole     213 —guiding groove     220 —storage portion     221 —guiding portion     230 —aerosol-generating substrate   

     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings, Although the description of the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the various embodiments, it is not intended that the features of the disclosure are limited to the embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of the disclosure in conjunction with these embodiments is to cover other alternatives or modifications that may be extended according to the scope of the claims. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure, the following description will include many specific details which may not be used in the present disclosure. In addition, some specific details will be omitted in the description in order to avoid confusion of the major features of the present disclosure. 
     In addition, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “top”, and “bottom” used in the following description are set to better describe the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. It should not be construed as a limitation of the disclosure. 
     The aerosol-generating device provided by the present disclosure, as shown in  FIGS.  1  to  3   , comprises an extractor  200  and a main body  100 . The extractor  200  comprises a storage portion  220  and a mouthpiece  210  that are detachably connected to each other, the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  jointly defining a cavity for accommodating an aerosol-generating substrate; the main body  100  which is detachably connected to the extractor  200  and further comprises a heater  140  configured to pierce into the cavity and for heating the aerosol-generating substrate; wherein, the storage portion  220  is disposed between the main body  100  and the mouthpiece  210 ; when the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  are respectively subjected to forces in directions that are opposite in the axial direction, the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  expands radially outward, so that the mouthpiece  210  is detached from the storage portion  220 ; and prior to the extractor  200  being detached from the main body  100 , the main body  100  restricts the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  from expanding radially outward. In this way, before the extractor  200  is detached from the main body  100 , the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  cannot be separated because the mouthpiece  210  cannot radially expand outward, thereby preventing the user from directly and unintentionally pulling out the aerosol-generating substrate  230  so as to ensure the cleanness of the cavity. 
     Further, the main body  100  further includes a circuit control portion and a power supply device. The circuit control portion includes a button  113 , a circuit control board  111 , and a circuit board bracket  112  for fixing the circuit control board  111 . Press the button  113  to control the start and stop of the heater  140  through the circuit control board  111 , and the button  113  is provided with an indicator  114  for displaying the working state of the main body  100 . The power supply device may be an external power supply or a single-use battery, as long as it can be used to supply power to the circuit control portion and the heater. Preferably, as shown in  FIG.  3   , the power supply device is composed of a charging board  151  and a battery  152 . The charging board  151  can charge the battery  152  to ensure that the power supply device can be used repeatedly. 
     Further, the main body  100  further includes a support  130 , a case  121  and a bottom cover  122 . The case  121  and the support  130  may be two independent structures as shown in  FIG.  3   , or may be an integrally formed structure, as long as the case  121  and the support  130  can realize the aforementioned function that the main body  100  restricts the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  from expanding radially outward. 
     Further, the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  can be connected via a detachable connection common in the art, from the aspects of convenient operation and simplified structure, preferably, in one embodiment, the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  are connected by the snap-fit shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , in another embodiment, the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  can also be connected by screw threading (not shown). 
     Further, it is preferable that the storage portion  220  is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100 , hereby, when the user pulls out the mouthpiece  210  from the main body  100 , in other words, when the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  are respectively subjected to forces in directions that are opposite in the axial direction, the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  must expand radially outward, so that the mouthpiece  210  is detached from the storage portion  220 . 
     Further, prior to the extractor  200  being detached from the main body  100 , the main body  100  restricts the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  from expanding radially outward. As shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the storage portion  220  is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body; when the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210  are connected by engaging or screw threading, a portion of the mouthpiece  210  connected to the storage portion  220  needs to be deformed outward, that is, the portion has a certain amount of radial outward expansion to allow the storage portion  220  to be directly pulled out from the mouthpiece  210 . In the present disclosure, prior to the extractor  200  being detached from the main body  100 , as the storage portion  220  is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body, the main body  100  restricts the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  from expanding radially outward, it is effective to avoid directly pulling the storage portion  220  out of the mouthpiece  210 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the inner side of the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  is provided with a gap  214 , and the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  can be deformed inward when subjected to a radially inward force, the radially inward force may be a force applied by the main body  100  to the mouthpiece  210  during the separation of the extractor  200  from the main body  100 , or may be a force applied by the user pressing the locking region, which separates the extractor  200  from the main body  100 . By the gap  214  provided inside the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100 , the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100  can be deformed inward to further lock the mouthpiece  210  and the extractor  200  when subjected to a radially inward force. The mouthpiece  210  and the storage portion  220  are prevented from being separated due to the axial pulling force when the extractor  200  is pulled out. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG.  4    and  FIG.  5   , the storage portion  220  is sleeved by the end of the mouthpiece  210  adjacent to the main body  100 ; the mouthpiece  210  is engaged with the main body  100 , and the end of the mouthpiece  210  is inserted into the main body  100 , in such a configuration, before the extractor  200  is separated from the main body  100 , since the end of the mouthpiece  210  is located inside the main body  100 , the end of the mouthpiece  210  inserted into the main body  100  can be effectively prevented from being deformed outward, thereby avoiding directly pulling the storage portion  220  out of the mouthpiece  210 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the mouthpiece  210  has two or more cantilevers  211 , by which the mouthpiece  210  is engaged with the storage portion  220  and the main body  100 , respectively. The engagement between the main body  100  and the cantilever  211  may be that the cantilever  211  is provided with a convex portion  215 , the main body  100  is provided with a concave portion  115 , and the cantilever  211  and the main body  100  are engaged through the convex portion  215  on the cantilever  211  and the concave portion  115  on the main body  100 , alternatively, the cantilever  211  is provided with a concave portion, the main body  100  is provided with a convex portion, and the cantilever  211  and the main body  100  are engaged through the concave portion on the cantilever  211  and the convex portion on the main body  100 . 
     Further, the end of the cantilever  211  connected to the main body  100  has an uneven outer surface. This can help the user quickly to determine the portion at which the mouthpiece  210  is engaged with the main body  100 , and the extractor  200  can be quickly pulled out from the main body  100  by pressing the portion. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG.  3   , the aerosol-generating device is further provided with a heating indicator  114 . The main body  100  is provided with a guiding slot  131 , along which the cantilever  211  slides to a predetermined engaging position; in order to fit the mouth shape and improve the user&#39;s feeling, the end of the mouthpiece  210  away from the main body  100  is eccentrically provided with a suction hole  212  communicating with the cavity, and when the extractor  200  slides to the predetermined engaging position, the suction hole  212  is biased to the side where the heating indicator  114  is, in this way, the user can monitor whether the aerosol-generating device is in working state in real time. 
     Further, the end of the storage portion  220  away from the main body  100  is provided with an eyelet  222 , through which the heater  140  can be at least partially inserted into the cavity. When the shape of the portion of the heater  140  inserted into the cavity is non-circular, if the relative position of the storage portion  220  and the main body  100  is not fixed, in order to insert the heater  140  into the cavity, it is preferable to set the narrowest portion of the eyelet  222  larger than the widest portion of the heater  140  inserted into the cavity; and when the extractor is pulled out from the main body  100 , preferably, the shape of the eyelet  222  matches the shape of the heater  140 , so that the tobacco residue on the surface of the heater  140  is scraped off by the storage portion  220 . In the present disclosure, as shown in  FIG.  6   , the storage portion  220  is provided with a guiding portion  221  on its outer surface, and the cantilever  211  is provided with a guiding groove  213  on its inner surface, wherein the mouthpiece  210  and the storage portion  220  can be engaged at a predetermined engaging position by fitting of the guiding portion  221  with the guiding groove  213 . By providing the corresponding guiding portion  221  and the guiding groove  213 , in addition to making it easier for the user to connect the storage portion  220  and the mouthpiece  210 , the mouthpiece  210  and the storage portion  220  can always be connected at a fixed engaging position, and the extractor  200  and the main body  100  are also connected at a fixed engaging position, so that the relative position of the storage portion  220  and the main body  100  are always fixed, hereby, the shape and position of the eyelet  222  in the bottom of the storage portion  220  can be set according to the shape and position of heater  140 . The eyelet  222  can be slightly larger than the heater  140 . When the extractor  200  is pulled out from the main body  100 , the tobacco residue on the surface of the heater  140  is scraped off by the storage portion  220 , so as to prevent tobacco residues from falling inside the main body  100  and ensure the cleanness of the main body  100 . 
     In summary, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device. The cavity defined together by the storage portion and the mouthpiece for accommodating the aerosol-generating substrate can effectively fix the aerosol-generating substrate, hereby preventing the aerosol-generating substrate or a tobacco residue from falling during a smoking process. In addition, when a user directly pulls an extractor out of a main body, that is, the storage portion and the mouthpiece are subjected to an axially force, the mouthpiece can radially expand outward such that the mouthpiece is separated from the storage portion. Before the extractor is detached from the main body, the main body would restrict the end of the mouthpiece adjacent to the main body from radially expanding outward. In this way, before the extractor is detached from the main body, the storage portion and the mouthpiece cannot be separated because the mouthpiece cannot radially expand outward, thereby preventing the user from directly and unintentionally pulling out the aerosol-generating substrate so as to ensure the cleanness of the cavity. 
     The foregoing description presents the specific embodiments of the present disclosure for the purpose of illustrating the inventive concept of the present disclosure more clearly, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present disclosure. According to the inventive concept of the present disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to easily adapt and modify the above-described embodiments, the variations and modifications of which are all within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims of the present disclosure.