Patent Description:
Electronic cigarette devices generate aerosols by heating or vaporizing leaf tobacco products, leaf tobacco extracts, nicotine-free liquid materials, and the like. Accordingly, when a user inhales the aerosol generated by the electronic cigarette device through an intake of the electronic cigarette device while gripping the electronic cigarette device, the aerosol may be discharged into a mouth of the user through the intake.

As a part thereof, cigarette-type electronic cigarette devices using a fumigation method, which heats cigarettes made of tobacco leaves, are being developed. Such cigarette-type electronic cigarette devices use a method of generating smoking vapor by heating the cigarettes through heaters. Accordingly, the cigarette-type electronic cigarette devices have the advantage of solving the problem of misuse of liquid materials used in liquid electronic cigarette devices while providing a taste similar to that of the existing cigarette.

However, since the cigarette-type electronic cigarette devices according to the related art use ceramic materials as heaters, a large amount of power consumption is required to maintain the temperature for heating the cigarettes.

Accordingly, the cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to the related art has a limitation in that the usage time of a battery is very short.

Document <CIT> discloses a heater device for an aerosol generating device. The heater device comprises a coating layer on the inside of the heating element facing the surface of the inserted substrate.

The present invention is directed to providing a heater for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device capable of reducing power consumption by heating a cigarette through an induction heating method and a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device including the same.

One aspect of the present invention provides a heater for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device, the heater configured to heat a circumference of a cigarette inserted thereinto by a predetermined length, the heater including a heating member that is disposed to surround a circumference of the cigarette when the cigarette is inserted and is heated through an eddy current induced by electromagnetic induction to heat the cigarette, a heat insulation member that is disposed to surround a circumference of the heating member and blocks the heat generated by the heating member from moving outward, and a coil member that is wound multiple times around a circumference of the heat insulation member and that generates a magnetic field that causes the electromagnetic induction on a side of the heating member when power is applied.

The heating member may be a hollow metal tube made of a metal material.

The metal tube may be made of an iron-based metal.

A predetermined gap may be formed between an outer surface of the metal tube and an inner surface of the heat insulation member facing each other.

The heating member may be a metal pattern patterned in the inner surface of the heat insulation member.

The heating member may have an exposed surface on which a heat radiation coating layer for increasing heat emissivity is formed.

The heat insulation member may be made of heat-resistant glass or a heat-resistant polymer resin.

The heat insulation member may include a hollow glass bead.

The heat insulation member may have a hollow tubular shape. The heat insulation member may include a first tube having a hollow and a second tube disposed to surround the first tube, and an air layer may be formed between the first tube and the second tube.

The heater may further include a shielding member disposed to surround the coil member so as to shield the magnetic field generated by the coil member.

The above-described heater for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device may be applied to a cigarette-type electronic cigarette.

According to the present invention, a heating member for heating a cigarette is heated through an electromagnetic induction method, and thus the amount of power consumed to maintain a heating temperature at which the cigarette may be heated can be reduced. Accordingly, a battery charging cycle or a battery replacement cycle of the electronic cigarette device can be increased.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

As shown in <FIG>, a heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed on a side of an insertion hole <NUM> into which a cigarette <NUM> is inserted in a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device and may receive power supplied from the cigarette-type electronic cigarette device.

Accordingly, when the power is applied to the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device in a state in which the cigarette <NUM> is inserted into the insertion hole <NUM>, the heater100, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may generate heat for heating the cigarette <NUM>.

Accordingly, steam for smoking may be generated from the cigarette <NUM>, and a user may smoke by inhaling the steam generated from the cigarette <NUM>.

In this case, when a part of the total length of the cigarette <NUM> is inserted into the insertion hole <NUM>, a part of the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the insertion hole <NUM> may be inserted into the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Accordingly, a circumferential surface of the part of the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the insertion hole <NUM> may be heated through the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device.

In addition, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may heat the cigarette <NUM> using heat generated in an induction heating method.

To this end, as shown in <FIG>, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a heating member <NUM> or <NUM>, a heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM>, and a coil member <NUM>.

When the power is applied to the coil member <NUM>, the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be heated by loss of eddy current by generating the eddy current due to electromagnetic induction by an alternating current (AC) flowing along the coil member <NUM>. Accordingly, the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may heat the cigarette <NUM> through the heat generated by the loss of the eddy current.

To this end, the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be configured as a conductor so that the heat may be generated through the loss of the eddy current generated due to the electromagnetic induction when the power is applied.

Accordingly, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may heat the circumferential surface of the cigarette <NUM> through the induction heating method due to the electromagnetic induction, and thus power consumption during the heating can be reduced, and a time during which the cigarette <NUM> may be heated can be increased.

That is, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may reduce the amount of power consumed to maintain a heating temperature at which the cigarette may be heated. Accordingly, a battery charging cycle or a battery replacement cycle of the electronic cigarette device can be increased.

An electromagnetic induction heating method is a heating method using thermal energy converted from electrical energy by the electromagnetic induction and is a heating method using Joule heat generated using a material to be heated when a secondary current induced by the electromagnetic induction flows in the material to be heated. Since such electromagnetic induction heating is well-known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the coil member <NUM> may be electrically connected to an electronic cigarette device body and may receive power from the electronic cigarette device body.

In this case, the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may have a space for accommodating the inserted cigarette <NUM> when the cigarette <NUM> is inserted into the insertion hole <NUM>, and the circumference of the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the space may be surrounded by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>.

Accordingly, when a part of the entire length of the cigarette <NUM> is inserted into the space formed in the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> through the insertion hole <NUM>, a circumferential surface of the part of the inserted cigarette <NUM> may face an inner surface of the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>.

As a result, the part of the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the space surrounded by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be entirely heated from the outside in a circumferential direction, and thus a heating area may be widened.

In addition, the entire circumference of the part of the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the space surrounded by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may face the inner surface of the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>, and thus the entire circumferential surface can be uniformly heated.

As an example, as shown in <FIG>, the heating member <NUM> may be a hollow metal tube made of a metal material. As a non-limiting example, the metal may be an iron-based metal such as SUS304, SUS430, or stainless steel.

Accordingly, when a partial length of the cigarette <NUM> is inserted through the insertion hole <NUM>, the inserted cigarette <NUM> may be inserted into the metal tube.

In this case, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the heating member <NUM> may be disposed so that an outer surface thereof is in contact with an inner surface of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM>, and the heating member <NUM> may be fixed to the inner surface of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> through a fitting method or a bonding method.

Alternatively, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the heating member <NUM> may be disposed so that a predetermined gap SI is formed between an outer surface of the metal tube and the inner surface of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> facing each other.

Accordingly, an air layer may be formed in the gap SI, and the air layer existing in the gap SI may block heat of the heating member <NUM>, which is generated by the induction heating when power is applied, from moving outward.

As a result, as the heat generated by the induction heating in the heating member <NUM> may be concentrated toward the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the heating member <NUM>, the cigarette <NUM> can be more effectively heated, and the heat can be prevented from being transferred to the user.

In this case, the heating member <NUM> and the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may be fixed to each other through a separate fixing member <NUM>.

As another example, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the heating member <NUM> may be a metal pattern patterned on the inner surface of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM>. Such a metal pattern may have a predetermined width as shown in <FIG> and may be formed as a predetermined pattern on the inner surface of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM>. Accordingly, an area heated by the induction heating when power is applied may be concentrated in a relatively narrow area as compared to the above-described embodiment, and thus uniform heat generation can be implemented.

Such a metal pattern may be formed of a metal such as Cu, Ni, and Cr and may be formed through plating or etching or have a form in which a thin metal member is attached.

The heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may be disposed to surround the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> and may block the heat, which is generated by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> through the induction heating, from moving outward.

As an example, the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may be made of glass or a polymer resin having insulation properties and heat resistance properties. As a non-limiting example, the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may be made of quartz, sapphire, glass, or the like.

In addition, the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may have heat resistance properties so as to be prevented from being damaged by heat generated by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> and have insulation properties to prevent an electric short from occurring when power is applied to the coil member <NUM> wound around the outside.

Accordingly, the heat generated in the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> through the electromagnetic induction heating by the magnetic field generated by the coil member <NUM> when the power is applied may be blocked from moving outward through the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM>.

As a result, as the heat generated by the induction heating in the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be concentrated toward the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>, the cigarette <NUM> can be more effectively heated, and the heat can be prevented from being transferred to the user.

For example, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the heat insulation member <NUM> may have a hollow tubular shape.

Accordingly, the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be disposed inside the heat insulation member <NUM>, and the coil member <NUM> may be wound multiple times along the outer surface of the heat insulation member <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the heat insulation member <NUM> may be configured in the form of a double tube so as to further increase heat insulation properties.

That is, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the heat insulation member <NUM> may include a first tube <NUM> having a hollowwith a predetermined diameter and a second tube <NUM> having a diameter relatively larger than the first tube <NUM>, and the second tube <NUM> may be disposed to surround the first tube <NUM>.

In this case, the second tube <NUM> may be disposed so that the inner surface thereof is spaced a predetermined interval from an outer surface of the first tube <NUM>. Accordingly, a gap S2 may be formed between the first tube <NUM> and the second tube <NUM> and an air layer may be formed in the gap S2.

Accordingly, the heat insulation member <NUM> may implement the heat insulation effect caused by the air layer formed between the first tube <NUM> and the second tube <NUM> as well as a heat insulation effect caused by the material itself, thereby achieving a double heat insulation effect.

As a result, the heat generated by the induction heating in the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> may be more concentrated toward the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>, and thus heat loss can be further reduced.

Here, in a case in which the heat insulation member <NUM> is configured in the form of a double tube, the first tube <NUM> and the second tube <NUM> may be integrally formed with an upper end and a lower end thereof connected to each other, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the first tube <NUM> and the second tube <NUM> may be formed as two members separated from each other and fixed to each other through the separate fixing member <NUM>.

Meanwhile, in a case in which the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> is made of glass having insulation properties and heat resistance properties, the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may further include a glass bead B to further increase the heat insulation properties. The glass bead B may be a hollow cell filled with air. Accordingly, a heat transfer rate of the heat insulation member <NUM> or <NUM> may be further reduced through the glass bead B, thereby achieving more excellent heat insulation properties.

Meanwhile, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a heat radiation coating layer <NUM> for increasing thermal emissivity when the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> emits heat.

The heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may be formed on one surface of the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> exposed to the outside. That is, the heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may be formed on one side surface facing the cigarette <NUM> inserted into the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>.

Accordingly, heat generated by the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> when power is applied may be smoothly transferred to the cigarette <NUM> through the heat radiation coating layer <NUM> and thus may heat the cigarette <NUM> in a faster time.

As an example, the heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may be a coating layer including a heat radiation filler, and the heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may be a ceramic nano-coating layer.

Here, the heat radiation filler may be a filler having thermal conductivity in addition to heat radiation properties. As a non-limiting example, the heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may be in the form in which a carbon-based filler, such as graphite or a carbon nanotube (CNT), and a ceramic filler, such as AlN, BN, MgO, and alumina, are mixed.

The heat radiation coating layer <NUM> may improve the temperature deviation between positions of the heating member <NUM> or <NUM> through the heat radiation filler. Accordingly, the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to this embodiment may be uniformly heated in the entire area facing the cigarette <NUM> and may be heated to a target temperature within a short time.

Meanwhile, the heater <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a shielding member <NUM> for shielding a magnetic field generated in the coil member <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

The shielding member <NUM> may be disposed so as to surround the coil member <NUM> of the heater <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device shown in <FIG>.

Accordingly, the magnetic field generated by the coil member <NUM> may be shielded through the shielding member <NUM> and concentrated toward the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>.

As a result, the eddy current due to the electromagnetic induction by an AC flowing along the coil member <NUM> may be more smoothly generated in the heating member <NUM> or <NUM>.

Here, the shielding member <NUM> may be made of a magnetic material to shield the magnetic field.

As an example, the shielding member <NUM> may be a well-known shielding sheet, such as a ferrite sheet, a polymer sheet, a ribbon sheet including at least one of an amorphous alloy and a nanocrystalline grain alloy, but the material of the shielding member <NUM> is not limited thereto, and all known materials used as a shielding material for shielding a magnetic field may be applied.

Further, the shielding member <NUM> may be a single-layer sheet or may be configured as a multi-layer sheet in which a plurality of sheets are stacked.

Claim 1:
A heater (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) for a cigarette-type electronic cigarette device, the heater configured to heat a circumferential surface of a cigarette inserted thereinto by a predetermined length, the heater comprising:
a heating member (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is disposed to surround the circumferential surface of the cigarette when the cigarette is inserted and is heated through an eddy current induced by electromagnetic induction to heat the circumferential surface of the cigarette;
a heat insulation member (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is disposed to surround a circumferential surface of the heating member and blocks the heat generated by the heating member from moving outward;
a coil member (<NUM>) that is wound multiple times around a circumference of the heat insulation member and that generates a magnetic field that causes the electromagnetic induction on a side of the heating member when power is applied; and wherein the heat insulation member includes a first tube (<NUM>) having a hollow and a second tube (<NUM>) disposed to surround the first tube, and an air layer is formed between the first tube and the second tube;
characterized in that the heater further comprising:
a heat radiation coating layer (<NUM>) formed on one surface of the heating member facing the circumferential surface of the cigarette inserted into the heating member; and
wherein the heat radiation coating layer is a coating layer including a heat radiation filler to smoothly transfer the heat generated from the heating member to the cigarette.