Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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An aerosolization module for an aerosol generating system having an
optimized air path configuration
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an aerosolization module for an aerosol
generating system.
Aerosol generating systems allow vaporization of a product, generally a
liquid, often called e-liquid or e-juice. The aerosol generating systems
according to
the invention are also commonly called vaporizers or electronic cigarettes.
More particularly, vaporization of the product is obtained, generally by
heating, in an aerosolization module, also called atomizer. Aerosolization is
the
conversion of a substance, for example in liquid state or solid state, into
particles
small and light enough to be transported in the air.
Aerosol generating systems or e-cigarettes are thus portable devices
comprising an electric heat source, included in an aerosolization module, that
heats
the product (e-liquid) to create an aerosol that the user inhales, and a
battery to
power the heat source.
Background of the invention
Several atomizer technologies and configurations are known for aerosol
generating systems. Such atomizers usually include a reservoir filled with e-
liquid
known as "cartomizer" (which is the combination the words cartridge and
atomizer),
or "clearomizer" when the cartomizer's reservoir has a clear or transparent
side wall.
They typically use an electric powered heating device or heater. A battery
which is
comprised in a battery module provides electric power to the heating device.
The
battery module and the aerosolization module can be formed as a one-piece
system,
but they are generally provided as separate modules.
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The aerosolization module generally comprises the reservoir which is
filled with vaporisable material to be aerosolized by the heater.
The term vaporizable material is used to designate any material that is
vaporizable in air to form an aerosol. Vaporisation is generally obtained by a
temperature increase up to the boiling point of the vaporization material,
such as at
a temperature up to 400 C, preferably up to 350 C. The vaporizable material
may,
for example, comprise or consist of an aerosol-generating liquid, gel, or wax
or the
like, or any combination of these.
They also generally comprise a puff sensor making it possible to
determine when the user wishes the delivery of a puff by the system. The puff
sensor
generally comprises a pressure sensor, e.g. a pressure transducer. When a
suction
is applied on a mouthpiece of the aerosol generating system, a pressure drop
generated by the suction and is transferred to the puff sensor by an air path.
In
response, a puff of aerosolized material is generated, typically by activation
of the
heater.
In most of the aerosol generating system, the same air path is used for
the aerosol formed by vaporization of the vaporizable material, typically from
the
heater to the mouthpiece of the aerosol generating system, and for the
communication of the pressure drop to the puff sensor.
However, this can disturb the operation of the sensor. Indeed, some of
the aerosol can reach the puff sensor, and the vaporized liquid can condense
there.
US 2019/150520 Al discloses an aerosol delivery device including a
mouthpiece end; an aerosol generation chamber in fluidic communication with
the
mouthpiece end via a primary air channel. The aerosol generation chamber
comprises an aerosol source for generating an aerosol from a source material
for
inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece end during use; and a sensor for
detecting when a user inhales on the mouthpiece end. The sensor is in fluidic
communication with the mouthpiece end via a second air channel, distinct from
the
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first air channel. The sensor is located further from the mouthpiece end than
the
aerosol source, and the secondary air channel bypasses the aerosol generation
chamber.
However, this configuration can be optimized, as certain issues may arise
depending on the configuration of the aerosol generating device. For example,
the
user's fingers can obstruct the air inlet into the first air path or channel.
Furthermore,
the aerosolization module is generally adapted to be connected to a battery
module
to constitute an aerosol generating device. This connection might comprise the
insertion of an end of the aerosolization module into a cavity or housing
provided in
the battery module, which can cause problems in designing the air intake in
the
module.
The present invention aims to provide an aerosolization module that has
an optimized configuration, in particular with respect to the organization of
the air
paths within the module.
Summary of the invention
The present invention thus relates to an aerosolization module for an aerosol
generating device comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a vaporizable
material
to be vaporized in air by an aerosolization device thereby forming an aerosol.
The
aerosolization module comprises a bottom end and an opposite top end which is
provided with a mouthpiece.
The aerosolization module comprises :
- a first air path comprising a first air inlet for air admission into the
first
air path, and a first air outlet from which the aerosol formed by vaporization
of the
vaporizable material exit; and
- a second air path distinct from the first air path, configured to be in
fluidic communication with a puff sensor.
The first air inlet is located between the bottom end and the opposite top
end of the aerosolization module. The first air path comprises a first section
in which
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dry air sucked into the first air inlet flows from top to bottom, and a second
section in
which the aerosol formed by vaporization of the vaporizable material in said
dry air
flows from bottom to top.
The aerosolization device is located inside the aerosolization module and
the first air inlet is located above the aerosolization device in a bottom to
top
direction.
The aerosolization device is on the first air path, such that the air flowing
in the first air path goes through the aerosolization device. In other words,
the
aerosolization device being interposed in the first air path, the air which
circulates in
the first air path passes from one side of the aerosolization device to the
other. If the
aerosolization device has a heater, the air circulates through or around it
and
becomes charged with vapor of vaporizable material.
The mouthpiece is at the top end of the aerosolization module, and the
first air inlet is made through a bottom portion of the mouthpiece.
The module configuration provided by the invention allows for
optimization of air flows in the module. Thanks to the air path for the
aerosol being
distinct from that of the puff sensor, the risk of the sensor measurement
being
disturbed by the vaporized product is eliminated. As the first air inlet is
provided on
a lateral wall of the aerosolization module, no complex interface with the
battery
module has to be provided. Furthermore, thanks to the configuration of the
first air
path, the position of the air inlet can be adapted to the general
configuration of the
aerosol generating device, in particular regarding its position in the axial
direction
(bottom to top direction) of the module between its bottom end and its top
end. This
makes it possible to avoid any risk of liquid leak from the first air inlet.
This also
makes it possible to avoid any risk of obstruction of the first air inlet when
the aerosol
generating device is used.
The first air inlet can be located at between 30% and 70% of the distance
from the bottom end to the top end of the aerosolization module, and
preferably at
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around 50% of the distance from the bottom end to the top end of the
aerosolization
module.
The bottom part of the aerosolization module can thus be inserted into a
battery module, and/or be grasped by the user without risk of obstructing the
first air
5 inlet.
The first air outlet can be located on the mouthpiece of the aerosolization
module.
The mouthpiece can be constituted by a cap which is fitted at the top end of
the aerosolization module, and the first air inlet can be made through a
bottom
portion of the cap.
The second air path can issue from the aerosolization module on or into the
mouthpiece.
These are different alternative configurations that can be envisioned in
the invention. When the air paths are separate as far as their respective
outlets, the
puff sensor is completely isolated and protected from the aerosol. When the
paths
meet in the immediate vicinity of the mouthpiece, adequate sensor protection
is
obtained, and the ergonomics of the system are optimized.
The second air path can issue in the first air path in close proximity to the
mouthpiece, so that the first air outlet and a second air outlet are common.
The
aerosolization device can comprise a heater, and the heater can be positioned
on
the first air path. The heater can be positioned on the second section of the
first air
path. The second section can comprise a central tube of the aerosolization
module
and, the heater can be installed at the bottom of the central tube.
The invention thus also makes it possible to obtain an optimized
configuration of an aerosolization module comprising a heater. In particular,
the
heater can be positioned in the lower (bottom) part of the aerosolization
module, and
in particular under the reservoir of the module, without its air supply being
problematic. This allows the heater to be reliably supplied under the effect
of gravity
with product (typically liquid) intended to be vaporized.
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The puff sensor can be provided in the second air path. The puff sensor
can be a pressure sensor. The second air path can have a second air inlet
situated
at an interface of the aerosolization module, said interface being configured
for
connection to a corresponding battery module.
The invention also relates to an aerosol generating device comprising a
battery module and an aerosolization module as above described connected to
the
battery module. The second air path can have a fluid-tight connection with a
space
of the battery module enclosing the puff sensor. A seal can be provided at the
second
air inlet.
According to complementary or alternative embodiments of the invention,
the puff sensor can be comprised in the aerosolization module or in the
battery
module. When a puff sensor is comprised in the battery module of the aerosol
generating device, an air tight interface is provided between the second air
inlet and
the space of the battery module comprising the puff sensor.
Brief description of the drawings
Other particularities and advantages of the invention will also emerge
from the following description.
In the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples:
- Figure 1 represents, in a schematic sectional view, an aerosolization
module according to an embodiment of the invention;
- Figure 2 represents, in the same schematic sectional view as Figure
1, a first air path arranged in the aerosolization module of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 represents, in the same schematic sectional view as Figure
1, a second air path arranged in the aerosolization module of Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view of the aerosolization module of
Figure 1, showing a detail of the present embodiment of the invention;
- Figure 5 represents, in a schematic three dimensional view, an aerosol
generating system.
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Detailed Description
Figure 1 represents an aerosolization module according to an
embodiment of the invention.
The aerosolization module comprises a reservoir 1. The reservoir 1
defines an inner volume 2 that is adapted to contain a vaporizable material.
The
reservoir can be, by way of example, a one-piece plastic part, for example
obtained
by injection molding.
The vaporizable material can be in liquid form, in solid form, or in a semi
liquid form (paste, gel, wax, etc.), or in a combination thereof.
Thus, the vaporizable material can be a liquid or a non-liquid material
that can be transformed into a liquid to be aerosolized. If not already
provided by the
reservoir as a liquid, heat energy provided to the material contained in the
reservoir
induces its transformation into a liquid state. This may for example be the
case if the
reservoir 1 contains a vaporizable material consisting of or comprising a wax.
Vaporisation is obtained by heating the vaporizable material. To this end,
the aerosolization module comprises, in the represented embodiment, an
aerosolization device, namely a heater 3.
The heater 3 is configured to perform aerosolization of the vaporizable
material.
The heater 3 comprises heating means such as a resistive element, such
as a resistive wire 4 that is coiled in the represented embodiment.
The heater 3 is a so called "vertical heater", installed vertically in the
aerosolization module, i.e. such that the heater 3 extends in a bottom to top
direction
of the aerosolization module. The bottom to top or "axial" direction of the
aerosolization module is thus defined between the bottom end 5 of the
aerosolization
module, which comprises an interface for connexion to a battery module as
hereafter
explained, and its top end 6 which comprises a mouthpiece 7.
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The aerosolization module comprises electrical contacts 8 that are
configured to provide the heater with electricity.
The electrical contacts 8 can be electrical plugs configured to mate with
spring pin connectors, usually called "pogo pins TM". A spring pin connector
is usually
made up of two sliding cylinders constrained against each other by an internal
spring.
Other types of electrical contact can be used, for example electrical contacts
configured to cooperate with plate spring contacts. In the represented
embodiment,
the electrical contacts are embedded, e.g. by insert molding, in the
electrical contacts
8 of the aerosolization module. The bottom end 5 of the aerosolization module
thus
forms a power supply connecting end.
To allow the formation of an aerosol, the heater 3 must be provided with
electricity via the electrical contacts 8, with vaporizable material from the
reservoir,
and with air.
The supply of vaporizable material to the heater is performed via holes
9, each hole 9 allowing fluidic communication between the inner volume 2 of
the
reservoir 1 and the heater 3. Several holes 9 can be distributed around the
heater 3,
to allow a good distribution around the heater of the product to be vaporized.
The heater 3 must be provided with air at one of its ends and be passed
over by air along its length to be saturated with vaporisable product and thus
to form
an aerosol. As the mouthpiece 7 is situated at the top end of the
aerosolization
module, the heater 3 must be provided with air at its bottom end, to pass over
the
heater 3 to reach its top end.
More particularly, in the represented embodiment, the heater 4 is placed
at the bottom of a central tube 10. The central tube 10 connects the
mouthpiece 13
to the heater 4 where the aerosol is formed, and a first air path is thus
formed in the
aerosolization module.
This first air path 11 is provided for the flow of air to the heater 3 and the
flow of aerosol (formed with this air) from the heater to the mouthpiece is
described
in detail with reference to Figure 2.
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The first air path 11 has a first air inlet 12 for air admission.
The first air path 11 has a first air outlet 13, which is where the aerosol
exits from the aerosolization module. The first air outlet 13 thus corresponds
to the
outlet of the central tube 10.
One of the aspect solved in the invention relates to the position of the
first air inlet 12, in an aerosol generating device in which the first air
path provided
for the flow of air to the heater 3 and the flow of aerosol (formed with this
air) from
the heater to the mouthpiece is distinct form a second air path, hereafter
described,
the second air path being associated with a sensor used to determine when the
user
wishes the delivery of a puff by the system.
As the first air path is distinct from the second air path, the position of
the
first air inlet 12 is not constrained by the configuration of the second air
path.
However, other difficulties or constraints exist. Certain constraints can be
understood by observing Figure 5.
Figure 5 represents an aerosol generating system comprising an
aerosolization module A, e.g. the aerosolization module of Figure 1, and a
battery
module B.
The battery module B is adapted to provide the aerosolization module
and more particularly the heater with electricity. The battery module also
generally
includes a number of electronic components. These electronic components are
used
to control the aerosol generating system. They generally comprise a main
printed
circuit board assembly that carries a microprocessor. They also generally
comprise
the pressure sensor making it possible to determine when the user wishes the
delivery of a puff by the system.
The battery module B has an upper cavity 14 in which the lower part 15
of the aerosolization module is received. When the lower part 15 is in place
in the
cavity 14, only the upper part 16 of the aerosolization module is apparent.
The wall
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of the cavity 14 makes it difficult to provide the first air inlet 12 at the
level of the
heater 3, which is inside the cavity 14.
Furthermore, if the first air inlet 12 would be placed far from the
mouthpiece 7, the risk of obstruction by the user's finger would be high,
resulting in
5 poor ergonomics of the aerosol generating system.
In the invention, the first air inlet 12 is thus located between the bottom
end 5 and the top end 6. It can be located on a lateral wall of the
aerosolization
module.
The first air inlet is advantageously located above the heater 3 (or other
10 aerosolization device comprised in the aerosolization module). This
avoids or limits
the risk of leaks of vaporizable material in liquid form from the first air
inlet. In the
represented embodiment in which the lower portion 15 of the aerosolization
module
is inserted into a cavity of the battery module, the first air inlet 12 is
situated above
the lower portion, and more precisely at the bottom of the upper portion 16.
Such location is adequate, as the first air inlet 12 is not in front of a wall
of the cavity 14, is far enough from the top end 6 of the aerosolization
module not to
be obstructed by the user's lips, and is far enough from said top end 6 not to
be
obstructed by the user's fingers when he or she manipulates the aerosol
generating
system. The first air inlet is thus advantageously at between 30% and 70% of
the
distance from the bottom end to the top end of the aerosolization module, and
preferably at around 50% of the distance from the bottom end to the top end of
the
aerosolization module.
In the represented embodiment, the aerosolization module A comprises
a cap 17. The cap 17 is fitted, e.g. by clipping, on the top end 6 of the
aerosolization
module and constitutes the mouthpiece 7. The cap 17 makes it possible to
obtain a
walls that are flush with each other, without a step, between the
aerosolization
module A and the battery module 2. The first air-path inlet 12 is made through
a
bottom portion of the cap 17.
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To provide the heater 3 with air, the first air path thus comprises a first
section 18 in which dry air flow sucked into the first air inlet flows from
top to bottom,
and a second section 19, namely the central tube 10, in which the aerosol
formed
by vaporization of the vaporizable material in said dry air flows from bottom
to top.
The first section 18 can be substantially arranged along or in a lateral wall
of the
reservoir 1. The air flow in the first air path is represented by dotted
arrows in Figure
2.
Figure 4 represents the second air path arranged in the aerosolization
module of Figure 1. The second air-path is a fluidic path which connects the
mouthpiece, where the user applies a suction to vape, and a pressure sensor
adapted to detect the pressure drop caused by the suction and to command in
response a switching on of heater 3.
The second air path 20 is distinct from the first air path, in that no flow of
aerosol occurs in the second air path.
The second air path 20 has a second air outlet 21 where the suction has
to be applied. The second air path can thus be situated on the mouthpiece 7.
In this
case, the second air outlet 21 is distinct form the first air outlet 13.
For a better design and better ergonomics, while the second air path 20
is distinct from the first air path 11, the second air outlet 13 and the
second air outlet
21 can be common. In such case, the second air path issues into the first air
path in
close proximity to the mouthpiece.
According to alternative embodiments of the invention, the puff senor,
e.g. the pressure sensor, is either comprised in the second air path (i.e; in
the
aerosolization module) or in the battery module.
It should be noted that the aerosolization module can be a consumable
item of the aerosol generating device. It can also be designated by the term
"cartridge". Once the vaporizable material initially contained in the
reservoir has
been consumed, and the reservoir is empty, the aerosolization module is
replaced
by another aerosolization module with a full reservoir. The old module can be
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discarded, preferably for recycling. A change of aerosolization module can
also be
carried out, even before the reservoir is empty, in order to change the
product to be
vaped. This allows for example the user to choose the taste of the product
consumed.
That is why the puff sensor is generally, and advantageously, comprised
in the battery module B (such as in the represented embodiment). In this case,
the
second air path must be in fluidic, airtight, communication with the space of
the
battery module B enclosing the puff sensor. The second air inlet 22 is thus
situated
on the bottom end face of the aerosolization module, which forms an interface
for
connection (i.e. mechanical and electrical connection) with the battery
module. A
seal can be provided around the second air inlet 22 to ensure airtightness.
The air flow in the second air path 20 is represented by dotted arrows in
Figure 3. The second air path can comprise a main channel 23 substantially
arranged along or in a lateral wall of the reservoir 1.
In the represented embodiment, the second air inlet 22 is situated at the
center of the bottom face of aerosolization module. Figure 4 is a sectional
view
according the section plane C-C shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows in
particular that
fluidic communication between the second air inlet 22 and the main channel 23
is
provided by a curved channel 24 provided around an electrical contact 8 of the
aerosolization module.
The aerosolization module provided in the invention, which comprises
distinct air paths for the aerosol and for the puff detection, allows for an
optimization
of the air flows in the module. The risk of the sensor measurement being
disturbed
by the vaporized product is eliminated. Furthermore, as the first air inlet is
provided
on a lateral wall of the aerosolization module, no complex interface with the
battery
module has to be provided. Thanks to the configuration of the first air path,
the
position of the air inlet can be adapted to the general configuration of the
aerosol
generating device, in particular regarding its position in the axial direction
(bottom to
top direction) of the module between its bottom end and its top end.
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References used for the figures
A Aerosolization module
B Battery module
1 Reservoir
2 Inner volume
3 Heater
4 Resistive wire
Bottom end
6 Top end
7 Mouthpiece
8 Electrical contacts
9 Hole
Central tube
11 First air path
12 First air inlet
13 First air outlet
14 Upper cavity
Lower part (of the aerosolization module)
16 Upper part
17 Cap (of the aerosolization module)
18 First section (of the first air path)
19 Second section (of the first air path)
Second air path
21 Second air outlet
22 Second air inlet
23 Main channel
24 Curved channel
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