RU2824028C2 - Electronic steam delivery system, atomizer and cartridge for it - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the systems for simulating the smoking process. The atomizer for the electronic steam delivery system comprises a heater for evaporating the aerosolized substrate material and a porous material portion for transferring the aerosolized substrate material to the heater. The heater has an elongated shape and is made of a flat element of electrically resistive material having a length, a width and two pairs of opposite edges, containing two major edges substantially parallel to the length and two minor edges substantially parallel to the width. The flat member is bent to form an elongated shape of the heater such that the edges of one of the pairs of opposite edges are adjacent to each other. The curved flat element limits the volume in which the porous material part is placed. A cartridge and an electronic steam delivery system are announced.

EFFECT: simplifying the design of the atomizer without reducing the amount of heated material.

27 cl, 23 dwg

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to a heater for a vapor supply system, as well as to an atomizer, cartomizer or cartridge and to a vapor supply system containing such a heater.

State of the art

Many electronic vapor delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems that deliver nicotine through vaporized liquids, consist of two main components or sections, namely the cartridge or cartomizer section and the control unit (battery section). The cartomizer typically includes a liquid reservoir and an atomizer for vaporizing the liquid. These parts may be referred to collectively as the aerosol source. The atomizer typically combines the functions of porosity or capillary action and heating to transfer the liquid from the reservoir to the location where it is heated and vaporized. For example, it may be implemented as an electric heater, which may be a resistive wire formed into a coil or other shape for resistive (Joule) heating, or a current collector for induction heating, and a porous element with capillary or wicking ability in close proximity to the heater, which absorbs the liquid from the reservoir and transfers it to the heater. The control unit typically includes a battery to supply power to operate the system. Power from the battery is supplied to activate the heater, which heats up and vaporizes a small amount of liquid coming from the reservoir. The user then inhales the vaporized liquid.

The components of a cartomizer may be designed for short-term use only, so the cartomizer is a disposable component of the system, also called a consumable. In contrast, the control unit is usually designed for repeated use with a series of cartomizers that the user replaces as each one expires. Consumable cartomizers are supplied to the consumer with a reservoir pre-filled with liquid and are designed to be discarded when the reservoir is empty. For convenience and safety, the reservoir is sealed and does not allow for easy refilling, as the liquid can be difficult to work with. When a new supply of liquid is needed, the user can simply replace the entire cartomizer.

In this context, it is desirable that cartomizers are simple to manufacture and consist of a small number of parts. Consequently, they can be efficiently produced in large quantities at a low cost with minimal waste. Therefore, cartomizers with a simple design are of interest.

Document US 2017/0055581 A1 describes an article intended for use with a device for heating a smoking material to vaporize at least one component of the smoking material. The article comprises a smoking material and a shell around the smoking material. The shell forms the outer surface of the article that can contact the device during use, and contains a heating material that is heated by passing a changing magnetic field through it.

Document US 2017202266 A1 describes an electronic steam delivery system and a cartridge for an electronic steam delivery system.

Disclosure of the essence of the invention

According to a first aspect of some embodiments of the invention described in this document, a heater is proposed for evaporating an aerosolizable substrate material in an electronic vapor supply system, wherein the heater has an elongated shape and is made of a flat element of an electrically resistive material having a length, a width and two pairs of opposite edges comprising two major edges substantially parallel to the length and two minor edges substantially parallel to the width, wherein the flat element is curved to form the elongated shape of the heater so that the edges of one of the pairs of opposite edges are located next to each other, wherein the curved flat element defines a volume for accommodating a porous material for transferring the aerosolizable substrate material to the heater.

According to a second aspect of some embodiments of the invention described herein, there is provided an atomizer for a steam supply system comprising a heater according to the first aspect and a portion of porous material contained in a volume.

According to a third aspect of some embodiments of the invention described in this document, a cartridge for an electronic vapor supply system is provided, comprising a heater according to the first aspect or an atomizer according to the second aspect and a reservoir containing an aerosolizable substrate material for vaporization by the heater.

According to a fourth aspect of some embodiments of the invention described in this document, there is provided an electronic steam supply system comprising a heater according to the first aspect, or an atomizer according to the second aspect, or a cartridge according to the third aspect.

These and other aspects of some embodiments of the invention are set forth in the independent and dependent claims of the appended claims. It is understood that the features of the dependent claims can be combined with each other and with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those expressly set forth in the claims. Moreover, the approach described in this document is not limited to specific embodiments of the invention, such as those set forth below, but includes and contemplates any suitable combinations of the features presented herein. For example, a heater for a steam supply system or a steam supply system comprising a heater can be implemented in accordance with the approaches described in this document, a liquid storage tank and a component or system comprising such a tank can be implemented that includes any one or more corresponding features described below.

Brief description of the drawings

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the following drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of an example of an electronic cigarette containing a cartomizer and a control unit;

Fig. 2 - an example of a cartomizer in disassembled form, in which aspects of the invention can be implemented, an external view in perspective;

Fig. 3 - the cartomizer shown in Fig. 2, assembled, perspective view with partial cutout;

Fig. 4, 4(A), 4(B) and 4(C) are simplified schematic cross-sectional views of another example of a cartomizer in which aspects of the invention may be implemented;

Fig. 5 is a highly schematic cross-sectional view of a first example of a steam supply system using induction heating in which aspects of the invention may be implemented;

Fig. 6 is a highly schematic cross-sectional view of a second example of a steam supply system using induction heating in which aspects of the invention may be implemented;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a flat element for forming a heater for an atomizer in accordance with the first example;

Fig. 8 is a simplified schematic representation of an atomizer held in a socket in accordance with the example;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a flat element for forming a heater for an atomizer in accordance with the second example;

Fig. 10 is a perspective side view of a heater formed from the example flat element shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a side view in cross section of the heater shown in Fig. 10, held in a socket;

Fig. 12 is a perspective side view of an alternative heater formed from the example flat element shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a side view in cross section of an example of an atomizer containing the heater shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 shows plan views of a number of additional examples of flat elements for forming heaters;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of a flat element for forming a heater in accordance with an example with perforation to limit thermal conductivity;

Fig. 16 is a perspective side view of a heater formed from the flat element shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a plan view of a flat element for forming a heater for an atomizer according to another example;

Fig. 18A is an end view of an example of a heater that can be formed from the flat element shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 18B is a side perspective view of the heater shown in Fig. 18A;

Fig. 19A is an end view of another example of a heater that may be formed from the flat element shown in Fig. 18;

Fig. 19B is a side perspective view of the heater shown in Fig. 19A;

Fig. 20 is a plan view of an additional example of a flat element for forming a heater;

Fig. 21 is a side perspective view of an example of an atomizer containing a heater as in the example of Fig. 18B;

Fig. 22 is a side perspective view of an example of a heater with perforations for releasing steam;

Fig. 23 is a side perspective view of an example of a heater with perforations to limit thermal conductivity.

Implementation of the invention

This document discusses/describes aspects and features of some examples and embodiments of the invention. Some aspects and features of some examples and embodiments of the invention may be implemented in a conventional manner, and for the sake of brevity, they are not discussed/described in detail. Thus, it is understood that aspects and features of the devices and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional technologies designed to implement such aspects and features.

As described above, the present invention relates to, but is not limited to, electronic aerosol or vapor generation systems, such as electronic cigarettes. In the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" and "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it is understood that these terms can be used interchangeably for an aerosol (vapor) delivery system or device. The systems are designed to generate an inhalable aerosol by vaporizing a substrate in the form of a liquid or gel, which may or may not contain nicotine. In addition, hybrid systems can comprise a liquid or gel substrate plus a solid substrate that is also heated. The solid substrate can be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. The expression "aerosolizable substrate material" as used herein is intended to refer to substrate materials that can form an aerosol either by the application of heat or by some other means. The term "aerosol" can be used interchangeably with the term "vapor".

As used in this document, the term "component" is used to denote a part, section, unit, module, assembly or similar element of an electronic cigarette or similar device that includes several smaller parts or elements, possibly within an outer housing or wall. The electronic cigarette may be formed or assembled from one or more such components, wherein these components may be removably connectable to each other or removably connectable to each other or may be permanently connected to each other during manufacture to form a complete electronic cigarette. The present description is applicable (but not limited to) to systems comprising two components that may be removably connected to each other and which are designed, for example, as a component in which there is an aerosolizable substrate material containing a liquid or another aerosolizable substrate material (a cartridge, cartomizer or consumable), and a control unit having a battery for supplying electrical power for operating an element for generating vapor from the substrate material. To provide a specific example, the present description describes a cartomizer as an example of a part or component in which an aerosolizable substrate material is present, but the description is not limited in this regard and is applicable to any configuration of a part or component with an aerosolizable substrate material. In addition, such a component may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples.

The present disclosure particularly relates to vapor delivery systems and components thereof that utilize an aerosolizable substrate material in the form of a liquid or gel contained in a reservoir, tank, container, or other vessel present in the system. There is a device for delivering the substrate material from the reservoir for delivery to generate the vapor/aerosol. The terms "liquid," "gel," "fluid," "source liquid," "source gel," "source fluid," and the like may be used interchangeably with "aerosolizable substrate material" and "substrate material" to refer to an aerosolizable substrate material that is in a form that can be stored and delivered in accordance with the examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1 shows a very schematic (not to scale) typical example of an aerosol/vapor delivery system, such as an electronic cigarette 10, presented for the purpose of demonstrating the relationship between the various parts of the typical system and explaining the general principles of operation. The electronic cigarette 10 has a generally elongated shape, extending in this example along a longitudinal axis indicated by a dotted line, and includes two main components, namely, a control or feed component, section or unit 20 and a cartridge assembly or section 30 (sometimes called a cartomizer or clearomizer), containing the aerosolizable substrate material and functioning as a vapor generating component.

The cartomizer 30 includes a reservoir 3 containing a source liquid or other aerosolizable substrate material, which includes a liquid or gel from which the aerosol is generated and which, for example, contains nicotine. As an example, the source liquid can contain from 1 to 3% nicotine and 50% glycerin, and the remaining part is approximately equal parts water and propylene glycol, and other components, such as flavorings, can also be present. A source liquid that does not contain nicotine can also be used, for example, to deliver a flavoring. A solid substrate (not shown) can also be contained, such as a portion of tobacco or another flavoring element, through which the vapor generated from the liquid passes. The reservoir 3 is designed as a storage tank, which is a container or vessel in which the source liquid can be stored, so that the liquid can freely move and flow within the reservoir. For a consumable cartomizer, the reservoir 3 can be sealed after filling during manufacture, so that after the initial liquid runs out, it can be thrown away, otherwise it can have an inlet or other opening through which the user can add new initial liquid. The cartomizer 30 also contains an electric heating element or heater 4, located outside the reservoir 3 and designed to create an aerosol by evaporating the initial liquid when heated. Such a liquid transfer or delivery device (liquid transfer element) as a wick or other porous element 6 can be provided to deliver the initial liquid from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4. One or more parts of the wick 6 can be located inside the reservoir 3 or can communicate with the liquid in the reservoir 3, so that it can absorb the initial liquid and transfer it by means of a capillary suction effect or a capillary effect to other parts of the wick 6, which are adjacent to the heater 4 or are in contact with it. Thus, this liquid is heated and evaporated to be replaced by new original liquid from the transfer reservoir to the heater 4 via the wick 6. The wick can be considered as a bridge, path or channel between the reservoir 3 and the heater 4, which supplies or transfers liquid from the reservoir to the heater. Terms such as channel, liquid channel, liquid transfer channel, liquid delivery channel, liquid transfer mechanism or element, and liquid delivery mechanism or element may be used here interchangeably to refer to the wick or the corresponding component or structure.

The combination of a heater and a wick (or similar) is sometimes referred to as an atomizer or an atomizer assembly, and the reservoir with the initial liquid and the atomizer together may be referred to as an aerosol source. Terms such as a liquid delivery unit or a liquid transfer unit may also be used, and in the present context these terms may be used interchangeably to refer to a vapor-generating element (vapor generator) with a wick or similar component or structure (a liquid transport element) that supplies or transfers liquid received from the reservoir to the vapor generator for generating vapor/aerosol. Various designs are possible, in which the components may be arranged differently than in the schematic representation in Fig. 1. For example, the wick 6 may be a completely separate element from the heater 4, or the heater 4 may be made porous and capable of directly performing at least part of the wicking function (for example, a metal mesh). In an electrical or electronic device, the vapor-generating element may be an electrical heating element that operates by ohmic/resistive (Joule) heating or by induction heating. Thus, in general, an atomizer may be considered as one or more elements that implement the function of a vapor-generating or evaporating element capable of generating vapor from a source liquid delivered to it, and a liquid transport or delivery element capable of delivering or transporting liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid storage to a vapor generator by wick action/capillary force. The atomizer is typically located in a cartomizer component of a vapor-generating system. In some designs, liquid may be supplied from a reservoir directly to the vapor generator without the need for a separate wick or capillary element. Embodiments of the invention are applicable to all such configurations that are consistent with the examples and description herein.

Returning to Fig. 1, the cartomizer 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 35 having an opening or air outlet through which the user can inhale the aerosol obtained by the atomizer 4.

The power supply component or control unit 20 includes a galvanic cell or accumulator 5 (hereinafter referred to as a battery, which may be rechargeable) for supplying energy for the electrical components of the electronic cigarette 10, in particular for operating the heater 4. In addition, there is a controller 28, such as a printed circuit board, and/or other electronic components or a circuit for general control of the electronic cigarette. The control electronics/circuit 28 controls the heater 4 using energy from the battery 5 if vapor is required, for example, in response to a signal from an air pressure sensor or an air flow sensor (not shown), which determines the implementation of inhalation through the system 10, during which air enters through one or more air inlet openings 26 made in the wall of the control unit 20. When the heating element 4 operates, the heating element 4 vaporizes the source liquid supplied from the reservoir 3 by the liquid delivery element 6 to form an aerosol, and then it is inhaled by the user through the opening in the mouthpiece 35. When the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35, the aerosol passes from the aerosol source to the mouthpiece 35 along one or more air channels (not shown) that connect the air inlet 26 to the aerosol source and to the air outlet.

The control unit 20 (power section) and the cartomizer (cartridge assembly) 30 are separate connectable parts that can be separated from each other by separating in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the double-sided arrows in Fig. 1. When using the device 10, the components 20, 30 are connected to each other by means of engaging connecting elements 21, 31 (for example, a threaded or bayonet connection), which provide a mechanical and, in some cases, electrical connection between the power section 20 and the cartridge assembly 30. An electrical connection is necessary if the heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, so that current can pass through the heater 4 when it is connected to the battery 5. In systems that use induction heating, the electrical connection can be eliminated if the cartomizer 30 does not have parts that require electrical energy. The inductive working coil can be located in the power section 20, and it is powered by the battery 5, and the cartomizer 30 and the power section 20 are shaped so that when they are connected, the heater 4 is exposed to the magnetic flux created by the coil to create an electric current in the material of the heater. Induction heating devices are discussed in more detail below. The structure shown in Fig. 1 is only an example of the device, and various parts and features can be distributed between the power section 20 and the cartridge 30 as an assembly in a different way, and other components and elements can be used. Two sections can be connected to each other end to end in a longitudinal configuration, as in Fig. 1, or in another configuration, for example, in parallel, side by side. The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and / or may have a generally longitudinal shape. Either or both sections or components may be discarded and replaced after use (e.g., when the reservoir is empty or the battery is discharged), or may be designed for multiple uses, which is possible, for example, by refilling the reservoir and recharging the battery. In other examples, the system 10 may be a single unit in the sense that parts of the control unit 20 and the cartomizer 30 are located in the same housing and cannot be separated. Embodiments and examples of the present invention are applicable to any of these configurations and to other configurations known to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the parts that can be assembled to form a cartomizer according to an example of the present invention. The cartomizer 40 consists of only four parts that can be assembled by pressing or pressing if they have the appropriate shape. Therefore, the manufacture can be very simple and understandable.

The first part is a housing 42, which forms a reservoir for storing an aerosolizable substrate material (hereinafter referred to as a substrate or liquid for brevity). The housing 42 has a generally tubular shape with a circular cross-section in this example and comprises a wall or walls configured to form various parts of the reservoir and other elements. A cylindrical outer side wall 44 is open at the lower end by an opening 46, through which the reservoir can be filled with liquid and to which parts can be attached, as described below, for closing/sealing the reservoir and also for providing delivery of the liquid to the outside for evaporation. It defines the appearance, or the outer volume, or dimensions of the reservoir. References in this document to elements or parts located or located outside the reservoir are intended to mean that the part is outside or partially outside the area limited or defined by this outer wall 44 and its upper and lower extension and edges or surfaces.

The cylindrical inner wall 48 is concentrically located inside the outer side wall 44. This design defines an annular volume 50 between the outer wall 44 and the inner wall 48, which is a receiver, cavity, void or the like for holding a liquid, in other words, a reservoir. The outer wall 44 and the inner wall 48 are connected to each other (for example, by an upper wall or walls tapering towards each other) to close the upper boundary of the volume 50 of the reservoir. The inner wall 48 is open at the lower end by an opening 52, and is also open at the upper end. The tubular inner space defined by the inner wall is a passage or channel 54 for the air flow, which in the assembled system carries the formed aerosol from the atomizer to the outlet opening of the mouthpiece of the system for inhalation by the user. The opening 56 at the upper end of the inner wall 48 may be an outlet opening of the mouthpiece, designed to be conveniently placed in the mouth of the user, or a separate part of the mouthpiece may be attached to the body 42 having a channel connecting the opening 56 with the outlet opening of the mouthpiece, or around it.

The housing 42 may be made of molded plastic, such as injection molding. In the example of Fig. 2, it is made of a transparent material; this allows the user to observe the level or amount of liquid in the reservoir 44. Alternatively, the housing may be opaque or opaque with a transparent window through which the liquid level can be seen. In some examples, the plastic may be rigid.

The second part of the cartomizer 40 is a flow guide 60, which in this example also has a circular cross-section, and is also shaped and configured to engage with the lower end of the housing 42. The flow guide 60 is actually a sleeve and can perform several functions. When it is inserted into the lower end of the housing 42, it connects to the opening 46 to close and seal the reservoir volume 50, and connects to the opening 52 to isolate the air flow channel 54 from the reservoir volume 50. In addition, the flow guide 60 has at least one liquid flow channel passing through it, which transfers the liquid from the reservoir volume 50 to a space that is external to the reservoir and which acts as an aerosol chamber, where the vapor/aerosol is generated by heating the liquid. Also, the flow guide element 60 has at least one other aerosol flow channel passing through it, which transfers the generated aerosol from the space of the aerosol chamber to the air flow channel 54 in the housing 42, so that it is delivered to the opening of the mouthpiece for inhalation.

In addition, the flow guide 60 may be made of a flexible elastic material, such as silicone, so that it can be easily engaged with the housing 42 by means of a friction fit. In addition, the flow guide has a socket or a formation of a similar shape (not shown) on its lower surface 62, opposite the upper surface or surfaces 64, which engage with the housing 42. The socket receives and supports the atomizer 70, which is the third part of the cartomizer 40.

The atomizer 70 has an elongated shape with a first end 72 and a second end 74 opposite to each other relative to its length. In the assembled cartomizer, the atomizer is installed so that its first end 72 is inserted into the socket of the flow guide 60 in the direction towards the reservoir body 42. Thus, the first end 72 is supported by the flow guide 60, wherein the atomizer 70 extends in the longitudinal direction outward from the reservoir substantially along the longitudinal axis defined by the parts of the body 42 of a concentric shape. The second end 74 of the atomizer 70 is not fixed and is free. Accordingly, the atomizer 70 is supported in a cantilever manner so that it projects outward from the outer boundaries of the reservoir. The atomizer 70 performs the function of a wick and a heating function for forming an aerosol and can comprise any of several configurations of a portion of an electrically resistive heater configured to act as an inductive current collector and a porous portion configured to absorb liquid from a reservoir near the heater.

The fourth part of the cartomizer 40 is a shell or casing 80. Again, in this example it has a circular cross-section. It comprises a cylindrical side wall 81 closed by an optional base wall to form a central hollow space or cavity 82. The upper flange 84 of the side wall 81 around the opening 86 is shaped such that the shell 80 can be engaged with parts of the mating shape on the flow guide 60, so that the shell 80 can be attached to the flow guide 60 after the atomizer 70 is inserted into the seat of the flow guide 60. Therefore, the flow guide 60 acts as a cover covering the central space 82, and this space 82 creates an aerosol chamber in which the atomizer 70 is located. The opening 86 provides communication with the liquid flow channel and the aerosol flow channel in the flow guide 60, so that the liquid can be supplied to the atomizer, and the formed aerosol can be removed from the aerosol chamber. In order for the air flow through the aerosol chamber to pass through the atomizer 70 and collect the vapor so that it is entrained by the air flow to form an aerosol, the wall or walls 81 of the shell 80 have one or more openings or perforations that allow air to be drawn into the aerosol chamber when the user inhales through the opening of the mouthpiece of the cartomizer.

The shell 80 may be made of plastic, for example by injection molding. It may be made of a rigid material and then be easily engaged with the flow guide by pressing the two parts together or by pressing.

As noted above, the flow guide can be made of a flexible elastic material and can hold the parts connected to it, namely the housing 42, the atomizer 70 and the shell 80, by means of a friction fit. Since these parts can be more rigid, the flexibility of the flow guide, which allows it to deform slightly when pressed against said other parts, compensates for any minor errors in the dimensions of the manufactured parts. Thus, the flow guide can compensate for the manufacturing tolerances of all parts, while ensuring a high-quality assembly of the parts as a whole to form the cartomizer 40. Thus, the requirements for the manufacture of the housing 42, the atomizer 70 and the shell 80 can be somewhat relaxed, which reduces manufacturing costs.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view with a cut-out of the cartomizer shown in Fig. 1 in an assembled configuration. For clarity, the flow guide 60 is shaded. It can be seen that the flow guide 60 is configured so that its upper surfaces interact with the opening 52-forming lower edge of the inner wall 48 of the reservoir body 42 and concentrically interact from the outside with the opening 46-forming lower edge of the outer wall 44 of the body 42 to seal both the reservoir space 50 and the air flow passage 54.

The flow guide 60 has a liquid flow channel 63 that allows the liquid flow L to pass from the reservoir volume 50 through the flow guide into the space or volume 65 located under the flow guide 60. In addition, there is an aerosol flow channel 66 that allows the aerosol and air A flow from the space 65 to pass through the flow guide 60 into the air flow channel 54.

The upper flange of the shell 80 is designed to engage with the corresponding parts of the lower surface of the flow guide 60 to create an aerosol chamber 82 substantially outside the outer dimensions of the volume of the reservoir 50 of the reservoir body 42. In this example, the shell 80 has an opening 87 at its upper end near the flow guide 60. It coincides with the space 65, with which the channel 63 for the flow of liquid and the channel 66 for the flow of aerosol communicate, and, therefore, allows liquid to enter the aerosol chamber 82, and aerosol to exit the aerosol chamber 82 through the channels in the flow guide 60.

In this example, the opening 87 also acts as a seat for mounting the first, supported, end 74 of the atomizer 70 (recall that in the description of Fig. 2, the seat of the atomizer was mentioned as being formed in the flow guide, but any variant can be used). Thus, the liquid entering through the liquid flow channel 63 is supplied directly to the first end of the atomizer 70 for absorption and absorption, and air/aerosol can pass through the atomizer and through the aerosol flow channel 66.

In this example, the atomizer 70 comprises a flat, elongated portion 71 made of metal, which is bent or curved at its midpoint so that the two ends of the metal portion are adjacent to each other at the first end 74 of the atomizer. It functions as a heating element of the atomizer 70. A section of cotton or other porous material 73 is located between the two bent sides of the metal portion. It acts as a wick element of the atomizer 70. The liquid entering the space 65 is collected due to the absorbency of the porous material 73 of the wick and is transferred downwards to the heater. Many other designs of an elongated atomizer suitable for console mounting are also possible and can be used instead of the above.

The heating component is designed for induction heating as described below.

The example in Figs. 2 and 3 has parts that are substantially circularly symmetrical in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the assembled cartomizer. Consequently, the parts do not require any orientation in the planes in which they are connected to each other, which may simplify manufacturing. The parts may be assembled together in any orientation relative to the longitudinal axis, so there is no need to place the parts in a specific orientation before assembly. However, this is not necessary, and the parts may have alternative shapes.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of another example of an assembled cartomizer, comprising a reservoir housing, a flow guide, an atomizer and a housing, as before. However, in this example, in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer 40, at least some of the parts are oval in shape instead of circular in shape and are arranged so as to have symmetry along the major axis and the minor axis of the oval. The features are mirrored on either side of the major axis and on either side of the minor axis. This means that for assembly, the parts can have either of two orientations, rotated relative to each other by 180° around the longitudinal axis. Again, assembly is simplified compared to a system consisting of parts that do not have symmetry.

In this example, the shell 80 also comprises a side wall 81 which is designed to have a different cross-section at different points along the longitudinal axis of the housing, and a base wall 83 defining a space which creates an aerosol chamber 82. Towards its upper end, the shell widens to a large cross-section in order to provide space for accommodating the flow guide 60. The portion of the shell 80 with the large cross-section has a generally oval cross-section (see Fig. 4(B)), while the portion with the narrower cross-section of the shell has a generally circular cross-section (see Fig. 4(C)). The upper flange 84 of the housing around the upper opening 86 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 42 of the reservoir. This shape and engagement are shown in Fig. 4 in a simplified form; in reality, it will probably be more complex in order to provide a sufficiently airtight and liquid-tight connection. The shell 80 has at least one opening 85, in this case in the wall 83 of the base, to allow air to enter the aerosol chamber during inhalation of the user.

The housing 42 of the reservoir has a different shape compared to the example shown in Fig. 2 and 3. The outer wall 44 defines an internal space, which is divided into three regions by two inner walls 48. The regions are located side by side. The central region between the two inner walls 48 is a volume 50 of the reservoir for holding liquid. This region is closed from above by the upper wall of the housing. An opening 46 at the base of the volume of the reservoir allows liquid to be supplied from the reservoir 50 to the aerosol chamber 82. The two side regions between the outer wall 44 and the inner walls 48 are channels 54 for the flow of air. Each of them has an opening 52 at the lower end for the entrance of the aerosol and a mouthpiece opening 56 at the upper end (as before, a separate mouthpiece part can be added from the outside to the housing 42 of the reservoir).

A flow guide 60 (shaded for clarity) is inserted into the lower end of the housing 42 by installing corresponding portions in the openings 46 and 52 of the housing 42 for closing/sealing the reservoir volume 50 and the air flow channels 54. The flow guide 60 has one centrally located liquid flow channel 63, aligned with the opening 46 of the reservoir volume, for transmitting liquid L from the reservoir to the aerosol chamber 82. In addition, there are two aerosol flow channels 66, each of which extends from the inlet of the aerosol chamber 82 to the outlet in the air flow channels 54, through which air flows, entering the aerosol chamber through the opening 85 and entraining vapor from the aerosol chamber 82 into the air flow channels 54, and then to the outlet openings 56 of the mouthpiece.

The atomizer 70 is installed by inserting its first end 72 into the channel 63 for the liquid flow of the flow guide element 60. Therefore, in this example, the channel 63 for the liquid flow acts as a seat for the cantilever installation of the atomizer 70. Thus, the first end 72 of the atomizer 70 is directly supplied with liquid entering the channel 63 for the liquid flow from the reservoir 50, wherein the liquid is taken in due to the porous properties of the atomizer 70 and drawn along the length of the atomizer for heating by means of the heating part of the atomizer 70 (not shown), which is located in the aerosol chamber 70.

Fig. 4(A), (B) and (C) show cross-sections of the cartomizer 40 at corresponding locations along the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer 40.

Although aspects of the invention relate to atomizers in which heating is achieved by resistive heating, which requires electrical connections to the heating element for the passage of current, the design of the cartomizer is particularly suitable for the use of induction heating. This is a process in which an electrically conductive element, usually made of metal, is heated by electromagnetic induction using eddy currents flowing in the element that generates heat. The induction coil (working coil) operates as an electromagnet when a high-frequency alternating current from a generator passes through it; this creates a magnetic field. If the conductive element is in the flow of the magnetic field, the field penetrates the element and induces electrical eddy currents. These flow in the element and generate heat in accordance with the flow of current against the electrical resistance of the element due to Joule heating, in the same way as heat is created in a resistive electric heating element by direct application of current. An attractive feature of induction heating is the lack of need for an electrical connection to the conductive element; instead, it is necessary that sufficient magnetic flux density be created in the area occupied by the object. In the context of vapor delivery systems, where heat generation is required near the liquid, this is advantageous because a more efficient separation of the liquid and the electric current can be achieved. Assuming that there are no other electrically powered components in the cartomizer, there is no need for any electrical connection between the cartomizer and its power supply, and the cartomizer wall can provide a more efficient barrier to the liquid, reducing the likelihood of leakage.

Induction heating is effective for direct heating of an electrically conductive object as described above, but can also be used for indirect heating of a non-conductive object. In a vapor delivery system, it is necessary to provide heat to the liquid in the porous capillary portion of the atomizer to cause it to evaporate. For indirect heating by induction, the electrically conductive element is located near or in contact with the object to be heated, and between the working coil and the object to be heated. The working coil heats the conductive element directly by induction heating, and the heat is transferred by thermal radiation or conduction to the non-conductive element. In this device, the conductive element is called a current collector. Therefore, in an atomizer, the heating component can be made of an electrically conductive material (usually metal), which is used as an induction current collector to transfer thermal energy to the porous portion of the atomizer.

Fig. 5 shows a very simplified schematic diagram of a vapor supply system comprising a cartomizer 40 according to examples of the present invention and a power component 20 designed to perform induction heating. The cartomizer 40 may be as shown in the examples of Figs. 2, 3 and 4 (although other devices are not excluded) and is shown in general terms only for the sake of simplicity. The cartomizer 40 comprises an atomizer 70 in which heating is performed by induction heating, so that the heating function is provided by a current collector (not shown). The atomizer 70 is located in the lower part of the cartomizer 40, surrounded by a shell 80, which is designed not only to limit the aerosol chamber, but also to provide protection for the atomizer 70, which may be relatively vulnerable to damage due to its cantilever mounting. However, the cantilever mounting of the atomizer 70 provides effective induction heating, since the atomizer 70 can be inserted into the inner space of the coil 90, and the reservoir, in particular, is located away from the inner space of the working coil 90. Therefore, the supply component 20 comprises a recess 22, in which the shell 80 of the cartomizer 40 is placed, when the cartomizer 40 is connected to the supply component for use (for example, by means of a friction fit, a clamping action, a screw thread or a magnetic grip). The inductive working coil 90 is located in the supply component 20 so as to surround the recess 22, wherein the coil 90 has a longitudinal axis around which individual turns of the coil pass, and a length that substantially corresponds to the length of the current collector, so that the coil 90 and the current collector overlap when the cartomizer 40 and the supply component 20 are connected to each other. In other embodiments of the invention, the length of the coil may not substantially correspond to the length of the current collector, for example, the length of the current collector may be shorter than the length of the coil, or the length of the current collector may be longer than the length of the coil. Thus, the current collector is located inside the magnetic field created by the coil 90. If the elements are arranged so that the separation of the current collector from the surrounding coil is minimal, then the magnetic flux acting on the current collector can be higher, and the heating will be more efficient. However, the separation is at least partially determined by the width of the aerosol chamber formed by the shell 80, the size of which must be such as to ensure adequate air flow over the atomizer and to avoid the capture of liquid droplets. Therefore, these two requirements must be balanced with each other when determining the sizes and arrangement of the various elements.

The power component 20 comprises a battery 5 for supplying electric power to the coil 90 with an appropriate alternating current frequency. In addition, there is a controller 28 for controlling the supply of energy when steam generation is required and, possibly, for providing other control functions for the steam supply system that are not discussed here. The power component may also include other parts that are not shown and are not relevant to the present discussion.

The example in Fig. 5 is a linearly arranged system in which the power component 20 and the cartomizer 40 are connected end to end to form a handle shape.

Fig. 6 shows a simplified schematic of an alternative design in which the cartomizer 40 is a mouthpiece for a more box-like design in which the battery 5 is located in the power component 20 on one side of the cartomizer 40. Other designs are also possible.

As described earlier, the atomizer is elongated and contains a heating part and a porous part. Liquid from the reservoir is fed to the porous part, which absorbs the liquid and transports it by capillary action, also described as transport, to the heater, from which thermal energy is transferred to the liquid to evaporate it.

According to the examples, the heater has an elongated configuration or shape and usually determines the appearance of the atomizer. By "elongated" is meant that the heater has a shape with a length and a width (for example, the greatest width in the case where the width varies along the length), with the length significantly exceeding the width. For example, the length may be at least twice the width, or at least three times the width, or at least four times the width, or at least five times the width, or at least ten times the width. However, other values are not excluded.

The heater may be formed from a flat piece of suitable material that is electrically resistive/conductive, in other words, capable of conducting electric current. This allows the heater to increase its temperature by the action of the magnetic field created by the high-frequency alternating current in the working coil, due to induction effects, as noted above, where the magnetic flux induces eddy currents in the heater material. Alternatively, the heater may be powered directly by an electric current so as to increase its temperature when the current encounters the resistance of the heater material, due to the Joule effect (ohmic heating or resistive heating). The flat element may be considered as a sheet of suitable material, the dimensions and shape of which are suitable for the manufacture of the heater. The flat element is formed into a heater by bending it into a non-planar shape (the element no longer lies in one plane). According to various examples, the bending may be considered as a folding or folding. In all cases, at least a portion of the flat element is curved according to a corresponding radius of curvature to create an elongated heater configuration.

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of a flat element made of electrically resistive material for forming a heater according to the examples. The flat element 100 has a generally rectangular shape with a length L ₁ and a width L ₂ . It has a pair of minor edges 102 that are opposite and substantially parallel to each other and to the width L ₂ . Between the minor edges extend a pair of major edges 101 that are opposite and substantially parallel to each other and to the width L ₁ . The parts of the flat element located near the edges may be called major edge portions and minor edge portions, respectively. Although in this example the flat element has a generally rectangular shape, this is not essential and more complex shapes may be used, for example, without straight edges. However, in general, as a rule, the edges extending along the longer dimension are the major edges and the edges extending along the shorter dimension are the minor edges. The width may be taken to be the value equal to the largest dimension in the direction normally parallel to the shorter dimension, and the length may be taken to be the value in the direction normally parallel to the longer dimension.

The flat element 100 is bent into the desired heater, which has an elongated configuration or shape. Examples of possible curvatures are described below.

Fig. 8 shows a very simplified schematic illustration of an elongated atomizer 70 comprising an elongated heater (not separately shown). The heater having this elongated configuration extends between a first end 72 and a second end 74 of the atomizer. The heater/atomizer can be secured for use by inserting the first end 72 into a seat 103 formed in a support portion or a supporting portion 104. The supporting portion can be variously included in the casing 80 or in the flow guide 60, as for example in the examples of Figs. 2-4. Other designs of the supporting portion can be proposed as an alternative if necessary. In any case, the heater/atomizer 70 can be held and supported simply by insertion into the seat 103, if the heater/atomizer 70 and the seat 103 have the same dimensions, for example by means of a friction fit. This provides a cantilever arrangement of the atomizer. The first end 72 provides access to the porous material portion contained in the atomizer for absorption as described below and is positioned to receive liquid L from the cartomizer reservoir as shown in Fig. 3 or 4.

The extended configuration of the heater has a length L _H and a width W _H . These dimensions can have a ratio in the range of L _H : W _H = from 2:1 to 6:1, for example, or from 3:1 to 5:1. The length should not be too large, as this can prevent the liquid from entering the bottom of the extended atomizer. In addition, the width should not be too large, as this increases the overall dimensions of the cartomizer and body (which requires a corresponding increase in the dimensions of the working coil). In one example, the length of the extended configuration heater is 12 mm, and the width is 3 mm.

In some examples, the flat member 100 is curved about an axis substantially parallel to the minor edges 102 to bring the minor edges closer together.

Fig. 9 shows a plan view of an example of a flat member 100 (or a blank for forming a heater) of length L ₁ and width L ₂ , as before. The flat member 100 has a length to width ratio typically in the range of 4:1 to 12:1, for example, or 6:1 to 10:1, and is well suited for making heaters of a folded elongated configuration in some examples. In one example, the length L ₁ is substantially 24 mm and the width is substantially 3 mm. The flat member 100 has an axis 105 shown passing through its central portion parallel to the direction of the minor edges and the width L ₂ and substantially midway between the minor edges 102. To make a heater from the flat member, the flat member 100 is bent or folded about the axis 105 so that the two minor edges 102 are in close proximity to each other; the small edges 102 are made to be located next to each other. The flat element 100 is actually bent around the axis 105 so that the parts of the flat element on both sides of the axis 105 face each other. However, the fold is not clearly defined or sharp, but has the shape of the curvature of the flat element. This is done in order to leave a space between the two parts of the flat element, which limits the volume or cavity for holding or placing the porous material necessary for making the atomizer from the heater.

Fig. 10 shows a side perspective view of a heater 110 formed in this way from a flat element such as that shown in Fig. 9. The heater 110 has a folded shape created as described above, so that two small edges 102 of the flat element are brought together by a curvature on the central axis of the flat element. The small edges 102 located next to each other form a first end 72 of the heater 110, and the folded or curved region forms a second end 74 of the heater 110. The two parts of the heater facing each other on either side of the fold or bend have a space between them, which is a volume 112 for accommodating a porous material (not shown).

Fig. 11 shows a simplified schematic side view of a folded heater 110 installed by inserting two small edges into a socket 103, as in the example of Fig. 8. Since the heater 110 is formed by bending, bending or twisting a flat element, usually made of sheet material, the folded shape may have a certain elasticity in the folded position, while the small edges have a tendency to return to their state before folding (to unfold into a flat element). When the heater 110 is inserted into the socket 103 for console mounting, the two small edge portions will tend to spring outward, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 11, and therefore will press on the side wall of the socket 103. This will help to hold the heater 110 in place in the socket 103. If necessary, tabs, notches, etc. can be cut or stamped on small edge areas to provide jagged, serrated, or other formed surface features that can help engage the ends 102 of the heater with the inside of the socket 103. This can help or replace any offset to hold the heater 110 in the socket 103.

The curved portion of the heater 110 at the second end 74 has a radius of curvature R (bending radius) around an axis parallel to the middle axis 105 of the flat element 100 (see Fig. 9). The radius of curvature is usually small, for example in the range of 0.25 to 2.5 mm, or 0.75 to 1.0 mm, or 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The radius of curvature should preferably be at least 0.25 mm, since this can make the curved shape too fragile and vulnerable to breakage or snapping. A radius of curvature greater than 2.5 mm may be unsuitable, since it requires too much wick (porous) material and, as a rule, provides an excessive volume of porous material and makes the overall dimensions of the heater too large. The radius of curvature within the given ranges brings the parts of the heater facing each other closer together, so that the volume 112 for the porous material has a moderate capacity and is capable of holding a workable amount of the porous material (not shown), at least in a moderately limited state so that it does not fall out of the volume 112. In fact, the porous material can be clamped between the two halves of the heater 110.

It has been found that a heater formed by a simple bend at a midpoint may have a tendency to deflect its sides outward when the porous material in volume 112 absorbs liquid from the reservoir and therefore increases in size. If the heater material is fairly thin and does not have a high degree of rigidity or structural integrity, increasing the size of the porous material may increase the capacity of volume 112. This may have several effects. The porous material may be less securely or tightly held by the heater and may have a tendency to fall out, thereby disassembling the atomizer. In an induction heating device (see Figs. 5 and 6), a changed shape of the heater will change the position of at least parts of the heater in the magnetic field of the working coil. This, in turn, may change the level of magnetic flux that acts on the heater, changing the degree of heating compared to a predetermined level, so that this affects the formation of steam. Therefore, it may be desirable to include elements that increase the structural integrity or rigidity of the heater.

In Fig. 9 two lines 106 are shown which are parallel to the main edges 101 and are located approximately in the middle between the main edges 101. They extend from the small edges 102 in the direction of the fold axis 105 at the middle point, but do not reach the fold axis 105. These lines or similar lines can be used to form folds in a flat element by making relatively sharp folds or bends along the position of the line 106 before bending the flat element around the middle fold axis 105. Both folds are made in one direction and form an angular formation in the flat element. The curvature is realized so that the parts of the flat element on both sides of the curve are brought to the required facing each other state, wherein the concave edges of the folded formations are facing each other.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the heater 110 formed in this way, with folds. The folds can be described as longitudinal, since they are located along the length of the heater 110. The folds 107 form corners facing outward. They have the effect of increasing the strength and rigidity of the heater 110, so that it can better resist bending outward under the action of the force of the liquid absorbed by the porous material in the volume 112. In addition, the corner surfaces formed by the fold cause the heater 110 to expand around a larger part of the volume 112, so that the porous material can be held in place more reliably.

In the example of Fig. 12, there are folds along the lines 106 shown in Fig. 9, so that folds do not occur in the bending region. This may facilitate the formation of the curvature, since the flat element will not resist such a bend in its central region. However, as an alternative, the two fold lines 106 can be replaced by a single fold line running along the entire length of the flat element 100 through the central part, where a curvilinear fold will be formed. Alternatively, more folds can be added. For example, each line 106 in Fig. 9 can be replaced by two lines 106, along each of which a fold is made in one direction. This will give two corners and three inclined faces for each half of the heater, giving an approximately hexagonal cross-section of the volume 112 instead of the approximately square cross-section of the example of Fig. 12. Additional folds may be used, for example, to provide greater structural rigidity to heaters made from very thin and flexible material, although additional folds generally increase the complexity of manufacture.

Fig. 13 shows a simple side view of a folded heater 110 formed as an atomizer 70. The atomizer 70 comprises a folded heater 110 such as the heater in Fig. 10 and a portion of porous material IZ located within a volume 112 defined by the curvature of the flat element from which the heater 110 is formed. The porous material may comprise any suitable wick material. For example, it may be made of fibers that are grouped, gathered, laid, woven or woven into a fabric or fibrous mass where there are spaces between adjacent fibers to provide a capillary effect for absorption and wicking. Examples of fibrous materials include cotton (including organic cotton), ceramic fibers and silica fibers. Other suitable materials are not excluded and will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

The flat element is not limited to a simple rectangular shape, as in the example of Fig. 9. Fig. 14 shows top views of several alternative shapes. In this case, each flat element has shaped end portions of reduced width. These are the small edges that are joined by folding for insertion into a socket for mounting the atomizer, and the reduced width allows a smaller socket to be used without reducing the amount of heater material available for heating and vaporizing the liquid. Some examples include a narrow central portion, the width of which is reduced compared to the width at the ends; this can simplify the formation of the bending curve, since less material needs to be bent, which allows less force to be used.

It is also noted that many of the flat elements in Fig. 14 include a plurality of perforations, which are holes cut or punched into the material of the flat element. Each hole is small compared to the area of the flat element, and the holes are relatively closely spaced and evenly distributed across the flat element, so that there are many holes. The holes may be round, or, for example, they may be elongated or have the shape of a slit, as in the three examples on the right in Fig. 14. The purpose of the holes is to allow the generated vapor to more easily escape from the atomizer into the aerosol chamber, so that it is collected by the air flow passing through the aerosol chamber. The liquid in the porous material inside the atomizer is evaporated by the heat of the heater and can flow out through the perforations into the free space of the aerosol chamber.

When designing a heater, it may be necessary to balance the increased ease of steam flow provided by additional perforations with the reduced amount of heater material available for heating. Accordingly, an optimal total area of perforations may be considered in comparison with the area of the heater material that generates heat and provides for its evaporation. If the total area of the heater material without any perforations is specified, the range for the total area occupied by perforations may be in the range of about 5 to 30%, for example about 20% of the total area of the heater material. In any case, it is useful that the total area of perforations does not exceed about 50% due to manufacturing limitations. In addition, too much open area (total area of perforations) may result in poor inductive coupling in the case of induction heating, while too little open area hinders the escape of the generated steam from the porous material.

The perforations, holes or openings may be provided for another purpose. Referring to Fig. 11, it can be understood that the small end portions of the heater are inserted into a socket for receiving the atomizer. Although it is the part of the heater located in the aerosol chamber that is intended to raise the temperature for heating purposes (in an induction circuit, this unsupported part of the heater is the part located in the magnetic field of the working coil), the thermal conductivity properties of the material of the heater mean that the heat will be conducted to the supported end within the socket. This may be acceptable if the socket is made of a heat-resistant material, but otherwise, or for other reasons, it may be preferable to minimize the temperature rise at the supported end of the heater. This can be achieved by creating a line or lines of perforation across the flat element, parallel to the small edges.

Fig. 15 shows a plan view of an example of a flat member configured in this manner. A line of perforations, holes, openings or apertures 114 is cut into the material of the flat member 100 toward each of the minor edges 102. The perforations should be large enough (by the total area of all perforations in the line) to remove the necessary material from the flat member and to reduce the transfer of heat by conduction from one side of the line to the other. Thus, the flat element is divided by perforation lines 114 into a central part 100A, in which a curvilinear fold is formed and which forms a part in which heat is generated, and two end parts 100B adjacent to the small edges 102. The perforation holes reduce the transfer of heat from the central part 100A to the end parts 110B and, therefore, reduce the amount of heat that affects the rest of the cartomizer through the connection of the heater with the cartomizer in the socket.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the flat member shown in Fig. 15 formed into a folded heater 100.

Perforations for steam release and perforations for suppressing thermal conductivity can be combined in one heater. The two types of perforation can have, for example, different sizes or shapes.

Alternatively, the heater may be made from a flat element by bending the flat element around another axis orthogonal to the axis used in the folded embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 17 shows a plan view of an example of a flat element for making an alternative elongated heater. As before, the flat element 100 has a rectangular shape defined by two opposite major edges 101 and two opposite minor edges 102. The length parallel to the major edges and therefore representing the longer dimension is equal to L ₁ , and the width parallel to the minor edges and therefore representing the shorter dimension is equal to L ₂ . In order to form a heater with proper proportions, the ratio of these dimensions L ₁ :L ₂ can be in the range from 2:π to 6:π, for example, or from 3:π to 5:π, although other proportions are not excluded. The regions or portions of the flat element 100 adjacent to the major edges 101 can be considered as major edge portions 101A.

In order to form a heater from a flat element 100, the flat element is given a curved shape, in which the curvature passes around an axis parallel to the length of the flat element, in other words, parallel to the line indicated by the reference numeral 114 in Fig. 17. The bending action can be considered as a folding of the flat element 100, indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 17, so that the flat element is folded into a tube shape. Therefore, the heater has a tubular shape with a length L _H exceeding its width W _H (the diameter in the case of a cylindrical tube) in order to provide the required elongated shape for the heater. The tube can have, for example, a circular cross-section in a plane orthogonal to the length, but this is not required and other shapes can be used. For example, the cross-section can have an oval shape.

Therefore, in this example, the bending of the flat element occurs along the entire length of the flat element in the width direction. This differs from the examples of the folded heater shown in Fig. 9-13, in which the bending is performed over the central part of the flat element only in the length direction.

Fig. 18A shows an end view of an example of a heater 110 of a tubular shape, which can be formed from a flat element, such as the element shown in Fig. 17. The flat element is given a curvature by rolling it around a central axis x, which is parallel to the length of the flat element, so that the main edges 101 of the flat element are adjacent to each other, and to obtain a cylindrical tube with a circular cross-section. This produces a heater 110 of a tubular shape. In this example, the flat element is rolled in such a way that two main edge portions 101A of the flat element, located near the main edges 101, overlap each other. The tubular shape allows the curved flat element to form a central cylindrical volume 112, which is a hollow space inside the tube. This volume is intended to accommodate a part of the porous material, allowing the heater 110 to be used in an atomizer.

Fig. 18B is a side perspective view of the heater 110 shown in Fig. 18A.

In this configuration, where the main edge sections 101A overlap, the tube is formed as a closed tubular shape in which there are no openings along the length L _H of the heater 110. There are two options for implementing this. In the first option, the overlapping sections 101A can be left separated from each other. Therefore, they can slide freely over each other to reduce or expand the circumference of the tube and, therefore, change the capacity of the volume 112. This can be useful when installing a porous material in the volume when making an atomizer. The porous material must usually fit tightly or tightly into the tube so that it does not fall out when the atomizer is in an upright position, so if the tube can be expanded, the porous material is easier to install. The tube can then return to its original circumference to more tightly grip the porous material. In addition, the adjustment provided by the overlap can allow the heater to adapt to changes in the volume of the porous material if it absorbs more or less liquid.

In a second embodiment, the overlapping portions 101A may be attached to each other or connected to each other to create a tube of fixed circumference and fixed volume. The overlap may be secured, for example, by welding or crimping, or by any method capable of withstanding the increase in temperature during operation of the heater. A fixed heater size may be advantageous in designs where the width of the aerosol chamber around the heater is small, so that an increase in the volume of the atomizer may restrict air flow through the atomizer or promote droplet formation in a reduced space.

In yet another alternative, the flat member may be shaped by folding around the X-axis such that the main edges are adjacent to each other on either side of a small intermediate gap. The main edges do not touch and the main edge portions do not overlap.

Fig. 19A shows an end view of an example of a heater 110 formed in this manner. As in the previous example, the tubular shape of the heater 110 has a circular cross-section in a plane parallel to the width, wherein the flat element is curved to define a central cylindrical volume 112 for accommodating a porous material. Two main edges 101 face each other on either side of a gap or space 116.

Fig. 19B is a side perspective view of the heater shown in Fig. 19A. The gap 116 between adjacent main edges 101 extends along the entire length of the heater. Therefore, the tubular shape of the heater is open along the length of the heater. This configuration can be useful for facilitating the release of vapor generated during heating of the liquid contained in the porous material placed in the volume 112, through the gap 116 into the aerosol chamber. In addition, if the material of the flat element is thin enough to allow some bending of the tubular shape, the circumference of the heater can change with changes in the size of the porous material, as described for the example of overlapping edge portions, where the edge portions are free and not attached to each other.

When a heater with an elongated tubular configuration is formed into an atomizer by adding a porous material to the volume 116 inside the tube, there is a risk that the porous material may fall out of the lower end of the tube when the atomizer is in a vertical position. The tube is open at the lower end, so the porous material can slide down, for example, when it becomes heavier and more lubricated by the absorbed liquid. A tightly fitting portion of the porous material can avoid this effect.

An alternative approach is to form a closed-end tubular heater.

Fig. 20 shows a top view of a flat element configured to form an elongated heater of tubular shape with a closed end. The flat element 100 comprises a substantially rectangular portion, as in the previous examples, limited by two main edges 101 and two minor edges 102. An end portion in the form of a shaped portion 118 with a size and shape corresponding to the intended cross-section of the pipe into which the flat element 100 is to be rolled up is also provided. The shaped section 118 is connected to one of the minor edges 102 and extends outward from it in the connection area 119. The heater is formed, as before, by rolling the flat element in the rolling process around an axis parallel to the length, with the formation of a tube open at both ends. Then the end portion 118 is bent inward, bending the connection area 119. By moving the end portion 118 approximately 90 degrees, the end portion is moved to a position in which it substantially closes the open end of the tube, thereby forming a tube closed at one end. In this example, the end portion is shown to have an oval shape suitable for closing the end of a tube with an oval cross-section.

It may be preferable to carry out the manufacturing by inserting the desired porous material into the volume 112 defined by the curved flat member through the lower end of the tube while it is still open, and then bending the end portion into a position that closes the end of the tube. Alternatively, for both open-ended and closed-ended tubes, the porous material may be placed on the flat member while it is still flat, and the flat member is rolled around the porous material to create a tubular shape.

The end portion need not completely cover the end of the tube. A gap or open space around part or the entire edge of the end portion may be useful, allowing steam to escape from the volume in the heater into the aerosol chamber around the heater. Therefore, there is no need to form any seal or connection along the edge of the end portion. In addition, the end portion may be, in particular, configured to allow steam to escape from the atomizer by providing potential support under the porous material when only partially closing the end of the tube. For example, the end portion may have a size and/or shape that is smaller than the cross-section of the tube in order to increase the size of the gap around the end portion when it is bent into place. The end portion may be provided with openings for steam to pass through. Therefore, as a rule, the end portion at least partially closes or covers the lower end of the heater tube.

The porous material placed in the volume 112 to form the atomizer from the heater can be formed from fibers of various materials, as described above with respect to the heater of the folded configuration. In this case, part of the porous material can be used to fill or partially fill the volume 112 inside the heater tube. The tube can then be inserted into a socket in the cartomizer component to support the heater in the desired cantilever position.

An alternative to the fibrous material that is particularly compatible with the tubular heater shape is a porous element in the form of a rod or stick made of porous ceramic material. The porous ceramic contains a network of tiny pores or voids that are capable of supporting capillary action and therefore providing a wicking capacity to absorb liquid from a reservoir and deliver it to the vicinity of the heater for evaporation. In this context, a rod of porous ceramic can be inserted into the tubular heater after the heater has been formed. This can be aided by the expandable circumference of the heater provided by the non-fixed main edges; the circumference can be opened to facilitate the insertion of the rod, and then the rolled configuration will allow the heater to shrink back around the rod, thereby tightly compressing it for good contact between the heater and the ceramic. To achieve this, the rod and tube should ideally have the same cross-sectional shape, although the overall effect is the same for non-matching shapes. However, the contact will be reduced so that the heat transfer to the liquid can be reduced. However, some gaps between the outer surface of the ceramic rod and the inner surface of the heater may facilitate the escape of vapor into the aerosol chamber. If the heater has a closed lower end, as described with reference to Fig. 20, then a looser fit between the heater and the ceramic rod may be acceptable since the heater does not have to grip the ceramic to hold the atomizer in the assembled form.

Alternatively, the atomizer can be made by using a ceramic rod and then rolling the flat piece around the rod either tightly or loosely, as preferred.

The ceramic rod can be sized to fit completely inside the heater in the assembled atomizer. It can be the same length as the heater, or it can be shorter than the heater, for example. The heater, which is the outer part of the atomizer, is then inserted into the cartomizer slot to install the atomizer.

Fig. 21 shows a side perspective view of an alternative configuration. The atomizer 70 comprises a heater 110 of a tubular shape, rolled around a porous element in the form of a ceramic rod 120. The ceramic rod 120 is preferably aligned with the lower edge 102A of the heater 110 at its base to effectively heat the liquid in the lower part of the rod without any loss of thermal energy. However, at the upper end, the ceramic rod 120 protrudes above the upper edge 102B of the heater 110. This allows the atomizer to be installed in the socket using only the ceramic rod 120. The heater 110 does not have to contact the socket, so that potentially unwanted heat transfer from the heater to the material of the socket can be reduced or eliminated.

In order to improve the release of vapor from the atomizer into the aerosol chamber, the tubular heater may be provided with perforations or holes, as described for the folded heater with reference to Fig. 14. The perforations may be made with a uniform distribution over the entire surface of the heater or only over a part of the surface of the heater, or may be made with different density (number of holes per unit area) in different parts of the heater. The perforations, as before, may have any shape.

Fig. 22 shows a side perspective view of an elongated heater 110 of a tubular shape, which is provided with perforations 122, which are uniformly distributed over the entire surface of the heater. In this way, the vapor can leave with equal ease from all parts of the atomizer. As in the case of a folded-shaped heater, when designing the heater, it may be desirable to balance the increased ease of vapor flow provided by the additional perforations with a reduced amount of heater material available for heating. Accordingly, an optimal total area of the perforations can be considered compared to the area of the heater material that generates and delivers heat for evaporation. If the total area of the heater material without any holes is specified, then the range for the total area occupied by the perforations can be in the range of about 5 to 30%, for example about 20%, of the total area of the heater material. In any case, it is useful that the total area of the perforations does not exceed about 50% due to manufacturing limitations. In addition, too large an open area (the total area of the perforations) can lead to poor inductive coupling when induction heating is used, while too small an open area makes it difficult for the generated steam to escape from the porous material. In addition, a larger open area than that used for the extended folded-shape heater can be useful to ensure adequate steam escape due to the lack of a folded-shape open-side configuration. The total area of the heater material can be, for example, the total area of a flat element.

The example of the atomizer in Fig. 21 can be mounted in the socket with a ceramic porous element, as discussed above. This protects the socket from direct exposure to heat from the heater. In examples where the atomizer is mounted by inserting the heater into the socket, it can be useful to reduce the amount of heat that can spread from the heater to the socket material. For a tubular heater, the same approach can be used as for the folded heater described with reference to Figs. 15 and 16. In the flat element, one or more perforation lines can be made substantially parallel to the minor edge serving as the upper edge of the heater, and closer to this minor edge than to the opposite minor edge. The part of the flat element below the perforation line, which is the main part, is intended to act as a current collector in cases where induction heating is used, and will therefore be the part of the heater in which thermal energy is generated. The portion of the flat element above the perforation line, which is a small area, is the portion that is inserted into the socket that supports the heater and will therefore be the portion where minimal heating is desired. The perforation, by reducing the amount of material available for thermal conductivity, will reduce the spread of heat from the current-receiving portion to the mounting portion of the socket, so that the effect of heat on the socket is reduced.

Fig. 23 shows a side perspective view of an elongated heater 110 of tubular shape, which is provided with a single line of perforations, holes or openings 114 for the purpose of reducing thermal conductivity to the portion of the heater 110 installed in the socket.

The coiled structure of the exemplary tubular shaped heaters may provide a heater with a sufficient degree of structural rigidity or integrity to maintain the desired shape and support the porous element within it regardless of the orientation of the steam supply system.

For folded or tubular (rolled) heaters, the flat element must be made of an electrically conductive material that has sufficient resistance to provide heating either by induction effects through induced eddy currents or by direct electrical current flow through the heater. The flat element is a sheet and may therefore be a sheet of metallic material, suitable metals including mild steel, ferritic stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, nichrome (chromium-nickel alloy) and alloys of these materials. The sheet may also be multi-layered and comprise two or more materials. The thickness of the sheet must be thin enough to allow the curved shape to be formed so that excessive force is not required to manufacture the heater, and thick enough to maintain the curved shape after it has been formed without the flat element returning to a flat sheet, and to contain any induced displacement, such as the tendency of a folded heater to spring back at small edges or the tendency of a rolled heater to restore its original circumference after being forced to expand. In addition, it may be necessary to balance the thickness of the sheet that satisfies these requirements with the need to provide a sufficient volume of resistive material to provide sufficient heating (recall that in some examples the amount of material is reduced by perforation). Accordingly, the thickness of the flat element may be in the range of from about 10 to about 70 μm, such as from about 20 to about 50 μm or from about 30 to about 40 μm. These values may represent the total thickness of the sheet, including any supporting elements or coatings. If the thickness is insufficient, the heater may not have the required structural strength, although this can be compensated for by additional component materials. Suitable thickness values may vary depending on the different implementation options, such as for a folded form and a tubular form.

As noted, the heater according to the present invention may be a current collector for induction heating, as described in relation to the cartomizers shown in Figs. 2-6. For induction heating, no electrical connections to the heater are required. Alternatively, the heater described above may be used as part of an atomizer that operates by Joule or ohmic heating, in which case electrical connections must be made to the heater to ensure that an electric current passes through the heater. In any case, the atomizer formed from the heater may be supported by mounting in a socket, as described above, or by other means, and the mounting may or may not support the heater in a cantilever manner.

In conclusion, in order to solve various problems and to develop the state of the art, various embodiments by means of which the invention can be practiced are shown in this description by way of example. The advantages and features of the disclosure are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of the invention and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to facilitate understanding and to convey the ideas of the claimed invention. It is understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and/or other aspects of the disclosure should not be considered as limitations of the disclosure given by the claims or limitations on equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments and modifications can be used without departing from the scope of the claims. The various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of or essentially consist of various combinations of the described elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those described in this document. The invention may include other inventions not explicitly claimed, but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims (27)

1. An atomizer for an electronic vapor supply system, comprising a heater for evaporating an aerosolized substrate material and a portion made of a porous material for transferring the aerosolized substrate material to the heater, wherein the heater has an elongated shape and is made of a flat element made of an electrically resistive material having a length, a width and two pairs of opposite edges comprising two main edges substantially parallel to the length and two small edges substantially parallel to the width, wherein the flat element is curved to form an elongated shape of the heater so that the edges of one of the pairs of opposite edges are located next to each other, wherein the curved flat element defines a volume, wherein said portion made of a porous material is placed in said volume. 2. An atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the flat element is curved about an axis substantially parallel to the length, so that the two main edges are located next to each other, forming a heater of a substantially tubular shape. 3. An atomizer according to claim 2, wherein the two main edges are arranged so that the main edge sections of the flat element overlap each other, forming a tubular heater closed along the length of the heater. 4. An atomizer according to claim 3, wherein the overlapping main edge sections are designed to slide over each other to change the volume capacity. 5. An atomizer according to claim 3, wherein the overlapping main edge portions are connected to each other to form a volume of fixed capacity. 6. An atomizer according to claim 2, wherein the two main edges are arranged with an intermediate gap to form a tubular heater open along the length of the heater. 7. An atomizer according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the tubular shape has a substantially circular cross-section in a plane parallel to the small edges. 8. An atomizer according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the flat element further comprises an end portion, wherein the end portion projects from one of said minor edges and is bent relative to this minor edge to at least partially cover the end of the tubular shape of the heater. 9. An atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the flat element is curved about an axis substantially parallel to the width, at or near the middle between the two minor edges so that the two minor edges are located next to each other to form a heater of a substantially folded shape. 10. An atomizer according to claim 9, wherein the flat element is curved about an axis with a radius of curvature substantially in the range from 0.25 to 2.5 mm. 11. An atomizer according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the flat element has at least one longitudinal fold formed on it substantially parallel to the two main edges and forming a concave surface for volume. 12. An atomizer according to claim 11, wherein at least one longitudinal fold comprises two longitudinal folds, each of which extends from the small edge to the middle of the heating element. 13. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the length of the flat element is equal to L ₁ and the width of the flat element is equal to L ₂ , wherein the ratio L ₁ : L ₂ is substantially in the range from 4:1 to 12:1 or from 2:π to 6:π. 14. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the elongated shape of the heater has a length L _H and a width W _H such that the ratio L _H :W _H is substantially in the range from 2:1 to 6:1. 15. An atomizer according to any one of paragraphs. 1-14, in which the electrically resistive material is metallic. 16. An atomizer according to claim 15, wherein the electrically resistive material is one of the following: low-carbon steel, ferritic stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, nichrome, or an alloy of these materials. 17. An atomizer according to any one of paragraphs. 1-16, in which the flat element has a plurality of perforation holes. 18. An atomizer according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of perforation holes are intended for the release of evaporated aerosolized substrate material from the volume. 19. An atomizer according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of perforation holes are distributed over the entire or most area of the flat element. 20. An atomizer according to any one of claims 17-19, wherein the plurality of perforations comprises a line or lines of perforations substantially parallel to the width of the flat element, to reduce heat transfer in the material of the flat element through the line or lines of perforations. 21. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1-20, wherein the heater is a current collector configured to be placed in an oscillating magnetic field for heating by induction. 22. An atomizer according to any one of paragraphs. 1-20, in which the heater is made in the form of a resistive heating element for passing an electric current for heating by means of Joule heating. 23. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1-22, wherein the porous material comprises cotton or organic cotton. 24. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1-22, wherein the porous material comprises a rod made of porous ceramic. 25. An atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 24, which further comprises a support element having a support portion forming a socket into which one or both small edges of the flat element are inserted, so that the heater is supported only by one end of the elongated shape in a cantilever arrangement. 26. A cartridge for an electronic vapor supply system comprising an atomizer according to any one of claims 1-25 and a reservoir containing an aerosolizable substrate material for evaporation by a heater. 27. An electronic steam supply system comprising an atomizer according to any one of paragraphs 1-25 or a cartridge according to paragraph 26.