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EP-3785555-B1 - HEATER ASSEMBLY AND CONTAINER

EP3785555B1EP 3785555 B1EP3785555 B1EP 3785555B1EP-3785555-B1

Inventors

  • YAMADA, MANABU
  • TAKEUCHI, MANABU
  • INOUE, YASUNOBU
  • UCHII, Kimitaka
  • SUMII, Tateki

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190423

Claims (20)

  1. A container (40) including a cylindrical portion (41) that forms a chamber (40c) for containing a flavor generating article (10) therein, the container (40) comprising: a first channel (43) extending along a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41), the first channel (43) located adjacently to the chamber (40c) in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41), and a second channel (44) extending through the chamber (40c) along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41), the cylindrical portion (41) including a peripheral surface comprising a surface in which a heater (50) is arrangeable, the first channel (43) being communicated with the second channel (44), characterized in that the cylindrical portion (41) includes a first portion (41A) that partitions the chamber (40c) and a second portion (41B) that protrudes outside the chamber (40c) in an orthogonal cross-section to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41), the second portion (41B) extends along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41) and forms the first channel (43), such that an internal space of the second portion (41B) forms the first channel (43).
  2. A heater assembly (30) comprising: the container (40) according to Claim 1, and a heater (50) arranged in the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41).
  3. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 2, wherein the heater (50) is so arranged as to contact an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41).
  4. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the heater (50) includes a heating element (52, 52A, 52B) and a backing material (51, 51A, 51B) that supports the heating element (52, 52A, 52B), and wherein the heating element (52, 52A, 52B) is disposed along a placement area (41A1, 41A2) in a peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41), except an area adjacent to the first channel (43).
  5. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 4, wherein the placement area (41A1, 41A2) includes a first placement area (41A1) and a second placement area (41A2) in the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41), the second placement area (41A2) being located further away from the first channel (43) than the first placement area (41A1), and wherein the heating element (52, 52A, 52B) has higher watt density in the first placement area (41A1) than in the second placement area (41A2).
  6. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the heater (50) includes a heating element (52, 52A, 52B) and a backing material (51, 51A, 51B) that supports the heating element (52, 52A, 52B); wherein the cylindrical portion (41) includes a first end portion (41X) that receives the flavor generating article (10) and a second end portion (41Y) that is disposed on an opposite side of the cylindrical portion (41) from the first end portion (41X) in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41); and wherein the heating element (52, 52A, 52B) is disposed away from the second end portion (41Y) along the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41).
  7. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 6, wherein the container (40) includes a bottom plate portion (42) that closes the second end portion (41Y), and wherein the heating element (52, 52A, 52B) is disposed along the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41) without being disposed in the bottom plate portion (42).
  8. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the cylindrical portion (41) includes a contact portion (41S, 41R, 47) that comes into contact with a distal end portion of the flavor generating article (10) when the flavor generating article (10) is contained in the chamber (40c).
  9. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the container (40) includes a bottom plate portion (42), and wherein the container (40) further comprises a base (80) that is disposed in the bottom plate portion (42) of the container (40) and comes into contact with a distal end portion of the flavor generating article (10) when the flavor generating article (10) is contained in the chamber (40c), the base (80) forming a ring-shaped gap surrounding the base (80) and communicated with the first channel (43) and the second channel (44).
  10. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein the cylindrical portion (41) comprises a thermally conductive member.
  11. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 10, wherein the cylindrical portion (41) includes a first end portion (41X) that receives the flavor generating article (10) and a second end portion (41Y) that is disposed on an opposite side of the cylindrical potion from the first end portion (41X) in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41); wherein the container (40) includes a bottom plate portion (42) that closes the second end portion (41Y); and wherein the cylindrical portion (41) includes a third channel (45) connecting the first channel (43) and the second channel (44).
  12. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 11, wherein a channel extending from the first channel (43) to the third channel (45) includes an inclined channel or a curved channel.
  13. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 12, wherein, in a state where the flavor generating article (10) is contained in the chamber (40c), the first portion (41A) is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the flavor generating article (10), and the second portion (41B) is away from the outer peripheral surface of the flavor generating article (10).
  14. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 13, wherein the first portion (41A) is configured to compress the flavor generating article (10) at least partially in an arrangement direction of the first portion (41A) and the second portion (41B) when the flavor generating article (10) is contained in the chamber (40c).
  15. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 13, wherein the first portion (41A) has an oval inner periphery in a cross-section intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion (41).
  16. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 15, wherein the container (40) includes a channel forming member (46) that forms the first channel (43), and wherein the channel forming member (46) is disposed in the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41).
  17. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 7 and any one of Claims 8 to 16 referring to Claim 7, wherein the heater assembly (30) comprises a sensor (60) used to detect a temperature change caused in the heater assembly (30), and wherein the sensor (60) is disposed in the bottom plate portion (42).
  18. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 17 wherein the heater assembly (30) comprises a sensor (60) used to detect a temperature change caused in the heater assembly (30), and wherein the sensor (60) is disposed in the second portion (41B).
  19. The heater assembly (30) according to Claim 16, wherein the heater assembly (30) comprises a sensor (60) used to detect a temperature change caused in the heater assembly (30), and wherein the sensor (60) is disposed in the channel forming member (46).
  20. The heater assembly (30) according to any one of Claims 2 to 19, wherein the container (40) includes an area which is formed in at least a part of an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (41), the area having higher thermal emissivity than the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical container (40).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a heater assembly and a container which are intended for use in a flavor inhaler. BACKGROUND ART Flavor inhalers designed to heat flavor generating articles without burning have conventionally been known. The flavor inhalers each include a chamber in which a flavor generating article is contained and a heater that heats the flavor generating article contained in the chamber (for example, JP 2001-521123 A, JP 5963375 B2, and WO 2016/207407 A1). US 5 954 979 A discloses an electrical smoking system and method of establishing resistance to draw upon a cigarette while smoking a cigarette in an electrical smoking system comprising the step of operatively interposing a frit between a source of ambient air and the cigarette. CN 205 072 071 U relates to an electrical heating smoking set and heating element thereof. CN 107 183 789 A discloses a heating device, a non-combustion smoking set upon heating and a constant temperature smoke releasing method. The heating device comprises a heating part shell body, one end of which is provided with an opening part, a heating part cover body arranged on the opening part, and an atomization part arranged inside the heating part shell body, wherein the vapor outlet end of the atomization part is connected to the heating part cover body through an end part thermal insulation fixing piece, and the side surface of the atomization part is wrapped with a side part thermal insulation assembly; an air flow gap used for the passage of an air flow is arranged between the side part thermal insulation assembly and the heating part shell body, and the air inlet end of the atomization part is communicated with the air flow gap. Since the atomization part of the heating device has a structure of being hung on the heating part cover body, the thermal insulation effects of the atomization part and the heating part shell body are improved; since the side part thermal insulation assembly and the end part thermal insulation fixing piece have thermal insulation effects on the atomization part, the heating efficiency of the atomization part is improved. The non-combustion smoking set upon heating can release smoke at a constant temperature, and can be charged. SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention is defined by the appended independent claim. The dependent claims are directed to optional features and preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows a flavor inhaler 100 according to an embodiment.Fig. 2 shows a heater assembly 30 according to the embodiment.Fig. 3 shows a container 40 according to the embodiment.Fig. 4 shows the container 40 according to the embodiment.Fig. 5 shows the container 40 according to the embodiment.Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a heater 50 according to the embodiment.Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the heater 50 according to the embodiment.Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a container 40 according to a modification example 1.Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining a container 40 according to a modification example 2.Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the modification example 2.Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining a container 40 according to a modification example 3, not forming part of the present invention.Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the modification example 3, not forming part of the present invention.Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining a contact portion according to a modification example 4.Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the contact portion according to the modification example 4.Fig. 15 a diagram for explaining the contact portion according to the modification example 4.Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining the contact portion according to the modification example 4.Fig. 17 is a diagram for explaining a container 40 according to a modification example 5.Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining a heater 50 according to the modification example 5.Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining the heater 50 according to the modification example 5.Fig. 20 is a diagram for explaining the heater 50 according to the modification example 5.Fig. 21 shows a flavor inhaler 100 according to a modification example 6.Fig. 22 is a diagram for explaining a container 40 according to an additional modification example 2.Fig. 23 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the additional modification example 2.Fig. 24 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the additional modification example 2.Fig. 25 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the additional modification example 2.Fig. 26 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the additional modification example 2.Fig. 27 is a diagram for explaining the container 40 according to the additional modification example 2.Fig. 28 is a diagram for explaining a partition wall 49 according to an additional modification example 3.Fig. 29 is a diagram for explain