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EP-3995013-B1 - FLAVOR INHALER AND INSERTION GUIDE MEMBER

EP3995013B1EP 3995013 B1EP3995013 B1EP 3995013B1EP-3995013-B1

Inventors

  • YAMADA, MANABU
  • INOUE, YASUNOBU
  • SUMII, Tateki

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190701

Claims (14)

  1. An insertion guide member (17) to be used with a rod-like flavor generating article (110), comprising: an opening (61) in which a flavor generating article (110) can be inserted, an inner peripheral surface (62) enclosing an outer periphery of the flavor generating article (110) inserted from the opening (61), and a ring-like protruding portion (63) that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface (62) to extend over an entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface (62) and is configured to abut on the flavor generating article (110) over an entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the inserted flavor generating article (110), if said flavor generating article (110) is inserted in the opening, characterized in that the protruding portion (63) includes, in a circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface (62), a portion that changes in a position in the longitudinal direction of the flavor generating article (110) that abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the inserted flavor generating article (110).
  2. The insertion guide member (17) according to Claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral surface (62) includes a non-protruding portion (62a) that is formed adjacent to at least either one of the opening (61) side of the protruding portion (63) and an opposite side from the opening (61) and includes a region configured to stay away from the outer peripheral surface of the flavor generating article (110) if the flavor generating article is inserted in the opening.
  3. The insertion guide member (17) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes an inclined portion (63a) extending at an angle to a longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110).
  4. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes a plurality of convex portions (63b) protruding toward the opening (61), and wherein the plurality of convex portions (63b) are disposed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface (62).
  5. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes at least one horizontal portion (63c) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110), and wherein the at least one horizontal portion (63c) includes a first horizontal portion (63c) that forms an opening (61) -side end portion of the protruding portion (63) in the longitudinal direction and/or a second horizontal portion (63c) that forms an end portion on an opposite side from the opening (61).
  6. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes a pair of horizontal portions (63c) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110) and facing each other across a center axis of the inserted flavor generating article (110), and wherein the pair of horizontal portions (63c) forms end portions of the protruding portion (63) on the opposite side from the opening (61) in the longitudinal direction.
  7. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, including: at least one guide portion (64) provided to the inner peripheral surface (62) and configured to guide movement of the flavor generating article (110) relative to the inner peripheral surface (62), wherein the at least one guide portion (64) includes a first guide portion extending from the protruding portion (63) toward the opening (61) along the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110) and/or a second guide portion extending toward the opposite side from the opening (61).
  8. The insertion guide member (17) according to Claim 7, wherein the guide portion (64) includes a guide surface (64a) disposed to face the outer peripheral surface of the inserted flavor generating article (110).
  9. The insertion guide member (17) according to Claim 8, wherein the guide surface (64a) is located away from the outer peripheral surface of the inserted flavor generating article (110) and extends along the longitudinal direction.
  10. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes: a pair of perpendicular portions (63d) extending side by side along the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110), and a horizontal portion (63c) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, wherein the pair of perpendicular portions (63d) extends from an opening (61) -side end portion of an inclined portion (63a) toward the opening (61) -side, and opening (61) -side end portions of the pair of perpendicular portions (63d) are connected together via the horizontal portion (63c).
  11. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes a pair of perpendicular portions (63d) extending along the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110), and wherein the pair of perpendicular portions (63d) is disposed to face each other across the longitudinal direction at a substantially middle position of the inclined portion (63a) in the longitudinal direction.
  12. The insertion guide member (17) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding portion (63) includes: a plurality of perpendicular portions (63d) extending along the longitudinal direction of the inserted flavor generating article (110), and a horizontal portion (63c) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and connecting every two adjacent end portions of the perpendicular portions (63d), and wherein the perpendicular portions (63d) and the horizontal portion (63c) form an upwardly convex portion (63b) protruding toward the opening (61) and/or a downwardly convex portion (63b) protruding toward an opposite side from the opening (61).
  13. The insertion guide member (17) according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the insertion guide member (17) is formed by combining a plurality of members, and wherein the protruding portion (63) is formed at a joint between the plurality of members.
  14. A flavor inhaler (10) to be used with a rod-like flavor generating article (110), comprising: an insertion guide member (17) according to any of claims 1 to 13.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to flavor inhalers and insertion guide members. BACKGROUND ART There are well-known flavor inhalers used to inhale flavors without burning base material containing a flavor source. These well-known flavor inhalers include an electrical smoking system with a heating element that slidingly receives a cigarette inserted into a cigarette receiver (see Patent Literature 1, for example). US 5 750 964 A1 discusses a smoking system in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system. WO 2017/194764 A1 discusses an apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilise at least one component of said smokable material. The apparatus comprises: a housing; the housing having an insertion point at one end through which a consumable article comprising smokable material can be removably inserted into the apparatus; at least one heater arranged within the housing for heating said smokable material within the consumable article. The housing comprises ventilation around the outside of said consumable article at the insertion point to enable at least one heated volatilised component from said smokable material to exit the apparatus and/or air to enter the apparatus. WO 2018/190606 A1 discusses an aerosol generating device comprising: a hollow case having a passage for accommodating a cigarette, an opening open to the outside at one end of the passage such that the cigarette may be inserted thereinto from the outside, a through-hole connected to the other end of the passage, and a protrusion protruding from the passage and contacting a part of the outer side surface of the cigarette; and a heater for heating the cigarette when electricity is applied, wherein one end of the heater passes through the through-hole and is positioned inside the passage so as to be inserted into the cigarette having one end accommodated in the passage. WO 2018/189195 A1 discusses an apparatus arranged to volatilise or extract at least one component of smokable material. The apparatus comprises, a housing for receiving smokable material; a fluid container arranged to hold a fluid; and at least one tube arranged at least partially within the housing. The apparatus is arranged such that the tube enters smokable material or the smokable material enters the tube when said smokable material is received within the housing and such that in use, fluid from the fluid container passes through an exit aperture of the tube into said smokable material. The fluid that passes into the smokable material volatilises or extracts at least one component of the smokable material. CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Kohyo) No. 2001-521123 SUMMARY OF INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM An object of the invention is to provide a flavor inhaler and an insertion guide member which have novel structures. SOLUTION TO PROBLEM The mentioned problems are solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Subject matter discussed throughout the following but not falling under the scope of the claims does not form part of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1A is a perspective overall view of a flavor inhaler according to the embodiment.Fig. 1B is a perspective overall view of the flavor inhaler according to the embodiment which holds a flavor generating article.Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the flavor generating article.Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along and viewed in a direction of an arrow 3-3 shown in Fig. 1A.Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a heating section.Fig. 5 is a cross-section of an insertion guide member.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the insertion guide member.Fig. 7 is a perspective cross-section of the insertion guide member.Fig. 8 is a perspective cross-section of the insertion guide member.Fig. 9 is a plan view of the insertion guide member.Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the insertion guide member.Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a protruding portion according to Modification Example 1.Fig. 12 is a cross-section schematically showing an inner peripheral surface according to Modification Example 1.Fig. 13 is a cross-section schematically showing the inner peripheral surface according to Modification Example 1.Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a protruding portion according to Modification Example 2.Fig. 15 is a cross-section schematically showing an inner peripheral surface according to Modification Exampl