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EP-4503987-B1 - AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE COMPRISING TWO HEATING PLATES AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF CONTROLLING

EP4503987B1EP 4503987 B1EP4503987 B1EP 4503987B1EP-4503987-B1

Inventors

  • WRIGHT, Alec

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230406

Claims (10)

  1. An aerosol generating device (11) configured to operate with a flat-shaped tobacco article (12) and comprising a flat-shaped heating chamber (50); the heating chamber (50) being configured to receive the flat-shaped tobacco article (12) and comprising a first heating plate (70A) and a second heating plate (70B) forming at least partially opposite walls (54A, 54B) of the heating chamber (50); the aerosol generating device (11) being characterized in that the heating plates (70A, 70B) are made from different materials having different thermal masses, the thermal mass of the second heating (70B) plate being greater than the thermal mass of the first heating plate (70A).
  2. The aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 1, wherein each heating plate (70A, 70B) is arranged to be in contact or to face a tobacco portion (15) of the flat-shaped tobacco article (12).
  3. The aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first heating plate (70A) is made of metal and the second heating plate (70B) is made of ceramics.
  4. The aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first heating plate (70A) forms a thin heating film.
  5. The aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a controller configured to power the first heating plate (70A) according to a first heating profile and the second heating plate (70B) according to a second heating profile different from the first heating profile.
  6. The aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 5, wherein each heating profile comprises an initial segment wherein the corresponding heating plate is powered.
  7. The aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 6, wherein the initial segment ends upon expiring a predetermined time interval or upon achieving by the second heating plate (70B) a predetermined temperature.
  8. The aerosol generating device (11) according to claim 7, wherein: - the duration of the predetermined time interval is comprised between 50 and 70 seconds and is substantially equal to 60 seconds; - the predetermined temperature is comprised between 260°C and 300°C and is substantially equal to 280°C.
  9. The aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein each heating profile further comprises a secondary segment; the secondary segment of the first heating profile comprising turning off the powering of the corresponding heating plate (70A); and the secondary segment of the second heating profile comprising powering of the corresponding heating plate (70B).
  10. Method for controlling an aerosol generating device (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising heating of each heating plate (70A, 70B) according to a heating profile determined based the thermal mass of this heating plate (70A, 70B).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns an aerosol generating device comprising two different heating plates. Particularly, the aerosol generating device according to the invention is configured to operate with a tobacco article, for example a flat-shaped tobacco article, which comprises for example a solid substrate able to form aerosol when being heated. Thus, such type of aerosol generating devices, also known as heat-not-burn devices, is adapted to heat, rather than burn, the substrate by conduction, convection and/or radiation, to generate aerosol for inhalation. The present invention also concerns a method for controlling the aerosol generating device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporisers) has grown rapidly in the past few years as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm vaporizable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products. Some examples of such devices are disclosed in WO 2019/128551 A1 and US 2021/212364 A1. A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is the heated substrate aerosol generation device or heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol substrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitable vaporizable material to a temperature typically in the range 150°C to 350°C. Heating an aerosol substrate, but not combusting or burning it, releases aerosol that comprises the components sought by the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic byproducts of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco or other vaporizable material does not typically comprise the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can be unpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore require the sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user. Tobacco articles, usable with such type of aerosol generating devices can take various forms. Some of them can present an elongated stick or any other suitable shape, like for example a flat shape. However, design of a tobacco article is often a trade-off between its aesthetics and efficiency in heating. Some of known aerosol generating devices operating with tobacco article comprise a heater which consumes a lot of energy to bring the heater up to a predefined temperature and thus to heat the tobacco article to the target temperature. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the aims of the invention is to provide an aerosol generating device requiring less energy to heat and evaporate the vaporizable material from a tobacco article. For this purpose, the invention relates to an aerosol generating device configured to operate with a flat-shaped tobacco article and comprising a flat-shaped heating chamber; the heating chamber being configured to receive the flat-shaped tobacco article and comprising a first heating plate and a second heating plate forming at least partially opposite walls of the heating chamber;the heating plates being made from different materials having different thermal masses, the thermal mass of the second heating plate being greater than the thermal mass of the first heating plate. Thanks to these features, it is possible to provide an aerosol generating device requiring less energy to heat and evaporate the vaporizable material from a tobacco article while heating the tobacco article in an optimal way. Particularly, the first heating plate, i.e. the heating plate having less thermal mass, enables to rapidly heat the tobacco article with little energy, allowing a fast puff by a user. The second heating plate having a higher thermal mass allows a homogenous heating of the surface of the tobacco article during the whole vaping session. Additionally, the second heating plate ensures a high thermal penetration into the tobacco article, which enables to generate more vapour as compared to the first heating plate. Thus, the user experience while using the aerosol generating device can be improved. Using of heating plates having different thermal masses makes it possible to use less energy to heat the tobacco article to a predetermined temperature and to maintain its temperature close to this predetermined temperature, as compared to the case of one or several heating plates having substantially identical thermal masses. Additionally, these heating plates achieve a homogeneous heating during the whole vaping session. Consequently, a combination of heating plates having different thermal masses enables to optimize the heating of the flat-shaped tobacco article. Each heating plate can present a homogeneous body made from a same material, like as metal, ceramics, etc