US-12616251-B2 - Aerosol-generating device with separable venturi element

Abstract

The invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a main body, a mouthpiece, which is configured removably attachable to the main body and a two-piece Venturi portion. The two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a main airflow channel extending between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and a constricted airflow channel arranged in the main airflow channel. The inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the main body when the mouthpiece is attached to the main body, and the outlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the mouthpiece or integrated with the mouthpiece.

Inventors

• Rui Nuno BATISTA

Assignees

• PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20200605

Priority Date

20190606

Claims (19)

1. 1 . Aerosol-generating device comprising: a main body; a mouthpiece comprising a downstream end, which is configured removably attachable to the main body; and a two-piece Venturi portion, wherein the two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a main airflow channel extending between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and a constricted airflow channel arranged in the main airflow channel; wherein the inlet portion is integrated with the main body, and the outlet portion is at the downstream end of the mouthpiece; wherein the aerosol-generating device interacts with an aerosol-forming substrate of an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol, wherein the two-piece Venturi portion is located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating article comprising a solid aerosol-forming substrate as the aerosol-forming substrate and abuts the aerosol-generating article, or wherein the two-piece Venturi portion is located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating article comprising a cartridge holding a liquid aerosol-forming substrate as the aerosol-forming substrate and abuts the cartridge; and wherein the inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is a hollow conical shape converging towards the constricted airflow channel of the two-piece Venturi portion for entry of airflow into the two-piece Venturi portion and the outlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion comprises a hollow conical shape diverging from the constricted airflow channel for airflow out of the two-piece Venturi portion.
2. 2 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises at least one first air inlet arranged adjacent or upstream of the inlet portion, wherein the first air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel.
3. 3 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one second air inlet arranged adjacent the main airflow channel, wherein the second air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel.
4. 4 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the second air inlet is fluidly connected with the main airflow channel at the constricted airflow channel.
5. 5 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the constricted airflow channel is configured as a venturi nozzle.
6. 6 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet portion is configured converging towards the main airflow channel and the outlet portion is configured diverging from the main airflow channel.
7. 7 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a first portion of the main airflow channel, and the mouthpiece comprises a second portion of the main airflow channel.
8. 8 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the main airflow channel of the two-piece Venturi portion comprises a first portion of a venturi nozzle, and the second portion of the main airflow channel comprises a second portion of a venturi nozzle.
9. 9 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is configured removably attachable to the first portion, wherein the inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is arranged in the second portion of the main body, and wherein the main body is configured such that an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate is insertable into a heating chamber of the main body, when the first portion and the second portion of the main body are detached.
10. 10 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal heating element arranged in the heating chamber and configured for penetrating into the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the heating chamber.
11. 11 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises an induction coil arranged at least partly surrounding the heating chamber.
12. 12 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a liquid storage portion configured to hold liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
13. 13 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 12 , wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises a heating element arranged downstream of the liquid storage portion.
14. 14 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the heating element is configured as an electrically resistive heating element or inductive heating element comprising susceptor material.
15. 15 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the internal heating element comprises a heating pin.
16. 16 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the internal heating element comprises a heating blade.
17. 17 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 13 , wherein the heating element comprises a mesh heater.
18. 18 . Aerosol-generating device according to claim 13 , wherein the heating element comprises a coil and wick heater.
19. 19 . System comprising an aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 and an aerosol-generating article comprising aerosol-forming substrate.

Description

This application is a U.S. National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2020/065598 filed Jun. 5, 2020, which was published in English on Dec. 10, 2020, as International Publication No. WO 2020/245339 A1. International Application No. PCT/EP2020/065598 claims priority to European Application No. 19178699.5 filed Jun. 6, 2019. The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device and a system comprising an aerosol generating device and an aerosol-generating article. It is known to provide an aerosol-generating device for generating an inhalable vapor. Such devices may heat aerosol-forming substrate without burning the aerosol-forming substrate. Such aerosol-forming substrates may be provided as part of an aerosol-generating article. Such devices may be arranged to receive an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating article may have a rod shape for insertion of the aerosol-generating article into a heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device. A heating element may be arranged in or around the heating chamber for heating the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device. Typically, the aerosol-forming substrate is vaporized by the heating element and aerosol is subsequently formed. Aerosol formation, in particular droplet size, depends upon multiple factors such as cooling of the air downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate and air pressure. Furthermore, the ambient temperature and humidity may influence aerosol generation. It would be desirable to have an aerosol-generating device with improved aerosol generation. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided an aerosol-generating device comprising a main body, a mouthpiece, which is configured removably attachable to the main body and a two-piece Venturi portion. The two-piece Venturi portion is preferably a two-piece element throughout this disclosure. The two-piece Venturi portion comprises an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a main airflow channel extending between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and a constricted airflow channel arranged in the main airflow channel. The inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the main body when the mouthpiece is attached to the main body, and the outlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion is at least partly arranged in the mouthpiece or integrated with the mouthpiece. Providing a two-piece Venturi portion may enhance aerosol generation. Optimized droplets of the aerosol may be generated within the two-piece Venturi portion. Conventionally, an aerosol-generating article may have been provided containing elements such as a cooling section for cooling an air stream through the article and for generating an inhalable aerosol within the article itself. By providing a two-piece Venturi portion, as in the present invention, the aerosol-generating article may be constructed in a simpler way. For example, a cooling section could potentially be omitted. The two-piece Venturi portion may be configured for reducing the temperature of the air containing vaporized aerosol-forming substrate flowing through the two-piece Venturi portion. The two-piece Venturi portion, particularly the dimensions of the two-piece Venturi portion, is/are configured to generate an aerosol having an advantageous droplet size or advantageous ranges of preferred droplet sizes or an advantageous droplet size distribution. Providing a two-piece Venturi portion in an aerosol-generating device, wherein the two-piece Venturi portion is partly in the main body and partly in the mouthpiece, may assure that only mouthpieces with the correct specifications can be attached to the main body of the aerosol-generating device. The manufacturer may thus be a position to secure that the correct type of mouthpieces may be attached to the main body of the aerosol-generating device. A consistent user experience and homogeneous gas mixture of the two-piece Venturi portion may thus be ensured. One piece, preferably an upstream piece, of the two-piece Venturi portion may be part of the or may be integrated with the main body. Preferably, the inlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion may be part of the or may be integrated with the main body. The upstream piece may comprise the inlet portion. The other piece, preferably a downstream piece, of the two-piece Venturi portion may be part of the or may be integrated with the mouthpiece. Preferably, the outlet portion of the two-piece Venturi portion may be part of the or may be integrated with the mouthpiece. The downstream piece may comprise the outlet portion. One or both of the main airflow channel and the constricted airflow channel may be part of the or may be integrated with the main body or the mouthpiece. Alternatively, one or both of the main airflow channel and the constricted airflow cha