Electronic aerosol-generating smoking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11559083-B2
Application number	US-202016941019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

An electronic aerosol-generating smoking device includes a main body having a heating region for heating aerosol-forming substrate. The main body includes a front housing defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, and a heater in the main body and configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity. At least a portion of an internal surface of the main body is at least one of a hydrophobic and super-hydrophobic surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic aerosol-generating device comprising:
a main body including a front housing defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, the front housing including,
an extractor, an inner surface of the extractor defining at least a portion of the cavity,
an air flow conduit, and
a middle portion including a plurality of openings configured to fluidly couple the cavity to the air flow conduit,

a heater in the main body configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity, and
a heater overmould arranged at a distal end of the front housing to separate the heater from a distal housing portion, the heater overmould, the extractor, the air flow conduit, and the middle portion including a hydrophobic surface, a super-hydrophobic surface, or both a hydrophobic surface and a super-hydrophobic surface.

2. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heater includes a heater blade extending into the cavity.

3. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 2 , wherein the heater blade includes a super-hydrophobic outer surface.

4. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 3 , wherein the super-hydrophobic outer surface includes a micro-structured surface and a nano-structured surface.

5. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 4 , wherein the nano-structured surface is on the micro-structured surface.

6. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an internal surface of the main body is hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic.

7. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 6 , wherein at least the portion of the internal surface of the main body that is hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic includes a micro-structured surface, a nano-structured surface, or both a micro-structured surface and a nano-structured surface.

8. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 6 , wherein at least the portion of the internal surface of the main body that is hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic is manufactured by micro-shot peening, femtosecond laser machining, microplasma treatment, photolithography, nanoimprinting lithography, or any combination thereof.

9. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 6 , wherein at least the portion of the internal surface of the main body that is hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic includes a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic coating applied to the portion of the internal surface of the main body.

10. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 9 , wherein the hydrophobic coating is non-polar and includes silane, fluorocarbon, fluorinated compounds, acrylic acid, or any combination thereof.

11. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 9 , wherein the super-hydrophobic coating includes manganese oxide polystyrene nanocomposite, zinc oxide polystyrene nanocomposite, precipitate calcium carbonate, carbon nanotubes, a silica nanocoating, or any combination thereof.

12. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the extractor is tubular-shaped.

13. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mouthpiece including a flow channel, wherein a downstream end of the flow channel is an outlet opening in a proximal end of the mouthpiece.

14. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 13 , wherein the flow channel in the mouthpiece includes a hydrophobic surface, a super-hydrophobic surface, or both a hydrophobic surface and a super-hydrophobic surface.

15. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the main body includes a reservoir for holding the aerosol-forming substrate.

16. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir includes a hydrophobic surface, a super-hydrophobic surface, or both a hydrophobic surface and a super-hydrophobic surface.

17. An electronic aerosol-generating device comprising:
a main body including a heating region for heating an aerosol-forming substrate, the main body includes,
a front housing defining a cavity configured to receive the aerosol-forming substrate, the front housing including an extractor, an air flow conduit, and a middle portion including a plurality of openings configured to fluidly couple the cavity to the air flow conduit, an inner surface of the extractor defining at least a portion of the cavity,
a heater in the main body configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity, and
a heater overmould arranged at a distal end of the front housing to separate the heating region from a distal housing portion, the heater overmould, the extractor, the air flow conduit, and the middle portion including a super-hydrophobic surface.

18. An electronic aerosol-generating device comprising:
a main body including,
a front housing defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, the front housing including an extractor, an air flow conduit, and a middle portion including a plurality of openings configured to fluidly couple the cavity to the air flow conduit, an inner surface of the extractor defining at least a portion of the cavity,

a heater in the main body configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity, and
a heater overmould arranged at a distal end of the front housing to separate the heater from a distal housing portion, the heater overmould, the extractor, the air flow conduit, and the middle portion including a super-hydrophobic surface, wherein the super-hydrophobic surface includes a micro-structured surface on a nano-structured surface.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• BESSANT Michel
• Duc Fabien

Classifications

• A24F40/46 Primary

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/40

  Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• H05B3/46

  heating conductor mounted on insulating base · CPC title