Cleaning tool for heating element with prongs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11950331-B2
Application number	US-201916977991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 13, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

There is provided a cleaning tool configured for cleaning an aerosol-generating device including a heating chamber and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, the cleaning tool including: multiple prongs configured to be inserted into the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device and to clean at least the heating element; and an actuating element configured to move the multiple prongs between a first position and a second position, wherein the multiple prongs are expanded towards inner sidewalls of the heating chamber in the first position and contracted towards the heating element in the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning tool configured for cleaning an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, the cleaning tool comprising:
multiple prongs configured to be inserted into the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device and to clean at least the heating element; and
an actuating element configured to move the multiple prongs between a first position and a second position,
wherein the multiple prongs are expanded towards inner sidewalls of the heating chamber in the first position and contracted towards the heating element in the second position.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple prongs are made of wire.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple prongs are further configured to contact the inner sidewalls of the heating chamber and a base of the heating chamber in the first position, when the cleaning tool is inserted into the heating chamber.

4. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple prongs are further configured to surround and to contact the heating element in the second position, when the cleaning tool is inserted into the heating chamber.

5. The cleaning tool according to claim 4 , wherein the multiple prongs are kinked and ends of the multiple prongs contact the heating element in the second position.

6. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple prongs are further configured with a roughened surface.

7. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element comprises a spring, which biases the multiple prongs in the first position or the second position.

8. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element is further configured such that the multiple prongs are moved from the first position to the second position, when the actuating element is actuated.

9. The cleaning tool according to claim 8 ,
wherein the actuating element comprises a tapered portion, and
wherein the tapered portion is configured to contact and to push apart proximal ends of the multiple prongs during actuation of the actuating element.

10. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element is configured such that the prongs are moved from the second position to the first position, when the actuating element is actuated.

11. The cleaning tool according to claim 10 ,
wherein the actuating element comprises a tapered portion,
wherein proximal ends of the multiple prongs are connected with a connection portion, and
wherein the tapered portion is configured to contact and to elastically deform the connection portion during actuation of the actuating element, thereby moving the multiple prongs from the second position to the first position.

12. A system comprising an aerosol-generating device and a cleaning tool according to claim 1 , the aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, wherein multiple prongs of the cleaning tool are configured to be inserted into the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device and to clean at least the heating element.

13. A method for cleaning an aerosol-generating device with a cleaning tool, the aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber and a heating element disposed in the heating chamber, and the cleaning tool comprising multiple prongs, the method comprising:
inserting the multiple prongs into the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device for cleaning at least the heating element, wherein the cleaning tool further comprises an actuating element configured to move the multiple prongs between a first position and a second position, and wherein the multiple prongs are expanded towards inner sidewalls of the heating chamber in the first position and contracted towards the heating element in the second position; and
moving the multiple prongs between the first position and the second position after insertion of the cleaning tool into the heating chamber.

Assignees

• Philip Morris Products Sa

Inventors

• Reevell Tony

Classifications

• H05B3/40 Primary

  Heating elements having the shape of rods or tubes (H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78 take precedence) · CPC title

• A24F40/46 Primary

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/85 Primary

  Maintenance, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• A46B7/02

  in an expanding or articulating manner · CPC title

• A46D1/0207

  Bristles characterised by the choice of material, e.g. metal · CPC title