Capsules with internal channels, heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating devices, and methods of generating an aerosol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11998050-B2
Application number	US-202016908849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 23, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

A capsule for an aerosol-generating device may include a housing defining inlet openings, outlet openings, and internal channels between the inlet openings and the outlet openings. The internal channels are configured to hold an aerosol-forming substrate. The housing is configured to facilitate a heating of the aerosol-forming substrate via conduction and/or convection so as to generate an aerosol.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A capsule for an aerosol-generating device, comprising:
a housing defining inlet openings, outlet openings, and internal channels between the inlet openings and the outlet openings, the internal channels configured to hold an aerosol-forming substrate, the housing configured to facilitate a heating of the aerosol-forming substrate via conduction so as to generate an aerosol, the housing including a corrugated structure and a conductive cover, the corrugated structure having alternating ridges and furrows which, in combination with the conductive cover, defines the internal channels.

2. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the inlet openings are configured to permit air to enter the capsule, and the outlet openings are configured to permit the aerosol to exit the capsule.

3. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the internal channels are separate and independent conduits.

4. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a body section, a first end cap, and a second end cap.

5. The capsule of claim 4 , wherein the first end cap is secured to an upstream end of the body section, and the second end cap is secured to a downstream end of the body section.

6. The capsule of claim 4 , wherein the body section defines the internal channels, the first end cap defines the inlet openings, and the second end cap defines the outlet openings.

7. The capsule of claim 6 , wherein the first end cap and the second end cap are configured to engage with the body section such that each of the inlet openings of the first end cap is in fluidic communication with a corresponding outlet opening of the second end cap via a corresponding internal channel of the body section.

8. The capsule of claim 4 , wherein the body section includes the corrugated structure and the conductive cover configured to contain the corrugated structure.

9. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein each of the ridges and furrows has a coplanar surface between a pair of angled surfaces.

10. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the conductive cover is configured to surround the ridges and furrows of the corrugated structure.

11. The capsule of claim 8 , wherein the corrugated structure has a portion with a cross-section resembling a trapezoidal wave.

12. The capsule of claim 8 , wherein the conductive cover is in a form of a box sleeve.

13. The capsule of claim 8 , wherein the conductive cover is made of a metal.

14. The capsule of claim 13 , wherein the metal includes aluminum.

15. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured such that the internal channels extend along a longest dimension of the housing.

16. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a length, a width, and a thickness, the length is greater than the width, the width is greater than the thickness, and the internal channels extend in a direction of the length.

17. The capsule of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-forming substrate includes a plant material.

18. The capsule of claim 17 , wherein the plant material includes tobacco.

19. An aerosol-generating device, comprising:
a device body defining at least one slot configured to receive the capsule of claim 1 containing the aerosol-forming substrate, the device body including,
a first side structure configured to partially define the at least one slot and receive the capsule therein,
a second side structure opposite the first side structure, the second side structure being closed, and
a heating assembly configured to heat the capsule containing the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, the heating assembly including a first heater and a second heater configured to partially define the at least one slot in between so as to heat the aerosol-forming substrate via conduction when the capsule is received therein.

20. A method of generating an aerosol, comprising:
engaging the capsule of claim 1 within a slot defined by a first heater and a second heater, the capsule engaging with the slot such that the internal channels are sandwiched between the first heater and the second heater; and
heating the aerosol-forming substrate via conduction with the first heater and the second heater.

21. The capsule of claim 16 , wherein the ridges and furrows alternate in direction of the width of the housing.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Blackmon Zack
• Good Patrick
• Sundar Rangaraj S
• Keen Jarrett
• Hawes Eric
• Hourmand Yannick
• Gallagher Niall

Classifications

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/46

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/48

  Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps · CPC title

• A61M15/009

  using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans (pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08) · CPC title