Electronic aerosol-generating smoking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12329203-B2
Application number	US-202217980719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

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 front housing defining a cavity, the front housing including,
an extractor,
an air flow conduit,
a middle portion including a plurality of openings for an airflow to be able to pass through, the middle portion being discrete from the extractor,
a heater overmould arranged at a distal end of the front housing, and
a heating region within at least a portion of the cavity, the heating region including a heater blade; and

a distal housing opposite the front housing,
wherein at least a portion of an internal surface of the front housing defining the cavity, the extractor, the air flow conduit, the middle portion, and the heating region include a hydrophobic surface, a super-hydrophobic surface, or both a hydrophobic surface and a super-hydrophobic surface, and the heater blade is configured to extend through the heater overmould to couple to an electronic control board of the electronic aerosol-generating device.

2. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heater blade is configured to extend into the cavity, the heater blade including a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic outer surface.

3. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 2 , wherein the super-hydrophobic outer surface includes a micro-structured surface and a nano-structured surface.

4. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the air flow conduit extends from the heating region to a proximal end of the front housing.

5. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the air flow conduit comprises an aerosolization chamber adjacent a proximal end of the front housing opposite the heating region, the aerosolization chamber comprising a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic inner surface.

6. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , further comprising a mouthpiece including a flow channel, a downstream end of the flow channel is an outlet opening in a proximal end of the mouthpiece, the flow channel in the mouthpiece includes a hydrophobic surface, a super-hydrophobic surface, or both a hydrophobic surface and a super-hydrophobic surface.

7. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , where the hydrophobic surface is non-polar comprising silane, fluorocarbon, fluorinated compounds or acrylic acid.

8. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , where the super-hydrophobic surface comprises manganese oxide polystyrene nanocomposite, zinc oxide polystyrene nanocomposite, precipitate calcium carbonate, carbon nanotubes or is a silica nanocoating.

9. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic surface or the super-hydrophobic surface is a micro-structured or nano-structured surface.

10. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 9 , wherein the micro-structured or nano-structured surface is manufactured by micro-shot peening, femtosecond laser machining, microplasma treatment, photolithography or nanoimprinting lithography.

11. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 9 , wherein a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic coating is applied to a micro-structured or nano-structured surface.

12. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the super-hydrophobic surface is a combination of a micro-structured and nano-structured surface.

13. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 12 , wherein the micro-structured or nano-structured surface is manufactured by micro-shot peening, femtosecond laser machining, microplasma treatment, photolithography or nanoimprinting lithography.

14. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 3 , wherein a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic coating is applied to a micro-structured or nano-structured surface.

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

16. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the heater overmould is arranged at a distal end of the front housing to separate the heating region from the distal housing.

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

18. The electronic aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the distal housing includes a battery and a controller.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• BESSANT Michel
• Duc Fabien

Classifications

• H05B3/46

  heating conductor mounted on insulating base · CPC title

• A24F40/40

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

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title